I don't usually write about, or recommend books. Even though I "read" or at least begin, three or four books a week, The sad truth is my ability to "buy" books far exceeds my ability to "read" them. I rarely give any book enough time and thought to feel that I can fairly comment about it.
At least one third of the books are what I call "bubble gum" - thrillers or mysteries that are absorbing, but slide down smoothly without making much of an impression. About a third are "literature" that sounded interesting after reading a review in the Times or Bookmarks magazine. The last third are non-fiction books across a wide range of subjects ranging from Greek and Roman times to the Reformation and on to current times. It is this last category that has the highest drop-out rate. Frequently, I just love the introduction but then get bogged down in the meat of the book. Some day, the list of non-fiction books I have started will serve as a great resource to a psychiatrist. Some recent examples taken from books piled around my desk
Marco Polo - from Venice to Xanadu - Laurence Bergreen
Godel, Escher, Bach - an Eternal Golden Braid - Douglas Hofstadter
The Shia Revival - how conflicts within Islam will shape the future - Vali Masr
America at the Crossroads - Democratic power and the neoconservative legacy - Francis Fukuyama
Fair Game - my life as a spy - Valerie Plame Wilson
Curveball - spies, lies, and the con man who caused a war - Bob Drogin
This is Your Brain on Music - the science of a human obsession - Daniel Levitin
As you can see, I am somewhat unfocused in my selections. Every one of these books was something I just HAD to read. What I have learned is that the people who write introductions and the people who write reviews, are more interesting than the people who feel compelled to write 600 pages on some obscure but fascinating, to them (and me, I guess) topic!
On the other hand, I have come across some fascinating and enlightening books that delight me. One of these is "The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin about the Supreme Court. I read a lot about the Supreme Court (most recently Supreme Conflict by Jan Crawford Greenburg). Most of these books are interesting; if you are moderately informed about the topic, but pretty dry for more casual readers. The Nine is the exception. It tells the "inside" story of the Court, focusing on the interactions between the members and the current political environment. He doesn't pull any punches in describing the Justices. I don't usually like books that seem to be pushing a point of view but this the exception. It reads like a "page turner". You can't wait to find out what's going to happen next.
The Nine
Jeffrey Toobin
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