Published in January of 2011, My Father at 100 is a biography of President Ronald Reagan from the perspective of his youngest child.
My Father at 100
My Thoughts
A very interesting read. I have to admit, I didn’t know who the original “Gipper” was or that everyone called President Reagan “Dutch”. Ronald Reagan was the President I remember most from my childhood but there was a lot I missed. In some ways, this book was perfect for me as it gave me a picture of the man from the point of view I had at the time. That of a child…
First published in 2009, Letter to my Daughter is a book written by Maya Angelou about lessons learned in her life. It is written in the format of several essays with the tone of a grandmother speaking to a younger person.
Letter to My Daughter
My Thoughts
I can’t say I liked it. There were some good lessons there but I wouldn’t agree with all of them. I wanted to like it but I was surprised by the amount of bitterness in the book. She was raised in a terrible placed and had experiences I have trouble relating to. With all she had accomplished and the years and years she spent with the respect of so many, it saddened me that the bitterness is still there. It took some of my hope away that we may one day get past the pettiness of skin color.
Published in May of 2017, Dad is Fat is the autobiographical musings of Jim Gaffigan. The book is interspersed with jokes from several of his specials.
Dad is Fat
My Thoughts
After reading that terrible book by Hunter Biden, I wanted something a little lighter and definitely more fun. Jim Gaffigan didn’t disappoint! The book is hilarious and speaks to me directly as a father of 4. (I’m so glad I don’t live in New York!)
Recommendation
Great book that despite its 288 pages was still over too fast…
Published in April of 2021, Beautiful Things is the autobiographical account of Hunter Biden, son of our 46th President. This is an apologetically unvarnished look at the life of an addict in the spotlight of politics.
Beautiful Things
My Thoughts
The only reason I read this was because I’m always interested in the other side of the story. I was interested to hear from Hunter Biden himself and see what he had to say about his life. There wasn’t much redemption there…
This book was painful to read through. I suspect it was painful for him to write as well. The really sad thing is the only reason anyone is interested in his life at all is that his dad became President of the United States.
Recommendation
The book is full of bitterness and failure. I’d skip this one.
Published in June of 2021, The Man I Knew is the biography of George Herbert Walker Bush, our 41st President of the United States. This comes from the perspective of his Chief of Staff (Jean Becker) throughout the years as President and up to his death.
The Man I Knew
My Thoughts
I didn’t really think a lot of President HW Bush or Bush 41. As I was less interested in Politics at the time and more in SNL, most of my knowledge of the man was through Dana Carvey.
Still, I really enjoyed the book and am impressed with what he was able to accomplish. This book didn’t have much before his presidency, which makes sense given the author, but I was completely blind to the great things he did after his term in office. This book highlighted several things I didn’t know or just wasn’t paying any attention to. (E.g. His friendship with Bill Clinton, his service to China, his humanitarian projects.)
Published in April of 2021, Madam Speaker is the biography of the first female Speaker of the House in America, Nancy Pelosi. The story begins with her grandparents, parents, and finally through the events of her life.
Madam Speaker
My Thoughts
I am not a Nancy Pelosi fan. I find her politics to be far too partisan and left leaning for my tastes. However, I was surprised to hear a number of facts about her. For example, I didn’t know she grew up on the East Coast and that her father was the mayor of Annapolis Maryland. The book made a point that most folks believe she was a product of her district (San Francisco) and I have to admit I was one of them.
I can respect she is the first female speaker of the house and that she is a hard worker. However, not much else was endearing to me. (I did enjoy reading through the section when “the Squad” showed up and caused all kinds of issues.) She strikes me as a busybody social elite who thinks she knows how the rest of us are supposed to live. Unfortunately, she has the power to make that happen.
Recommendation
It wasn’t a bad read and had some surprises. However, I suspect it won’t change anyone’s mind about who she is. Read if you are interested.
Published in 2006, The Audacity of Hope was then Senator Obama’s start for his bid to the Presidency. The book lays out his political opinions and reads somewhat like a speech. To say it was popular would be an understatement. It was a best seller for 30 weeks, endorsed by Opra, and even won a Grammy for the best spoken word book.
The Audacity of Hope
My Thoughts
Remembering the groundswell at the time, I recall thinking, “who is this guy?” He pretty much came from nowhere and people loved him. It turned out that wasn’t a flash in the pan response.
I was struck by how similar some of his statements were to President Trump and how others would be deeply unpopular today. (Emphasis on families, and so on.) He seemed forthright and honest in his communication. However, it was very interesting to compare what he wanted to do in this book and with what actually happened in his presidency.
Published in October of 2015, You Are Worth It is the story of the youngest medal of honor recipient, Kyle Carpenter.
You are Worth It
My Thoughts
This is an inspiring story of a Marine who never gave up. The book is simply his story told in a forthright and honest way. Kyle Carpenter is a clean cut, honest, thankful, and all around good person. He is someone to look up to in this world.
Jim Morrison was the lead singer of “The Doors” but he also considered himself a writer. This book is his collective works. Published in June of 2021, it is largely put together by his friends and children.
Jim Morrison
My Thoughts
When I started reading this book, I thought it was a autobiography. It really wasn’t. It was so much worse… It starts by telling you he considered himself a writer more than a musician. That may be true but if you can imagine the poetry of a drugged out 60’s post teenager, you have a good idea of what this book was like. But wait there’s more!
The folks that put out this book recycled some of the same material. I guess they figured the reader would have given up some time ago and wouldn’t notice. That would be a fair strategy except apparently I enjoy a good train wreck and just can’t look away.
Published in March of 2021, “The Beauty of Living Twice,” by Sharon Stone is an autobiographical look at her life, career, and the profound experiences that have shaped her. With raw honesty, she recounts her near-fatal stroke in 2001, the challenges of recovery, and the impact on her personal and professional life. Stone reflects on her journey through Hollywood, her advocacy work, and her path to healing and self-discovery. The memoir offers a deeply personal and inspiring narrative of resilience, reinvention, and the beauty of second chances.
The Beauty of Living Twice
My Thoughts
I liked her style of writing and she presented herself as very authentic. As I really haven’t followed her career, I really had no expectations from the book. I remember someone saying she was very smart so it was confirming to hear she was in special programs in school and the like. I suppose like many, my only memory of her was that scene from Basic Instinct and I haven’t even watched the movie. My hope was to learn a bit more about her so she wasn’t such a 1 dimensional character in my mind.
I thought some of the examples of poverty to be a bit of a reach but I’m sure there was a stark contrast in her life as compared with the kind of money she has made. I’m glad of her activism and I hope the index of helplines at the end of the book has been helpful to people who need it.
Several of her comments were directed at the “me too” movement and her experiences along those lines. She talks about the “boys club” of Hollywood and how she had to scrap her way to stardom and didn’t get much respect along the way. Honestly, most of that doesn’t really resonate with me as I haven’t seen it and have no experience with it. No one should have to go through those things and I hope these stories are empowering to people to be able to say no and seek help if needed.
I was raised to respect women and I try my best to raise my sons with the same ethic. However, I’ve seen examples of it going too far the other way as well. We live in such a litigious society now that it’s terrifying to interact with people. Anyone can accuse someone of wrongdoing and they are automatically demonized by the media. Somewhat like what happened to Bill Cosby. That seemed to go down like a witch hunt. It’s true I don’t know if he was guilty or innocent but neither did all the people who were happy enough to trample his name, take away his honorary doctorates, and so on without the benefit of a trial. We are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. That really doesn’t seem to be the case.
Recommendation
The book was enlightening. If you are interested in her story, you will likely enjoy it.
