Former President Barack Obama posted a message on his Facebook page on Friday, October 12, that began, “I wanted to share a handful of books and articles that speak to the current political moment and something I’ve been talking about around the country this fall.”
Among the books that Obama has read and recommends that everyone consider reading before Election Day on November 6 are three titles published by Penguin Random House imprints:
Penguin’s THE BROKEN LADDER: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die by Keith Payne (“A persuasive and highly readable account of how rising inequality, and not just absolute poverty, is undermining our politics, social cohesion, long term prosperity, and general well-being.”)
Crown’s HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (“A useful primer on the importance of norms, institutional restraints and civic participation in maintaining a democracy – and how quickly those things can erode when we’re not paying attention.”)
Crown/Broadway’s EVICTED: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (“A powerful account of the challenges facing the working poor even in a strong economy, and the political and policy choices we’ve made as a country that help make it so hard.”)
Obama also mentions Doubleday/Anchor author Anne Applebaum and links to an article on polarization in Poland that she wrote for The Atlantic.
