This was an amazing history lesson, from one of the best writers/explainers out there. Fascinating to hear about how the "liberal consensus" was born,This was an amazing history lesson, from one of the best writers/explainers out there. Fascinating to hear about how the "liberal consensus" was born, and also, how there have always been those against it.
Note: I read this on my Kindle, and because it is so chock full of end notes (see: historian), finished before I even reached the 50% mark. I guess I could've read those, too, but was content with the text.
The USA has been through a lot, but we've gone through rough times before. We can get through this, too - if we want it enough....more
This seemed like an excellent read, when I bought it in 2018, the year it was published. Reading it now, it's both horrifying and prescient. And explaThis seemed like an excellent read, when I bought it in 2018, the year it was published. Reading it now, it's both horrifying and prescient. And explains a lot why politics in the last decade or more has gotten to be such a radical fustercluck.
This is a must read for anyone wondering why extremists keep getting elected to Congress, and the state houses and senates. It's because of GERRYMANDERING.
Gerrymandering has been a "thing" in politics for decades, but because of computer programs, it's gotten ridiculously good - or bad, depending on your outlook. The mapping programs are amazing, AND, there are programs to help predict demographic shifts. There is also a Faustian bargain in many states, to "create representation" by creating majority minority districts.
So, yay, Mississippi, for example, has one district that will send a Black Dem Representative to the House. BUT the way the lines are drawn, the surrounding districts have been so "bleached" there's no way a Dem can be competitive in them. This kind of shenanigans is why Wisconsin, a truly purple state, voted in 2012 with 174,000 more votes for Democrats than Repubs, but ended up with only 40% of the state assembly seats.
The problem with "safe" red and blue seats, because of gerrymandering, means that candidates in those districts don't have to appeal to moderate voters at all, don't have to compromise or make deals. They just have to win the primary. So, these districts send reps to the capitols - state or US - who are radical, sometimes even a bit unhinged. Who are happy to shut down the government on any whim and grandstand, while milking their connections and perks to enrich themselves. See: 2023 Republican SOH Kevin McCarthy. 15 rounds of voting to get the gavel - and then ousted a few short months later.
We HAVE to do better. We have to look at states like Ohio, which keeps sending reps like Jim Jordan to the House because he has a district drawn like a dehydrated lizard. Gerrymandering isn't only bad for Dems, it's bad for Repubs, too. It's bad for ALL the American people, and we have to make it stop.
4.5 stars. While much is known about the short queenhood of Anne Boleyn, (and I've read much of it), this book takes a deep dive into her last year. T4.5 stars. While much is known about the short queenhood of Anne Boleyn, (and I've read much of it), this book takes a deep dive into her last year. There are lots of details that other works skim over; where Henry and Anne went on progress, where they stayed, how they were entertained. It gave a depth to my understanding of this era that I was pleased to discover.
The difference is like the difference of LOOKING at a photo of a blue velvet cloak, to actually putting it on, feeling the heft of it, running it between your fingers. If you're a Tudorphile like me, you'll enjoy this work....more
If you are a white American *raises hand*, chances are you aren't well-informed about the history and traditions of Juneteenth. This short work by PulIf you are a white American *raises hand*, chances are you aren't well-informed about the history and traditions of Juneteenth. This short work by Pulitzer Prize winning Black historian Annette Gordon-Reed, herself a Texas native, checks all the boxes, both in being a reliable, well-researched book, and the perspective of what Juneteenth means/meant to Black Americans, especially those who were formerly enslaved.
I'm glad I took the time to become better educated about this, and NOW I know where "Six Flags over Texas" came from. Well worth the purchase....more
This short work goes through the various health issues, known or suggested, from the royals of the Tudor period. Some have been verified (Anne Boleyn This short work goes through the various health issues, known or suggested, from the royals of the Tudor period. Some have been verified (Anne Boleyn died when her head was separated from her body), others are rumors without contemporaneous sources. The author offers a bit of background history mixed with the medical discussion.
