Book Review, Author Q & A: Patriots Act - Voices of Dissent & the Risk of Speaking Out by Bill Katovsky

Today, I inaugurate a Book Recommendations section at US Liberals at About.com with a book review of "Patriots Act - Voices of Dissent and the Risk of Speaking Out," and an accompanying Question & Answer interview with author Bill Katovsky.

"Patriots Act: Voices of Dissent and the Risk of Speaking Out" is a collection of interviews with twenty Americans who, knowingly and often unknowingly, dissented meaningfully with the US government. Many interviewees are accidental activists, and most had substantial run-ins with the Bush Administration. All recount intriguing and infuriating tales.

Among the twenty voices of patriotic dissent are:

-- Nicole and Jeff Rank, a young couple whose unexpected journey to jail and the US court system began with wearing anti-Bush shirts to a 2004 Independence Day speech by President Bush.

-- Teenage Syrian immigrant Nadin Hamoui and her mother, Hanan, who were arrested at their Seattle home and taken into detention by gun-toting federal agents in 2002. The two were kept in unexplained lockdown detention for nine months, and then released.

-- Bogdan Dzakovic, a 14-year member of the Federal Aviation Administration's Security division and head of the FAA's elite Red Team. For years prior to 9/11, Dzakovic warned the FAA of poor, risky airport security. Days after 9/11, the Red Team was grounded and silenced by the Bush Administration.

The book includes thoughts from media mavens, including New York Times columnist and Princeton economist Paul Krugman, war correspondent turned Yahoo journalist-blogger Kevin Sites, Randi Rhodes of Air America Radio, and Nixon-era political satirist Mort Sahl.

The book also profiles public servants, often former conservatives, who demonstrate honesty and/or competence beyond that tolerated by the Bush Administration: two disillusioned Iraq War soldiers; a former presidential assistant for combating terrorism; the Minneapolis FBI official who brought to public light FBI fumblings that enabled the September 11 attacks; and more.

You can find my Book Recommendation section on this book as follows:

-- BOOK REVIEW: Patriots Act - Voices of Dissent & the Risk of Speaking Out by Bill Katovsky

-- Q & A with Bill Katovsky, Author of Patriots Act - Voices of Dissent & the Risk of Speaking Out

-- Buying Guide to Patriots Act - Voices of Dissent & the Risk of Speaking Out by Bill Katovsky