१० नोव्हेंबर, २०२३

"One of the first questions men ask Angela Liu on dating apps is 'What are you reading?' The question is a softball for Ms. Liu..."

"... a self-proclaimed lover of literature. 'I really care about the human condition and emotions and stuff,' she said. What she has noticed, however, is that many men aren’t into those kinds of books, and a question that may have been intended to screen her often ends up backfiring. 'I can’t stand dudes who just read self-help books or things specifically related to the job that they’re doing and that’s all they read,' Ms. Liu, 27, said on Friday at a book club for singles in Manhattan."

By the way, what are you reading? Is it some self-help or job-specific crap or something that shows you care about emotions and stuff?

As the [1896] campaign gathered pace in August, [William Jennings] Bryan’s youth and energy revealed themselves in ways that [William] McKinley could not hope to match. While McKinley stayed at home, sleeping in his own bed and convincing himself he was dignified and above the fray, Bryan engaged voters on four major campaign trips. Despite a heat wave throughout the Midwest, throngs of eager supporters flocked to railway stations to welcome him. On one trip, crowds were so large in Columbus, Toledo, and South Bend that there weren’t buildings large enough to accommodate them, so he delivered his speeches in open fields. Farmers traveled as much as a hundred miles by foot, bicycle, horseback, or carriage to hear him speak. Scores of babies were named after him. On a second foray, his show traveled through the Northeast, where he addressed seventy-five thousand people in Boston. His endurance quickly became legendary. Delivering up to thirty-six speeches a day, he taught himself to fall asleep in minutes, fortifying himself with catnaps on the floor of his train. Unable to take regular baths while on the road, Bryan would strip off his clothes between speeches and rub his body with gin to mask the scent of his own sweat, leaving him smelling “like a wrecked distillery.”

९० टिप्पण्या:

J Severs म्हणाले...

I am re-reading Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles" and "Fahrenheit 451" for an adult education course.

Sebastian म्हणाले...

"something that shows you care about emotions and stuff?"

Does reading about the Roman Empire count? Or is that not care-care?

Left Bank of the Charles म्हणाले...

“Bryan would strip off his clothes between speeches and rub his body with gin to mask the scent of his own sweat”

Bathtub gin.

Aggie म्हणाले...

So..... before there was ever Prohibition, Wm J Bryan invented bathtub gin?

Brian म्हणाले...

I'm re-reading Stranger in A Strange Land after Elon named his AI Grok.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

Bryan was from Nebraska; and a three time loser for President.

In my campaign against Net Zero, I have cribbed his most famous speech. "Do not crucify Nebraskans on a cross of wind turbine blades."

I've got three books going, but the last one I finished was Doug Brunt's "Rudolph Diesel." Good book. Real life mystery.

Political Junkie म्हणाले...

I have never been a reader, to my detriment. I tend to take the Great Gatsby to the restroom.

Rocco म्हणाले...

I’m reading the Althouse blog.

mikee म्हणाले...

The NYT denies that emotional connection, romance, correlates with the ability to read and empathize with literary characters. I presume their stand on mere hook up culture is to do it til it hurts and then rub some lube on it, no reading necessary, illiteracy preferred.

Rocco म्हणाले...

Angela Liu said...
"something that shows you care about emotions and stuff?"

Sebastian said...
"Does reading about the Roman Empire count? Or is that not care-care?”

How did Agrippina the Younger really feel about her son Nero? And vice-versa.

who-knew म्हणाले...

As usual I've got three books going. At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Gordon W. Prange. The Elder Edda by Snorri Sturlson. Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky. My guess is none of them are "something that shows you care about emotions and stuff?" But I just finished A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute and that might.

n.n म्हणाले...

Stereotyping.

Birches म्हणाले...

Prophets See Around Corners by Sheri Dew which is religious. But I read Brandon Sanderson's Tress and the Emerald Sea before that. I always have a book I'm reading. It keeps me from spending too much time on my phone.

