Category Archives: History
Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World – Anne Applebaum
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The autocracies want to create a global system that benefits thieves, criminals, dictators, and the perpetrators of mass murder. We can stop them.” Historian and journalist Anne Applebaum, suggests what democracies can do to save their … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Politics, Social Justice, World Issues
Tagged autocracy, China, democracy, dictatorship, Iran, murder, politics, Russia, Venezuela
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On Heroism: McCain, Milley, Mattis, and the Cowardice of Donald Trump – Jeffrey Goldberg
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Why do so many politicians and public servants continue to support a man who has little regard for the military, no regard for the Constitution, and holds dictators in such high regard? Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, History, Non-fiction, Our Best, Politics, Social Justice
Tagged military, political history, President, Trump
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Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics – Elle Reeve
(Reviewed by JD Jung) I’ve been amazed how CNN correspondent Elle Reeve has put herself in risky situations to get a story as well as to obtain the perspective of potentially dangerous people. This is even more evident in her … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction, Politics, Social Justice
Tagged alt-right, January 6, neo-fascism
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The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History – Karen Valby
(Reviewed by JD Jung) At the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, five original dancers from the Dance Theater of Harlem formed the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council. Lydia Abarca, Gayle Mc-Kinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction
Tagged ballet, black history, dancers, racism
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Benetton: A true story – Francesco della Barba
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Benetton: A True Story offers a fascinating journey through the history of one of the most iconic fashion brands of the 1980s. Written by Francesco della Barba, the Executive Vice-President of Benetton USA, this memoir provides … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction
Tagged Britain, Business, fashion, Italy, memoirs
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The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America – Jeffrey Rosen
(reviewed by JD Jung) “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. But what did the “pursuit of Happiness” mean to the founding fathers? American legal scholar, Jeffrey Rosen uncovers … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, History, Non-fiction, Philosophical reads
Tagged American History, happiness, justice, philosophy, racism, slavery
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C’mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock -David Fantle and Tom Johnson
(Review and poem by Betty Jo Tucker) #CommissionsEarned Summer Stock, a movie I love, now a book on the making of. Ring cowbells and shout hooray What a great read to have today! Questions answered? Oh, yes indeed. Everything fans … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction
Tagged movies
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Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility – Rebecca Solnit & Thelma Young-Lutunatabua
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Nothing is inevitable, and that’s crucial to remember in this fight.” Personally, I have felt both hopeless and helpless when it comes to preserving our planet and fighting climate change. Not Too Late convinced me … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Politics, Social Justice
Tagged climate change, colonization, ecology, Indigenous peoples
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Russia’s War on Everybody: And What it Means for You – Keir Giles
(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading Russia’s War on Everybody: And What it Means for You, I thought “I know all of this.”, as I considered myself relatively informed on the subject. However, I am so glad that … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Politics
Tagged cyber-crime, disinformation, espionage, media, military, murder, Putin, Russia, Soviet Union, war
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They Got Daddy: One Family’s Reckoning with Racism and Faith – Sharon Tubbs
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “This story would reveal parts of who I am, as a Black woman in America, by discovering who my grandfather was.” This was not her original intention though. She wanted to learn more about her grandfather’s … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction, Social Justice
Tagged African American history, Alabama, memoirs, race relations, racism
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