Exploring the psyche of the American populace during George W. Bush's presidency, this extended essay combines personal narratives with factual reporting to reveal the nation's evolving mindset. It captures the mood of a powerful yet troubled country, highlighting feelings of worry and disillusionment among its citizens. Through bold insights and candid observations, the work artfully illustrates Americans' struggles against a backdrop of increasing political pessimism, offering a profound commentary on the era's challenges.
The friendship between journalist Michael Gawenda and his dog Rocky serves as a backdrop for exploring themes of love, memory, and the passage of time. Through a series of vignettes, Gawenda reflects on his Polish-Jewish immigrant family, personal experiences, and broader social observations. This memoir blends humor and poignancy, celebrating the bond between humans and their pets while offering insights into living in the moment amidst the complexities of life and current events.
From the ashes of the darkest event in human history, Australian Jews built a thriving community, one with proportionally more Holocaust survivors than anywhere else in the world bar Israel. Mark Leibler grew up in this community, and in time became a leader of it. This book shows how Leibler rose to a position of immense influence in Australian public life by skilfully entwining his roles as a Zionist leader and a tax lawyer to some of the country's richest people. The book vividly paints a cast of Australian characters--among them Paul Keating, John Howard, Julia Gillard, and Noel Pearson--who came to know Leibler and to call him a friend, along with people like Kevin Rudd and Bob Carr, who see Leibler as no friend at all. Finally, the book charts a surprise turn in Leibler's life, when a social and political conservative became a committed advocate for radical reform on behalf of Australia's Indigenous people. This many-layered book is a portrait of Jewish life in Australia, of the interaction between private wealth and politics, and of a man whose energy, formidable work habits, and forcefulness that often tips into pugnacity have made him a highly effective player in Australian affairs. 'He taught me about power--how to get it and how to use it, ' says Noel Pearson. Through one man's story, this book shows how power works in Australia.
The book delves into the author's Jewish identity amidst rising opposition to Israel's existence as a Jewish state, particularly from segments of the left. Drawing from his experiences as a multi-award-winning journalist and former editor-in-chief, the author provides a poignant examination of cultural and political tensions, reflecting on the complexities of belonging and the challenges faced by the Jewish community in contemporary discourse.