Alexisa म्हणाले...

Pretentious twat

pass

John henry म्हणाले...

Some comments here the other day inspired me to reread Atlas Shrugged. I'm about 20% in.

I've read it 20-25 times over the years and I used to use it as a text in an MBA course but it has been 20 years since my last read.

I could say it holds up well but it is way better than that. Even more prophetic than I remembered.

I highly recommend.

Before that I breezed, in about 3 weeks, through mick herron's 8 book Slough House series. On Kim duToits recommendation. Rather empty calories but my how tasty they were.

Also Edward Jay Epstein's book on diamonds.

And I continue in my futile attempt to read Andrew Wareham's books faster than he writes them.

John Henry

Michael K म्हणाले...

I'm rereading "Sleepwalkers" a book about the period that led to World War I. I've read it before but it merits a second read. I just finished reading "The Forgotten Man," Amity Schlaes book about the Great Depression. Again, the second time I've read it.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

"rub his body with gin"

Seems about the same as those body wipes sold for people who go camping.

John henry म्हणाले...

David,

I have Brunt book on Diesel in my pile of samples Meagan kelley (his wife) interviewed him on her podcast and he and the book sounded fascinating.

Who knew,

Always glad to find another Norwegian! (Nevil Shute Norway) I am such a big fan I founded the Nevil Shute Society in 97. Now Nevil Shute foundation at Nevil Shute.org.

Atla is another book I've read at least 20-30 times. Most recently last year. If you can find the 6 part miniseries (Bryan brown, Helen Morse, Gordon Jackson) it is every bit as good as the book.

Political Junkie, I read Gatsby in high school in the 60s. Currently listening to the archive.com version. Up to chapter 3 in as many months.

John Henry


Richard Dolan म्हणाले...

"By the way, what are you reading?"

Marguerite Yourcenar, Memoirs of Hadrian

John henry म्हणाले...

Begley,

What 3 books are you reading? I'm always looking for ideas what to read next. You usually seem to have good ideas.

John Henry

Mr Wibble म्हणाले...

Right now I'm reading textbooks for school, and a whole bunch of articles on machine learning, AI, and Bayesian statistics.

Also, Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett.

Leland म्हणाले...

“Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West”

It’s a book written with a lot of passion as the title suggests.

fleg9bo म्हणाले...

I just finished The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress after not having read any Heinlein in 40+ years. And I just started Eight Faces at Three, a 1939 crime novel by Craig Rice (a female), whose works have been described as a combination of hard boiled and screwball. Decent lightweight entertainment and proof that I have no interest whatsoever in emotions.

Two-eyed Jack म्हणाले...

Sorry to say, Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy, so the only one who can beat me is someone reading Nietzsche in the original German.
That's just the way it goes.

baghdadbob म्हणाले...

I'm reading "Jesus, Buddha, Krishna & Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings."

It examines the similarities and differences among the masters of four major ancient religions (sorry Islam, you are next gen), and how they may or may not have influenced one another.

sean म्हणाले...

The last actual book I read was Jordan Peterson, "Beyond Order," which I suppose qualifies as self-help, though rather at the high end.

Ampersand म्हणाले...

The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works, by Helen Czerski

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

The '...and stuff' is a running joke in a movie I just watched.

The father is a drunk private investigator with a 13-year-old daughter who is sick of his bullshit.

In one scene they're at a very adult party (takes place in the '70s) and she is watching porn with the female star of the movie.

She says something to her dad like, '...they were doing all sorts of things, even anal and stuff.'

He immediately corrects her and says, 'Don't say "and stuff." Just say, they were doing anal.'

: )

Craig Mc म्हणाले...

Väinö Linna's The Unknown Soldier. I suppose I get points for reading a Finnish novel, but lose points for it being about war.

Also, Ed Conway's Material World - because everyone should know where their stuff comes from.

Kate म्हणाले...

