Citizen: My Life After The White House by Bill Clinton →
Citizen: My Life After The White House by Bill Clinton
"On January 21, 2001, after twenty-five years in politics and elected office, eight as president, I was a private citizen again," was an opening remark in this book. What follows is a fantastic focus on helping people in trouble. It is too bad that those accomplishments will be viewed through lifelong assumptions about Clinton's view with a partisan lens. Much was accomplished working with George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, clearly showing how influential good leaders can be even when they don't have to be.
The accomplishments seemed neverending, but it would be hard to complain about too much good work. Some will, I expect.
American Zion: A New History of Mormonism by Benjamin E. Park →
American Zion provides a clear and factual summary of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from its inception to 2024. It presents perspectives on important historical moments and focuses heavily on the ideological and historical debates within the Church in the 20th century that members often overlook.
The book focuses on the Church's history within the United States of America, even though its membership is greater outside of the USA. It presents a history that made some mistakes but shows how it has evolved and shaped itself to be stronger, perhaps because of those mistakes.
Women’s involvement in the Church is better reflected in this history of Mormonism than in many other histories focused on the same topic, and it is interesting to see that it is something that most denominations have had to deal with.
The author presents the church as one that its internal conflict has always defined, yet the story also shows that it has become stronger as time has passed.
War by Bob Woodward →
Bob Woodward said in this books epiloge that this book was radically different than many of his prior books. Most of those books were stories of failures, mismangement, dishonesty and corruption of executive power.
He added that “War, this book on Biden, however, gave me what was often a real-time, inside -the-look at genine good faith efforts by the president and his core national security team to weild the levers of executive power responsibly in the national interest.”
We also see in this book President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power.
BIBLIOPHILE DIVERSE SPINES by Jamise Harper & Jane Mount →
The authors of this book, in their introduction, set a compelling goal for the reader: to “find at least ten new-to-you and resistible diverse by authors of backgrounds different from your own (or from your that you haven’t yet read) that you will read in the next year.” They envision this as a yearly habit, a challenge that can inspire and motivate us readers.
The book cover features 22 books on top of each other, with colorful spines showing titles like 'Unheard Voices' and 'Cultural Journeys' that describe what to expect in this book. What you may not fully appreciate from the cover is brought into focus with the unique table of contents, which highlights the incredible diversity of a book about diversity. The introduction also explains the author’s definition of diversity. The definition expands into the book chapters and includes “the authors, illustrators, designers, store owners and bookstagrammers highlighted in this book are Black, Indigenous, and people of color most existing in places marginalized by a dominant white society.”
The book is a testament to its goal of introducing readers to diverse authors from backgrounds different from their own. It's a journey of enlightenment, a window into the rich tapestry of literature that exists beyond our usual reading lists.
Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese
Author John Cleese said, “Creativity is not a talent; it is a way of operating. Anyone can be creative.” After reading his book, I concluded that John Cleese did indeed find a creative way to look at creativity.
I say this despite the fact John Cleese's theory of creativity is based on the book Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind by Guy Claxton. The book explores the idea that humans have two types of thinking:
Hare brain
A quick-thinking, logical part of the brain that's good for solving mathematical or logistical problems
Tortoise mind
A slow-thinking, contemplative mind that's good for working out complex problems and producing creative work
Even with this very helpful book of Author Guy Claxton to draw on, I found John Cleese’s book to have its own originality and focus on the ways to look at creativity.
Resurrrection Walk, A Lincoln Lawyer Novel, by Michael Connelly →
Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, is the leading character in this novel, but author Michael Connelly has brought his other star character, Harry Bosch, the key character in the Bosch Series, is on board in this plot in a very important role of researcher and investigator for his half-brother Mickey Haller.
These two characters have been the source of some exciting novels. Bosch was the famous LAPD detective who has now retired and has some medical issues. The plot of this novel was made for both of them.
Of course, it was because author Michael Connelly wrote it that way, but these two brilliant fictional characters' brothers, plots, and goals fit perfectly together.
Michael Conelly is consistent, and 5 stars for this work are obviously appropriate.
