Book review - Magna Carta, The Birth of Liberty - Dan Jones

Magna Carta
The Birth of Liberty

Dan Jones - Viking Press

A short and enjoyable read for anyone who thinks they (casually) know anything about the Magna Carta. In addition to a good description of what the document (or collection of documents) is and is not, the 200 or so pages have a vivid history of how it came to be, which involved a fair bit of combat and undermining (figuratively and literally) of enemies and allies of King John. There are some lessons for modern politics in here, although I can't quite draw a straight line from Runnymede to Brexit.

I'm not saying don't order it online, but purchasing from your local independent bookstore will make you a better person.

Book Review - Bucky F&%@ing Dent by David Duchovny

Book Review

Bucky F&%@ing Dent

David Duchovny

I don’t know why I read this book, but I did enjoy it. I generally do not read novels, but #PersonalBookAdvisor brought this one home for me. It sat for a while, then I saw David Duchovny plugging it on the Late Show. After a dozen or so pages I put it down, thinking “I’ll never pick that up again.’ The next night ,20 pages and a yawn. This went on until I finished it and I did not regret the time spent.

Part of the attraction is hearing Duchovney’s sardonic voice in my head. There are enough bright spots of writing to keep it moving along and interesting. Most of all, though, once I finished I realized there was a lot here. The story is about ambition thwarted by pride, potential done in (almost) by selfishness, and the redemption that comes from leaving history behind and getting on with what matters. And that’s only about the Red Sox pennant pursuit. Also, the inspiration of the story explained in the notes (go ahead, turn right to it) alone is worth the read.

If you are going to buy a book, go to your local independent bookstore. They can figure out what you want way better than an algorithm.