I'm reading nothing. I like YouTubes of ballerinas dancing, the art of Sumo, and Victorian sewing. Words would do none of those topics justice.

Sydney म्हणाले...

I am reading “Villette” by Charlotte Brontë. It is more character sketches and emotions than actions.

madAsHell म्हणाले...

"meet-cute"

These are not serious people.

Original Mike म्हणाले...

The End of Certainty, Ilya Prigogine
The Biggest Ideas in the Universe, Sean Carroll
My old calculus and vector calculus textbooks
The Frozen Climate Views of the IPCC, Crok and May, eds.
Tarzan of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs (a 1914 printing that was my grandfather's)

Anybody who's got a problem with that can't date me.

Kathryn51 म्हणाले...

'I can’t stand dudes who just read self-help books or things specifically related to the job that they’re doing and that’s all they read,'

In other words, she wants to date another woman.

I belong to a "family" book club - I'm the outlier - almost all of the books are either written by women or about women. the family ladies seem to enjoy the "emotional" dopamine hit they get from bawling their eyes out. I frequently skim through to the end because they don't interest me. The exceptions have been historical novels - based (loosely) on real facts and research.

Meanwhile, when I read it's usually a mystery or biography or political history. The women in my book club have zero interests in any of these.

To repeat; Ms. Liu wants to date another woman.

Gerda Sprinchorn म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
robother म्हणाले...

Roll Jordan, Roll: The World the Slave Made by Eugene Genovese, and Calculus for Dummies by Mark Ryan. The first is where I thought History was headed when I graduated college: interdisciplinary, exploring folk institutions and consciousness. (I expect the book is banned in today's Studies regime.)

The second is me trying to pick up the thread of my math education where I left off after 4 years of high School math, ending with pre-calculus. Started well, refreshing trig and polynomials in September, but progress slowed considerably the last three or four weeks.

Candide म्हणाले...

‘The Dawn of Everything’

Good to have your preconceptions challenged.

Mikey NTH म्हणाले...

I've been re-reading "US Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History."

Quaestor म्हणाले...

I just finished An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris, which is a novelization of L'Affare Dreyfus. That whole outrage was so convoluted and so improbably dishonest and bigoted that a fiction-style narrative is the only way to make sense of it. After dinner, I will begin another Robert Harris novel, Enigma. Looking forward to it.

loudogblog म्हणाले...

"By the way, what are you reading? Is it some self-help or job-specific crap or something that shows you care about emotions and stuff?"

I'm currently reading your blog.

kcl766 म्हणाले...

Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo. Recommended recently online and I am enjoying it very, very much. Looks like a new series to read, if only 3 books.

RNB म्हणाले...

Congratulations on her defining (another) "ick" trigger with which a woman can reject a man out of hand: Must be at least six feet tall. Must bring in at least six figures. Must have -- at a minimum -- a six-inch schwanstucker. And now --

Must be reading the Right Sort of book.

wildswan म्हणाले...

I rinsed my throat with wine and resumed reading "The Drama of Atheist Humanism," a cheery book with all the best bits of Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Schopenhauer explained as an arrow pointing forward to still darker times than the Nazi era when the book was written. That time is now, I have to think as I read. Lucky for me I have the kind of mind that will only retain the correct spelling of Nietszhe, if that. Then I'll get out my box of chocolates and read another Patricia Wentworth - manners cannot conceal the darkness lurking within the gracious walls of Alderley Edge Manor. Yet Janet's heart is strangely light for Nick has come back to Hodge village and though he has said nothing yet to her she... I won't retain much from that either.

jim म्हणाले...

Splitting between Hobsbawm Age of Revolution and a Montalbano novel.

Oligonicella म्हणाले...

Althouse:
By the way, what are you reading? Is it some self-help or job-specific crap or something that shows you care about emotions and stuff?

