Bryan
Mr. Scheuer reminds us of the federal government's primary responsibility in this book; one which is too often forgotten: promote the country's national (including security) interests. Too often our federal government makes the mistake that President Washington warned against about becoming entangled in other nations' affairs.
His other primary thesis in this book is that the military, through the government's mandates, has forgotten how to fight a war, and instead has become overly concerned with nation-building and international opinion.
He proposes a national conversation about what our national interests are, one that is unafraid of unflattering labels by those who have other interests than the national interests of the United States. Like “Imperial Hubris,” I found this book to be an extraoridinarily thought provoking tome and one which needs to be expounded upon in the public sphere.
I saw Mr. Aslan at a book reading in Portland before I read this book. That was a mistake. This book was an excellent review of the fight groups like al-Qaeda are trying to make. It was also excellent in distinguishing the groups, like al-Qaeda, a global organization with no political goals save from war to bring about the end of the world, from groups like Hamas or the Taliban, which are largely nationalist groups with political agendas.
While Mr. Aslan does insert his domestic, political belief system into parts of this book, I found his narrative and overarching theme in this book to be devoid of a left-right pardigm and imminently readable for readers across the political spectrum.
I recommend this book especially for those who believe al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hizbullah and the Taliban are organizations attempting to accomplish the same goals or for those who believe the United State's goals in Afghanistan should be to erradicate the Taliban.
Very interesting review of this author's thoughts on the turning point in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Found the discussion of the main players to be very interesting and was surprised that people like David Bengurion and Chaim Weitzmann were not more prevalent in this book. I am not sure I entirely agree that 1913 was the year which was most important in this conflict, nor that Jerusalem was the most important area, but fascinating nonetheless.
She does spend a good deal of time setting up the scene prior to 1913 and how some of the actions that ocurred played out years later, including in the present day. I would say this gives a very specific look at a small part in the overall conflict without giving context to other issues in this theater.
Having said that, I believe I read somewhere that this is one in a series of books which pick datelines and Ms. Marcus needed to stay within some boundaries.
Very quick read and very important for the current environment in which we find ourselves. The world has changed. Do we wait for the cheese to be deposited where we are used to finding it, or will we do the uncomfortable thing and start looking for the cheese elsewhere?
Amazing account of The Troubles, a violent politico-military event which lasted from the late 1960's until the mid-1990's. It centers around the abduction, murder and disappearing of a widowed mother of 10, who was “disappeared” in the early 1970's. Seemingly balanced amongst the various participants of the war and emblematic of the fact that there isn't good vs evil in a revolutionary struggle and that all sides have at least figurative, if not literal blood on their hands.
Sometimes you need to hear the horrors man can perpetrate against one another. It is made easier when you hear the stories of man overcoming overwhelming obstacles and the human spirit prevailing. This is one such story.
Really important book to help people understand probabilities and practical steps in helping people improve outcomes of their decisions.
This was probably the last of Tom Friedman's books that wasn't a tribute to how smart he is and can't be summarized in 5 words or less. The Lebanon portion was really excellent. The Israel piece was a bit more difficult. What i did find very intriguing about this part was that as a Jewish man moving to Israel, he was surprised and disappointed at how Western and secular the country was. As he stated, though, it has turned into a secular state just as Theodor Herzl had imagined.
The first part of the book details Friedman's working in Lebanon from 1979-84 during the War with Israel. The second part details his time in Jerusalem between 1984-1988.
One of the more interesting aspects is that this addition has another section entitled, “From Jerusalem to Washington” which follows the peace process in the early to mid 90's. it is fascinating how much hope there was of a settlement at that time, only to see it slip through the fingers of the participants. What a shame.
I read this book because I have a specific opinion on the Millennial Generation: specifically, I believe they have been given a bad rap and they are no different (more narcissistic) than any other previous young cohort. The first 60 or so pages were well reasoned and interesting. Once the author started using the well worn vernacular of Karl Marx, he started to lose me. It became clear rather quickly that Mr. Harris was using the facts and statistics in this book to support his preconceived notion, rather than to inform the facts. This basic arc of the book is: 1) Millenials have it harder than any previous generation; 2) the system can't be changed and was designed by evil capitalists; 3) revolution is the only way to overthrow our capitalist masters; 4) this revolution probably won't happen because the state will prevent us from overthrowing them. It reminds me of a Morrisey song: the beat is poppy; there are some redeeming verses. However, once I listen to the lyrics, I don't really want to go on. I gave this two stars because there was at least 50 pages of interesting material. Unfortunately, this is a 225 page book.
I was initially recommended this book when I told a friend how much I enjoyed Cold War era spy novels. It took me a while, but now I understand why she suggested this book. Wonderfully written.
I love Anthony Bourdain! If you thought the cooking industry was glamorous, you are wrong. That doesn't mean that these chefs aren't creative geniuses. It is a tough business that has chewed up and spit out plenty of dreamers. At the end of the day, this is a story about people who love food and bring pleasure to our mundane lives with this rich trade.
This was an excellent book. I can never read books very fast due to work and family schedule and finished this in three days. Mr. Jones details his frustrating experience navigating the beuracracy of the CIA as a case officer living overseas under non-official cover. It was an extremely interesting look into a side of one of the most secretive government agencies. At the end, he also details his suggestions on how to fix the problems he identified. You truly get a sense that his superiors were not pleased to have seen this published.
My only complaint is the formatting in the Kindle version. I am aware that the book was heavily redacted, but there were numerous errors in navigating these redactions. They weren't serious, just annoying. Otherwise, anyone interested in US national security, the CIA or American government in general should read this book.
This is one of the most wonderful specimens of historical fiction. What a fantastic way to tell the history of a people; of a place.
Alright, let's get this out of the way first: this book reads like one of the world's worst infomercials. There is countless promotion of the author's website, help groups, etc. I can definitely see how this might annoy someone into stopping reading this book.
Having said that, there is a lot of interesting information in how sugar impacts our health. There are countless experts referenced. It certainly could be that the experts are biased. I have heard of some and respect them, but others are completely unknown to me.
If you can get past the salesy writing, it is certainly a worthwhile and interesting read, and may just change your dietary choices.
Very good “other side of the story” to accompany “The Black Banners,” by Ali Soufan.
Essential reading for those who would like to know more about Iran, what are their aspirations and how to effectively deal with them.
Amazing book. As much about the growth of business in Portland, Oregon as about the now shoe behemoth. Very entertaining and fast moving.
I saw this author at a book reading here in Portland. I love his outlook and where he comes from (I know; don't finish a sentence with a preposition, but writing it correctly sounded too “over the top”). Aslan has a fresh perspective and does yeoman's work summarizing the history of the prophet's life, as well as the growth of the religion. While I think he payed too much heed to some current era conspiracy theories toward the end, the book was very well written and definately worth the read.
Fascinating book on how to raise your children in this day and age. Where do parents go wrong? There was more than one anecdote with which I identified.