The History Book Club discussion

Kressel, here is your new thread in 2016. Happy reading in the new year.

Our Required Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

Thanks!

JANUARY

1. by Steven Quartz and Anette Asp (no photos)
Finish date: January 4, 2016
Genre: Philosophy
Rating: A
Review: Just like Socrates asked questions like “What is virtue?” and “What is knowledge?” in his times, today’s philosophers ask, “What is cool?” These two authors gave “cool” such a thorough analysis, they even placed people in MRI machines, showed them “cool” images, and measured their reactions. Epistemology is much more scientific than it used to be!

The book begins by taking issue with the anti-consumerist worldview, namely, that our modern capitalist society is built on convincing us to buy products we don’t really need so that we’ll gain social status. In this view, advertising is manipulative, and over-consumption is decadent. The best path to happiness is to stop trying to keep up with the Joneses.

I was raised by parents who did not try to keep up with the Joneses, so I’ve long subscribed to that point of view. At first, I didn’t think the authors of this book could possibly convince me otherwise, but they made me see that my Goodreads booklist is my social signal. I don’t wear designer clothes, and I don’t hang with any “in” crowds, but I’m dedicated to my booklist and showing the world, “This is me. I read, I think, and I write. Isn’t it cool?”

The book explains this phenomenon in Darwinian terms. Schools drill in the concepts of “adaptation” and “survival of the fittest,” but they underemphasize one of Darwin’s other principles: divergence. It’s not really correct that only the strongest survive. Evolution is not a zero sum game. If you’re not the strongest in the niche, you just have to find a different way to survive. Once upon a time, the only way a young man could reach the elite of his school was by being a star athlete, but then along came some non-athletic but musical types who founded rock ‘n roll and “rebel cool.” That left out the nerds, of course, but then came the Internet and the rise of “Dot cool.” Everyone can find their own niche to be cool on the Internet. Even a book nerd like me.

Another Goodreads reviewer suggested that if you read this book, just skip ahead to the last two chapters. Those are the ones with the cultural history of “rebel cool” and “dot cool,” and they are the most readable chapters in the book. The earlier parts are heavily scientific and much harder to get through. But in spite of the social signaling of other Goodreaders, which swayed me to give this book a 4 originally, I’m upgrading to a 5. The book may not appeal to a broad audience, but it’s perfect for an undergraduate philosophy class. It’s a genuine work of academic scholarship about an issue young adults already care a whole lot about. In other words, it makes philosophy relevant. As someone with a BA in Philosophy, I’ve got to say, that’s a rare achievement.

5. by Ethan Hawke
Finish date: January 21, 2016
Genre: Fiction/Self-Help
Rating: A-
Review: The “sweaty-toothed madman” scene between Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke in “Dead Poets Society” is my favorite scene in any movie ever, so I went into Ethan Hawke’s new book with quite a bit of partiality. I was also drawn to it because he wrote it for his teenage kids, and I, too, am the parent of teenagers. The book is written as a letter of advice from the fictional Sir Thomas Lemuel Hawke to his children, and it covers such values as humility, pride, justice, courage, and proper speech. Basically, it’s everything a knight (or a human) needs to know in order to live an honorable life. I hoped the book would be something I’d want to share with my kids, and I thought it might have particular appeal to my D&D player. But alas, there’s no dragon-slaying in this book. I think my chess player might like it more.

Having said that, I still intend to share this book with my kids. It teaches positive values that are consistent with Judaism, particularly the metaphor of the two wolves, but it’s not a religious book, so they’ll be more open to it than they would a mussar bichel. It’s also a short, fast read, and quite pretty, too, so it would make a nice gift, not just for teenagers, but for anyone. Animal rights activists will love the ballad poem at the end, and the list of knights was fascinating. I highly recommend it.

Kressel,
I very much enjoyed your review. I read Schwalbe's book awhile back and found it very meaningful. You are so right about this being primarily about the love between a son and mother and how they faced the end of the mother's life. I did enjoy the book references, but there was not so much discussion of the books themselves.

by Will Schwalbe

What a beautiful review.

Thank you so much for saying so!

I too was reading The Color purple for the same book club. Love the book and the movie.

by Alice Walker

Emma Watson's? That's so cool!

Yes! I actually saw you posting something on one of the threads (can't remember which one) and thinking "Oh, look! I know someone here." :D

I still think they need a Bentley :D

Agreed!

