This is for movie buffs. For a good period of my life that was me. I wonder what my average movie viewing was in College. It had to get close to avera This is for movie buffs. For a good period of my life that was me. I wonder what my average movie viewing was in College. It had to get close to averaging four a week, I would have to guess.
This has the feel of an AJ Jacobs book with author Adams dedicating a year to watching bad movies every day to determine the worst movie of all time. He used critics lists but then added user review sites to compile the worst of the worst.
There’s plenty of reasons a movie can be bad- blockbuster budgets that flop, low budget movies that wish they were good but aren’t, shock value movies, just plain boring movies and so on.
He categorizes these as the title says- you have sexplotation, horror and so on. Adams has a good sense of humor and though there’s a certain element that may make you want to watch bad movies, you are generally glad that he did it for you
He largely summarizes plots and why they are bad movies in an engaging manner. There’s Ed Wood and Reefer Madness and Pia Zadora and Police Academy 3 and all the usual suspects. He also talks to different directors and asks their favorite bad movies.
While I doubt diehards will find it definitive, I did appreciate the deep dive in those B movie directors that might fly under the radar.
If you truly like bad movies, then you will enjoy this. You can relate to the ones you saw and may add those to your viewing list based on your tastes.
There definitely a market for bad movies in the late 90s/early 00s. Adams does a fairly good job of trying to disqualify some movies for time or content (no porn for example) but as he digs deep into these recent zero budget films towards the end of the book, it does start to bog down.
Moving from well known films like Manos: Hands of Fate or Sylvester Stallone’s notorious debut Party at Kitty and Studs to fare like The Maize movies and Rollergator- I think he does too deep of a dive and repetition kicks in
Still, I quite enjoyed this book and it seems a decent addition to the book shelf of a movie buff ...more
I bought this book which has a unique and look to it for one. It covers Bowie’s “Berlin� trilogy but also the two albums Iggy Pop recorded (heavily asI bought this book which has a unique and look to it for one. It covers Bowie’s “Berlin� trilogy but also the two albums Iggy Pop recorded (heavily assisted by Bowie) during that time from roughly 1976 to 1979
Although I think Bowie contains multitudes, there is definitely something special about these five albums. Seabrook does a good job of capturing what Bowie was doing in his day to day life and then also turning around and breaking down each song and how it was composed and what it meant. In that, the reader will learn new stuff about the recording of favorite songs as well as new appreciation for songs that don’t rate so high.
Online book reviewers (and the bibliography) reveal that there isn’t a lot new here. The content comes largely from decades interviews and other published content (Tony Visconti’s autobiography - a major source of info included here). That said, I don’t think most readers will be disappointed. It hangs together quite well.
It is interesting to see the contemporary reaction, the promotion and reviews. Surely, this the wrong steps for Bowie to take at the time. And yet with hindsight, it’s easy to say this was the perfect path. Eschewing a retread of Young Americans, or any similar accessible record and instead, decoding to minimize live performances, Bowie establishes his legacy with records that are still held in the high tea of regard.
He emerges out the other side with Lodger, with an eye on international sounds. He had chosen various acting roles. Bowie would be ready to give us Scary Monsters and Let’s Dance.
With Iggy, Bowie fills a wish he has of being part of a band. The side man not the main performer. It’s an instinct of his that fans don’t really get, hence the decision to form and the reaction to Tin Machine a decade later.
This book is great for anyone who is ready to take a deep dive into the Bowie Berlin albums for the first time or if you are a long time fan of these five albums, you will enjoy this....more
I’m aware of Pluto’s reputation as a great sports writer with an appreciation for a good sense of humor. I saw this in a used bookstore and couldn’t rI’m aware of Pluto’s reputation as a great sports writer with an appreciation for a good sense of humor. I saw this in a used bookstore and couldn’t resist.
There’s a famous meme that shows the top song of the year that every Major League Baseball team won a World Series. Maybe your team has won in the era of Taylor Swift or Bad Bunny, or even Adele and One Direction. Maybe it’s 50 Cent or Nelly or if things are particularly tough for your team you can joke about New Kids on the Block, Garth Brooks, Whitney, Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson or gasp as far as back as ABBA.
Then there’s the Cleveland Guardians (nee Indians) whose last World Series win predates rock n roll. Is the Cleveland team cursed so bad that they have not won since the days Perry Como, Dinah Shore and Bing Crosby dominated the hit parade.
Perhaps. After being competitive in the 1940s and 1950s, their luck seemed to change in 1960 when they traded their most popular young All-Star player to Detroit for an aging Harvey Kuehnn. Was it a curse? Well, it certainly seemed like an unusual move. For the ensuing decades, it seemed like Cleveland had nothing but bad luck.
In truth, there is probably a straight correlation from the curse to the fact that the Indians were always owned by people who didn’t have the extra money to make the team worthwhile. Sure, there was bad luck, but without that cash infusion to offset it with any better luck.
It’s funny. I was a huge fan of 70s and 80s baseball and I don’t know a ton of Indians players. They were not a competitive team for so long. Sure there were team legends like Andre Thornton and Mike Hargrove but they were few and far between.
The Indians did reacquire Covalito in 1965 but it was the beginning of a series of trades where they sent prospects who became stars for players who didn’t pan out.
Through the years, when the team had great young players, they inevitably got hurt. Sam McDowell, Ray Fosse, Wayne Garland (almost the instant he signed a ten year contract) and most famously Joe Charboneau, the 1980 Rookie of the Year. He would only play 70 more games total in 1981 and 1982 before being forced to retire.
Then there’s hall of famer Dennis Eckersley who the team was forced to trade due to Rick Manning causing marital problems.
