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April 05
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Jake
gave
 
to:
Somebody's Gotta Say It (Hardcover)
by Neal Boortz
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in April, 2008
Jake said:
"It does really do me any good to read books like this, only because I feel like a sycophant since I agree with nearly everything he says. The chapter entitled "No Way In Hell" was, as Boortz put it, a bit of a useless exercise in self-aggr...more
It does really do me any good to read books like this, only because I feel like a sycophant since I agree with nearly everything he says. The chapter entitled "No Way In Hell" was, as Boortz put it, a bit of a useless exercise in self-aggrandizement, and I disagree with his stance on the death penalty (any innocent person put to death is an absolute travesty, and those whom he states don't deserve to live get more of what they deserve when they rot away in a hell-hole prison). Living in a country controlled by leftists is going to blow......less
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March 30
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Jake
is currently reading:
Atlas Shrugged (Paperback)
by Ayn Rand
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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January 26
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Jake
gave
to:
Blacklisted By History: The Real Story of Joseph McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies (Hardcover)
by M. Stanton Evans
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in March, 2008
Jake said:
"Impressive research, but just took too friggin' long. It's the usual media story of some historical figure gets unfairly painted with a broad brush. I think Evans could've presented a much more concise argument. There are just too many people to k...more
Impressive research, but just took too friggin' long. It's the usual media story of some historical figure gets unfairly painted with a broad brush. I think Evans could've presented a much more concise argument. There are just too many people to keep track of here....less
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January 25
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Jake
gave
to:
The Book of General Ignorance (Hardcover)
by John Mitchinson, John Lloyd
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in January, 2008
Jake said:
"Thoroughly enjoyable, although I don't know if I agree with his contention at the beginning of the book that so much of what you learn in school is wrong, so much as it's simplified for convenience. Also, I could've gone the rest of my life believin...more
Thoroughly enjoyable, although I don't know if I agree with his contention at the beginning of the book that so much of what you learn in school is wrong, so much as it's simplified for convenience. Also, I could've gone the rest of my life believing that "doggy-style" was the preferred position for canine intercourse, and not had to have gone through the whole explanation for why that presumption is incorrect......less
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January 12
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Jake
gave
to:
Finding Jefferson: A Lost Letter, a Remarkable Discovery, and the First Amendment in an Age of Terrorism (Hardcover)
by Alan Dershowitz
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my rating:
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read in January, 2008
Jake said:
"The first part of the book is a complete waste of trees. Dershowitz expounds upon his collection habits, and it's an incredibly banal discussion. Much of the rest of the book is cobbled together from things that he's written in the past. There are...more
The first part of the book is a complete waste of trees. Dershowitz expounds upon his collection habits, and it's an incredibly banal discussion. Much of the rest of the book is cobbled together from things that he's written in the past. There are some interesting passages scattered throughout, but the whole book felt like he rushed to get it written. Granted, given that we are living in a time when mass-casualty suicide bombers could strike at any time, I can understand why he wanted to write and publish this work as soon as he did after acquiring the Boardman letter. Nevertheless, this book could've been so much more than it was. If you're REALLY into Jefferson like I am, then I recommend it. Otherwise, skip it....less
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Jake
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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read in January, 2008
Jake said:
"Fast paced, very interesting, full of all kinds of details of which I was unaware.
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December 30
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Jake
gave
to:
Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big (Paperback)
by Jose Canseco
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in December, 2007
Jake said:
"So I had a debate with a couple of guys at work the other day about the Mitchell report and the whole steroid scandal in baseball. My point on the issue: yes, baseball players were cheating, but it's really no secret, and like other past scandals i...more
So I had a debate with a couple of guys at work the other day about the Mitchell report and the whole steroid scandal in baseball. My point on the issue: yes, baseball players were cheating, but it's really no secret, and like other past scandals in sports, you have to put the records and stats into historical perspective. I decided I should educate myself a little more on the subject, especially Barry Bonds, so I went to the library looking for 'Game of Shadows', the expose by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, whose main target in Barry Bonds. All copies of the book were checked out, so I decided to check out the precursor to all of the recent madness, this book.
Quite possibly the most poorly written book I have ever read. Jose's education never went beyond high school (where he did poorly), and it shows. Why, outside of selfishness, he didn't hire somebody to interview him and write the book, I have no idea. The book has absolutely no flow, and while he goes about calling pretty much everyone in baseball and the media a hypocrite, he contradicts himself so many times that the word hypocrite loses all meaning. I get a particular kick out of his assertion that the media is racist towards Latinos (which it most certainly is), and then complains that Alex Rodriguez gets a free pass. And as I write this, he's signed a deal to write another book; splendid....less
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Jake
gave
to:
An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems (Hardcover)
by Glenn Beck
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in December, 2007
Jake said:
"Hey, the guy's a conservative commentator, so obviously, take a lot of what he says with a grain of salt (just like you should Al Gore). But Glenn Beck is one of the few commentators out there that tries to break things down objectively, and then of...more
Hey, the guy's a conservative commentator, so obviously, take a lot of what he says with a grain of salt (just like you should Al Gore). But Glenn Beck is one of the few commentators out there that tries to break things down objectively, and then offers up solutions that come from a more conservative point of view. I can relate to such a worldview.
The book could've earned 5 stars for me, except for the fact that he muddies the message with sections on stuff like tipping and raising teenage daughters that detract from the rest of the content. Nevertheless, he excoriates Al Gore in the Global Warming chapter (the charts on solar activity .vs global temperature and CO2 .vs global temperature are jaw-droppers) and had me laughing my ass off several times during the book (especially the chapter on the UN, quite possibly the most useless edifice modern civilization has created to this point). His solutions to a lot of problems are much more pragmatic than the typical solutions given by liberals, yet much fairer than a lot of the typical big-business Republican solutions (or lack thereof)....less
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Jake
gave
to:
Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity (Paperback)
by Bruce Bawer
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in December, 2007
Jake said:
"I really want to give this book 3.5 stars, but I liked "While Europe Slept" so much that I'll give Bawer the benefit. The only little issue I had with this book was the fact that Bawer can sometimes be overly dogmatic, not allowing the re...more
I really want to give this book 3.5 stars, but I liked "While Europe Slept" so much that I'll give Bawer the benefit. The only little issue I had with this book was the fact that Bawer can sometimes be overly dogmatic, not allowing the reader to come to their own conclusion. He also really grinds his ax as a gay man upset with the teachings of fundamentalism, and sometimes makes leaps that are a bit dubious. Nonetheless, it's an emotional issue for him, and he's not afraid to let it show. Not quite as eloquent as "While Europe Slept", but Bawer is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors because of his tremendous insight....less
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December 19
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Jake
gave
to:
America and Political Islam: Clash of Cultures or Clash of Interests? (Paperback)
by Fawaz A. Gerges
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in December, 2007
Jake said:
"It's dry, but it's a very objective treatment of the foreign policy initiatives of presidents Carter through Clinton and the mis-steps of each administration along the way. Gerges focuses primarily on Algeria, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey.
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