If you're a Tudorphile *raises hand*, you'll probably enjoy this as one of the lesser known works about this period....more
This was interesting. More for a Tudorphile like myself, it doesn't actually dig - much - into Anne's experiences, but more about the courts and womenThis was interesting. More for a Tudorphile like myself, it doesn't actually dig - much - into Anne's experiences, but more about the courts and women she lived with, in France. What they thought, the environment, what Anne might have experienced and how it might have shaped her....more
This is an excellent, somewhat discouraging book about how and why we got to the place where the USA is in the political straits we are in. Note: I reThis is an excellent, somewhat discouraging book about how and why we got to the place where the USA is in the political straits we are in. Note: I read this on my Kindle, and because it is EXTENSIVELY researched, the last half of this is all the references linked in earlier chapters.
The writing style flows well and information is presented in a way that is easy to understand.
It does end on a positive note, with lots of ideas on how to combat disinformation. ...more
I already "liked" Officer Dunn, based on what I'd seen of him through the media. This book underlines how worthy he is of being liked (and elected, I I already "liked" Officer Dunn, based on what I'd seen of him through the media. This book underlines how worthy he is of being liked (and elected, I hope).
There's a lot of profanity in this book, but IMO, the people who bore the brunt of the assault on the Capitol on Jan 6, get a free pass to say f*ck as often as they f*cking well want to.
We get a glimpse of how Harry once hoped to become a prof football player, but injuries ended that dream. He first got into being a police officer enticed by the salary, but grew to love and understand how important his work was, not just in protecting Congress, but in helping Americans exercise their right of peaceful protest.
Jan 6 took that away from him, as did the betrayal of some of the Congresspeople he protected on that dangerous day. And as of the date of this memoir, he still struggles with PTSD. ...more
4.5 stars. Always thought-provoking, at times poignant and heartbreaking. I'm not a huge fan of the epistolary style - the asides to the son, the orig4.5 stars. Always thought-provoking, at times poignant and heartbreaking. I'm not a huge fan of the epistolary style - the asides to the son, the original target/reader of this work, took me out of it.
But it's still brilliant, and something everyone who is NOT a Black man growing up in the United States, should read. I will never be able to fully comprehend that experience, but now I understand it a little bit better....more
Had a hard time not clicking my "horror" shelf for this one. Because the details of this ARE horrifying. Also important to learn and understand.
PeoplHad a hard time not clicking my "horror" shelf for this one. Because the details of this ARE horrifying. Also important to learn and understand.
People mocked Hillary Clinton for talking about the vast right-wing conspiracy, but she wasn't wrong. There really is a large group of rich white men who want to roll back the political clock in America to a time when only white, land-owning MEN were able to vote and hold office. When oligarchs ran everything. The attacks on voting rights, on public school, on abortion rights - it's all of a piece with this philosophy. And it didn't start yesterday.
I can't say I enjoyed this book, but I'm glad I read it. My only "quibble," and it's a "small one," is that the author uses "so many quotation marks" for phrases large, small, and sometimes only "one" word, it "became distracting" to me as a reader. It's very well-researched and I recommend it to anyone who's a fan of democracy. ...more
This book is an important, if painful read. there are so many small, separate, primarily white militia groups and internet trolls, who all came togethThis book is an important, if painful read. there are so many small, separate, primarily white militia groups and internet trolls, who all came together to try to overthrow the government on January 6, 2021.
The American culture is changing. and those who have been in power are reacting to this, trying to hang on. And they may yet succeed, and destroy the American experiment, democracy.
I hope many people read this book, and understand what those of us who love democracy, equality, and justice for all....more
4.5 Stars. It's a very "thick" book, in terms of ideas and stories that take a while to mentally digest. Maria was born in the Philippines, but spent 4.5 Stars. It's a very "thick" book, in terms of ideas and stories that take a while to mentally digest. Maria was born in the Philippines, but spent most of her late childhood and early adulthood in the USA, before returning to the Philippines to be a journalist there.
