Winter reading

[spence]

Curious what people are reading this winter. I'm not a fan of fiction...here are some mini-reviews of what I've finished and what's to come.

Wired For War (P.W. Singer) - geek out book on the impact of robots and technology in warfare. A fun read but a little long for the subject matter.

Intellectuals and Society (Thomas Sowell) - A great book that looks at society, politics and media though a lens of the liberal elite vs a more conservative philosophy that values more mundane and proven knowledge. My big beef with Sowell though, is that he nearly ignores the fact that many popular conservatives actually behave like elites -- as he defines them, and even including himself -- much of the time. I think a more balanced position would have made this book much more noteworthy rather than just a well written hit piece. Still, I highly recommend it.

Obama's Wars (Bob Woodward) - Not a huge fan of Woodward but this was the only book at the airport that looked interesting. It takes a behind the scenes look at the relationship between Obama and the military leadership during his first 18 months as POTUS. The contrast between Obama and Bush (i.e. engaged and thinking vs distant) is noted by the brass pretty dramatically. The struggle to balance positions taken in the campaign against military reality is very well done and would leave a positive impression on anyone.

Tear Down This Myth (Will Bunch) - Just started this book that goes after the GOP for making Ronald Reagan a god-like figure and largely misrepresenting his legacy in the process. The book doesn't disparage the man, but rather shows how the GOP has whitewashed his failures, gives him credit where it's not due and ignores genuine values (like a pragmatic sense to get the best deal you can) that don't fit into the image they've placed on the pedestal.

Power Rules (Leslie Gelb) - Supposed to be a very common sense analysis of how US power should be used to direct our foreign policy.

American Scripture (Pauline Maier) - Supposed to be a really great read on how the Declaration of Independence was actually written.

Listen to This (Alex Ross) - Something about music I was given as an Xmas present. No clue what's it about.

How bout you?

-spence