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March 12
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Patrick
gave
 
to:
Me Talk Pretty One Day (Paperback)
by David Sedaris
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Patrick said:
"By far his best effort... because he shys away from being sentimental with his family and just focuses on great stories. The sentimentality comes through, and is better unintended, if that makes any sense. Has to be one of the wittiest men on the pla...more
By far his best effort... because he shys away from being sentimental with his family and just focuses on great stories. The sentimentality comes through, and is better unintended, if that makes any sense. Has to be one of the wittiest men on the planet....less
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Patrick
gave
to:
A Confederacy of Dunces (Hardcover)
by John Kennedy Toole
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my rating:
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Patrick said:
"Ignatius is one of the most brilliantly, meticulously conjured characters I've read about in such a long time. Everything about him is funny... he's a fat lazy sloth too smart for the world around him, yet unbeknownst to him so engulfed in it and suc...more
Ignatius is one of the most brilliantly, meticulously conjured characters I've read about in such a long time. Everything about him is funny... he's a fat lazy sloth too smart for the world around him, yet unbeknownst to him so engulfed in it and such a product of it though he'd never admit it. I'm going to read this again....less
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Patrick
gave
to:
Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda (Paperback)
by Michael Barnett
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my rating:
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Patrick said:
"It is a sad world where its generally agreed upon worldwide governing body cannot/ will not stand in the face of blatant crimes of war, whether or not they want to haggle over the use of the term genocide. This book describes precisely how the UN act...more
It is a sad world where its generally agreed upon worldwide governing body cannot/ will not stand in the face of blatant crimes of war, whether or not they want to haggle over the use of the term genocide. This book describes precisely how the UN acts: by talking, talking, hearing justified reasons of why it should act and diplomatic, bureaucratic, self-interested reasons why it doesn't. They were receiving real-time information on what was happening, and all the governing bodies who could do anything about it just didn't do it. This book provides sound insight as to why the UN doesnt get the respect it should, doesnt have the authority it should, and doesnt function as it should, all while keeping the ideal in mind that its the only way we're ever going to get along in an increasingly intertwined global neighborhood....less
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Patrick
gave
to:
Madame Secretary: The Story of Madeleine Albright (Notable Americans)
by Jeremy Byman
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my rating:
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Patrick said:
"Lots of great insight into the Clinton administration, but pages 200-400 can easily be removed. I don't need to know how she made it through an all girls boarding school, I want to know how she convinced the world to go into Eastern Europe after the...more
Lots of great insight into the Clinton administration, but pages 200-400 can easily be removed. I don't need to know how she made it through an all girls boarding school, I want to know how she convinced the world to go into Eastern Europe after they didn't go into Rwanda. She also pines a little too hard toward colleagues... which I guess is part of the political beast, but she couldn't mention anybody's name without a one line ass-pat like "Scowcroft, who makes the best apple tarts" or "Berger, who always makes me smile on rainy days in November." You do that before you get the job, not after. Again though, great insight into Clinton and I loved to read about how Bush tore everything down that Clinton was so close to achieving, didn't give a damn about the Middle East peace effort and didn't even return the phone calls of foreign dignitaries who Clinton was negotiating with if it didn't serve his immediate interest. Although it isnt generally news to anyone, still interesting to learn the specifics....less
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Patrick
gave
to:
Against All Enemies (Paperback)
by Richard Clarke
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my rating:
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Patrick said:
"Read it awhile ago, but it was the first book that disproved all the rumors that the US was doing nothing to stop Bin Laden. This guy is one smart cookie, hence his position as guarding the nation against terrorists. Quite entertaining, and a littl...more
Read it awhile ago, but it was the first book that disproved all the rumors that the US was doing nothing to stop Bin Laden. This guy is one smart cookie, hence his position as guarding the nation against terrorists. Quite entertaining, and a little frustrating too to learn that bureaucracy is such an integral part of decisions that have a direct effect on whether the US can use full force against terrorists, for whatever the reason. ...less
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Patrick
gave
to:
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Paperback)
by Dave Eggers
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my rating:
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Patrick said:
"Good style, catchy wit... was the only reason I made it through the 2nd half of this book. The story got seriously redundant and the only justification for the second half would have to be his publisher wouldn't let him print what amounted to a short...more
Good style, catchy wit... was the only reason I made it through the 2nd half of this book. The story got seriously redundant and the only justification for the second half would have to be his publisher wouldn't let him print what amounted to a short story so he dragged it on and on. One saving grace: James Frey's logic was if that hack could write a story then I can too, and he gave us A million Little Pieces. Say what you want about the controversy, at least it was entertaining throughout. Not the same can be said about A Heartbreaking Work....less
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Patrick
gave
to:
All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror (Paperback)
by Stephen Kinzer
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my rating:
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Patrick said:
"If you ever want to know why America is absolutely fucked head-over-heels in the Middle East, this book describes, in extreme depth, the very operation that started the West on a downward spiral. It reaches far beyond Iran, far beyond oil, and has e...more
If you ever want to know why America is absolutely fucked head-over-heels in the Middle East, this book describes, in extreme depth, the very operation that started the West on a downward spiral. It reaches far beyond Iran, far beyond oil, and has everything to do with why the Middle east hates us. Simply put: There would never have been the 1979 coup without the 1953 one, and there never would have been an Ahmedinejad without the 1953 US-driven coup....less
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Patrick
gave
to:
See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism (Paperback)
by Robert Baer
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my rating:
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Patrick
gave
to:
The Afghan (Hardcover)
by Frederick Forsyth
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my rating:
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Patrick said:
"All Forsyth's stories come off the same. A really compelling introduction to the story set against a factual and equally compelling backdrop, and you're thinking this has all the makings of your favorite novel of all time, and then after you're fini...more
All Forsyth's stories come off the same. A really compelling introduction to the story set against a factual and equally compelling backdrop, and you're thinking this has all the makings of your favorite novel of all time, and then after you're finished, waiting for the second installment to magically appear, you realize it wasn't really that good at all. See: Icon. See: The Odessa File. I'm not reading another Forsyth until he learns how to finish a story. ...less
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Patrick
gave
to:
The Kite Runner (Paperback)
by Khaled Hosseini
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my rating:
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Patrick said:
"Symbolism for 8th graders. Everything comes round in such a way that the story comes off more as an eerie fable, and less a portrayal of life and struggle in Afghanistan, which would have been much more credible/insightful and, well, not so cheesy. ...more
Symbolism for 8th graders. Everything comes round in such a way that the story comes off more as an eerie fable, and less a portrayal of life and struggle in Afghanistan, which would have been much more credible/insightful and, well, not so cheesy. Did his nephew really have to hit the guy in the eye at the end? Please. Although, it was interesting to learn about Afghan families. The story should have stopped before his return to Afghanistan....less
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