Ross Barkan Livres

“One of the sharpest state policy minds I know." —Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez“A writer with real literary flair. Like I.F. Stone, Barkan works independently with a left point of view, but it's his shoe leather, his working the phones and hitting the street, that's invaluable because, sadly, it's so scarce.” —Christian LorentzenGovernor Andrew Cuomo, scion of Mario Cuomo, is today as famous as his father, also a governor of New York state for three terms. Like Robert Moses, he is one of New York’s great and infamous power brokers. Though initially lavishly celebrated for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, not least by himself, it is now apparent that Cuomo’s management of the crisis was a juddering and fatal failure. Thousands died because, ignoring the advice of experts, he shut down too late and returned still sick patients to nursing homes. The crisis was intensified by his previous commitment to austerity, which saw the slashing of funding to hospitals.A vital riposte to Cuomo’s recently published book about the pandemic, now increasingly derided as self-serving and deceitful, The Prince is a searing indictment of Cuomo’s handling of coronavirus and his time overall in the highest office of the state.

In this coming-of-age thriller, a twelve-year-old boy's spark of courage to question the harmonious wooded commune he calls home may burn down more than just his own illusions. Lucien has everything he needs: a loving mama, a library full of books, and House of Earth, a private school nestled safely in the woods of upstate New York. It's where Lucien is taught the importance of living in harmony with nature and building a peaceful and sustainable future. But when his youthful curiosity draws him into town and to Gabrielle, a public-school student living a life wholly different from his own, Lucien's inquisitiveness about life beyond the commune and questions regarding the events of 9/11 threaten to unbalance everything he thought he knew. Slowly, things begin to change at House of Earth. The outside world is off limits. Security measures tighten. New rules are put in place, and anyone who violates them is asked to leave and never spoken of again. As forbidden questions pile up, Lucien's willingness to obey weakens. Continuing to meet Gabrielle in secret only reinforces his gnawing fear that something about his world is terribly wrong. Unable to remain silent any longer, Lucien will soon discover that looking for answers at House of Earth may be the most dangerous rule he can break.

The book offers an in-depth analysis of the tumultuous political landscape leading to the 2024 US election, highlighting the impacts of polarization and crises such as the Gaza conflict. It examines the decade of upheaval marked by figures like Trump and Sanders, the pandemic, and Biden's campaign to preserve democracy. As Biden's candidacy falters, the response from voters reflects a stark divide between those concerned with humanitarian issues and mainstream liberal fears of fascism. The narrative culminates in an exploration of the Democratic Party's future amidst this chaos.

Set in a dystopian future where citizens are bound to megacorporations, Sundra Glassgarden rebels against her enslavement by stealing a time machine to confront the past and alter her future. Her mission is to assassinate the mother of Octavio Velez, the president responsible for their plight. Simultaneously, in 1979 New York, Archie London, a former cop turned private investigator, embarks on a personal crusade against a dangerous gang he perceives as a dire threat to society.