Offsetting good news is rare. The Indians did give Frank Robinson a managerial start- the first African American to do so- though they can hardly provide him with a winning team.
In 1986, the team has young stars and a winning team, but 1987 expectations come crushing down. The book ends in 1994. Tragedy has hit in 1993 when two pitchers die in a boating accident. But good things were on the horizon. The Cleveland Stadium- a hulking structure built for football and devoid of the intimate charm of modern day baseball parks; not to mention right off the chilly winds of Lake Erie- is replaced in 1994. Richard Jacobs has taken complete ownership in 1992. The days of partial ownership, lackluster finances and inept front offices may be gone.
Now 30 years after the book was published, we know things do get better. The team went on a run of success from 1995 to 2001, as if Pluto’s book may have exorcised some demons. The team reached the World Series in 1995 and 1997. Pluto suggested in the 94 book that longtime Indian player Hargrove (hired in 1991) was the right manager for the team and he was not wrong. The 41 year World Series appearance drought had ended.
But we also know that the team still hasn’t won the ring. The Indians come the closest in 2016 going to Game 7 against a team that had an even bigger gap in Championships, the Chicago Cubs. The fate of Cleveland has improved quite a bit since the Dolan Family bought them in 2000. No longer the joke Pluto wrote about, and yet that big prize is still elusive.
This is a fun book. If you are someone who loves baseball stories or perhaps you are taking on one of those 30 Teams 30 Books projects, then this is a good one to pick up....more
Jacobs went about as viral as most books ever get with 2007s The Year of Living Biblically- enough of a hit that it was turned into a CBS television s Jacobs went about as viral as most books ever get with 2007s The Year of Living Biblically- enough of a hit that it was turned into a CBS television series in 2018.
With reputation in place with that book and 2004’s Mr Know It All, Jacobs is the “experiment� guy, but finding follow up ideas can be difficult.
Tracing your family roots seems like a decent idea for a book, and maybe it is, though having read Its All Relative, maybe it’s not. The 2017 book despite good initial press hype, trails his other books on those “rate a book� sites.
Which isn’t to say it isn’t a fun and easy read. It really is. He does try to find a lot of hooks- not just his own family history stories- but touches other subjects like the Hatfield and McCoy feud, the LDS Church and their mammoth family history files, President George HW Bush, Donnie Osmond, polygamy, and Sister Sledge among other things.
Jacobs is a great storyteller, not really Dave Barry and not quite Andy Rooney, with a touch of Bill Bryson and maybe a punch of Jon Stewart. I am not sure that there isn’t anything he could write, I wouldn’t read. Still, this isn’t his best work and if you don’t like Jacobs’s style, well, you will probably hate this book since it focuses so much on him.
I suspect the book may be better if he dug in a bit more on some of the topics, though to bend Gertrude Stein’s quote, I am not sure how much there is there. There are a lot of great bits of trivia, yes. The book also is extremely focused on Jacobs putting together a large Global Family Reunion.
This particular thread runs through every chapter. Again, I am not sure how I would improve the flow of the book, but I probably would change something. Many readers might find it distracting and when it does end, there’s not a particularly huge payoff (it gets eight total pages).
As a reader, I am struck with an image of Jacobs putting this great project and then only having the barest of material to fill a 275 page book.
If you pick up the book for insight on genealogy, which ostensibly is another audience. It doesn’t have a ton of insight but it still might be worthwhile as it touches a lot of internet communities that can be very beneficial, besides the big advertising budget genealogy website and big budget ad DNA testing website.
So there are better options for starting out, but at the same time, this could be the primer or nudge to get you started.
In any case, a fun book and quick enough read on an afternoon or two. ...more
While not a perfect comparison, I can’t help but think of Erik Larson whose complimentary quote is prominently displayed on the back cover to advertisWhile not a perfect comparison, I can’t help but think of Erik Larson whose complimentary quote is prominently displayed on the back cover to advertise this.
This is a story of one of the big bad guys of all time. DC Stephenson like HH Holmes (the subject of Larson’s Devil in the White City) may not be a household name like Hitler (or Dahmer) but is really one of the big all time Villains.
Stephenson isn’t particularly obscure. Holmes was not that obscure either, a subject of books and podcasts but in Larson he found the right writer to tell a captivating story. So with Stephenson whose story is likely already known by any viewer of the Twenty-Oughts History Channel, Egan seems the perfect storyteller.
“A Fever� does not bounce around like “White City� though the tangential asides that do come up are interesting like the rise of the Klan and in the same state, the rise of recorded Jazz music. The book transitions from the rise of Stephenson to the much discussed steps in his downfall- the events leading to the death of Madge Oberholtzer and then the trial.
The cover does make it sound like Oberholtzer was some kind of Elliott Ness which doesn’t seem comparable though she does deserve the same credit for bravery. It is her deathbed confession (and brave lawyers) that win the day in the end. That said, the book does a good job of the media figures and politicians who opposed Stephenson (and make no mistake, in the battle of Stephenson and the good guys, the bad guys overwhelmingly won most of the time).
When I first heard of the Klan, it was the underground cult of the 1970s and 80s, and I think the Klan in the 20s is hard to perceive. Their influence enough to win state governorships and other offices. Not surprisingly, their patriotism was not based on love of country, but hate for those that were different- Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants. Their legislation was to keep immogrants out and to embrace eugenics.
The Klan has power over both political parties. Shockingly, they have turned the Party of Lincoln to a racist bloc that was upsetting the usual electoral trends. While the 1924 Democrats do nominate the anti- Klan John W Davis and the Klan can’t force James Watson as the Republican vice presidential candidate (as they had hoped), the eventual next President Calvin Coolidge never criticizes them.
