Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff is a woman caught up in extraordinary times. She has been hectored, vilified, persecuted and prosecuted for the grave offense of telling the truth about Mohammed and his "marriage" to a very young child as related in Islamic sacred literature. Her case has exposed the grave danger to freedom of speech (and thus, freedom of thought itself) in Europe. She fought bravely in the legal arena through the Austrian courts and on to the European Court of Human Rights to defend her freedom (and by extension the rights of all Europeans), to freely voice her opinion. She lost. In Europe, human rights are no longer thought to be intrinsic to the individual as a gift given by God, but are rather thought to be a gift of the state, which can be limited or revoked at will. This is a dangerous development and it could be coming to America. Her book serves as a warning call. It begins by relating her life's odyssey, living in a number of Muslim countries even as a young child. Her father served in the Austrian diplomatic corps. She was living in Iran when the Islamic Revolution broke out. Later, she too followed the path of diplomatic service and gained extensive experience working in the Muslim world. She was living in Kuwait when Saddam Hussein invaded. Elisabeth knows whereof she speaks. The second half of the book consists of expert analyses of her legal case by Robert Spencer, Clare M. Lopez, Stephen Coughlin, Grégor Puppinck, Christian Zeitz, Henrik R. Clausen, Christine Brim and Aaron Rhodes. These experts testify to the wrongness of the courts' repeated decisions and to the righteousness of her cause. Freedom of expression the basis for all freedom. There is no other freedom without it.

The Definitive Account of the O.J. Simpson Trial, by Legendary Defense Attorney F. Lee Bailey It was called “The Trial of the Century.” Beloved football sensation, O.J. Simpson was famous for his prowess on the field, his good looks, and his charm. But all that changed the night his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were brutally slaughtered in her front yard late at night on June 12, 1994. The media circus that consumed the news cycle for the next eighteen months would forever change the world's opinion of O.J. Simpson, despite the fact that the jury, after nearly a year of sequestration, came to their decision in just a few hours: Not Guilty. Although at least a dozen books have been written about the O.J. Simpson trial, from every possible perspective from provocative to sensationalistic, The Truth About the O.J. Simpson Trial is the most revealing because the writer was the Architect of the Defense. Bailey, shows definitively why the jury was correct in finding that the timeline of the evening made Simpson’s presence at the murder scene impossible, which eclipses the question “Did he do it?” and establishes that he simply could not have done it. This book reveals shocking evidence of police corruption, mishandling of blood samples and other materials that formed the basis of the prosecution's case. Bailey includes convincing evidence that was not presented at the trial—including interviews, forensic results, and revelations about the case that have since come to light. Scathing, controversial, and, yes, entertaining, The Truth About the O.J. Simpson Trial will be read and studied by anyone interested in defending the innocent, the history of law enforcement in America, students of the Law, and all those who are still obsessed with “The Trial of the Century.”

