In 1982, an obscure Austrian curtain-rod manufacturer named Gaston Glock invented a new firearm. The Glock pistol featured a lightweight plastic frame and large-capacity spring-action magazine. The new pistol was adopted by the Austrian army. Timing, as they say, is everything. American law enforcement was looking for a new weapon to replace their old-fashioned Smith & Wessons. The Glock is built with only 36 parts. You could drop it in the water and it would still fire. It was reliable, accurate, lightweight, and cheaper to produce than Smith and Wesson’s revolvers. The standard semi-automatic Glock can fire as many as 17 bullets from its magazine without reloading. A Glock equipped with an extended thirty-three cartridge magazine was used to shoot Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others last year.
You’ve seen this weapon on TV, in the movies, and read about them in books. You might even own one. Paul Barrett tells a compelling story of how Glock became the most popular gun in America. If you’re interested in gun violence and gun control, Glock has to be part of the conversation. GRADE: A
Belen Fernandez analyzes Thomas Friedman’s reporting and books in The Imperial Messenger. As the richest and most powerful journalist in the United States, Friedman’s wealth from his books and speaking fees are legendary. I’ve used Friedman’s books in my classes. But Fernandez exposes Friedman’s errors in reporting, lame predictions, and buffoonery. Friedman has been a cheerleader for globalization, but as we’ve found out with the European debt crisis, globalization can have some serious downsides for our economy. Friedman’s optimism is infectious, but occasionally misleading. Fernandez cites several examples of Friedman being wrong about events in the Middle East, from Iraq to Egypt. Sometimes Fernandez’s critique strays into unproductive areas: who cares that Friedman lives in an 11,400 square foot house (worth over $9 million). But the central focus on Friedman’s mistakes is fascinating…and disturbing. GRADE: B+
