A Letter for the Ages by Avrohom Chaim Feuer (1989)

I have long admired Maimonides' clarity in his Talmudic summary and commentaries and his  Mishneh Torah. I also enjoyed learning about his life during a visit to the museum in Córdoba. When someone recommended this book—an edition of the famous ethical letter Maimonides wrote to his son—I ordered picked it up and added it to my stack.

The original letter itself is brief, wise, and moving. Unfortunately, everything else in the book gets in the way.

Rabbi Feuer repeats the same points dozens of times, pads every paragraph with unnecessary and bad anecdotes. He buries Rambam's words under layers of superficial and often sentimental commentary. What could have been a slim, powerful volume turns into a bloated, repetitive chore.

The primary text is good. This particular edition is not. 2/5 stars.

A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre (2014)

I enjoy Ben Macintyre's books. His mix of rigorous research and narrative skill is on full display in this one. The story is about Kim Philby, the infamous British intelligence officer who spied for the Soviet Union for decades as he rose to senior ranks within MI6 while betraying his friends and country.

What sets this book apart is Macintyre's meticulous use of original sources and his skepticism toward the self-serving revisionist memoirs of those involved.  Rather than recycling familiar spy lore, he reconstructs a credible picture of how an entire generation of British and American intelligence leaders was incompetent.  They were deceived, not just by Philby, but by their own class loyalties and misplaced trust.

The most damning revelation is that Philby's final escape to Moscow was not a clever, daring flight but a deliberate act of protection by members of Britain's upper-class intelligence elite. The result is a portrait not only of treachery but of institutional rot: privilege shielding privilege while national security collapsed for political expediency.

Macintyre also highlights the profound cost of these failures. The intelligence compromises Philby enabled during the early Cold War were not abstract; they led to thousands of real deaths and strategic disasters. His betrayal reverberated across continents, exposing just how fragile Western intelligence networks truly were and how inept the Soviet Union was at economic prosperity for their people.

I have an interest in systems thinking and failure analysis so I found this book especially compelling for its anatomy of organizational blindness. Macintyre dissects how personal loyalty, arrogance, and class solidarity overrode logic and evidence. These conditions allow catastrophic breaches to persist.

The book is a gripping narrative of espionage, friendship, and institutional failure, told with clarity and restraint. 4/5 Stars.

The woman who smashed codes by Jason Fagone (2017)

I picked up The Woman Who Smashed Codes on the recommendation of colleagues who thought it might appeal to me because of its loose connection to cybersecurity. They were right. The book tells the story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a pioneering American cryptanalyst whose work laid much of the groundwork for modern codebreaking and national intelligence.

Fagone's writing is vivid and accessible. He brings the early 20th century to life through rich scenes and authentic dialogue that reflect the social norms, speech patterns, and intellectual energy of the time. What I particularly enjoyed was how the book captures that era's mindset—its optimism, its limits, and the quiet revolutions happening in scientific thought long before most people realized it.

The book does not shy away from the entrenched sexism Elizebeth and her peers faced, yet it handles those issues with balance. Fagone's tone is indignant where necessary but never heavy-handed. The result is both a tribute and a well-researched historical narrative.

Elizebeth's story also intersects with the birth of information theory and the cryptographic advances that would eventually culminate in Claude Shannon's 1939 work. Reading about her pre-Shannon efforts underscores how revolutionary those later ideas were, and how much of modern computing owes to the hidden labor of people like her.

For readers unfamiliar with cryptography, the book explains enough to make the puzzles and breakthroughs intelligible without drowning in mathematics. For readers who already know the field's history, Fagone's attention to archival detail and his portrayal of Elizebeth's marriage to fellow codebreaker William Friedman add valuable depth.

As a PhD in computer science and an avid reader of historical narratives grounded in real scientific and social change, I found this book deeply satisfying—both as history and as storytelling. It's an absorbing portrait of an overlooked figure whose intellect shaped the course of modern intelligence work.  5/5 Stars.

The sword of freedom by Yossi Cohen (2025)

This book is equal parts memoir, political manifesto, and strategic reflection. While the text is saturated with self-promotion and at times descends into outright boasting, Cohen nevertheless delivers an unusually candid account of the inner workings of a modern intelligence service and its entanglement with statecraft. His personal ambition—to position himself as a plausible future prime minister—is barely concealed, and readers seeking a detached or modest narrative will not find it here.

