Non-Fiction

What Makes a Marriage Last

Background

This compilation of marriage advice was published in May of 2020 just as we were settling into our pandemic lockdowns. Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue interview the famous who somehow managed to avoid divorce throughout their storied careers.

What Makes a Marriage Last
What Makes a Marriage Last

My Thoughts

It took me a few days to get through it. Not because it was hard to read or wasn’t interesting but rather, it caused me to stop and think about things in my own marriage and circumstances for a bit. My poor wife had to endure me giving her bits of advice I had picked up from the book.

This book wasn’t really a deep dive into marital psychology. It was sort of like your great aunt giving you advice on your wedding day. You realize it is likely good to know but until you’ve had some experience, it doesn’t really seem to apply. I’ve spent over 20 years being married so I was listening a bit better this time around.

Recommendation

I liked the book and it was worth the time to read. However, I’d imagine those of you who can name more YouTubers than celebrities likely won’t have any idea who most of the people are (including the authors).

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.

The Leadership Challenge

Background

Published in 2017, this book helps the aspiring leader along in their journey. Can leadership be taught or are you born with it? For this book, the answer is it is something you can learn.

The Leadership Challenge
The Leadership Challenge

My Thoughts

This was a good book that put some science into what I thought of as common sense. It was a good reminder on several fronts and a wake up call on several others. I believe I am a better leader due to reading this book.

Recommendation

It was a good book on the subject of leadership.

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!

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

Ketotarian

Published in 2018, Ketotarian is the name of someone who wants to live the majority of time in a perpetual state of Ketosis. This book expounds on why this might be a good way to go if you are looking for an alternative of the standard American diet.

Ketotarian
Ketotarian

My Thoughts

This book didn’t have any revelations other than some self-righteous justifications from someone who progressed from vegan to keto. I read the book as I have been trying to follow a keto-friendly diet for the past month or so. I haven’t really drunk the Kool-Aid but I have lost some weight.

Recommendation

It wasn’t bad if you are interested in the subject matter.

Churchill

Background

Published in 2017, Jacob Bannister tells the story of one of those larger than life people, Winston Churchill. We are taken through his life and share in his rise in power to one of the main figures of World War II.

Churchill
Churchill

My Thoughts

I found this to be a very interesting read. I knew of most of the stories in the book but I believe this one did a great job of bring the character of Churchill to life.

Recommendation

Great book. Worth the time.

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.