them as wholley for -- holy writ. they wouldn't treat themselves that way. ..

what i would like to see -- well, the problem i think is not just gerrymandering. it's not just apportionment. it is inherent in the system of single-member geographic districts that you have this problem of safe seats. and they are political dead spots which are comprised of 90% of the country were the result of a congressional election is known in advance. i would like to see us move toward proportional representation or a modified kind of partial representation for both the house and the senate, recognizing that a bit of the framers were around now for personal representation had been dented by 1789, that they

would've gone for it. as i say, they were cutting-edge at the time. unfortunately, it wasn't invented until the early 19th century. and every democracy that's been pretty much every democracy that's been designed since proportional representation was invented have used some former. no one adopts our system. no one goes for single-member. the only countries that have the single member tegal are british colonies. former british colonies and a few south american countries that mindlessly imitate uncle sam. nobody else. i think that's a dream, but i'd like to see the conversation begin. it's something that could be done on the state level. the way it actually was done in illinois for a long time, where

you had three-member congressional districts and that mitigated to some extent that this disc franchise and its inherent in the single-member district. you know, even if you had -- because of the way democratics, even if you had perfectly -- even if you're congressional districts drawn up right independent mission or something like that and there was no political influence involved, it would have an effect, but only a very marginal one on the problem that you described accurately. so i think we've got to think. i want to see us bank a lot more fundamentally about the design of our democracy. i know people say old process is nothing process. so i think we've got to get interested in process. it's absolutely crucial. i'm tran to our future.

well, thank you all for your attention. [applause] >> for more information on hendrik hertzberg, visit new yorker.com. heading into the final weekend of 2009 burqa to spend the next hour asking you about your favorite nonfiction books of 2009. phone lines are open i have to get a lot of your comments and calls. (202)737-0001 for republicans. democrats its (202)737-0002.

independent 202-0205. we do this in conjunction with otb which has been in business since september of 1996, the 11 years, excuse me september of 1998. eleven years of booktv, 48 hours of otb television, nonfiction by programming every weekend on c-span 2. and this weekend as well. during the hour will also bring you some of the events we've covered in the past year. some of the books of the year including author david finkel co-authored the good soldiers. here's a look at some of the things he had to say during that and will get back to your calls. >> another soldier, one of his best time yet written in the journal he kept an eye plus all hopes. i feel the end is near for me dealing very near. another hadn't yet gotten angry enough to shoot a thirsty dog i was laughing at a puddle of human blood. another what the annabelle this

had been one of the battalion's most decorated soldier hadn't started dreaming about the people he had killed and wondered if god was going to ask about the two had them claiming the latter. another hadn't yet seen himself shooting and men in the head and then seemed a little girl who i just watched them shoot the man in the head every time he shut his eyes. for that matter, his own dreams hadn't started yet either, at least the ones you would remember, the one in which his life and friends were in a cemetery surrounded in a hole into which he was suddenly falling or going where everything was exploding and trying to fight back with no weapon and no ammunition other than the bucket of old allis. but in early april 2007, g-golf g-golf and edge him of the u.s. army lieutenant colonel webb led a hundred into baghdad as part of russia's surge was still finding a reason every day to say it's all good. >> and our topic until kennecott eastern this morning the best nonfiction book of 2009.

the topic of a couple books this year including joe mr. burns recovered and events with author jennifer burns, goddess of the market is the name of the book. i ran in the american right. an event upcoming upcoming appearance he spent on booktv rather in depth coming up sunday january 3. michelle malkin in her new book ultra corruption. a look at the book here. erin from mesa, your first. your favorite nonfiction book of the year, go ahead here in >> caller: it so hard to pick just one, but i don't think they cannot do that tonight but that's what i read it so i think that's up there. marcus melita's book taking on the system was good, but i think my favorite has to be jeremy scales, blackwater. when i read the book blackwater and just on topic of the mercenaries >> what did you learn out about blackwater book? >> caller: the in depth that

