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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:Your America: Democracy's Local Heroesby John Siceloff
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Approaching the topic of civic activism on both a national and local level, Your America reveals essential lessons from twelve stories of ordinary citizens accomplishing extraordinary changes in their communities. Like Bill Graham, mayor of tiny Scottsburg, Indiana, who took on the telecommunications giants and wired his town for free wifi; or Katie Redford, a young law student who dusted off the Alien Tort Claims Act of 1789 and ended up changing the way American corporations behave overseas. Each profile is the result of a story on Now, the popular PBS show with a viewership of over 2½ million people. For fans of the show, community activists, and the blogosphere, this book provides a blueprint for working together locally to create a better global community. Review:"In this uplifting collection of profiles, Siceloff and Maloney, producers of the PBS program Now, spotlight individuals who have sparked successful community action without resources or (in most cases) any political or organizing experience. Highlighted individuals include Lucas Benitez, a Mexican migrant worker who led a movement to improve the egregious working conditions in tomato fields in Florida; Jackie Thrasher, a school teacher who beat back the special interest money poisoning local electoral politics in Arizona; and Diane Wilson, a shrimp boat captain who started a campaign to halt toxic dumping of polyvinyl chloride in the Gulf of Mexico. The focus in these in-depth follow-up pieces to the Now profiles is less on a particular issue than on how such unassuming community leaders are born and how many paths to civic activism are forged from local concerns. Most of the featured individuals — aside from former civil rights activist Robert Moses and government whistle-blower Bunny Greenhouse of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — are ordinary citizens, and their abilities to devise creative solutions to serious problems and persevere against vastly influential antagonistic interests will inspire and embolden all readers. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"NOW is a welcome and nutritious addition to the rich menu of choices available on PBS. And, equally important, it is fearless about challenging conventional wisdom, a too rare quality these days." --Tom Brokaw "People look at the wreckage in the world and ask, "What can I do?" Here are some answers by people who didn't wait for others to answer it. You will not read their stories without being inspired to act — and that's the beginning of hope for democracy." --Bill Moyers "Your America is a wonderful tonic for cynicism and despair. It brims with real life heroes, from scholars to barbers to bureacrats to businesspeople, who remind us that one determined person can begin to turn the world." --Scott Simon, NPR"In this uplifting collection of profiles, Siceloff and Maloney, producers of the PBS program Now, spotlight individuals who have sparked successful community action without resources or (in most cases) any political or organizing experience....will inspire and embolden all readers."--Publishers Weekly "During a presidential election season dominated by talk of change--from the top down--a new book shows how the disempowered in America are making a difference from the ground up."--Roll Call About the AuthorJohn Siceloff is the creator and executive producer of PBS's NOW. An award-winning producer for such shows as 20/20, Primetime Live, and Dateline, he is also the recipient of the DuPont Award, Peabody Award, and Emmy Award. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post. He lives in New York, NY. Jason Maloney is a news and documentary producer who has worked for NOW. His work includes reports for PBS' NewsHour. He was recently the editorial producer on the documentary on the AQ Kahn network entitled "Nuclear Jihad," which won the DuPont Award. He lives in New York, NY. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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