All the Light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr

It is very surprising that this book is so popular (10 million copies sold) and is critically acclaimed. I am disappointed at how bad the book is. Despite the mechanical craft of the writing, I was not immersed in the lives of the characters or the settings. Most importantly, there is no "there" there. The plot is very weak.  2/5 Stars. Avoid this one.

I hate the Ivy League by Malcolm Gladwell (Audiobook)

I listened to this podcast collection over the weekend; it is very entertaining, despite the vitriolic hate and melodramatic righteous indignation.  If you like Gladwell's style, you will love listening to this one, 4/5 Stars.

Disinformation, Misinformation, Propaganda, Distraction

In 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I started watching Perun's weekly in-depth analysis videos (on Sundays) because the information he presents is frequently intrinsically interesting and broadly applicable to understanding geopolitics from a macroeconomics perspective.  In Perun's 16-Apr-2023 video, Perun cites this paper and a few others that indicate at least 30 million American citizens (about 20% of the population of the USA who vote in elections) reposted the false information created and circulated by the Russian Internet Research Agency troll farm.  The problem with social media appears more complex than my (admittedly naive) understanding. The issue is not only with the troll farms and bots.  The issues are with the delivery, timing, and (Aristotelian) rhetorical quality of the information delivered, as well as the capability of social media consumers to think about the information itself.  We are not adequately educated or trained  in persuasion techniques, skepticism, critical thinking, the history of ideas, or enlightened approaches to understanding our world.  

I have therefore further tempered my (strong opinion) that we should always empower and trust people to make self-interested decisions based on access to all information and should never control access (freedom of the press).  Now I am convinced we need more responsibility for fact checking and journalistic integrity assigned to media and social media entities until we can repair some fundamental issues in our public education and society.  However, I don't think governments or regulation should be involved because all governments and the majority of regulations always make situations worse.  I don't know how to return journalism to its roots of chasing truth, sifting evidence, lack of evidence, and following evidence wherever it leads. And I have no idea how citizens can re-discover our civic duties in a republic.  Mandatory civics lessons in schools probably won't work.

Another problem I perceive is selective secrecy used to dis-inform and misinform. Whistleblowers like Snowden, and other revelations of secret information have changed the objective truth of  a few recent historical events.  There is also an alarming decrease in the release of data (e.g. Pfizer). 

Valkyrie & Critical Mass by Craig Alanson

There are two volumes and two titles, but the first book ends in a ridiculous cliffhanger where everyone (literally) is seconds away from death.  So the two volumes are really one book (with a beginning, a middle, and an end).  And the plot is fun but the reduction in awe-and-wonder mystery of space opera, along with the usual lazy writing deus est machina arbitrary changes to the magic system are grating.  However, like many readers of Alanson's books, I have become comfortable with all the characters and universe of the stories so I am willing to suspend disbelief.  I plan to finish reading all the others and go back to the other series by the author in this universe. 4/5 Stars.

Mitch is on nostr

Public Key:  6d02616805101764c9347c1ad08c46bca7d4f2b88b2705c3a4bd2dba4513c8a3

Interface by Neal Stephenson (1994)

Surprised I missed this one.  I really enjoyed it, 5/5 Stars.  The book is still very relevant today.

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.

Racing the Light by Robert Crais

Another "impulse borrow" from the library.  Fun read with unexpected plot twists and great characters. 5/5 Stars.

The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham

Fascinating look at the rise and fall of the Dixie Mafia with thrilling legal drama and great storytelling. 5/5 Stars.

Power, Faith, & Fantasy, America in the Middle East 1776 - 2011 by Michael Oren

"I am not a great man. I am a failure, and you have made me one."  --Jimmy Carter to Yasir Arafat, July, 2000.

This well-researched and insightful history book fills in some important gaps that other historical fiction and history books I have read on this topic leave out. The book is long but still manages to omit an enormous amount of context and concurrent events to those described.  I wish professor Oren had added more references and made the book longer (it is very long, but still fantastic).  The main theme of misset expectations, culture clash, and lack of empathy among the leaders is well-presented.  If you are at all interested in America in the Middle East, I highly recommend the book, 5/5 Stars.