5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
About Time!!!, September 29, 2011
This review is from: Resurrecting Democracy (Kindle Edition)
Dr. Levine's book finds itself in the mainstream of the problems and issues facing America today. We are deadlocked in a battle of self-manufactured absolutes, across a landscape of mutual ill-will. Some sort of referee is needed. Resurrecting Democracy suggests how a third party can break the tie. Can bring some level of sanity back into our system of Democracy. It is an important take on a possible solution to what looks like an insurmountable problem. Thank you Dr. Levine!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
We The People !!!!, December 17, 2011
If you have been living in a cave, have not cared, or have simply not known what needs to be done with the current blight in American politics ... Once you've read this book you will be enlightened, angered and energized as to what needs to be done to fix our country's broken political system. Robert Levine has clear vision of the failings in our political system and its politicians and has presented to us what needs to be done in his book `Resurrecting Democracy... A Citizen's Call for a Centrist Third Party'. He has gathered much information about how our system's workings have transgressed from its inception. How our two party system is being run by politicians who care more about themselves than what is good for all of us. He explains in depth as to how to fix our broken system, which starts with creating a third political party, whose participants will once again work for the best interests of the people. Let's get our great country headed in the right direction. Read this book !!!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
from Joe Gandleman at The Moderate Voice.com, January 27, 2012
In these days of ideology and partisan-based new and old media commentary, it's extremely hard to find a book that lays out solid information, is packed with research that recounts and analyzes current events, is reliable as a valuable reference tool for anyone of any party or ideology, and is written in a style that's lively but as seriously and skillfully as columns by the Washington Post's late David Broder. Now there is a book that does just that. It has gotten less publicity than it deserves since it doesn't have a built ideological constituency -- no left or right talk show hosts to promote it and not a bunch of left or right blogs to hype it (particularly because some blogs won't run posts unless all ideas fit a certain viewpoint).
The book is Resurrecting Democracy, by Robert A. Levine (who also writes on TMV as a Guest Voice columnist). And don't let its subtitle, "A Citizens Call for a Centrist Third Party" fool you. No, this is not yet another pie-in-the-sky book written by someone wanting a third party, not one more seeming political intellectual exercise that totally ignores the realities about events and how our system's set up favories the two parties, interest groups and lobbyists. In fact, Levine's genius is that his book comes alive -- due to meticulous research about news stories and event and easy to grasp yet not condescending info about the American political system works. He makes his pitch for a third party hard to put down for any political junkie, or anyone even remotely interested in politics.
A Vietnam vet and a Columbia history major who became a medical doctor, Levine tackles the issue of knee-jerk partisanship (which often ends in the emphasis of the second word in that three word phrase), a system corrupted by lobbyists and big money, gridlock -- and more. His key argument -- skillfully crafted and made -- is that it'll take a new centrist party to restore democracy to a more pristine, responsive, effective and productive form. Resurrecting Democracy reads like a solid, engrossing newspaper column rather than a dry academic treatise or yet one more book about third parties that isn't grounded in political or institutional reality. Levine enlightens rather than talks down or panders to his readers.
It's a must own for political junkies, political activists of all parties, journalists, partisans but especially for Americans of all kinds who feel our political system has become corrupt and inert and who wonder why and what might be done about it.
If you don't believe me, how about this review on Amazon.com written by Carl Stern (former NBC News correspondent)."It is hard to believe so much useful information is packed into one book. Dr. Levine whom I have known for 50 years has assembled a primer on the sclerotic condition of the American political system and prescribed the therapy it needs to get back on its feet..."
How much do I like Resurrecting Democracy? I'm going to gift my copy to a friend -- and then order the eBook copy so it'll be on my Kindle, which I carry with me when I travel. It's worth reading, re-reading and using as a reference. I bet Dr. Levine got an "A" in history -- and I'm giving it five stars on TMV's scale of five stars (but it deserves a 10).
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