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
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.
Melinda Gates published this book in April of 2019. She takes us through her journey in creating the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and finding how best to help.
The Moment of Lift
My Thoughts
I can’t say I really enjoyed this book although I do believe it was an important read. I felt she addressed some important issues surrounding poverty and gender inequality around the world. She also did a great job addressing the biases inherit in trying to help others while being an American billionaire.
I have tremendous respect for what both Bill and Melinda Gates are doing with their foundation. I didn’t know that Warren Buffet matched their endowment until I read this book so I have a newfound respect for him as well. The fact he was willing to hand over that much money is a testament to the thorough job the Gates Foundation is doing. Sometimes the worst thing someone can do is give another person money. Poverty is a much more complicated problem.
Recommendation
It is a hard book to read due to the unpleasant realities in the book. However, it was well written and left me with a little more hope that someone is taking these issues head on.
Originally published in 1932, Brave New World is one of the first dystopian novels and has been the subject of discussion for almost 90 years. Set in some distant future, people are encouraged to forgo their family ties and live only for the good of the whole. They are conditioned to be obedient to authority and are encouraged to pursue cheap pleasures to distract them from anything uncomfortable. They use drugs whenever they feel any need to question or just want to escape. They are repeatedly told, “Everyone is happy” and everyone acts that way or they might have to see the psychologists…
A “savage” from the Indian reservation in Arizona is brought to this world. He was raised by the “old” beliefs of family, religion, and individuality. He finds their world strange but they find him even more so.
Brave New World
My Thoughts
This book effectively makes the argument of there being no real happiness simply by pursuing pleasure and suppressing pain. One can’t know the good from the evil if there is no concept of either. It is particularly interesting to put this work in the context of history as “the war to end all wars” had concluded, the Bolshevik Revolution had occurred and Stalin ran unchecked. The discussions on what constituted an ideal society were being had everywhere and nations were starting to become entrenched in their doctrine.
The book was ahead of its time in many ways. There are some dated references but it could have easily been passed off as something written 50 years later or more. As American society is trending more populist, it is very interesting to read the words of those who went before. Can we learn from the past or do we even bother to listen since so many people give their “revisionist histories” these days.
Recommendation
An important book. It’s worth the time to read it but you may have to plow through sections.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People is likely the best-known book in personal development in the world. Originally published in 1989, it hit all the top seller’s lists and spawned a whole market of spinoffs. The book is meant to be a reference material to be accessed repeatedly rather than a book that is read from cover to cover.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
My Thoughts
This is a great book and I have gotten a lot out of it. I get more out of it the more I really sit down and try to apply what it says. This time around, I moved my planning to a weekly basis. I think it is help.
Published in 2018, “The Year of Less” is a memoir written by Cait Flanders that details her journey of self-discovery and intentional living through a year-long shopping ban. Flanders, a recovering alcoholic and shopaholic, decides to confront her issues with consumption and excess by embarking on a 12-month challenge to limit buying material goods, including clothes, shoes, and household items. Along the way, she confronts her past mistakes, gains new insights into herself and her values, and learns to live a simpler, more fulfilling life.
The Year of Less
My Thoughts
I had heard about this book from a number of sources and thought it might be something good to read. However, I was wrong. I couldn’t get through it. I’m sure it resonated with many people but I just couldn’t get there. I kept seeing her as just a selfish person without a moral compass. I guess she is progressing but most of her epiphanies were things I would expect my 10-year-old to understand. However, perhaps that says more about me than about her.
Recommendation
I really didn’t find any reason to read it and I resent the time spent with it.
First published in 1992, this book became a best-seller both in English and in several other languages. You’ve likely heard of this book because everyone has heard of this book. The author explains how we all give and accept love differently and it is worth the time and effort to learn your partner’s “love language” if you want them to feel loved.
The 5 Love Languages
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed the book and put it to instant use. My sweet wife knew something was up as soon as I started but she seemed happy regardless.
Recommendation
Everyone who is in a long term relationship should read this book!
Published in October of 2019. “A Minute to Midnight” is book 2 of the Atlee Pine series written by David Baldacci that follows Atlee Pine as she investigates a gruesome crime in her hometown of Andersonville, Georgia. Atlee’s twin sister was abducted from Andersonville over 30 years ago, and the investigation into her disappearance was mishandled by the local police. Now, Atlee returns to the town to confront her demons and find out the truth about her sister’s disappearance. As she delves deeper into the investigation, she discovers that the crime she is investigating is just the tip of the iceberg and that her own life may be in danger.
A Minute to Midnight
My Thoughts
While I enjoyed David Baldacci’s other characters, I don’t really like Atlee Pine. She is all about herself. Rude, whiney, and self-centered, yet somehow everyone loves her. The only possible reason is she is tall and pretty. Not the best role model.
Published in 2019, John Grisham tells this story about a young lawyer killed at his desk in Florida. There is no likely killer but the public looks to a young black man.
The Guardians
My Thoughts
I’m writing this 2 years after the fact and I remember it being well written and a gripping story.
Recommendation
They are making a movie now so you should read it before seeing the movie.
This is the last book in the Maze Runner series (chronologically) published in 2011. There are two books which were written after which became prequels to the series.
This book picks up right after the last and the reader learns the final fate of Thomas and his friends along with WICKED.
The Death Cure
My Thoughts
First off -Spoiler Alert- he killed off my favorite character. Newt shouldn’t have died. I’m not happy about that…
The book is overly harsh. It was entertaining but overly harsh. It was a rough read.
Recommendation
Honestly, if you need closure, I can understand why you would want to read it. However, I don’t know it gave me much closure, and they left it wide open for the next book. I can’t really recommend it.
Published in 2014, “Sapiens” is written by historian Yuval Noah Harari that offers a sweeping overview of the history of humankind. Harari traces the evolution of our species from the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa to the present day, exploring how we became the dominant species on the planet, how our ability to create myths and shared beliefs allowed us to build complex societies and cooperate on a massive scale, and how our technological advancements have fundamentally altered the course of human history. The book challenges readers to think deeply about what it means to be human and offers insights into the ways in which our species has both succeeded and failed in the pursuit of happiness, meaning, and progress.
Sapiens
My Thoughts
What I enjoyed most about the book was that the author would present different sides of each point. For example, he started talking about the utopian concept of the prehistoric hunter gather life being better and fuller than life today. When he started down that path I remember thinking, “here we go”. However, he then balanced the comments with the perspectives of utilitarianism, stoicism, and the concepts of suffering as the Buddhists understand it.
I found some of it to be over generalized but I felt it was a good overview of the main topic.
Recommendation
This work would be a good primer for sociology or psychology classes.