jeremy scale goes into his investigative journalism is amazing. erik prince, his family history and basically how he was born and bred into this person who created this blackwater basically mercenary army who feels it's their obligation to to this story or to destroy the muslim faith. you know it's basically christian crusaders. >> thank you for your comments. here is austin, texas on our independent line. what is your favorite nonfiction book of 2009. >> caller: my favorite nonfiction book is the tire evolution by chris hedges. chris hedges is a senior fellow at the institute. he spent two decades as a foreign correspondent and this is what this book says. a culture that cannot distinguish between reality and

illusion. are we dying now? he's talking about how gossip pass for news and information and i think an example of that is that they're appealing. look at how much she has gotten from that book that has nothing in it and i don't think much of her teary-eyed but he does talk about the culture embraced other lose them. he goes on to say or you talked about the single capitalism, which is complicated and on your regulated to get into magical assets. corporations are manufacturing. banks have been destroyed and impoverished. >> host: thank you for that opinion and your thoughts on the favorite book. on the republican line, i think we have glenn. glenn, are you there? seattle, go ahead. is this the seattle washington?

i'm going to put you on hold, seattle. los angeles, jewel on our democrats line. we'll hear your favorite nonfiction book of the year. >> caller: thank you for taking my call. bagheera book was actually one that was released. it was formally called playing the enemy that renamed fictive. it's about the movie that has just been released by clint eastwood starting morgan freeman. it's announced lewdly incredible book and that such a short period, short space less than 300 pages cases from mandela and robben island all the way to the world cup in 1995. it's an incredible book. >> host: so are they releasing not in the paperback format of the movie is coming out? kolko yes, sir. >> host: thank you for the

comments. the christian science monitor has the future of reading. we'll ask how your next is digital but the story doesn't end there is the headline here and christian science monitor latest addition. they're talking about e-books, the candle and other e-books and they write inside the christian science on this piece about e-books. e-books sales many miniscule part of the industry. just 1.4% of the total $10.9 billion in sales in the first nine months of this year. that's 2009 according to the association of american publishers, but not unlike the way digital music overtake traditional cds overnight. e-books will probably dominate the publishing industry sales within ten years. and as we go to our next call, will give you look at some of the e-books starting with the kindle at the top of this article on e-books and the future of reading. seattle on our republican line, what are you reading? >> caller: my favorite

nonfiction book is dr. mark lovins booked glittery and tyranny. can i talk to them about his conspiracy areas? there's been mercenaries since the start of time before the revolution. i guess it's really a question of are they deviants, are they serving the cause justly? the contractors in iraq are under that you can bet your bottom dollar they are doing the right name. there've been a couple cases or incidences where people are getting prosecuted by a large they're doing the right wing. if you want to look for conspiracy theories, look up rob emanuel's wealth in the last five years. here's a man i had a million dollars before he took power there and in one transaction made $14 million. >> thanks for your information. were looking at one of the bestsellers at 2009. here's lawrence campus, john.

>> caller: how are you doing this morning? >> host: fine, thanks. >> caller: my book is it takes a village. i saw it on c-span and it's a wonderful book. i wish it never when in washington d.c. would read it. >> host: one of the events we covered was the tj stiles book the first tycoon. here's a look at what the author had to say during the booktv event recover. >> and he believed that we make process is impropriety not by a friend pursuing their own interests as fiercely as possible. and he firmly believes that it's almost my duty as a citizen, you pursue your interests and you fight for them. and he thought that's what everybody should do. but one of the exceptions to that is he was deeply patriotic. auntie named, he had three sons and he named them after he put it after sears, george washington, william henry

harrison and can resend her belt. and so when the civil war came around, he tried to give his largest steamship which cost nearly a million dollars. he tried to give to the union navy and he said no. and the secretary of the navy said no. he was a little and he didn't link it would last that long. and so vanderbilt ended up being forced actually against as well to lease it for very large sums to the work party. post go tj stiles on his book, the first tycoon. and by the way it will the waco turpitude websites booktv.org and search events. you'll find all kinds of video including that want to take a look. your favorite best nonfiction book of 2009. here's dennis in bloomfield hills, michigan. go ahead. >> caller: merry christmas, sir. there are lot of rate books that

came out and i think the very best this year was and the fed by duron paul and at first was a discussion back and forth about the liberty and that sort of thing. but i think that dr. paul nailed it when it was calling so many problems. it's just a wonderful book, very well written. in his humanity comes through now which i recommend it. i wish a merry christmas to you and all the listeners. post go and we covered congressman ron paul talking about this book at an event on booktv. >> next federal reserve chairman that i have some confrontations with the discussion with what is our greenspan and i tell a story in there about the time i think most of you here in this audience with know the story that alan greenspan of course

