Victor makes some decent inferences about the creation of a personality geared towards vengeful destruction, and provides credible supporting evidence...moreVictor makes some decent inferences about the creation of a personality geared towards vengeful destruction, and provides credible supporting evidence to support a good part of his views. He seems to get a bit squeamish when talking about Hitler's sexual fetishes and seems to lose touch with his psychological analysis the further you read. I would consider it a well-written and interesting book that provides a necessary perspective on how society creates its destroyers.(less)
Though I'm a Browns fan, this was a pretty good read about an unusual team in a changing time. The author admits to being a Steeler fan, but does a re...moreThough I'm a Browns fan, this was a pretty good read about an unusual team in a changing time. The author admits to being a Steeler fan, but does a remarkable job maintaining his objectivity. He also did a thorough job with his research. At times the character sketches that open each chapter (each chapter is one game in the season) drag on a bit long, but all in all an entertaining and educational book. (less)
The author dominates the book so much you learn very little about the Rolling Stones that you couldn't read in a gossip column. His version of the his...moreThe author dominates the book so much you learn very little about the Rolling Stones that you couldn't read in a gossip column. His version of the history of The Stones focuses more on drugs and women than the music, a choice that may sell the book to the public but is hardly a fair assessment of The Stones' contribution to musical history. We hear Mr. Booth whine about his contract, bitch about his life situation and about how many joints he lit, but very little about the subjects of the story. His quotes at the beginning of the chapters are both irrelevant and self-promoting. His elevation of the symbolic importance of Altamont comes across as absurd and pointless. Avoid this book at all costs.(less)
An excellent and thorough overview of the great Delta Blues players, covering their music, influence and personal histories (to the extent possible)....moreAn excellent and thorough overview of the great Delta Blues players, covering their music, influence and personal histories (to the extent possible). The sections on Skip James and Muddy Waters are particularly interesting; the section on Robert Johnson tends to get bogged down in scholarly dispute. The most vivid sections of the book deal with life in The Delta, which consisted of hardships the average American would find difficult to imagine. Ted Gioia is an accomplished scholar of both jazz and blues; his research and analysis of the work of other researchers is impeccable.(less)
Not the best basketball book I've ever read. Too much repetition of ongoing contract disputes and salary cap problems ruins the narrative flow until t...moreNot the best basketball book I've ever read. Too much repetition of ongoing contract disputes and salary cap problems ruins the narrative flow until the end of the book and the playoff run. (less)
I often read books written by people who have views that are vastly different than mine (I mean, what's the point of reading what you already agree wi...moreI often read books written by people who have views that are vastly different than mine (I mean, what's the point of reading what you already agree with?). Still, I was hoping for at least a relatively intelligent presentation of the conservative viewpoint and was sorely disappointed. Everything pretty much boils down to "The Founding Fathers said it, so it must be right," which is as stupid as stupid gets. Conveniently ignoring that fact that we live in more complex society with somewhat more advanced communication technology than the Pony Express, Goldwater essentially argues that the federal government really has no business doing much of anything and that we should let the states and individuals take care of health care, civil rights and every other topic under the sun. I did agree with him on one subject (I don't believe that anyone should be forced to join a union), but thought the rest of his ideas were pretty silly and dangerously naive. The real problem is that while we do need the federal government to deal with things that require coordination and synchronization between the states and other government entities, we still haven't figured out a way to make the federal government more efficient, effective and responsive to its customers.(less)
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