ivings might have had about doing business with soviets and it into a $5 million deal to modernize the soviet oil industry by upgrading 15 refineries and in doing so they would really put the soviet union on the path to becoming a superpower that it would eventually become. fred spent three months in the soviet union in 1930 overseeing the construction of these refineries, and he is horrified by what he sees. he later writes that russia is a land of hunger misery and terror. he returns home vowing to do everything he can to stop the spread of communism. in the ensuing years he becomes a very outspoken anti-communist it and in 198 is among a select group of american businessman who are summoned to indianapolis

by a former candidate executive by the name of robert welch also is known as the anti-communist views at that point. they were brought there under the strictest secrecy. they didn't even know why they're going to indianapolis. they were told not to even stay at the same hotel, less attract suspicion about why all these prominent businessmen are in one place. this ends up being the founding beanie of the john birch society and fred koch is literate in the room at the birth of this organization and goes on to play for palmer rolled with it. he becomes a national council member and wichita, kansas becomes a real hotbed, wichita kansas which is where the koch feminist becomes a real hotbed of birch society organizing. i was speaking with eugene earlier who mentioned as a school teacher in texas, the birch society really targeted her for some the things that

were said in her classroom at that time and it really brought back a lot of memories for me about researching this book especially what was taking place in wichita at this time. there were many stories about students being told to allegedly being told to spot on their teachers for any hint of subversion. i remember as i was doing the book i talked to one former wichita school teacher recalled that she had handed out those unicef collection boxes to the students for halloween, and this became a huge source of controversy because of course the birch society was completely against the united nations, and their motto at that time was u.s. out now in reference to the united nations. so charles koch, the second of four of the koch brothers returns home from come he attends mit as well, he returned someone joined the society largely because his dad is an

influential member. like he really seemed to take to it. he found the john birch society bookstore down the street from the koch family home where he curates section on austrian economics, free market economics, and to get an idea of how diehard the koch's were about communism at that point, i heard one story as well as -- from the koch family friend who recalls strolling up to the koch come home sometime in the mid 1960s. is carrying a copy of ernest hemingway's the sun also rises, and he knocks on the door charles koch answers and his eyes flicker over the cover of this book. the visitor can tell that there's something wrong, and find the as okay, what is a? and charles responds respond very politely, you know welcome hemingway was a communist and you can't go is literature is not allowed inside our home. so this visitor actually asked to leave this copy of hemingway

on the stoop in order to enter. that's a serious they were about communism at that point. >> you can watch this and other programs online at booktv.org. >> is a look at some books that are being published this week.

look for these titles in bookstores this coming week and once by the authors in the near future on booktv.org. >> go to prize-winning photojournalist lynsey addario discusses her experiences covering conflicts in iraq, pakistan, afghanistan and libya. she spoke at politics & prose bookstore in washington, d.c. >> thanks for coming out tonight. i'm deputy director of events for politics and prose. before we begin a couple of procedural votes. first and foremost, if you would be so kind to silence or turn off your cell phone we would be very appreciative. second, please go up to the microphone which is right to which is right there and speak into it during q&a as we are recording the program and want