The Journalist and the Murderer

The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm Penguin (31 October 1990) Publisher's page What's it about?: Janet Malcolm's study on the ethics of journalism, examining the professional choices that shape a work of nonfiction. It was originally published as a multi-part essay for The New Yorker. The journalist and murderer discussed are Joe McGinniss, … Continue reading The Journalist and the Murderer →

Fallen

"Women are not wrong at all when they reject the rules of life that have been introduced into the world, inasmuch as it is the men who have made these without them." Michel de Montaigne Evanescence released their debut album, Fallen, on March 4, 2003. The album was written by founding members Amy Lee (vocals, … Continue reading Fallen →

The Last Lion (3 Volumes)

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, 1874-1965 William Manchester and Paul Reid Little, Brown and Company (6 November 2012) Publisher's page What's it about?: A trilogy of biographies covering the life of Winston Churchill, British statesman, solider, and writer. The first two volumes were published in the 1980s. Author William Manchester passed away while working … Continue reading The Last Lion (3 Volumes) →

Napoleon’s Military Maxims

Napoleon's Military Maxims by Napoleon Bonaparte Skyhorse (12 January 2016) Publisher's page What's it about?: The knowledge and intuition of Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor and military commander who rose to prominence during the French Revolution. My opinion: Napoleon was a sociopath who restored slavery, abandoned his own army (twice), posed as a revolutionary while working … Continue reading Napoleon’s Military Maxims →

Lancelot

Lancelot: A Novel by Walker Percy St. Martin's Press (4 September 1999) Publisher's page What's it about?: Walker Percy's fourth novel. It is the story of a man -- Lancelot Lamar -- driven insane by the decadence of the world that is, to the point where he is institutionalised. My opinion: A fascinating read. I … Continue reading Lancelot →

The Age of Caesar

The Age of Caesar: Five Roman Lives by Plutarch (translated by Pamela Mensch) Norton (5 February 2018) Publisher's page What's It About?: Plutarch's biographies of five Roman statesmen: Pompey, Julius Caesar, Cicero, Brutus, and Mark Antony. Selected from the Parallel Lives, these works address the question as to how a republic can be protected from … Continue reading The Age of Caesar →

Say Everything

Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It's Becoming, and Why It Matters by Scott Rosenberg Three Rivers Press (1 June 2010) Publisher's page What's it about?: This is basically a history of blogging as an overall process, and its impact on the media, politics, business, and our personal lives. My opinion: A very concise history … Continue reading Say Everything →

From the Inside

"To expect a bad person not to harm others is like expecting fig trees not to secrete juice, babies not to cry, horses not to neigh -- the inevitable not to happen. What else could they do -- with that sort of character?" Marcus Aurelius Linkin Park spent all of 2003 promoting their second album, … Continue reading From the Inside →

Gorbachev

Gorbachev: The Path to Power by Christian Schmidt-Hauer I.B. Taurus (11 July 1986) Where to find it What's it about?: Biography of Mikhail Gorbachev, former Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union, from 1985 until its dissolution in 1991. Looking at his life and career, it was published in 1986. … Continue reading Gorbachev →

Nostalgia

[Acknowledgement: I would like to thank my buddy Thanasi, since much of what went into this piece came from our conversations.] "A world in which stylistic innovation is no longer possible, all that's left is to imitate dead styles, to speak through the masks and with the voices of the styles in the imaginary museum." … Continue reading Nostalgia →