was a supporter of and a friend of an land and he was in their little group of people. but in the 1960's he wrote this fantastic article about how bad cop was and how bad the simple bank was then that we confiscated wealth by printing money. i mean it's a wonderful article. and so we had a session one morning before going to the banking committee. and it was to go when and personally say hello to the federal reserve word chairman because he was getting ready to testify and get a picture with him. so i thought i would do that it had been scheduled so i dug up an old copy of the newsletter where the original article appeared on the gold and dirt. so i dug that out and took it with me and then i was meeting and i pulled it out and said do you recognize this news? so i handed it inflicted open to

that particular article and i said do you remember this article? i said yeah, i remember it. i said would you mind signing this? so he took his pen out and find it and i said what you add a disclaimer on it? he says no, he says just reread that recently and fully endorses everything he wrote back then. >> host: ron paul in september of this year in his book, and the fed. the best nonfiction book of 2009 is the topic. what do you think likes me and becoming your on on the air. although good morning, merry christmas. thank you for c-span. i'm going to put at the top of my list this year the unforgiving minute by craig blaney. it's one of the number of books i've been reading over the years. it's about the experience of the people on the ground. >> host: do you want to tell us a little bit more about it? >> caller: craig mullaney is a remarkable young man in the

account of his life is a graduate of west point, a road scholar, served in afghanistan, a leader of men. he came back to this country. he still serving the country and civilian capacity. he read the girls come marching home and is part of a series that i'm committed in reading and engaging with over the last number of years is people who have served over there and who are serving and that is my idea for everything i read in the news, the analysis of c-span and everywhere that people's experience says and their thoughts encourage. that's the filter to which i view. post go thank you for your call this morning as we asked our folks about their favorite nonfiction book of 2009. and often on booktv on c-span 2 will bring you look at the list of the bestsellers from "the new york times" and other publications and bookstores as well.

a look here at the top looks on the list this year. the number of weeks on the nonfiction "new york times" bestseller list. >> here's philadelphia, john on our independent line go ahead. i'll cope merry christmas there. my favorite of the year is forgotten heaps by dr. sultan, the subtitle courageous woman who inflamed the muslim world speaks out against her experience to the evils of islam. post go here's jonesville, virginia on a republican line. your favorite book of 2009. >> caller: i'd like to say merry christmas to all the troops serving in the army. i appreciate them and my favorite book is the bible. and every time i read it i learn

something new about it. so it's new to me in this time of year fori would like to say jesus was conceived in december and conceived in september. i was a farmer for many years and in the wintertime we didn't put our sheep out on the side of the hills to grace, we took entered the barn so that might be something you might be interested in studying there. post up a couple of the political books of the many and by the way over the last 11 years c-span has covered some 9000 book events. this year one of them in the age of reagan 1982 m-mike 1980 name by steven hayward. also looking back a couple of presidencies we covered the book h.w. ray and his perpetrator to his class. here's portsmouth, virginia. this is cliff on a democrat plan. >> caller: good morning. a good book came out in 2009, but it's one of my favorites. it's been said bugliosi's book,

how to prosecute george w. bush for murder. now you can extend the policies in this book and prosecution to obama casillas complicit in continuing this illegal war. post go i think that might've come out in 2008, 2007. santa rosa, california is next. what is your favorite nonfiction book of the year? >> caller: thanks a lot for c-span. i favorite nonfiction book has been and always will be the bible. post go thank you. jim on our independent line. >> caller: good morning. i'm not sure if this is 2009, but it's american bloomsbury by susan cheever, based on the literate community that gathered in massachusetts, hawthorne and

emerson. and it was just a delight. and i don't read much nonfiction but it was certainly less fictional, less fictional than the bible. thank you. >> host: nextstep, palm desert, california. see under, your favorite book. >> caller: the late senator ted kennedy. post go thank you for your call. one of the events we cover this year harold evans in this book, my paperchase. here are some of the books on his reading. >> tonight really should be a celebration, not as me frankly, but of reporting. that's what my book is about. it's about what newspapers can achieve, not what an editor can achieve, but what the reporters on the ground can achieve here it post go tucson, arizona, that was harold evans i believe that

