Back at the beginning of the summer I posted a tic-tac-toe reading challenge to BHPL’s Facebook and website. People were already reading more downloadable titles and it seemed like a good idea to suggest that readers expand their reading horizons. I, for the first time ever, made a vow to read more non-fiction before Labor Day than I normally would.
The game categories included a book on any branch of
science, a book based on something/anything currently in the news, a
non-fiction title about an unfamiliar subject, and a biography or autobiography. I
started with John Dickerson’s The Hardest
Job in the World. Dickerson traces
the evolution and expansion of the duties of the Presidency, both mandated by
the Constitution and those expected by the public. By discussing the management styles and
philosophies of a variety of past and more current Presidents, he emphasizes
the need to build a strong team, knowing when to delegate, and establishing
priorities. The time from campaigning to
winning the election and taking office is so abbreviated and demands different
skill sets from staff and a different mindset from the incoming President. Dickerson uses anecdotes and quotes to keep
the tone of the book more conversational than pedantic. As the 2020 elections approach, this book
definitely counted as a subject currently in the news.
My science choice was Countdown
1945 by Chris Wallace. It seemed
appropriate as we commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the atomic
bomb dropping on Hiroshima. I am still
amazed that Vice President Truman didn’t know about the Manhattan Project until
FDR unexpectedly died. I am also still
wondering how entire towns, such as Los Alamos, were secretly built during
wartime. I am perhaps most surprised
that Wallace successfully added a dimension of suspense to a story when we
already know the ending. The cast of
scientists, military personnel, foreign leaders, and U.S. politicians could
have been overwhelming, but Wallace juggled the people and timeline to keep the
story moving. Again, the author used
quotes and anecdotes to make the people involved more real and the decision,
right or wrong depending your own opinion, even more difficult.
Demagogue: The Life
and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy by Larry Tye falls into the
category of an unfamiliar subject. I
know only a basic outline of his actions, but nothing about his life or
motivation. Tye quotes Ethel Kennedy as
describing McCarthy as a good man for a fun time. Robert Kennedy attended McCarthy’s funeral
even after JFK told him not to. I am
still reading this book.
You Never Forget Your
First by Alexis Coe takes a good look at George Washington, warts and
all. I know more about his early life,
family relationships, frequent illnesses, military career, and financial
difficulties than I would have thought possible in a relatively short
book. Coe credits/discredits Washington
with starting the first world war, mishandling Indian affairs, refusing to free
slaves, and inconsistent relationships with foreign countries. She also acknowledges how and why he seemed
like the most logical and qualified first President. Coe’s writing makes me think of Sarah
Vowell’s Layfette’s in the Somewhat
United States. Coe’s books have been
described insightful and unconventional.
I consider that to be a recommendation.
I have not ignored my typical summer and beach reading, but
that is another blog post.
~S. Bakos