I have been meaning to start this thread for about a year now which is why I'm kicking it off with the last four books I've read. I actually buy way more books than I read. I like hardcover books but it seems like I can't (read: don't) set aside the time to read them. The last four books had the right combination of interesting content and readability for me to have read each of them fairly quickly. I have others I've started but not finished so hopefully I can modify my habits and get them on the list as well. I'm working two jobs and have a couple stalled home improvement projects to finish, though.
Please add to the list. I would say keep multiple book recommendations to your first post and then update with single book recommendations as you read them. Also, despite the thread title, please keep to a minimum simply recommending books that you haven't recently read.
In the order I read them:
1. Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death by Jim Frederick
This is an amazing book. It details some horrific events that took place in one area of Iraq. I have many connections to the content.
First, I served in 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry, the battalion that is the main focus of the book, from 1991 to 1993. Even though that was many years prior to the events in the book I actually met at least three of the people featured back then. Fortunately, they were three of the "good guys".
Second, unfortunately, I met one of the bad guys, James Barker, while serving as a recruiter in Fresno, CA. I was not his recruiter but what makes him even more memorable was that he did not have a diploma. An excellent individual, a retired Marine Colonel, helped kids earn their diplomas and Barker was among them.
Third, I was in 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, a sister battalion, during this time period. Our sectors were adjacent and my duties kept me busy at the Battalion's and Brigade's Tactical Operations Centers (TOC). I would often hear the reports of many of the incidents described in the book. Something I learned a long time ago was that when a story doesn't make sense you either don't have all the facts or somebody is lying. This book provided me with the facts necessary to resolve the reports I heard earlier.
Another interesting note: A key figure in the book had the same rank and name as I (Staff Sergeant Miller). I would meet him near the end of the deployment when he was sent to fulfill the same duties I sometimes did. Two SSG Millers, sitting next to each other, completing the same duties for our respective units.
I highly recommend this book.
2. Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One by Zev Chafets
An interesting biography of the man. I recommend this book to anyone interested in issues pertaining to modern news media as it takes the largest (no pun intended) news and political commentary radio personality as its subject.
One of the passages I found interesting:
3. Decision Points by George W. Bush
A must read if you care about politics. I think fair minded people, that are interested in the relevant topics, would care to learn about the decision making process of the previous president and administration. I found the following paragraph interesting and the final sentence always reminds me of Emon:
4. Up from the Projects: An Autobiography by Walter E. Williams
Dr. Williams has interested me for as long as I've known of him. When I recently discovered his autobiography I purchased it without hesitation. He will occasionally fill in for Limbaugh, all too rarely in my opinion, and he uses every chance to take the opportunity to express his economic findings. He also has a cutting edge wit that I see from reading the book has served him well. It's also amazing to see how one can come from such humble roots in this country and find themselves dining with presidents before their life is over. I got a kick out of this paragraph:
Please add to the list. I would say keep multiple book recommendations to your first post and then update with single book recommendations as you read them. Also, despite the thread title, please keep to a minimum simply recommending books that you haven't recently read.
In the order I read them:
1. Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death by Jim Frederick
This is an amazing book. It details some horrific events that took place in one area of Iraq. I have many connections to the content.
First, I served in 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry, the battalion that is the main focus of the book, from 1991 to 1993. Even though that was many years prior to the events in the book I actually met at least three of the people featured back then. Fortunately, they were three of the "good guys".
Second, unfortunately, I met one of the bad guys, James Barker, while serving as a recruiter in Fresno, CA. I was not his recruiter but what makes him even more memorable was that he did not have a diploma. An excellent individual, a retired Marine Colonel, helped kids earn their diplomas and Barker was among them.
Third, I was in 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, a sister battalion, during this time period. Our sectors were adjacent and my duties kept me busy at the Battalion's and Brigade's Tactical Operations Centers (TOC). I would often hear the reports of many of the incidents described in the book. Something I learned a long time ago was that when a story doesn't make sense you either don't have all the facts or somebody is lying. This book provided me with the facts necessary to resolve the reports I heard earlier.
Another interesting note: A key figure in the book had the same rank and name as I (Staff Sergeant Miller). I would meet him near the end of the deployment when he was sent to fulfill the same duties I sometimes did. Two SSG Millers, sitting next to each other, completing the same duties for our respective units.
I highly recommend this book.
2. Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One by Zev Chafets
An interesting biography of the man. I recommend this book to anyone interested in issues pertaining to modern news media as it takes the largest (no pun intended) news and political commentary radio personality as its subject.
One of the passages I found interesting:
Quote:
Golden has been screening Limbaugh's calls and acting as his alter ego going back to the start of the national show. "When he came to ABC in 1988, the in-joke was that AM radio was going to be Muzak at the Hilton Hotels. Howard Stern was on FM. Imus was on WNBC, but he wasn't even syndicated. Everybody ABC tried, all the big DJs from around the country, bombed. I wasn't happy at ABC and I quit, which is when Rush hired me for his show. He had no idea what my politics were and he never asked."
