Thursday, December 1, 2011

"Dubs Goes to Washington" By Dick Morris

Dubs Goes to Washington
...and Discovers the Greatness of America
 & Clayton J. Liotta (Author, Illustrator)

Dubs Goes to Washington 

Dubs Goes to Washington and Discovers the Greatness of America is a book that teaches young children their first patriotic lessons. The star of the book is Dubs, their adorable golden retriever. Dubs has lost his beloved tennis ball in Washington, D.C. Kids from 4-8 will love helping Dubs find it - and, in the process, will discover what makes America such an exceptional nation.

Dick and his wife, Eileen decided to write this book because they couldn't find books for their young friends that teach them about our great country, our important institutions, and our heroes. Too often, our schools and publishers ignore these important subjects or relegate them to adults. But, as we all know, you're never too young to be a patriot!

Dubs Goes to Washington gives parents and grandparents the perfect vehicle for introducing our patriotic heritage to our children. This delightful history and civics lesson will be a favorite bedtime story for your family. Kids will learn a little about our founding fathers, our patriotic traditions, the message of our national monuments, and the importance of our war heroes who fought for our freedom.

These beautifully illustrated lessons show some of the things that make America an exceptional nation. And it's fun for kids, too. Dubs' yellow tennis ball is hidden in each of the drawings, and kids have to search to find it.

We know you're proud of what makes America great. Now you and Dubs can remind your little ones of our cultural and historical foundations. Take a trip through Washington with Dubs!


ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Dick & Eileen have been married for thirty-four years. Together, they have written nine New York Times best sellers. One of the most prominent American political consultants, Dick Morris is well known for his probing, insightful, hard-hitting and clear commentary on Fox News Channel. Dick and Eileen write daily columns on U.S. politics for their Web site dickmorris.com and have been columnists for the New York Post and contributors to National Review and many other publications.

"Islam without Extremes" By Mustafa Akyol

Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty

By Mustafa Akyol

"A very powerful and important book which deals with how some Muslims improperly use archaic Shariah laws and others to justify violence." --Rita Cosby

"A delightfully original take on Turkey and on the prospects for liberal democracy in the broader Islamic Middle East." --Wall Street Journal


Since 9/11, much has been written about "moderate Islam." But few authors have really discussed the question that is at the heart of the debate: Can Islam be compatible with individual liberty and a free society? Turkish writer Mustafa Akyol, "a pious Muslim and a classical liberal," as the Wall Street Journal called him, argues that the answer can be "yes."

In Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty, Akyol acknowledges that the Islamic world is rife with authoritarian regimes and illiberal attitudes. But he argues that not all of these problems come directly from Islam, and those who do so can be overcome by reforming Islamic law and culture in a way that will remain true to fundamentals of the faith.

In this 350-page tour de force, Akyol first shows how Islamic thought evolved in history, and how liberty, which had its place in Islam, gradually lost to tyranny. The years following Muhammad's passing in 632 AD, he explains, saw an intellectual "war of ideas" rage between rationalist, flexible schools of Islam and the more dogmatic, rigid ones. The traditionalist school won out, fostering perceptions of Islam as antithetical to modernity.

However, through his careful reexamination of the currents of Muslim thought, Akyol discovers a flourishing of liberalism in the nineteenth century Ottoman Empire and the unique "Islamo-liberal synthesis" of present-day Turkey. Only by accepting a secular state, he powerfully asserts, can Islamic societies thrive. Only by accepting "the freedom to sin," and "freedom from Islam," he says Muslims will prove to be confident in their faith.

Persuasive and inspiring, Islam without Extremes offers a desperately needed intellectual basis for the reconcilability of Islam and religious, political, economic, and social freedoms.

"Mr Akyol is an advocate of reconciliation between Muslims and the West [and] is much in demand at conferences on the future of Islam." --The Economist

About the Author: Mustafa Akyol is a columnist for two Turkish newspapers: Hurriyet Daily News and Star. His articles have also appeared in Foreign Affairs, Newsweek, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. He studied political science and history at the Bogazici University in Istanbul, where he still lives.