Tuesday, November 6, 2012

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Top Ten Books on Elections & the Government

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is the Top Ten Books on Elections/the Government

Happy Election Day!
No matter how you feel about the government, we are fortunate to be able to vote (and the votes actually count) for our leaders. This is something many other nations do not have and, as a history-nerd at heart, it is something I really appreciate. 
So, in honor of election day, here are my Top Ten Books about Government & Elections!

 
      
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
I love Abe Lincoln.
And this was an amazing book not only about Abe but also about his Cabinet and how they used all their different opinions and beliefs to solve problems and keep the country together. The end of the book impacted the most… it tells what happened to all these men after the war. Sadly, after serving their president, many of them spent the rest of their years in despair, poverty, agony, etc. But, still, this is an excellent book.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
I love Teddy Roosevelt too.
And this is the book that really made me fall in love with Teddy. I mean, this guy really was awesome: he wrote dozens of books, was a real cowboy out west, cleaned up some of the government corruption in New York, served in the military, and had fun doing it all!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This is a tale of government gone all wrong. And the government even burns books… Ugh!

Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsAnother really messed up government. I guess it is good that we learn what a government should NOT do.

Divergent by Veronica RothAnother ‘government gone wrong’ book. This has a different twist than Hunger Games but it is equally intriguing and enjoyable.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This is one of my new favorite books! It involves the British and German governments during World War II and some of the things they were authorizing, but oh, it is a good book!


A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’EngleGovernment secrets and experiments put lives in danger. Thankfully there are fantastical creatures and cool kids to try to fix things.

Independence Hall by Roland Smith
Book #2 is called White House so you know there will be some action in and around the government.

Spy Dust: Two Masters of Disguise Reveal the Tools and Operations That Helped Win the Cold War by Antonio and Jonna Mendez Have you heard about the movie Argo? Well the movie is based on Tony Mendez’s life. And Ben Afleck plays Tony Mendez. And I actually got to meet Tony & Jonna Mendez last year. They are so amazing, smart, and adorable. And, literally, masters of disguise (really… they showed us). I think many people are fascinated with spies and secrets so this book about declassified CIA info is a must read.

So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George & David SmallI LOVE this book. Lots of facts about the presidents with funny pictures and random information. I have read this book aloud to social studies classes many times and it great to see their reactions when they learn that Taft got stuck in a bathtub because he was so fat and John Quincy Adams used to go skinny dipping in the Potomac River.

3 comments:

  1. what a timely post and a great list of books. I feel it is a privilege to vote as well. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

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  2. I love So You Want to Be President! I wish they would update it, though. It's a little out of date.

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  3. "So You Want to be President!" was updated/republished earlier this year, but I didn't buy it since it was an election year. I think I might get the updated version now since it will be up-to-date for 4 more years.

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