Sending a shipment of my old books to my grands for Christmas; some 'pretty' art contents for her, a dozen of my books on Medieval armament and armor for him. He recently expanded from his car fixation to getting a full suit of armor, practice weapons and partners. So there you have the mix; emotions, self-help, 'job' specificity and stuff. :)

As for me, I don't read books when I'm working on one or even not, if it's in the same genre. It probably wouldn't influence me but, eh, I'm writing so it would eat into that.

OK, that's not entirely true. I will use my own books as reference for myself and have Baum's Oz series for references for Red Brick Road.

I prefer my 'off time' to be physical art.

***

Seems about the same as those body wipes sold for people who go camping.

Careful your bathtub mixin's don't wind up isopropyl instead of ethynol.

Tim म्हणाले...

Currently reading "Through the Storm" by Lydia Scherer and John Ringo. Novel, pure escapism. Pretty good though.

Roger Sweeny म्हणाले...

Because I care about the human condition: I am struggling through Emmanuel Todd's Lineages of the Feminine: An Outline of the History of Women. Todd is a French sociologist who says that "women's liberation" beginning about 1950 has led to women having substantially more degrees than men, leading to higher-paying and more prestigious jobs, and in many areas of life to a matriarchy, which is not noticed because the very top of government and business is still a patriarchy. Along the way are assertions about contraception, hypergamy, teh gay, trans people, and the interaction of sex and class. At the three quarter mark, seems a mixture of the profound and the wrong-headed.

After that, probably Michael Muthukrishna's A Theory of Everyone: The New Science of Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going. It's another Big History, but trying to tie things together with a few basic ideas.

Probably after that, Cat Bohannon's Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution.

You can't know the human condition without knowing the human past.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

John Henry:

Three hardbacks ordered via Althouse's portal:

1. The Exchange: After the Firm.

2. Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results.

3. The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens.

I have a Michael Connelly book and the latest Scott Turow book too.

That's 5.

Remember Martin Shkreli? Tucker Carlson interviewed him recently. Said he read 300-400 books in federal prison. He's only read one since he was released. He kind of liked Club Fed.

Hey Skipper म्हणाले...

Previous: Jeremy Clarkson, “Diddly Squat”

Now: The Federalist Papers, and Thomas Sowell, “Social Justice Fallacies

Next: Hilary Mantel, “Bring up the Bodies”

Kevin म्हणाले...

or something that shows you care about emotions and stuff

Does reading Crack's posts count?

Estoy_Listo म्हणाले...

Richard Russo's "Nobody's Fool" and "Gringos," by Charles Portis, are books I've read multiple times, and books that I intend to read again. Presently reading: a P.D. James "Dalgliesh" mystery, and "The Second World War: A Military History" by Gordon Corrigan.

rcocean म्हणाले...

Currently reading Ellen Brown's "Margaret Mitchell's GWTW, a Bestseller's Odyssey".

Its astounding how many crooks in Hollywood, and in the NYC Publishing world tried to rip her off. Also, how popular the book was not only in the USA, but around the world.

Looking fo a book on Alexandria before the Muslim takover in the 7th Century and after Cleopatra. That's about 50 AD to 650 AD. And a book on Christian Jerusalum 325-625 AD.

Eva Marie म्हणाले...

Rereading Nobody’s Perfect by Donald Westlake. All the Dortmunder books are funny, but this one never stops being funny. Also good as an Audible.

selfanalyst म्हणाले...

Mostly lurking reader of this blog. I love getting book suggestions from the comments on this blog. And I especially love the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, which has most books. Or will purchase almost anything it does not have if you request it.

Unless the author is Kurt Schlichter, then they will tie themselves in knots trying to explain (without saying he's a conservative) why they cannot buy his books. Gently refuted each of one librarian's excuses over the course of 6 emails before she gave up and just said NO. First time I'd ever been denied after at least fifty varied requests.

Michael म्हणाले...

Just finished “Christine Falls” written by John Banville under the name of Benjamin Black a diversion from Gibbon.

Butkus51 म्हणाले...