Overthinking in Relationships and Survivors of Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Mental Health and Aging by Joseph Mendoza →
'"Overthinking in Relationships and Survivors of Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Mental Health and Aging” author Joseph Mendoza concluded the book’s introduction in a profound way for those who experience caregiving and those who have to cope with this disease.
The author said, “This book is my heart laid bare, a compilation of the lessons that life with Alzheimer’s has taught me- lessons of love, patience, and the strength we all carry. An excellent overview of the issues and problems that must be faced by those who have relationships with those who need caregivers and understanding.
The book is a precious look through a window at what caregivers face. Finding a clear view back out through the window is a challenge.
You Like It Darker - Stories by Stephen King →
Book Cover and Back “You Like It Darker” by Stephen King
Collections of short stories are not my favorite type of Stephen King book, but this one was well worth reading. It just reconfirms Stephen King's talents as a writer. Not that that is needed, but to see stories that seem to build on events that would be unlikely material for a larger book become so interesting before being finished is incredible.
King's personal introduction to the twelve stories, in which he states,
'You like it darker? Fine, So do I,'
adds a layer of intimacy to the reading experience. The story delves into the darker side of life metaphorically and literally.
It's as if he's inviting us into his world, which we know is darker than our own.
As the master of this form, his declaration wasn’t needed, but it added value to a great book.
Rachel Maddow - A Biograhpy by Lisa Rogak →
Rachael Maddow Book Cover
Rachel Maddow earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy at Stanford in 1994. At graduation, she was awarded the John Gardner Fellowship. She also received a Rhodes Scholarship and began her postgraduate study 1995 at Lincoln College, Oxford. She was awarded a doctorate in political science from the University of Oxford.
This biography is a must-read if you follow Rachel Maddow. The book showcases her consistency of focus and principle and her open-mindedness. It reveals instances where she actively sought out and valued the opinions of those who disagreed with her, a trait that is both admirable and rare.
She has said that she is an explainer, and the book demonstrated the validity of that claim. The world is a better place with Rachel Maddow here.
Holly, by Stephen King →
This is a five-star book, but with around 2500 reviews in on Amazon, it has a 4.4 star rating. This is lower than normal and Amazon says the book is one of King’s most political yet. That seems odd but then it is set where the plot works out with maskers and antimaskers involved in the dialog. . . So maybe a few reviews were lower where Trumpers were offended, probably because some people wore masks.
Holly Gibney is either one of King’s most compelling characters or she is not, but she is resourceful and solves what others hadn’t even tried to solve. We got to know her, and it was clear that Stephen King, a master writer, treated her like a natural normal human being but with around 2500 reviews on Amazon, it has a 4.4 star rating, normal human being,. This is lower than normal, and Amazon says the book is one of King’s most political yet. That seems odd, but then it is set in a setting usual he thinks a lot about. in the book were not just well-developed, they were vital. Holly, in particular, didn’t overshadow the others, but they fit together perfectly, creating a dynamic and engaging narrative
The characters were so well-developed and vital. Holly didn’t overshadow the others, but they fit together perfectly.
King’s comment on the back cover was undoubtedly relevant.
“I could never let Holly Gibney go. She was supposed to be a walk-on character in Mr. Mercedes, and she just stole the book and stole my heart. Holly is all her.” - Stephen King
Stephen King Reads from His New Book, HOLLY
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz →
Psycho-Cybernetics is an approach and a term developed by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. His book with this title was published in January 1960 and has sold over 30 million copies. Maltz was a cosmetic surgeon and author. He combined his psychology and concluded that our self-image is the cornerstone of our mental state and, therefore, all the successes and failures in our life.
It is still interesting to read his works and see that a plastic surgeon learned more about people in 1960 than psychiatrists had known!
He explained how the self-image has complete control over an individual’s ability to achieve or fail to reach their goals. He developed techniques for improving and managing self-image.
Psycho-Cybernetics teachings are still considered valuable and based on solid science with measurable results.
Taylor Swift Biography Little Golden Book
This book was released on May 2, 2023, and as of June 19th it is ranked on Amazon. as noted below:
Best Sellers Rank: #27 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#1 in Children's Musical Biographies (Books)
#1 in Children's Coloring Books
#1 in Children's Women Biographies (Books)