Insightful, candid, and utterly entertaining, Steven Bochco's memoir TRUTH IS A TOTAL DEFENSE: My Fifty Years in Television is an in-studio view of the inception of the second Golden Age of television, delivered by the man who helped create it. Bochco reveals the mad genius, vision, mayhem, and brilliance behind his groundbreaking, widely popular hits (and near misses). Sparing no one, including himself, he shares insider anecdotes from his triumphs-"Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law," "Doogie Howser, M.D.," and "NYPD Blue"-and turbulent times in broadcast TV. He started reading and synopsizing scripts, plays, and books for Sam Goldwyn, Jr. Moving through his 10-Emmy Award career (so far), to his hot, homicide detective show "Murder in the First" now on TNT, the prolific and successful TV writer and producer describes generous, tough, and conniving mentors and moguls. He shares the how-tos and better-nots of working with highly talented writers, directors, actors, and remembrances of building remarkable television and a memorable life. His remembrances include: Albert Einstein once wangling an invitation to one of his dad's Sunday musical soirees; being nominated for an Emmy for the first "Columbo" he wrote, directed by some young director on the lot named Steven Spielberg; Bruce Paltrow (father of Gwyneth and Jake) teaching him how to have fun at work; Brandon Tartikoff calling to say, "I'm moving 'L.A. Law' to a better time slot. You're replacing 'Hill Street'"; "NYPD Blue" co-creator David Milch asking for an advance because he'd lost $1 million betting on football games that day; Stephen J. Cannell turning down a cop show pilot at ABC, telling their head of development that "Hill Street Blues" was the best cop show ever made, and he didn't want to compete with it; fighting ABC to hire Neil Patrick Harris for "Doogie Howser, M.D."; and keeping friends and family close during his 70-day in-hospital cancer treatment with witty, heartfelt emails signed-as time went on-Cancer Boy, Remission and Retention Boy, Transplant Boy (Soon to be Transplanted Boy), and (The newly reconstructed) Steven. Writers, as he says, write. He also describes the creative arc of building his shows, including several script excerpts, the finances and finagling of modern television production, and more. Combining discerning and from-the-hip thoughts on the business of television writing and production, tales from the wild side, and personal lessons from his life-threatening and altering battle with a rare form of leukemia, Steven Bochco delivers a revealing, wryly humorous page turner. Praise for TRUTH IS A TOTAL DEFENSE: My Fifty Years in Television "An inside look at television from the man who transformed it. The origins of today's golden age of television dramas can be traced to one man: Steven Bochco. This juicy and fascinating account tells you how he did it. A must read." -David E. Kelley, Emmy Award winner and prolific creator of TV hits "Picket Fences," "Chicago Hope," "The Practice," "Ally McBeal," "Boston Public," and "Boston Legal" "Steven Bochco's Truth Is A Total Defense: My Fifty Years in Television is a great in-the-room chronicle of the modern television industry, told by a man who's created some of the most influential and popular shows of the last forty years. I highly recommend it." -Neil Patrick Harris, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor "It's raucous, it's witty, and very savvy on the business of television. It's master storyteller Steven Bochco telling the story of his life and his life's work-creating groundbreaking TV shows. Fascinating and funny. Read it." -Danny DeVito, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor, director, and producer

"People of good will of every faith and nation should join hands and work in close cooperation, to help ensure that Islamic teachings are universally understood and applied in accord with its primary message of rahmah, and thus serve as a conduit through which God's infinite love and compassion may flow to all sentient beings. Given the current dynamics in the Muslim world -- and the institutional paralysis of the West, in the face of Muslim extremism -- this is admittedly an ambitious or even daunting endeavor. Yet for that very reason, it is a task worthy of anyone who feels the stirring of God's love in their breast, and the whispering of a conscience that refuses to yield all that is most precious in life to the forces of hatred, intimidation and violence."~ Former Indonesian president and Nahdlatul Ulama Chairman KH. Abdurrahman Wahid, Rahmah (Universal Love and Compassion)"I regard the work of Humanitarian Islam and the Movement for Shared Civilizational Values as one of the most pathbreaking and important developments in world politics and cross-civilizational ethics in our generation. No event that I know of is more timely, urgent, or well conceived."~ Robert Hefner, Professor of Anthropology & International Relations at Boston University and President, American Institute for Indonesian Studies

Includes material on the case of Steve Titus, Ted Bundy, Timothy Hennis, Tony Herrerez, Howard Haupt, Clarence Von Williams, John Demjanjuk, and Tyrone Briggs.

Arming Americans to defend the truth from today's war on facts “In what could be the timeliest book of the year, Rauch aims to arm his readers to engage with reason in an age of illiberalism.” —Newsweek A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Disinformation. Trolling. Conspiracies. Social media pile-ons. Campus intolerance. On the surface, these recent additions to our daily vocabulary appear to have little in common. But together, they are driving an epistemic crisis: a multi-front challenge to America's ability to distinguish fact from fiction and elevate truth above falsehood. In 2016 Russian trolls and bots nearly drowned the truth in a flood of fake news and conspiracy theories, and Donald Trump and his troll armies continued to do the same. Social media companies struggled to keep up with a flood of falsehoods, and too often didn't even seem to try. Experts and some public officials began wondering if society was losing its grip on truth itself. Meanwhile, another new phenomenon appeared: “cancel culture.” At the push of a button, those armed with a cellphone could gang up by the thousands on anyone who ran afoul of their sanctimony. In this pathbreaking book, Jonathan Rauch reaches back to the parallel eighteenth-century developments of liberal democracy and science to explain what he calls the “Constitution of Knowledge”—our social system for turning disagreement into truth. By explicating the Constitution of Knowledge and probing the war on reality, Rauch arms defenders of truth with a clearer understanding of what they must protect, why they must do—and how they can do it. His book is a sweeping and readable description of how every American can help defend objective truth and free inquiry from threats as far away as Russia and as close as the cellphone.