10. by David McCullough
Finish date: February 21, 2016
Genre: Biography
Rating: A
Review: As usual, David McCullough put a human face on what could have been a highly technical discussion in the history of invention. That’s not to say my understanding of how an airplane works is much better than it was before, but at least I’ve learned something about the Wright Brothers, and my admiration for them has grown tremendously. First of all, they were autodidacts – poor health prevented Wilbur from a!ending college – but even from a young age, if they wanted to stay home reading instead of a!ending school, their father considered that perfectly legitimate. Second, because their predecessor Otto Lillienthal died in his experiments in a flying machine, they proceeded with utmost caution at all times, even under the pressure of crowds, journalists, and prominent businessmen and politicians who had come from far and wide to see them. They stayed humble and disciplined even as they were being feted throughout Europe, and though the airplane made them rich, they never indulged in ostentation.

A pleasant surprise was to learn about their sister Katharine, who served more or less as their press secretary. Ironically, in that pre-feminist age, she was the only one of them to finish college. If not for some anti-Semitic comments she made about the Bergs, one of the brothers’ early business backers, I’d be really into her.

I highly recommend this book, not just for anyone interested in the Wright Brothers, but as an introduction to the style of David McCullough. It’s one of his shorter books, so it’s not too daunting, but it still represents what I’ve come to see as his signature style: personal anecdotes sprinkled into a broader analysis of history.

11. by Fred Waitzkin
Finish date: February 29, 2016
Genre: Memoir
Rating: B+
Review: My youngest son has become an avid chess player of late, so while I have no interest in learning the game itself, I figured I might as well learn its history. History is precisely what sparked my son’s recent enthusiasm; his favorite magazine, the Jewish history magazine “Zman,” did an article on the Karpov-Kasparov match. Kasparov was Jewish, and his victory was considered a blow to the Soviet elite, an angle that the “Zman” article undoubtedly played up. But the only grandmaster I’d ever heard of was Bobby Fischer, and that led me to the movie “Pawn Sacrifice,” which depicts Fischer’s historic match against Boris Spassky, and to this book. So I’ll start my review with a brief summary of what I learned from “Pawn Sacrifice” because it really is basic background for understanding this book.

Bobby Fischer was a self-taught chess genius who won the national championship at the age of 14. The Soviet grandmasters were considered the best in the world, though, so that was where young Bobby set his sights. He played several matches with them, but realized they were cheating by deliberately throwing matches and thus manipulating rankings and scores. He dropped out of competitive chess in protest, but in 1972, he was urged to return. We were losing Vietnam, and because chess was held in such high esteem in the Soviet Union, an American victory would be a real humiliation. Nobody less than Henry Kissinger telephoned him to persuade him to compete.

Genius like Fischer’s comes at a cost. The movie portrays him as paranoid, but with the pressure of the American government on him, plus being around the secretive Soviets, and the mental stress of the game itself, it’s no wonder he broke down. But it’s hard to be entirely sympathetic toward him because he was also an arrogant jerk. Though he himself was Jewish, till the end of his life, he spouted the most atrocious anti-Semitic conspiracy theories you can think of. Boris Spassky, on the other hand, proved himself a class act by applauding Bobby Fischer when he realized he’d been beaten.

This book picks up where “Pawn Sacrifice” leaves off. Bobby Fischer’s victory triggered a chess craze in the States, and author Fred Waitzkin was swept right along with it. After discovering he could beat everyone in his school and neighborhood, he went to some chess clubs in the City, only discover that he wasn’t champion material. Fourteen years later, in 1984, he had become a journalist, gotten married, and had a son, who, at age six, showed such promise at chess, he was being called “the next Bobby Fischer.” That is how Fred Waitzkin became a “chess father.”

Most of the book is about the high-stress world of youth competitive chess and Fred’s guilt for putting his son through it. He made it look so bad, I was glad my son has started out too late to ever play competitively. But aside from the hours of training and tension-ridden tournaments, there were two other corners of the chess world he explored that were quite interesting. One was in the informal world of the parks. I never gave much thought to the chess players I’ve passed in parks, but it seems they’ve got their own little subculture going. The other part of the chess world the book explored was in the Soviet Union itself.

Because he was a journalist who knew something about chess, Fred was assigned to cover the Karpov-Kasparov match, which was about as big as the Fischer-Spassky match. The fall of the Soviet Empire was a few short years in the future, but Fred saw no signs of it. (Did anyone?) What he makes clear is how big a deal chess was in Soviet culture. A grandmaster was treated with as much celebrity as a star athlete in the States. It made me understand why Henry Kissinger considered Bobby Fischer’s game such a priority. It was like a small-scale space race. This section of the book also captured in detail the negative side of the Soviet Union, and it was everything we’ve ever heard about: anti-Semitism, the suppression of dissidents, the endemic corruption, and the constant surveillance. It was one of the best real time looks behind the Iron Curtain that I’ve ever read. It was easily my favorite part of the book.

