Category: Books/Museum Reviews

  • One of Us by Åsne Seierstad

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for One of Us: Don’t read this if you have a “no crying” streak going. Quick synopsis: The story of the 2011 Norway bombing and massacre by Anders Behring Breivik. Fact for Non-History People: Breivik’s massacre is often cited as second to the Oklahoma City Bombing for most fatalities caused by one…

  • Seven Rivers by Vanessa Taylor

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Seven Rivers: Some are more annoying than others. Quick synopsis: A look at seven rivers (Nile, Danube, Niger, Mississippi, Ganges, Yangtze and the Thames) and their impact on human history. Fact for Non-History People: The largest/longest river in the world is the Nile, but the Amazon is the largest by volume.…

  • No More Tears by Gardiner Harris

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for No More Tears: Actually, lots of tears it turns out. Quick synopsis: The story of how Johnson & Johnson’s squeaky-clean image is a lie. Fact for Non-History People: There are over 67,000 cases pending against J&J. Fact for History Nerds: A verdict against them from 2019 was for $2.1 billion but…

  • The Gods of New York by Jonathan Mahler

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Gods of New York: More like men with god complexes. Quick synopsis: The city and people of New York City in the late 1980s. Fact for Non-History People: NYC’s population declined by one million during the 1970s. Fact for History Nerds: During cold nights below 32 degrees, upwards of 8,000…

  • Empire of Orgasm by Ellen Huet

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Empire of Orgasm: No comment so I don’t get banned. Quick synopsis: The story of the sex cult, OneTaste and its founder Nicole Daedone. Fact for Non-History People: OneTaste peaked with $10 million in revenue in 2017. At least, that’s what was reported. Fact for History Nerds: An annual membership with…

  • Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Giuffre

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Nobody’s Girl: More brutal than you expect. And I expected a lot. Quick synopsis: The memoir of Virginia Giuffre, who was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most known victims. Fact for Non-History People: Epstein’s net worth at this death was $600 million. Barf. Fact for History Nerds: Giuffre’s abuse at the hands…

  • Joan of Arc by Helen Castor

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Joan of Arc: A different kind of spiritual warrior. Quick synopsis: The story of St. Joan of Arc and her times. Fact for Non-History People: Joan of Arc never killed anyone. Yes, in battle or otherwise. Fact for History Nerds: Joan of Arc was killed by the English AND French. My…

  • A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls by Adam Morgan

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls: These dangers are so quaint compared to today. Quick synopsis: The story of Margaret Anderson, a publisher who battled literary censorship in the early 1900s. Fact for Non-History People: The first book ban in the U.S. was Thomas Morton’s New English Canaan in…

  • The Whiskey Bible by Noah Rothbaum

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Whiskey Bible: Booze be thy name. Quick synopsis: Everything you need to know about whiskey. Duh. Fact for Non-History People: Both whiskey and whisky are correct. Fact for History Nerds: The most expensive whiskey in the world is The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926, with one bottle selling for $2.7 million.…