Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus by Matt Taibbi

Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus by Matt Taibbi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 For me, this book was a modern day horror story. As someone who has lived through 16 presidential election cycles, I could never imagine the events and results that took place, many if not most, with the complicity of the American voter. Taibbi does not present a pretty picture of Donald Trump or many of his supporters. If you are a Trump supporter, this book will not interest you in the least…

From the Taibbi book..

"The country, in other words, was losing it. Our national politics was doomed because voters were no longer debating one another using a commonly accepted set of facts. There was no common narrative, except in the imagination of a daft political and media elite that had long ago lost touch with the general public.

What we had instead was a nation of reality shoppers, all shutting the blinds on the loathsome old common landscape to tinker with their own self tailored and in some cases highly paranoid recipes for salvation and/or revolution.

They voted in large numbers, but they were voting out of loathing, against enemies and against the system in general, not really for anybody. The elections had basically become a forum for organizing the hatreds of the population. "


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Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan by Bill O'Reilly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think a more appropriate title for the book is Killing the Rising Sun: Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb On Japan. I think the authors made a good case that the dropping of the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was regrettable but necessary. The Japanese Government through its Emperor showed very little inclination to surrender even when its occupied islands (Okinawa, Iwo Jima) were invaded and recovered by the Allies.

The book also covers the atrocities committed by the Japanese on Chinese civilians and US prisoners of war. Documented are stories of heroism on both sides. The horrors inflicted on the citizens in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are grimly told too.

There are far better history books about the end of the war against Japan but this is very readable and well written.


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Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide To Thriving In The Age of Acceleration by Tom Friedman

Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide To Thriving In The Age of Accelerations by Thomas L. Friedman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Tom Friedman's articles in the New York Times and his observations and comments in various other media including the new shows. It took me a while to read the book ( 460 pages) but it was well worth my time and effort. What this book was about mostly was "change." Changes in technology, culture, climate change, politics and globalization have been overwhelming, particularly in the last 10 years. Friedman uses 2007 as a jumping off point for his review and observations regarding change. 2007 was the release of the iPhone and various other technology changes occurred during that year.

I particularly enjoyed Friedman's thoughts on careers and jobs. Young people must prove themselves to be very adaptable to change, market themselves effectively and pursue lifelong learning. A college or high school degree will not get you very far in today's business world or in the future.

In some ways I am envious. I have retired so I have no way of testing how well I would or will do in this type of accelerated change. This is a great book for young business oriented people and college graduates to read.

Regrettably I think that the election of 2016 proves that too many Americans are not adapting to change or the realities affecting their careers and life.


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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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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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Review: Finale: A Novel of the Reagan Years by Thomas Mallon

Finale: A Novel of the Reagan Years by Thomas Mallon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a general preference, I prefer reading non-fiction (history, biographies etc.) Actual events, motivations and personalities tend to be more fascinating and illuminating than what might be imagined or created. Finale certainly had an interesting cast of characters: Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Don Regan, Pamela Harriman, Margaret Thatcher in my own personal favorite, the witty and cynical Christopher Hitchens. I found Hitchens characterization to be the most interesting and fun of all.

The book is certainly gossipy – – some, maybe most of it has some merit or truth. I don't think that the book shows Reagan in a favorable light, after all, most of the events described happen in the latter part of his second term. There is some question as to the mental and intellectual capabilities of Reagan given his age. The book is not flattering to Nancy Reagan either – – though I do give her credit for her loyalty and love for her husband.

There are stories within stories, some interesting, some not. I started off the book with great enthusiasm and interest but that waned as I got farther within the book. I may check out the author's book on Watergate. This is the type of book that you might get on loan from a library to read.


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My Top 8 Books of 2014

 Hi readers:

With the exception of maybe two books, you won't find the books on my list on any other major publisher or book review list.  All the books are nonfiction.  Some of these books were published prior to 2014. I have not listed the books in any particular order of preference.

I confess that as I get older ( I am now 62),  I find it harder and harder to be wowed  by a particular book. I don't have the same patience  with sitting down and focusing on a book for an hour or more that I did 10 years or more ago. Largely I blame that on the Internet and the lure of a quick  intellectual or entertaining fix when it comes to reading.

Here is my top 8 nonfiction books for 2014. Enjoy!

The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
This book covers the relationship, sometimes acrimonious, but between William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt. I find Roosevelt to be an interesting character on his own. I was not aware of the Taft legacy or details around his presidency. This is a long book but it's very interesting from the beginning to the end. Taft and  Roosevelt were political giants in the beginning of the 20th century. Even though Taft and Roosevelt had their political differences, the debate was largely civil and in the end, each man respected the other, genuinely.

The Hoops Whisperer: On the Court and Inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players by Idan Ravin
 If you like basketball, you'll really like this book. Some very interesting observations about many of the players today including Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony and others. The observations are not just based on what happens on the court but how the respective athletes handle things off the court particularly in terms of training and how they approach the game.

Living in More than One World:  How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life by Bruce Rosenstein and Frances Hesselbein
This was an interesting portrait of Peter Drucker, "the father of modern management." I enjoy reading stories of "Renaissance men." Drucker was a man of diverse interests, including business, literature, music and art.

An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents,  Two  Parties, and the  Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by Todd Purdum
This is an excellent book about the people, personalities and politics around the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Though Presidents Kennedy and Johnson have received most of the credit for the passage of this bill from historians, there was incredible effort from senators Hubert Humphrey and Everett Dirksen to get this bill through Congress. This book should be part of every black history class in high school and college.

Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman
I am not a Lakers fan but I really enjoyed this book about the team that played in the 1980s. Some fascinating stories and portraits of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Lakers coach Pat Riley, owner Jerry Buss and others. This book was very interesting because it not only captured what happened on the court but some of the interesting activities off the court, particularly when it came to women and parties.

What Should We Be Worried About? Real Scenarios that Keeps Scientists Up at Night by John Brockman
 I enjoy thinking out-of-the-box. This book provides a variety of experts in different fields and their observations about what we really should be worried about. Many are very surprising as they cover scenarios  in science, politics, culture and  technology. You will be informed. You will be entertained.  You will be surprised at some of the hidden threats that we may be facing.

The Billionaire's Apprentice: The  Rise of the Indian American  Elite and the  Fall of the Galleon  Hedge  Fund by Anita Raghavan
 This story about a major business scandal and insider trading reads like a novel.  Business people with the best of intentions caught up in greed and scandal.

The Good Spy: The  Life and  Death of Robert Ames by  Kai Bird

 This book has generally received excellent reviews and is well-deserved.  It's an interesting biography,  an exciting spy yarn and very compelling history.  Ames was a CIA a operative with assignments all over the world but in particular the Middle East.  How Ames performs his responsibilities and his interactions with major political and intelligence figures makes for compelling reading. The lessons from this book in regards to Middle Eastern politics and how we deal with the various interest groups is very applicable today.