Polictical

Write It When I’m Gone

Background

Published in 2007, Write It When I’m Gone is a book of essays and information from a member of the media that followed him through the vice presidency, through the Presidency and beyond.

Write It When I'm Gone
Write It When I’m Gone

My Thoughts

President Ford was outside of my time. All I really knew was the satire and a little bit of the history of that time. This book really changed my perspective in seeing a little bit of the man behind the falls and so on.

A few choice takeaways was how much he didn’t like Ronald Reagan and how approachable he was. I didn’t know about his work outside of the Presidency or how he really set the stage for the modern post-presidential business model.

Recommendation

Another solid read. I enjoyed it.

My Father at 100

Background

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 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…

Recommendation

A good read and worth the time.

Letter to my Daughter

Background

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
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.

Recommendation

I can’t recommend it.

The Man I Knew

Background

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
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.

https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/george-h-w-bush-supports-dana-carvey-cold-open/2872690

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.)

Recommendation

Great read.

Madam Speaker

Background

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
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.

The Audacity of Hope

Background

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
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.

Recommendation

Worth your time if you are interested in history.

McMafia

Background

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
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.

What it is Like to Go to War

Background

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
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.

Like War

Background

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
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.

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

Background

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
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.

Recommendation

Great read. I highly recommend it.