his book party tearing washington at the british embassy. you like the culture of corruption? >> caller: it's an amazing book because it gives great insight into what happens in washington. it's particularly interesting because this talks about all the corruption that has existed before with obama and all of the people he's brought with them. earlier somebody remarked about rama manuel. well, that is detailed in this book. when you read this book, it makes you wonder how we can ever, ever straighten up the mess in washington. >> host: paul is nextstep. best book of 2009, paul on our independent line. >> caller: i wonder if you guys have covered it, but it's called treece piker by mike ravel. he was one of the group reckitt society and also a recent group

that's fighting mountaintop in west virginia. >> host: right, right. i'm not sure but when way to find out is go to her website booktv.org. you can take a look at that and search it by his name and see what you find. here is texas, arnold on our democrat line. your favorite nonfiction book of the year. >> caller: is a book that i wrote. it's called divine 9/11 intervention. >> host: and what is it about? >> caller: it's about divine intervention. it's about 9/11. it's a true story. it's going to be hard for some people to believe that it is a true story. but it is. it all happened. there actually is a guy for anybody that has any doubts about that. is god has actually gotten involved in 9/11 and in the truth that lies behind 9/11. >> host: 2009 marked the end of sarah palin governorship in

the beginning of her career as a matter with going broke. we cover the book in cincinnati not that one go. here's a look at some of what she had to say. [applause] >> good to be here. we are going to have a blast, thank you. i appreciate your boldness and your kurds, even for me especially those of you holding that book on your arm. you're going broke with me and i appreciate it. really, it is good to be here on this book tour. i appreciate those of you who want to read my words unfiltered as refreshing it can be a get to call it like i see it. and not worry about what no one else is going to see. just get out there and speak truth and i know that's how you guys are wired, too. go thank you so much. we'll get to work and will sign his books on a lot to shake everyone of your hands in thank you so much for being here. [cheers and applause]

sarah! there a! post go there a palin last month in cincinnati, her book is going broke. but tv is underway this weekend a three-day christmas and of course every day saturday until 8:00 a.m. monday morning, 48 hours of tv programming. were asking you here on "washington journal" your favorite nonfiction book of 2009 and will let you weigh in on it. here's kelly with connecticut. >> caller: what did you like reading this year? the search for life in the cosmos. >> host: who wrote that? >> caller: i can't often remember it. >> host: tele- save it about the book then. >> caller: the interesting thing is it really deals with how we might search for life

anywhere in the cosmos. in the thing that made it most interesting to me is that i finally made it appear to how inconsequential we are in the time of the universe. who knows this, you know, 10,000 years from now will even be here. it gives a whole different perspective to like what's going on in congress and all these kind of things. who knows what else exists in these cosmos that is so much different than we are. >> host: what made you pick up the book in the first place? >> caller: i've just always been interested in i guess you call it the universe in the history of the universe or where it's going or is it the only universe. >> host: rings for sharing your reading with us this morning. asp nonfiction books of the year. we'll show you some less than best of this in "the new york times" and other places, too.

"the l.a. times" writing yesterday a commentary on the problem with a sub list. a critic explains the pitfalls of creating and reading the catalogs. she writes, when i go into the year in lovemaking mode many of the aspects of reading that make it such a special even spiritual adventure for me the play of language, the flash of new facts, the forking paths of beautifully controlled and steadily unfolding narrative go right out the window. i turn into a show off and i want to make sure that you know how smart i am based on the books i pick. and i become a hedger, too. and they waffler. i grew overly cautious. i find myself a lot more worried about balance and diversity than about naming books that really moved me, instructed me, surprised me, infuriated me. the abuse of julia keller in the los angeles time. yesterday. ian on our independent line. >> caller: well, first of the given honorable mention to a

couple of books. one which is an entrance to look into a rainy in society and politics. in the second is the book by josh milunovich in which he profiles seven democratic activist from seven other countries in the middle east. and it's movement towards democracy. and the best book of 2009 would have to be gretchen peters book, which really shows and documents the cultivation in afghanistan, pakistan, and how that money brings forth a taliban insurgency and the distribution network. >> host: we go next to campus in here scott, democratic color. what are your favorite bear?

