4536o
Hennepin County Library
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Amateur HourAmateur Hour, BookKamala Harris in the White House
by Spiering, CharlieBook - 2024Book, 2024
4536o's rating:
Added Mar 19, 2024
4536o's rating:
Added Mar 13, 2024
Comment:
Likely few of us have given any thought to the plight of the Iranian people. They suffered through three decades of the corrupt Shah, who was put in place through a CIA coup. That was followed by more than four decades of heartless theocratic rule. Read this book and you will both admire the spirit of Iranian women and also despair for the quality of their everyday life.Likely few of us have given any thought to the plight of the Iranian people. They suffered through three decades of the corrupt Shah, who was put in place through a CIA coup. That was followed by more than four decades of heartless theocratic rule.…
The Hunger GamesThe Hunger Games, DVDThe Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
DVD - 2024DVD, 2024
4536o's rating:
Added Mar 03, 2024
Comment:
Songbirds and Snakes is the origin story of Coriolanus Snow -- which here is superficial compared to the book's extensive inner dialogue. It is also an origin story of the Hunger Games, which at Year 10 is still shockingly primitive, if you are familiar with the elaborate festivities in the original trilogy, Years 74-75. The movie's brilliant star is Rachel Zegler as District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird. She is literally the Katniss of this prequel, and while the opposite of Jennifer Lawrence's character in every way but attitude, is fully as charismatic.Songbirds and Snakes is the origin story of Coriolanus Snow -- which here is superficial compared to the book's extensive inner dialogue. It is also an origin story of the Hunger Games, which at Year 10 is still shockingly primitive, if you are…
LimitarianismLimitarianism, BookThe Case Against Extreme Wealth
by Robeyns, IngridBook - 2024Book, 2024
4536o's rating:
Added Feb 29, 2024
Comment:
While reading this indispensable book, three thoughts came to mind. One is an inscription at Delphi: "Nothing in excess." The second is Newton's Laws of Motion, which describe an ideal universe -- everything in balance. The third is Jesus' parable that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter heaven. Ingrid Robeyns takes it from there in fleshing out why extreme wealth inequality is an existential issue for our country, and to a lesser extent, the world.While reading this indispensable book, three thoughts came to mind. One is an inscription at Delphi: "Nothing in excess." The second is Newton's Laws of Motion, which describe an ideal universe -- everything in balance. The third is Jesus' parable…
4536o's rating:
Added Feb 27, 2024
Comment:
Hundreds of great bands have appeared since the early 1960s, when the Stones entered the international rock scene -- and I reached adulthood. I've absolutely loved dozens of bands over this period, but never lost my deep attraction to Mick & Co. Hackney Diamonds doesn't approach the group's best albums, of course, but geez, they are in their 80s, and Mick's voice is still strong and clear.Hundreds of great bands have appeared since the early 1960s, when the Stones entered the international rock scene -- and I reached adulthood. I've absolutely loved dozens of bands over this period, but never lost my deep attraction to Mick & Co.…
The Kingdom, the Power, and the GloryThe Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, BookAmerican Evangelicals in An Age of Extremism
by Alberta, TimBook - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Feb 21, 2024
Comment:
I've noticed that at a certain age, people face a fork in their life path. In one direction, they become sweeter as they get older -- think of your loving grandmother. Along the other path they become meaner -- think of the MAGA seniors foaming at the mouth at Trump rallies. The latter path seems to have infected the Southern Baptist Convention, as detailed in this first-person account. Now, there has been a sinister undertone in fundamentalist/conservative Christianity for a long time. It was derailed by the Scopes Trial in 1925. It rose to prominence as the so-called Moral Majority, which elected Reagan in 1980. But any bounds were shredded by Trump in 2016. The spectacle of right-wing SBC preachers and televangelists sanctimoniously praying for Trump in the Oval Office is one of lasting shame for Christianity. No wonder the rise of "nones" in American society.I've noticed that at a certain age, people face a fork in their life path. In one direction, they become sweeter as they get older -- think of your loving grandmother. Along the other path they become meaner -- think of the MAGA seniors foaming at…
4536o's rating:
Added Feb 17, 2024
Comment:
