The President is Missing – James Patterson & Bill Clinton

by Bill Clinton & James Patterson, pub. 2018, pp. 513

 

What I learned from this book

I learned that there are still some horrifying events that can and may occur in our country at any moment in time.  We tend to consume ourselves with ourselves (selfies, smartphones, reality television, etc.).  What we may not do enough of is pay attention to some of the things that threaten to take all of the fun away from us – permanently. One example of this type of catastrophe (spoiler alert #1) is the one examined in the book – the purposeful contamination of a virus meant to cause a complete and total shutdown of all of the things we take for granted but need each day: clean running water supply, electricity from the grid, internet access – as well as too many other conveniences to mention.

In other words, we may find value in gluing ourselves to every personal experience, but none of it will mean anything without continued access to the things we actually need in order to exist each day. This novel could be looked at as a wake-up call for many of us in America.

Most of us think we’re wide awake, but, in fact, we are mostly “asleep at the wheel” when it comes to the prospects of a true, wide-scale crisis.  I suppose it remains to be seen how serious we can ever get about this or any other type of wake-up call.

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Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism?

by Robert Kuttner, pub. April, 2018, pp. 309

www.robertkuttner.com

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What I learned from this book

This book is a phenomenal examination of the myriad “ingredients” combining over decades to endanger democracy as we know it.  They run the gamut, from social to cultural to, of course, political.  More importantly, as Kuttner explains in graphic detail, we must never forget the economic reasons that have consistently “stirred the pot”; both at home in the U.S. and in democracies abroad.

It was nice to see the author lay out the “global plan” that began decades ago – but now poses the gravest threat since the World War II era.  This was never something could have happened overnight.  The author drives home that if we don’t pay close attention to how and why this is happening – and demand change – there is no limit to where this could lead us as an international community.

What I liked about this book

I liked the way that the author “spread the blame fairly” in this work.  It would have been quite easy for him to pick a side and push the agenda.  However, he took a 360-degree view of the situation, applied factual evidence and real-world events, and made sure he pointed out the: who, what, when, where, why and how of it all took and continues to takes place.  I really enjoyed his reader-friendly writing style and attention to detail.

What I disliked about this book

Nothing. In fact, because of its authenticity, I am proud to say that I am of the opinion that there are no major flaws in this book.  It is right on the money and written at the perfect time.

Whom would I recommend to read this book

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the truth as to how and why our democracy became under siege.  Like it or not, it definitely matters to us all, because no matter whether you consider yourself a globalist or a nativist, we all will live with the consequences of our choices on every level.  Hindsight, per norm, will make it easy to glance back to, or, “armchair quarterback” what we should have done better in 2018.  But the fact of the matter is those of us elected to leadership positions – who, by the way, took an oath to protect us all – seem to be the ones who are currently most comfortable with sitting back, enjoying their vacations, and just seeing where the show lets us out.  Sure, it’s an easy way to deal with it, but this may be the precise reason why our democracy ultimately fails after 240-plus years.

Any thoughts?

-A.N.

Nuclear Showdown – by Gordon Chang (publ. 2006)

Nuclear showdown: North Korea takes on the world – by Gordon G. Chang, approx. 225 pp. (publ. 2006)

 

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“Today he can hit most of the continent of Asia and even parts of the American homeland. In a few years–probably by the end of this decade–the diminutive despot will cast his shadow across the globe: He will be able to land a nuke on any point on the planet.”

Quiz: When do you think the aforementioned was said?

  1. Last week
  2. Last month
  3. Last year
  4. Several decades ago

The correct answer, believe it or not, is “D.”

It’s mind-boggling to realize that the above statement was not made describing current DPRK leader Kim Jong-Un by the present administration, but rather about his predecessor – and father – Kim Jong-Il, way back in the 1990s.  It sheds serious light on how long we have been stuck in this pattern with North Korea and its leadership.  No one in any U.S. presidential administration has been able to successfully “move the needle” at all.  The reason given has been something to the effect of “…it’s complicated.”  And, yes, it certainly is complicated.

What I liked about this book

I liked the way the author laid out the complex history of both North and South Korea and their relation to the situation we still wallow in today.  Gordon Chang clearly “did his homework” on this work – presenting all of the events that have led up to today’s standoff.

What I learned from this book

It is jaw-dropping to learn that the U.S. and Korea never formally ended the Korean War in the 1950s.  It has been passed around like a hot potato to each subsequent administration to “figure out” – supposedly with cooperation from border countries like China, South Korea and/or others. One thing the “historically-naïve reader” learns is that each country has differing interests in this “game.”  Unfortunately, this contributes to providing North Korea with excuses to continue to build and refine its nuclear arsenal; while creating a “ping-pong effect” of international rhetoric to its advantage.  As years turn into decades, the only outcome thus far seems to be a higher and higher probability of global nuclear annihilation.

