Location: United States
Member Since:
April 26, 2014
Elizabeth Ann Grossman
Elizabeth Ann Grossman's favorite authors on Smashwords
Smashwords book reviews by Elizabeth Ann Grossman
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Presidents' Body Counts: The Twelve Worst and Four Best American Presidents Based on How Many Lived or Died Because of Their Actions
on April 26, 2014
The author impressed me most of all as a humane dedicated Catholic. No doubt he admires the current Pope quite a bit. A Catholic in the mold of Daniel Berrigan, not Pat Buchanan or Bill O'Reilly. In fact he slams O'Reilly specifically for threatening violence against an abortion provider. I wonder if O'Reilly will target him and smear him as he's done so many others. The introduction talks about serving God's work, not Mammon or Babylon. Only a man of faith would write such words. And he takes to task both Communists and Libertarians. He actually compares the two in the conclusion as both people without morality. I was really impressed with the wide range of information, from Washington and Jefferson's failings all the way to Obama's. Most of the writing shows presidents as far too willing to go to war, invade, or overthrow, all done to chase after power. The same presidents do little to nothing when genocides happen, especially if the people are African, Asian, or Native Americans right here in our own and their homes. I had never heard of California Indian genocide and was shocked to find the home of Hollywood films once sold Indian slaves from the jails. I don't claim to know enough about Native Americans to say much about them. But from the reviews and elsewhere online I think I will take a look at his other book Medicine Bags and Dog Tags. Looks interesting. The only fault I could see is I wish he had written more about women's rights. What presidents have done to advance or halt gender equality? I see he is pretty harsh on Hillary, and he has a point. After reading this I don't know if I'll vote for her. Maybe only as the lesser of two evils.
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A Proposed New Constitution
on July 11, 2016
(no rating)
I'm impressed. I'd read and loved his previous book Presidents Body Counts. Glad I found his other books. Most of his proposals are common sense and will be supported by just about everybody. End Electoral College, publicly funded elections, making election day a holiday, right to privacy. He doesn't think ending Citizens United will go far enough and makes a pretty strong case a new constitution is needed (keeping the best of the old though.) A lot of what he says will be controversial. No balanced budget, no term limits which he says have failed. Limiting idle wealth as puts it, meaning no huge obscene mansions, you have to give it to charity or invest it or it get confiscated. I'm sure right wingers will call him a Marxist, but I remember he's a big time Catholic social justice guy. Sure to get you talking about what direction our country should go. Very well written and eloquent. The racists who harass him should lay off, because I don't think he ever slows down to even notice them. Anyway he's more accomplished than they ever will be.
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Trump Fascism: A Very Possible Future
on July 11, 2016
Timely and scary, part well political alt history thriller and written hiostorical analysis. Really does prove his point that Trump (Drumpf as he call him) is a greater threat than most realize. Told from the POV of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they struggle to keep Trump from wrecking the nation, targeting civilians with torture, ethnically cleansing the country of Hispanics and Muslims, and "bombing the s*** out of" one country after another. The book has Trump causing another economic depression, rounding up citizens, silencing the Supreme Court and Congress, founding a fascist militia the Redshirts, sending vigilantes to terrorize immigrants, liberals, and even conservatives, going to the brink of nuclear war with Syria and China, taking a huge bribe from Vladimir Putin, and finally starting another civil war. I won't spoil the ending, but it does make you fear for the future of this country. Fascinating!
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How to Start Your First Online Business
on July 11, 2016
Not a bad little guide. I found it helpful.