Tag: American history
-
The Science of Second Chances by Jennifer Doleac
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Science of Second Chances: Better living through data. Quick synopsis: A look at some possible solutions to recidivism in the U.S. criminal justice system. Fact for Non-History People: In the U.S., approximately 70% of released prisoners are rearrested within 5 years. Fact for History Nerds: Within three years, nearly 50%…
-
Heartland by Keith O’Brien
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Heartland: The legend before the legend. Quick synopsis: The story of Larry Bird’s path to a magical year at Indiana State University. Fact for Non-History People: Bird was set to play for the legendary Bobby Knight but quit before ever playing a game. Fact for History Nerds: Bird is the first…
-
The Rembrandt Heist by Anthony Amore
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Rembrandt Heist: When in a jam, make a bigger jam. Quick synopsis: The life and crimes of art thief Myles Connor. Fact for Non-History People: The largest art heist on record is the 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston with 13 works valued at $500 million…
-
End of Days by Chris Jennings
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for End of Days: Plenty of judgement to go around. Quick synopsis: The story of the Ruby Ridge tragedy and how it all happened. Fact for Non-History People: In 2021, 15% of Americans believed the government had fallen under the control of a Satan-worshiping cabal of pedophiles. Probably a higher number now.…
-
American Reich by Eric Lichtblau
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for American Reich: Feel like this is going to cause an argument. Quick synopsis: A look at a hate crime in Orange County, CA and the rise of hate crimes overall in the U.S. Fact for Non-History People: Hate crimes have doubled since 2015, reaching over 11,800 incidents in 2023. Fact for…
-
Five Bullets by Elliot Williams
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Five Bullets: How many is too many? Quick synopsis: The story of the Bernie Goetz case in 1980s New York City. Fact for Non-History People: The NYC murder count per year went from 1,392 in 1985 to 2,262 in 1990. To be clear, 1,392 was already a lot. Fact for History…
-
Everybody Loses by Danny Funt
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Everybody Loses: Please read this book before your next bet. Quick synopsis: A look at the legalization of sports gambling in America. Fact for Non-History People: Americans bet $157 legally on sports in fiscal year 2025. Fact for History Nerds: 95% of this betting happened online. My Take on Everybody Loses:…
-
The Pain Brokers by Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Pain Brokers: Sometimes surgery is the least painful part. Quick synopsis: The story of terrible humans taking advantage of people through mass tort schemes. Fact for Non-History People: There are approximately 170 different mass torts which cover over 393,000 individual claims going on as of 2025. Fact for History Nerds:…
-
Neptune’s Fortune by Julian Sancton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Neptune’s Fortune: I hate boats, but I’d still do some treasure hunting. Quick synopsis: The sinking of the Spanish Galleon, San José, and the recent efforts to find its resting place. Fact for Non-History People: The Nuestra Señora de Atocha, found in 1985, holds the record for the most valuable recovered…