What I disliked about this book

I disliked the fact that our leadership is still discussing the same unsuccessful tactics with the same associated countries without any real resolution.  South Korea, Japan, Russia and China have all participated in one way or another.  The entire scenario just seems wasteful, useless and irresponsible to the citizens relying on their leadership to safeguard their lives.  It gives the world an impression that leadership seems “okay” with everything continuing as is (even though we know they are not, but rather mostly puzzled as much as we are).  The optics persist and continue to look really bad.

 

To whom would I recommend this book

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who lives – or plans to live – in the following place(s): any location on planet earth!

Your thoughts?

-A.N.

 

 

 

Welcome to the universe: an astrophysical tour – by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott,

Welcome to the universe: an astrophysical tour – by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott, 425 pages (2016)

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What I liked about this book

I liked the way these unbelievably skilled astrophysicists – moonlighting as very talented authors – were able to take the cosmic novice into a (mostly) reader-friendly journey of a world most us only knew tidbits from television shows like Star Trek or the  Jetsons. We are able to grasp how the universe began (with a Big Bang – boom!), what has taken place since the Big Bang, and what we can expect to occur between now and…whenever it all ends.

What I learned from this book

I learned that when we become 31 years, 251 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes, and 54.7843 seconds (not adjusted for Leap Years), we have lived on this earth for exactly ONE BILLION SECONDS!  Dr. Tyson shares a personal tale from years ago when he stopped what he was doing at this moment and drank a nice, long swig of champagne to celebrate his milestone.  His point was that very few of us experience this number in any form – so, it may be worth our while to stop and recognize the “accomplishment.”  I really appreciated learning this fact!

What I disliked about this book

There was nothing. It was one of the most comprehensive books I’ve come across in any field of science.  All three authors did a tremendous job in relaying a very complex subject matter into something of which most readers should be able to gain a basic understanding (at least, in general).

To whom would I recommend this book

I would recommend this book to anyone who has any curiosity in space (there are many).  Judging by the popularity of some of the recent series either broadcast on network television or streaming online like Dr. Neil Tyson’s Cosmos, I would imagine there are new generations of “space geeks” surfacing each and every day.  Welcome!

Any thoughts?

-A.N.

Conspiracy of Fools – by Kurt Eichenwald

Conspiracy of Fools by –  Kurt Eichenwald, 675 pgs.

What I found most amazing about this book

It was interesting to revisit the new millennium – a time when the U.S.A.’s company heads were spending like drunken sailors, startups were hideously overvalued and debt- laden without revenues, and the world appeared to be at everyone’s feet.  This was termed the dot com boom days. Of course, it didn’t last.  Nothing this hedonistic could have lasted long.  Within a few years of 2000, most were brought to a grinding halt – as a result of economically unwise strategies and reckless errors. 

It is now 2017 and history appears to be repeating itself.  Despite the fact that we recently experienced two economic crises – the dot com bust in 2000-02, AND the Great Recession in 2008-09 – we have yet to fully learn from the error of our ways.  What should have changed our ways permanently seems to have eluded us in favor of more greed and arrogance. For the most part, our collective capitalist memories seem to have been wiped clean after each recovery – only to repeat similar (and sometimes worse) actions in later years. 

We should try harder to never forget that we are not the only economic empire to ever exist in history.  It’s so easy to become complacent with the belief that we can always “pull through the next one.”  I guess we’ll only truly realize this when we experience the event that becomes too catastrophic from which to recover.  At any rate, this book is a great reminder of what happens to those who operate without thinking about the consequences of their actions.

What I DIDN’T like about this book

I liked pretty much everything about this book.  I think it was interesting, well researched and a smooth read. 

Whom would I recommend to read this book

This book is a great read for any adult who has an interest in learning about the true story of a seemingly normal Fortune 50 company which was hijacked by corporate greed and steered into destruction. It’s easy to forget about all of the family members of every employee who are affected by such incompetence and selfishness.  Retirement accounts are squandered, college plans vaporize and innocent futures are never the same again. This is all the result of self-inflicted wounds and the inability to stop deviant behavior despite combined years of executive education and experience.  By not having (or choosing to circumvent) a system of “checks and balances,” it is easy to get so many people (innocent and not so innocent) become ensnared in a colossal and deadly spiral. 

Any thoughts?

-A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached for appearances through our Contact page.