>> caller: good morning. i enjoyed the worst hard times. i wish i knew the author's name. i forgot it. but it was a story about the people who stayed during the great dust bowl and droughts of the 30's. and it was incredible about the banking institutions and how the government and different policies came into play to make things better for a lot of people. i just found it, it's one of the personal stories of the people that survived that time was just amazing. >> host: and we did cover that book as well. also covered dave collins book on columbine. here's a look at. >> eric's journal is filled with hate, hate, hate all the way through. it starts up cleanup onward by the opening night is i hate the act in world and it paid on every page. he started out wanting to kill

any ended up killing over the course of the year. but with dylan it's completely different. dillon spent two years writing his journal and the most common word in his journal is love. it's completely unexpected trade to meet dylan was the revelation of his case. he was a loving and sensitive boy with a whole lot of anger, but his anger was mostly direct it in word. he was angry at himself for being such a loser, such an outcast. he wasn't. it was objectively untrue, but that's how he thought. >> host: to atlanta we go. here is an independent color. what was your favorite nonfiction book of 2009? oligo good morning and merry christmas. my favorite book is douglas black men. i believe he cover this book on c-span as well. the subtitle is displacement of black americans from the civil war to world war ii. and i learned a great deal from that book.

>> host: tell us a piece that learned from it. what did you learn in particular? >> caller: well, i learned how the christians back in those times could be arrested simply for just walking out in the street and not having a job. and they were reinflate to coal mines to work in coal mines and to be treated so poorly. i'm amazed that african americans survived in this country at all with the treatment that we suffered. also, bill, i went to your book see because i was introduced to ronald to e. and i went there to read and watch the interview. there was a note saying he died this year. do you have any information or you can show the video highlights? >> host: i will ask our producers to get that information for you. thank you. there is a piece this morning. actually we came in yesterday in the book section of u.s.a. today.

their work will live forever on the document authors who have passed away in the last year, including dominick dunne, frank mccourt, john mortimer, and john updike. spending the next half hour adult on the clock eastern asking you what your favorite nonfiction book of 2009 was. republican caller in port orange. what are you reading? >> caller: i'm reading the forgotten, a book about the korean war. it's the first volume of several including stories and veterans own work to events that happened to them on the ground. >> caller: into is the author of the forgotten? >> caller: well, it's me. but the books not about me or anything. i put the story of the korean war together around these stories about the war. now the subtitle is called the forgotten flag, a picture of the first raising of the american flag and the second subtitle is

the forgotten war and then the forgotten victory. >> host: was published this year? are you waiting to get it published? >> caller: it's been out since june. i went to korea and gave the very first book to the president of korea and picked up my brother's medals for being in the war. i had three brothers in the war. but the daytona journal called it switched the title on me. recall that forgotten no more, which means that based on the book the war will not be forgotten, which is a tremendous lift to me when i came back from korea and saw that on the headline on the day that the war started over there, 59 years later. >> host: thank you for calling. among the events that we are covering, among the in-depth programs we can tell you about january and february. january 3, next sunday from noon until three eastern, three hours with michelle malkin. her latest is the culture of corruption.

i'll pull this off and show you her february in depth gas. it is paul johnson and his book on churchill that will be february 7. illinois is maxed and this is carol on a democrat plan. >> caller: hi. my favorite book i know it came out a year or so ago. i read it in the paperback edition. couldn't afford the hardback. annette gordon reid. excellent writer. >> host: she won the booker prize >> caller: pulitzer and national book award. and that's just so well-written and and so well documented and it just brings a whole new point of view to the complexity of race relations and in our country. and then just devouring it. it's wonderful. >> host: thanks for the call. carl is next in dallas.

