BOTM: The Case for Democracy, by Natan Sharansky

[Mycroft]

The Case for Democracy, (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1586482610/104-3969279-3869514) by Natan Sharansky.

Could China have been brought to reform if we had applied these ideas 30 years ago?

What about Syria? Could a regime willing to level a city (Hama) be brought down by Western insistance and monitoring of human rights?

Where else in the world do these idea apply?

[aerocontrols]

Is this the book for March, or the book for April? I suggest giving people a 2-week window to get ahold of and read the book of the month before jumping right into a discussion.

That is, I believe that there should be no BOTM for March, that this book should be the book for April, and that May's book be announced in the middle of April.

If this conversation is going to start right now, I imagine that it will be fairly well-developed by the time I am ready to join in.

MattJ

[BPSCG]

Originally posted by aerocontrols
If this conversation is going to start right now, I imagine that it will be fairly well-developed by the time I am ready to join in.Nobody cares what you say anyway... :p

Seriously, yeah, I think it would be a good idea to hold off on discussion for a few weeks - that way, my brilliant observation about Sharansky will stand unchallenged for everyone to admire...

In case it isn't obvious, I never belonged to a book club before.

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by BPSCG
In case it isn't obvious, I never belonged to a book club before.

You still don't belong. Go sit in the corner until it's time to bring us our coffee.

[Mycroft]

Originally posted by BPSCG
In case it isn't obvious, I never belonged to a book club before.

Me neither. I figure it's an advantage, we won't be burdened by expectations and will be free to make up the rules as we go along. We don't need no steenkin' precedents to show us how to do things.

And because Aerocontrols is so persuasive, I’ll agree to make The Case for Democracy the BOTM for April. That will give me plenty of time to finish all these other books I’m reading.

[rikzilla]

Cool! I've never been in a book club either. Since I read Sharansky back in late Jan I guess I'll just keep reading my current Ann Rule true crime book....(she's a guilty pleasure)

I could make a review to rival yours Beeps...but yours was awfully well done! ;) Also, since I've only made about a zillion posts urging folks to read it, I guess the other great thing about Beep's review is that it isn't by me.

-z

[punchdrunk]

Okay, I've dusted off my library card and now have the book. Prepare for some sparkling gems* of wisdom come April.










* - If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshiat.