Book Review: Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?

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Alyssa worked with Obama starting in 2005, and eventually rose to be his Chief of Staff in the White House.  In this fascinating look back, she explores volunteering in the political process, working for political campaigns, and what it's like to work in the White House.

I enjoyed this inside look at the workings of the White House.  Alyssa stays away from politics and focuses more on the ins and outs of her job, and what she did in the campaigns and in the White House.

Looking to satisfy your curiosity about the inner workings of the White House?  This book is for you!

Thinking about pursuing a career in politics?  This is the book for you!

Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom by Condoleezza Rice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rice explores the development of Democracy in several countries that have suffered historical turning points in the past 30 years - during her time working at the national level, first as a member of the National Security Council, and then as the Secretary of State. Rice takes a hard look at mistakes and missteps that were taken during her tenure, dissecting the actions that were taken and their long term impact on world politics. This isn't just a look at the newspaper headlines, it's a look at the diplomatic wrangling that went on behind the scenes.

Ultimately, this book is a very timely read in light of the current political climate. There are things that we all need to remember about this 200+ year experiment in Democracy, and Condoleza Rice reminds us all what is wonderful about our system of government.

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Shared from my Good Reads account. 

Book Review - Every Falling Star

I've reviewed this on my Books for Teens Blog, but I wanted to point this book out on here, also.  Considering the current international tensions with North Korea, this is a very timely read.

I became aware of this book through a cousin who heard the author speak.  "You must read this book".  I asked why, and he replied "Just READ it.  Read it now."

I have read it.  No, that's too simple a term.  I have devoured the book.  It's a spell binding tale of the nitty gritty survival of a young child on the streets of North Korea.  What flabbergasts me the most is the knowledge that this tale - the sad tale of life, death, and daily survival is STILL happening every day in North Korea.  I had to stop and remind myself several times that this was not a story set in the Middle Ages - it's a true story set in the 1990's in North Korea. 

My Tease for the story:
Sungju's family lives a life of privilege in Pyongyang.  They live in a large apartment, he has a dog, and they have food on the table every night.  He goes to the best school in the area, and he takes martial art classes, and has the best of everything.  Until that fateful day.  While never specifying what his father did, he did something that got the family banished to a work farm in the northernmost reaches of Korea.  The house they settle in has no electricity and no central heat.  Money is scarce and food is scarcer.  The town school is a rude awakening to Sungju as he realizes that the sheltered life he has lived is not the norm in the rest of Korea.

When the money and food run out, Sungju's father leaves to attempt to sneak across the border into China and smuggle food home.  As the months pass and his father doesn't return, hope begins to run out for the family.  Sungju awakens one morning to find that his mother has left, attempting a last desperate run to find food.  Sungju struggles to survive on his own, but hits a snag when he returns home after foraging for food to find that brokers have sold his house and their belongings to other people.  Forced onto life in the street, Sungju's desperate struggle for survival begins.

Sungju lives by his wits.  The desperate tale of survival doesn't pull any punches.  He eventually manages to escape the North (hence the book) but so many more never do. The tale of survival rivals any "reality" television we have in the United States.

In the words of my cousin Dave, Just read it. 

Book Review: Hillbilly Elegy

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I know, I know.  I said I was going to take book reviews off of this blog.  I was wrong to say that.  I like having the books I love here, and I enjoy sharing them with you in this space.  So, ignore what I said before.  My book reviews are back!!!!

One hundred years ago, many of us had working class ancestors who worked in coal mines, factories, and steel mills.  These jobs provided upward mobility for many working class American families, moving them up into the Middle Class.  Many families moved away from family farms into big cities, following the siren call of well paying jobs.

As manufacturing jobs moved overseas or automated, the cities that were built to support the industries remained.  But without the industries that supported the workers, the families that remained behind fell into crisis.  And there they stay.  Crime, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism, and Abuse run rampant in these communities as families struggle to survive.

J.D. Vance grew up in one of these little towns in South East Ohio.  He tells the tale of his own family, which is the tale of many families in the struggling factory towns throughout the Rust Belt.  While his family struggles with alcoholism and drug abuse, he managed to find a way to not only survive, but thrive.

If you are curious about the forces that drove the last election, the growing class divide in the United States, and what can be done to help stop the forces that are tearing at the fabric of our families, read this book.

I'd like to make a point here.  My own father was from South West Indiana.  J.D.'s story close matches my Dad's story, and much of J.D.'s larger family history matches my larger family history.  We still have family in Indiana who live in once thriving little towns.  I grew up outside of Dayton, Ohio, within an hour of where J.D. grew up.  As I was reading J.D.'s story, I heard echoes of my Dad, and I began to understand many of the decisions my Dad had made, and more of who he was than I ever did in the years that he was alive.

No matter your personal politics, Hillbilly Elegy tells a story that needs to be heard.

Book Review: March, Book 3

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Never forget the sacrifices that were made by others so that EVERYONE would have the right to vote.

In his younger days, John Lewis was a Civil Rights organizer.  He worked to register black voters in the state of Alabama.  This work endangered his life, the lives of those who registered, and the lives of every person who worked with the movement. In spite of the constant violence, and the murders of volunteers throughout the South, John Lewis continued in his quest to register voters, and to peacefully demonstrate against the Jim Crow laws that made it difficult, if not impossible, for blacks to register to vote in Alabama.

At times, I found the story difficult to read.  I had to put it down, appalled by the level of violence that was directed at the protestors.   Keep in mind - the protests were non-violent.  Dr. King insisted that the protestors never fight back.  He would tell them before the beginning of every demonstration that if they were not able to take the violence directed at them without fighting back, they needed to step out of the demonstration.  And still - the levels of violence directed at the people appalled me.

This book is part of a trilogy, but it is a stand alone novel.   Having said that, all three books are a piece of American History that should never be forgotten. 

Book Review: Neverwhere

This book was first publisher.   It's a fantasy novel.  I usually read fantasy, but this is the first time I've read any novel by Neil Gaiman.  It won't be the last.  He weaves a wonderful, believable tale.  Neverwhere was also a television show produced by the BBC in 1996.

Richard Mayhew is a stock broker living in London.  He lives an enviable life, rising quickly through the ranks of his stock firm.  He has a beautiful girlfriend named Jessica, and they are engaged.  Jessica works for a high powered firm and is on the fast track for promotion and power.


That all changes one strange night.  A strange girl literally drops out of a door from the middle of nowhere.  She is covered in blood and unconscious.  Against the will of his girlfriend, Richard stops to help this strange girl and finds himself in the middle of a strange and unusual world.

Two strange men appear at his door the next morning, searching for the girl, whose name is Door.  When they entered the room where she had been hiding, the found nothing.  As he tries to help her find her way home, he finds himself in a strange part of London where he had never been before, speaking to strange people that he had never before noticed.

When Monday morning arrives, Richard finds that he is no longer visible. He could not be seen by anyone, and he could not be heard by anyone.   Tracking down the strange young woman he had helped the night before, Richard discovers the strange world known as London Below - a place where lost people who fall through the cracks end up.

As Richard begins his quest he joins forces with Anesthesia, Hunter, Door and the Marquis as they journey through London Below to find The Key that will unlock their destiny.

But will the key be the solution that they expect?