Category: book review

Amazon Censors Criticism of China

Commentary Amazon is concerning a group of authors and publishers highly critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The company, headquartered in Seattle and Arlington, does extensive business with China, from which it sells vast quantities of imported products in its core markets of the United States, Europe, and Japan. According to EcomCrew, over 63 percent…


Book Review: ‘Saving Aziz: How the Mission to Help One Became a Calling to Rescue Thousands From the Taliban’

The decision to exit Afghanistan was one discussed, haggled over, and planned for years. The disgraceful method in which the exit was conducted made it seem as though the decision had been made in minutes. The results of the seemingly non-strategic Afghanistan exit were tragic, costly, and embarrassing―the tragedy, costliness, and embarrassment is ongoing. Chad…


Book Review: ‘Art of the Chicken: A Master Chef’s Paintings, Stories, and Recipes of the Humble Bird’: Painting Wonderful Receips

A fair portion of my pantry shelves are devoted to cookbooks. One of my favorite French chefs is Jacques Pépin, and I have several of his. He has authored more than 30. Over the holidays, I was pleasantly surprised to discover  that not only is he a master in the kitchen, but he’s equally comfortable holding…


Book Review: ‘At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse’

Walt Larimore and Mike Yorkey have written a masterful retelling of a heroic life. “At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse” is a full story. I mean this is in the complimentary sense that it is a story of a courageous life such as…


Book Review: The Imagination, Five-Act-Structures, and ‘The Divine’

It was the scientist Albert Einstein who remarked that “Imagination is more important than knowledge”; the importance of this comment is manifold. For starters, it is counter-intuitive, because we tend to view science as some sort of compendium of knowledge and facts rather than being an imaginative construct. Therefore, that the generally considered-to-be greatest scientist…


Book Review: Father Alexander Krylov’s ‘How I Became a Man’

When Alexander Krylov was in elementary school, he and his classmates toured the Museum of the Revolution in Moscow. “The female museum guide told us that Communists are genuine heroes,” he recollected years later. She said that “we no longer need to invent gods for ourselves; we divinize the proletarians next door.” The guide went…


Book Review: ‘Precipice’

Nick Deiuliis, the president and CEO of the publicly traded CNX Resources and a leading voice in the energy industry, has certainly done his homework. In his book, “Precipice,” the author lays out so many points on economic topics, including energy issues, that it’s difficult to call his book title hyperbolic. He tackles issues propagated…


Book Review: ‘The Confessions of a Bookseller,’ A Year in the Life of a Scottish Bookseller

I have a propensity for acquiring books. My small, upstairs office has shelves full of them. I have a friend who runs a small bookstore in Warrenton, Virginia. Originally from Portland, Oregon, I find my memories are keen of Powell’s, a legendary independent bookstore touted as the world’s largest. I like everything about books, and…


Book Review: ‘The College Scam: How America’s Universities Are Bankrupting and Brainwashing Away the Future of America’s Youth’ 

The idea that college is a scam and not worth the steep price has been hotly debated for years. Now, it is in the forefront of the news with Biden’s new student loan forgiveness plan. Many people believe that the plan is morally and fiscally wrong. Canceling student debt will not stop universities from charging…


Book Review: ‘Lost Airmen: The Epic Rescue of WWII U.S. Bomber Crews Stranded Behind Enemy Lines’

Imagine flying 30,000 feet above enemy territory during World War II, trying to avoid flak explosions, trying to ensure your bombs hit their intended target, making sure you and your crew have enough oxygen, managing altitude and speed when engines go out, and, if all else fails, trying to give your men enough time and…