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  The Hidden History of the JFK...

  Lamar Waldron

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  November 22, 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the tragedy that has haunted America ever since. For the first time, this concise and compelling book pierces the veil of secrecy to fully document the small, tightly-held conspiracy that killed President John F. Kennedy. It explains why he was murdered, and how it was done in a way that forced many records to remain secret for almost fifty years.The Hidden History of the JFK Assassination draws on exclusive interviews with more than two dozen associates of John and Robert Kennedy, in addition to former FBI, Secret Service, military intelligence, and Congressional personnel, who provided critical first-hand information. The book also uses government files—including the detailed FBI confession of notorious Mafia godfather Carlos Marcello—to simply and clearly reveal exactly who killed JFK. Using information never published before, the book uses Marcello's own words to his closest associates to describe the plot.This book builds on the work of the last Congressional committee to investigate JFK's murder, which concluded that JFK "was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy," and that godfathers "[Santo] Trafficante [and Carlos] Marcello had the motive, means, and opportunity to assassinate President Kennedy."

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  How Cities Work - Suburbs Sprawl...

  Alex Marshall

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  “Marshall writes with wit, reason, and style . . . An excellent resource on the history and future of American cities.” —Library Journal    Do cities work anymore? How did they get to be such sprawling conglomerations of lookalike subdivisions, mega freeways, and “big box” superstores surrounded by acres of parking lots? And why, most of all, don't they feel like real communities? These are the questions that Alex Marshall tackles in this hard-hitting, highly readable look at what makes cities work.   Marshall argues that urban life has broken down because of our basic ignorance of the real forces that shape cities—transportation systems, industry and business, and political decision-making. He explores how these forces have built four very different urban environments: the decentralized sprawl of California’s Silicon Valley; the crowded streets of New York City’s Jackson Heights neighborhood; the controlled growth of Portland, Oregon; and the stage-set facades of Disney’s planned community, Celebration, Florida. To build better cities, Marshall asserts, we must understand and intelligently direct the forces that shape them. Without prescribing any one solution, he defines the key issues facing all concerned citizens who are trying to control urban sprawl and build real communities. His timely book is important reading for a wide public and professional audience.

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  Angry Politics - Partisan Hatred...

  Stacy G. Ulbig

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  At a time of political tribalism and ideological purity tests, it can be hard to remember that cross-party hatred isn’t an inherent feature of partisan politics. But, as this book reminds us, a backward glance—or a quick survey of so many retiring members of Congress—tells us that even in the past decade partisan rancor has grown exponentially. In Angry Politics, Stacy G. Ulbig asks why. Even more to the point, she traces the trend to the place where it all might begin—the college campus, among the youngest segment of the electorate.A distinguished researcher and scholar of political psychology and public opinion, Ulbig gets right to the heart of the problem—the early manifestation of the incivility pervading contemporary US politics. With an emphasis on undergraduates at four-year universities, she gauges the intensity and effects of partisan animosities on campus, examines the significance of media consumption in forming political attitudes, and considers the possibility that partisan hostility can operate like racial and ethnic animosities in fomenting intolerance for other groups. During the college years, political attitudes are most likely to be mutable; so, as Angry Politics explores the increasing combativeness on campus, it also considers the possibility of forestalling partisan hatred before attitudes harden.

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  History Will Prove Us Right -...

  Howard P. Willens

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  In this “illuminating” insider account “Willens covers all his bases [in] a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the [Warren] commission report.” (Publishers Weekly)   Everything was over in seconds, but the events of November 22, 1963 have been debated for more than five decades. The presidential commission tasked with finding the truth about the Kennedy assassination, headed by then-Chief Justice Earl Warren, concluded that Oswald had acted alone. But the report did little to quell conspiracy theorists. Warren himself calmly dismissed the criticism, assuring his fellow commission members that “history will prove that we are right.” This eye-opening account by Howard P. Willens, one of the few living staff members of the Warren Commission, reveals that Warren's words were prescient. Drawn from Willens' own journals and extensive notes on the investigation, History Will Prove Us Right tells the complete story of every aspect of the investigation into one of the century's most controversial events from a uniquely first-person perspective.   “Fascinating . . . Many will still disagree with the Warren Commission’s conclusion, but this book serves a valuable function by laying out how it did its work.” —Booklist   “ A behind-the-scenes take on the investigation, its personalities and methodology. One by one [Willens] discards alternatives to the lone gunman theory.” —The Guardian   “The commission got it right — Oswald was the sole assassin —and that conclusion holds up after 50 years of scrutiny.” —The Washington Post   “Willens's account deserves close and careful scrutiny by anyone interested in the Kennedy assassination.” —Library Journal   “A superbly written account by someone who knows precisely what needs to be said and how to say it.” —Kirkus Reviews

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  Six by Ten - Stories from Solitary

  Mateo Hoke, Taylor Pendergrass

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  Thirteen personal accounts of solitary confinement’s devastating impact in the United States criminal justice system. 
   
  Six by ten feet. That’s the average size of the cells in which tens of thousands of people incarcerated in the United States linger for weeks, months, and even decades in solitary confinement. With little stimulation and no meaningful human contact, these individuals struggle to preserve their identity, sanity, and even their lives. In thirteen intimate narratives, Six by Ten explores the mental, physical, and spiritual impacts of America’s widespread embrace of solitary confinement. Through stories from those subjected to solitary confinement, family members on the outside, and corrections officers, Six by Ten examines the darkest hidden corners of America’s mass incarceration culture and illustrates how solitary confinement inflicts lasting consequences on families and communities far beyond prison walls. Stories include those of Brian, who was shuttled from prison to prison across Illinois as part of an unofficial program that came to be known as “the circuit”; Heather, a mother fighting for the life of her son, Nikko, who was diagnosed as bipolar at a young age and sent to solitary as a teenager; and Sonya, a trans woman sent to solitary in a men’s jail in Texas, supposedly for her own protection. 
   
  Praise for Six by Ten 
   
  “A consistently eye-opening, urgent report on the use and misuse of prisoner isolation.” —Kirkus Reviews 
   
  “Compels change by giving a voice to the voiceless . . . . The stories stop you in your tracks, but the appendices help move progress forward with simplicity, depth, and hope, beginning with ten things anyone can do that are impactful and accessible. The educational pieces of the book give apt background on the history and usage of solitary confinement, allowing even those examining the practice for the first time to have a firm grasp of the situation.” —Foreword Reviews 
   
  “A deeply moving and profoundly unsettling wake up call for all citizens. The use of solitary confinement is deeply immoral and we must insist that it be banned in all of our nation’s prisons. Immediately.” —Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author, Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy

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  Segregation by Design - Local...

  Jessica Trounstine

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  Segregation by Design draws on more than 100 years of quantitative and qualitative data from thousands of American cities to explore how local governments generate race and class segregation. Starting in the early twentieth century, cities have used their power of land use control to determine the location and availability of housing, amenities (such as parks), and negative land uses (such as garbage dumps). The result has been segregation—first within cities and more recently between them. Documenting changing patterns of segregation and their political mechanisms, Trounstine argues that city governments have pursued these policies to enhance the wealth and resources of white property owners at the expense of people of color and the poor. Contrary to leading theories of urban politics, local democracy has not functioned to represent all residents. The result is unequal access to fundamental local services—from schools, to safe neighborhoods, to clean water.

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