what was your favorite nonfiction book of 2009? >> caller: one of your callers has already mentioned one that i could not agree more that everyone needs to read. it takes a village. it is just a phenom all insider account. when i really enjoyed that you featured in april is called re-carving rushmore by ivan eland. >> host: what is it about? >> caller: any book is objective but it is an evaluation of all of our american presidents based on principles of peace, prosperity, and liberty. and it's a different perspective on our presidents. we tend to rank our presidents the highest two of been involved in wars or great conflicts or typically have imposed intervention in this economic policies. this looks at all the presidents

through the lens of peace, prosperity, and liberty altogether. is a unique look at john timers, number one. i will send at the tail end. >> host: viewers will find that. thanks for that tip, carl. both of those offers have been on afterwards. if you go to our website about tv.org you can find a section right there for all of our previous afterwards programs. jeff weimar republic in mine. what did you read in 2009? >> caller: meltdown. they're a couple books out there. this isn't is by thomas e. woods junior. he's had several bestsellers. he is a fellow of the institute that is an austrian economics. they thickly for those who don't know, he follows the same line of thought as dr. ron paul. and these are the people who understood and knew that the mass we are in was coming before

it actually had us. they also fall -- dr. thomas e. woods literally breaks out of a very good case and a case of how government created this mess, including the federal reserve, which allowed all of this to occur. >> host: jeff, thank you for the input. richard on our democrat fine. your favorite book of 2009 nonfiction? >> caller: thank you for c-span. richard dawkins, the raiders joiners. the evidence for evolution. i'm just amazed that people are calling and and citing the bible as a nonfiction book. thank you. >> host: thank you for your call. a look at richard dawkins book. one of the many books recovered, the invention of air earlier this year and that steven johnson's book. here's a look at his comments in

the book reading. >> i stumbled across this story about joseph priestley and i knew a little bit about briefly. like most people i think i'd heard about him is the guy who i discovered oxygen for the first time. and for those of you who know the story of had a chance to look at the book. that is his representation as he didn't do didn't do a first in a kind of got it wrong in some fundamental ways than he did do it. but for some reason that the line that is kind of stuck within and that's the first sentence of his britannica entry in his wikipedia entry is he the guy who discovered oxygen. i found out this other very interesting thing about him which i think he deserves a lot more credit for an part of this book is evangelizing this one discovery of his career, which is that he was the first person to realize that plans were creating oxygen. >> host: to michigan we go and this is just on our independent line. her favorite nonfiction book of

2009. >> caller: good morning, merry christmas. my favorite book is called thomas freedman, the world is flat. it has marvelous theories about putting much globalization and it yields with great technology and how it creates wealth. if focus is on what countries around the world are doing to promote green technology and green energy to promote jobs and stop global warming. and it's a remarkable book with a lot of potential. >> host: thank you. a headache caller mentioned ron paul's book, the fed. this is one by wall street journal columnist david russell. instead we trust, denver nikes were on the great panic. but sultanate clock eastern we are talking about your favorite books of 2009, nonfiction this is chris on our republican line. no ahead, chris.

>> caller: i was calling about my favorite book called board islam in america. i think it's by mr. rockman eyed dari. it was basically talking about the forces of islam in america, such as these icons you have with mohammed ali, kareem abdul-jabbar, how they were very instrumental and good icons and good role models in america and how the immigrant influence has shaped and redirect did the influence of islam in america and in the african american muslims who are basically put out of the debate of the global aspects and influence of islam in the world in the areas in dealing with islam and global terrorism. and he was saying that they

comprise about half of the muslim population in america. but the scholarly objective of african americans are left of the medium. and he was saying one of the scholars was chairman jackson who is an african-american scholar at the university of michigan. and he was very and scholarly and very distinct and his subscriptions of islam. but he was left out of the dialogue on this war on terror. and so is a good book to give you a different perspective than the americans. >> host: thank you for that tip in somewhat of a related note this is greg mortensen's book stones into schools in his previous book with three cups of tea. he was a guest several years ago on q&a for the first book for three cups of tea. most recently he was on afterwards. he was on booktv a couple weeks

ago. greg mortensen and you'll see that on the upcoming schedule. you can search his name on our website booktv.org. this is henry, what is your favorite book of the year? >> caller: i hope was published in no nine. the islands at the center of the world. and it was written by shortell. i don't remember his first name. but it's a book about settling by the dutch of the island of manhattan years ago. and of course i can celebrate this year they came into new york. it is absolutely a fabulous book. at 1.1 of the people i mentioned by the way i'm a dutch immigrant. you go brooch was a lawyer of

the last of the seed. he was an international american nt was at one time and concept with the dutch government. so one of the small islands would get together about 12 kilometers from my home. and he continued to study. at one point he also received six drums of books from the library's on the shore and that would reach by sailboat in those days. >> host: the libraries in holland? >> caller: gas. and he would study. and when he was done with those books they would go back to the mainland accompanied by a servant girl.

