Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
By Dee Brown

This book had more of an impact on me than maybe any I've read in my life. I was stunned to realize the planning that went into the genocide of an entire race of people. It's only been 113 years since Wounded Knee, which is considered by many historians the last "Indian battle." But it wasn't a battle—it was a slaughter of old men, women and children on December 29, 1890. The end of the book is so chilling. As they brought the corpses into the church, a banner hanging from the rafters read: peace on Earth, good will to men. It's not surprising to me that in a country born of racial genocide, the issue of race is still an open wound on the American soul. We haven't dealt with it. And we owe it to ourselves to do that in our lifetime.