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August 04
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Jeffrey
is currently reading:
Everyday Drinking (Hardcover)
by Kingsley Amis
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jeffrey
is currently reading:
The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals (Hardcover)
by Jane Mayer
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jeffrey
is currently reading:
Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback (Paperback)
by George Plimpton
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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July 30
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Jeffrey
gave
to:
War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism (Hardcover)
by Douglas J. Feith
bookshelves:
biography,
conservatism,
required-reading,
war
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Jeffrey said:
"I have now finished this book and I can honestly say that I am shocked by the lack of attention that the media has given to this very important work. If there needed to be further proof of the bias or laziness of the mainstream media, it is their lac...more
I have now finished this book and I can honestly say that I am shocked by the lack of attention that the media has given to this very important work. If there needed to be further proof of the bias or laziness of the mainstream media, it is their lack of professionalism in this subject.
Feith has written the story that was up to that point untold – the truth behind the decisions made in the run-up to the war with Iraq. He further paints a picture that is counter to the outsider accounts that have been trumpeted by the media ever since the war began. That accounts such as Scott McClellan can be looked at by serious people and not be laugh at is telling. Feith has gone to great lengths to provide accurate and documented evidence through notes that back up his story, others most certainly have not. The damage done to the OFFICE of Defense Secretary through partisan laziness cannot be understood at the present.
As with most accounts from people that work with Rumsfeld daily, he does not come off as sinister as the media and Colin Powell would have you believe (and the inverse is true about Powell, he never comes at well when the truth is out there). The CIA is seen as dysfunctional as we know it to be. This work is an important first step in discovering what went wrong in the administration.
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July 23
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Jeffrey
gave
to:
Salt: A World History (Paperback)
by Mark Kurlansky
bookshelves:
biography,
escapism
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2007
Jeffrey said:
"Who would ever think that a biography of salt would be compelling? Well, the author has actually produced a very interesting history of salt and the salt trade throughout history.
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Jeffrey
gave
to:
After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival (Hardcover)
by Robin Gaby Fisher (Goodreads author!)
bookshelves:
biography
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Jeffrey said:
"After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival
In January of 2000, a fire spread throughout the freshman dorm at Seton Hall, killing three and burning scores of others. This book follows the recovery and turmoil caused to two roommates t...more
After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival
In January of 2000, a fire spread throughout the freshman dorm at Seton Hall, killing three and burning scores of others. This book follows the recovery and turmoil caused to two roommates that were burned in that fire. The Boland Hall fire was set by two students for reasons still unknown and unclear. Yet, the book focuses on the recovery and friendship of Shaw and Alvaro, two roommates caught in the blaze.
The story is sad, yet uplifting and eventually happy. To get there you have to endure the struggles in the burn center and the investigation into the fire that pits police against soulless monsters that inhabit our youth. The accomplishments of Shawn and Alvaro are truly uplifting and the angelic work of the Doctors and nurses at Saint Barnabas make this book a real pleasure to read. The author chose the perfect voice for her work, she could have turned this story into a dark tale of evil, but the goodness of the people really stand out.
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Jeffrey
gave
to:
To This Day (Hardcover)
by Shmuel Yosef Agnon
bookshelves:
classics-above-others,
fiction,
literature-canon,
must-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Jeffrey said:
"Never has a piece of comic literature hit me as hard as this little book. Recounting the journey of a Jewish man caught up in the First World War as a civilian in Germany. The book is his tale of journey through the country to provide a service for a...more
Never has a piece of comic literature hit me as hard as this little book. Recounting the journey of a Jewish man caught up in the First World War as a civilian in Germany. The book is his tale of journey through the country to provide a service for a widow and the people he meets along the way as he searches for a room. This comic tale is a subtle indictment against human egoism as it is a commentary on exile, loneliness and Zionism. The book was first written in Hebrew and now translated by Hillel Halkin into a beautifully strong English version.
I had never read any of Agnon’s works before this book. I now see that he deserves a place with the finest writers that are celebrated. This is the type of work I always wish Chabon would write, but rarely does he match this luminary from the past. One finds themselves traveling with the narrator as he encounters friends and family from his past in the most detached way.
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Jeffrey
gave
to:
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (P.S.)
by James L. Swanson
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Jeffrey
gave
to:
A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign (Hardcover)
by Edward J. Larson
bookshelves:
biography,
current-events,
history,
war
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Jeffrey said:
"A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign
Edward Larson has followed up his Pulitzer Prize winning The Summer of the Gods, with a timely look at the first contested election in the United St...more
A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign
Edward Larson has followed up his Pulitzer Prize winning The Summer of the Gods, with a timely look at the first contested election in the United States history. Filled with rich detail and vigor, the book shows that our elections have always been poisonous affairs that can destroy friendships and families. The book is a perfect fit for our current election cycle.
The book chronicles the first partisan election and how the party system came to be. Whether it is the wheeling dealing of Aaron Burr or the sabotage of Adams by Hamilton, the stories stand out for how closely they mirror current events. The death of the original intents of the framers in electing the Chief executive is plainly shown, as is the flavor of later day contests. This book is an enjoyable history of political events.
Yet, as I read this book some thing kept popping up in my thoughts that I could not contain. John McCain can be seen as a current day John Adams. Not the John Adams that we now know, but the Adams as seen at the time. As the book clearly shows, Adams was a candidate for a party that did not support him as is McCain. Just as McCain’s support of the Patriot Act is causing conniptions in the media, Adams had the Alien and Sedition Acts that caused media eruptions. McCain is known for his violent temper and his raging rhetoric when angered, as was Adams. This does not mean that Obama is Jefferson, though. There is no correlation available.
As the time is ripe for Veep picks, let us see if the candidates follow the pattern set from the book. Obama would need to chose a toady that can shore up the southern vote (Edwars current troubles leave him on the bench) and McCain will need to pick a party beloved or respected by the Party faithful. We are waiting…
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Jeffrey
added:
Where to Invade Next (Hardcover)
by Editors of McSweeney's
bookshelves:
war
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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