What do you say to someone who has gone through hell itself? Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. You witness. And you mourn.
Book review: “Night” by Elie Wiesel
The World of Yesterday: Memoir of an Austrian Jew in WWI/II
This is my next attempt at engaging in the world of German literature. I have read several novels in German, including Franz Kafka's famed Der Prozess (The Trial), and lesser known ones such as Michael Kohlhaas both of which I read for classes towards my German minor. I have continued to seek out additional books... Continue Reading →
The Politics of Cultural Despair
I forget exactly where this book popped up initially-- but I assume it was a Goodreads recommendation based on some of the politically oriented books or German history books I've been into as of late. Here's the Goodreads blurb: This is a study in the pathology of cultural criticism. By analyzing the thought and influence... Continue Reading →
Husky pride: Book review of “Boys in the Boat”
We got our Husky pride on this month for our lab book club and tackled the inspiring story of the 1936 University of Washington Olympic rowing team in Berlin. I had heard of previously-- I doubt you can attend UW and not hear about it (the UW library alone has 6 copies of it.... Continue Reading →
Pre-war Berlin in “Before the Deluge” by Otto Friedrich
The Goodreads algorithm that predicts books that you might like is getting to know me exceptionally well. I used to ignore the recommendations that Goodreads made for me, because they seemed totally off. But increasingly, I find that I check out the book summary, and it is entirely up my alley. Dang. Kudos to you,... Continue Reading →
Book review: Lords of Finance
After reading one Pulitzer Prize winner, Gilead, I thought I looked into other recent prize winners, and this one caught my eye. What caused the Great Depression? Trying to dredge some of my knowledge from AP US History, I couldn't come up with a good answer. I doubt I could have answered it if it... Continue Reading →
Friedrich Hayek’s “The Road to Serfdom”: Why democratic socialism can’t last long
I have been meaning to pick up the works of Friedrich Hayek for a while now. I initially stumbled upon him in the "School of Life" series on Political Thinkers. His name kept coming up, first in "Conservatism: An Anthology of Social and Political Thought" and again in another book still on my to-read list... Continue Reading →
Anything essential is invisible to the eyes: My review of “Saint Exupery” by Stacy Schiff
When I told my wife I was reading the biography of Antione de Saint-Exupery, she really couldn't fathom why I pick the books I read. But really, there is rhyme and reason to them. I bought a copy of "The Little Prince" waaaaay back in the day when I worked at Barnes and Noble. It... Continue Reading →
