Jeanne Marie Laskas Bücher

Zeitgeschichte in Briefen Was tut ein US-Präsident, wenn er wissen will, wie es um sein Land steht? Er liest. Während seiner Amtszeit gingen täglich Zehntausende Briefe im Oval Office ein. Jeden Abend las Barack Obama zehn ausgewählte Schreiben, einige beantwortete er persönlich. Zu Wort kommen Obama-Anhänger ebenso wie politische Gegner, vom Schulkind bis zum Kriegsveteranen. Was sie bewegt: die Folgen der Finanzkrise, die geplante Gesundheitsreform, soziale Gerechtigkeit, Bildungschancen und Start-up-Ideen, das Schicksal der Soldaten im Auslandseinsatz oder schlicht Schulaufgaben. »Briefe an Obama« spiegelt die Lage der Nation in einer Zeit großen Wandels.

Every evening for eight years, President Obama received a binder with ten letters from ordinary American citizens, representing the unfiltered voice of the nation. He was the first president to save constituent mail, and this narrative explores how these letters influenced both his policies and the dedicated staff who opened the countless messages arriving in the White House mailroom. Based on a popular New York Times article, the author interviews the letter writers and the White House team, revealing a powerful and intimate portrait of America during Obama's presidency. Among the voices are Kelli, who celebrated her grandfathers' legal marriage after 35 years; Bill, a Republican whose views on immigration changed after meeting a young boy fleeing gang violence; Heba, a Syrian refugee haunted by her past; Marjorie, who confronted her own racial biases during the George Zimmerman trial; and Vicki, whose family was divided by political differences. They wrote to Obama out of gratitude, desperation, anger, and a desire for connection. This collection of voices creates a beautiful harmony, presenting a diary of a nation. The work offers an intimate look at one man's relationship with the American people and the intersection of politics and empathy in the White House.

The brilliant young forensic pathologist had no idea that the body on the slab in front of him would change his life, and ultimately change the world. The body belonged to legendary American Footballer Mike Webster, whose mental health had rapidly declined - he had ended up treating his back pain with a Taser and using Superglue to fix his rotting teeth. Dr Bennet Omalu found that Webster's psychosis was no accident. His autopsy unearthed evidence of a trauma-related disease - the consequence of years of head clashes in games. He knew it would kill scores of other sportsmen unless something was done, and believed the NFL would welcome the discovery. Instead America's most powerful corporation tried to destroy him. Taut and gorgeously told, this is the intensely personal story of one man's fight against a multibillion dollar colossus. A man who stood up for what was right, whatever the cost.

In 2002, forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu picked up a scalpel in a Pittsburgh morgue and made a discovery that would rattle America. The body on the slab in front of him belonged to a fifty-year-old named Mike Webster, aka "Iron Mike," a Hall of Fame center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After retiring in 1990, Webster had suffered a dizzyingly steep decline. The search for answers put Omalu in the crosshairs of one of the most powerful corporations in America: the National Football League. Iron Mike's mental deterioration was caused by blows to the head that could affect everyone playing the game -- the one truth the NFL wanted to ignore