Books
We love to read, and we always have. Here's a short list of books we've read recently and recommend. This list will be updated (but not as often as we might hope, because I'm lazy).
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The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell by John Crawford is a soldier's war memoir, but this time much of the memoir was written while he was still at war, and the war itself is still being fought. Crawford had served three years in the 101st Airborne, after which he joined the National Guard to help pay for college. With less than a year remaining on his contract and only two credits shy of his graduation, he was recalled to active duty to go to Iraq. These are his riveting tales of military neglect, the horrors of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi poverty, constant terror, fatigue and boredom, drug dependency, gallows humor, sacrifice, fraternity, and the valor of the American soldier, all during a modern war in which soldiers can e-mail and telephone their wives at the end of a day.
Jarhead by Anthony Swofford is a memoir of the author's experiences as a Marine Corps sniper during the Gulf War and how those experiences have affected him as a civilian in the decade since. His descriptions of Marine life from the barracks to the battlefield are compelling, and no doubt shocking for many who have never served in the military, and should be required reading anyone who wants to understand how the stresses of even a small and popular war change those who participate in it.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is a masterfully written book that tells two equally intriguing tales of a bygone era: one the surprising and thrilling story of the Columbian Exposition, the other the twisted story of a serial killer who made Jack the Ripper look like an amateur.
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer also tells two parallel stories, one of the strange founding and controversy-laden evolution of the Mormon Church into an orthodoxy surrounded by numerous fundamentalist sects, the other the story of a grisly murder and how fundamentalist church teachings contributed to it.
Trawler by Redmond O'Hanlon is an exciting firsthand account of the author's journey on a North Sea fishing trawler during the height of a storm and his attempts to understand the deranged men who live this most hazardous of lives. The amazing physical toll, the financial hazards, and the mind-altering lack of sleep are all portrayed with honesty and tape-recorder accuracy.
Five Equations That Changed the World by Michael Guillen, Ph.D., tells the stories of five great scientists whose discoveries in physics changed the world in which we live. Rather than creating a dry exposition on physics, however, Guillen unveils the humanity of such legends as Isaac Newton by showing their failures alongside their successes, their inconsistencies and jealousies, and, most of all, the amazing drive and curiosity that prodded their efforts and served us all.
Running on Empty by Peter G. Peterson and The Coming Generational Storm by Laurence J. Kotlikoff and Scott Burns both explore the economic problems looming in America's not too distant future, problems caused largely by politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, who have ensured their continued control of the system by promising ever increasing benefits to today's voters to be paid for by tomorrow's. Both books do more than just frighten us, however; they offer suggestions and solutions, both for the individual and for the nation.
Rubicon by Tom Holland is an excellent history of the Roman Republic's efforts to gain an empire and how doing so lost Rome everything it held dear. Holland make Rome and its citizens come alive, and makes what seems like a tired old tale fresh and new again.
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