The Dark Side (Doubleday, $27.50), by Jane Mayer, tells the terrifying story of the systematic abrogation of rights that the Administration has engaged in. She calls it “a battle for the country’s soul.” Her short and sad book deserves a place on every shelf.
The Way Of The World (HarperCollins, $27.95), by Ron Suskind, demonstrates the effect of “the war on terror” on individuals who are caught up in an irrational system. As with all of Suskind’s books, this one is very readable.
Descent Into Chaos (Viking, $27.95), by Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid, represents the most knowledgeable account so far of the unraveling of Pakistan and Afghanistan, showing how the Bush administration squandered opportunities to dampen Muslim rage. The U.S. must secure Central Asia if we are to avoid accelerating global terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and a worldwide drug epidemic.
