What book are you reading?

Also just managed to finish Chesapeake by Michener. Yet another epic Michener work of art. Voyage Eight:1822 is just absolutely sublime Michener gold.

 

I just finished reading I am reading The Massacre That Never Was: The Myth of Deir Yassin and the Creation of the Palestinian Refugee Problem by Eliezer Tauber. I picked this up at the Tikvah Leadership Convention on December 9, 2024. It was a great book, a bit of a slog since I was not familiar with a lot of its material. Since this is not POC or Judaism, I will save my most detailed discussion. What I can say is that it goes far contrary to the popular legend, i.e. that Dar Yassin, a battle on the outskirts of Jerusalem, was an atrocity. It was a tense battle conducted in an inhabited village. From that perspective, things happen that one would not like.

 

My reaction as well when I discovered it during my early years here in Houston when I would seek entertainment by browsing books at the nearby B&N. Lord, still a junkie that can't quit print, even though my vision is currently much more suited to a screen and its variable font capabilities.

Please share with me that you actually laughed when reading the story about the mine explosion and the flying cats!!!

 

Just finished this,

 

I just finished the book yesterday. In his communications from prison, Navalny told all about life in prison. He had had some health issues, but nothing that was going to kill him. On December 26, 2023, he had just been transferred to a remote Arctic prison, and he wrote, "Anyway, don't worry about me. I'm fine."

He was only able to communicate twice more, on January 9th, and January 17, 2024, before he died one month later, on February 16th. In neither of those writings did he mention having a serious health problem.

"When Alexei's lawyer and mother arrived at the colony this morning, they were told that the cause of Navalny's death was sudden death syndrome," Ivan Zhdanov, who directs Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said on Saturday.

His official cause of death was given as follows: On 26 July 2024, the Investigative Committee of Russia concluded that Navalny's death "does not have a criminal nature" and was the result of a "combined disease", which included a number of diagnoses: cholecystitis, pancreatitis, intervertebral hernia and others.

In 2020, Navalny had been poisoned with Novachok. He survived, but he was arrested, given a sham trial, and sent to prison. He was transferred to different prisons, the last one being for the worst prisoners, above the Arctic Circle. Putin had not been able to break his spirit. Six weeks after arriving in that far northern prison, he was dead at the age of 47.

Putin rejected calls for an independent autopsy.

In his last dispatch from prison, Navalny wrote:

"Lies, and nothing but lies.
It will crumble and collapse. The Putinist state is not sustainable.
One day, we will look at it, and it won't be there.
Victory is inevitable.
But for now, we must not give up, and we must stand by our beliefs."

This book is a revealing account of how Putin's Russia works. And it is a story of a man who would not be broken.

 

I just finished reading Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery by Theodore H. Schwartz.I picked up the book and my synagogue with the author spoke back in September or October. I have basically the same gripes about both the book and his speech; they were long on content and short on organization. Bluntly, about 1/3 of the book should have been the subject of its own surgery.

The content is fascinating. The author manages to discuss, just write every prominent shooting and brain surgery, and then some not so prominent. We’ve learned, for example, that neither Kennedy would have been likely to survive their assassination attempts. We also learned that with the benefit of modern medicine, Abraham Lincoln may well have survived. Would I have read the book had I known of his shortcomings? Yes. The book is definitely worthwhile.

 

I just finished reading reading The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. All I can say is "wow." The author managed to interweave the sunny, uniquely American story of Joseph Rantz, his fellow crew members and the builder of the winning boat The Husky Clipper, George Yeoman Pocock with the gathering clouds in Nazi Germany. The story is built around the miraculous U.S. crew victory, achieved by the underdog University of Washington team but it is so much more. Abandoned by his father as a child in favor of his new wife, he more or less raises himself. Essentially, this story is an "only in America" tale where someone who is dirt poor can then ride the top of the world, earning a highly marketable engineering degree in the process.

And Pocock's story, also woven in, is no less inspirational. At some point I'll pick up one of several bios of that gentleman. The ogres are Adolph Hitler (who staged the Olympics to fool the world about him) and to a lesser extent his stepmother. Enough spoilers; read the book which I am giving a "five!"

 

I just finished reading The Revenge Of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate by Robert D. Kaplan.

This book is a tour d-force of information concerning world geography and its impact on politics, systems of government and economic advancement. The information is unobjectionable; I dispute some of the conclusions. By way of example, he states, I believe correctly, that the lack of natural boundaries has led to Russia's more or less continual state of war and the prevalence of authoritarian conditions over the centuries. He dismisses, in either a footnote or sentence, the fact that the U.S. and Canada share similar characteristics with very different results. Another quibble: he gives insufficient weight to the importance of ideas. He says, about the Jewish people: "And above all, of course, there is the history of the Jews, which goes against the entire logic of the geographical continuity of major religions (particularly of Hinduism and Buddhism), and which therefore takes pains to include: the utter destruction of the Jewish community in Judea, the consequence of the crushing of first- and second-century A.D. revolts by the Romans, did not end Judaism, which went on improbably to evolve and flourish in scattered cities of the western Diaspora, a two-thousand-year-old story averse to the dictates of geography, which shows once again how ideas and human agency matter as much as physical terrain." Despite this acknowledgement this is about his only obeisance to the important of ideas.

