Greetings Book Readers,

In the fast-paced world of the Internet - with 24/7 news cycles and people Twittering madly and spending perhaps too much time on Facebook - there is still an important time and place for books.

Many of the problems we face today require an in-depth understanding of how we got into the mess we're in - like the recession, for example - and these problems require creative and people-oriented solutions to solve them.

Yes, we at AlterNet strongly believe in books, especially when they are written by brilliant visionaries like author and economist William Greider. We were thrilled to publish an excerpt - "The Good Times as We Knew It Aren't Coming Back, So Now What?" from Bill's new book, Come Home, America, on AlterNet last week. Bill's thesis is this: "Our enormous wealth and power are in decline - yet we have a chance to fill the emptiness in our lives and give [it] meaning." For me, it was one of the most striking and inspiring pieces of writing I've read in a long time.

You can get Come Home, America and two other powerful, groundbreaking books for just a dollar each if you join Progressive Book Club today - it's a great deal for you. At the same time, by joining PBC, you can support AlterNet's independent journalism, since PBC shares its revenue with us after the first three one-dollar books are purchased.

What is the Progressive Book Club?

Progressive Book Club is an online book club that sells the latest works by the nation's best progressive authors. Progressive Book Club helps you follow key issues: the economy, the environment, healthcare, the media, and the consequences of our misadventures in foreign policy. And PBC also offers great fiction, inspiring history, biography, consumer advice, and much more.

Every month, PBC's Editorial Board - which includes some smart and literate people - sorts through hundreds of titles to select fascinating and important books for you.

By signing up for PBC, you will join a nationwide community that shares your interests and values. You will connect with authors, activists, policy-makers, and leaders of the progressive movement. And you will have access to exclusive interviews, videos, podcasts, debates, roundtables, and readings.

As a new member, you start with three books for $1 each - and you can keep buying current books at up to 40% off list prices. Most important, with each club-priced book you buy, you can support AlterNet - because PBC donates a portion of its earnings from AlterNet readers who join. (Just make sure to select AlterNet as your selected beneficiary organization when you become a member.)

That's one of the reasons I joined right away - and why I hope you will, too.

Now is the time to showcase our best ideas and thinkers and build on the public's demand for real change. Become a member of PBC today with this terrific offer - and don't forget to select AlterNet as your beneficiary organization when you join.

Here are just a few of the other great books you can find at PBC:

The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, by Van Jones
In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan
The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals, by Jane Mayer
Halliburton's Army by Pratap Chatterjee
Give Me Liberty by Naomi Wolf
Blackwater by Jeremy Scahill
Standing Up to the Madness by David Goodman and Amy Goodman
Right Is Wrong by Arianna Huffington
The Nation Guide to the Nation by Richard Lingeman & The Editors of The Nation

And there are literally hundreds more! So please join PBC today, get three books for $1 each, and support our work at AlterNet.

Cheers,

Don Hazen
Executive Editor, AlterNet.org