The Utah Politician’s Summer Reading List: Senator Jim Dabakis

Senator Jim Dabakis

It’s not too late to start a new book. And if you need a good idea or two, here are a few that Utah’s politicos are reading.

This is the third in the series on what Utah’s politicians have on their summer reading lists.

Senator Jim Dabakis represents Utah’s Second Senate District, which covers part of Salt Lake County. He was quick to respond when I asked what he was reading this summer. Here’s his list:

• Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, by Stephen Kinzer
• David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory A Prince
• The Gay Metropolis: The Landmark History of Gay Life in America, by Charles Kaiser

JIM DABAKIS‘ SUMMER READING LIST

Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, by Stephen Kinzer

Amazon summary:

“Regime change” did not begin with the administration of George W. Bush, but has been an integral part of U.S. foreign policy for more than one hundred years. Starting with the toppling of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, the United States has not hesitated to overthrow governments that stood in the way of its political and economic goals. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 is but the latest example of the dangers inherent in these operations.

In Overthrow, Stephen Kinzer tells the stories of the audacious politicians, spies, military commanders, and business executives who took it upon themselves to depose foreign regimes. He details the three eras of America’s regime-change century–the imperial era, which brought Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Nicaragua, and Honduras under America’s sway; the cold war era, which employed covert action against Iran, Guatemala, South Vietnam, and Chile; and the invasion era, which saw American troops toppling governments in Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Kinzer explains why the U.S. government has pursued these operations and why so many of them have had disastrous long-term consequences, making Overthrow a cautionary tale that serves as an urgent warning as the United States seeks to define its role in the modern world.

David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory A Prince

Amazon summary:

Ordained as an apostle in 1906, David O. McKay served as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1951 until his death in 1970. Under his leadership, the church experienced unparalleled growth—nearly tripling in total membership—and becoming a significant presence throughout the world.

The first book to draw upon the David O. McKay Papers at the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah, in addition to some two hundred interviews conducted by the authors, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism focuses primarily on the years of McKay’s presidency. During some of the most turbulent times in American and world history, McKay navigated the church through uncharted waters as it faced the challenges of worldwide growth in an age of communism, the civil rights movement, and ecumenism. Gregory Prince and Robert Wright have compiled a thorough history of the presidency of a much-loved prophet who left a lasting legacy within the LDS Church.

Gay Metropolis Landmark History of Gay Life in America by Kaiser, Charles, by Charles Kaiser

Amazon summary:

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year and winner of a Lambda Literary Award, The Gay Metropolis is a landmark saga of struggle and triumph that was instantly recognized as the most authoritative and substantial work of its kind. Filled with astounding anecdotes and searing tales of heartbreak and transformation, it provides a decade-by-decade account of the rise and acceptance of gay life and identity since the 1940s. From the making of West Side Story, the modern Romeo and Juliet tale written and staged by four gay men, to the catastrophic era of AIDS, Charles Kaiser recounts the true history of the gay movement with many never-before-told stories. Filled with dazzling characters — including Leonard Bernstein, Montgomery Clift, Alfred Hitchcock, and John F. Kennedy, among many others — this is a vital telling of American history, exciting and uplifting.

Pick up one or more of the books on this list over on Amazon.

Related articles

• Review: Overthrow by Stephen Kinzer (brittanywesterberg.com)
• How Many Governments Has the US Overthrown? (antiwar.com)
• Booklist | ‘The Brothers’ by Stephen Kinzer (globaldiplomacy.wordpress.com)
• The Utah Politician’s Summer Reading List: Senator Deidre Henderson (publiusonline.com)