Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power by Michael Kranish

Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power by Michael Kranish
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read many biographies of our past Presidents. Trump's biography does not fit into it any of them – – maybe Warren Harding's. This book provided additional details and insights into Trump than the earlier biography I've read from David Cay Johnston (The Making of Donald K. Trump). Unfortunately this reader wondered how someone like Trump could be elected president. Read the chapters on the Atlantic City casinos, his bankruptcies and the USFL, and you're at a loss to explain why just these failures were not disqualifiers to be President.

Well written book. I just wish that the last chapter showed that he failed to be President.


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The Spy by Paulo Coelho

The Spy by Paulo Coelho
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 I read this novel in one day. The book is about Mata Hari a woman who was executed for being accused as a spy during World War I. And that is pretty much what I knew about Mata Hari till I read this book. As it turns out, she was not really a spy but a feminist trying to live on her terms. She was a dancer/stripper and a "companion" to many men of influence and power. She aroused interest and contempt in various elements of French society. She struggled in her early life and came to an epiphany from a tragic event that she witnessed. She quickly left an unhappy marriage to a physically and mentally abusive husband and a very boring life. It turned out that she wound up using her body through dance and prostitution to move on with her life.

She marveled right before her death, "How was it that a woman who for so many years got everything she wanted can be condemned to death for so little? That is the essence of this book…

This reader sympathized with Mata Hari's struggles to be independent and was dismayed at the injustice forced on her at the end of her life.


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Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington and The Education of a President by Ron Suskind

Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President by Ron Suskind
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is another view of the financial crisis and how the newly elected Obama administration handled it. Based on Suskind's findings, they did not handle it very well. Too many egos, too much political infighting and a lack of leadership from the President stymied progress on financial and economic fronts. This book basically covered events from 2008 – 2010 so given the economic recovery Obama and his administration must've gotten their act together. Pres. Obama is shown as a very smart man who grasped quickly the implications and effects of the economic turn down. Unfortunately the team and cabinet he assembled were not able to work together and develop a comprehensive economic plan to address the nation's woes, particularly unemployment.

This book is 482 pages but if you are a political junkie like me, you'll find it an interesting read.


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Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs by James Dixon

Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs by James Dixon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you are a Pro wrestling fan, you may enjoy this book about the WWE in the late 90s. This was the start of the "Attitude Era." During this period, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and other wrestlers began to make their mark. This was also the period where the WWE began to pull away from its WCW competitor. The most interesting part of the book has to do with the "Montréal Screw job." This was the wrestling bout where Shawn Michaels won the WWE Championship from Bret Hart. The result came from a "shoot" where the action and the chosen winner were off script. The book contained a lot of interesting stories and insights into the very characters, people and personalities in the wrestling business.


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Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble by Dan Lyons

Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble by Dan Lyons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I identified personally with the author and his story. Dan Lyons was a 53-year-old laid off Newsweek writer who made a significant career change by working for a tech startup. He experiences a vastly different business culture and management style from what he experienced at Newsweek. Lyons found out quickly that his ideas, expertise and knowledge were not as valued as he expected them to be. Lyons was working for a boss about half his age and he was surrounded by other twenty somethings whose worth ethics were significantly different than his own. He was also met with skepticism and condescension due to his age.

Lyons struggles to fit in both with his coworkers, his boss and upper management. He finds it to be a losing battle. Allies become enemies and he can no longer trust those around him. He sympathizes with the plights of the salespeople who face enormous odds in meeting quotas and quickly understands that upper management are more concerned about making money than developing a useful and user friendly product.

This is a cautionary tale for workers over age 40 entering new jobs. The older you are, the less serious you will be taken. You may think that your experience can be useful but your employer and management may find it antiquated.

There is some intrigue at the end of the story as certain corporate forces are concerned about the publishing of the book and the FBI is called in...


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Bright, Precious Days by Jay McInerney

Bright, Precious Days by Jay McInerney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have not read the two books that precede this one (Brightness Falls and The Good Life) tracking the lives and marriage of Corrine and Russell Galloway. The story covers their life post 9/11 living and working in New York City. Changes are brewing. The economy is headed for a huge fall and it carries huge consequences for their careers and marriage. There is an assortment of interesting characters, friends, lovers, business and literary associates that move the story along. The book was about 400 pages and I read it avidly cover to cover. The focus of the novel is on the state of the Galloway marriage which at times was as unstable as the Wall Street Market in 2007-2009. Would love to see a screen version of this book...