Imperial Wizard Hiram Wesley Evans goes to Cleveland for the Republican convention which journalists dub the Kleveland Konvention. Republicans who want to add anti-Klan language to the platform can’t even bring it to a vote. The Democrats get it to vote, but it loses by one vote.
The Klan leadership splits between Evans in the South and Stephenson in the North and West. It’s awe striking to see how successful the Klan was. They started a hospital in Kokomo, almost were able to buy the bankrupt Valparaiso University and the legislature even passed a bill to have a Klan Day at the Indiana State Fair.
Stephenson was able to push the Klan’s agenda by working with local churches. He brought in temperance crusader Daisy Douglas Barr to lead the Women of the Klan. He is a con man who uses the Klan to become rich.
He moves to Indiana (he’s not even a native Hoosier) and becomes the most powerful man in the state despite never being elected. He uses his influence to pass his racist agenda. Fortunately, this story has no parallels in recent memory that I can think of.
This is a very readable book. At the same time, it isn’t a nice story. Stephenson is literally a monster. Power mad and a predator. But he mostly succeeds and in hindsight, it’s surprising that he does not get acquitted since the odds are stacked so far in his favor. The author leaves the reader with that thought of would things have happened this way without Stephenson. Or were the 20s - this time of incredibly racist, anti-foreigner and anti- Semetic sentiment just ripe for anyone who comes along. In any case, most of the legislation passed in this era stays on the books for decades....more
Pietrusza has made a career of writing about elections and I am a big fan.
For new readers, a couple of things to bear in mind. He is a Calvin CoolidgPietrusza has made a career of writing about elections and I am a big fan.
For new readers, a couple of things to bear in mind. He is a Calvin Coolidge Republican. While this book has a title that sounds favorable to FDR, there is definitely an anti- liberal bias. Second, despite this bias, Pietrusza is a true master historian. He tells the tale in a way that engages the reader and also brings in a lot of the now-forgotten news headlines of the time. In many ways, you could compare him to Bill O’Reilly if O’Reilly was able to write like Barbara Tuchman.
I love his books and hate to say 1936 isn’t quite his best. Now that may be because there’s no drama as compared to other elections he’s covered like 1948 and 1960. FDR whips Alf Landon as we know.
It is interesting though to note the polls didn’t have it that way and it wasn’t assumed FDR was on his way to winning his second of four elections.
There are a lot of fascinating characters who history buffs will recognize but hardly get much mentioned the perennial Socialist candidate Norman Thomas and the perennial Communist candidate Earl Browder, and even though modern day readers will suspect they were allies, they weren’t necessarily that. William Lemke- the third party Presidential candidate who for a brief time looked like someone who could unite many factions. And so many personalities who were able to become major figures but now largely forgotten- Huey Long, William Randolph Hearst, Father Coughlin, Father Divine, Dr Francis Townsend, HL Mencken, and Fritz Kuhn. All trying to be kingmakers with their followings.
There are forgotten men of ambition who failed before getting a party nomination like Idaho Sen Williams Borah, writer Upton Sinclair and lawyer Henry Beckenridge. Former candidates were still relevant in 1936- former President Herbert Hoover and 1928 Democratic candidate and once Roosevelt’s friend but now rival, Al Smith.
Pietrusza is no fan of FDR despite the book’s title and surely gets some kick out of trivia like the fact Carl Jung, a contemporary, would say FDR had the same personality as Mussolini.
Still, it’s this kind of trivia that Pietrusza puts in his books that make them so fascinating. Or how he tells the rivalry among FDR’s speechwriters. It gives us the story of the dawn of Social Security from the many popular ideas that popped up to suggest how best to handle old age monetary needs.
As well as the cult of personality that arose from it. The death of Huey Long perhaps ending a possible alternate reality when no successor can take his place. There is the politics of the New Deal programs. There is the era of early polling which got it mostly wrong with Landon predicted to win (except for a few who got it right).
I can only hope that Pietrusza eventually gets fo just about every election. 1936 doesn’t have that drama as Truman/Dewey or Kennedy/Nixon but there’s plenty of information here for political junkies who will no doubt love this. ...more
I bought this book at Barnes and Noble in the discount section. To me, this book seems like the kind that went straight there on Day 1. It is big and I bought this book at Barnes and Noble in the discount section. To me, this book seems like the kind that went straight there on Day 1. It is big and colorful and beautiful, to be fair. The idea of the book is Dylan picks 66 songs. He summarizes each song’s lyrics and then (not always but usually) ads a page of insight.
I should say I would probably have loved this when I was younger and I do like this book. Also, the idea of Dylan talking about music is going to be interesting.
But this book isn’t great. Or it isn’t nearly as great as it could be. Dylan probably doesn’t need to rehash each song (we know the lyrics of most of them). Now sometimes it’s fun, but you can’t really improve on the idea of My Generation past what Townsend already had written. And I’m not sure he listened to the same Pump It Up that I did.
He’s not even consistent. Bobby Darrin is in one song, a pale imitation of Sinatra, a lounge act failure and later in the second entry, one of the greatest to ever take the stage. Many reviewers online point out to “Cheap her to Keep Her� where Dylan goes on a tirade about divorce lawyers as one of the worst things about the book. But on this i actually disagree. At least, it’s a memorable tirade.
Too often, it sounds like he took a song’s lyrics and put them into Google Translate and changed to a different language and then changed it back.
You can probably find a whole list of complaints about this book, but for me, it’s the format. Reimagining a song’s lyrics doesn’t gain the reader much benefit. But I do actually enjoy the trivia and tidbits that Dylan shares in this book. I would have loved more of that kind of writing
The music selections are typically older and typically male, but aspiring artists will still probably find notes of inspiration here.
