Michael McCormick > Recent Status Updates

Again, this is a great read. I am enjoying it and what's more I find that I am retaining the stories. It is a great aspect of the book that Professor Zoellick writes with conviction. The chapter on Ronald Reagan, in fact the whole book, has straightened out my life.

Professor Zoellick's book is quite eye opening for me. I found myself yet again in tears in reading about Harry Truman's political courage in listening to Will Clayton and not placing a tariff on wool imports, keeping the Australians at the bargaing table at the Geneva conference. Arthur Vandenberg is an amazing example of an amazing senator. I am thankful for this book. It has clarified so much for me.

This book makes for fascinating reading. I cannot wait to keep reading it. I never knew about the "Washington Conference" of 1921. It is fascinating to read about Woodrow Wilson and his struggle for US neutrality before committing the US to war in favor of the Allies in World War I. Reading "America in the World" is a really great way to gain perspective on the history of US diplomacy and foreign policy.

I am thoroughly enjoying "America in the World." While in his talk about the book last year with the Scowcroft Institute Professor Zoellick mentioned that his readers did not necessarily need to read each chapter in order, I am finding that I am benefiting from doing just that. And let me tell everyone that I could not have enjoyed this snowy day in Manhattan more today than I have by reading this great book.

And, I'm off to the races, and greatful immediately for this book. I thought of the abiding take away from the introduction and the abiding take away from pages on Alexander Hamilton, and that they both are the benefits of a pragmatic approach to life and of the benefits of peace.

I am finding "Actress" to be as exceptional as the Wall Street Journal says it is. Picking it up and reading it seemed to me to as natural a process as reading any book that I have ever read. Of my backlog of more than 460 books in my apartment, I gravitated to "Actress" to read before any of them. It, so far, has been a pure delight.

I am sleeping through the night at this cliffhanger point in Professor Cobbs's miraculous book. I have come to tears already many times while reading it. I cannot wait to wake up tomorrow morning, eat breakfast, go to church and then finish it. My year's theme is leadership, and so far, "The Tubman Command" has not disappointed in any way.

I am enjoying Ms. Cobbs' book immensely so far. I can't wait until I can sit down with it for a whole bunch of hours and just soak the rest of it in. I am making my 2021 another year of studying about leadership, and "The Tubman Command" is yet another great book that speaks to what it means to be an effective leader. Fabulous!

The best part so far is the Meacan and Cecily are teaming up. As with the "Li Du" mysteries, I cannot say that I have ever read anything like this.

I have read all of Ms. Hart's books and so far am thoroughly enjoying her latest, this one.

Intimidating. Suspenseful. Transforming. Aaliyah is my hero.

Fabulous!

Amazing book so far, breathtaking really. I remember when the Sri Lankan civil war was going on. I remember when the Sri Lankan government pushed the Tamils to the sea, in news reports, from the time. I remember that reports came out of the country that the Army had targeted civilians for shelling from the government's artillery. Now I feel it through this powerful book.

I picked up this book because I am two books behind and because it is short. But I also picked it up because I heard that it was good, and so far it hasn't disappointed.

What a rockin' good book this is so far! This is not just a great book about FORTITUDE, it is also highly entertaining because Dan tells such good stories and because his story is so powerful and good. He is someone truly to believe in. I was thinking about Sam Sacks of the WSJ who also likes dark humor like Dan and who recommended a book called "Hope: A Tragedy," by Jewish author Shalom Auslander.

I am humbled by reading Ms. Perino's memoir.

Ms. Perino's memoir I bought in 2015 at the Metropolitan Republican Club of New York when she came to give a talk there back then. Ms. Perino signed her book to me by writing, "To Michael, with gratitude, Dana Perino." She also made a sharpie black marker miniature paw print and wrote, "Jasper," her dog's name next to it. Now her memoir, this book, is one of my most prized signed books. And it is a joy to read!!!

"Proportion" on page ten is my favorite so far.

Jared Goldstein is right: Trump is going to send White Nationalists to try to disrupt the election. Jared Goldstein has always been better at prediction that I have; while I was standing with Jared and who was then Vice Dean R. Glenn Hubbard, Jared told Dean Hubbard that Jared predicted that Hubbard would be the next dean of CBS. Jared was right. I was clueless. I'm with Dershowitz: I hate extremists.

All these years since I bought "Florence Gordon," I have been looking at its spine on my shelf thinking it was some murder mystery set in 19th Century UK. Now, as I read it, I am convinced that I must feel more at ease with my own self declared value of intellectualism. My argument is for working hard at doing nothing, or rather, doing the very least that needs to be done to make the most difference.

Great job Jon Meacham.

A lot of missing backstory, just like in the chapter about his directorship.

I just got done with the part about Tiananmen and the beginning of end of the USSR. I am not sure if I have read anything about anything that would change my mind about anything. Sending Scowcroft to China to talk with Deng Xiao Ping, strategy wise, seemed like the only thing we could do after Tiananmen. Still, I was disappointed with us at the Weatherhead East Asian institute at lunches with Prof. Nathan in '94.

Really enjoying Jon Meacham's biography of President George H.W. Bush!

Great background to the history and coming together of a great man's life and career in politics. I admire President and Mrs. Barbara Bush more and more with every page I read.

I am very much enjoying Jon Meacham's biography of George H. W. Bush. The best part of the book for me is how it makes me feel like I am getting to know President Bush, about his life and its details. What amazes me is that he had accomplished so much by age 40, especially that he had five children at that time and had done so well for himself in business in Texas. He lived full tilt, no matter what.

George H. W. Bush is a remarkable man. It is easy to "compare and despair" when reading about all that he accomplished by the age of 40, especially considering his achievements in his family life with "Bar" and their kids. It is so great to read about him being an entrepreneur, too, especially considering he could have chosen a far less risky path at BBH, on Wall Street. What an inspiring story this is to read.

What's my impression so far? What to write? How I chose to read this book next? What I think of him this far in? They call me a perfectionist. I am not one. I forgot a key detail on something important. But I will not forget that this young protagonist of ours paid, with a friend, a girl to run naked through his house when he was a kid and that at Andover he used an anti-Semitic slur against a Jew. Not good!!!

Today I got two things done. One of them was to read this book. And I am convinced that these guys know their stuff and that this is a good book. What is more is that it is easy to like them and I that I am enjoying reading this book. I can not wait to finish.

Inspiring reading! Massive lessons learned already. Cannot wait to to read more. DON'T WANT TO PUT IT DOWN.