Washington Post: The Political Bookworm

The list inches a little longer this week, with the addition of the new biography of Gen. David Petraeus by military veteran Paula Broadwell and The Post’s Vernon Loeb (though not overtly political, the conflict in Afghanistan placed the general squarely in the center of the tussle over troop strength, strategy, most everything … and his perfromance undoubtedly affected decisions in Washington). Someone not afraid to tred in the political realm is Zbigniew Brzezinski, formerly President Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor and a professor at Johns Hopkins’ SAIS, whose latest title, “STRATEGIC VISION,” also hits the list this week — an impassioned argument for why American influence doesn’t need to wane, despite the grousing and hand-wringing from many who are direly predicting the demise of a super power.

Several heavy-hitting poli-sci titles join the nonfiction rankings this week — Broadwell & Loeb’s “ALL IN,” an examination of the life, career and significant influence of Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan beginning July 2010, and senior statesman Zbigniew Brzezinski’s take on the waning of American global influence in “STRATEGIC VISION.” There arrival on the list is not much of a surprise … that they didn’t debut a bit higher is.

About this blog: In their new book “The End of Race? Obama, 2008, and Racial Politics in America,” Donald R. Kinder and Allison Dale-Riddleassert that racism kept Barack Obama from achieving a landslide victory in 2008. The role of race in that election, they argue, was similar to the impact religion had in the 1960 presidential race when many voters rejected John F. Kennedy simply because he was Catholic. The question now becomes: What role will racism play in 2012 election? Have Americans gotten past their biases, or will the same questions linger in the voting booth? Here, Kinder, a political science professor and a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, addresses the issue.

Of Barack Obama, John and Michelle Presta can say, “I knew you when…” And now the president has sent them a gracious thank you note for a book John wrote about the early days of Obama’s meteoric political rise.

It’s (astonishingly) the last few days of January … and headed into new month, below is what’s selling rather well.

Nonfiction sees several new entries, from conservative pundit Mark Levin’s “Ameritopia” (warning that the US is fast becoming a dangerous utopia) to “The Psychology of Wealth” by, well, a clinical psychologist — Dr. Charles Richards — who, aside from his own private practice, has coached many a Fortune 100 executive on job performance. Which must have some cache.

Just two new titles join a rather short list this week — the latest angst from syndicated talk-show host Mark Levin, and “The Real Romney,” by Boston Globe investigative reporters Michael Kranish & Scott Helman.

About this blog: The bitter battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich goes far deeper than the quest for the Republican presidential nomination — in some ways, it reflects a struggle for the Republican party itself. The nominee will represent the outcome of the war between more traditional Republican values held by Romney and extreme conservatism espoused by Gingrich. The contest in 2012 may remind some of a power struggle within the Republican party that erupted more than a half century ago. Michael Bowen has chronicled that historic struggle in his book “The Roots of Modern Conservatism: Dewey, Taft, and the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party,” recently released by University of North Carolina Press. Here, he reflects on echoes of the past in today’s campaign fisticuffs.

No matter which way the awards finally go, several books already are winners. As the Guardian reports, six of the nine nominations for Best Picture are based on books. And another of the top contenders, Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” takes a deep bow toward the literary world of Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R), author of “Scorpions for Breakfast: My Fight Against Special Interests, Liberal Media, and Cynical Politicos to Secure the Border,’’ was caught on camera shoving a finger in President Obama’s face in an apparent confrontation at the foot of the stairs to Air Force One after the president arrived in Phoenix.

Plans to sell excerpts of Hitler’s memoir, ”Mein Kampf,” in Germany have been abandoned.

Political Bookworm reported on the plans on Tuesday.

The first excerpt was to be inserted in this week’s edition of Zeitungszeugen, a newspaper that reprints documents related to the Nazi era. Peter McGree, the British publisher of the newspaper, announced on its website that he halted the printing after the German state of Bavaria threatened legal action. McGee says he still hopes to publish portions of the book in the future.

BERLIN – Should access to Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” be restricted because it propagates hate and has the potential to inspire followers? Or should it be distributed widely as evidence of the era’s horrors?

The book publishing world seems to get more crowded by the day, thanks to the boom in e-books and the popularity of their readers.

NBC News has now entered the scramble, becoming the latest entrant in the e-publishing universe. The news organization is launching NBC Publishing, which will focus on turning out enhanced e-books using NBC’s current video and archival footage.

A groundswell of new titles (both fiction and nonfiction) joined the rankings this week.

In nonfiction, it was a curious blend of business/management titles (David Novak’s how-to management book jumped from #6 last week to the top spot), self-help relationship advice (finding happiness, both in and out of the bedroom) and biographies (the much-hyped look at the First Family as well as a comprehensive take on the life of HM Queen Elizabeth II (this will be a banner year for the Windsors).

A short list this caucus weekend — no surprise that NYT reporter Jodi Kantor’s profile of the Obama family in the White House would hit the top spot (though a little surprising it didn’t fare as well in the general nonfiction rankings … ).