Winner of the 2015 NYPL Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism. "Remarkable…a richly detailed; affecting account…Giridharadas seeks less to uplift than illuminate…Which of these men is the '"true American'" of the title? That there is no simple answer to that question is Giridharadas's finest accomplishment." ―Ayad Akhtar; New York Times Book ReviewThe True American tells the story of Raisuddin Bhuiyan; a Bangladesh Air Force officer who dreams of immigrating to America and working in technology. But days after 9/11; an avowed "American terrorist" named Mark Stroman; seeking revenge; walks into the Dallas minimart where Bhuiyan has found temporary work and shoots him; maiming and nearly killing him. Two other victims; at other gas stations; aren’t so lucky; dying at once. The True American traces the making of these two men; Stroman and Bhuiyan; and of their fateful encounter. It follows them as they rebuild shattered lives―one striving on Death Row to become a better man; the other to heal and pull himself up from the lowest rung on the ladder of an unfamiliar country.Ten years after the shooting; an Islamic pilgrimage seeds in Bhuiyan a strange idea: if he is ever to be whole; he must reenter Stroman's life. He longs to confront Stroman and speak to him face to face about the attack that changed their lives. Bhuiyan publicly forgives Stroman; in the name of his religion and its notion of mercy. Then he wages a legal and public-relations campaign; against the State of Texas and Governor Rick Perry; to have his attacker spared from the death penalty.Ranging from Texas's juvenile justice system to the swirling crowd of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca; from a biker bar to an immigrant mosque in Dallas; from young military cadets in Bangladesh to elite paratroopers in Israel; from a wealthy household of chicken importers in Karachi; Pakistan; to the sober residences of Brownwood; Texas; The True American is a rich; colorful; profoundly moving exploration of the American dream in its many dimensions. Ultimately it tells a story about our love-hate relationship with immigrants; about the encounter of Islam and the West; about how―or whether―we choose what we become.
#497261 in Books Will Eisner Stephen E Bronner Umberto Eco 2006-05-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x .60 x 7.10l; .64 #File Name: 0393328600160 pagesThe Plot The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Review
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. "Because it is a WEAPON OF MASS DECEPTION!"By Martin Jurca"It is as if; after Copernicus; Galileo; and Kepler; one were continue publishing textbooks claiming that the sun travels around the earth."- Umberto Eco- But; Sir; should't we keep this political?- IN RUSSIA RELIGION AND POLITICS ARE THE SAME!In 1920; Henry Ford the american auto magnate bought a small newspaper; The "Dearborn Independent." He began a series; "The International Jew;" made up of borrowings from the "Protocols of The Elders on Zion."Later; in 1922; it was published in sixteen languages for a world-wide distribution. It sold over a HALF MILLiON copies in America alone!HENRY FORD WAS FAMOUS the world over... His apology must have influence!Not very much. In fact PUBLICATION INCREASED all over the globe!Are you aware that "The Times" of London just exposed "protocols" as a fraud?Nazi 1: So what!? We KNOW that.Nazi 2: The Jews ARE what the book reveals! ... Sly and dangerous.- Then WHY? WHY? When everyone know that the "protocols" is a fake... Why are they STILL PUBLISHING it?- Because it is a WEAPON OF MASS DECEPTION!- In almost every country there are people trying to seize political power! WHAT IS THE EASY WAY?- Well... I guess by identifying a FELT THREAT to the people and leading a defense!- So you pick a group of people who are VULNERABLE and could SEEM to be threat- Well how about a MINORITY with a history of rejection.- The trick is to DISCOVER a document that PROVES their guilt.- But suppose that document is shown to be fake?- NO MATTER people will BUY it ANYWAY!- Why?- Because they need to JUSTIFY the conduct they may later be ashamed of!Don't you feel FOOLISH accepting that LIE?- Even if it IS a fake! People should read the book because it REVEALS The JEWS!"Bigotry becomes his way of explaining the world without having to justify the explanation through evidence or logic. Antisemitism offers a convenient worldview for all the "losers" who feel themselves threatened by the forces of modernity; who fear the future; and who seek comfort in rigid religious and anti-democratic forms forms of authority."- Stephen Eric Bronner0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Douglas E. SmithWOW... A MUST QUICK READ... HISTORY7 of 9 people found the following review helpful. An extraordinary achievementBy Geoff PuterbaughWell; to make it simple; take the review from "Publisher's Weekly" and throw it in the trash.I don't usually take to "graphic novels;" but this extraordinary book gives the reader the COMPLETE story of those dam*ed "protocols" in a format which can be comfortably read in a few hours. And; frankly; I would not want to read a book of 500 or 1;000 pages telling me this story.Eisner; with great skill and dexterity; put the whole tale into a small number of fascinating pages. And he produced a real work of art; which is going on my bookshelf right next to Malcolm Hay's "Europe and the Jews."Highest possible recommendation!!!