and one evening he said no books to her. this is most a legend. he escaped in the trunk of the island to the mainland. i don't know what happened after that. but in my hometown, there's a cemetery that has a corner and the legend says he was buried there. >> host: thank you for sharing that with us. this is a book that was on president obama's reading list this summer before he made his decision on the troop levels in iraq it was sort of famously passed around the white house for reading among his top aides. lessons in disaster with george bundy and a past war in vietnam by gordon and goldstein. here's columbus, ohio.

ron on our independent line. what was your favorite book of the year? >> caller: hello. my favorite book was a book i heard about on booktv, 15 miles from tomorrow by william [inaudible] who was an eskimo and it's an insiders view of alaska. and it's a great look. he talks about growing up in alaska and been sent to kentucky for high school. >> host: what does that title mean? is it about the dateline? >> caller: that's right. he grew up 50 miles an international date line that separates russia. and i would invite any readers out there at palin, going rogue, to look into this book.

50 miles from tomorrow by william hensley. thank you. 2009 march the 20th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall. here's a book i've were mashed rottenness sired and it's called tear down this wall. the city, a president, and the speech that ended the cold war. good morning to gail on a republican line. >> caller: it wasn't written the theater. it was reissued in a paperback. >> host: that's okay. we'll take that. then the rules a little bit. that's fine. >> caller: it's a professor in the madman, a tale of murder and vanity and the making of the oxford english dictionary. by simon winchester. and it's a wonderful book. i think the thing i got from the most was the tremendous amount of work, the tremendous amount of work and time and people that put together all of those words and they have to keep doing it all the time.

>> host: and we did cover that. thank you for your call. we covered that on booktv. you can go to the website and take a search for that. good morning to david in tulsa, oklahoma. >> caller: a cold war by neil sheehan land. >> host: what did you like about it? >> caller: i found it enlightening. it brought many new things about the cold war i was not aware of. and i think it kind of updated the cold war and i just learned a great deal from the book. neil sheehan brought it on book notes and that affected me greatly in terms of my reading. and so, anything he puts out i'm going to read. >> host: tim, your favorite book of 2009? >> caller: gas, if a black

addition struggle. and it was written by lawrence redman. he was a prominent position in washington d.c., but this book tells the story of how we went from poverty and discrimination to mississippi to establish as a physician in washington who had consult with president-elect john f. kennedy and lyndon b. johnson. and just the struggle of getting to that point and other midweek family were a family of slave in mississippi and became one of the largest landowners in the county in mississippi. it was quite a moving story. >> host: thanks, kim. on a related note a book you may be interested in is a mighty long way by my journey to justice that little rock high school. the book is by carlotta walls

lanier. with lisa frazier page. joseph next up. your favorite look? >> caller: it's not a current one, but it was one so long on c-span on q&a so long ago and it was operation solo and it's a story of a jewish immigrant to america who became our spy and the criminals were about 27, 28 years. and that's a fact. the author was number two man i think of the readers digest and he actually interviewed morris sobel, a small in stature jewish man who came to america in the early 1900's. and there was a second one that has not been critiqued yet that i saw on another call called witnessed in orangeburg.

again, in other small stature jewish man who came to america and served us very, very well. he became our number one interpreter with the nerenberg trial when he was a pfc in the army. >> host: and i believe our viewers can finance online at booktv.org as well. >> caller: and also operation solo. they are wonderful factual books. >> host: ten more minutes of your thoughts on the best nonfiction book of 2009. here's new work, delaware and carry on our democrat line. >> caller: thanks fircrest do not. my favorite book this year just happened to come out this year. it's called obstinate and blood and period ended the battle of guilford cornell. it's written by lawrence e.

