Book Reviews & Interesting Stuff

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Three Cups of Tea


Three Cups of Tea

After reading Three Cups of Tea, I have found a personal hero in Greg Mortenson. During one of his mountain climbing expeditions when he went back to help a struggling climber, he was separated from the group. He wondered around aimlessly on a glacier until he was rescued by a some villagers in remote Pakistan. The villagers showed hospitality to Greg and allowed him to regain strength from his failed ascent of K2. Even though Greg was an outsider and the villagers had no worldly possessions to give to Greg, they took care of him. Greg was so-moved by the kindness shown to “an infidel” like himself, he vowed to build a school for the local girls who were overlooked for education.

The book is an account of the fundraising struggles, the building of various schools, the infighting with sectional tribal leaders, the conflict between the Taliban and the US, and even death-threats made from zealots and American citizens. As a Christian, I am deeply sympathetic to a person who looks past religion and strives to make a difference in the “least of these.” Greg lived and learned the culture and never once forcing anything other than education upon the youth of Pakistan. One thing that I will take away from this book is the honoring of traditions and respect for helping those in need within the Muslim culture.

If you want to see the other side of America’s Military Industrial Complex (the killing of innocent civilians), please read this book. This book speaks volumes on how one person can truly make a difference.

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Team of Rivals: A book review


Team of Rivals – the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, is a long, funny, weighty, worthy, and well-written book over 900 pages. This book captivated me for over a month. At times brilliant and others mundane, the book leaves one feeling like they are living through the tough choices of our 16th president. In my opinion, this book solidified for me that Abraham Lincoln is undoubtedly the best President.

The book diverges from the movie in showing the early life of Lincoln, the rise to running for Republican primary, Lincoln’s tour on he circuit, the viewpoints of his rivals, and the lives of some prominent women of the 19th century. I firmly believe that the book is a more accurate portrayal of Lincoln. The premise of the book is taken from others’ view of Lincoln and his impact on them.

While not prefect in any means, one walks away with the feeling of being in the presence of a great individual. Lincoln’s entire life from his stories, generally humble demeanor, toiling over his speeches, dealing with political opponents, and knowing his role as commander-in-chief all culminate into a well-rounded individual. Looking at his view that African Americans would be better relocated early in his presidency, Lincoln finally evolved his thinking and fought for the God-given rights of African Americans. In addition the Civil War was fought over state’s rights – namely, do the southern confederacy states have the right to slavery.

These points in the book are all worth mentioning:

Lincoln was self-taught: Page 152, we see Lincoln struggling with mathematics – Euclid, and being deeply absorbed until he mastered the subject. He also believed that “life was a school.”

On page 165, “Lincoln (while debating) produced a conviction in others because of the conviction of the speaker (Lincoln) himself.”

Read the Gettysburg Address on page 586 – the most moving speech ever recorded.

Page 719 – Lincoln coming into the recent captured capital of the Confederacy – a group of black Union soldiers surrounding Lincoln and bowing to him; Lincoln wanted him to pray only to God. The scene is almost surreal with the end of the war coming to an end.

If you enjoy early 19th American history – this book is a must read.

Just my opinion…

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Killing Kennedy


In his most recent book regarding the assassination of a president, Bill O’Rielly and co-author take readers behind the scenes of the enchanting world of Camelot. This book I found to be a quick and informative read, except for the complete oversight regarding the Zapruder film and other multiple shooter theories, a straight-shooting portrayal of JFK. I enjoyed the feeling of what it must be like to be the president of the United States.

O’Reilly’s logic is straightforward – the Warren Commission fully explained the assassination of JFK. He states that the loner Oswald murdered JFK, was seen coming down the stairwell, fled the scene, killed a cop, and then was found hiding in the theater. I was almost completely persuaded if it was not for the Zapruder film showing JFK being hit from the front as his head is flung backwards.

I was first impressed with JFK’s service in WW2 as a commander of a PT-109 – a mini torpedo boat. The boat was sunk and the chapter deals with him and his crew attempting to survive in the open ocean and being stranded on a beach. I was struck that he kept a coconut as a visual reminder of the ordeal.

