October 13 - 15, 2013
Newport, R.I.
AOJ Member-Written Books
The Association of Opinon Journalists features the work of our members. Below are member written books. To purchase any of the books you see on this page, simply click on the book image and you will be taken to a site from which you can purchase one.
AOJ is a Amazon Affilate. Purchase the below and other items through our AOJ Amazon Affiliate account and you will help us in raising funds for our organization.
Joanne Bamberger
Mothers of Intention
lluminating women's clout and influence both online and in the political realm, this book, by popular political blogger, PunditMom Joanne Bamberger, studies the rise of the motherhood political movement and how online and social media tools have enabled women to become a larger and more powerful presence in the world of politics and activism.
Recognizing the fact that women make up the majority of online users and influencers, Bamberger traces this influence across the intersections of politics, motherhood and social media. Mothers of Intention, with its myriad stories and opinions, sheds light on a strong undercurrent that most of the political realm ignores - women's voices, and more specifically, those of mothers. By countering the political dismissal of mothers with proof of women's varied and impassioned responses to politics and media, the book attests to the increasing importance of mothers' opinions in time for the 2012 campaign and for elections to come.
Austin Bay
AtaturkMustafa Kemal Atat�rk was a Muslim visionary, revolutionary statesman, and founder of the Republic of Turkey. The West knows him best as the leading Ottoman officer in World War I�s Battle of Gallipoli�a defeat for the Allies, and the Ottoman empire�s greatest victory. Gaining fame as an exemplary military officer, he went on to lead his people in the Turkish War of Independence, abolishing the Ottoman Sultanate, emancipating women, and adopting western dress. Deeply influenced by the Enlightenment, Atat�rk sought to transform the empire into a modern and secular nation-state, and during his presidency, embarked upon a program of impressive political, economic, and cultural reforms. Militarily and politically he excelled at all levels of conflict, from the tactical, through the operational, to the strategic, and into the rarified realm of grand strategy. His ability to integrate the immediate with the ultimate serves as an important lesson for leaders engaged in the twenty-first century�s great military struggles. He became the only leader in history to successfully turn a Muslim nation into a Western parliamentary democracy and secular state, leaving behind a legacy of modernization and military and political leadership.
Abigail R. Esman
Radical State: How Jihad Is Winning Over Democracy in the West
In Radical State: How Jihad Is Winning Over Democracy in the West, author Abigail R. Esman argues that in large measure, it is actually jihad which has emerged victorious over democracy, not only because of the actions of Muslim terrorists, but because of our own response to extremist Islam in the West. With the best of intentions, Western (European) countries have permitted antidemocratic, ultraconservative Islamic beliefs and traditions to flourish in their societies as they've responded to the influx of Muslim immigrants to their shores, largely as a result of the guest-worker programs which began in the 1960s and 1970s across Europe. But this multicultural approach has only backfired, creating cultural wars in which even the most intolerant and undemocratic of belief systems and values have been permitted, as governments have turned a blind eye to such atrocities as honor killings, anti-Semitism, the spread of literature extolling violence, and calls for the destruction of the democratic state.
Amit Pal
"Islam" Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today
"Islam" Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today provides a rebuttal to general misperceptions about the religion by documenting its rich tradition of nonviolence. To that end, the book examines the sources of Islam�the Qur'an, the main religious text of Islam, and the Hadith, the deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. It contests the prevalent notion that Islam is built on violence in part by illuminating the role of the tolerant, mystical tradition of Sufism in Islam, while at the same time examining the misunderstood place of jihad in the religion.
The book is not, however, a historical or theological treatise. Rather, it focuses on the tradition of nonviolence in modern Muslim societies. By spotlighting recent peaceful protest movements in Muslim communities, the book underscores the truly global and multicultural nature of the Islamic tradition of nonviolence. The findings here will be invaluable for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, revealing an alternative tradition both can embrace.
Out of the News: Former Journalists Discuss a Profession in Crisis
This is a work of media history and media criticism with a human face. It presents profiles of 11 journalists who left some of the country�s biggest mainstream media outlets, and took on new career challenges. Their stories give the reader a vivid sense of what it means to be a reporter and to cover big news events. But this book goes beyond media memoir.
The book also explores the factors that led talented people to re-assess the profession they loved, and raises profound questions about the economic structure of news organizations and the culture of newsrooms, and their impact on the practice of journalism. By demonstrating that there is life after journalism, and that the skills the profession teaches remain valuable in other careers, this book also offers hope and direction to both aspiring and current journalists contemplating the future.
The Association of Opinion Journalists has developed this "best practices" handbook to help professionals hone their skills and to offer newcomers an inside look at the profession of opinion writing. The second edition is now available.
The ten authors of Beyond Argument explore the fundamentals of clear thinking and bright writing:
- Doing homework, with emphasis on fact gathering, investigative reporting and undertaking the editorial crusade.
- Good writing, including structuring arguments, using non-traditional styles and making words sing.
- Layout and presentation in the new era of visual information.
The writers talk shop, with solid advice on giving the audience a voice, hiring and managing staff (including cartoonists) and making the best use of time. The book closes with a glimpse of the future, plus a section of handy form letters and a list of essential Web sites. The effective preparation and presentation of opinion is increasingly critical in a world of proliferating points of view; "Beyond Argument" is a guidebook to point the way.
