Vote of Intolerance, a novel by John McDowell and Ed Stewart, is a finely crafted political thriller that raises knotty questions: How should we respond to a culture with abberant lifestyles? How do we protect our families from the dangers of a corrupt culture?

What impulse prompted some newspapers to attribute the murder of 77 Norwegians to Islamic extremists, until it became evident that a right-wing Norwegian terrorist was the perpetrator? Why did Switzerland, a country of four minarets, vote to ban those structures? How did a proposed Muslim cultural center in lower Manhattan ignite a fevered political debate across the United States? In The New Religious Intolerance, Martha C. Nussbaum surveys such developments and identifies the fear behind these reactions. Drawing inspiration from philosophy, history, and literature, she suggests a route past this limiting response and toward a more equitable, imaginative, and free society. Fear, Nussbaum writes, is "more narcissistic than other emotions." Legitimate anxieties become distorted and displaced, driving laws and policies biased against those different from us. Overcoming intolerance requires consistent application of universal principles of respect for conscience. Just as important, it requires greater understanding. Nussbaum challenges us to embrace freedom of religious observance for all, extending to others what we demand for ourselves. She encourages us to expand our capacity for empathetic imagination by cultivating our curiosity, seeking friendship across religious lines, and establishing a consistent ethic of decency and civility. With this greater understanding and respect, Nussbaum argues, we can rise above the politics of fear and toward a more open and inclusive future.

Dennis Ignatius is an old friend and colleague who is an astute and articulate analyst and commentator on national affairs and foreign policy. Malaysia is today facing the most serious crisis in its history; Dennis is one of the brave Malaysians who is prepared to be objective in analyzing the sad state of our beloved Malaysia. To paraphrase Voltaire: It is dangerous to be right when the State is wrong. I hope Dennis’s thought-provoking articles will help stimulate debate and discussion about how we can all work together for a better Malaysia.- Ambassador Dato Redzuan Kushairi G25 In life, our biggest challenges relate to saying no to those whom we feel closest to. In matters of international diplomacy, the biggest challenge is speaking up for the country that you love and serve. Not only has Dennis Ignatius done this excellently for our nation-state, but, he has spoken out on many other matters of national interest, transcending the priorities of the public sphere. An excellent educational read! - KJ John Convener of National Congress on Integrity and Chairman of Board of OHMSI Dennis Ignatius dissects the Malaysian political landscape with a skeptical if emphatic gaze, borne of years of experience in the Malaysian Foreign Service. More than just a collection of essays, this book is a historical document by a professional whose clarity of purpose is evident from the very first chapter. - S. Thayaparan Commander (RTD) Royal Malaysian Navy

"Paul R. Carr has produced a rich and impressive examination of the multiplicity of relationships among notions of democratic formation, critical pedagogy, human rights, anti-racism, and feminist, anti-colonial, political and cultural studies. Drawing from a deep well of intriguing and eclectic sources..., he moves with clarity and elan between the brood and the narrow, the general and the specific to capture the power of theory without sacrificing the nitty-gritty of concrete practice. A balance of possibilities rather than false dualisms will be found here. Does Your Vote Count? has become an essential contribution to my own work and teaching." ---Tom Wilson, Chapman University --Book Jacket.

With the advent of the Occupy Wall Street movement, coupled with the 2009 rise of the original grassroots Tea Party, the American people are ready to change how they govern themselves. This easy-to-read book is a guide to new programs and policies that are based on historical successes, new citizen engagement, and new program/policies that support a new political paradigm labeled WEEEE which stands for War, Economy, Education, Environment, and Energy. The book offers programs for job creation, Social Security and Medicare revitalization, education and children-oriented security programs, a tax code revision, human rights, and other solutions to interconnected problems that will balance the power between the federal and state governments. The guide also encourages Independent, Non-affiliated (INA) candidates to run for Congress and state legislatures in 2012 by providing an easy to use marketing, campaigning, and a simple to use message.

Where can religions find sources of legitimacy for human rights? How do, and how should, religious leaders and communities respond to human rights as defined in modern International Law? When religious precepts contradict human rights standards - for example in relation to freedom of expression or in relation to punishments - which should trump the other, and why? Can human rights and religious teachings be interpreted in a manner which brings reconciliation closer? Do the modern concept and system of human rights undermine the very vision of society that religions aim to impart? Is a reference to God in the discussion of human rights misplaced? Do human fallibilities with respect to interpretation, judicial reasoning and the understanding of human oneness and dignity provide the key to the undeniable and sometimes devastating conflicts that have arisen between, and within, religions and the human rights movement? In this volume, academics and lawyers tackle these most difficult questions head-on, with candour and creativity, and the collection is rendered unique by the further contributions of a remarkable range of other professionals, including senior religious leaders and representatives, journalists, diplomats and civil servants, both national and international. Most notably, the contributors do not shy away from the boldest question of all - summed up in the book's title. The thoroughly edited and revised papers which make up this collection were originally prepared for a ground-breaking conference organised by the Clemens Nathan Research Centre, the University of London Institute of Commonwealth Studies and Martinus Nijhoff/Brill.