much. much. the book is available for oxford university press. presentation. >> and thank you very much for your questions because i am writing a book on insult now. it is interesting to see. it will be more like personal level. >> very good. thank you for coming. [applause] >> on twitter and facebook. and we want to here from you tweet us. post a comment on our facebook page. >> joining us now his most recent book is called the republic of annette -- imagination.

the authoritarian societies can be middle. in a democracy you don't have to burn books to kill a culture. that's what i see is happening here. wrote a book with a question my answer. >> your subtitle is america in three books. what are they? >> actually, it is more than three books. wizard of oz was the 1st book i heard about. i got to the imaginary map of america, kansas. it ends with james baldwin who i feel is that true progeny of mark twain but

it begins with mark twain's huckleberry finn, goes into babbitt. >> how do you tie those books together? how do they make america? >> well, you know, rereading all those books i had i have read so many times before i realized how much american books become a reflection of america's moral compass. those orphaned restless euros, most of them outcasts, most of them not from materialism or money or suspense, but like-deciding it was better to go to hell and do the right thing. she it was based on idea. if you lose that dream you will never have the other

aspect of it. and all of these books are talking about the greatest danger to america as conformity and complacency. this whole ideological delusion that we are creating today. and it and it makes me uncomfortable. i love america enough to make it my home. i have to start complaining. >> but isn't division and argument good for democracy? >> argument and debate is great for democracy. ideology is very, very fatal to democracy. ideology makes you feel. we all belong. the rest belong to the black. we don't even watch the news channel that disagrees with us. the democracy is vital when you confront and challenge. you should also be

questioned. in each of these great american novels we have a democracy of voices. even the villain has a voice. and it goes understanding and not only condemnation. it's very dangerous to the health of our country. ♪ how does it change your life? >> well, you know, it changed my life in the sense that i'll always doubt and question. you should listen to my editor. facebook is not going to sell more than -- this book is not going to sell more than 9,000 copies. the whole.about the success of that book and it made me understand that you should not underestimate them. they want to no and the

only thing it gave me it gave me the opportunity to connect to people i wanted to be connected to, and that is the most important thing. so that is my take. >> book tv on teewun, and c-span2, and we have been talking with an author. in most recent book. passmack. >> is there a nonfiction author or book you would like to see featured? send us an e-mail. tweet us. post on our wall. >> now book tv we want to introduce you to john hopkins professor an author but 1st of all what do you teach? >> by politics, racial politics, american politics. >> what are those? >> the competition over

scarce resources between different racial groups and how they attempt to define what races and now through the definition they end up creating a dynamic where some groups have a lot of resources and some groups have fewer resources. black politics think about racial politics as competition between different racial groups such black politics becomes a competition with an black about what the black agenda should be about how we define what black mrs. and then urban politics is about the competition over scarce resources within the metropolitan environment and between different metropolitan environments. >> is there a black agenda? >> some people like to think they're is. is. some people like to think their should be