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Debt To Pay (Jesse Stone series) by Reed Farrel Coleman

Robert B. Parker's Debt to Pay by Reed Farrel Coleman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think that this was the best story in the Jesse Stone series. The return of " Mr. Peepers" who is a cold-blooded, sadistic killer seeking revenge on Jesse and Suit brought a level of tension not found in the earlier books. Jesse faces many complications. He has stopped drinking and is struggling to stay sober. He has met a woman who he has fallen in love but is unsure of their future. To complicate matters, he experiences mixed emotions about the pending wedding of his ex-wife, Jenn. The reappearance of the evil Mr. Peepers thrusts Jesse into a deadly chess match trying to match move by move with his protagonist. Jesse tries to protect all those he loves and cares for – – unfortunately the ending leaves him devastated as his best laid plans come short.


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The Making of Donald Trump by David Cay Johnston

The Making of Donald Trump by David Cay Johnston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I choose to avoid books about political candidates published in an election year. Most books tend to be written by hacks and are not worth the time to read them. However "The Making of Donald Trump" is written by a respected investigative journalist who has credibility for his integrity. If you are a supporter of Donald Trump who has no interest in hearing bad news about him, you will not like this book. If you do not like Donald Trump, this book will provide additional ammunition for you to dislike him further and work against his opportunity to be President.

I can't say that there were many surprises for me in the book, though I did not know the backgrounds of his father and grandfather or their motivations in life. To coin a phrase, looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Basically Donald Trump is portrayed as a very selfish and vain man focused on making money at any cost. He has very few friends and his poor treatment of people is detailed in the book.

The book is well researched and documented. It is very depressing that this man has gotten this far in business, media and in politics. I think this says more about the deterioration of our culture and judgment then Trump himself.


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Sixty: A Diary of My Sixty-First Year: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning?" by Ian Brown

Sixty: A Diary of My Sixty-First Year: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning? by Ian Brown
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When I read the preview for this book, I thought I would like it. I am slightly older then the author and was curious about his experiences and perspectives given that we are both in our 60s. To be honest, the book was rather depressing to me. I did not need to know that our best days are behind us, women no longer find us attractive and that friends and people we know in our age group die or suffer from illness or other injuries. We also begin to lose our memory and our judgment is not as sharp as it used to be. This book may be an interesting read for those who are in their late 40s and 50s as they will be able to see what their imminent future holds.

I can't say that I learned anything new from reading this book – – maybe that was not the author's intention. It certainly wasn't a book that uplifted my spirits – – that's for sure.


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Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934-41

Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934-41 by William L. Shirer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read and reread Shirer book three or four times during different periods in my life. While his own personal story as a journalist is very compelling, because of his adventures and experiences in Nazi Germany, even more interesting to me was the reaction of the German people to Hitler. It's hard to believe that a civilized and cultured nation would allow a mediocre man to be the leader of their country and to plunge them into war and self-destruction.

The reader wonders if something like that could happen in the United States. Until this election cycle, I would have said no – – there are more smarter and wiser people than dumb and evil ones in this country. Now I'm not so sure…

I would list this book as one of the most influential ones in my lifetime. It is a long book – – over 600 pages but the story is very compelling and needs to be shared.


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Yuge: 30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump by G.B. Trudeau

Yuge!: 30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump by G. B. Trudeau
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Doonesbury and G.B. Trudeau since the 1970s when the cartoon was first published. If you want to understand the history, politics, and culture of the past 45 years and you don't want to suffer through college courses or books in history, then skim through Doonesbury's cartoon strips. Yuge is a collection of Doonesbury's strips about Donald Trump from the past 30 years. As a caveat, please note that Trump is no fan of Trudeau's work. Trudeau skewers Trump as a businessman, self-professed icon, playboy, reality star, and now pseudo-politician. I enjoyed the book as it was very entertaining and funny.

Trudeau introduced his book with a defense and a warning..."You can't make this stuff up, so why try? Some people feel that Trump is beyond satire, but we professionals know he is satire, pure and uncut, free for all to use and enjoy, and for that we are not ungrateful. For our country, though we can only weep."

Agreed!


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The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs

The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Presidents Club represents membership in a very exclusive club---all you have to do is be President of the United States. Its origin goes back to the Truman Administration where Harry Truman solicited the help of Herbert Hoover to assist with the feeding of the hungry and homeless after World War II. Gibbs also provides additional examples and stories where a current President reached back and asked for guidance or help from one or more of his predecessors. The book covers the relationships between and among the Presidents. It seems the most helpful ex-President may have been Nixon who consulted with Reagan, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. If you are interested in the American Presidency or American History, you will enjoy this book. Excellent read.


