The Change Manifesto: Join the Block by Block Movement to Remake America
Joining a chorus of criticisms over post-9/11 changes in U.S. law, Whitehead adds this somewhat muddled laundry list of rights infringements during the past decade. Beginning with a critique of the lack of meaningful discourse in contemporary society, the author contends that a mere change in administration will do nothing to ameliorate current circumstances if the American people fail to safeguard their own rights. While he notes that this book is intended as a freedom manual, the ensuing pages form more of a collection of grievances that linger in such possible constitutional crises as the bizarre robofly, a drone allegedly used by the CIA for domestic spying purposes, and a Big Brother in the sky program of satellite surveillance by the Office of Homeland Security. Whitehead's advice for countering such measures remains in the sphere of theoretical exhortations to [take] responsibility for our own lives and stand and fight. The book does provide a useful primer on the Bill of Rights; however, readers unfamiliar with the 462 words guaranteeing American freedom are unlikely to slog through the first 200-plus pages of this book to get there.(Sept.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.