Published back in 2008, McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld is a look at the criminal elements going on throughout the world.
McMafia
My Thoughts
Very interesting book and definitely shined some light on when I lived in Bulgaria in the 90s. While I believe much of the book, it almost seems too much and it just kept on going. Criminality is everywhere but I hate to think it is going on at such a scale throughout the world.
Recommendation
A good book that will give you 2nd thoughts about ever leaving the United States.
Published in 2007, On Call in Hell is the story of a man who served a tour as a Marine officer and later became a Navy doctor. He shares his journey and juxtaposes those two perspectives as he served in Iraq.
On Call in Hell
My Thoughts
I’d never met a Marine who went into Navy medicine so this was an interesting read. Still, I’ve met a number of Navy Corpsman and the attitude was pretty close to what I would have expected. I would have preferred it be read by the author since some of the saying didn’t quite come out correctly. I felt like there may have been a bit of humble brag going on but hey, it’s his book.
Recommendation
A very interesting look at a relatively unknown field. If you have interest in military medicine, I feel this book would be a good place to start.
Published in Sep of 2011, What it is Like to Go to War is a book about the psychological impacts of war and becoming a warrior. The author (a Vietnam veteran) makes the argument that we should do a much better job preparing our warfighters for what they will encounter in theater.
What it is Like to Go to War
My Thoughts
Certainly, a thought-provoking book and one set in its day. It had been 10 years after the 911 era and the author draws a number of parallels to his time in Vietnam. The more I learn about that war and how our warfighters were treated, the sadder it becomes. It is interesting that the trend of remote war is becoming more and more prevalent as the Marines are deactivating their tanks and towed artillery batteries. There have been so many changes that it is only natural we won’t be able to adjust. Particularly, as we’ve all had a year of being sequestered from others. The term I hear most often these days is “resilience.” We say it is important but I’m not sure we know how to get there…
Recommendation
It is an important topic but the content is dated.
Published in April of 2020, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor is a study on the meditations of Marcus Aurelius and stoicism in general. The book guides you through the history of stoicism and through some of it’s main tenets.
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book and it was a compelling read. I felt the author did a great job of going through the histories and linking them to the present day. I also enjoyed that the author had come to my University and one of my employees had filmed him talking about the book. So I got a little bonus.
Published in 2018, Like War gives the terrifying truth of how social media has been weaponized and will continue to be going forward. It shows us how we are starting to lose track of who we can trust and how bad we are at sussing out what is real and what is fake.
Like War
My Thoughts
This book was suggested as a possible course to help Marines think about what is going on in social media. It is a great book but the subject matter changes so much that I could feel it was 3 years out of date. The book also feels unbalanced. Sections of it read like an indictment of the Trump administration and other “alt-right” organizations yet, there was no mention of anything negative on the left. Coupled with President Biden in office, and the fact his administration hasn’t changed anything, it feels more out of date. However, I really enjoyed the book and feel the concepts covered are relevant and important to understand.
Recommendation
Great book but take the political commentary with a grain of salt.
Published in November of 2015, Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates gives the story of one of America’s first conflict overseas. It details how we went from paying ransoms to fighting in our own self-defense putting us on to the world stage.
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates
My Thoughts
This was a very interesting book. Given that I work with Marines, you would think I would have been more familiar with this story but there was a lot that surprised me. I knew we paid off the pirates to leave our ships alone until we were ready to defend ourselves but I didn’t know how close that struggle was or the real story. This was a pivotal moment in our history and could have gone very differently.
Published in January of 2017, A World in Disarray is a sobering view of geopolitics from Richard Haass who is an American diplomat and has been president of the Council on Foreign Relations since July 2003. The book outlines the major struggles and players of the world at the time President Trump came into office.
A World in Disarray
My Thoughts
As the book started, I thought this was very dated material. It is amazing how much has changed since early 2017. I think few people have really been paying attention of how the United States has moved throughout the international community during the Trump administration. There was real fear with Russia, North Korea, and China before he took office. While there are still issues there, we aren’t anywhere close to what existed as he took office.
That said, it is vital we keep looking back to history to instruct our steps forward. In our hyper-connected world, we seem to be so swayed in the thoughts and trends of the moment that we forget these roads have been traveled before. We can watch how they play out and it isn’t pretty.
I’m very interested to see where we go under the Biden administration. Will the world powers took to the United States for guidance? Will they the respect us? Fear us? Perhaps they will simply disregard us as we squabble over the ridiculous and eat ourselves alive with a runaway debt.
The version I read was published in 2009 and is story of the beginning of the Korean War and how the 10,000 Marines of 1st Division fought their way through 100,000 Chinese soldiers. More specifically, how Captain William Barber and the 234 Marines of Fox Company held the Toktong Pass against all odds.
The Last Stand of Fox Company
My Thoughts
This is the modern day equivalent of the Battle of Thermopylae. The Marines held the pass against incredible odds and some made it out to tell the story. This book is foundational to the ethos of the United States Marines. They celebrate the pure grit it took to hold when anyone else would have run.
Recommendation
A good read if you want to understand the Marine Corps. The books is graphic so it should not be read by children.
Published in November of 2020, Post Corona is the predictions of celebrated advertising theorist and Professor at the New York University Stern School of Business. He details how the COVID-19 virus has impacted our lives and what it means going forward into the future.
Post Corona From Crisis to Opportunity
My Thoughts
This was one of the few books that made enough of an impact on me that I mentioned it to my wife! A high bar indeed.
I had no idea that Amazon had already jumped ahead into healthcare. I knew it was only a matter of time but I didn’t know that had happened. I didn’t know so many business had fallen and what was happening to those who were still around… There was much I thought I had a handle on but so much swept by without my notice.
I’m in Mr. Galloway’s camp. I am free market kind of guy and I really think there shouldn’t be anyone who is “too big to fail”. After all, where was my bail out when my business tanked in 2007? I adapted! I had to fire my employees and pick myself up again. It hurt and it sucked but I’m better off in the long term. Anyway, he gave me a lot more to think about.
Published in April of 2020, “The Year 1000” is a non-fiction book written by historian Robert Lacey and archaeologist Danny Danziger that explores what life was like in England at the dawn of the second millennium. The book takes a fascinating look at the daily life, culture, and beliefs of the people living in England in the year 1000, based on a wide range of sources including archaeological evidence, historical records, and contemporary writings. The authors examine everything from diet and fashion to religion and politics, painting a vivid picture of a world that was simultaneously vastly different and surprisingly familiar to our own.
The Year 1000
My Thoughts
This book almost seems to be written as a counter to “The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium, An Englishman’s World” as it deals with the entire world and not just the Western European perspective.
Great book! I really enjoyed learning about how the connections were being made all over the world. It was really enlightening to be shown how people connected and traded at a time I tend to think of as a dark spot in history.
