Category: Books/Museum Reviews

  • Off the Top of My Head by Barbara Lazio

    Well this was frickin’ delightful. Dr. Barbara Lazio provides a look into our heads (literally) with her hilarious and poignant Off the top of My Head. Yes, the title is an indicator of the overall tone. Lazio puts together a collection of essays about life, parenting, and, of course, brain surgery. I find that with…

  • This Cursed Beautiful Land by Evan Gershkovich

    Turns out, Russian prison isn’t so bad. That is, if you are an American journalist jailed on trumped-up charges so you can be used for a prisoner swap. Sure, it still sucks, and you will end up with PTSD. However, your experience may vary greatly if you are not in the very specific position author…

  • Keeper of My Kin by Ada Ferrer

    At the heart of Keeper of My Kin by Ada Ferrer is an impossible choice. Do you leave a child behind to save the other? In this case, the author’s mother took her out of Cuba to live in America, but had to leave behind her son, Poly, whose father would not let the boy…

  • Love Johnny Carson by Mark Malkoff

    Johnny Carson is one of those legends whose legacy has taken a bit of a hit the last few years. Was he the classy, funny entertainer the older folks remembered? Or was he a control freak who could hold decades-long grudges and went through marriages like tissues during flu season. As per usual to anyone…

  • The Phantom by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

    The reason there are so many World War II books is that there is still so much to be mined from the conflict. Case in point, I had never heard of Major Pierre “Pete” Ortiz until about 3 months ago, and now I have read the second book on him in the last 60 days.…

  • Gouged by Lindsay Owens

    We’re all getting screwed. And Lindsay Owens is here to tell us exactly how in Gouged! Good news, she also tells us how we can overcome these bloodsucking companies. Bad news, we have to rely on Congress for some of it. Will the horrors never end?! Owens walks us through some of the main culprits…

  • The New Dark Ages by James Marriott

    Of course I am going to enjoy a book called The New Dark Ages which tells us the world is reading books less and it is all going to hell. Granted, author James Marriott doesn’t put as fine a point on it as I have, but I want to feel special. Don’t we all? Marriott…

  • The Rush by Nathaniel Philbrick

    Fear not, dear readers. Nathaniel Philbrick is still at the top of his game with The Rush. And as per usual, this book is way more than it looks like from the title and the cover. Gold is one thing. What people do with it becomes the real story. Philbrick starts with the famed discovery…

  • The Cauldron by Simon Sebag Montefiore

    Do you think the Middle East is a bit of a mess? You may be correct, but you are probably oversimplifying a bit. If anything, the Middle East is a perfect example of how not to build countries. Drawing lines on a map without the input of the people who live within those lines should…