If you're interested in our country, you probably know most if not all this material. But there is a special power in reading this first-person account of one of the darkest periods in the Republic. Oath and Honor would be an excellent, cautionary source for American students well into the future.If you're interested in our country, you probably know most if not all this material. But there is a special power in reading this first-person account of one of the darkest periods in the Republic. Oath and Honor would be an excellent, cautionary…
Alexander Von Humboldt and the United StatesAlexander Von Humboldt and the United States, BookArt, Nature, and Culture
by Harvey, Eleanor JonesBook - 2020Book, 2020
Added Feb 16, 2024
Comment:
By the early 19th C. Enlightenment thought had filtered into all stripes of American Society. Even many of those living on the frontier were hungry for learning. Into this milieu stepped Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian natural scientist, who until his death just before the Civil War was famous and honored throughout Europe and the Americas. This several-pound tome is meant as an exhibition catalogue, so you will either appreciate it as sumptuous paean to the great man -- or an insufferably pretentious publication fattened by images you will have seen in other places. Your choice, so no stars from me.By the early 19th C. Enlightenment thought had filtered into all stripes of American Society. Even many of those living on the frontier were hungry for learning. Into this milieu stepped Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian natural scientist, who…
EndgameEndgame, BookInside the Royal Family and the Monarchy 's Fight for Survival
by Scobie, OmidBook - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Feb 15, 2024
Comment:
The Guardian columnist Marina Hyde reduced the Royal Family to its essence: they are entertainers. In effect they are the British Kardashians, their pomp and pageantry the Brit equivalent of the Electric Light Parade at Disneyworld. Alas, Omid Scobie's clear-eyed account of the Royals' hapless attempts to modernize -- remain relevant -- seem doomed to fail. Too many inherent negatives, and few if any positives.The Guardian columnist Marina Hyde reduced the Royal Family to its essence: they are entertainers. In effect they are the British Kardashians, their pomp and pageantry the Brit equivalent of the Electric Light Parade at Disneyworld. Alas, Omid…
CrossingsCrossings, BookHow Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet
by Goldfarb, Ben (Environmental journalist)Book - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Feb 08, 2024
Comment:
If you imagine a book about roads will be a wonky infrastructure exercise, this one is not. Rather, Crossings totally inverts our human perceptions. From the perspective of animals roads are corridors of death, and many animals try to live a mile of more from any road wherever possible. Unfortunately, untold millions of animals do not have the luxury of such space. Read this book and you will come away with an entirely new frame of reference.If you imagine a book about roads will be a wonky infrastructure exercise, this one is not. Rather, Crossings totally inverts our human perceptions. From the perspective of animals roads are corridors of death, and many animals try to live a mile of…
The FabulistThe Fabulist, BookThe Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos
by Chiusano, MarkBook - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Feb 04, 2024
Comment:
George Santos is the culmination of the decline and fall of the once-estimable Republican Party. On the one hand, his dishonesty can be traced all the way back to Nixon's 1968 campaign, which secretly derailed the Paris peace talks with North Vietnam. On the other hand, Santos represents the logical outcome of the 2010 takeover of the GOP by the Koch Brothers -- resulting in the current crop of political nonentity officeholders answerable only to their funders. Given that Santos and his conference colleagues are of no lasting significance to the American Experiment, this book provides more than enough attention to such an ultimately ephemeral figure.George Santos is the culmination of the decline and fall of the once-estimable Republican Party. On the one hand, his dishonesty can be traced all the way back to Nixon's 1968 campaign, which secretly derailed the Paris peace talks with North…
A Woman I KnowA Woman I Know, BookFemale Spies, Double Identities, and A New Story of the Kennedy Assassination
by Haverstick, MaryBook - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 29, 2024
Comment:
