Larry Elder

Larry Elder believes in the American people's power to overcome almost any circumstance -- if only government would stop telling them that they can't. In this collection of columns, Elder takes on a range of controversial issues -- from the minimum wage to Confederate monuments, from Obamacare to national anthem protests -- with his signature wit and uncommon good sense.

“I hated my father—really, really hated him. I hated working for him and I hated being around him. I hated it when he walked through the front door at home. And we feared him from the moment he pulled up in front of the house in his car.” So writes conservative firebrand and popular radio host Larry Elder. For ten years Elder and his father did not talk to each other. When they finally did, the conversation went on for eight hours—eight hours that took Elder on his father’s journey from the Jim Crow South, to service in the Marine Corps, to starting a business in Southern California. Elder emerged not just reconciled with his dad, but admiring him, and realizing that he had never fully known him or understood him. Heartfelt, beautifully written, compulsively readable, A Lot Like Me—originally published as Dear Father, Dear Son—is both a powerfully affecting memoir and a personal, provocative slice of American history.

Larry Elder calls them like he sees them. And in this collection of some of his best columns, he wields his pen against anyone who doesn't. Welfare, the Iran nuclear deal, Ferguson, the Republican primaries and the ascendancy of Donald Trump: Elder takes on a breadth of controversial issues. His incisive wit cuts right to the heart of hypocrisy in public discourse, particularly that of the left -- which taps into its "moral" outrage when it's politically expedient and becomes curiously docile when it's not." The truth will not set you free if delivered without hope," he writes in one column, quoting his late mother. Though he's not hopeful about certain politicians, Elder is fundamentally optimistic about the American people: He believes in their power to overcome almost any circumstance -- if only government would stop telling them they can't.

Meet John Costello, Vice President of Business Development and Government Relations for Microsemi Corporation, a $6billion leader in the advanced-semiconductor market. Well known and respected in the industry, John Costello graduated from college in 1983 with a degree in Business Administration. John's social circle includes high-level corporate executives, politicians, military leaders and movie stars. Born into a working-class neighborhood on Chicago's north side and grew up under quite difficult conditions. His father was a talented Italian tenor with mob connections and a proclivity for violence; his mother, the daughter of an Irish street cop, was a straight-laced Catholic girl till she took to the bottle after falling victim to that violence. . Readers who might enjoy this book are those interested in true-crime stories, mob activity, murder and mayhem, as well as anyone seeking a no-holds-barred story that describes the resilience of the human spirit. Spiced with wit and humor and distinguished by the inimitable voice of tough-talking John Costello, his story touches our hearts while keeping us on the edge of our seats. And that is what makes our book "unique" - John Costello's life is unique. It has been a strange blend of two distinct worlds, but with one foot firmly emplaced in each. The fact that he is comfortable meeting with Senator John McCain in the morning to discuss government business, and can then enjoy the company of old friends from the streets of Chicago in the evening, is indicative of his parallel lives and will certainly be something readers find highly intriguing.

"The Ten Things You Can't Say in America" struck a chord with eager readers acroos the country, exposing thruths others have been too afraid to address. In his new book, Elder is out to slay entrenched and enmeshed special interest groups, government agencies with the capacity to meddle in Americans' lives and businesses, lawmakers who continue a pattern of outrageous overtaxation, and those who would hamstring this country with good intentions." Showdown" demonstrates how the nation would be better, stronger and safer with less gvernment intervention and how individuals would not only cope but thrive without the so-called safety net. "Showdown" is a call to arms for a truly free society. Elder discusses: - What a Republican-led government means for progress- Where a responsible government would put its citizens' tax dollars- Why racial and sex discrimination are non-issues in the 21st century. Larry Elders straight talk and common-sense solutions spare no one and will inspire his passionate and growing audience.