Additionally, he seems to believe, similar to many thinkers on the liberal side of the spectrum (spoiler alert, he writes for Atlantic Magazine) that the U.S. and Israel must, in one way or another surrender or modify their demography because of the presence of less advanced societies on their border. To my mind this borders on silly. Other than a deliberate, suicidal decision on the part of societies to abandon their advanced status, there is no reason that I can fathom not to use military force, if need be, to preserve life style.

Nevertheless, it is important that people read a map before forming political or historical conclusions.

 

If you are trying to promote the book, I don't think you are doing a good job. Geography effecting military and political strategy isn't exactly an original idea. Although I admit I have no idea what he means by "the U.S. and Israel must, in one way or another surrender or modify their demography because of the presence of less advanced societies on their border." I'm unclear what that means and unclear on what that looks like.

 

First Steps Series- Painting with Acrylics. Vicki Lord
Acrylic Painting for Beginners. Marcus Hederer & IIse Diehl

 

I just finished reading Unmasked: Big Media's War Against Trump by L. Brent Bozell and Tim Graham. The book is great at listing and describing the "low points" of an obviously decrepit, biased and sometimes treasonous mass media. No serious person can say now that the press is useful other than as a source of ideological arguments. The book is basically an enlarged pamphlet, which could have put the 220+ pages into 100-125 pages. Quality, not page count make for good reading. This tome; not terrible but not great.

 

Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties

 

Gai-Jin, by James Clavell

 

I just finished reading Goyhood (Hardcover) by Reuven Fenton. I give it a 3 1/2. The concept of the novel is promising; two twin children in Georgia whose mother and by extension the children, with the help of a Rabbi, more or less declare themselves Jewish. One of the twins moves to Brooklyn to an ultra-Orthodox life. His spiritual mentor sets him up for an arranged marriage, into a moneyed family. His mother's tragic death brings to their attention that they are not Jewish.

What follows is some slapstick comedy, perhaps too much. I won't spoil the ending. The novel is a promising first work by a journalist; editing and organization would have helped. Still I will read this writer's next work. I think he's on to greatness.

 

I just finished reading Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie. The book is about the famous author Salman Rushdie, who was knifed and severely injured given a lecture in upstate New York on August 12, 2022. The book is a definite "five star." A short excerpt, bridging two chapters:

Personally I have had recent occasion for this kind of reflection. In late December I was admitted to Greenwich Hospital for exploratory diagnostic surgery. The admission form said "patient has pancreatic CA" which basically is a death sentence. The first set of biopsies, taken through an endoscope on December 30, 2024 came back benign. My GI didn't totally believe it because of certain symptoms and lab results. On January 29, 2025 a second set of biopsies, also through an endoscope, confirmed. The doctor called me and said "you dodged a bullet."
Since then I feel that I have been a lot more straightforward, and cut out most of my sarcasm. My legal writing has gotten more careful and more thorough. I have noticed other changes in myself. This is not my first near-death experience; when I was ten, on December 2, 1967 I plunged through the ice on a pond in Scarsdale. My head went under a few times. My body temperature dropped below what the thermometer would read. Again, after a few hours in White Plains Hospital I emerged relatively unscathed. I was not, as a ten year old, as philosophical.


Knife is an extraordinary reflection on a near-death experience, and its effects, both physical and mental. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

I just finished Phil Lesh (of the Grateful Dead's) autobiography Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead by Phil Lesh.

This is not my usual reading, and I am not the usual Grateful Dead fan. Still, this autobiography rates a "5" despite some factual nits and picks. The book is a great social history of music and its impact on the 60's through 90's. The author does not avoid the underside. In other words it was not all "peace and love." He sensitively covers the underside of that era as well as its great artistic contributions. He had formal musical training and came from an intact, stable family. He was a person of obvious intelligence.

The author was swept into the drug maelstrom and, with great efforts pulled himself out. He went on to form a stable, loving family, along with his Grateful Dead "family." Phil Lesh was a druggie but got off the sauce soon enough to survive to age 87 or 88 with a transplanted liver. Many other members of the Dead were literally "dead." They were by and large intelligent people who died too young and tragically. Add to it the numerous other rock dead, too many to mention.

I went to two Dead concerts, Barton Hall, Cornell in May 1977 and Broome County Arena, Binghamton in May 1979. Another poster even asked "how much acid I dropped" at the concert. The answer was "none"; aside from minor marijuana use, a rare snort of cocaine and use of speed (for academics) I avoided drugs.

