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Product Description

“Politics is stuck,” writes Bill Bradley, in this insightful, informative, and provocative book about America at a crossroads, but “idealism isn’t dead. It can be reawakened.”

What will it take to make America a better, stronger, truer country? asks the bestselling author, former Knicks star, and onetime presidential candidate. Bill Bradley believes that America is at a teachable moment when we are compelled to reevaluate our political system, our leadership, our agenda as a nation, and ourselves as citizens. With clarity and urgency, Bradley shows why the story we are being told now about who we are as a people is not true. He then offers a new story about our nation, based on America’s rich heritage and his belief in the character of the American people. Bradley explores what changes need to be made in our parties, in our politics, and in citizen activism to ensure America’s future. He asserts that the American people are ready for the truth and suggests that the party that chooses to embrace this new story will be in power for a generation.

Writing from his own experience in politics and drawing on his knowledge of history, Bradley shows how the Republican Party has built a solid pyramid structure since the 1970s, at the base of which are money, ideas, and media, whereas the Democratic Party’s structure is an inverted pyramid, with too much emphasis put on the need for a charismatic leader to hold the pyramid up. Each party, for different reasons, fails to deal with the real issues that now confront America.

This informed and inspiring call to action is addressed not only to the parties and elected leaders, but to citizens as well. Bradley proposes things every American can do to shape our nation’s future. He points out that if eighty percent of the electorate voted, instead of fifty percent, it would be the most important change in American politics since women got the vote. Now more than ever, he says, we need to embrace an “ethic of connectedness,” a combination of collective action and individual responsibility, to solve our nation’s most pressing problems, and he argues that the fate of all countries is bound together as never before. Writing today with the freedom of a private citizen, Bradley provides this transformative and eye-opening book about the danger and the promise of America’s choice at this crucial moment in the nation’s history.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #395127 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-27
• Released on: 2007-03-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

From Publishers Weekly
He doesn't have an exploratory committee, but the former Democratic senator and one-time presidential hopeful certainly has a platform in this thoughtful policy agenda. Bradley (Time Present, Time Past) scathingly critiques Republican ideology and presents a liberal-centrist program for change that advances a multilateralist foreign policy, spending cuts (including Pentagon sacred cows) and tax hikes to reduce the deficit. There are also detailed, often far-reaching proposals to shore up (not privatize) Social Security and reform private pensions, health care, education and energy policy. His insightful account of the politics of Republican ascendancy and Democratic eclipse in recent decades is coupled with a cogent call for Democrats to "abandon the star system" of celebrity candidates (take that, Hillary and Barack!), develop a coherent governing philosophy and rebuild the party from the grass roots. Bradley's proposals range from the bold—free college tuition for the top third of every high-school class—to the niggling—"Ban trans fats." He loses his nerve on health care, as he won't unequivocally endorse the "Medicare for all" insurance system he obviously prefers. Still, Bradley puts forward a tough, plainspoken indictment of the Republicans and a vigorous and substantive Democratic reform program that deserves to be read and debated. (Apr. 3)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
Bill Bradley's book is a political call to arms that is more interested in substance over style. It's engagingly written. But it's the ideas that are important. At times, listeners might wish they could underline passages to remember them, but otherwise it's easy to pick up the author's thoughts and certainly easy to take in his main point, that an involved, educated citizenry can take back the political process. Michael Prichard's diction is clear and crisp. It has almost a stentorian quality to it but without the stridency that is attached to deep political thoughts. On occasion, Bradley's sentences run longer than even Prichard's practiced lungs, but the pauses are neither distracting nor inappropriate. Prichard doesn't sound at all like Bradley, but that means nothing. Few listeners have any idea what Bradley's voice sounds like, anyway. Again, it's the ideas that count in this book. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Taking advantage of his long and varied experience--and the credibility he earns because he's not running for office--Bradley appeals to Americans' better nature in a bid to recast politics. Lamenting the current cynicism that has divided the nation into red and blue states, Bradley aims to counter the conventional wisdom that the nation lacks the resources or the will to tackle problems. Recounting past national glories, Bradley proposes a new American story that focuses on the realities, not scare tactics or rosy political spin. He offers a specific agenda to help the U.S. find a place in the world that is not determined by military might but by a "civil religion" that works to improve common conditions for all nations. The current focus on the war in Iraq has distracted the U.S. from attending to growing tensions between Japan and China, the rise of anti-Americanism in South America, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, among a host of other crucial developments. On the domestic front, Bradley advocates health care for every American, higher teacher salaries, lower employment taxes, and publicly funded congressional and presidential elections, among other policies. Bradley appeals to both Democrats and Republicans--and individual citizens--to seize the current moment to reshape the nation's direction. Bradley, former professional basketball player, U.S. senator, and presidential candidate, offers a thoughtful look at American politics for citizens of whatever political persuasion. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Customer Reviews

wisdom for the ages
Deeply thoughtful and wonderfully wise, Mr. Bradley leads us through the major issues facing the United States in the 21st century with clarity, an engaging style, and the kindness/gentleness that we were taught to expect from our leadership. He proposes solutions that are sensible. I pray that his wisdom will be used to change our domestic and foreign policies in the coming years, for the sake of our great nation and its future citizens.

Great insights for Americans
Bradley has done a brilliant job of describing how Americans have gone stray by allowing our leaders to take us off on a tangent in conflict with our founders' vision. The situation isn't hopeless but rapid action is called for. Congratulations to the ex-senator for a vision of hope and possibility. Well done, Bill!!

tmost
I loved this book.
It is really revealing about what he is thinking. He has some pretty crazy ideas - like the fee-bate, the (new) gas tax, and it's explanation and plan for the money??? It sounds good on paper, but I don't think it would ever fly. However, he is a really likeable guy and seems to be genuine in his efforts to make our country greater. I might even vote for him.