Like some of Dylan’s lesser “inspired� records - there’s some enjoyable moments. Some filler. Some shots made and some shots missed. I wouldn’t recommend to a non-fan as that would be fruitless. But I also like this on the shelf and could find times to revisit it years later. ...more
You can judge a book by its cover sometimes and this one grabs attention. The book, like its cover is adrenaline filled excitement. It’s my first time You can judge a book by its cover sometimes and this one grabs attention. The book, like its cover is adrenaline filled excitement. It’s my first time reading Pargin and this reminds me a lot of Duane Swierczynski’s novels. Over the top, nonstop action.
Pargin gets compared a lot and I think that Chuck Palahniuk is an obvious place to start. The book is immensely readable even to people who probably don’t pick up a lot of books. There is a lot of cultural critique and references. Pargin ultimately sounds a hopeful and positive note. (Pargin seems to get a lot of Vonnegut comparisons too. I don’t see it but the authors are from two different eras)
In some ways these positives are probably also negatives (at least to some people). References to hot off the press items like Reddit, Bitcoin, Lyft, and Buc-ees convenience stores may not age well
But who cares? As those hippy 60s Sci Fi writers did much the same and are still loved for the way they could write.
I have to say that I really have no complaints with the book but I understand some who might. It is big and loud, obscene and profane, but you can probably tell that’s what you are signing up for when you look at the cover.
It switches character points of view often. Though for me, I thought this was fine. Pargin really provides some detailed memorable characters. I did like the plot too which was like a car crash.
I had no trouble guessing Pargin was a Gen Xer writing about a millennial. There were a few moments where it seemed the characters might get away from him. I do feel like part of me wants to pull apart some of the story. But the thing is I do think it generally works. It was a fun read and it is 400 pages which seems lengthy, I can’t say that I ever was bored or felt it dragged along. (It’s also tempting to say this as Palahniuk hit so big and his reputation seems to have mostly taken a beating. Pargin has also had a great deal of success and dabbles in this super- culturally aware high adrenaline adventure. I don’t think Pargin will go that route but if easy to think of the comparison).
Anyway, I dug it for what it was. If the idea of a novel that uses Reddit comments to move the plot along is not your bag, you should probably skip it. But if you like high octane over the top action, it’s pretty good.
I picked up this book because it was getting a lot of positive buzz. There were a couple of other books/series out at the same time and when that happI picked up this book because it was getting a lot of positive buzz. There were a couple of other books/series out at the same time and when that happens, it’s always exciting.
I really really like this. Stevenson is a great writer and it can be a balancing act but I enjoyed the way he wrote witty banter that kept things moving.
The idea of the book is at once familiar and fresh. He is writing a mystery while comparing it to classic genre tropes. That’s fair as it seems every mystery is indebted to Agatha Christie and all who came after and that’s fun. (It probably isn’t as original as it sounds. That’s the plot of the Scream movies isn’t it?)
(Also lest we forget, the “everyone has killed� line is a great hook and of course makes one think of “And Then There Were None�)
Weirdly the least interesting part was the whodunit. It’s a great setup and decent action scenes and it’s all tied up in the end, but I never really felt that invested in who was doing what.
There are possible explanations. Stevenson is so good at the other elements. There are a lot of characters and that is good for possibilities but is a lot for the reader to take in ( it sounds like this will be a HBO series or movie and in that element, it likely will be amazing). But mostly I think it gets overcomplicated when it may have been better to keep it simple. ( I read a few mysteries so i understand the trick of not making it too simple. In any case in an audio/visual context, it will likely be better).
I will definitely check out the next book in the series which is getting positive buzz. We will see if Stevenson works out some of the things that bring his writing down, but even if he doesn’t, his snappy ability to tell a story with smart wit will be probably enough for me to continue on....more
This book does what it says on the cover which is tell the 2 Tone Records story. In many ways, the story of the Specials is entwined with that. Relate This book does what it says on the cover which is tell the 2 Tone Records story. In many ways, the story of the Specials is entwined with that. Related bands like Madness and the (English) Beat were involved and tangentially important.
I think by staying true to the concept, the book is better for it. The book won a lot of awards for music writing and deservedly so. Author Daniel Rachel seems to have interviewed everyone involved and when conflicting stories pop up, he will tell all versions.
Which makes this a great music book regardless if you are a diehard fan or a novice. What amazes me is how short the heyday of 2 Tone was. May 1979 was the release of Gangsters and June 1981 was the release of Ghost Town (with Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Neville Staple leaving subsequently to form Fun Boy Three).
Even as an American music fan, I see these are wildly different eras. The Specials formed in 1977 amidst punk, unemployment, National Front tensions, Rock Against Racism and heavy unemployment. At the end, New Wave has taken over and the Falklands War is on the horizon.
The rise of the band is lightning fast and the idea of 2 Tone surely seems ahead of its time. Sure I can think of many artists who had record labels- Beatles, Stones, Zappa but the idea of a boutique label launching new artists (with major label backing) and a similar sound and vision is the kind of thing that didn’t really take off until the 90s.
That said, it’s a blessing and a curse. The Beat and Madness saw the allure of more money and publicity. The Bodysnatchers and The Selecter made great singles but would not survive band infighting. UB40 would chart a different non-2 Tone path altogether as agreed upon by all parties involved.
Rachel makes sure Jerry Dammers is able to tell his point of view. An oversimplified characterization might otherwise fall into place. Dammers was a task manager who perhaps worked the band too hard. His principles put art over money and seeked to avoid the hypocrisy of Joe Strummer and the punks. On the other hand, remember this was a nine person band with Dammers, Hall, Staple, Golding and Roddy Byers all capable of fronting a band on their own.
