August 2022 – Ryan’s Book Blog

The Pioneers

August 30, 2022 by Ryan

Background

Published in May of 2019, “The Pioneers” is a history of a handful of white men who settled “the Ohio” (future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin) during the American expansion.

My Thoughts

For a more modern book, I was surprised that it mentioned relatively little about the native Americans who were already in the area. This history is very much written from the perspective of the American citizens who were moving West in what may be called “the Midwest”. (That term always cracked me up. If you look at a map of the United States, no one would have called that area the MidWest…)

Not having grown up in that area, pretty much all of it was new to me so I really enjoyed it. It gave me a view of American culture that I hadn’t been aware of and and understanding of what happened in the area.

Recommendation

Worth the read.

The Body Keeps the Score

August 27, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 2014, The Body Keeps the Score is a book on the impacts and potential healing methods for people dealing with psychological trauma.

My Thoughts

Given the subject matter, I was very interested due to who I work with on a daily basis. My thoughts were that if I could better understand what these warfighters were dealing with the better I could communicate with them. I’d say the book gave me some things to think about but nothing is ever really definitive.

The biggest take away for me was the over reliance on pharmaceuticals in this country. (And this was from when before the pandemic…) I am generally blown away with how much we trust in our little pills to take care of everything. I’m also so tired of doctors pushing services and then charging as much and more than insurance allows. I remember when I was going to college and didn’t have dental insurance. It’s amazing what changes when they realize they won’t get paid for the extras. “Mr. Bair, you need to have a panoramic xray!” My reply, “Well, I’m not paying for it.” They go conference for a bit with dentist and then come back. “Oh ok, we don’t need to do it…”

I neglected to look at the publication date till after I was finished with the book. That’s fun in the sense of the things that still haven’t come to general acceptance over 8 years later. We are still doing the same stupid things…

Recommendation

A little dry but a good read in general.

Non Obvious

August 23, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in March of 2015, Rohit Bhargava published the book Non Obvious as a help to spot trends and make sense of the world around us.

My Thoughts

This book was on the CMC Professional Reading Program of 2020 and I’ve been working my way through the list. However, I think it is time for this book to leave it. While it had some utility in how to build and curate your thoughts, I didn’t see what it had to do with anything relating to the Marines.

The book is also 7 years out of date so it was interesting to hear what he thought would be a big deal 7 years ago. We still haven’t paid different prices for newly released material, Venmo has stayed with us, and so on.

Recommendation

Sadly, seven years is too long a break for this book to be relevant.

Overdue

August 19, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in March of 2020, Overdue was represented as a book on libraries. However, it really just boiled down to one young woman’s 9 months in a DC public library.

I was really disappointed in this book. It was really just non-stop whining and complaining about the author’s life and her issues. It also included every buzz term we hear these days regarding any and every group that isn’t white and male.

She spends all of 9 months in a library in Washington DC and feels like she is qualified to throw rocks at the system. Of course, she has no alternatives. She has no solutions. She just has her entitlement and “confirmed PTSD” because she had to interact with the public. So like all of her contemporary social warrior peers, she gets as far away as she can from the problem (literally moving to California) and starts writing about the problem with her perception of the world.

Of course, she is offended on behalf of the people she is championing while simultaneously ignoring their opinions and getting as much distance from them as possible.

I kept hoping there would be some resolution, some moment when she understands how ridiculous she is but it never came.

Yes, there are problems in the world. (That isn’t a surprise.) If you want to impress me, have an idea of how it would be better and do something about it. Tell me what would be better and really think through how that would be possible.

Greenlights

August 18, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in October of 2020, Greenlights is the autobiographical musings of Matthew McConaughey (all right, all right, all right…).

My Thoughts

I’m always nervous when I read this celebrity bios. Most of the time I come away thinking much less of them but this time was different. My wife was talking to me about this book thinking that I had already read it. I told her that I had but I was thinking about Val Kilmer’s book. So, I had to read it…

I was pleasantly surprised. The first of it seemed like it he was trying to act all manly to counter he stereotypical RomCom role. As the story went on, he seemed to actually be the person he was representing. It also explains why he stopped doing those roles. If it wasn’t just fantasy, he earned a bit of my respect.

Recommendation

Not a bad read.

Battlefield Earth

August 16, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 1982, Battlefield Earth is a story of Earth a thousand years from now after we had been invaded by an alien civilization known as the Psychlos. They have almost no interest in us, rather they just want to mine our planet for the heavy metals.

My Thoughts

This was a pretty fun book and I remember being intimidated by it by it’s shear size when I read it as a teen. With my adult eyes, it was pretty campy and all the women had almost no character development but it was still fun.

The movie that came out a number of years ago was pretty terrible and didn’t do much to help promote the book. Oh well, Travolta tried…

Recommendation

A fun action book but pretty long.

The Doomed Planet

August 7, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in December of 1987, The Doomed Planet is the 10th and final book in the Mission Earth series. This book sees everything settled and Earth’s fate resolved.

My Thoughts

Everything was tied off neatly in place. It was as good of an ending as could have been hoped for. I read the Series a long time ago but I don’t believe I ever really finished it. Now it’s finished, I can leave it permanently.

Recommendation

I’m not a fan of series. It had it’s fun parts but it just wasn’t worth it.

Villainy Victorious

August 6, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in December of 1990. Villainy Victorious is the 9th book in the Mission Earth series. This book changes the narrators and we don’t hear much more from Sultan Gris. Hisst is in control of Voltar and only Heller can save the day. However, the real villainy is from a public relations campaign designed to immortalize Heller at any cost.

My Thoughts

I did enjoy the change of pace and the book wasn’t just about how Sultan Gris was taken advantage of and how Heller was great. However, there were more than a few issues… There is something base about Hubbard’s writing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Some parts are so much more brutal or perverse than they need to be and most of the characters can’t seem to think for themselves. It’s like they are seen as less than people.

Recommendation

I’m in it till the end but I wouldn’t start if I were you.

Disaster

August 5, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in June of 1988, Disaster is the 8th book in the Mission Earth series. This book sees Heller take Gris into custody, resolve his issues on Earth, and bring him back to Voltar.

My Thoughts

Heller can certainly clean up quick. They breezed right by how he wiped out most of Russia and Eastern Europe but he left a few issues open. We aren’t getting much better.

Recommendation

Just holding on till the end.

Voyage of Vengeance

August 4, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 1987, Voyage of Vengeance is the seventh book in the Mission Earth series. Sultan Gris sees just about everything go hill and finds himself running out of New York and from just about everyone. He finds himself back in Turkey and enlists the crew of the tug to kidnap the Countess Krak.

My Thoughts

I didn’t need the 15 year old taking advantage of Gris or the drug references. They did a good job representing the worst of humanity and pegging it on Gris.

Recommendation

I can’t recommend it.