Provide a book review, any topic, fiction or nonfiction. The book should be something you think readers here will enjoy or benefit from. Put the book's author (last name, first name) and title in the title box of the posting.
This 1,521 page non-fiction memoir provides an in-depth look at the Richard Nixon Presidency, 1969-1973. Writing by Nixon's National Security Assistant, Henry Kissinger, it details events such as America's conduct of the Vietnam war during these years, America's relations with Russia and China, and the India-Pakistan war of 1971. One does not have to agree with Kissinger in order to take him seriously. Nixon's later problems with Watergate are not covered in this volume. One interesting point, for example, is that Nixon never got along with his Secretary of State, William Rogers, who was a 'loose cannon'. Rather than fire him, Nixon developed strong ties with Kissinger and his National Security Council to conduct sensitive diplomacy with the Soviets, North Vietnamese and others. Nixon would then let Rogers in on things after the fact, which didn't win Nixon any friends in the State Department.
I really like this thread idea. I'll make it a sticky if people contribute to it, and if they actually provide book descriptions, and not plain titles. I'd like to recommend "Player Piano", Kurt Vonnegut's first published book. The book is much more lengthy than Vonnegut's other books, but it is also much more intellectually stimulating, and is a tad more fact and idea based, unlike his other books which are more quick-wit based. It's an interesting journey into the mind of a younger Vonnegut, very much influenced by Orwell and apocalyptic, yet humourus future society visions. The book deals with Paul, an engineer in a society where machines do almost all of the work, and engineers are the best payed, and hold the highest social ranking because they can control and design the machines. Paul slowly begins to doubt his role as head engineer at the Illium Works plant, and the story develops from there. It's full of witty humour and a frightening, but most probably accurate, description of the America of the future. Great read.
My book would have to be "Sunset", by Erin Hunter. This book is apart of the "Warriors" series. Sunset happens to be the last in the Prophecy books. However, there 6 books before it that explain what happens to get to the prophecy. I've read all 12 books. What their basically about, is four cat clans that have carried out the warrior code odf their ancestors since the dawn of time. A kittypet(pet cat) named Rusty goes into the woods one day and is confronted by an apprentice named Graypaw, and his leader Bluestar. It sounds corny, but once you read the very first book, and you really get sucked into all the drama of each character's life, it's hard to stop reading the series. There's a new book coming out," The Sight", part of the new 6 book part to the series, but i have no idea when it comes out. If anyone does, they should post it here. I can't wait till the next book comes out!!!^_^
Naoki_ninja: You might enjoy Jack London's book 'White Fang', about a wolf who evolves into a dog, or 'Call of the Wild', about a dog who evolves into a wolf. Both volumes were written about 100 years ago. Both volumes show tremendous insight into the wolf mind, and there is no shortage of meaningful comment about human minds as well. I especially like the part in 'White Fang' where the newborn wolf presses his paw against a side of his den which is white, unlike the other sides. The 'white side' or entrance to the den doesn't press back, and the cub rolls down the hill into the real world, whining and yelping in terror, until Mother arrives.
Brave Sir Rubin: Illium Works is located in Halliburton, Texas. It is a fully owned subsidiary of the Ramjac Corporation. Your responses are being monitored. Have a good day.
The Girls by Lori Lansens - fiction 'bout 2 twins that are joined at the head (craniopagus twins), Its about their life as twins like that. Its a great book. Its very different to what ive ever read before.
I'd write about "Snow" or originally "Neige" from Maxsence Fermine. It is a haiku poetry in the form of prose. It is so perfect it has no unnecessary word. I read it in one breath. It is about a boy who loves haiku poetry and is inspired by the snow to that level that writes hundreds of poems during the winter spending hours in the beautiful winter nature. He searches for himself and instead, he finds love. The book is very elegant and awakness all your senses.
My Ishmael by - Daniel Quinn I was sold right away when I heard "Telepathic conversation with a gorilla" The book turns out to be this gorillas interpretation of the world and whats gone wrong with it and why. He is explaining this to a 12 year old girl so the concepts he talks about are very easy to understand.
I have to recommend I know "This Much Is True" by Wally Lamb probably one of the best authors I have ever read. This book is about the journey of two twins from childhood to adult hood one of the twins suffers from schizophrenia and the other twin takes care of him etc. Another book is "shes come undone" also by Wally Lamb its about a girl, again, journey through life. She has gone through a lot in her life from her mother and fathers divorce to mental illness to rape to being over weight etc. Its about over coming struggles in her life time. Its pretty good. my one last recommendation is " The Secret Life of The Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. Its based in the 60's. Its about a white girl and her black maid/nanny. This is about over coming racism and lifes troubles. A truly inspiring book..!
This is a truly amazing book. A satirical look at bureaucracy and rules, following the workings of an American platoon during WW2 and the catastrophies that occur when there are too many chiefs. The writing is pure genious, twisting itself and the reader into amazingly logical knots. The main character, Yossarian, and many others, will live on in your mind long after you have finished this book. It is one of the few books that I have finished and then turned back to page 1 again. Each re-read also helps the reader to follow the explanations of the logical absurdities resulting from too many rules. A must read. Peace, Aidan.
Recommended for pre-teens. Available through amazon.com. The Young Trailers presents a very romanticized view of the world. Good guys are good, and the red savages are, in general, very threatening. Written 100 years ago (1907), Altsheler's views might not be politically correct in some circles today. The setting is Kentucky circa 1775-1780. The teenage boy hero, Henry, is heroic and never suffers from cowardice, indecision, poor judgement or any other character flaw. He basically goes native, is captured by Indians of an unnamed tribe, lives with them, then returns to his white settlement to defend it from Shawnees and put food on the tables. There is a romantic interest between Henry and a teenage girl, Lucy, but they never do more than admire one another from a distance. The other characters, particularly Paul, Tom, Sol and Jim, are developed more fully in later volumes (mostly out of print) as they roam the woods fighting savages and protecting white settlements. Henry's boyhood enemy, Braxton, becomes a traitor in later volumes (see Scouts of the Valley), helping the Iroquois make war on whites. In the current volume, Braxton's character is not developed. There is plenty of lyrical description of nature in these pages. The simplistic nature of the characters makes this book and the others (this is the first of a series) suitable mostly for pre-teens. I did enjoy the series when I was much younger.
