El Patriotismo

Gente que hay que conocer is a series of biographies designed for beginning readers. Each book introduces one of the most important individuals in recent times and explains what makes her or him so remarkable. People We Should Know, a companion English-language edition, is also available.

The plot of The Empty Region takes the reader from the military camps of holy warriors in Pakistan, to the security corridors of the CIA and the FBI. It’s a fascinating puzzle inhabited by historical characters, including Osama bin Laden and George W. Bush, as well as officials aware of the tragedy´s secrets. Szichman leads us along the terminals where the air pirates of al-Qaida consummated their tragic ritual, makes us travel on the airplanes, turned into guided missiles, and recreates the 102 minutes when the burning towers of the World Trade Center became hell on earth. Although...

Politicians today in both Europe and the United States have succeeded in casting government spending as reckless wastefulness that has made the economy worse. In contrast, they have advanced a policy of draconian budget cuts--austerity--to solve the financial crisis. We are told that we have all lived beyond our means and now need to tighten our belts. This view conveniently forgets where all that debt came from. Not from an orgy of government spending, but as the direct result of bailing out, recapitalizing, and adding liquidity to the broken banking system. Through these actions private...

A thoughtful discussion of violence in schools, complete with examples of incidents and suggestions for coping.