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Raw: My 100% Grade A Unfiltered Inside Look at Sports by Colin Cowherd

Raw: My 100% Grade-A, Unfiltered, Inside Look at Sports by Colin Cowherd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoy Cowherd's sports show on FS 1. He offers perspective, primarily on sports, that I may not have thought about. He also blends in a little history, culture, psychology and politics into his thinking. He's not afraid to name some names – – for example, he said that Bobby Knight treated his ESPN staff the way that he treated some referees. He also has some interesting things to say about other high profile athletes like Aaron Rogers, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Pete Carroll and others that the reader may find interesting. Very enjoyable read. Looking forward to future books by Colin.


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Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold and The Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick

Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not as familiar with the events during the Revolutionary War and with the start-up of the U.S. democracy as I should be. This very readable book filled in a lot of my knowledge gap. I was fascinated more by the stories around Benedict Arnold than I was about the stories around George Washington. What also struck me was how many important battles were fought in the area I live (Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Trenton etc.) America was very lucky to win its war of independence and its army had to win the war with little support from the Congress in Philadelphia.


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The Lincoln Lords Cameron Hawley

The Lincoln Lords by Cameron Hawley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

To be honest, I skimmed through most of the book. There were sections of the book that just had too much dialogue that I was not interested. The book was written in the 1950s so quite a bit of it is dated, particularly as it relates to business culture and norms. I think this book was made into a movie and I can see where there is enough editing that it could be a compelling story. As the book starts out, Lincoln Lord is an out of work CEO. He has bills to pay and an ambitious wife to satisfy. He also has a spotty work record where his average tenure in his jobs was two years causing him to be termed " unemployable." This is not the type of book that I would recommend to anyone – – it's a bit soap operaish than anything else. It may have been a decent read in 1960 but it just didn't hold my attention in 2016.


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Five Presidents : My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford by Clint Hill

Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford by Clint Hill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It was refreshing to read a book by a current or former Secret Service agent not bashing a President or member of the President's family. It's a very respectable book of the five Presidents though Hill was not a fan of Richard Nixon. Hill did present an even handed look at the five men---there were no allegations that would cause a buzz other than the Nixon Administration wanted to establish a Secret Service mole in the Ted Kennedy campaign. Hill even spoke even handedly about Spiro Agnew who he was assigned to protect. Good read for those interested in Presidential history.


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How To Think Like DaVinci by Daniel Smith

How to Think Like da Vinci by Daniel Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Brief biography of DaVinci merged with tips on how to be a "renaissance man or woman." DaVinci was an accomplished painter, sculptor, architect and innovator. He also had interests in anatomy, civil engineering, philosophy, politics, religion, mathematics and science. Though he came from very humble beginnings and birth, he was largely a self-made man who took upon himself his education and training.

I've also read Michael Gelb's books on Leonardo and also recommend them for reference. Smith's work was succinct, inspiring and a pleasure to read.


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The Drop by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch series)

The Drop by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 I think this is the first Harry Bosch novel that I have read. I probably will look to read more books in this series. It did have a lot of turns and twists – – sometimes it was hard to distinguish between the good guys ( and gals) from the bad ones. Bosch is an interesting character--" Dirty Harry" without the guns and violence and a bit more cerebral in his approach. His character has a bit of history attached to it so I will take a look at earlier books in the series.


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Late to the Ball by Gerald Marzorati (My Review)

Late to the Ball: Age. Learn. Fight. Love. Play Tennis. Win. by Gerald Marzorati
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marzorati takes up tennis seriously in his 50s and 60s. While most men his age are slowing up, particularly when it comes to athletic competition, Marzorati hires coaches and consults tennis gurus to improve his game. Marzorati is not only competing with other players but with time and age limitations as well. The book focuses on his struggles to improve in tennis and also details some of the mechanics in perfecting groundstrokes and volleys. As I am the author's age and also enjoy tennis, I found the book fairly interesting. This book may not be as interesting for those who do not enjoy tennis or who are not concerned with athletic limitations because they are relatively young. I admit I found it a bit inspirational – – maybe I'll go out and practice my serves.