One day, early on, Limbaugh walked into the studio and found Golden in tears. He was broke and couldn't pay his bills. The next day, Limbaugh handed him an envelope with five thousand dollars in it. "Rush wasn't rich then," says Golden. "Five thousand dollars was a lot of money to him. He told me, 'This is a gift, not a loan,' and didn't mention it again. At that moment I decided, anything I can do for the guy, I'm in. I hear people call him every name in the book, especially on race. They have no ****ing clue who this man is."
Golden is a voracious reader of history, and we were chatting about World War I when Limbaugh walked into the room. "James," he said, "I want to ask you a question. We were talking yesterday and, let me put it this way, would it ever bother you to go to a school named George Washington or Thomas Jefferson because they were slave owners?"
Golden laughed. "Well. I can tell you that when I was in school, I was the one who stood up in English class and gave a speech about why the Black Panthers are needed."
Limbaugh looked befuddled. "But James, you're a conservative," he said.
"That's right, I am."
"You're an American Patriot."
Golden nodded. "I am. Absolutely. But I don't celebrate the Fourth of July - that's not my Independence Day. That's white people's Independence Day." Something clicked, and I remembered Golden, as Bo Snerdley [Official Obama Criticizer], riffing on how Michelle Obama was "frontin'" in her speech at the Democratic National Convention when she didn't tell the nation that blacks don't consider the Fourth of July to be their Independence Day. Evidently Limbaugh hadn't been listening or maybe he thought Golden was just kidding. Now he seemed shocked to discover that Bo Snerdley, the Official Obama Criticizer, Rush's sidekick for two decades, a conservative in the very best kind of standing, didn't celebrate the nation's birthday. Limbaugh has an expressive face, and I could see him turning the matter over in his mind.
One day, early on, Limbaugh walked into the studio and found Golden in tears. He was broke and couldn't pay his bills. The next day, Limbaugh handed him an envelope with five thousand dollars in it. "Rush wasn't rich then," says Golden. "Five thousand dollars was a lot of money to him. He told me, 'This is a gift, not a loan,' and didn't mention it again. At that moment I decided, anything I can do for the guy, I'm in. I hear people call him every name in the book, especially on race. They have no ****ing clue who this man is."
Golden is a voracious reader of history, and we were chatting about World War I when Limbaugh walked into the room. "James," he said, "I want to ask you a question. We were talking yesterday and, let me put it this way, would it ever bother you to go to a school named George Washington or Thomas Jefferson because they were slave owners?"
Golden laughed. "Well. I can tell you that when I was in school, I was the one who stood up in English class and gave a speech about why the Black Panthers are needed."
Limbaugh looked befuddled. "But James, you're a conservative," he said.
"That's right, I am."
"You're an American Patriot."
Golden nodded. "I am. Absolutely. But I don't celebrate the Fourth of July - that's not my Independence Day. That's white people's Independence Day." Something clicked, and I remembered Golden, as Bo Snerdley [Official Obama Criticizer], riffing on how Michelle Obama was "frontin'" in her speech at the Democratic National Convention when she didn't tell the nation that blacks don't consider the Fourth of July to be their Independence Day. Evidently Limbaugh hadn't been listening or maybe he thought Golden was just kidding. Now he seemed shocked to discover that Bo Snerdley, the Official Obama Criticizer, Rush's sidekick for two decades, a conservative in the very best kind of standing, didn't celebrate the nation's birthday. Limbaugh has an expressive face, and I could see him turning the matter over in his mind.
3. Decision Points by George W. Bush
A must read if you care about politics. I think fair minded people, that are interested in the relevant topics, would care to learn about the decision making process of the previous president and administration. I found the following paragraph interesting and the final sentence always reminds me of Emon:
Quote:
At first I was troubled by my doubts. The notion of a living God was a big leap, especially for someone with a logical mind like mine. Surrendering yourself to an Almighty is a challenge to the ego. But I came to realize that struggles and doubts are natural parts of faith. If you haven't doubted, you probably haven't thought very hard about what you believe.
4. Up from the Projects: An Autobiography by Walter E. Williams
Dr. Williams has interested me for as long as I've known of him. When I recently discovered his autobiography I purchased it without hesitation. He will occasionally fill in for Limbaugh, all too rarely in my opinion, and he uses every chance to take the opportunity to express his economic findings. He also has a cutting edge wit that I see from reading the book has served him well. It's also amazing to see how one can come from such humble roots in this country and find themselves dining with presidents before their life is over. I got a kick out of this paragraph:
Quote:
I'd occasionally lose patience with some of my liberal colleagues, for example, when I had had it with one super-liberal. He was a very nice guy but also very naive, and he was spouting guilt-motivated nonsense to me. I suggested that he cure himself of guilt for what his ancestors did to mine by stealing a car, getting arrested, and then getting sentenced for a year or so at Philadelphia's Graterford Prison. I told him that by the time my "brothers" got finished with him, and had him wearing panties and makeup and carrying a pocketbook, he'd be happy about what his ancestors did to mine. My response might have been a bit strong and unprofessional, but it brought a reward: he hardly spoke to me again.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16
