Tiger of the Week: Ralph Nader '55

Ralph Nader ’55 has been many things in his five decades of public life -- a consumer advocate, an environmental activist, a best-selling author of nonfiction, and a frequent presidential candidate. This month, he added "novelist" to the list. Nader's fiction debut is a 733-page story of "practical utopia," titled Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us , in which a cadre of wealthy individuals sets out to solve America's problems, from big business to the federal government. The novel, published by Seven Stories Press, has earned kudos from a few high-profile readers. Warren Beatty (in the book, a California gubernatorial candidate) said the story "shows us how good [Nader] thinks things could be," and Princeton professor Cornel West *80 hailed the book's "moral substance." Ted Turner, one of the novel's super-rich heroes, said he was happy to be included, according to the Washington Post . Victor Navasky, publisher emeritus of The Nation , told the Associated Press that he was skeptical about the chances of seeing Nader's vision in the real world. "But Ralph is a prophet," Navasky added. "He has been right about so many things the rest of us couldn't imagine." (Photo courtesy Seven Stories Press) Do you have a nominee for Tiger of the Week? Let us know. All alumni qualify. PAW's Tiger of the Week is selected by our staff, with help from readers like you.