Swim against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow | 
 enlarge | Author: Jim Hightower
Creator: Susan Demarco
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
Buy New: $12.97
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Avg. Customer Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 10916
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.4 x 1
ISBN: 0470121513
Dewey Decimal Number: 322.30973
EAN: 9780470121511
ASIN: 0470121513
Publication Date: February 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. 100% money back guarantee. All books shipped from Strand Bookstore, New York City, USA.
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Product Description
Pssssst! Bookstore browsers! Don't look around, but the corporate and political powers that be want you to put this book down, right now. It definitely is NOT on their approved list. Swim against the Current is one of those books that the power elites don't like seeing in stores, much less in your hands—not merely because it challenges their established order, but especially because our book reveals paths that folks like you can use to escape their rigid, hierarchical structures and discover a bit more satisfaction in life. They prefer that you pick up one of those escapist novels over there across the store, rather than finding out that the greatest escape of all can be from stultifying conventional wisdom. We Americans are constantly harassed into thinking that we can't break the mold that those in charge have made for us. But as a friend of ours puts it: "Those who say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." It's the uplifting stories of mavericks that we tell here. They've broken free of the corporate tentacles, free of business-as-usual politics, free of top-down elites. They're figuring out new ways to do commerce, ways to create political channels that empower grassroots Americans, and ways to live their lives. As these folks show, resistance is not futile . . . it's fertile. Join the fun! Happy reading!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 67 more reviews...
 Worse Book I read May 15, 2008
After reading this book, I felt cheated. The author seemed to take bits and pieces from most good business authors from Zig Ziglar, Denis Whatley, Harvey McKay, Tony Robbins, and Og Mandino to name a few
I felt there was not an original thought in this book and wonder why it was allowed to be released
Sorry I could not be more positive
Bennet Poimerantz AUDIOWORLD
Inspired March 27, 2008
Jim Hightower is not only a good writer, but he is an inspirational one as well. This book is designed for the disenchanted liberal who is regaled with stories of how individuals fought entrenched interests and won. The obvious message is that the individual can make a difference. Highly recommended for the disenchanted and cynical.
Makes You Think March 27, 2008
I've gotten to hear Senator Fred Harris speak, and even gotten to talk to him a little. He's one of those fundamentally grounded politicians that just don't show up any more. When I hear him deliver the keynote address at a dinner, he talked about the illegal immigration issue that's so big here in Oklahoma. I loved how he presented his views, and the common sense that he held onto.
Jim Hightower does the same thing in his book, SWIMMING AGAINST THE CURRENT. The reason I mention Fred Harris in this review is because Hightower used to be part of Harris's camp, before he was lured across the Red River by them Texas yahoos.
So I don't know if Hightower's views influenced Senator Harris's, or if Harris's influenced Hightower's. Maybe they were just both that way, or they just worked well together. Kind of like a Reese's peanut butter cup.
What Hightower talks about in his book isn't as easy as he makes it sound, but the policies and practices he rips into don't have to be as complicated as the present political regime makes it out to be.
This is a book you can breeze through. Written in a natural voice and delivered in a simple, straight-forward manner, SWIMMING AGAINST THE CURRENT could almost be a beach read. To enhance the value of the book, loan it to someone and see how the discussions go regarding the issues Hightower brings up. I have a few questions I'd like to throw at the author myself, and even if we couldn't come to agreement, I bet we'd both learn something.
Laugh and Be Inspired! February 4, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am not always a fan of political writing, but I found SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT readable, fun, and full of ideas to nudge me towards action. In a season (primaries) when political discourse is being a bit wearing (at least for me), SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT has been a refreshing antidote to the general political conversation.
When I opened this book and saw a quote from Patti Smith (from the anthem "People Have the Power") and a dedication to my all-time favorite political writer, Molly Ivins ("for all she did and all she was"), I suspected I might be in the right place. I was right. SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT is a refreshing and inspirational book for populists everywhere (including those, like me, that might not have called themselves that).
It is easy to find yourself pulled through this book, reading forward eagerly to get to the next great anecdote or clever comment. AGAINST THE CURRENT is decidedly fun to read. It is also a book that is out to motivate you to do something. Not anything in particular, refreshingly enough. Instead, this book tells you stories about ways that people are making a chance in all kinds of ways -- in life, business, and even politics. The politics section ends with a chapter on "The Politics of Fun." Holy cow, yes, some people are finding ways to have fun and make change.
You are almost sure to feel, as I did, "I gotta get in on this!" To help you do that, SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT concludes with two great sections. "Connections" lists groups that are out for various kinds of change along with how to get hold of them. There is also "DeMarco's Reading List," which lists other books to read if you want to broaden your horizons with more non-fiction. Two top titles are suggested, if you do not have time for the whole list, which is great. As a working mom, I'll be reading those two, but would have quailed at the entire list.
At just about 200 pages, SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT is light, fun, inspiring, and packs a surprising wallop. Just what I needed. You might like it, too!
 Another excellent book from Hightower January 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A central principle of American progressive politics is that the average American should not be afraid to stand up for justice and fair treatment for everyone in society. It is not necessary to attempt to fix all of America's problems all at once; start with your own town or workplace. This book visits a number of people and groups doing just that.
It's no great revelation to say that the American family farm is in very bad shape. A number of groups of farmers have banded together into democratically-run cooperatives to get decent prices for their products, something they could never have done individually. Employees of a Madison, Wisconsin cab company were tired of being treated like garbage, so they joined a union. A couple of strikes later, the owner abruptly closed up shop. The employees scraped together enough money to buy the company, and despite long odds and sleepless nights, have made the company a success. The employees of a strip club in San Francisco faced a similar dilemma. They joined a union and got their working conditions improved, then the owner suddenly closed the club. The women, several of whom have college degrees, decided that the only thing to do was become a worker-owned cooperative. They split up the duties, and got a crash course in running a business.
Creation Care is a growing movement that mixes environmentalism and evangelical religion. A way that corporations keep people apart is to assert, for instance, that gain for environmentalists means a loss for labor. Evidently, the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers of America never got the memo, because they recently developed a joint public policy agenda, with clean energy at the top of the list. Don't think for a second that a person loses their ability to make a difference in America once they reach "old age."
This is another excellent book from Jim Hightower. There is a list of addresses in the back (both regular mail and email) for all the groups mentioned here. If a person can't find a local group in which to get involved, they could do a lot worse than contact any of these groups. What can I do to make America a better place? Here is a wonderful place to start.
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