Ralph Nader: Man With A Mission

In 1965 Ralph Nader wrote 'Unsafe at Any Speed'. This remarkable book started a consumer activist revolution. But Nader was just getting revved up. Between the years 1968 to 2001, he founded or spearheaded nearly 100 consumer, environmental, and human rights organizations and campaigns. In 1990, Life magazine recognized Nader as one of the 100 most influential Americans of the twentieth century. Although he ran limited campaigns for president as an independent in 1992 and as the Green Party candidate in 1996, he mounted a serious, nationwide campaign for president in 2000. Although he received 3 percent of the vote, he angered many Democrats who said he took those votes away from candidate Al Gore. But Robert Reich, a prominent Democrat and former Labor Secretary, says that with Nader and the Green Party, "We are witnessing the birth pangs of a reform movement in America intent on ending the corruption of our democratic system by money." Nancy Bowen's 'Ralph Nader' deftly describes Nader's life and achievements and should be required reading for anyone interested in making a difference.