fighting the lack of good ideas
I’ve been attempting a “reactive”/”consumptive” reading experiment recently. The first book I tried it on was the Henry Petroski’s horrid To Engineer is Human (my review). That turned into a failure as I couldn’t stomach his writing, and so “reacting” to it was going to pretty much be an exercise in futility. So I’ve ditched…
Calvin Coolidge is my favorite president. Has been for a long time. So when I saw Coolidge at my local bookstore recently, I was very excited to grab a copy and read Amity Shlaes rendition of his life. In just the first 18 pages is enough to inspire anyone to love the man we call…
As promised when I finished Mira Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy, I did read Germline by T C McCarthy. I wasn’t able to get into the second book of the trilogy (Exogene), and haven’t attempted the last (Chimera) – but Germline was amazing. A quick disclaimer first – this book is most certainly NOT for the faint of stomach,…
Law 34 The way your carry yourself will often determine how you are treated: In the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a…
Karl Ernest Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac present what should be a fascinating history of the modern Middle East in their recent book Kingmakers: The Invention of the Modern Middle East. I have been interested in Middle Eastern history (ancient and modern) for many years, and so was excited to see this book as I…
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I first came across Why Nations Fail at my local Half Price Books. After seeing it on the shelves a couple times, but still being unsure about whether I really wanted to read it or not, I reserved it at my local library. Now I wish I had bought it (and likely will) – Daron…
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Law 33 Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usually an insecurity, and uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage. –Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power (review)