babbitt and joshua b. howard. and i would love to see them on booktv. this book is about one of the titles of the american revolution and it is a wonderful read in history. >> host: why was it a critical battle? >> caller: well, the independent had reached an point where the americans were pretty much down to their last straw and a wonderful general by the name of nathaniel greene went south and develop a strategy that lured the british away from charleston in their supply and when he finally brought them far enough away he turned on them and delivered a series of blues in which guilford courthouse was one. and the end result was the british wound up at yorktown and the americans were free. >> host: hey, thank you for that call. this is james on our independent

line. >> caller: good morning. >> host: good morning. >> caller: i'm reading a book called the invention of the jewish people and the book kind of goes after the miss of the monolithic group of people who were moved from their homeland and he points out that most jews are actually converts to judaism. it was from the best list in israel. >> host: wishlist in israel was assigned? >> caller: i found out about it a year and a half ago and didn't come out in the united states until october of this year. and i think it has some strong implications of how we allow one group of non-christians to treat another group of non-christians based on mythology. >> host: another view on israel. and this is by dan senior and

saul singer. the story of israel's economic miracle came out this year. arizona hear a story from our republican line. your favorite book of 2009? >> caller: hi, i want to talk about the most informative book i've read and that is the corruption of the muslim fine. i can't tell you who actually wrote it, but because they can't pronounce his name. but he is a devout muslim man that explains the quran. he interprets the quran and i think we all need to read that to understand how they came to the mindset they have now that they have to kill that muslims have to control the world. i want to apologize, may i? >> host: chewer. >> caller: peters plan was the

host when i called in. first i want to tell you i and 80 years old in the last year i developed a problem. i'm going blind. and i started reading when the iraq war broke out everything i could about the arabs, every book i could get about the middle east and since i was retired i could read all day. but now in the last year i haven't been able to read your head my memory is going bad. >> host: can you do books on tape or podcast and things like that? >> caller: they don't come out and tape for almost a year after the book is published. >> host: summer coming out earlier, particularly podcast versions. so you may look into that. >> caller: which ones? >> host: podcasts online. >> caller: okay, but anyhow i'm a deterrable mistake when i called and. i turned on the tv and mr. allow

we were the iraq secretary of defense was on and they were talking about his book, the corruption of iraq. and occupation of iraq. and i confuse them with one of the other books i had read. i hadn't gone over my in a long time. i remember his book now. it was absolutely one you couldn't put down. it was a duck. i had to read it three times just to understand a lot of it. >> host: well dorris we appreciate you calling in. along those lines if you want more background on the u.s. involvement of the war on terrorism, this one is called growing up in london. a psalmist wife and son take us inside their secret world. another 2009 publication. this is john.

>> caller: merry christmas to you, bill. i like to put your book review after you guys have lessons in disaster on your program. i went to the chicago public library to order this book for myself and there were 12 people waiting to read that book. and there were two groups of books i would suggest people to read it any book via medal of honor recipient in any book by pow. many books have been written by vietnam veterans pows and i think i've read them all. i've been out of work since december and those two groups of books i found fascinating and particular one by bill jacobs, if not now when is the name of that book. >> host: john, let me keep you on the line. i want to see if you've read this one. max cleland's book heart of a patriot. how i found the curse to survive vietnam walter reid and karl

rove. >> caller: i've read about six books about that this year. bad in history is an incredible time. one incredible effect i found about lessons in history is such few people make the decision for us to go to war. it's incredible. three people sat around a desk and decided for us to go to war in 1962. that book is an incredible book for all americans to read. >> host: thanks for the tip. here is john on our line. >> caller: besides the bible which takes longer than a year to read, i liked arguing with these. it is better than common sense for me and i just really enjoyed reading it. and there's another book that was like to read and not free man in america.

but that's a local politician who writes that. >> host: one national politician was a book about in this year, the last line by the editors of the boston globe. here's a look at peter canalis talking about the book earlier this year. >> the interest in senator kennedy did starwood people started looking at him with slightly different eyes after the cancer diagnosis. they may have been building on a sent assessment that has been developing over the years. i think that people web long been his foes, we talk of his friendship with many republicans and i think that people who saw him as an ideological figure, you know, came to admire him as somebody who was a very hard worker and, you know, a crusader for what he believed in and sort of earned the respect in the last couple of decades. >> host: see if we can get one more call here to wrap it up. and the fans of micha v