History

24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid

Background

Published in May of 2020, “24” is the biography of Willie Mays. The pretty amazing story of one of the most famous and accomplished baseball players of all time.

24 Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid
24 Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid

My Thoughts

Beyond his raw talent and love of the game, I loved that he was just a good person doing his best. Really, that was what stood out to me. Everyone said he was a good guy and was great to be around. Who can ask for more than that?

Recommendation

If you like baseball and/or a good underdog story. Look no further!

My Vanishing Country

Background

Published in May of 2020, My Vanishing Country is a quazi-autobiography of Bakari Sellers who was one of the youngest state representative from South Carolina. He reflects on his childhood and his rise into politics. He also talks about the state of the world today.

My Vanishing Country
My Vanishing Country

My Thoughts

I read this book because it was a recent release and thought it might be interesting. It wasn’t… I thought there was a lot of hate in the book and I didn’t enjoy it. I don’t agree with several of the statements made but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Recommendation

A waste of time.

Countdown to 1945

Background

Published October of 2020, Chris Wallace writes about the development and the use of the atom bomb. He takes us through the process of the arms race and tells the story from multiple people and their points of view.

Countdown to 1945
Countdown to 1945

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed the book. Chris Wallace didn’t spend a lot of time giving his opinion, rather he told the story from what others had written about their personal thoughts and insights. I also thought the addition of the survivors from Hiroshima gave good depth to the story.

Recommendation

I think this story is an important one to get our collective minds around. It was worth the read.

The Art of Her Deal

Background

Mary Jordan gives us a story of our First Lady from her growing up in Slovenia to living in the White House.

The Art of Her Deal
The Art of Her Deal

My Thoughts

I have to admit I didn’t really think of Melania Trump. I knew President Trump was married but didn’t think much about who he had married or what she was about. Also, I don’t know that I still know anything. It seems she is more than happy to make up things about herself so I don’t know how much of this is real and how much was also a story. It reminds me of a Daniel Tosh joke. “Plastic surgery gives you the rare chance to make your insides match your outsides. You know, Fake!”

If you can take this at face value, both she and everyone in her circle seems morally bereft. I’m saddened that these are who my children have to see as their top government officials.

Recommendation

If you like a good train wreck, you might like this book.

The Good Neighbor

Background

Fred Rogers is someone who most know as simply Mr. Rogers. This is the story of the person who almost single-handedly changed the face of children’s education for at least 2 generations. He was the driving force behind the funding of PBS and was in millions of homes for over 30 years. This is his story.

The Good Neighbor
The Good Neighbor

My thoughts

Fred Rogers really is Mr. Rogers. That was the main revelation I got from the book. He was just a really good man. A man full of love for everyone and more particularly of children. He cared deeply about how children could be impacted by television and wanted to make things better for them. Seriously, how can anyone live a better life than he did?

Recommendation

Great man and great book!

A Tale of Two Cities

Background

Originally published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, this book tells the fictional tale of people living in London and Paris through the French revolution and the “Reign of Terror” immediately following it.

A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities

My Thoughts

This was one of those books I hadn’t read since High School and I honestly didn’t remember it. What a terrible time to be alive! I’m so thankful I’m living in our modern world and in the United States!

The book was ok. I had some struggle getting through it as I wasn’t particularly engaged and there is a good deal of jumping around in the story from a variety of characters. This is one of those stories that do not really have a character with whom I would like or identify with. That made it hard to really want to get through it.

Recommendation

It is one of those books we all should read. However, that doesn’t mean you are going to like it.

China’s Great Wall of Debt

Background

Published in 2018, this book talks about how China has backed themselves into a corner and how the author really didn’t see a good way forward for them.

China's Great Wall of Debt
China’s Great Wall of Debt

My Thoughts

If true, this was a very disturbing book. The notion that China was on the edge as much as it seemed could have huge ramifications in the near future. This is particularly true with the COVID-19 pandemic going on now.

Recommendation

I’m on the fence with this one

No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy

Background

This is the biography of General James Mattis written by Jim Proser written in 2018. This predates Gen. Mattis stepping down from the post of Secretary of Defense in the same year.

No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy
No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy

My Thoughts

A great story of a very impressive man. He reminds me of Grant in his honesty and honor without the vice of alcohol. Mattis led from the front and told it like it is. He didn’t expect special treatment and got the job done. There aren’t many men like him, if there ever were.

Recommendation

I highly recommend it, particularly if you are in a leadership role.

Lincoln on Leadership

Background

Originally published in 1992, Lincoln on Leadership is a compilation of the leadership styles and theories acted out by Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln on Leadership
Lincoln on Leadership

My Thoughts

Great book full of practical and actionable thoughts and theories. Some of it can be conflicting yet, when taken through the lens of true Christ-like love and compassion it is easy to see what “should” be done.

Recommendation

One of the best books on leadership I’ve read.

Brute

Background

Brute is the biography of 3 star general Victor “Brute” Krulak by Robert Coram. It takes him through his entire storied life and career and highlights his impact on the United States Marine Corps and America as a whole.

Brute
Brute

My Thoughts

Tradition, honor, integrity, and being “squared away” have always been hallmarks of the Marines. None more so than Brute Krulak. His stories are legend and those stories impact both the morale and behavior of Marines today. (Even reading the book made me want to lose weight…)

However, he was a hard man both willing to embellish and outright lie when it suited him. I didn’t like that. I much more preferred the straight-shooting from other leaders like Grant and Lee. I much prefer the truth over what someone might want to be true.

Recommendation

A great read and imperative to understanding the modern Marine Corps.