Mini-Reviews of Books #45…
[Note: Given the dark times we live in, I’m taking a chance reviewing these two important political books. The Far Right and Far Left hordes (a lot more numerous than those at the US’s southern border) might rise up against me. I’ll admit that a lot of my non-fiction reading is political, simply because I’m worried about what the future might have in store for human beings on this planet. I still read more science, though, as if studying the physics of global warming and how climate change deniers and polluters are causing extinctions will get me any reprieve from those extreme groups. Honestly, I’d read conservative tomes too if they weren’t grim fairy tales written by Krugman’s fascist zombies (did you catch the pun?). Anyway, here are the reviews.]
A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America. Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, authors. I could just make this review a mini-mini: If you don’t already know most of what’s in this book, you’re part of the problem. It just elaborates on Trump’s legacy of incompetence in everything and this tendencies for paranoid authoritarianism. Trump is by far the worst president in US history, but any US citizen who already knows that can read this book and find out more details about why, even a Trump supporter (assuming they can read—their vainglorious leader rarely does, of course, but don’t take my word for it; it’s documented in the book!). And the book barely gets to that infamous phone call with the Ukrainian president where he illegally pressures him to meddle in the 2020 election, a mob capo’s favor.
Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and Fight for a Better Future. Paul Krugman, author. Economics is like anthropology for me, a pretend-science if only because it deals mostly with human beings and their complex and often irrational behaviors. Most of this book analyzes, in a direct and understandable way, why Trump’s economic policies are both stupid and downright dangerous for the US. It’s a bit more dense than the first book but nicely complements it. The section titled “Trump” actually summarizes the first book: Our democracy, if not dead, is in a hospice. Sound the bag pipes, MacDougall.
The section on Pelosi should be mentioned. Being a native Californian who loves San Francisco might bias me, but she’s one damn smart woman who doesn’t get the credit she deserves. Her recent fame comes from standing up to Trump, who, with the help of the Good Ole Piranhas like ticks on a dog, might have already succeeded in destroying the country and the world without the Speaker. She is 1000 times better than the previous GOP House speakers and has done far more to improve Americans’ lives than Ocasio-Cortes can even dream of achieving. GOP House members (and a few senators too) hate Pelosi, of course, emotions from mostly small-minded men who can’t stand the fact that she’s much smarter than they are…or ever will be.
Krugman showed some laziness by simply reprinting many of his earlier NY Times’ columns (contrary to Trump’s lawsuit against the Times, and the opinions of Trump supporters, those are fairly balanced as is the rest of the paper–there’s no fake news). But the inclusion of those posts creates a historical flow in each section that shows our spiral down into the maelstrom of fascism in the US and the world (he correctly mentions both Hungary and Poland) is not a new phenomenon. Very interesting reading. Of course, if you prefer fiction, you can read Trump’s Art of the Deal…or just read the Tweeter-in-Chief’s tweets from the vulture himself. Hmm. Maybe those latter are just noir comedy?
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Comments are always welcome.
The Golden Years of Virginia Morgan. What will the US government do in the future with its agents and other employees who know too many secrets? Find out in this tale about a frightening government conspiracy. While fiction, you might ask yourself, “Could this really happen?” I wrote it, so you already know my answer! Available in .mobi (Kindle) ebook format at Amazon, and in all ebook formats at Smashwords and its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and library and lending services (Scribd, Overdrive, Baker & Taylor, Gardners, etc.).
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