If you’ve got a young chess player in your life, this book will serve as a warning about competitive chess. But it’s still an interesting look at the many aspects of chess culture, and the Soviet section is especially worthwhile. I’m impressed enough with Fred Waitzkin that I might read his other book, which is all about the Karpov-Kasparov match. But not right away. Like young Josh Waitzkin, I think I need to take a break from chess for a while.

I really enjoyed your very informative review. A long time ago, I saw the movie- SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER - based on this book. I really liked it at the time.

by Fred Waitzkin

Thanks for saying so! I'm looking forward to watching the movie.

Ann wrote: "I really enjoyed your very informative review. A long time ago, I saw the movie- SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER - based on this book. I really liked it at the time."

I saw the movie. It's worth reading the book because the movie had none of the Soviet scenes. Also, I've recently learned that Garry Kasparov has become an anti-Putin activist and has his own book:

by Garry Kasparov

I really enjoy your reviews, Kressel. I checked and my library has this one. I won't get to it right away, but I put it on my "for later" hold shelf.

We all need those fun, relaxing books in between the more serious "literature" and history!

Thanks for all your compliments!

14. by Jerald Podair (no photo)
Finish date: March 20, 2016
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: A friend recommended this book as a must-read for understanding race relations in New York City, and while it’s certainly an important book on the subject, its style is academic, and its prognosis is bleak. It was worth reading, but it was tough to get through, and not the slightest bit of fun. If you take it on, sandwich it between fun and/or positive reads.

The central event the book covered was the teachers’ strike of 1968. It began in the Ocean Hill/Brownsville section of Brooklyn when some African American educators and parents teamed up to take control of their local school board and dismiss the predominantly white Jewish teachers in the district in favor of African American teachers. The parents claimed that the fired teachers were racists, which may have been true in some individual cases, and they also argued that the test-centered approach to education was discriminatory to African American kids, who were raised in a community-centered culture, not an individualized meritocratic society. The tests, said one African American educator, emphasized rote memorization and conformity and taught nothing about the real world. As a white Jew who used to perform well on those tests, I have to say that he was 100% right. But the educational complaints got lost in the shuffle when the white teachers were fired. The entire teachers’ union went on strike to support them, which ended up turning the entire city against Ocean Hill/Brownsville. In the settlement, the neighborhood was granted a “community control experiment” over their schools, but in the end, their educational outcomes were no better than the white teachers’ had been.

The book argues that this was “the strike that changed New York” specifically because of its reorientation of the Jews in relation to the blacks. Until then, the Jews had been the biggest supporters of the civil rights movement. Their ties to the African American community were stronger than their ties to their fellow whites, whether they were upper class Protestants or working class Catholics. The fired teachers considered themselves liberals who were working to benefit the African Americans they were educating, so they were horrified when the African American parents yelled anti-Semitic slurs at them, attacking them as symbols rather than recognizing them as individuals. Realizing their “help” was unwanted, they ended up allying with the working class white Catholics, which only deepened the racial divide into what we live with today.

The best parts of this book were the two concluding chapters because that’s where the author was most concise. All the politicking around the strike in the earlier chapters seemed jumpy and at times repetitive. But the book definitely shows both sides of the “two Americas” we live in. Because I live in a town in the midst of its own educational battle that divides along racial and religious lines, I found it particularly relevant, though not at all encouraging. Hatred can be an effective organizing tool – look how well it’s working for Donald Trump – so is there any hope for sympathy and mutual understanding? I know I hope to try, and that’s why I’ve moved onto a new book, Altars in the Street. As always, I’ll keep you posted.

Citation: by Melody Ermachild Chavis

15. by Melody Ermachild Chavis
Finish date: March 26, 2016
Genre: Memoir
Rating: A-
Review:As everyone who's been following my reviews for these past two years probably already knows, I've become a small-time political activist in my town where, unfortunately, there's plenty of racial tension. I'll read anything that shows promise in helping me, and since this book was the memoir of a white activist in a predominantly black community, I thought it might fit the bill. It was certainly inspiring, but the main issue in Melody's community was crime, and specifically, the crack epidemic of the 1990's. Poverty and crime are problems here, too, but the biggest conflict we face is over education and allocation of funds. In that sense, I'm not sure how much I can transpose Melody's methods, although there's a lot to be said for simply being nice. She was also extremely brave; I hope I don't have to face any dangerous criminals! The book doesn't have a happy ending, but it's a realistic and hopeful one about keeping on keeping on. And I love this quote: "Our allies are the black people and the white people who think racism and poverty are a problem."