Also the slim construct of what “the 2Tone sound� is was also a blessing and a curse. Decades later, it means the label is still much venerated decades later. However, it also was so slim that the label was unable to grow that much.
It’s probably not surprising that Dammers wanted to change his song for the second Specials album. What is surprising is that the new influence on him was something he heard in America- Muzak.
While it was not a huge commercial success and was part of a rollercoaster ride to the band breaking up, I think More Specials holds up. Even more so, as the band fell apart, the band recorded “Ghost Town�. As much as it’s a low point in the story, the song is truly timeless.
Similarly the “third� album In the Studio by the band now dubbed The Special AKA was a boondoggle. Of course, in retrospect, Jerry had to essentially restart the band in an incredibly short time frame. Yet again, one single “Free Nelson Mandela� is one that is transcendent.
Another major chapter of the band’s life that goes horribly wrong is the 1981 documentary Dance Craze. In this case, a missed opportunity maybe to tell more of the story and a document that faded quickly into obscurity (like so much of the 2 Tone Story- time has rewarded that narrow focus- but it was also a barrier to sales and growth) but last year was rediscovered and instantly caused a buzz.
This is a great book at telling the story of a special moment in time. How a bunch of extremely talented artists worked together to create something unique while having to deal with the issues of the day - sexism, racism, music label problems and infighting. ...more
Liberals may wonder if he is a shady Dick Cheney type character running the show behind the scenes. Readers of Wolff's Fire and FuryWho is Mike Pence?
Liberals may wonder if he is a shady Dick Cheney type character running the show behind the scenes. Readers of Wolff's Fire and Fury may wonder if Pence fits in at all, since he was a non-character in the book about Bannon, JarVanka, and the GOP's influence on Trump.
The answer is he's probably just a regular Vice President. This would be a nice companion piece to Fire and Fury if you were so inclined. Like that book, it is very readable, and can be read quickly. The benefit to this book is that LoBianco has been following Pence for years, and it also doesn't suffer from being a rush publishing job like Wolff's.
The two words in the title define Pence. I get from LoBianco that Pence's religious conviction is real. While it seems the most vocal about their religious beliefs almost certainly seem the most to be caught in scandal, Pence seems legit. Pence may even be likeable. One wonders if he had taken a different route that he might grow into the role of beloved political icon like Bob Dole.
The other part is as important, if not overriding. Pence is ambitious, and his ultimate goal is the White House. I think Pence at times, chose the path of inaction to not chance risking that road. In some ways, I think his reputation as a homophobe is a direct result of him trying to be all things to all people, and what ensued from that decision.
Pence is as unlikely as a success story (surely Mitch Daniels had better chances) but he's played it well. Surely, some his choices that seem like he was hanging back, served him better than appearing ambitious. Indeed, the highpoint is when Pence is named VP- sort of the ultimate "I am not going to do anything one way or the other and Let God handle it".
Although I don't know everyone will be excited to read about Pence. This is a solid book. It is very readable, and though Conservatives will be bound to attack it, it is quite evenhanded. For politicos, the inside look at Indiana politics is as good as it gets for books like this. There are plenty of insightful (and sometimes early) cameos like Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, Chris Christie, Rush Limbaugh, John Boehner and many more.
After the excitement of the Veepstakes, Pence might be the most important running mate selection in some time. As the book wraps up, the two sides of Pence come into direct competition. Even then, Pence must not rock the boat to jeopardize what may be next for him. It may be depressing to Dems and NeverTrumpers, but that seems to be where he has landed, and if you have been paying attention the whole time, not surprising.
Recommended to all readers of political non-fiction.
Merged review:
Who is Mike Pence?
Liberals may wonder if he is a shady Dick Cheney type character running the show behind the scenes. Readers of Wolff's Fire and Fury may wonder if Pence fits in at all, since he was a non-character in the book about Bannon, JarVanka, and the GOP's influence on Trump.
The answer is he's probably just a regular Vice President. This would be a nice companion piece to Fire and Fury if you were so inclined. Like that book, it is very readable, and can be read quickly. The benefit to this book is that LoBianco has been following Pence for years, and it also doesn't suffer from being a rush publishing job like Wolff's.
The two words in the title define Pence. I get from LoBianco that Pence's religious conviction is real. While it seems the most vocal about their religious beliefs almost certainly seem the most to be caught in scandal, Pence seems legit. Pence may even be likeable. One wonders if he had taken a different route that he might grow into the role of beloved political icon like Bob Dole.
The other part is as important, if not overriding. Pence is ambitious, and his ultimate goal is the White House. I think Pence at times, chose the path of inaction to not chance risking that road. In some ways, I think his reputation as a homophobe is a direct result of him trying to be all things to all people, and what ensued from that decision.
Pence is as unlikely as a success story (surely Mitch Daniels had better chances) but he's played it well. Surely, some his choices that seem like he was hanging back, served him better than appearing ambitious. Indeed, the highpoint is when Pence is named VP- sort of the ultimate "I am not going to do anything one way or the other and Let God handle it".
Although I don't know everyone will be excited to read about Pence. This is a solid book. It is very readable, and though Conservatives will be bound to attack it, it is quite evenhanded. For politicos, the inside look at Indiana politics is as good as it gets for books like this. There are plenty of insightful (and sometimes early) cameos like Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, Chris Christie, Rush Limbaugh, John Boehner and many more.
After the excitement of the Veepstakes, Pence might be the most important running mate selection in some time. As the book wraps up, the two sides of Pence come into direct competition. Even then, Pence must not rock the boat to jeopardize what may be next for him. It may be depressing to Dems and NeverTrumpers, but that seems to be where he has landed, and if you have been paying attention the whole time, not surprising.
