Category: Books

#TheMinistryOfTruth: Orwell and 1984

#TheMinistryOfTruth: Orwell and 1984

Posted on by Jack

#TheMinistryOfTruth is a book for our times. The full title is The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell’s 1984 by Dorian Lynskey

Shortly after the Trump administration told us their lies were just alternative facts, I decided I needed to re-read 1984. I don’t think George Orwell ever talked about alternative facts, but it seemed to me it was just a step or 2 from “alternative facts” about crowd size to “alternative facts” about bigger issues. Continue reading “#TheMinistryOfTruth: Orwell and 1984”

The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

Posted on by Jack

The Distant Echo by Val McDermid is her first novel in the  Karen Pirie series..  Detective Perie is not the central character in this book.  As I remember, she does not even make her first appearance until the second half of The Distant Echo.  But I am getting a bit ahead of myself so I’ll just begin at the beginning.

I had read Val McDermit’s Broken Ground a few months ago.  It was the 5th and most recent book in her Karen Pirie series. I liked the book and thought it might be interesting to read the series from the beginning.  The first in the series was available in my local public library. Continue reading “The Distant Echo by Val McDermid”

Broken Ground by Val McDermid

Broken Ground by Val McDermid

Posted on by Jack

Broken Ground by Val McDermid is a great Scottish crime mystery. This book came out last year but my favorite librarian suggested it to me few months ago. This is a wonderful book and I completely enjoyed it .
Continue reading “Broken Ground by Val McDermid”

The Trust: A Novel by Ronald H. Balson

The Trust: A Novel by Ronald H. Balson

Posted on by Jack

The title is The Trust: A Novel by Ronald H. Balson. This is a really good book and I’ll be sure to check out other titles by the author.

Liam Taggart’s last visit to Northern Ireland ended badly. Very badly. Continue reading “The Trust: A Novel by Ronald H. Balson”

Democracy in Chains – why and how

Democracy in Chains – why and how

Posted on by Jack

The full title is “Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America“. The author is Nancy MacLean, a professor of history and public policy at Duke University. So you can be certain that the author knows her history. In addition, there are extensive notes and a bibliography.
Continue reading “Democracy in Chains – why and how”

Health Care: Meet the American Dream

Health Care: Meet the American Dream

Posted on by Jack

Health Care: Meet the American Dream by Janis Powers is a great read for anyone with an interest in health care.  Since healthcare is one of the most contentious issues in recent years I hope this book finds a large audience.

The United States has a very complicated system which has the highest costs in the world but relatively poor outcomes. Clearly major changes are needed.
Continue reading “Health Care: Meet the American Dream”

Reimagining Our Tomorrows

Reimagining Our Tomorrows

Posted on by Jack

The full title is Reimagining Our Tomorrows: Making Sure Your Future Doesn’t SUCK by Joe Tankersley. I thank Netgalley for the privilege of reading an ARC of this book.

None of us knows what the future holds. Will it be good or will it be bad?
Continue reading “Reimagining Our Tomorrows”

Though the Heavens Fall by Anne Emery

Though the Heavens Fall by Anne Emery

Posted on by Jack

An Irish thriller. The title comes from the inscription on the Four Courts building in Dublin, “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.” This is a wonderful book on many levels and I completely enjoyed it. It is billed as a thriller and it is. But is it much more.

“Though the Heavens Fall” by Anne Emery is the 10th and latest in the Collins-Burke Mystery Series. It was a new series for me so I can say for certain that you do not need to read this series in order. I started with number 10 and did not feel lost in the least.
Continue reading “Though the Heavens Fall by Anne Emery”

Questioning your beliefs is a good thing

Questioning your beliefs is a good thing

Posted on by Jack

The full title of this book is How to See Religion Differently: What questioning your beliefs can reveal, and why it can lead to a healthy mind. The book is by Luke Pemberton who was raised Catholic and questioned his beliefs (or at least what he was told to believe) as he got a bit older.

I think that questioning your beliefs is a good thing. Different folks will decide different things. Religion makes sense to many people. Others will decide that religion or maybe a particular religion is not for them.
Continue reading “Questioning your beliefs is a good thing”

Lies by T. M. Logan

Lies by T. M. Logan

Posted on by Jack

Lies by T. M. Logan is not coming out in the US until September 2018. So I’d like to thank Netgalley for a chance to read and review this book well before the release in the US. It has been available in the UK for a while and presumably sold well enough that the a release in the US seemed like a good idea.
Continue reading “Lies by T. M. Logan”

Beware of alliances

Beware of alliances

Posted on by Jack

I’m reading “The Death of Democracy: Hitler’s Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic” by Benjamin Carter Hett and wanted to share this quote with you.

“These conservatives could have stopped Hitler in his tracks. Instead, they chose to use him, although the Nazi-conservative alliance was always an awkward one.”

Alliances can be useful. They can also be dangerous. Beware of alliances.

I first thought of President Trump and his Republican enablers, especially those in Congress. But it also applies to many other cases.

“It’s the Economy, Stupid” by Christos A. Djonis

“It’s the Economy, Stupid” by Christos A. Djonis

Posted on by Jack

I decided to read It’s the Economy, Stupid mainly because of the cover which told me that this book would explain why Donald Trump was elected President. I did not understand it before reading this book and still do not understand.
Continue reading ““It’s the Economy, Stupid” by Christos A. Djonis”

The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

Posted on by Jack

The full title is The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy by Jay Cost.

American freedom from Great Britain was won by many. There were many visions of what this country should be. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were key figures in deciding how the ideals of the revolutionaries could be preserved in a lasting government.
Continue reading “The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost”

Facts matter, at least to some of us

Facts matter, at least to some of us

Posted on by Jack

Do facts matter to you?

I am reading The Death of Democracy: Hitler’s Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic
by Benjamin Carter Hett. I just started, about 10% into it according to my Kindle, but I thought this was an interesting quote from the book.
Continue reading “Facts matter, at least to some of us”

The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

Posted on by Jack

The full title is The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy by Jay Cost.

I accidently posted 2 reviews of this book and so posted the last one combined the some thoughts from the earlier version. See my final review of The Price of Greatness.