David

Nothing new

Revisado: 04-29-25

By now the disconnect between USA civilian intelligence services (FBI, CIA, NSA) is well known. As is Bin Laden’s biography. Peace is slow, performance is droll. Even the preface and epilogue are not updated. This book was illuminating in its time but now it has become stale.

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Good overview of Israeli and international views State of Israel

Revisado: 01-08-25

I like the author’s overviews: historic, Zionist and non-Zionist, Israeli and Arab, international and USA in particular. The author might have discussed Arab Jews in greater length, including their family histories, centuries long histories in Arab lands, changes in perceptions of them in the 20th century and Self-perceptions, and how this culturally Arab population integrated with the rest of Israel once home in the state of Israel.

I might read other books by the author but in general, being from the USA myself, I’m more interested in the different information from Jews who are not from the USA.

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Good info mixed with Isaacson BS + wasted $

Revisado: 01-01-25

This book isn’t worth your time. One doesn’t become a billionaire, and certainly not the wealthiest on Earth, without a single-minded focus on money and power. Isaacson misses the core of Musk in his hero-adoration and excuse pandering. Yeah there’s the mix of good and bad that might drive Musk’s extraordinary accomplishments, but that’s just Isaacson’s superficial closing theme. Also Musk’s theme of saving humanity from robots and then nuclear annihilation while earning hundreds of billions for himself and accumulating seemingly unchecked power over people and nations. And there’s his service helping the birth rate by having kids with an array of women. Isaacson looks to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and sometimes Isaac Asimov for Musk’s purpose (superficial distraction?) while failing to review themes of Musk’s accomplishments: PayPal (financial services combining existing know-how in new way to earn money as a middleman), SpaceX (government funding and support, private industry, individual subscribers), Tesla (individuals), Twitter (individuals). All have core business plans and also provide free data to Musk (people are the product) and other valuable freebies. Isaacson doesn’t explore common themes, purposes, views of Musk’s peers and others on consequences. I learned more about Musk but not enough and got way too much of Isaacson’s superficial BS. Isaacson is more a writer of grocery store magazine headlines than a serious biographer. People are the product. Wish I could get a refund.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Excellent one-time read

Revisado: 10-13-24

John Vann history with Vietnam is unusually insightful on USA approach, intended mission, ultimate withdrawal. But it’s also a one-time read, single focus, monochromatic narrative. By the middle it felt empty as the insights were over. I can’t imagine anything more that would warrant a second reading.

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Nice overview but superficial

Revisado: 09-22-24

Better than Wikipedia but less than one would expect from an historian. Too many subjects not addressed or only superficially. Author seems to idolize Lee. Wish I’d selected a different bio of Lee.

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Nice story but too much biography thin on philosophy

Revisado: 09-11-24

Narrator Antonia Beamish used such an exaggerated British accent that I found her voice distracting and grating. Wrong accent for French and German philosophers. Happy to be done.

Story itself is informative and educational. But this is a book about a group of philosophers rather than philosophy.

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So happy when finally ended

Revisado: 08-04-24

Freshman political science superficially clothed in ancient wisdom (Thucydides, Shakespeare, Churchill, others). Author cobbles together facts favorable to his argument while ignoring others: China takes the long view (except when it doesn’t: 1950, 1969, 1993, and more recent examples). John Kennedy cited glowingly for navigating Bay of Pigs to avoid war (except author fails to mention negative reception in USSR anticipated Krushchev’s demise in 1964). UK could have thwarted Union in American Civil War and thereby prolonged UK dominance over North America (except UK couldn’t do this as domestic opinion firmly opposed slavery after England had outlawed slavery in it’s territories, USA already was well on its way to becoming the world’s dominant economic power, Union would have taken undefended Canada if UK had intervened for the Confederacy, UK found they could grow cotton in Egypt and India, and UK intervention might not have changed outcome). Well written but substantively thin. Author does best when he just writes about the present, but this is a small portion of his book. Read the summary if you must and ditch the book.

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Fills gaps in history

Revisado: 06-22-24

Biography of Samuel Adams explains more than I expected about how the colonies evolved from loyal subjects of the English Crown in 1760 to revolutionaries in 1776 and citizens of an independent country in 1783. Gordon Wood describes the colonial frustrations with England not acting in accordance with its own constitution, and treating the colonists as slaves rather than English gentlemen. Samuel Adams history explains this evolution with details of his own planning and actions, and also his interactions with other major participants.

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Intriguing but like a grocery store rag

Revisado: 06-16-24

Excellent organized presentation of roughly know info on MBS and King. But no pretense to support such as footnotes or sources, lots of editorializing. Presenter has a know-it-all tone that mirrors the author’s approach. Definitely not an academic work.

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Pedantic glorifying pitch book

Revisado: 04-16-24

This is a reverential tale by an author in love with his subject. It’s too unbalanced for history. Antonin Scalia deserves better.

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