May G-d guide my steps right in my attempt at peace.

APRIL

16. by Jon Mooallem
Finish date: April 4, 2016
Genre: Science journalism
Rating: A
Review: I love animals, and I know I’m not the only one. My oldest son is raising goats in our backyard, and every day, they attract visitors. I’ve watched it time and time again. Animals bring out the best in people: their joy, their kindness, and their sense of wonder.

This book is about how some conservationists have tapped into people’s love of animals and harnessed it not just to save endangered species but to preserve the much less adorable ecosystems in which they thrive. A clear and recent example of this is with polar bears, which are in danger of extinction due to global warming. Plenty of politicians deny global warming, and only a small portion of the voting public ever gets excited about it, but thousands if not millions of people will rally to save starving polar bears. Knowing that, conservationists were able to pressure for laws to be passed to do something about the bears’ natural habitat, the melting polar ice caps.

That’s not to say that saving the polar bears has been an overwhelming success. If anything, this book, which also covers butterfly extinction, the spectacular attempt to save the whooping crane, and a bit about the “save the whales” campaign, is full of failure. But the embittered activists involved in all these efforts are inspiring because in spite of all the setbacks they face, they just keep going. While reading the book, I’ve been involved in a very different cause, but the persistence of those environmental activists was particularly inspiring to me. As one of them said, human flaws created our current environmental disaster, but it’s got to be human beings with all our flaws to figure out how to clean up this mess. If we don’t all get cracking, we ourselves might go extinct.

I recommend this book to everyone on the planet. It would make for an Oscar-caliber documentary film, and I hope someone produces it because this is a message that needs to be spread far and wide. I’ll admit my mind wandered in the more scientific sections, and parts of it are downright scary, but the end had me cheering. Go out and get hold of a copy. Push your way through the hard parts. This is not just about solving the earth’s problems. The lessons here can be applied to any and every problem we humans face.

Keep up the non-fiction. You've written enlightening and enticing reviews that sent a few books to my non-history TBR!

Thank you so much!

18. by Caitlin Moran
Finish date: April 27, 2016
Genre: Memoir
Rating: B+
Review: I read this because it was Emma Watson's April pick for her feminist book club, but like with bell hooks, author of her March pick, my preview of the author was negative - so negative, in fact, I almost sat this month out. What changed my mind was the second preview, so I might as well explain both before I get to the book itself.

Both previews were posted in the group, which is called Our Shared Shelf or OSS. The first was an article of Moran's in some popular British magazine that showcased her signature style. Rather like an African American comedian who might use the n-word to poke fun at the stereotype and "take it back," Moran is one of those feminists who feels that she has the right to be as crude as any man. That seems to have broad appeal with a whole lot of people, but since joining OSS, I've taken to calling myself a "conservative feminist." I don't like vulgar language from anybody, even though I'll admit that sometimes, it makes me laugh. George Carlin has made me laugh. So has "Family Guy." And Moran got some laughs out of me, too, but in all cases, I laughed in spite of myself.

"Okay," I thought. "I'm skipping this month. The History Book Club has plenty going on anyway."

Then came the second preview: a video message from Moran to all teenage girls. And she nailed it. She addressed the low self-esteem that results from realizing you're not beautiful and all the dysfunctional behaviors that can go with it: cutting, anorexia, overeating. It's a loving message to girls everywhere. I admire her for it.

The book embodies that dichotomy precisely. Sometimes it's vulgar, but sometimes it's uplifting. I'd give her 5 stars for a few of her quotes about motherhood and self-esteem, both of which came in the end. She's got a soul-baring chapter on abortion that's really powerful, and her chapter on overeating was so good, I read it aloud to my husband, who is also an overeater. But I would NEVER recommend the whole book to him. The first few chapters on puberty and her family life are completely inappropriate for a frum man, and parts of them were a turn-off for me, too.

So that's my warning, friends. Caitlin Moran has an engaging, conversational style, and her book is never boring. Sometimes it's insightful, and sometimes it's funny. But sometimes, it's just plain crude.

Citation: by bell hooks

I've started and finished the book during our Readathon here. I've read some reviews before (mostly the negative ones) because I wanted to see what all the rage (literally!) was about. The reviews left me absolutely cold and I decided to see for myself. The book was funny and, just as you said, never boring, but it wasn't groundbreaking nor did it change my life. I agreed on some things she said, and yes, the abortion chapter was powerful. I must admit that, my first reaction was a tiny bit judgmental, before I, thank God, pulled myself together. It's not something I feel I could ever do, but I respect other people's choices (or try to).

