This edition of the free bulletin, World Wide Work, is published by the American Labor Education Center, an independent nonprofit founded in 1979.

WORLD WIDE WORK
April 2007

New and worth noting...

Mecca and Main Street by Geneive Abdo (Oxford). Many American Muslims have 
become more committed to and public about their faith since 9/11, according to 
this author who visited Muslim communities in different parts of the U.S.
Talking Past Each Other by David Kusnet, Lawrence Mishel, and Ruy Teixeira 
(Economic Policy Institute). Useful tips on how to talk about economic issues 
based on focus groups and polling.
Dad, Jackie, and Me by Myron Uhlberg (Peachtree). A children's book in which 
the child's father is deaf and is a big fan of the baseball player Jackie 
Robinson. Based on the author's actual experience as the hearing son of two deaf 
parents.
Femininity in Flight by Kathleen M. Barry (Duke Univ.). There was a time when 
flight attendants were required to wear mini-skirts and were fired if they 
married, passed the age of 32, or exceeded a strict weight limit. This book 
tells the fascinating story of how the way flight attendants have seen 
themselves, been marketed, and have organized has reflected shifting social 
trends regarding the role of women in American society.
Best Care Anywhere by Phillip Longman (PoliPointPress). In looking for models 
for a health care system that provides affordable, quality care to all, we don't 
just have to look to other countries - we could start by learning lessons from 
the successes of the Veterans Administration hospital system.
Writing for Their Lives edited by Marie Mulvey-Roberts (Univ. of Illinois). A 
moving collection of fiction and nonfiction writing by prisoners on death row 
and by prison workers and anti-death penalty activists.
What Lies Beneath (South End). A passionate look at what has happened in New 
Orleans since Katrina, from the official response to efforts at community 
organizing.
Design for Ecological Democracy by Randolph T. Hester (MIT). A beautifully 
presented masterpiece that cites existing examples to show how cities can make 
changes to enhance community, quality of life, and environmental protection.
Coming to Terms with Nature edited by Leo Panitch and Colin Leys (Monthly 
Review). 20 essays that look at the connections between ecological crisis, 
globalization, technology, and consumerism. Chapters on working class movements 
and environmentalism; development and the environment in China, Africa, and 
Latin America; and more.
Since Sliced Bread edited by Don Stillman (Chelsea Green). More than 22,000 
people responded when SEIU invited working Americans to submit ideas for 
improving the economy. This book, illustrated with photos by Earl Dotter, 
presents the results.
Urban Schools, Public Will by Norm Fruchter (Teachers College Press). 
Recounts reform efforts in several school districts that have made progress in 
closing the achievement gap for poor students of color.
Just Call Me Mike by Mike Farrell (Akashic). A down-to-earth autobiography by 
the former TV star of M*A*S*H and Providence who has used his celebrity to 
contribute to a broad range of progressive causes at home and abroad.
Meanwhile Take My Hand by Kirmen Uribe (Graywolf). Poems by a leading Basque 
poet.
Cowboy in Caracas by Charles Hardy (Curbstone). At a time when many analysts 
predict that Venezuela will be one of the Bush administration's next military 
targets, a former Catholic priest from Wyoming who spent eight years living in a 
poor Venezuelan barrio there describes the conditions that have produced popular 
support for President Hugo Chavez.
Is Iraq Another Vietnam' by Robert K. Brigham (PublicAffairs). Partisans on 
both sides, from labor opponents of the war on Iraq to proponents such as John 
McCain, cite America's experience in Vietnam to bolster their case. A Vassar 
professor looks carefully at the actual similarities and differences between the 
two wars and in the process provides a useful short analysis of both. One key 
conclusion is that military might ultimately cannot resolve fundamental 
political and economic issues.
Iraq: A War (Olive Branch Press). We've all seen images of the war but when 
many of them are assembled in this compilation of photos by Associated Press the 
effect is to crystallize the horror and futility of the continuing invasion.
Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal by Anthony Arnove (Metropolitan). Argues that 
peace and stability cannot be established in Iraq as long as the U.S. invasion 
continues.
Illusions of Security by Maureen Webb (City Lights). Documents how 9/11 has 
been used as an excuse by the government to take away civil liberties guaranteed 
by the U.S. constitution, without increasing citizens' security.
Everybody Was Black Down There by Robert H. Woodrum (Univ. of Georgia). The 
failure of the United Mine Workers in Alabama to take a strong stand against 
racism from the New Deal to the present contributed to the union's decline.
Black Milwaukee by Joe William Trotter, Jr. (Univ. of Illinois). This is an 
updated edition of the 1985 study that analyzes the development of the urban 
African American working class, using one city as an in-depth case study.
On The Picket Line by Mary E. Triece (Univ. of Illinois). Working class women 
developed their own tactics and leadership styles to challenge economic 
injustice and discrimination during the Great Depression. This study looks, for 
example, at the way female organizers often used a more personal speaking style 
to connect with audiences.
Gendering Labor History by Alice Kessler-Harris (Univ. of Illinois). 17 
essays that examine the impact of gender on work, social policy, and working 
class culture.
 
FILMS
Crossing Arizona. All sides get their say in this documentary about the 
border, from immigrants who try to cross the desert to farmers who need their 
labor to political groups who oppose or support immigrant rights.
Farmingville. Filmmakers spent a year documenting the complex interaction of 
Mexican immigrants and residents of a small suburban New York town, where 
immigrant labor is an economic necessity to some and a threat to others. The 
town had attracted national attention after the attempted murder of two immigrants.

MUSIC
En Directo Desde El Otro Lado by El Tri (Fonovisa). Renowned Mexican singer 
Alex Lora gives live performances of 15 songs that often have social and 
political themes, including El Muro (The Wall) about the proposed 700-mile wall 
along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Stars in My Crown by Jorma Kaukonen (Red House). The guitarist of Jefferson 
Airplane and Hot Tuna fame plays easygoing gospel and bluegrass tunes.
Three Score and Ten by Peggy Seeger (Appleseed). A 2-CD recording of a 2005 
concert in London that featured Seeger and her family members Pete and Mike as 
well as Billy Bragg and other British musicians.
 
WEBSITES
noacentral.org The National Organizers Alliance maintains an online job bank 
and provides other valuable services.
 
 Tax-deductible contributions to the American Labor Education Center are 
welcome and may be sent to 2721 Quail Run Rd., Talent, OR 97540.
 
Thanks to Susan Doro for a contribution to support World Wide Work made to honor 
the memory of the late Tillie Olsen, the renowned author of "Tell Me a Riddle"
and other classics.
  
Free tools for effective grassroots organizing and communication, as well as 
back issues of World Wide Work, are available at www.TheWorkSite.org