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America was born, grew, and matured on the broad shoulders of dissent. But following 9/11 the nation was forced to redefine the delicate balance between the competing interests of freedom and security, patriotism and protest, war and peace. Many claim that the Constitution is under siege. The 2004 presidential election showed just how divided our country has become-in both politics and culture. Democracy is being put to the ultimate test. unAmerican is an oral-history examination of the human cost of rebellion-of what it genuinely means to take an unpopular stand. The individuals presented in Un-American risked their own lives, careers, or even jail time by defending a principle or cause. Not surprisingly, they were often labeled un-American by their opponents, despite being our country''s true patriots. Among the book''s thirty interviews are these outspoken and highly principled citizens:

Mort Sahl: Legendary inventor of political comedy, his stand-up career, which began in the Eisenhower ''50s, continues today as he skewers both the Right and the Left.

Lowell Bergman: Former 60 Minutes television producer who broke open the lethal secrets of the tobacco industry, subject of the subsequent film called The Insider, and winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for a series in The New York Times called 'Dangerous Business,' about lethal working conditions in North American industries.

Kathy Kelley: Catholic activist from Chicago who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work in Iraq and nonviolent civil disobedience protesting United States nuclear weapons and military facilities (serving time in federal prison for the latter).

Max Cleland: Vietnam veteran who lost three limbs in the war, and was later named director of the Veterans Administration; he also served in the U.S. Senate until losing a bitter reelection bid when his Georgian opponent accused him of being unpatriotic for voting against a Homeland Security bill.

Randi Rhodes: The popular radio talk show host for Air America is the blue-collar Democrat''s answer to Rush Limbaugh, Bill O''Reilly, and Sean Hannity.

Rand Beers: Former top counterterrorism adviser in the Bush White House who resigned just days before the Iraq War to protest how the Administration''s fight against terror was being waged.

Paul Krugman: Popular op-ed columnist for The New York Times, the Princeton economist has been labeled by conservatives as 'America''s Most Dangerous Liberal Pundit.'