American Kingpin

American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton Portfolio (2 May 2017) Amazon What's it about?: The story of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who - under the moniker "Dread Pirate Roberts" - operated the online drug bazaar Silk Road, from 2011 until his arrest in 2013. … Continue reading American Kingpin →

The Secret War with Germany

The Secret War with Germany: Deception, Espionage, and Dirty Tricks 1939-1945 by William B. Breuer Presidio (1 January 1988) Amazon What's it about?: Soldier, journalist, and military historian William Breuer's account of espionage and counter-espionage between the Allied and Axis powers during World War II. Not war fought on the battlefield, but behind the scenes. … Continue reading The Secret War with Germany →

Bodyguard of Lies

Bodyguard of Lies: The Extraordinary True Story Behind D-Day by Anthony Cave Brown Lyons Press (1 November 2007) Amazon What's it about?: A detailed account of the deceptive strategies and tactics of the Allied Forces during World War II. Its name is derived from the (in)famous Winston Churchill wartime quote, "In wartime, truth is so … Continue reading Bodyguard of Lies →

To My American Friends

Might delete later, but here goes. If your preferred party or candidate loses an election, that sucks. However, it does happen, and will happen around fifty percent of the time in politics. That's basically what democracy is. If you're Gen Y or Z, and you've got it in your head that the "good guys always … Continue reading To My American Friends →

The Years of Lyndon Johnson (4 Volumes)

The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power, Means of Ascent, Master of the Senate, The Passage of Power by Robert A. Caro Knopf Publishing Group (9 April 2013) Amazon What's it about?: Robert Caro's epic four-volume biography of 36th president of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson. The Path to Power chronicles the … Continue reading The Years of Lyndon Johnson (4 Volumes) →

Billion Dollar Lessons

Billion Dollar Lessons: What You Can Learn from the Most Inexcusable Business Failures of the Last 25 Years by Paul B. Carroll and Chunka Mui Portfolio (25 August 2009) Amazon What's it about?: A different kind of business book. Chunka Mui and Paul B. Carroll drew on decades of case studies to give us some … Continue reading Billion Dollar Lessons →

The Nature of Things

The Nature of Things by Lucretius (translated by Alicia Stallings) Penguin (13 September 2007) Amazon What's it about?: A scientific and philosophical treatise, written in the form of a didactic poem. The Nature of Things (De rerum natura) is Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius's (99-59 BCE) explanation of Epicureanism to a Roman audience. This edition … Continue reading The Nature of Things →

Kairos

In the Fight Club novel, there is a passage where Jack "meets" Tyler for the first time. It's different from what we see in the film, where the meeting happens on a flight. In Palahniuk's text, Tyler is dragging pieces of driftwood into position on a beach. He spends hours doing this, and the result … Continue reading Kairos →

Grant Moves South

Grant Moves South by Bruce Catton Little, Brown (12 July 1990) Amazon What's it about?: The first volume in Bruce Catton's biography of Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding General of the Union Army and later President of the United States, detailing part of his life from 1861 to 1863. From when he first takes a position … Continue reading Grant Moves South →

Titan

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow Random House (1 September 2004) Amazon What's it about?: Ron Chernow's biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr, America's first billionaire and the patriarch of one of the greatest dynasty families of the modern world. From his humble beginnings in the Rust Belt to sitting … Continue reading Titan →