It’s always been difficult for me to gain much traction with Eisenhower. Bookended by the tumultuous era that began with FDR and extended through the Truman administration and the turbulent civil unrest of the JFK/Johnson/Nixon administrations, Eisenhower has always been the eye of the storm. Much of what happened in the ’50s happened behind the scenes: covert missions in Iran and Guatamala, unbridled tension within the party over Sen. Joseph McCarthy, in-fighting over whether or not a nuclear response was required in various hot spots […]
From Appalachia to Yankeedom, This Land Was Made From Eleven Nations
I first learned about this book in an article, probably this one, which shows how long it sometimes takes me to actually get around to reading my nonfiction books, since that article is dated November 2013. The concept interested me as someone who has lived in various states and lived outside the U.S., which gave an interesting perspective looking back at my own homeland. Now that I’ve read this book I can see that I’ve lived in probably five of the North American nations posited by Colin […]
Oh, the places you’ll go!
It was months after 9/11 when Rory Stewart decided to walk across Afghanistan. The country was in disarray, but despite warnings from the Afghan government, villagers and anyone with a lick of common sense, Stewart insisted on going. One foreign journalist, after hearing his plan, asked Stewart if he’d ever read Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer’s story of an American dumbass who tried to make it in the Alaskan wilderness without any supplies (I know we’re not supposed to speak ill of the dead, but […]
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Feminists
Gloria Steinem’s first book in more than two decades is classified as a memoir, but I don’t think that’s accurate. Although this first chapter starts like a traditional autobiography, documenting her unconventional childhood as the daughter of a travelling antique salesman and a mentally ill mother, the rest of the book is about the people she’s met. Her book is about the mothers and stewardesses and cabdrivers she’s talked to, the colleges where she’s spoken and the other feminist workers she’s worked with. At 81, […]
Let’s Paint This Town Purple
One night on Twitter, comedian Michael Ian Black invites political pundit Meghan McCain on a month long excursion around America to discuss politics with fellow Americans. He is a liberal; she is the daughter of one of the most famous Republicans today. There is a lot of “what did we get ourselves into…” throughout America, You Sexy Bitch and their mission statement wasn’t clearly defined. Yes, the talked to people throughout America about politics but the mostly drank a lot and saw tourist attractions. The […]
Real Life Role Models
A historical look at the relationship between the notorious RGB and Sandra Day O’Connor? Yes please. I’d been looking forward to this one ever since I heard the premise and it didn’t disappoint. Hirshman delves into the childhoods and legal careers of these groundbreaking women and leaves the reader with a concrete impression of them as real people with strengths and flaws. I never realized just how different Ginsberg and O’Connor are from each other. O’Connor was one of Reagan’s few palatable options for Supreme […]
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