Another interesting tidbit was JFK and Martin Luther King Jr’s insatiable desire to have sex. These two men who shaped the mid 20th century had a vociferous sexual appetite toward women.

Another  tidbit that I had forgot was that from the Mafia, Khrushchev, Fidel Castro, and perhaps even Lyndon Johnson, O’Reilly makes a pretty clear case that there were many that had a personal issues against JFK.

No doubt about it, JFK’s presidency intrigues me and I can’t wait till all the files are made public.

Oh yeah, read this book if you are interested in history.

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The World is Flat – Thomas L. Friedman


The main premise of the book is that due to technology, innovation, globalization, and the internet, the world has become so interconnected that it is basically “flat”. This flattening the author states will bring down the United States’ standard of living because countries such as China, and India can compete on the global scale. This was a real wake up call for me to take nothing for granted.

It was fascinating to hear about the tough mathematical regimen that India and China have for their students. A smart student in a foreign country with the assistance of the internet can change the world. I took this to mean that something better change real quick in American education or we will be left behind.

I learned that UPS has in-sourced  many other companies’ supply chains so that UPS fixes laptops made by Toshiba at a UPS warehouse rather than sending back to Japan. Another fascinating take was that computer programmers routinely share and work on programming together. This collaborative effort creates better software for the world and for consumers.

This book will leave you in awe of how fast this world is moving.

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A Brave New World – Aldous Huxley


Brave New World

Brave New World

Based in the future, modern civilization has eroded the individual psyche and focused on the communal wants and needs. To accomplish this, a central planning commission has introduced a streamlined propaganda program of human conditioning, segregated human beings into a caste system of Alpha’s, Beta’s, Gamma’s, Delta’s, & Epsilon’s, and the planners have removed the entire paternal system. The entire society is docile with the injecting of soma (drugs), concerned about living happy, buying new items and not ‘mending’ their old garments, and has group orgies. The goal of this altered human conditioning is peace and tranquility with Ford as their god.

The story follows an Alpha who is a little dissatisfied with himself and has internal struggles of living in this world. He ends up meeting a ‘savage’ who lives outside of the central planned “Utopia’ and is disgusted with how he lives. The story then switches over to the savage and his struggles with coming into conformity with the ‘Utopia’

My favorite part was the confrontation close to the end of the book with the conversation that ensued between the savage, Bernard Marx (the Alpha male), and the central planner.

The storyline is a bit tough to distinguish at times so I recommend the sparknotes as a guide when reading. Overall this book has some interesting dialogue between the characters and the choice of the savage at the end makes one think about ones choices; I was disappointed with the savage’s choice. In my opinion the book was alright but not a classic – 6/10 stars.

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Time to Invest in Tesla Motors?


The article states that a divisive war between removable electric car batteries vs non-removable batteries is heating up between Tesla and an Israeli rival. Forbes states that Tesla Motors has a desire to have ‘free’ supercharging stations installed intermittently between cities because Tesla has a non-removable battery in its current car. This blew my mind because how can something be free and how will it work in the real world.

Basically, Tesla will install 30 minute charging stations powered by solar technology. This capital investment will pay for itself by Tesla selling cars the revenue generated by selling extra power back to electric companies.I would place my money on the free charging stations by Tesla. Nothing grabs the attention of the masses like the word ‘free’.

Innovative yes, the future absolutely.

Read article here – How Two Billionaiares Are Supercharging

The Greater Journey – David McCullough


The Greater Journey, written by  David McCullough, masterfully details the the lives of various American men and women who were greatly influenced by Paris. McCullough takes the reader from about 1830 until around 1910. During this time there were wars, advances in medical technology, the building of the Eiffel Tower, the World’s fair, many affluent painters studying, and a vibrant theater & arts life. David is a wonderful historian and fluent storyteller. He makes history come alive for those who have no background in the subject.

After reading this story, I have a greater appreciation for France, a desire to visit Paris, a profound respect for artists and painters, and a better insight into great works of art. I was especially delighted to find out more about Augustus St. Gaudens.  I have one 1910-D ounce of Gold – the beautiful Double Eagle. I can see now why this coin is considered one of the most beautiful coins ever designed.