Roald Dahl short stories. Most are pretty good. I know one was turned into a Hitchcock episode. I also know where Stephen King got some early ideas.

Im usually more non-fiction. I needed a break.

JaimeRoberto म्हणाले...

I never thought of trying to meet someone at a bookstore. I met my wife at a disco. Yeah, baby.

Quaestor म्हणाले...

Hey Skipper writes, "Next: Hilary Mantel, 'Bring up the Bodies'."

Fine choices all. If you want to take a break from Thomas Cromwell after Bring Up the Bodies instead of proceeding to Mantel's concluding installment, I suggest her brilliant treatment of the four pivotal personalities of the French Revolution, A Place of Greater Safety.

Mikey NTH म्हणाले...

Getting past books, it seems Ms. Liu at 27 is heading for a wall. I think she should find someone compatible even if he doesn't read the same things she does.
Example: my dad reads a lot of history. My mother didn't. They were still very compatible and very in love until she died.

I guess the answer is don't look for your mirror image only with different genetalia.

tcrosse म्हणाले...

Re-reading the Cornish Trilogy of Robertson Davies, and listening to P.G.Wodehouse audio books.

rcocean म्हणाले...

Its too bad WJ Bryan wasn't elected instead of Taft or McKinley. He would've been a much better POTUS and gotten some good populist legislation through Congress.

McKinley is an odd figure, other than his ridiculous statement

"there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them, and by God’s grace do the very best we could by them, as our fellow-men for whom Christ also died."

and fighting our first useless, moronic foreign war in the Philippines, I can't remember him doing anything.

Josephbleau म्हणाले...

Re-read Mark Twain's "Roughing It" And Herbert Hoover's Bio just in tribute to the old Mining Days.

Found a copy of Tucker's "Chickamauga" and read some Bierce Civil War stuff, like "Resaca". Also Haskells "Gettysburg".

Never read much of Frank Herbert, he was insane, but I found a copy of his "White Plague" 1982 novel for 50 cents. Very worth reading but anti Irish and very dark. Very resonant today.

Finally read Heinlein's "Podkayane of Mars" one that I missed in youth. Always misplace something so you can find it later.

Read a bunch of stats papers to keep up, but you don't care about them.

Its good to be retired, like a 10 year old in the Bookmobile.


wild chicken म्हणाले...

I've been reading the major second-wave feminist tracts: Feminine Mystique, the new translation of Second Sex, Sexual Politics, the Dialectics of Sex, the Female Eunuch, and a history of the times by Ruth Rosen. And some memoirs like Flying by Kate Millet.

It's been interesting. I was busy living the dream at the time most of those came out.

Sydney म्हणाले...

rcocean- This may be more Jerusalem history than you want, but Jerusalem, the Biography, is very good.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem:_The_Biography

Paddy O म्हणाले...

I'm re-reading the Sharpe series for the 4th time or so. Currently on Sharpe's Rifles. Also, fittingly enough for the prompt, Emotional Ignorance by Dean Burnett. And slowly re-reading US Grant's memoirs for when I have some time out and about as it's on Kindle.

Also a lot of student essays. A lot of student essays.

Marcus Bressler म्हणाले...

Just finishing up the latest Michael Connelly novel, " Walk". Then back to "Gotham" about the history of NYC through the 1800s. Also, every now and then, a "Joe and Charlie" Big Book Study book.

But not reading. I only do that online. All of the above are Audible books. It's the only way I can "read" for any length of time.

MarcusB. THEOLDMAN

Darkisland म्हणाले...

Eva,

Big Westlake fan. I've read all the Dortmunder books, most multiple times. His non-Dortmunder books are mostly great too.

Ever read His Kawaha? About hijacking the entire Ugandan coffee crop from under Idi Amin's nose. Might be one of his best.

John Henry

Darkisland म्हणाले...

Flegbo,

When I was teaching at SNHU every once in a while they would turn me loose on the poor undergrads in Econ 101. I used "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" as a supplementary text.