It seems the anger around the book isn't the vulgarity issue. It's her lack of any mention of transgender people or people of color. I'm in the camp that a memoir is one person's experience, and it's unrealistic to expect it to be anything more.

Kressel wrote: "It seems the anger around the book isn't the vulgarity issue. It's her lack of any mention of transgender people or people of color. I'm in the camp that a memoir is one person's experience, and it..."

Agreed! It seems that if you do not mention or have an opinion on every part of civil rights, you are not worthy of the name feminist and you are automatically a bigot and offensive. It's stupid.

19. by Yossi Ghinsberg (no photo)
Finish date: April 29, 2016
Genre: Memoir
Rating: A
Review: Three different things pulled me toward this book, and I'm going to list them, not in order of their importance to me, but in chronological order of when I learned about each. First of all, Daniel Radcliffe is currently filming the movie adaptation of the book. Second, the author and protagonist is an Israeli Jew, and third, since it's about survival in nature, I hoped it would interest my oldest son. As it turns out, my son says he doesn't want to read any books about survival in nature unless they're how-to books, but I'm glad I read it anyway. I'm completely impressed with Yossi Ghinsberg, not just because of the book, but because of what he's done with his life since then.

When the book begins, Yossi is a young man who finished his army service in Israel and is backpacking around South America. He meets up with a few other guys, including the middle-aged Karl, who dazzles him with stories of the jungle. Yossi is raring to go with him, but the two other guys take more convincing. Eventually, all four set out, with Karl as their guide.

Some sections of the beginning bored me, and vegetarians are certain to be disgusted by it because these four guys kill animals right and left. They also begin to argue, which is inevitable as their trip gets tougher. Throughout the first half, I was thinking, "This is good, but A Walk in the Woods is better. At least it made me laugh."

Then Yossi is accidentally separated from his friends. From that point on, the book is an absolute page-turner. With all the hardships he faced, it's nothing short of a miracle that Yossi survived.

And that brings me to the "religious" aspect of this book. Now, don't get me wrong. Yossi is secular. At the beginning of the book, he eats pig and even monkey right along with his friends. But in the course of the book, he tells a story that I think most religious Jews will love. When alone in the jungle, he prays to G-d all the time. The cynical interpretation of this is the classic, "There are no atheists in foxholes," but I prefer to see Yossi's entire story as the Jewish soul shining through. There's even a moment of "prophecy" in it: while indulging in fantasies to help him get through his harsh reality, Yossi imagines writing his story and it being made into a movie. And now it's coming true!

If you're a strict vegetarian or animal rights activist, you should probably skip this book. Ditto if you're a religious Jew who can't stomach the idea of a Jew eating forbidden animals. But if you can look past that, you might find that Yossi has a great philosophy. Check out his TED Talk and you'll see what I mean.

Citation: by Bill Bryson

20. by Yutaka Taniuchi (no photo)
Finish date: April 30, 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction/Young Adult
Rating: B
Review: Chiune Sugihara is often explained as "the Japanese Oskar Schindler," but actually, he's closer to Raoul Wallenberg because both men were diplomats. Just like Raoul Wallenberg used his position to issue 100,000 visas to allow Hungarian Jews to escape to Sweden, Sugihara wrote 6,000 visas allowing Lithuanian Jews to enter Japan. In the religious circles in which I live, he is famous for having saved the students of the Mir Yeshiva, but in this novel, the characters are Zionists, not an angle I usually hear about. It may be true that Sugihara saved some Zionist Jews, but there were certain anachronisms within the author's telling that led me to believe that there were holes in his research. Still, he's a Japanese author reclaiming glory for one of his nation's unsung heroes, so I won't critique him too hard.

The book is written for young adults, so the writing was simplistic. Also, there was the problem of those anachronistic mistakes. But it was interesting to learn that it took Japan several decades to even acknowledge what Sugihara did. After all, he defied orders and lost his position when he granted all those visas. Still, he received far better treatment than Raoul Wallenberg. Sugihara spent the rest of his life as persona non grata in Japanese diplomatic circles and as an unknown in Japan at large. That's not pleasant, but it sure beats Raoul Wallenberg's fate: imprisonment and death in Siberia.

To most Jews, the portrayal of the Holocaust in this book will be nothing new, and to me, the new facts I learned about Sugihara were too few. Like most historical novels, it left me hungry for more facts. If anyone has anything to recommend about Sugihara, I'd appreciate knowing more about him. Thanks.

I'd love for you to join in on the Marable book when you have time. It's a good read.

by Manning Marable

I just ordered it from my library.

