Leave it to liberals to use the economic collapse to point out there might be a better way of doing things than the capitalist orgy and TV dinners we've grown up on. Award-winning political cartoonist Ted Rall is just such a whacko, and his new book, The Anti-American Manifesto, is as pinko and commie as it sounds. Monday Rall will discuss his work at Orca Books in Olympia. Then he'll hitchhike with his ratty dog up to T-Town for a talk the next night at King's.

[Orca Books, Oct. 11, 6 p.m., free, 509 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, orcabooks.com]

[King's Books, Oct. 12, 7 p.m., free, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, kingsbookstore.com]