BookTalk.org

[align=center]Official Poll - January & February 2009 Non-Fiction Book[/align]

This poll will run from Thursday, December 12th through Sunday, December 21.

This is the official poll to select our January & February 2009 non-fiction book.

How to vote...

Only active members with 25 or more posts on our forums are permitted to vote in book polls. And please think before you vote. Votes influence the direction and future of our community. If you don't see yourself ordering the book you are voting for, reading that book, and making posts about that book on the forums don't vote. Book polls are not for sharing your opinion on what you consider to be a good book. They are exclusively for selecting a book that we can and will all read and discuss as a group. Your vote matters.

You can cast 3 votes. Distribute your 3 votes however you see fit. Maybe you really like 1 of the 3 choices and don't like the other 2 choices at all. In this case you can assign all 3 of your votes to your favorite book.

Or maybe you like two books with one of them being your top choice. The 3rd choice is not attractive at all. So you would want to assign 2 votes to your top choice and 1 vote for your 2nd choice. Assign no points to the 3rd choice.

Are you catching on? Yes, you can assign 1 vote to each of the 3 books. And please do vote even if you think you will be happy with any of the 3 books winning. The reason why your vote matters, in such an example, is because casting 1 vote per book shows other members that you will be participating in the discussion. Other people base their votes on how other people have voted, so please vote!

If you forget to cast 3 votes we will assume all 3 of your votes were meant for the 1 book for which you voted.

To vote simply make a post in this thread stating how you assign your 3 votes.

Example:

2 votes for Book Title 1
1 vote for Book Title 2

The 3 choices are as follows...

Book 1
Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism by Kevin Phillips
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/067001 ... 0670019070

Product Description
The bestselling author reveals how the U.S. financial sector has hijacked our economy and put America's global future at risk

In American Theocracy, Kevin Phillips warned us of the perilous interaction of debt, financial recklessness, and the increasing cost of scarce oil. The current housing and mortgage debacle is proof once more of Phillips's prescience, and only the first harbinger of a national crisis. In Bad Money, Phillips describes the consequences of our misguided economic policies, our mounting debt, our collapsing housing market, our threatened oil, and the end of American domination of world markets. America's current challenges (and failures) run striking parallels to the decline of previous leading world economic powers

I cast 3 votes for Beyond Culture.

I know I suggested Beyond Culture but I think that it would be better for me, right now, to read Bad Money. Beyond Culture isn't going anywhere and it isn't a 'new' book anyway.

I don't know how accurate this book can be as all this is just happening and is continuing to happen. I'll give it a chance as I'd like to be somewhat in the know.

So,

2 Bad Money
1 Beyond Culture

Ah, this is a tough one. I'm tempted to think that After Tamerlane might challenge me the most, since it steers away from Eurocentrism. But I like the potential of Hall's book to spark a more wide-ranging discussion. And then I'd welcome more background on why the U.S. seems to be losing it fast, which Philips will tell us.

3 votes for (eenie meanie minie).... Beyond Culture (there are always future months for the others).

3 votes for book #1 Bad Money

Thanks for not finalizing any religious titles. I also believe that this book Bad Money has the greatest likelihood of being relevant and informative.

Three votes for Bad Money, but I think it is extremely useful to also read After Tamerlane, as it provides one of the best diagnostics I have seen of the historic causes of the rise and fall of empires. As the US Dollar shifts from being a reserve currency, the monopolar vision since the Second World War will come more under challenge. Darwin provides a very eye-opening account of the relations between European empires and their colonial subjects in a way that is highly relevant to contemporary politics.
RT

3 votes for Beyond Culture

Actually, all three books sound interesting. I'll let the result of decide.

Edit:
Julian, how about we assign 1 vote for each of the 3 books?
Chris

3 votes for Bad Money. Kevin Phillips published the book in April 2008 and it appears he was proved completely correct less than 6 months later...