 

I served 2 years in Laos 69-71. I never knew the history of that secret war. I’ve been reading up on it. Now I’m reading “Before the Quagmire: American Intervention in Laos, 1954-1961.” By William J. Rust. This on the heels of me reading Tim Conboy’s book, “Shadow war : the CIA's secret war in Laos.” Which covered my time there. Both books were very enlightening. At least for one who served there. Strange one would have to read books to find out what went on there. But that’s life.

 

I just finished reading Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events that Created New York and Shaped America by Russell Shorto. This book got an extraordinary sendoff and I put myself on the library list shortly after it was published. It was good, but a three and a half rather than four star read. I previously read the author's The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America and expected more. Basically, his thesis, which I think he overstates, is that remaining Dutch influence, after Great Britain took control of New Amsterdam in 1664, was pervasive. The book did introduce me to a new character, Richard Nicolls, the British leader that actually orchestrated the peaceful takeover. Again, I think that New York was the major center for immigration and many groups had similar influence.

Still, it was a fast (I had no choice since as newly published it was a two-week book) read and stimulating. I would like to debate the author in person at some point.

 

I just finished reading Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. The book has been kicking around my TBR pile since before I graduated high school and I never got around to it. I confess that maybe I started it, read one page and actually liked it and then I had to ditch it for assigned reading in one of my courses.

This is the kind of book that makes me pine for the days of having a high school teacher to help me with the symbolism and references, of which this book is dense. Mr. Ladensack and Mr. Myers (they were not young men when I graduated in 1975 so I am not outing anyone), where are you when I need you? Still, I much enjoyed it. Basically the story is about an employer and a much older hire, Zorba, who is full of lessons and more full of ego. An excerpt:

Zorba was a person who lived life to its fullest. A model I can admire and learn from, as did the narrator.

 

Beam me up. Am I the only life here?

I just finished reading (with some skips, see later in review) The Downing Street Years by Margaret Thatcher. This book gets a "four star" from me. It was densely packed with information. Given that this is now 2025 and the last period covered in the book is late 1990, certain of the people and events covered are lost to the sands of history. On the other hand, her impressions of U.S. and other political leaders is invaluable.

The Downing Street years has a lot of wisdom important to the here and now. I confess to putting the book down and skipping parts that just did not particularly interest me. Frankly, the book could have used some editing. All the same, I do recommend it.

 

I just finished reading The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World by Dan Senor. This book is a sequel to Startup Nation, by the same authors. The book was a bit of a falloff from Startup but still worth reading. A couple of chapters, a bit too celebratory about relations with Israeli Arabs, became outdated on October 7, 2023. That being said, Daniel Senor does a good job explaining Israel's relative cohesiveness despite toxic internal politics. Worthy of note was the description of the mechinot, which is described in Mechinot: post High-School service learning. It is a one-year program for recent high school graduates, of about forty 18 year olds living together for a year of study, hiking and volunteering, prior to their entry into the IDF.

This book also explains the importance of Israel's population's relatively young age, and its contribution to optimism. A good read, which I am giving four stars.

 

I have recently read 3 of Ben Macintyre's books.

Rogue Heroes - The story of the birth of the British SAS in WW2.

The Billion Dollar Spy - The story of Adolf Tolkachev, a Soviet engineer, who worked on top secret radars for Russia's air force. Disillusioned with the Soviet system, he spied for the CIA for 7 years in the late 70's to early 80's.

Double Cross - The story of the double agents the British used against the Nazis in WW2.

All of these are non-fiction, but Macintyre's style is like reading a fast paced novel and keeps you turning the pages. All three were fascinating and expertly researched.

I am currently about to start reading another one of Macintyre's books, The Siege, the story of the 1980 takeover of the Iranian embassy in London and the daring raid by the SAS to free the hostages.

 

This looks like a good one. I'm going to get it. Having read "The Battle Cry of Freedom", I was aware of the monumental difficulties Lincoln faced in the lead-up to the war and during the war itself. But I think this book will add another layer to my knowledge of that terrible time.

 

I just finished reading The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright. I am giving this book about the background of the massacres of September 11, 2001 a "Five Stars" though it made my blood boil reading it. It seems that our governments at the time (Clinton and Bush, so my screed is nonpartisan) did not have as their first objective the protection of American life; it seems as though: a) adherence to "procedures" b) being chummy with hostile foreign governments; and c)pursuit of petty bureaucratic wars all took precedence to the oaths of office all involved took. Even the books "heroes" Michael Scheuer of the CIA and John O'Neill of the FBI put their mutual internecine hatreds above their missions.

I will spare the details. For reasons I state I simply cannot write them out. The book is powerfully written, starting with the "intellectual" roots of the movement to slaughter Americans indiscriminately and progressing to the ultimate horror of September 11, 2001. I am frankly too angry to write more. An effectively written piece of literature can and does accomplish that.

 

I read that, and it's an absolute must read primer on understanding Islamic terrorism and 9/11.