JUNE

24. by Paul Scott
Finish date: June 4, 2016
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: A
Review: To explain this book, I’m going to quote something I heard in a movie review (on Pop Culture Happy Hour) for a work completely unconnected with this one: your parents’ marriage does not settle into simplicity. That observation was made regarding the movie “45 Years,” which is about an aging couple, but it’s just as fitting for this book, which is also about an aging couple. Tusker and Lucy Smalley were minor characters in The Raj Quartet, but unlike most Brits, they stayed on in India after Independence. The book is set some twenty-five years later in the 1970’s. Tusker and Lucy are in their seventies, too. After four decades of life together, they’ve built up all kinds of resentments for little foibles and big mistakes, but it turns out that sticking together despite all that is the real stuff of love.

If you’ve read the Raj Quartet, then you already know that author Paul Scott is a literary giant on par with Dickens and Dostoevsky, even though he’s not as celebrated as either. This book contains everything that made the Quartet so great: a variety of distinct and well-drawn characters, complex intersecting plot lines, historical tidbits about life in India, and a touch of irreverent humor. But since the book is only a little over 200 pages, all of that is condensed, so that the book is a microcosm of everything that’s great about Paul Scott. It’s a good way to get a taste of his work without reading the voluminous Quartet, but if you don’t read the Quartet, you’ve missed out one of the world’s greatest works of literature.

Citation: by Paul Scott

26. by Brendan O'Carroll
Finish date: June 13, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: A sweet book about strong women with hearts of gold. Warning: cursing and ribald humor.

27. by Michael Wolraich
Finish date: June 23, 2016
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: This book is about the birth of the Progressive Movement a little over a century ago, but I kept seeing parallels to today the whole way through. The two main subjects, Senator Bob La Follette and President Teddy Roosevelt, compare to Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton on many levels. In personality, Hillary is nothing like the exuberant TR, but much to my surprise, the trustbuster who had the guts to tell off Czar Nicholas was actually a self-proclaimed pragmatist prone to compromise to “get things passed.” Senator La Follette, the real founder of the Progressive Movement, criticized him vehemently for settling for half measures and being too much in bed with the banks. Sound familiar? As it turns out, Bernie is an admirer of La Follette and has spoken at the annual convention that commemorates him, The Fighting Bob Fest.

The book also has quite a bit about Taft. Though it is not supportive of his policies, decisions, or lack thereof, it’s a sympathetic portrayal of him as a person. I went into this book with a pretty high opinion of TR, but now that’s been tarnished by the way he treated people, and Taft in particular. Perhaps TR compares more to Bill than to Hillary.

There are also two dramatic scenes that take place where you’d least expect it: on the floor of Congress. One was a relay filibuster led by La Follette, which his opponents ended in a really underhanded way. I won’t spoil it in case you want to read the book, but it was one sleazy move. Later, a quiet Congressman whose name I don’t even remember made his own sneaky move by raising a question about procedural rules. It sounded so dull and inconsequential, it was allowed into debate, but the end result was that it unseated the anti-Progressive Speaker of the House in an embarrassing upset.

I’ll admit that not every passage of the book held my full attention. Like most history books, it had a few dull spots. But there was enough human detail to keep the pages turning, and the Progressive Era is one that every American should learn about. So hats off to Fighting Bob La Follette, and good luck to Bernie’s movement. The fight can never be just about the candidate winning the office. If a movement is worth its salt, then it’s really about winning legislation to help the Amercian public.

I received a copy of this book from the History Book Club.

28. by Joan Biskupic
Finish date: June 25, 2016
Genre: Biography
Rating: A
Review: The History Book Club undoubtedly chose this book so that we could all learn about the jurisprudence and legacy of the recently deceased Justice Scalia. It’s a mark of my own ignorance, but all I really knew about him was that he was reputed to be the most conservative Supreme Court Justice to serve in my lifetime. Other than Bush v. Gore and Citizens United, I really didn’t know the details of how that conservatism made itself felt in his decisions and their impact on the world. So I was quite pleased with this month's choice.

The title “American Original” sums up Justice Scalia’s legal philosophy. He was an “originalist,” which means he believed that if the original framers of the Constitution didn’t spell something out, it wasn’t the place of the Supreme Court to read it in. When a case on the legality of a partial birth abortion came to the Court, for example, Scalia argued that the Constitution includes no right to an abortion, so both that law and the Roe v. Wade ruling were unconstitutional. The majority of his fellow justices, including Sandra Day O’Connor, who was appointed by Reagan for her anti-abortion stance, outvoted him. He applied originalism consistently to many other cases, including right to die cases, and right to marriage. Most shocking to me, however, was when he argued that it was unconstitutional for a child testifying against an accused molester to give testimony behind a one-way mirror or via television screen. The Constitution guarantees the accused the right to face their accusers. If a child witness is an exception to this rule, Scalia argued, then it’s the job of the legislature to draw that into law, not the court. The elastic clause, in his view, seems only to refer to legislators.

