Neil Gorsuch’s book, “A Republic, If You Can Keep It,” is a blend of memoir, legal analysis, and philosophical musings, providing readers with insights into the mind of one of the U.S. Supreme Court’s more recent justices. I was fortunate to hear the justice speak during a visit to Brigham Young University associated with the […]
Recommendation | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
After finishing Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, I couldn’t wait to recommend it to my family, friends, and others. I truly believe this book is a must-read for anyone with a smartphone, children, or, well, a pulse. Smartphones’ impact has been so fast and pervasive in our culture that we are only beginning to understand […]
Reflections on Night by Elie Weisel
When reflecting on a literary work that has endured for almost 65 years and left an indelible mark on history, it’s remarkable to consider its profound impact on millions of readers and its recognition with a Nobel prize. The moment was the Holocaust, and the book–the memoir–is Elie Wiesel’s Night. It is a gut-wrenching snapshot […]
Book Review | The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
If there’s one book that surprised me, it’s The Book Thief. I brushed it off for the longest time due to my aversion to historical fiction and young adult novels. However, an unexpected trip to Poland, with a visit to Auschwitz on the agenda, led me to reconsider. It all started with Elie Weisel’s Night, […]
Looking back on 2023’s non-fiction reads
“Imagine a marketplace teeming with vibrant stalls, each overflowing with treasures not of gold or silk, but of words and worlds waiting to be explored. This, my friends, is the bibliophilic bazaar I invite you to wander today, where each book beckons like a whispered promise, a portal to hidden dimensions of experience.” Thanks for […]
Short Review | Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
This summer our 12-year-old started a book club with her friends. I expected them to settle on something more fantastical–maybe Brandon Mull or Jessica Day George. Instead, they chose a more serious-looking story, Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen, about a young girl in Lithuania in the late 1800s. I was intrigued and decided […]
Review | The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
Opening this weekend, Chris Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” has a run time of 3 hours, is very light on CGI, and is rated R for sexuality, nudity, and language.* Released in 1986, Richard Rhodes’ The Making of the Atomic Bomb is 896 pages (or 37 hours on Audible) long, has zero CGI scenes, and, well, is not rated […]
Short Review: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman has his fans, and they are passionate. I’ve enjoyed a book or two of his, myself. But when Norse Mythology came out in 2017, it felt like the Gaiman fans turned out in droves to read (what looked to me) an opportunistic money grab by the famous author. Thor: Ragnarok, the second—and best—of […]
Happy Birthday, Tom Clancy
My first introduction to Tom Clancy and his world of espionage and military techno-thrillers was The Hunt for the Red October. Dad handed it to me sometime in my early teens, and I remember seeing the movie with him shortly after it came out. I’ll never forget it. it. I remember Sean Connery’s character, Russian […]