Great book. I need to read it again since we look to be going to the moon shortly.

John Henry

mongo म्हणाले...

I’m reading Henry Steele Commager’s one volume summary of Winston Churchill’s four volume History of the English Speaking Peoples. The Romans have just left Britain and are being replaced by the Saxons. God, I love Churchill.

Please don’t spoil it for me by revealing the ending.

Narr म्हणाले...

Nice to see another D. Westlake fan. A master.

I'm reading James Arnold's "Marengo and Hohenlinden: Napoleon's Rise to Power." Stuffed with details, but some of the maps are 90% off (N is actually E). Once you figure that out . . . May design a game, or at least a scenario for an existing rule set, for Hohenlinden, a great victory for Bonaparte's rival and eventual enemy Moreau.

Next up, probably Alan Allport's "Britain at Bay: The Epic Story of the Second World War, 1938-1941." I bought it, hbk, a few months ago at an estate sale, and when I started asking about the milhist and history-heavy library, the guy (who was about my age) said they were his mother's.

"What's the name?" I asked. He told me, and I realized that we had been in grad school classes together. Husband had been a prominent doctor with no interest in history, like the son.

Alan Allport used to be on the soc.hist.war.wwii groups, and really knew his stuff. I should see if he 'tubes.

My wife has never read a history book, and I don't expect her to.




The Cracker Emcee Refulgent म्हणाले...


“Does reading about the Roman Empire count?”

Hope so. I’m in the middle of John Jersey’s The Conspiracy right now.

Lost track of the number of times I’ve commented to myself, “Freakin’ Democrats”.

Joe Bar म्हणाले...

Just finished "Overlord", by Kurt Schlichter. You probably wouldn't like it.

Before that, the first volume of the three part Nixon biography by Stephen Ambrose. Long, but very detailed and fascinating, as Ambrose is.

I haven't decided what book will be next. I have some books by James Salter to read, and I really like his style.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

OK...current book...

P.G. Wodehouse "The Adventures of Sally"

Ampersand म्हणाले...

Robother, try the Bruce Edwards calc course on wondrium.

Scott Gustafson म्हणाले...

Wife: What are you reading?
Me: A paper on endogeneous growth theory.
Wife: My god, you bored me to death with just the title.

chuck म्हणाले...

I spent most of the day reading code and editing difference files. It rouses emotions in its own way. Yesterday I finished reading The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher, which is sort of steampunk with magic. I mostly read in the evenings to relax.

Readering म्हणाले...

What are you reading or what are you listening to on audiobooks?

Rocco म्हणाले...

RNB said...
"Congratulations on her defining (another) 'ick' trigger with which a woman can reject a man out of hand: Must be at least six feet tall. Must bring in at least six figures. Must have -- at a minimum -- a six-inch schwanstucker. And now --

Must be reading the Right Sort of book.
"

6 feet, 6 figures, and 6 inches. The last now refers to the thickness of the Russian novel that he's reading.

Adam2Smith म्हणाले...

Carl Sandburg. Abraham Lincoln - The War Years - Volume II.

My local university library trashed their entire American History section so I've had to buy my own copies on eBay. The past is disappearing...

Mary Beth म्हणाले...

Also, Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett.

11/10/23, 2:23 PM


Good choice. Lots of emotions and wossname.

My daughter and I ride to/from work together and have been listening to some of the Witches' books. We're finishing up "Lords and Ladies" now. I was thinking about doing one of the City Watch ones next. Or maybe "The Hogfather" because it's almost that time of year.

Tina Trent म्हणाले...

Summer of Deliverance, by Christopher Dickey, about his difficult father and the making of the movie. I expected the story of the movie and how it negatively impacted the community it fictionalized would finally be addressed. But Christopher Dickey doesn't seem to notice these people as people. Like the filmmakers, he treats them like background to more important people's lives. But why were those lives important? Because they used the townspeople to their own ends.