Three engaging stories in one: (1) a biography of Jerrie Cobb, who -- among many other achievements -- fully qualified as a Mercury astronaut, only to be disqualified by NASA because of her gender; (2) a deep, deep drive into CIA tradecraft; and (3) the most believable explanation of the Kennedy assassination I've read. The entire book reads like something Edgar Rice Burroughs would have wished he could have written. After A Woman I Know, any spy novel will read like a nursery book.Three engaging stories in one: (1) a biography of Jerrie Cobb, who -- among many other achievements -- fully qualified as a Mercury astronaut, only to be disqualified by NASA because of her gender; (2) a deep, deep drive into CIA tradecraft; and (3)…
Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg, BookAll the Films : the Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
by Bousquet, Olivier (Film journalist)Book - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 26, 2024
Comment:
Since the emergence of the New Hollywood in the late 1960s, moviegoers have been blessed by a generation of brilliant directors. Among this rarified cohort, Steven Spielberg is the most inventive storyteller, with an innate ability to infuse his films with a childlike sense of wonder whenever appropriate to the subject. This beautiful book celebrates Spielberg's lifetime of artistic and financial triumphs. Unless you never watch movies, don't pass on this fascinating read.Since the emergence of the New Hollywood in the late 1960s, moviegoers have been blessed by a generation of brilliant directors. Among this rarified cohort, Steven Spielberg is the most inventive storyteller, with an innate ability to infuse his…
Opposable ThumbsOpposable Thumbs, BookHow Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever
by Singer, MattBook - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 26, 2024
Comment:
Roger Ebert has been gone for a decade, Gene Siskel for nearly a quarter century. But the present state of film criticism and, really, the movie industry were shaped by their unlikely and often fiercely argued weekly TV partnership. If you love movies and are well into middle age, you'll probably remember Siskel & Ebert fondly. If you are younger, well, more's the pity.Roger Ebert has been gone for a decade, Gene Siskel for nearly a quarter century. But the present state of film criticism and, really, the movie industry were shaped by their unlikely and often fiercely argued weekly TV partnership. If you love…
Tired of WinningTired of Winning, BookDonald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party
by Karl, Jonathan, 1968-Book - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 17, 2024
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 12, 2024
Comment:
If you visit Luxor, you'll surely cross the Nile to ancient Thebes. On your way to Deir al-Bahri and the Valley of the Kings, just before reaching the Colossi of Memnon, you'll pass through Al-Qarnah, site of Fathy's best-known work, New Gourna village. This being Egypt, his community plan was inevitably compromised by administrative indifference, and little of his innovative explorations into climate-resistant traditional building have survived. But his house and mosque remain, well worth a stop.If you visit Luxor, you'll surely cross the Nile to ancient Thebes. On your way to Deir al-Bahri and the Valley of the Kings, just before reaching the Colossi of Memnon, you'll pass through Al-Qarnah, site of Fathy's best-known work, New Gourna…
The Architecture of DiplomacyThe Architecture of Diplomacy, BookBuilding America's Embassies
by Loeffler, Jane C., 1947-Book - 1998Book, 1998
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 12, 2024
Comment:
This book is of special value to those who have interests in diplomacy/foreign affairs, the machinations of Congress, and architecture. The small numbers of potential readers who check all three boxes will find in The Architecture of Diplomacy a brilliant history and analysis. Dr. Loeffler received an elite education -- and it shows.This book is of special value to those who have interests in diplomacy/foreign affairs, the machinations of Congress, and architecture. The small numbers of potential readers who check all three boxes will find in The Architecture of Diplomacy a…
ArchitectureArchitecture, BookThe Definitive Visual History
Book - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 04, 2024
Comment:
The best representation of world architecture you will find -- anywhere. Exceptionally comprehensive, ingeniously curated, and efficiently edited, with first-rate photography. Unless you already have a good grasp of world architecture, you might find yourself occasionally disoriented. But no matter: you'll come away with an excellent sense of our global architectural heritage.The best representation of world architecture you will find -- anywhere. Exceptionally comprehensive, ingeniously curated, and efficiently edited, with first-rate photography. Unless you already have a good grasp of world architecture, you might…
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 02, 2024
Comment:
A sweet, earnest look at Ukrainian Christmas traditions, made poignant by the agony the country is currently experiencing.
