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I have from an early age been a reader. Reading opens the whole world to the reader, allowing one to experience subjects far and wide, facts and stories as broad as human history and existence. Anything of interest to you be it history, politics, sports, nature, sex, or whatever else peaks your interest can be experienced through reading. This applies to fiction as well as non-fiction, and high brow (“classics” like those you read in school) and more run of the mill popular reading material (Stephen King, mystery writers like Sue Grafton, and so on) as well. Fiction not only entertains, but tells us a bit about the human condition, how people act and deal with problems and crisis, and whom we should look up to or disdain. After all, a typical mystery or trashy romance novel has a certain point of view, a worldview if you like, which it promotes through the story. Such books often also put forth some facts and knowledge that fit into the story. It might do this even better than more “serious” literature, since it does so in a way often more enjoyable for a broader audience.
This page gives me a chance to briefly talk about a few books I have read over the course of the year, those human stories that I feel are particularly worth checking out. Also, I list them basically in order of when I read them, so do not consider the order to necessarily be some kind of ranking. Reading, of course, is much broader than books (for instance, I check out the online magazine Slate and New York Times often to help keep up with current events), but books will be the concern of this page. As usual, any feedback or opinions are welcomed, and I include various related links for your enjoyment and further reading.
I reread Don Fehrenbacher’s award winning work The Dred Scott Case. For those interested in history, this is an excellent book that uses the infamous case wherein the US Supreme Court used a fairly routine freedom suit to strengthen the power of slavery. [The law of the time could have been fairly read to deny Scott freedom, but the rhetoric and breadth of the case was much more.] Since this case must not be looked at in a vacuum, but as a part of the long history of slavery’s place in the constitutional history of this nation, Fehrenbacher uses the case to discuss it in quite readable and interesting prose. There is also a more condensed version available, but the unabridged book is worth checking out just to read key chapters of this complex story in their full glory. Also by Fehrenbacher, is "The Slaveholding Republic" which tries to show that the argument that the Constitution is pro-slavery is somewhat simplistic, and ignores the role of those who interpreted it both ways.
"Unfree Speech: The Folly of Campaign Finance Reform" by Bradley Smith is an important book in that it discusses the other side of the current drive to limit campaign spending. As I discussed elsewhere, not only does such limits have First Amendment problems, they might not even do what they try to do. This book is a nice summary (under three hundred pages) of the issues and will make you think about the problems with an apparently benign movement.
I am a history buff, so it is no surprise that this list would have various historically themed books on it. Let me list a few that I found of interest and should be so to the average reader as well. "The South vs The South" by William Freehling is a short book that shows how the South was not as united as some think during the Civil War. "Founding Brothers" by Joseph J Ellis tells about a handful of key stories of the beginning of our nation, highlighting Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, and Franklin. A more popular history of the times can be found in "A People’s History of the American Revolution", which concerns itself about the average people such as workers, women, blacks, and Native Americans. Another populist history is "Three Strikes: Miners, Musicians, Salesgirls, and the Fighting Spirit of Labor’s Last Century" by Howard Zinn, et. al. And, "The Flag, The Poet & The Song" by Irwin Molotsky is a nice little book discussing our national anthem and the battle that inspired it.
"Ungentlemanly Acts: The Army’s Notorious Incest Trial" by Louise Barnett deserves special notice because it is not only a historical book, but almost a mystery novel. It tells of a little known court martial held during the 1870s concerning an officer who accused a lesser officer of incest, and the accuser is the one who was being tried. The case tells a lot about the military and sexual beliefs of the time, as well as the importance of civilian oversight of military tribunals.
"Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jaret Diamond explains how these items, along side agricultural capability, determine the fate of nations. Where else will you find a summary of world history as well as the answer of the question of why the balance of power is how it is today? Well, probably more than one place, but seldom will it be as complete and well explained as this award winning book.
Another interest of mine, as you might know if you had a chance to peruse this site, are constitutional issues. After all, most issues of the day are at some point matters of constitutional significance. A few books that touch upon some of these matters include the following. "What Brown v Board of Education Should Have Said" edited by Jack Balkin is an interesting exercise: nine law professors and scholars try their hand at writing the famous case that called for the desegregation of public schools. Some are more interesting than others, but most of the opinions (as well as the preface) are worthwhile. "Black Mondays: Worst Decisions of The Court" by Joel J Joseph summaries around twenty opinions of the Supreme Court that left something to be desired. Also of note is "The Rehnquist Choice" by John Dean, a somewhat depressing look at how Chief Justice Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court.
"The Government vs. Erotica: The Siege of Adam and Eve" by Philip D Harvey explains how the federal government for nearly ten years went after a company that sold adult sexual materials to consenting adults. Harvey started out selling condoms as part of his efforts to promote safe and easy to obtain birth control, expanding his business into sexual videos and the like. His company can be considered the Playboy of adult mail order, and this is partly why he did not stand for the government’s actions and fought for his and his customer’s rights. A depressing story of the attack on the First Amendment and freedom in general, one need not support his libertarian philosophy overall to see the injustice of what was done to him. Cases like this is why people are wary even when the government says it is only concerned with children and non-consenting adults.
"P.C. M.D.: How Political Correctness Is Corrupting Medicine" by Sally Satel might be a bit over the top at spots, but it’s an important in its discussion on how political correctness can be taken too far. Books of this nature can be criticized as exaggerating the problem, but this book by someone who worked (and works) in the trenches makes some important points about how politics is being put ahead of medicine.
And finally, a fiction book! "Anil’s Ghost" by Michael Ondatje (of "The English Patient" fame) concerns itself with the civil war in Sri Lanka, and one forensic scientist who returns to face the horrors of it. The author is a native of the area and knows of what he speaks, and provides a haunting story inspired by real life conditions.
Email: jmatrixrenegade@aol.com