Recommended to all readers of political non-fiction....more
This was a gift book but definitely in my wheelhouse. I remember looking at my grandparents� encyclopedias and reading the history of sports. These bo This was a gift book but definitely in my wheelhouse. I remember looking at my grandparents� encyclopedias and reading the history of sports. These books were from the 1960s and Football certainly lacked the storied history of other sports at that time.
And this book explains some of that. The NFL may have started in the 1920s but it was an uphill climb for decades.
This book sounds like it is a story of the early years but the subtitle is more indicative of what you get. This is the story of the NFL as told through the five most important men in the early days of the league.
This isn’t a flashy quick read but I loved the way it gave so much knowledge. Art Rooney, George Halas, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, and Bert Bell weren’t the only owners but they really were the main decision makers of the league.
In the early days, pro football was not considered serious sport. College football rules the day, but the pro leagues were secondary entertainment.
Although the owners didn’t always get along with each other and wanted to win, somehow always managed to put the priorities of the league ahead of their own.
And for that, this book is fantastic. Football struggled mightily but the persistence and smart acumen of the owners was able to overcome the hurdles. When things started to turn around, World War 2 came along and though the league came out of the other end more successful, it was an incredibly difficult time and the owners had to work together.
In the 1950s when ideas came along that challenged the status quo- integration and westward movement to name two- the opportunity opened up for a competitor the AAFC. Once again the owners went into survival mode and did what was best for the league. Another change was Television, a difficult river to navigate, yet again it was the right moves the NFL made.
It really is told in a fantastic way. All of the things we take for granted had to start somewhere but are novel ideas at the time. For example, breaking the league up into two divisions for a year end Championship is the birth of the Super Bowl (In 1938, Mara presciently suggested having it at a warmer neutral field in Florida, an idea nearly 30 years before its time).
The league starts as local teams with local players but evolves out of necessity. The idea of a draft is a brilliant suggestion to get teams on equal footing. Now, it was against the consistent winning teams� best interests but having a competitive league was the most important thing. I am not sure another group of men would have landed at that same conclusion.
Over time, great marketing decisions and great in-game changes helped build the NFL and differentiate the sport from college football. Rule changes to make the sport exciting on the field with more action and even the idea of Halftime entertainment are of great importance. Then the break from college football with allowing more substitutions and changing from the concept of Ironman football to offensive and defensive specialists was a big win for the NFL.
Most of the owners do come off as being likable. Rooney who seemed to be selfless often at the cost of winning. Halas who often had to make the rough decisions. Bell who wasn’t a successful owner but ended up as the league’s first Commissioner and definitely the right selection for the job. Then there’s Marshall who was responsible for so many right changes but decades later is defined by his famous flaw- a resistance to integration.
I wouldn’t have thought to tell the story this way but the colorful characters could lend themselves to a movie or tv series. In that, it becomes a more interesting tale than just being a football story. ...more
This came as a recommendation from an old friend who clearly gets me.
This is a retelling of the Frankenstein story as written through 21st Century eyThis came as a recommendation from an old friend who clearly gets me.
This is a retelling of the Frankenstein story as written through 21st Century eyes. It has been more than a few years since I read Frankenstein but I really enjoyed it. I don’t have enough recall to see how close this is. But for all intents and purposes, I really feel like this has the feel of a Gothic novel.
So to say I really enjoyed it. Plus, it’s enough of a change that it doesn’t necessarily repeat the story so I wondered where it was going, and really enjoyed the twists and turns.
The biggest complaint in reviews I have seen is pacing, but I didn’t really feel that at all. I found it compelling and never got bored except maybe towards the very last few pages when I just wanted to get to the ending. Maybe it’s a generational or genre thing where things have to be totally action oriented at all times, but I never once wanted to put it down.
Another thing that is hard to miss about this book is how it is marketed as being feminist and being queer. So I probably sound like an old fogie when I talk about this because this book wouldn’t be marketed to me at all; and it is those things, but it is not only those things, which means I wouldn’t steer anyone away from this book for those reasons.
Which again may inform readers� expectorations. I simply wanted a modern update on the telling of a Frankenstein story and I feel liked this was a very successful attempt at that. Having recent read a period piece cozy mystery that really leaned into a strong feminist protagonist and historical references, it’s hard for an artist to pull this kind of thing off and not be too heavy handed, but I thought McGill deftly navigated those waters.
I really don’t want to share too much as I went into it pretty spoiler free but suffice to say it’s our hero Mary who finds about her great uncle Victor Frankenstein’s lost journal. ...more
I probably didn’t need to read a book on Pete Rose but the cover was filled with compliments from some of my favorite sportswriters.
We know the story I probably didn’t need to read a book on Pete Rose but the cover was filled with compliments from some of my favorite sportswriters.
We know the story of Rose. I think for me, as a kid, I didn’t realize that most of Rose’s career was already behind him. He seemed to loom large. Even know, those favorites of youth seem to be forgotten as they get compared to the mega stars of that previous generation.
But this book was so well written that I couldn’t put it down. Rose truly is a great literary character. He’s not Mickey Mantle or some other person with this God given talent. He grinded out everyday to achieve more than his potential.
Yet, he was completely self destructive. As admirable as his positive qualities are, he seemed to revel equally in his vices like women and gambling.
Rose is an interesting story of a time that falls between the age where sports reporters swept things under the rug and this current environment where there is no privacy for the 24/7.
Rose feels like a soap opera character that is on a route for disaster. Yet, even after we hear about his failings, we can’t help but ask rhetorically- why couldn’t he just admit his wrongdoing and move on.
