The Radical and the Republican or Does Anybody Have a Problem with That

The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics

Author: James Oakes

"A great American tale told with a deft historical eye, painstaking analysis, and a supple clarity of writing."—Jean Baker

"My husband considered you a dear friend," Mary Todd Lincoln wrote to Frederick Douglass in the weeks after Lincoln's assassination. The frontier lawyer and the former slave, the cautious politician and the fiery reformer, the President and the most famous black man in America—their lives traced different paths that finally met in the bloody landscape of secession, Civil War, and emancipation. Opponents at first, they gradually became allies, each influenced by and attracted to the other. Their three meetings in the White House signaled a profound shift in the direction of the Civil War, and in the fate of the United States.

James Oakes has written a masterful narrative history, bringing two iconic figures to life and shedding new light on the central issues of slavery, race, and equality in Civil War America.

New interesting textbook: Cuidado Manejado:Lo que Es y Como Esto Trabaja

Does Anybody Have a Problem with That?: Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits

Author: Bill Maher

People are getting stupider.

The National Enquirer is always right.

Howard Stern should get over himself.

Fame is the worst drug.

These and countless other strident assertions are contained in Does Anybody Have a Problem with That?, the collection of the greatest hits of Bill Maher's TV series, Politically Incorrect.

Bill Maher presides over the most opinionated show on television. Maher and his panels of pundits and pop stars tackle the really important issues, pontificating liberally and illiberally to produce funny, smart, provocative, award-winning TV. And now here's a sampling of those opinions that will guarantee to make you the hit of every cocktail party. According to Maher, Vietnam was a smart, noble war; AIDS ribbons are stupid; we should get rid of Santa Claus; inner children should grow the hell up; everything that used to be sin is now a disease; strippers get the most respect; and there's a lot of "convenient feminism." And he gives out eight "Get Over Yourself" awards to the likes of Newt Gingrich, Howard Stern, and Deion Sanders.

Bill Maher has an opinion on everything, and he wants to share them all with you. Does anybody have a problem with that?

Library Journal

Comedy Central channel's premier talk show, Politically Incorrect, appears to have single-handedly revived political satire on television. Acerbic host Maher supplies an eclectic assortment of guests, who are goaded into quibbling, arguing, and shouting about everything from gays in the military to violence in the media. While the television show is a refreshing breath of topnotch satire, Maher's attempt to capture the essence of individual programs in this compilation of commentaries falls short of the mark. Maher has assembled some of the program's most memorable highlights, but outside the context of the programs, his tongue-in-cheek observations seem less interesting. Still, the book provides a useful record of individual programs, broadcast dates, and guests. That, coupled with the show's popularity, would make it a reasonable purchase for most libraries.Joe J. Accardi, Northeastern Illinois Univ. Lib., Chicago