Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss Available on Audio Book Available on MP3: Cutting a Dash

This is a delightful book. Who woulda' thunk it? An entertaining book about punctuation! A fast read, most people will devour it in a weekend.

It's entertaining--I know, punctuation--and Lynne Truss is a first rate author

There are times, however, when the semicolon is indispensable in another
capacity: when it performs the duties of a kind of Special Policeman in the
event of comma fights.

Consider these examples:

Fares were offered to Corfu, the Greek island, Morocco, Elba, in the Mediterranean, and Paris. Margaret thought about it. She had been to Elba once and had found it dull, to Morocco, and found it too colourful.

Fares were offered to Corfu, the Greek island; Morocco; Elba, in the Mediterranean; and Paris. Margaret thought about it. She had been to Elba once and had found it dull; to Morocco, and found it too colourful.

Ms. Truss also helps us understand such esoterica as dashes, colons and semicolons; how they help with effect and understanding.

The semicolon has been rightly called "a compliment from the writer to the reader". And a mighty compliment it is, too. The sub-text of a semicolon is, "Now this is a hint. The elements of this sentence, although grammatically distinct, are actually elements of a single notion. I can make it plainer for you - but hey! You're a reader! I on't need to draw you a map!"

If you write, this will definitely make you a better writer. If you read, ESL will make it more enjoyable.

don't think of an elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate-- The Essential Guide for Progressives by George Lakoff

Lakoff has emerged as a leading language guru for the liberals and progressives. He explains how "framing" affects everything, how the "conservatives" (that's a frame) have defined liberals and beat the pants off progressives at the polls.

More that that, Lakoff shows how to reframe the positions more to our liking and to begin to win the debate again.

Like it or not, George Bush won the last election; reading this book will help you understand how that happened. Very short and readable, most readers can blow through it in a weekend.

It's My Party Too by Christine Todd Whitman

Gov. Whitman looks at ways that the conservatives have made the Republican Party less effective. For example,

There is no doubt in my mind that the rise of the social fundamentalist wing of the GOP is a serious threat to the longterm competitiveness of the Republican Party. It is also making it almost impossible for the party to develop a program for governing. The social fundamentalists could even cause the party to lose its hold on the Congress and the White House before the end of this decade.

She also holds some realistic and interesting ways to approach the topic of sex education:

In our driver education classes, we teach teenagers not to speed or drive recklessly. But because we understand the risks on the highway, we also teach them to use their seat belts. We should be doing the same thing when it comes to sex education-urging them to remain abstinent until marriage, but equipping them with the information they need to be safe. That strikes me as both reasonable and responsible.

Let's hope as Democrats that her party doesn't start paying a lot of attention to her. They might coopt the black voters: "Although African American voters constitute just 12 percent of the electorate, we must realize that the place race relations occupy in American life looms far larger than that. "

Finally, without realizing it I think she has hit the nail on the head about why Democrats are losing:

Moderates also have to stop overthinking every issue, particularly with regard to how they talk about their beliefs. The social fundamentalists have been expert at distilling their ideas into simple language that draws sharp contrasts between "right" and "wrong"-they see very few shades of gray. Moderates, on the other hand, tend to see the nuances in issues. Too often we moderates get trapped by our own thinking, spending so much time considering the many aspects of complex problems that we lead some to think we don't stand for or believe in anything.

I am not advocating the oversimplication of policy, but the way in which we communicate our views shouldn't be needlessly complex.There are those who argue it's hard to motivate moderates, suggesting they aren't as rabid about issues as those at the extremes are.

Democrats can learn a lot from this book. Let's hope Republicans don't read it.

A Matter of Character: Inside the White House of George W. Bush by Ronald Kessler

I picked up this book because I was looking for another view of George Bush. I was aware of Ron Kessler as a respected historian and expected balance. I certainly got another view but it was a bit syrupy. I should have had a clue with the polemic prologue on Clinton.

Nobody is as wonderful as Mr. Kessler portrays Mr. Bush to be. While he may be courteous to the servants he has been anything but courteous to those of us who voted against him. (Many great men have been less than kind to their servants but they are still great men.) This is a "scorched earth" presidency and party. I was willing to see the other side but this hagiography is really over the top.

One characteristic that I believe to be true, though, is Mr. Bush's penchant for looking ahead and moving forward. Now, if the rest of you could just forget about Clinton.

(In the interest of full disclosure I only made it halfway through this book.)