The Thirteen American Arguments is subtitled “Enduring Debates that Define and Inspire Our Country.” Now more than ever before, this book is necessary, to remind us that our disagreements about America are part of what America is all about.

The news is electrifying. On October 27, 2009, President Obama announced that $3.4 billion in federal stimulus funds will be awarded in the form of 100 grants to companies and utilities in 49 states, for the purpose of creating the long-awaited, much-dreamed-of Smart Grid.

When anybody--a big player like the United States government or a small-timer like me--speaks out against the profit-making machine of a corporation, that corporation is ready to pounce.

Michael Moore's documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story, is his most sophisticated and cohesive work yet. The subject matter is broad and impressive, and yet the scene choices are never gratuitous, and the film sticks solidly to its theme from beginning to end.

Many people heard the news with great surprise on the morning of October 9, 2009: President Barack Obama was announced as the recipient of Nobel Peace Prize. Was the Nobel Committee sending a message to the world at large and especially to America? Yes.

There are adherents to the cowboy myth among us today who oppose changing our health care system. But the cowboy myth, with its “bring it on” swagger, is outdated. And it's stalling progressive change.

The idea of taxing soda brings up important questions about government's role in our lives. Should government be involved in what we eat and drink? When and how -- if ever should government intervene with regard to improving our health?

No matter what political party you belong to, this book written by Democrats about why they define themselves that way is a enlightening look at how a portion of the population thinks and feels.

Sasha Abramsky writes about food and the lack of it as a novelist would, and that is what makes reading Breadline USA such an emotional experience.

Activists are real people living in regular towns, just like you and me. They may have a little extra energy or a sense of showmanship, but most of all, they are just people who care -- like my friend Roxanne Pauline.