Time Magazine's Best Lists: The Top Bad Choices, Nonfiction Books

I've had plenty to say about Time's choices of religious stories for 2007 and am now going to look at a couple of its choices for nonfiction books.

It's number one choice, The World Without Us (by Alan Weisman), actually makes the case that the planet would be better off without humans. It is the typical environmental extremism discredited by the mainstream of society, with a more sophisticated writing style. The message is the same. According to Weisman, we need to leave. I wonder if he would be the first to volunter to leave?

Then there is Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA (by Tim Weiner). Another in the untold thousands of books trashing US intelligence. I've reviewed several such books on the topic and this is no more impressive than the others. When you read such you almost conclude that we would be better off without the resources such agencies provide. Such critics of the agency offer few suggestions on how to make it better. We need intelligence, develop something better than the CIA and don't merely be a critic.

There are a few choices that I liked and saw their value (especially Steve Martin's Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life). But the obvious political agenda in its other choices and incredibly overtly liberal agenda, made this list difficult to stomach.