Despite the political grandstanding, the book offers genuine rewards. Cohen's biographical vignettes and his recounting of espionage operations are both entertaining and instructive. More importantly, his discussion of the mission of a national intelligence service, the role of the individual spy, and the necessity of engaging with one's adversaries on their own terms is striking. He shows rare empathy for the values and goals of opponents, and from this vantage point explains the effectiveness of disinformation, deception, "big lies," and ideological campaigns waged against the West.

Perhaps the book's greatest contribution lies in its critique of the West's chronic diplomatic failures. Cohen highlights the disjunction between Western nations' reliance on Enlightenment humanist assumptions and the fundamentally different axioms guiding most political powers in the world today. By revealing how this mismatch enables adversaries to manipulate and outmaneuver liberal democracies, he forces readers to rethink not only intelligence but the philosophical underpinnings of Western diplomacy.

Ambitious, self-serving, yet ultimately illuminating, The Sword of Freedom succeeds in balancing flawed authorial ego with valuable insight into intelligence, power, and the limits of Western ideals. 4/5 stars

Wie Krankheiten Geschichte Machen von Ronald D. Gerste (2019)

Gerste hat mit „Wie Krankheiten Geschichte Machen" ein Buch geschrieben, das leider nicht an die Qualität von „Wie das Wetter Geschichte macht" heranreicht. Einige Anekdoten und Details sind zwar unterhaltsam, wirken aber eher wie Klatschgeschichten ohne echten Einfluss auf Politik oder historische Entwicklungen der großen Persönlichkeiten, über die er schreibt.

Spannender waren oft die beiläufig erwähnten Entwicklungen in der Medizin – Methoden, Therapien und diagnostische Fortschritte, die sich im Lauf der Zeit durchgesetzt haben. Gerade hier hätte man sich mehr Tiefgang gewünscht. Dagegen bleiben die Kapitel zu wirklich weltbewegenden Krankheiten wie der Schwarzen Pest, der Cholera oder den alltäglichen Belastungen durch endemische Leiden blass und oberflächlich.

Am Ende bleibt der Eindruck eines Buches, das zwar stellenweise nett zu lesen ist, aber sein Potenzial nicht ausschöpft. Wer sich ernsthaft für die Rolle von Krankheiten in der Menschheitsgeschichte interessiert, wird enttäuscht. 2/5 Sterne – keine Empfehlung.

The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum by Margalit Fox (2024)

This captivating, concise, and well-crafted tale follows a crime boss "fence" who ruled the redistribution of stolen goods during the wild, violent 19th century in the USA. The characters burst with color and intrigue, drawing the reader into vivid slices of life across New York's diverse social classes. This historical fiction echoes Amor Towles' style, brimming with authentic dialogue and era-specific slang. 4/5 stars.

The Lessons of History by Will & Arielle Durant (1997)

This extremely dense collection of aphorisms and pearls of wisdom is a very thin shell of the 11 volume The Story of Civilization that won the Durants so many accolades and awards.  My buddy Senthil recommended it so I picked it up.  It is so dense and profound, the reader must constantly pause and ponder.  Now I am curious about Will Durant's magnum opus. 4/5 Stars.

The Pope at War by David I Kertzer (2024)

Drawing on new materials from the Vatican released in 2022, the author addresses myths about Pope Pius XII. The book details how Pius XII supported the Axis powers and helped send all of the Italian Jews to death camps. It also notes his lack of support for Polish Catholics and other Catholic clergy in countries occupied by Germany during WWII. I found the book depressing. 3/5 Stars.

Reentry by Eric Berger (2024)

I read Eric's articles and weekly column in Ars Technica. So I had low expectations that much new material would be in his book.  I was therefore thrilled that everything in the book was never published before.  The details of the people and events at SpaceX (not Elon), at Nasa, Spaceforce, and US regulatory bureaucracies are exciting and enlightening.  There are many deep biographical sketches of the real heroes behind the company and their successes. The book is gripping, well-written, extremely interesting for any space nerd, and highly recommended. 5/5 Stars.

Deception - The Great Covid Cover-Up by Rand Paul (2023)

The Wuhan Lab's "gain of function," including cover-ups, deception, and the people behind the odd lockdown policies are brightly illuminated in this interesting book.  The silly politics are distracting and boring, but the information about the corruption, censorship, and the conflicts of interest within government funding agencies and EcoHealth Alliance are very good.  4/5 Stars.

SPQR by Mary Beard (2015)

Another birthday present that sat on my stack for 4 months. This book is the foundation of amateur and professional understanding of the early roman empire. Mary Beard uses wonderful examples and anecdotes to illuminate the complex ideas, opinions, and daily lives of the people of ancient Rome, their moires, customs, social interactions, and international relations.  The book explains in wonderful prose the evolving attitudes of the ancient people in all stations of life, from the starving slaves to the elite nobles. One must read it slowly to ponder the depth of the revelations and refer back to the maps and photos scattered throughout the book.  5/5 Stars.