American CanopyAmerican Canopy, BookTrees, Forests, and the Making of A Nation
by Rutkow, EricBook - 2013Book, 2013
4536o's rating:
Added Jan 01, 2024
Comment:
You can do history from any number of perspectives -- political science, sociology, military, "great men," and many more. This engaging book tells American history though its European settlers' relationship to trees. If that sounds far-fetched, rest assured that this story is quite revealing.You can do history from any number of perspectives -- political science, sociology, military, "great men," and many more. This engaging book tells American history though its European settlers' relationship to trees. If that sounds far-fetched, rest…
Go Home for DinnerGo Home for Dinner, BookAdvice on How Faith Makes A Family and Family Makes A Life
by Pence, Mike, 1959-Book - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Dec 27, 2023
Comment:
Geez, Mike, do we really need advice from you on what to believe? Families have successfully existed for thousands of years without your help. Republicans and Democrats agree: please remove yourself from public life.
4536o's rating:
Added Dec 26, 2023
Comment:
A marvelous thought experiment, which Dr. Rovelli acknowledges may or may not be correct. Yet in such a dynamic universe, why should Black Holes be static, when pretty much all else is constantly changing? So perhaps Black Holes might deteriorate only to self-restore as the opposite, i.e. White Holes. It all makes sense if you read the book!A marvelous thought experiment, which Dr. Rovelli acknowledges may or may not be correct. Yet in such a dynamic universe, why should Black Holes be static, when pretty much all else is constantly changing? So perhaps Black Holes might deteriorate…
Julie and JuliaJulie and Julia, BookMy Year of Cooking Dangerously
by Powell, Julie, 1973-2022Book - 2005Book, 2005
4536o's rating:
Added Dec 21, 2023
Comment:
Best read after watching the movie of the same name, starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. Pretty hilarious, if you are in tune with the author.
Lost in AmericaLost in America, BookPhotographing the Last Days of Our Architectural Treasures
by Cahan, RichardBook - 2023Book, 2023
4536o's rating:
Added Dec 20, 2023
Comment:
Lost landmarks books are a popular genre -- many of us have perused the pages of one or more. This book is qualitatively several cuts above the norm for such books, in that is curated by the National Park Service's Historic American Buildings Survey, and illustrated by first-rate photographers. A moving depiction of our passing visual heritage.Lost landmarks books are a popular genre -- many of us have perused the pages of one or more. This book is qualitatively several cuts above the norm for such books, in that is curated by the National Park Service's Historic American Buildings…
4536o's rating:
Added Dec 17, 2023
Comment:
As for many film franchises, the Indiana Jones series has progressively declined, creatively. The best said about this iteration is that it is not as bad as its immediate predecessor, Crystal Skull. The larger matter here is the current leadership of Hollywood film studios. Once run by movie people, the decision makers are now business people. Not coincidently, Disney has suffered a number of recent disappointments because obvious cash grabs, like Dial of Destiny, seem stale to many moviegoers. Disney took a $200 million bath on this production; fortunately, the way out of the studio's doldrums is demonstrated by fresh creations like Disney's own Free Guy, and Barbie -- an Oppenheimer appears out of reach for the House of Mouse. The most important question, then, is: when will Mr. Iger and his film chiefs read the room?As for many film franchises, the Indiana Jones series has progressively declined, creatively. The best said about this iteration is that it is not as bad as its immediate predecessor, Crystal Skull. The larger matter here is the current leadership…
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