I’ve got a paralegal certificate, so I have some experience reading legal reasoning, but I must say, I find it difficult and sometimes boring. If I had been reading this book for a class or for work, I might have worked harder on the tougher sections, but as it was, I was happy for the personal details sandwiched between the legal rulings. They made the book much more accessible.

All in all, this is a thorough and well-researched book. Though the author does not seem to favor Scalia’s originalism, her approach to it was fair and balanced, not polemical. If you want to learn about Justice Scalia, I recommend the book, and I’ll pay the author the highest compliment I can: I’ve added her other book on Justice O’Connor to my to-read list.

Citation: by by Joan Biskupic

JULY

29. by Jonah Berger (no photo)
Finish date: July 2, 2016
Genre: Social Science
Rating: B
Review: Pop social science can be one of my favorite genres, but this particular book didn't thrill me. That's partly because I'd read some of the studies cited here in other books, but I think it's more than that. The thesis of the book is that we are more influenced by our social settings, ie the other people surrounding us, than we'd normally admit. I have no trouble accepting that, and even caught myself a few times as I read the book. Even still, the book went on way too long about why people chose certain brands, and it just seemed to trivialize the main point. The end of the book, somewhat reminiscent of Nudge by Richard H. Thaler, addresses the important issue of energy saving. I would have like to see more substantive issues like that.

The other reason I think the book wasn't so great was that there wasn't enough of an individual angle to it. While reading the book, I listened to an interview with Malcolm Gladwell on the podcast Longform. Gladwell is considered the father of the pop social science genre, but he said that the author he emulates is Michael Lewis. In his own Longform interview, Lewis said that his books follow the story of individuals - Billy Bean, Dr. Michael Burry, Steve Eisman - and through them, we come to understand the larger issues. Gladwell says that he could never pull off a whole book about one person, but in piecing together the stories of several individuals and then uniting them under a large theme, he comes up with his runaway successes. This book cites the studies, and they're interesting, but with more individual characters, the book would have been more interesting. Having said that, I'm still curious about reading this author's first book, Contagious: Why Things Catch On. Awesome book cover, though.

Citations: by Richard H. Thaler

by Jonah Berger (no photo)

30. by Michael Ian Black
Finish date: July 4, 2016
Genre: Humor
Rating: B
Review: Though the title of this book claims it's for kids, it really isn't. It's a Dr. Seuss-style book in which Trump is the bofa on the sofa. I can't see spending money on it, not even as a gift, but if you happen to be browsing around a bookstore, it's a fun and topical way to spend five to ten minutes in this strange and tense election year.

31. by George Eliot
Finish date: July 7, 2016
Genre: Fiction/Classic
Rating: A
Review: Those of who’ve been following my reviews for a while may remember that I have an ambition of going to grad school and writing a thesis or dissertation on George Eliot’s Daniel Deronda. Well, even though I haven’t figured out a way to pay for grad school yet, I figured I might as well do the research on my own. So I’ve begun reading George Eliot’s Daniel Deronda Notebooks, which no doubt will take me a while, but I figured it was also high time I completed her entire oeuvre, and Silas Marner, being one of her shorter and more famous books, seemed like a good place to start.

The book, unfortunately, has a bad reputation because it’s often assigned to high school students who end up detesting it. I can understand their position. The book gets off to a slow start. I didn’t think it was 5-star material until the second half. But it’s a beautiful story with a message about what’s truly valuable in life. I think religious and non-religious people can appreciate it.

And now I come to the focus of my research. George Eliot walked both sides of the religious divide in her lifetime. In her teens, she became an Evangelical Christian, but disillusioned with the Church, she joined a circle of idealists and philosophers, and remained a secular humanist for the rest of her life. Still, in what I’ve read of her books so far, while some of her most villainous and hypocritical characters are active members of the Church, the protagonists reflect some of the highest teachings of religion. Some may say that that’s precisely what secular humanism is all about, but if that’s true, then it doesn’t seem anti-religious to me. And that leads me to two fantastic quotes I found in Jewish Odyssey of George Eliot. Historian Lord Aston wrote that she was, “a consummate expert in the pathology of conscience,” who could “reconcile the practical ethics of unbelief and of belief.” The atheist philosopher Nietzsche commented on this same quality also, but as a criticism. He classified her amongst a group of “moral fanatics . . . rid of the Christian G-d and now believe all the more firmly that they must cling to Christian morality.” (As Nietzche was the favorite philosopher of the Nazis, I can’t say I value his opinion.)