But he couldn’t. Like he couldn’t stop gambling- even when he was constantly losing, even when the last resort seemed to be betting on baseball.
It’s hard to put in words why O’Neil nails it. I suppose it is all the research he put in it and the people he interviewed including Rose. It’s not treated in a sensationalist way, though that would have been the easy route.
Perhaps it is Rose’s charisma. I have to admit that I didn’t know the level of detail. Yet, as with many of the supporting characters here, there’s a certain level of disbelief. This was Pete Rose. No one wanted to win more than him.
The many stories we associate with Rose- his collison with Ray Fosse in the seemingly unimportant All Star game, the feud with team mate Johnny Bench who Rose was surely jealous of, and the relationship with the feisty Marge Schott.
But also Rose’s dogged determination to chase Ty Cobb’s impossible Hits record, the ability to help his team by playing multiple positions and his ability to come through in the clutch.
It truly is a fascinating story that I couldn’t put down. The book doesn’t detail much after the prison sentence. O’Neil admits that Rose didn’t want to talk about it, which may be part of the reason. It is also probably as not as compelling as the story until that point. Still, it doesn’t leave out that while Baseball decided to take down Rose, the Steroid era was beginning with nary any oversight. Also, in the more modern day, gambling outlets are big business partners with baseball, surely an irony of the whole situation. ...more
I bought this book at a school book fair for my 3rd grader. He likes Astronomy. I wasn’t excited to get it. He didn’t like it much either. It seemed cI bought this book at a school book fair for my 3rd grader. He likes Astronomy. I wasn’t excited to get it. He didn’t like it much either. It seemed confusing.
Now my younger son turned to that age (3rd Grade) and he picked it up. He absolutely loves it and won’t put it down. He quotes from it quite constantly. He is excited about the constellations and we have discussions about personalities and predestiny. I am not sold on Astrology but these are great conversations. The book seems much easier to digest than I remember from years ago.
I picked up Knausgaard because a friend has been reading him. I have to admit the trepidation of the book with the author reminding me of the existentI picked up Knausgaard because a friend has been reading him. I have to admit the trepidation of the book with the author reminding me of the existentialist of similar name and the content resembling difficult poetry.
I know little about him and Google results are more hilarious than insightful. One page compare him to Kierkegaard while another compares him to the Kardashians.
Another top result was a feminist screed that concludes no male writer will ever be worthwhile as males have never known struggle. She then lists a dozen writes (of which Knausgaard is one)- the most well regarded white male writers of the last century. To be fair, with a couple of exceptions, I can’t stand those buzzed about writers she listed.
But I ended up liking Knausgaard a lot. I didn’t opt for his most famous title - the unfortunately named My Struggle (seriously?) but one of his works that was written as letters to an unborn daughter that almost reads like a journal (Autumn).
Criticism online says it sounds like he is working through writing prompts and perhaps it does. It goes from what might otherwise be Andy Rooney/ stand up comedy stuff like Jellyfish, Ambulances and Petrol (Oil) to occasional unmentionables (Vomit, Piss, Labia) to some real insight like Van Gogh and Flaubert.
At the end of the day, a great writer will make anything seem insightful and I find Knausgaard completely charming. Its art, so I can’t put my finger on it, and I am trying not to badmouth anyone by name, some avoids the “look at me I am a genius� cliche so many modern writers fall into.
Each topic is roughly two pages, just long enough to not wear out its welcome. The much regarded “My Struggle� is likely a very different book but this means I might tackle it. Like Henry Miller, I am not sure why I feel a particular pull to a writer that isn’t nominally different but somehow has a magical way of putting words together in an interesting order....more
I never read Ronson’s 2015s book which was a huge sensation at the time. I have since become a fan of his podcasts. Things Fell Apart documents the re I never read Ronson’s 2015s book which was a huge sensation at the time. I have since become a fan of his podcasts. Things Fell Apart documents the recent cultural divide and is incredibly well done. So I decided to go back to this book.
I have heard enough of his podcasts that this seemed immediately recognizable. But I think Ronson is so good at what he does.
Now almost a decade on, many of these stories are now pretty much forgotten but were huge stories at the time.
Also, it seems a lifetime ago post- Elon buying Twitter and post the 45 Administration. The points of posting a dumb joke or story that gets you fired is real, but the modern era of Twitter/X is filled with people for whom outrage is the goal.
Now, we couldn’t have this conversation without talking about “cancel culture� and idea everyone seems to be against, but also seems to be the first thing so many people go to.
But at the time of the writing, we were still navigating social media. Ronson ties in a lot of different threads- a judge who used shaming, historical puritanical shaming, and the unashamed Max Mosley.
I also think the manipulation of Google results while still fascinating is no longer as newsworthy.
Ironically, the book probably did dredge some of these news stories back into the public. Hopefully, Ronson did a good job when he decided to give them a chance to air the side.
The book is a quick and interesting read. I would expect Ronson might want to revisit it down the future as we move from those who made bad jokes they shouldn’t have to the era of trolls who don’t care about the shame ...more
I was born in the mid 70s so my NBA stars were Magic and Bird, and a few of the players from the previous decade who remained stars like Julius Erving I was born in the mid 70s so my NBA stars were Magic and Bird, and a few of the players from the previous decade who remained stars like Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But as a kid who loved sports, I read about those stars of the preceding years and I was quite aware of the 70s New York Knicks alongside people like Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Wes Unseld, Jerry West and others.
Like the 80s Lakers who I loved, I could name most of those 70s Knicks because I read about them. They were a team of stars- Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Earl Monroe, Phil Jackson and coach Red Holtzman.