Most Americans today view freedom of speech as a bedrock of all other liberties, a defining feature of American citizenship. During the nineteenth century, the popular concept of American freedom of speech was still being formed. In An Indispensable Liberty: The Fight for Free Speech in Nineteenth-Century America, contributors examine attempts to restrict freedom of speech and the press during and after the Civil War. The eleven essays that make up this collection show how, despite judicial, political, and public proclamations of support for freedom of expression, factors like tradition, gender stereotypes, religion, and fear of social unrest often led to narrow judicial and political protection for freedom of expression by people whose views upset the status quo. These views, expressed by abolitionists, suffragists, and labor leaders, challenged rigid cultural mores of the day, and many political and cultural leaders feared that extending freedom of expression to agitators would undermine society. The Civil War intensified questions about the duties and privileges of citizenship. After the war, key conflicts over freedom of expression were triggered by Reconstruction, suffrage, the Comstock Act, and questions about libel. The volume’s contributors blend social, cultural, and intellectual history to untangle the complicated strands of nineteenth-century legal thought. By chronicling the development of modern-day notions of free speech, this timely collection offers both a valuable exploration of the First Amendment in nineteenth-century America and a useful perspective on the challenges we face today.

Charlamagne Tha God, New York Times bestselling author of Black Privilege and always provocative cohost of Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, reveals his blueprint for breaking free from your fears and anxieties. Being “shook” is more than a rap lyric for Charlamagne, it’s his mission to overcome. While it may seem like he’s ahead of the game, he is actually plagued by anxieties, such as the fear of losing his roots, the fear of being a bad dad, and the fear of being a terrible husband. In the national bestseller Shook One, Charlamagne chronicles his journey to beat those fears and shows a path that you too can take to overcome the anxieties that may be holding you back. Ironically, Charlamagne’s fear of failure—of falling into the life of stagnation or crime that caught up so many of his friends and family in his hometown of Moncks Corner—has been the fuel that has propelled him to success. However, even after achieving national prominence as a radio personality, Charlamagne still found himself paralyzed by anxiety and distrust. Here, in Shook One, he is working through these problems—many of which he traces back to cultural PTSD—with help from mentors, friends, and therapy. Being anxious doesn’t serve the same purpose anymore. Through therapy, he’s figuring out how to get over the irrational fears that won’t take him anywhere positive. Charlamange hopes Shook One can be a call to action: Getting help is your right. His second book “cements the radio personality’s stance in making sure he’s on the right side of history when it comes to society’s growing focus on mental health, while helping remove the negative stigma” (Billboard).

A fresh argument for rioting and looting as our most powerful tools for dismantling white supremacy. Looting -- a crowd of people publicly, openly, and directly seizing goods -- is one of the more extreme actions that can take place in the midst of social unrest. Even self-identified radicals distance themselves from looters, fearing that violent tactics reflect badly on the broader movement. But Vicky Osterweil argues that stealing goods and destroying property are direct, pragmatic strategies of wealth redistribution and improving life for the working class -- not to mention the brazen messages these methods send to the police and the state. All our beliefs about the innate righteousness of property and ownership, Osterweil explains, are built on the history of anti-Black, anti-Indigenous oppression. From slave revolts to labor strikes to the modern-day movements for climate change, Black lives, and police abolition, Osterweil makes a convincing case for rioting and looting as weapons that bludgeon the status quo while uplifting the poor and marginalized. In Defense of Looting is a history of violent protest sparking social change, a compelling reframing of revolutionary activism, and a practical vision for a dramatically restructured society.