Not everyone is going to love or even like George Eliot. I do think every Jew who loves literature ought to wade through Daniel Deronda, and I think every Jane Austen fan ought to do the same with Middlemarch. But if you want a taste of Eliot that won’t take very long, read Silas Marner. There are some dull spots, but her dialogue and characterization are usually absorbing, and if you’re open to a sweet story about love and justice, then this one is worth your time.

Citations:

and by George Eliot

by Gertrude Himmelfarb

Excellent review, Kressel.

I was that odd student who had to read Silas Marner in high school and loved it. Adam Bede and The Mill on the Floss as well. Eliot is a wonderful writer, able to make heavy moral ambiguities very clear. Sorry to say, the one I didn't like at all was Middlemarch. This one sounds like another one to love and I will add it to my tbr list. Your review makes me want to read her again - Middlemarch as well. I must be missing something.

by George Eliot

Pamela......don't forget your citations.

Pamela wrote: "Sorry to say, the one I didn't like at all was Middlemarch. This one sounds like another one to love and I will add it to my tbr list. Your review makes me want to read her again - Middlemarch as well. I must be missing something."

You might consider My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead first. It's part fan memoir, part Eliot bio. Perhaps reading someone else's reactions might show you the book in a new light.

by Rebecca Mead

That sounds interesting, Kressel. I started Middlemarch earlier this year and stalled out about half way through.

by
George Eliot

That's a good idea, Kressel. I've liked everything else of hers that I've read. It seems a shame not to try again with the one everyone else loves.

32. by Steven J. Ross (no photo)
Finish date: July 20, 2016
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: According to another reviewer, the main lesson of this book is that while there are more left-leaning people in the entertainment industry than there are right-leaning, the right-wingers have exerted more political influence. That certainly is one of the book’s main lessons, but because of current events – namely, that Donald Trump is now the official Republican nominee for president – I took a different lesson from it. The lesson is this: because of our media-saturated society, running for office requires skills that entertainers excel at, but actually running the government takes a different skill set altogether. Celebrities can effectively bring attention to many worthy causes, but when it comes to the nitty-gritty of governance, there’s nothing like experience.

The book profiles ten different celebrities and their involvement in politics. Some backed candidates, while others became candidates. Some used their films to deliver a message, and some became activists and spokespeople for particular causes. As the title states, both sides of the (American) political spectrum are represented.

The book is organized chronologically, so it takes you through some of the most pivotal events of the 20th century. We see the Depression with Charlie Chaplin, World War II with Edward G. Robinson, the Cold War with Ronald Reagan, the Civil Rights movement with Harry Belafonte, Vietnam with Jane Fonda, right down to the book-ended tales of left-wing Warren Beatty and right-wing Arnold Schwarzenegger. As you’d expect, the first half of the book includes quite a bit about McCarthyism and the Red Scare, but I actually preferred the second half. As much as I appreciated the history lessons of the beginning, the more the book delved into events that I actually lived through, the more I enjoyed it.

To return to the present, an analysis I’ve frequently heard over the last few months is that Donald Trump is the natural consequence of a political system that, because of the media, has become increasingly image-driven and decreasingly policy-driven. This book will show you how we’ve gotten to this point. Trump may not be a professional actor, but he sure knows how to grab media attention. But after reading the cautionary tale of Schwarzenegger’s governorship, I’m more worried for this country than ever. Yet at the same time, I see reason to hope. For every one of Trump’s outrageous statements comes an even more biting joke from Stephen Colbert. Now that he’s interviewing politicians, entrepreneurs, authors, and even a Supreme Court justice on the same stage on which he interviews movie stars, our collective conversation can at last tilt back toward substance.

Great review, Kressel, especially the line about government requiring a different skill set. This is what most worries me about the possibility of a Trump Presidency. His personal views are disqualifier enough but his lack of experience means the distinct possibility of someone in the shadows pulling the strings. A scary thought.

The ghostwriter of The Art of the Deal just did an interview with "The New Yorker." REALLY scary stuff!

by Donald J. Trump

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/201...

Very disturbing and highlights what I'm worried about. Trump is very likely to let someone "ghost-write" the presidency and that person may not have the reflective conscience of Tony Schwartz. Thanks for the link, Kressel.

Pamela wrote: "Trump is very likely to let someone "ghost-write" the presidency"

Chilling thought. You're so right.