Buchheit (Chicago City Colleges) brings together antiwar activists and writers to address 19 "illusions" concerning US militarism. For example, Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed in Iraq, addresses the illusion that "our government tells us the truth about our wars;" Vic Blazier of Iraq Veterans Against the War counters the idea that "we always win;" Gayle Brandeis of CodePINK argues against the proposition that "collateral damage is an impersonal by-product of war;" and historian Howard Zinn dispels the idea "humans are inevitably driven to war." The other illusions include: "we fight for peace and democracy," "we fight to defend our personal freedoms," "we stay in Iraq to prevent further bloodshed among Iraqis," "the mainstream media gives us balanced reporting," "war doesn't impact me personally," "the military will take good care of our soldiers," "war boosts the economy for all Americans," "suffering is minimized in today's wars," "war is temporary," "America's relationship with Israel promotes stability in the Middle East," "developing countries ultimately benefit from our wars for democracy," "the environmental consequences of war are insignificant," and "wars result form the aggressive nature of human beings." Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)