The only thing that I felt was missing from the entire account was the musical aspect of Paris. Other than that, David McCullough is my favorite historian.

I can’t wait to go to France!

American Patriots – Rick Santorum


American Patriots, written by Rick Santorum, portrays the lives of twenty-five early American supporters. These patriots come from various ethnic and social backgrounds; however, each is determined to sacrifice all for the newly found country. They all agreed that America is the one country where all are equal and have a right to freedom.  The book is separated into three sections – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

One fascinating idea that I took from this book was about the phrase life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Santorum states that each phrase is builds off the previous one. For example to have a pursuit of happiness, liberty and life must be firmly established by government. In addition, these rights are given by God and that they are worth fighting for. Second, while I did not recognize any of the names before reading the book, they positively impacted me. After reading, I know that with God’s assistance, I can make a difference. Third, I am inspired to keep faithful to God. On page 96, George Washington implored Elias Boudinot to join the revolution because he was a man of impeccable character and influence. This says to me that even though many chose to take the low moral road, I should hold my standards to God’s even if recognition never comes in my lifetime.

To make the book a little better, I would like to recommend a few suggestions. The author’s sources are listed, but I would prefer to have Santorum’s recommended reading list. This would give the reader a little more clarity on Santorum’s philosophical foundation. Second, the book was rather brief at 148 pages even with the preface, introduction, Declaration of Independence and the signors of it printed in the appendix. Perhaps the publisher or author could expand on the appendix? Additionally, in the chapters with multiple patriots, the author jumps right into the next patriot without a break in the text. These small changes if implemented would improve readability and make a more comprehensive book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in overlooked and everyday heroes of American history.

I received a complimentary commentary of this book for review purposes from Tyndale.

Night – Elie Wiesel


Night by Elie Wiesel is a haunting first person account into the atrocities of Hitler’s final solution. This shocking book made me realize that evil needs to be dealt with at first sight. While not an enjoyable read, it definitely needs to be read widely.  This book had caused great inner turmoil within me due to the silence of God.

I was honestly numb when the description of the smoke coming from the burning of Jews; I couldn’t fathom the part where a young child was hung and died a slow death while the prisoners had to parade past, and the inhumane treatment of the inmates when German soldiers threw bread into the train cars.

Words can not adequately portray the human suffering endured by Jews.

I can sympathize with Wiesel’s questioning God, his struggle to hold on to his dying father, and the inhumane treatment of fellow humans. This was the second time that I have read this book. The first time I was in college and the book deeply impacted me. I remember the long 42 mile forced march that Elie had to endure. I remember in college that my ride had left and I wanted to stay longer at a party. At the end of the night, I ran home thinking about the long run that Wiesel had to endure. If he had stopped, the soldiers had orders to shoot any stragglers. Even though my trip home was about 4 miles, I did not stop.

I will make it my conviction to stand with any person or country fighting for peace.

 

Crime & Punishment


For the past few weeks, Crime & Punishment has consumed my thought life. I can honestly say that the main character’s situation and inner dialogue absolutely entranced me. I actually thought about the reality of Raskinikov’s actions as if I committed them. The setting is in 19th century Russia, but the themes experienced by the characters are timeless. A few themes in the book touched upon are poverty, pride, murder, prostitution, God, and guilt.

The dialogue in the book between the characters is second to none in literature, the lucid details of the murder, and the conversations is extremely realistic, and the story line is great. To be honest, the book seemed to drag on at a few points but overall I can see why this book is regarded as a classic masterpiece. The language used in affluent and makes one want to speak more intelligent.

The main point of the book is that the main character posited a theory and actually tried it out. The theory is that a great man can do anything such as murder if he is to become a great man and is above the normal or common law. Raskinikov takes from history an account of Napoleon. Raslinikov states that Napoleon early in his life could murder anyone he wanted because he was to become a great man.

I would suggest either reading it or listening to the audio version. The book has a few different translations but I chose the audio version due to my long drive. One last thing, I would suggest googling the characters to keep them straight until you are familiar with them.

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