An opportunity missed, again.

AJ Ford म्हणाले...

I’m in the middle of multiple books, as always: Biography of James McMurtry, biography of Anthony Hecht, Demon Copperhead, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Shakespeare in Bloomsbury.

Christy म्हणाले...

I, too, just finished The Olympian Affair. It dropped this week after A 5 year wait. I enjoyed it, but.... The big plot point taking up the mid third of the novel was totally telegraphed by the endpaper art. Dropping the same day was JB Lynn's The Hit Woman and the Flash Mob
#40 in a series of comic crime capers about a slightly neurotic hitwoman. She never talks about her feelings even with her pet lizard bugging her to do so.
I'm rereading The Brothers K... and see from my marginalia that I was fully engaged 30 years ago, but truly don't remember a thing.

lonejustice म्हणाले...

I'm reading "Go Down, Moses" by William Faulkner. One of the best things about retirement is getting to read all this great American Literature that I somehow missed out on in college, graduate school, and law school. Next up: "As I Lay Dying."

Roger Sweeny म्हणाले...

@ Joe Bar - The Ambrose Nixon biography is now more than three decades old. You might be interested in Irwin F. Gellman's revisionist The Contender: Richard Nixon, The Congress Years 1946-1952 (1999) and The President and the Apprentice: Eisenhower and Nixon 1952-1961 (2015). Gellman spent a lot of time in the newly opened Nixon Presidential Library and presents his books as "look what I found; look how this myth is wrong." Pretty interesting. His Campaign of the Century: Kennedy, Nixon, and the Election of 1960 is, however, a snooze, with nothing new.


A fascinating attempt to answer the question "what the hell was Nixon trying to do?" is Ray Locker's 2016 Nixon's Gamble: How a President's Own Secret Government Destroyed His Administration. Nixon, he says, knew the Vietnam War was unwinnable but couldn't just "declare victory and go home." He and Kissinger were trying to bring about a three way balance of power with the US, USSR, and PR China. This required showing the US was powerful, and also going outside normal channels to do things that were some times the opposite of what the White House was saying publicly (e.g., secret diplomacy). This required a lean operation that would actually do what Nixon told it to, unlike the official government. So the "secret government" which worked some times but ultimately brought him down by its illegal or incompetent acts. Ironically, the foreign policy "gamble" pretty much succeeded, even as he went down.

Locker followed up with Haig's Coup: How Richard Nixon's Closest Aide Forced Him From Office (2019). Kissinger and Haig knew Nixon was doomed but wanted to save his foreign policy achievements. This meant getting a new vice president, since Spiro Agnew's corrupt past would inevitably come out. So they worked behind the scenes to get Agnew to resign and replace him with Gerald Ford. And then to get Nixon to stop fighting and peacefully resign.

Hey Skipper म्हणाले...

Quaestor: If you want to take a break from Thomas Cromwell after Bring Up the Bodies instead of proceeding to Mantel's concluding installment, I suggest her brilliant treatment of the four pivotal personalities of the French Revolution, A Place of Greater Safety.

Anthony म्हणाले...

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones the second time through, Sign language among North American Indians compared with that among other peoples and deaf-mutes by
Garrick Mallery (1881), Tao Te Ching by Laozi, and assorted other odds and ends. A Farewell to Arms every now and then.

I read most of the day for work, so it's not on my list of Things To Do except a bit before bed to put myself to sleep.

Joe Bar म्हणाले...

@Roger Sweeney. Thanks. I put them on the list!

SAGOLDIE म्हणाले...

Book club . . . I'm next up to suggest a book for our next read. Thanks to all who've posted here with some terrific suggestions. And, as always, thanks to you, Ms Althouse, for hosting.

John henry म्हणाले...

Ann,

Lots of good book ideas. I found 4-5 that sounded interesting enough to do the samples

You should do a post like this monthly. If you can, even pin it to the top of the blog for 2-3 days.

John Henry