She was there at the beginning of CNN, and watched Facebook go from a force for good and connection, to a force leveraged for evil. She's fought her entire life for journalism and journalistic integrity, even when living under oppressive and tumultuous regimes. Her stories are both fascinating and a horrific warning. We MUST do better re: media, especially social media.
She entirely deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. May other good journalists follow her example....more
4.5 Stars. As a challenge, I'd love for a woman friend who didn't start off mad, read this and see if she isn't incendiary by the end. Because there a4.5 Stars. As a challenge, I'd love for a woman friend who didn't start off mad, read this and see if she isn't incendiary by the end. Because there are SO MANY injustices to women that we have meekly accepted as "just the way the world works," for far too long.
But we're getting over the habit of doing that, getting mad, instead, and women's anger IS bringing about change, however slowly. If we continue to see our anger as a tool for change, and refuse to be shut down, there is, indeed, hope we can change the world....more
Phew! This is not an easy read, emotionally, but it's an important one. So many stories of how America came to be, have whitewashed Black and brown foPhew! This is not an easy read, emotionally, but it's an important one. So many stories of how America came to be, have whitewashed Black and brown folks clean out of them, even though these enslaved people BUILT this country and its wealth.
Without sharing in it. America is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but we got here through the labor of enslaved and exploited people, and some are working very hard to ensure there are ALWAYS exploited people, to keep the rich getting richer.
The stories and essays are painful, and thought-provoking, and the poetry tears at the heart. My fellow white folks, we must read and learn from works like this, and become part of the wave demanding our country does better....more
Millions of women served in WWII, in official and unofficial capacities. (My mother was one of them.) The book takes a look at about 15 of them. (But,Millions of women served in WWII, in official and unofficial capacities. (My mother was one of them.) The book takes a look at about 15 of them. (But, sadly, does NOT include my mom.)
The stories, and the photos, took a tremendous volume of research. Some of these women were spies, pilots, nurses, interned in concentration camps, code breakers, romance writers, and more. They saved lives, helped smuggle Jewish people (and their fortunes) out of Germany and other Nazi controlled areas, got the backlog of mail and goodies to US servicemen, which was a huge boost to morale.
They were Jewish, white, Black, Native American. Everyone who is glad for the defeat of Nazi Germany owes a debt of gratitude to these sheroes. They often took on important roles in beginning companies or serving on corporate boards, after their formal service had ended.
My only quibble is that I found it hard to sink into the writing of the stories. The writing isn't BAD, it just didn't draw me in as much as I'd hoped. YMMV....more
She begins by separating people into two groups: those who would happily eat peaches, and peach pies, etc, from a tree growing on the edge of a graveyShe begins by separating people into two groups: those who would happily eat peaches, and peach pies, etc, from a tree growing on the edge of a graveyard, and those who would NOT.
I love her novels, especially The Proud Breed, which is SO California. So I was excited to finally pick up a copy of this. Ordered from secondhand bookstores several times before finally receiving it.
It was super-interesting, referencing lots of places most Angelenos know. Victorville, Los Angeles, Glendale. And she's always been a great writer.
But I found it very sad. Ranch life, especially in the high desert, is HARD. And reading between the lines, there was much tension between many family member. Her brother dies young, of cancer; several pets and horses die, and the ranch way of life itself, has died, or is dying. The author herself died of complications of lupus erythematosus about ten years after this was published.
So, it's good, but it also makes me sad. YMMV....more
This memoir/informational book about boobs, and boob culture, has SO much I could relate to. I, too, learned about women's bodies and sexy jokes from This memoir/informational book about boobs, and boob culture, has SO much I could relate to. I, too, learned about women's bodies and sexy jokes from my father's Playboy magazines. I, too, waited for my breasts to come in, with great impatience.