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And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the Middle East by Richard Engel ( My Review)

And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the Middle East by Richard Engel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have seen Richard Engel's reporting from the Middle East as he is the Chief Foreign Correspondent for NBC news. He can be found in the hot and dangerous spots of the Middle East including Syria, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan usually at personal risk. Engel provides two perspectives in this book. First, he opines about the events, people and diplomacy that have created the terrorism, violence and mayhem currently taking place in many Middle Eastern countries. Engel is not a fan of either George W. Bush's or Barack Obama's diplomacy as it relates to the Middle East. Basically, he thinks that we have made a bad situation much much worse.

Second, Engel provides an interesting narrative of his adventures covering the Middle East. He describes his kidnapping by terrorists and his near misses of various bombings and mob violence. He takes enormous risks in getting the story. He describes the perils of covering the initial days of the Iraq-US war.

While this is an informative and entertaining book for general readership, those who are interested in journalism would be wise to read this.


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Family Jewels by Stuart Woods (My Review)

Family Jewels by Stuart Woods
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I guess that I have read about 10 or more books in the Stone Barrington series. This may be the last one I read. I have opined that this series is junk food for the reading palate. I did not find this book interesting at all. Disappointing.


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Slow Burn by Ace Atkins (My Review)

Robert B. Parker's Slow Burn by Ace Atkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 I have been reading Spencer books for quite a while. I don't think that I can distinguish the plot lines or stories among the 20 or more books that I have read in the series. If a reader picked up this book without having read the previous Spenser novels, they would not be at a significant disadvantage as far as understanding the characters. I really am looking for some type of change in the Spenser novels.

In this book, Spencer searches for arsonists responsible for the deaths of three firemen as a result of a church fire. In the course of his investigation, Spencer spits out one-liners and literary references. Of course, he engages with customary fisticuffs with various heavies. Hawk is there to cover his back. Susan continues to be his soulmate, lover and confidant.

Meh.


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House of Cards by Michael Dobbs (My Review)

House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of the current Netflix series House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey. This book is part of a series written by Dobbs witch sparked the Netflix show. The big difference between the book version and the film version is that the book version takes place in England. Francis Urquhart is the Chief Whip of the majority party. Like Frank Underwood (his US variation), who was the House Whip for the Democratic Party, his ambitions and plans were thwarted at the highest levels. Urquhart matches Underwood for evil deeds and manipulation of people for his own ambitious ends. The reader keeps expecting Urquhart to get tripped up. Urquhart screws over his Prime Minister and other candidates who run against him for party leadership. The reader of this book who is also a viewer of the Netflix series will notice a number of similarities in terms of plot and characters. This book was a great joy to read – – highly recommended. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.


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The Legends Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Valvano and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry by John Feinstein

The Legends Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry by John Feinstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

John Feinstein is my most favorite author of sports books, particularly those related to college basketball. He covers a thirty year basketball rivalry among Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State. Most of this book centers on the coaching rivalry between Dean Smith from North Carolina and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke. After North Carolina State won the NCAA Tournament in 1983 under Jim Valvano, they have struggled to keep up with their other NC competitors. Valvano was the most interesting character of the three coaches and his struggle against cancer was heroic and inspiring.

I found the friendship between Valvano and Krzyzewski very interesting given their polar opposite personalities. There are a lot of great stories about the competition for recruits and the competition on the court. The ACC was my second favorite brand of basketball in the 1970s and early 80's. (My favorite was Big 5 basketball.)

This book is well researched and a pleasure to read if you like college basketball. Plenty of great stories.


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The Harsh Truth about Speed Reading by Simon Oxenham

I have questioned since my college days the benefits and flaws of speed reading. To me speed reading a book can be like wolfing down a meal. You get to finish fast but did you enjoy the food for thought or meal?

Below are some takeaways from the article...

Essentially, the speed readers had increased their ability to construct reasonably accurate inferences about text content on the basis of partial information and their preexisting knowledge.

Speed-reading often produces a confused understanding—in some cases, a completely fabricated one, the researchers reported. They quoted Woody Allen’s classic line: “I took a speed-reading course where you run your finger down the middle of the page and was able to read War and Peace in 20 minutes. It’s about Russia.

The best way to increase the speed of our reading is to practice reading itself, particularly different types of text with varied language. The more familiar we are with complex styles of written language, the easier it is to conduct the “elegantly choreographed dance” that is reading.

The take-home lesson from efforts to increase our reading speed is to question whether speed-reading is a healthy aspiration at all. Speed-readers don’t see what’s on the page; they read what they want to see, which perhaps explains why the practice continues to thrive. It must feel very good to devour a whole book in a few seconds and discover it only said what you already thought anyway. But that’s pretty much the opposite of learning.