Even though politics can be a hot-button issue for many people, there are still those who prefer to take both sides equally into account and see what kind of effect each side has had and will make on the U.S. sociopolitical landscape.

Michael Lux is one such person.

He has been involved in politics for more 30 years and has been a force in Washington, D.C., for several years. The Lincoln, Neb., native’s new book, The Progressive Revolution, will be the subject of his reading on March 29 at 2 p.m. at Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St.

For Lux, pursuing a career in the realms of politics and advocacy was a natural progression. Growing up, he was surrounded by family members dedicated to serving others — his father was a teacher, and his family in general placed much emphasis on performing good deeds.

“I just wanted to make the world a better place,” Lux said. “In politics, I work to help and make change happen.”

It is no surprise, then, that his latest book The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be, is a historical narrative of how nearly every major step forward in America’s history has been the result of the often conflicting relationship between people of progressive persuasions and their conservative counterparts.

“This change echoes the debates involved with progressives and conservatives,” Lux said. “A lot of people don’t know the history of this fight and how it has echoed over the years.”

Lux is now president and CEO of D.C.-based Progressive Strategies. The consulting firm is dedicated to creating and maintaining “comprehensive, issue-based campaigns, incorporating all of the major tools available to help build the capacity of the progressive movement,” according to its website.

Having launched several projects including the group American Family Voices, as well as the Progressive Donor Network, Lux has received plenty of attention, both negative and positive.

What he aims to do is keep plugging away on the one thing he is most passionate about: change. He will continue to be a “strategist” for good things in government, from health care to climate change and everything in between, he said. There is little doubt whether Lux will be able to reach more people with The Progressive Revolution.

“I hope that readers get a sense of the overall fundamental philosophy that drives progressives as well as conservatives in politics,” he said. “They will see just how change has been made, and that this idealism is worth it.”