Each chapter is very personal, but book-ended with nuggets of information. I loved that part of it; even if you didn't care to read what the author shared about her own life and journey, even just skimming the end-notes would make it worth the price of admission.
There were parts that were different for me. Mother Nature came through with the milk jugs, so rather than wondering if boys/men would like me better if I had bigger breasts, my wondering was whether they saw ME, at all, or just my tits. My Breast Cancer Lite was very different, too. And I know that for women in our age group who are Black, Indigenous, Asian, or Latinx, or trans, their journeys growing up and/or dealing with breast cancer or cultural expectations, was very different.
Even so, I believe there is a lot here that any American woman can relate to, and yes, our culture IS obsessed with boobs. Either showing 'em off, or hiding them, and that aspect is well worth exploring. The author writes with a wry sense of humor I very much appreciated. Recommended.
3.5 stars. Every book on Anne Boleyn and the Tudors has a different take, and it's so interesting to see what they agree on, and where they differ. On3.5 stars. Every book on Anne Boleyn and the Tudors has a different take, and it's so interesting to see what they agree on, and where they differ. One of the most credited contemporary sources from this era is Spanish ambassador Eustace Chapuys, but each author accepts or rejects various of his reports, based on their own reasoning as to why it's probably true, or, not so much.
This author starts out rather angry in tone, but becomes more analytical toward the end. Their opinion seems to be that Anne was a stronger reformer than she is given credit for, and THAT was the main reason Henry had her executed. Of course, they also peg Henry VIII as a sociopath, rather than this being a story of True Love Gone Wrong, and I have to agree 100% there.
Real love means never ordering your wife's head chopped off (and he did it more than once). He also never blinked an eye at having some of his childhood companions executed as well, to keep up the pretense. Who DOES that, besides a sociopath?
I think it's possible this author's take, that Anne was more of a reformer than we realize, is spot on. It is also possible that some of the other Tudor authors are closer to the truth; truly hard to tell from the vantage point of 500 years. ...more
I picked this work up because I wanted to broaden my reading of Black History, and this book certainly does that.
Dick Gregory was a comedian, a nutritI picked this work up because I wanted to broaden my reading of Black History, and this book certainly does that.
Dick Gregory was a comedian, a nutritional advisor, and a friend to many prominent Black Americans, including Muhammed Ali, and others. A storyteller. But his storytelling here is meant to be from a Black man, to other Black people. When he says "we" and "our history," I know, as a white lady, that isn't meant to include me. Those of us who are white, or otherwise not Black, can gather around the fire and listen to his discourse - but don't expect it to be sugarcoated to save our sensibilities, because it isn't.
I could quibble about a few things, like his defenses of Bill Cosby, for example, but I'm not taking off any stars for that. Certainly white storytellers sometimes stretch the facts or have strong opinions with which I don't always agree.
I recommend this for Black folks, and for white folks who can stand NOT being centered, or treated with deference (for a change)....more
One of the most brilliant books I've ever read. It's very well laid out, very easy to read (writing-style wise, NOT content-wise).
The historical conteOne of the most brilliant books I've ever read. It's very well laid out, very easy to read (writing-style wise, NOT content-wise).
The historical content, the DELIBERATENESS of the way the USA has "othered" our Black citizens from the beginning, is shameful and gut-wrenching. And the horrors of slavery itself, which has long been whitewashed and hidden.
CASTE, not race, is what still rules us. It's why despite being multi-millionaires, Black pro athletes and entertainers are pulled over by cops much more often than white people. It's why an hysterical white girl *visiting* a hotel felt entitled to accuse a Black teen hotel GUEST of stealing her phone, and actually assaulted him. Black and brown citizens are assumed to be more guilty, less trustworthy, than random white person, not because of economic class, but because of CASTE.
It's a system we all grew up in, were trained in, so the way we behave by default is not entirely our fault. It is also a system we can change. Do we have the courage? ...more
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