Forgotten Ally by Rana Mitter (2013)

Great history book that fills in many gaps of what most of us outside of China were never taught about the Japanese invasion and 8-year war in China during the second world war.  The tragedies, suffering, devastation, and depravity of all of the leaders during that era in that theater of the war are eye-opening. There were no "good guys" in that conflict.  5/5 Stars.

There's a story about that

David has finally put his money where his mouth is. Well, actually, he put his time and effort where his writer's pen is.  The TASAT (there's a story about that) organization is now up and running and is associated with the Arthur C Clark Center for Human Imagination at UC San Diego.  I joined, of course.  It sounds like fun!

Imperial Twilight by Stephen R. Platt (2018)

I really appreciated the style of this book.  The story-telling and drama kept my attention through the tedious details of the myriad names, dates, events, and dry, academic historiography, where conflicting historical evidence is analyzed. The interesting origins of the Opium War and the deep insights from each main character's point of view are very interesting. 4/5 Stars.

Die Heilung der Welt von Ronald Gerste (2021)

Jemand schlug mir vor, „Wie Krankheiten Geschichte machen" zu lesen. Als ich nach diesem Titel suchte, fand ich in der Bibliothek dieses Buch desselben Autors. Es ist interessant und gut geschrieben. Wie Wladimir Lenin zum Thema politische Geschichte sagte: „Es gibt Jahrzehnte, in denen nichts passiert; und es gibt Wochen, in denen Jahrzehnte passieren." Das gilt auch für die Geschichte der Medizin. Es gab Jahrhunderte, in denen keine Welt verändernde Entdeckungen oder Technologien entdeckt oder angewendet wurden, und es gab Jahrzehnte, die die Gesundheit und das Wohlergehen der Menschen mehrfach völlig veränderten. In diesem Buch geht es um die medizinischen Revolutionen, die die moderne Welt von 1840 bis 1870 prägten, es enthält jedoch eine kürzere Berichterstattung über die Ursprünge der medizinischen Wissenschaft in den 1790er Jahren und die Ergebnisse bis in die 1920er Jahre. Das Buch ist manchmal etwas zu explizit und ekelerregend, aber insgesamt lohnt es sich. 4/5 Sterne.

Six Days of War by Michael Oren (2002)

My work space at home is the bedroom of one of our older children who no longer lives here.  This book was on her shelf.  The book is fantastic and highly recommended. The reader is bluntly confronted by the terrible incompetence and tragic miscommunications of international politics & diplomacy.  The story unfolds with vivid clarity from the original records. Anyone curious about this conflict must read this book. 5/5 Stars.

The Blue Age by Gregg Easterbrook (2021)

Tuesday Morning Quarterback (TMQ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuesday_Morning_Quarterbackwas my favorite weekly column from 2000 until it ended in 2017.  Along with millions of other fans, I was sorely disappointed when Easterbrook stopped writing the column.  Longing for his wit, insights, and aphorisms,  I read two of Easterbrook's books, Sonic Boom and The Here and Now. I disliked both books.  Blue Age is much better!  I recommend this one.  4/5 Stars.

The Pursuit of Power by William H McNeill (1982))

I normally don't enjoy these dense, phonebook-long history textbooks with too many names, dates.  But this book is fantastic; there is never a dull moment.  It is deeply insightful and posits the author's theories of larger, sociological nation-state behaviors not only of the leaders but the populations.  5/5 Stars.  I am grateful someone at work recommended the book.

The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell

Another wonderfully entertaining book by a great story-teller.  I had seen the Fog of War documentary 20 years ago, and I remember Robert McNamara's comments about Curtis LeMay.  But I did not know about the effectiveness of the  Norden bombsight, or details of all the other characters in the story. Readers must remember that Gladwell is highly opinionated and uses loaded language with great story-telling to slant the facts.  So keep wikipedia handy. 4/5 Stars. The book is very entertaining.

Breaking History by Jared Kushner

Tight, well-written political history from an outsider brought into the inner-circle of the whitehouse during the dark times of the "Trump" years.  Fun details of the drama, power struggles, and "leaks" that politicians use to attack each other. The author appears to be a bright person who read a lot of political books to take on his role. This insider's account of the creation of the Abrahamic Accords is worthwhile. 4/5 Stars.