Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal by George Packer A friend recommended this book to me when it came out in 2023, but I guess it took the tumult of the 2024 election to make me want to understand just what the heck is going on in our country these days. Packer does …
Tag: America
Oct 31
Book Review: Small Great Things
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult The cover says this is Picoult’s most important book. As Handle With Care was a book about raising a disabled child, this book could be titled “A White Person’s Guide to Racism.” Picoult is a very accessible author;. Reading her is like reading the novel equivalent of a mainstream …
Jul 03
Book Review: White Trash. The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America
White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg This was a hard book to read (listen to). It’s one of those books where you’re glad to have read it, but you don’t really enjoy the journey. I started it over a month ago, but I had to take it in …
Feb 07
Book Review: Hillbilly Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance I can see why this book hit the bestseller list. It really hits the zeitgeist of this tumultuous past few years we’ve had, especially with regards to the questions of middle America and how to achieve the “American Dream.” It also …
Jul 21
Book Review: Devoured
Devoured: From Chicken Wings to Kale Smoothies–How What We Eat Defines Who We Are by Sophie Egan When I think about food, it’s usually in the context of “what am I going to make for dinner” or gnashing my teeth in irritation about coworkers evangelizing about their latest fad diets. Food is a huge part …