Reading Lists

I've always had a passion for reading but the past year or so I've become obsessed with it. Part of this is due to politics. I got sick of hearing how the Founding Fathers agreed completely with one side or the other of our national megaphone contest. History is what it is, and subject to interpretation. Franklin was a Freemason who embraced and buried Voltaire, Adams was a pragmatist with a penchant for the Navy, Jefferson was a slave owner who spent his fortune in advance and Washington was lucky to survive many of his battles at all. Thomas Paine was an atheist who personally contributed to two, and nearly three revolutions and died unrepentant. Many of the Founders died poor or deeply in debt regardless of their religious beliefs. At some point in the past few years I decided to endulge my love of biography and become conversant with every one of the founding fathers of my country. I'm still working on this project but here's a start:

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (Walter Isaacson, dean of the Aspen Institute)
- What a great book on every level. The author has the ability and credentials to make Franklin come absolutely alive. If you want to understand the man who invented the lightening rod and whose efforts persuaded France to come to the aid of America in its time of need read this book.

Thomas Paine: An Autobiography
- I've always admired old Common Sense. This man contributed massively to the American and French revolutions and nearly accomplished the same in Great Britain till he was persecuted out of the country. Like many French revolutionaries during the Reign of Terror he was imprisoned in the Bastille and nearly guillotined by Robespierre. Arguably the creator of political propoganda and an entertaining rascal to boot. Like many patriots he ended his life in less than splendor despite some efforts by Jefferson and Congress.

John Adams (John McCullogue)
- Of all the books I read on early America this is my favorite. Extensive scholarship traces the enormous contributions of Adams to the American experiment as well as his wife's contributions. Their letters stand as some of the most amazing documents of the entire period. Abigail Adams is a treasure in herself. This is a portrait of a deeply commited family that exemplifies the best in our Nation.

1776 (John McCullogue)
- This is the story of the American revolution with all its twists, turns and unexpected changes. Washington nearly lost the war a number of times but ultimately prevailed, as much due to stubborness and style as talent. Miracle or not its an amazing story and well worth reading.

Fortunately for you, the reader, I'm not solely devoted to historical works on the founding of America. I've read my fair share of other stuff too, and much of what follows should delight your palate regardless of taste. So here's my list of books for the past year or so, hope you get a chance to read a few of them:

Shantaram (Gregory David Roberts)
- Beg, borrow or steal this book immediately. The author was an Australian who escaped from a long prison sentence and hid in India for many years. Surviving life in a Bombay slum, drug addiction, a life of organized crime and time running guns to the Afghan resistance his life was an unbroken series of adventures till he was recaptured and served the rest of his sentence in Germany. The book has a wonderful philosophical bent and the lessons from Roberts' life are incredibly memorable. He lives in Bombay now as a full time author. Some day I'm going to look him up and buy him a drink to find out how much of this tale is true. Best book I've read in years, all 900+ pages of it.

Easter Island
- Stories that turn in on themselves and continue to speak. Beautiful.

Gonzales and Daughter Trucking Company
- The main character runs a reading group in the prison but rather than reading books she's telling the story of her life. Wonderful story told from the perspective of a prisoner awaiting her father and lover. The ending is powerful and worth the trip.

Da Vinci Code
- Ok, I've read some of the popular stuff too. As one who holds a degree in religious studies the book resonated with other material I've read over the years. But just because an ancient secret society believed x-y-z does not make it true. Just the same, great treatment of a complex topic and extremely assessible.

Memoirs of a Geisha
How can a man from Tennessee write a book like this? I have no idea but want to be him in my next lifetime. The lesson here is that learning deeply about others can only come from penetrating relationships and painful honesty. The author had a friend from the geisha district and mined her experience to produce this utterly beautiful book.

Chronicles (Bob Dylan)
- Dylan has long been my musical muse and his memoirs are intense and personal. I can't say enough about this book. Whether you know music or not you will learn a huge amount of stuff about folk music and the blues. Dylan's descriptions of working on a record in New Orleans cut to the heart of what it means to create lasting art. And his memories of sleeping on Van Ronk's couch taught me of the things I missed out on in my own search.

So that's my reading list for the last year or so. Hope you enjoyed the ride.

Thanks for listening...

Ordinary Joe

Every once in awhile I meet someone who reminds me what a great country we live in. I met Joe on a flight from Atlanta to Seattle a few weeks ago. Returning from a business trip to Buffalo the guy next to me was on the cellphone before takeoff. He told his wife he loved her at least 10 times and finally hung up. He apologized, and I told him not to. Love is the greatest thing in the world. Then we began to talk. He was a soldier, an NCO and squad leader who had already done a tour in Iraq and was headed back after a long round of training. He referred to it as the crazy stuff he got to do in his job, jumping out of airplanes and such. He talked about the war as "going to work". Joe started as a Marine and reenlisted in the Army when his first enlistment was up. The Army offered more possibilities for advancement in his view, and more than one type of mission.

Joe was part of the Stryker brigade and was very proud of his vehicles and training. Without these machines they would have a much harder time of it in the field. He talked about how his men would face IEDs on a regular basis along with surprise RPG fire. And how they would sometimes die. He served in Tal Afar and oddly enough I had just read an article about that campaign in the New Yorker the previous day. It was one of the most successful in the war due to the common sense strategies of the local field commanders. We talked for a long time about what it was like in the streets of Iraqi cities, how the people would cooperate until the troops left and welcome insurgents back the next week. How our soldiers never knew who would blow themselves up or attack them in the market without provocation. How his men would break down the doors of houses and be assured there were no insurgents there. And how they would dig in the same back yards and find guns, ammunition and mortars. Joe told me of the intensity and aggression that would build up over time, controlled by discipline and training but hard to shed afterwards. Soldiers returned home to a very different world and understandably had trouble adjusting to a peaceful family life.

Joe trained Iraqi police but never knew if he would be facing them in combat the following month so the training was, well, less than complete. What he found most troubling was the lack of commitment on the part of his trainees. They can walk away with no consequences due to the loose policies of the Iraqi police and military. Many are simply showing up for work never intending to complete their training or see active duty. Joe didn't have a lot of confidence in their ability to control the country without active U.S. support. His view was that once they were in a "good enough" posture we would be able to leave the country and claim some level of success.

After we talked for an hour or so I asked Joe if he saw any coherent strategy in Iraq, and whether his collegues in the military were optomistic about our success. He was the consumate professional, saying that the strategy was deeply flawed but they were doing the best they could under the circumstances. He didn't have much confidence in the decisions of our civilian leadership, the rationale for invading Iraq or the planning for reconstruction. Joe was expecting and hoping for a change in direction after the next round of elections, and he planned to come home to his family and continue his military career. I hope he makes it.

We got off the plane and took the tram to baggage claim together. The evening ended as it began, with Joe on his cellphone talking to his wife. Telling her he loved her. I offered him a ride and he politely declined. His handshake was firm and friendly. Outside the Seattle rain fell gently and kissed the earth.

Ordinary Joe, but only one of the many in our military who are going to work every day dealing with the poor decisions of our civilian leadership. Joe has a wonderful wife and four kids. His family is everything America should be, honorable and committed. Let's do them a favor in 2008 and create a better climate in Washington D.C. Let's vote the non-combatants who created this mess out of office.

Thanks for listening