Want to know what books Richard W. Painter recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Richard W. Painter's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
“This urgent book offers not only a clear-eyed explanation of the forces that broke our politics, but a thoughtful and, yes, patriotic vision of how we create a government that’s truly by and for the people.”—DAVID DALEY, bestselling author of Ratf**ked and Unrigged
In the vein of On Tyranny and How Democracies Die, the bestselling author of Republic, Lost argues with insight and urgency that our democracy no longer represents us and shows that reform is both necessary and possible.
America’s... more “This urgent book offers not only a clear-eyed explanation of the forces that broke our politics, but a thoughtful and, yes, patriotic vision of how we create a government that’s truly by and for the people.”—DAVID DALEY, bestselling author of Ratf**ked and Unrigged
In the vein of On Tyranny and How Democracies Die, the bestselling author of Republic, Lost argues with insight and urgency that our democracy no longer represents us and shows that reform is both necessary and possible.
America’s democracy is in crisis. Along many dimensions, a single flaw—unrepresentativeness—has detached our government from the people. And as a people, our fractured partisanship and ignorance on critical issues drive our leaders to stake out ever more extreme positions.
In They Don’t Represent Us, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig charts the way in which the fundamental institutions of our democracy, including our media, respond to narrow interests rather than to the needs and wishes of the nation’s citizenry. But the blame does not only lie with “them”—Washington’s politicians and power brokers, Lessig argues. The problem is also “us.” “We the people” are increasingly uninformed about the issues, while ubiquitous political polling exacerbates the problem, reflecting and normalizing our ignorance and feeding it back into the system as representative of our will.
What we need, Lessig contends, is a series of reforms, from governmental institutions to the public itself, including:
A move immediately to public campaign funding, leading to more representative candidates
A reformed Electoral College, that gives the President a reason to represent America as a whole
A federal standard to end partisan gerrymandering in the states
A radically reformed Senate
A federal penalty on states that don’t secure to their people an equal freedom to vote
Institutions that empower the people to speak in an informed and deliberative way
A soul-searching and incisive examination of our failing political culture, this nonpartisan call to arms speaks to every citizen, offering a far-reaching platform for reform that could save our democracy and make it work for all of us. less 
Jimmy WayneA BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS
Three time New York Times bestseller
Get it for someone you love !
#BlackFriday #ChristmasShopping #WalkToBeautiful https://t.co/GKfavO7qih https://t.co/bywt5ZdtDj (Source)
Richard W. PainterJust published:
The Don't Represent Us, by @lessig is the best book in years on why our democracy is falling apart and how we can fix it.
https://t.co/XaEyYTiwLl (Source)
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2
In the spirit of Evicted, Bait and Switch, and The Big Short, a shocking, heart-wrenching investigation into America’s housing crisis and the modern-day robber barons who are making a fortune off the backs of the disenfranchised working and middle class—among them, Donald Trump and his inner circle.
Two years before the housing market collapsed in 2008, Donald Trump looked forward to a crash: “I sort of hope that happens because then people like me would go in and buy,” he said. But our future president wasn’t alone. While millions of Americans suffered financial loss, tycoons... more In the spirit of Evicted, Bait and Switch, and The Big Short, a shocking, heart-wrenching investigation into America’s housing crisis and the modern-day robber barons who are making a fortune off the backs of the disenfranchised working and middle class—among them, Donald Trump and his inner circle.
Two years before the housing market collapsed in 2008, Donald Trump looked forward to a crash: “I sort of hope that happens because then people like me would go in and buy,” he said. But our future president wasn’t alone. While millions of Americans suffered financial loss, tycoons pounced to heartlessly seize thousands of homes—their profiteering made even easier because, as prize-winning investigative reporter Aaron Glantz reveals in Homewreckers, they often used taxpayer money—and the Obama administration’s promise to cover their losses.
In Homewreckers, Glantz recounts the transformation of straightforward lending into a morass of slivered and combined mortgage “products” that could be bought and sold, accompanied by a shift in priorities and a loosening of regulations and laws that made it good business to lend money to those who wouldn’t be able to repay. Among the men who laughed their way to the bank: Trump cabinet members Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross, Trump pal and confidant Tom Barrack, and billionaire Republican cash cow Steve Schwarzman. Homewreckers also brilliantly weaves together the stories of those most ravaged by the housing crisis. The result is an eye-opening expose of the greed that decimated millions and enriched a gluttonous few. less 
David SirotaAnother must-read book out today is this one from @Aaron_Glantz — it’s about how our government allowed private equity vultures to profit off the pain, suffering and misery of the housing crisis. https://t.co/ekG7U8SNFu (Source)
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3
Rucker and Leonnig have deep and unmatched sources throughout Washington, D.C., and for the past three years have chronicled in depth the ways President Donald Trump has reinvented the presidency in his own image, shaken foreign alliances and tested American institutions. It would be all too easy to mistake Trump's first term for pure chaos. But Leonnig and Rucker show that in fact there is a pattern and meaning to the daily disorder. Relying on scores of exclusive new interviews with first-hand witnesses and rigorous original reporting, the authors reveal the 45th President up close as he... more Rucker and Leonnig have deep and unmatched sources throughout Washington, D.C., and for the past three years have chronicled in depth the ways President Donald Trump has reinvented the presidency in his own image, shaken foreign alliances and tested American institutions. It would be all too easy to mistake Trump's first term for pure chaos. But Leonnig and Rucker show that in fact there is a pattern and meaning to the daily disorder. Relying on scores of exclusive new interviews with first-hand witnesses and rigorous original reporting, the authors reveal the 45th President up close as he stares down impeachment. They take readers inside Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and the Trump legal team's scramble for survival, behind the curtains as the West Wing scurries to clean up the President's mistakes and into the room to witness Trump's interactions with foreign leaders and members of his Cabinet, and assess the consequences. less 
Mark HamillAnother Highly Anticipated Book by two Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporters, has already proven to be a best-seller, to their great delight, all for the purpose of exposing a "President" who is demeaning and belittling our Country, at a record clip. You're welcome! https://t.co/kDG9rwpr9p (Source)
Andrew FeinbergThe book is real.
The title comes from @realDonaldTrump's own words.
@PhilipRucker and @CarolLeonnig are first-rate journalists & two of the best on the White House beat.
If the past 3 years prove anything, it's that him calling reporting fake is as good as a confirmation. https://t.co/N0pVdVdEz3 (Source)
Barry R MccaffreyA must read book by objective and professional journalists. Just picked up my copy. Did radio interview this morning on the RICK UNGAR SHOW about the scene in which Trump berates the JCS Generals in his first meeting calling them DOPES AND BABIES. Unreal. https://t.co/cinOBSBTbp (Source)
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