As a fan, the 1970 NBA finals is cinematic and by now, I have seen it covered extensively. Famously and improbably, Willis Reed came back from injury to play in Game 7 in the kind of drama that usually only happens in pro wrestling or Hollywood movies.
The alignment of stars and the location of New York is the reason the 1970 Knicks are famous but like the similar 1986 Mets perhaps it also has to do with the ensuing decades of losing.
That said, Araton makes his convincing case that the “Old Knicks� were just that great - not only bridging the NBA into the mainstream attention but also by being that good.
The Old Knicks were unselfish in a way that seems almost archaic now. Truly playing as a team, they were able to win it all not only in 1970 but also 1973. (They also reached the NBA finals in 1972 and played in six consecutive Eastern Conference finals from 1969 to 1974. They played some great contemporary teams in the Celtics, Lakers and Bullets.
This book was a great read. Like so many similar books, he wants to tell the story of the relevant seasons and a “where are they now�. But so many of those kinds of books get bogged down in detail. This one never does.
I can’t spend time to discuss all the subplots but remember this was happening during Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement. It’s also a good snapshot of the NBA- where it was- the way college basketball and the NBA draft had greatly changed - and the way it became the entertainment enterprise it is now- with stars like Walt Frazier embracing the image and stars like Woody Allen and Dustin Hoffman watching games courtside.
Also, the Reed game reminds us of a time before social media and 24/7 sports news coverage. The acquisition of Earl Monroe still provokes thought. He left a team where he was loved and got a championship and more dollars because of it. He also was unselfish in coming over to the Knicks and as one of the best to ever play the game settled to fit in where he could to help the team win. Over and over again, the thought of team over individual play shows why the Knicks were loved and also successful (that Phil Jackson would be able to become the most successful of NBA coaches shows that lesson was well learned)
ESPN has since made a documentary of the book but both are worthwhile since the book covers a level of detail that the Doc can’t. This one has gained a reputation as one of the great sports books but it is well deserved as it does reach those heights.
The last chapter focuses on the blunders and failings of the resulting decades- it’s the book’s only misstep. He makes the case how special the Old Knicks were. But the new Knicks were dealt the card of fate, bad luck and a historically terrible owner James Dolan. The book ends with a blatant parallel to the election of Obama - which was well meaning but now sounds dated (you would never otherwise guess the book is over a decade old unless you followed the team enough to know Bill Bradley and Willis Reed have recently passed). Also the book was published about four months before Linsanity- the time of story that would have fit in of a player named Jeremy Lin who was an unlikely star. ...more
This book definitely feels out of the trend in the 2010s for fun 1970s sports story books written by people like Dan Epstein and Jason Turbow. Maybe m This book definitely feels out of the trend in the 2010s for fun 1970s sports story books written by people like Dan Epstein and Jason Turbow. Maybe more than anything it recalls the work of Jeff Pearlman who writes a complimentary blurb for the cover.
Which is fine, I love those weird sports stories and the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers asks for one. Along with the 1962 Mets, the Bucs were one of the historically worst teams ever. They were an expansion team and they definitely didn’t get much in terms of resources to compete with the established teams.
This one is fun. Like Pearlman, the main focus is on the weird uniqueness of the team, though Vuic does a nice job of summarizing the games too.
It gives a nice background of the area (there’s no real “Tampa Bay�) and the movement to get the team. There’s quite a few characters here. Coach John MacKay obviously. He had some great one liners but the my seemed to be from grim frustration than humor.
Most think of him as the man when asked “what do you think of the team’s execution� famously answered “I am in favor of it�. Vuic tries to track this down and perhaps it’s appcrypal as no one can pin a date to it (and it’s a joke that was old when the Marx Brothers used it) but somehow it’s befitting of the Yucks.
MacKay is funny yet humorless. An elitist coach living in past college football glory. Yet, it can be said McKay was interested in building a competitive team (even more than in winning in the moment) and the record shows he did do that.
The team is a cast of misfits right out of Hollywood football comedies like Necessary Roughness. Yet, let’s not totally pigeonhole a team that had a great defense for most of those terrible two years.
Lee Roy Selmon was a great player. I never really met him but was able to spend some time in his company and he truly was one of the nicest athletes around.
After a winless first season and terrible second season, the team makes the playoffs in their fourth year. A large credit can be given to Doug Williams, probably the first significant African American quarterback to go from college to the NFL. (Warren Moon was great too but he played in Canada first as he was likely going to be sitting on a bench otherwise).
This is where the Hollywood ending would be but Vuic needs that last chapter and epilogue to finish the story. Bucs owner Hugh Culverhouse is so notoriously obsessed with profit and low payrolls that he won’t pay Williams even the pay that a decent backup Quarterback would receive.
Williams leaves when the USFL forms and the Bucs return to the lovable losers without the lovable part even with McKay’s best efforts.
The results of the 80s and most of the 90s until Culverhouse dies seem laughable. This counts some awful trades but often times, it simply is there is no money or effort spent on player development.
Post Culverhouse, McKay’s son Rich is in charge of player development and the team acquired coach Jon Gruden. They win the 2002 Super Bowl with a lot of homegrown talent.
The team has had various peaks and valleys since that win, mostly valleys when this book was written. In the epilogue, Vuic discusses what made the 76 Bucs so special and how that the landscape has changed. For starters, they were national jokes on Johnny Carson’s show- a large national viewing unlike the fractured audiences of today. But most importantly, the sports leagues have realized adding an uncompetitive team to the league doesn’t benefit them and they have tried to level the playing field.
Vuic does a good job of writing that fun sports story that is specific to that certain time and place. ...more
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