Dan's 2020 Books

9. 438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea by Jonathan Franklin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had a hard time deciding if this was a two or three star book. Not that it wasn't interesting, but perhaps the writing wasn't as much my style as some of the other survival at sea books I've read (think, Unbroken). Truly a miraculous tale of Salvador Alvarenga and his survival against all odds at sea. It sounded horrible, and it probably was, so that all lines up pretty well.

8. The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The whole book premise is that the truth actually is stranger than fiction. I enjoyed the book and found it reasonably captivating throughout. I think it may have been better to see some pictures of the flies and birds mentioned that were not available, so perhaps reading the book could be more enjoyable than listening to it. Interesting too that the author contributed so much to the return of the stolen birds. Good for him for chasing them down. It was an interesting idea presented that perhaps it was better to have the feathers in the hands of the fly tying community than in a museum drawer collecting dust.

7. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Of a recent string of books I've read on subjects I knew nothing about, this one seems to be touch the nerve as being the most unjust to the largest number of people. It is amazing to think that North Korean slave camps exists for political prisoners and their offspring in 2020. You really feel for this person and the difficulties he had escaping, not to mention integrating into a society that he knew nothing about until adulthood. I was glad to have read this one.

6. No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm kind of a fan of Navy Seal books and this one did not fail to deliver. There was a lot of background information regarding the Osama Bin Laden mission that I had no idea about. Like the fact that we crashed a helicopter landing in his compound. Or the level of detail that went into planning the attack, down to building a compound like the one he was living in and having the teams train there prior to going to get him. It seems amazing that there were relatively few guarding him when we finally took him out. Glad to have this person removed from the earth.

5. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Honestly, if you had asked me who the Osage Indians were before I read this book, I would have had no idea. I would not have been able to tell you that they lived in Oklahoma or that they were rich because their reservation land had oil on it. This is a sad tale of how several of them were taken advantage of in order to get access to their oil money. It was new subject matter to me, and for that reason I found it interesting, but I would never read it again. Moderately low recommendation on my part.

4. The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal by David E. Hoffman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this book a few months ago and almost forgot I had read it. Generally the book is about espionage in Russia and the collateral damage of native Russians who spied for the US during the cold war. It was well written and interesting to read, but didn't seem to stick with me too much. I give it moderate ratings. It is pretty amazing the lengths that we went to to get information from these people and how they were able to extract the information in cloak and dagger operations without getting caught. Eventually it seemed like most of them got caught though, so that makes spying a short term career for these guys. Sad tale.

3. Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed by Ben R. Rich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It was fun to hear the stories of early Skunk Works days and how it came to be. As cool and impressive as the SR-71 and F-117 are, it really seemed like the U2 was the genesis of Skunk Works that put them on the map. I was impressed how Ben Rich reinforced simplicity and elegant solutions to complex problems. He was a devoted patriot and someone who helped make great steps toward providing US Military dominance.

2. American Radical: Inside the World of an Undercover Muslim FBI Agent by Tamer Elnoury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've never read a book about someone infiltrating radical Muslim terrorist groups. This was captivating to read, well written, and informative. I think Mr. Elnoury has a good writing style. I gained an appreciation for how nerve wracking and taxing it is to be on stage for hours on end posing to be someone you are not, particularly when your life is likely on the line. I'm proud of Tamer for his patriotism and dedication to clearing the name of Muslim and making America safe. I shared some of these stories with my kids who were very interested in how things turned out. Caution, there are a lot of "f" words in the book.

1. An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's been a month since I read this book, and I almost forgot I finished it. I enjoyed reading it and was ultimately impressed at what a huge difference Laura made in Maurice's life. He was on a trajectory holding him down in the slums and keeping him on the streets. Instead, he changed who he was, made something of himself, and is a patriarch of a family. I'm sure his life isn't perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than it would have been otherwise.

Dan's 2019 Books

12. Educated by Tara Westover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I felt like this book was very similar to The Glass Castle. If you liked that one, you'll probably enjoy this one too. In many ways Tara's upbringing was so different from mine that it is hard to imagine someone younger than me having had these experiences. Though we both were raised as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I feel that her family practices the faith in a way that is completely foreign to me and did not parallel my experiences very closely. I don't think it is representative of the faith as a whole in almost any degree. Regardless, the book was interesting, kind of intense, and insightful. Certainly well written and enjoyable to read.

11. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I saw the movie about Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes and was pretty sure that I wasn't going to learn a lot more from reading the book. I was wrong. The book had a lot more good and interesting details to add to the story that were not able to be shared in the movie. This whole story is pretty crazy. It's amazing they got as far as they did, no one blew the whistle on them sooner, and that Elizabeth was able to fool so many people for so long. It was a noble goal to accomplish what they were trying for, but they got off track pretty far and sucked a lot of people into it. Sad commentary on humanity.

10. White Fang by Jack London
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I re-read this book in anticipation of a trip to Skagway, Alaska. I wanted to better understand the men who passed that way into the Yukon Territory. It was pretty fun to read and I liked it just as much this time as the several before that I've ready it. My favorite Jack London book.


9. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Obviously this is the classic Jack London book. This was much quicker to read than I remembered from last time. I enjoyed the storyline though and look forward to reading more Jack London books in the future.



8. The Reckoning by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I picked up this book, I didn't realize what a tragedy it was going to be. Sad as it was, the book was very compelling and had me waiting for the answer to the mystery right up to the very end of the book. It was interesting how the author wove in the story of the Bataan Death March and what a terrible event that was in the history of the US military. A lot of brave men were killed there. Anyway, I liked the book and was interested in the story line. I would not choose to read it again.

7. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very quirky book. I enjoyed it quite a bit and the story was pretty compelling for how strange it was. I thought the author did a good job of weaving the story and telling about what happened to Bernadette. It was a bit far-fetches as far as plausibility of the plot line, but if you overlook that a little and enjoy the story I think you'll like it as much as I did.

6. Saints, Vol. 1: The Standard of Truth, 1815-1846 The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought the Church did a very good job of weaving historical facts with life stories to tell about the happenings early in Church history. I was reminded how human Joseph Smith and the others who restored the Church were as they learned about Christ's gospel line upon line. It was sad to be reminded of all the suffering and persecutions the early saints of the church faced. Certainly their ancestors have been blessed because of their sacrifices.

5. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very concise book about money management. As you'd expect, Dave teaches us to make sure we're not spending more than we're earning and preaches excessively against debt in any form. I found his suggested method for financial fitness to be very sound and hope to better employ some of the principles he preaches.

4. Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It would have been an interesting experience to have met John Boyd in person. I get the sense I may not have really clicked well with his approach and style. However, this book was pretty captivating and interesting for me. I loved to hear about his assessment of the aircraft and how they performed in aerial combat. It was just as compelling to hear about the intricacies of the US Military and the games that must be played to accomplish the end goal. Boyd's axiom of, "Are you going to be somebody or are you going to do something?" seems to fly in the face of how we think life should be, but probably comes closer to the truth than most of us would like to admit. I liked the book and recommend it. It does have a pretty healthy smattering of sailor language (mostly Boyd quotes) and there were a few parts about 3/4 of the way into the book where it seemed to drag a little, but overall I enjoyed it and found it to be good quality, educational, and entertaining.

3. The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While I can't say this book was a compelling page turner, I did learn quite a bit from listening to it. I was surprised that as much of the suggestions and research were applicable to me as they seemed to be to my kids. The book is written in a way that covers motivating kids in general, and then breaks it down somewhat into age groups, so not all of it is applicable to my current child situation right now. I suppose that much of the book could have been boiled down into about 10 key points of things to do to give your kids more control. That would be a handy quick reference guide, if such a thing exists. Now to put this into practice...

2. Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although I enjoyed the story and felt that there was a lot of interesting content in the book, it seemed to drag on a little bit. Generally I learned a lot of new information about Magellan's circumnavigation of the world. The story was told clearly and was easy to understand. It contains a bit more sexual content than I had bargained for, but it was presented in a factual way to describe the sailors actions. It's kind of amazing any of the ships made it back to port after hearing about all the trails this armada went through!

1. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought Bryan Stevenson did a good job arguing his case. The case studies he presents are interesting and although some have happy endings, not all of them are successes. I had a hard time following what exactly was the main theme or message of the book because Stevenson addresses so many facets. He spent a ton of time talking about racism within the judicial system. He also focused a lot on punishment for of minors. In addition to decrying the evils of giving people the death sentence or life in prison, there were about 10 other topics that he touches on. While I am all for doing everything in our power to keep innocent people free and taking extreme measures to ensure innocents are not wrongly found guilty, the counterpoints for when it is appropriate to imprison offenders were largely overlooked. While Stevenson was quick to point out cases where minorities were treated unfairly or indicate that there are disproportionate percentages of minorities in prison, he failed to indicate the percentages of crimes committed by minorities and if these percentages are aligned or not, avoiding a fair apples to apples comparison. It was in interesting book and generally I'd recommend it.

Dan's 2018 Books

10. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that pulled me in and I really felt like I could relate to the characters. It's a book about love lost. The book brought back memories of someone I loved years ago. I suppose good writing makes you assess who you are and how you got there, so in that respect it was a good book.
It was informative and interesting to learn about the situation of the WWII Japanese Internment Camps and what they were like. I have been to a couple internment camp sites but knew little about their purpose of thought little of how those imprisoned there must have felt and lived.

9. Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition by Paul Watson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I envisioned this book to be a little more like Shackleton's adventures in the Antarctic. There is really very little known about the Lost Franklin Expedition, and this is the story of those who looked for them. I did not find the book very captivating until the last 1/3 or so when they started making headway toward finding the lost ships. The part I liked the best was hearing about life and survival in the Arctic, which this book contained a good bit of. It did have some political ramblings about Canadian government dealings of Inuit, which although perhaps unjust, I don't have a lot invested in. Overall an informative book, but not a life changer.

8. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. The best book I've read in a long time. Maybe it helps that I'm living in Washington and can relate to the areas these boys came from, but it was interesting to learn about a sport that I'm unfamiliar with (but think I could be good at) and see how it changed the life of these young men. It made me want to go find the Seattle Clipper and see what these shells look like in real life. A thrilling ending helped the book too.

7. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There was a lot I didn't know about Steve Jobs. Overall, the book was fantastic. I thought Isaacson did a good job of portraying him fairly and looking at how he was perceived by people in many aspects of his light. I think I liked the book as much as I did because it made me think about how I approach creativity, leadership, and the passion that I put into things. In many ways the simplicity of the products Apple puts out reflect Jobs' black and white view of the world. Note: There are a fair number of direct quotes from Jobs, many of which include pretty coarse language.

6. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quite an amazing dude. I liked the book a lot, mostly because I find Elon Musk to be a very fascinating character with an interesting mix of showmanship and smarts that has seemed to pay off for him to date. I hope he can continue to do great things with Tesla and SpaceX and now I feel like I have a much better understanding of who he is and where he comes from. This was a pretty captivating read and I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in Musk or his companies.

5. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been a while since I've read a book of this caliber. While the story was the life of seemingly average, day to day happenings of normal people, it was at the same time captivating. It made me think about my own life and examine if I'm doing any of the things these characters were, which I think is the sign of a good book.

4. One by One by David A. Bednar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great book. Awesome message. Maybe a bit repetitive in the message that things don't happen by coincidence and that the work of salvation happens one by one, but the point was well made and nicely written.

3. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although the book was pretty interesting and I learned a lot about the history and development of the computer age, it was pushing the envelope of my geeky self to keep my interest. As an 80's kid, computers and I grew up together. However, I only saw the front end of their application and didn't know how they came to be. The book was reasonably well written and didn't seem to be too biased, except for maybe a little towards Steve Jobs.

2. Origin by Dan Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Obviously Dan Brown is good at this stuff and writes interesting books. Of all of those I've ready, this one is probably my least favorite. It seemed that the climax of the story happened 150 pages before the book got over and the ending really dragged for me. Nonetheless, it was a fun to ready, quick page turner that makes you think a little bit more about where we come from and where we're going. Not a bad read, not a waste of time, but not as good as DaVinci Code either.

1. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I liked the book overall because it was interesting to hear about Cheryl's mishaps and learning moments along the Pacific Crest Trail. At the same time, I think she's kind of lucky she didn't get herself killed all alone in the wilderness. In my mind I had assumed she hiked the PCT from Mexico to Canada, so I felt a little cheated when I learned that she skipped all of Washington and some large chunks of the High Sierras because of heavy snow that year. It's understandable, but I hadn't expected that. I should not throw too many darts because I have not backpacked the PCT myself. Easy to armchair coach her follies and mistakes. Overall well written. Somewhat graphic language, drug use, and a few sex scenes make this at PG-13 book, so I would be uncomfortable recommending it to my mom. Take that for what it's worth.

Dan's 2017 Books

1. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to get into The Nightingale, but overall it was a compelling story. I learned a lot about France during WWII and some of the terrible things that the Germans did. It is always uplifting to me to see real people become heroes in terrible times. My faith in mankind is buoyed up. I listened on CD and certainly got sucked into the story and felt like I was transported to 1942 France each drive home from work!

2. Pursuit The Chase and Sinking of the Bismarck by Ludovic Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Admittedly, the book skirted on the edges of being quick enough to interest anyone, but detailed enough that a naval nerd would enjoy it. Despite its depth, the book kept my interest and the details of the events covered in the story are fascinating. Overall I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys learning about history, particularly if you have interest in 1900's war history or naval battles.


3. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Isn't it funny to read books written many years ago and hear the way they phrase ideas and the words they choose to use? I really enjoyed the book overall and had a fun time getting into the story of these five lost adventurers. It is amazing all of the things Jules Verne thought of, how much natural science he knew, and how he ties it all together into an epic story. Yes, this one is pretty long, but good. I can't really give it five stars because it isn't one I would plan to read again, but don't feel like I wasted time listening to it. Thank you Mr. Verne.

5. Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Héctor Tobar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought Hector Tobar did a great job telling this story. It was interesting and he made great efforts to explore the lives of the miners, who they were before the collapse, during the time trapped in the mine, and after the rescue. At the end as he talked about the order each man was extracted from the mine I was surprised to realize that we had learned something about each of the 33 during the course of the book. I only gave it three stars because it was a little slow at times. It was probably hard to write 11 hours of words to describe a story that can be told in a few simple sentences. Mine collapsed. 33 men trapped alive. They were miraculously all rescued.
I'm glad I read it, but don't need to read it again.

6. $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn Edin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I didn't love this book. I think it was partly because of a mistaken expectation that it was going to be a book about how to live on $2.00 a day, not about poor people who have to live on $2 a day and why they are stuck in that rut and how the government isn't helping them as much as it could/should. I learned some new things about food stamps and a little bit about the current Government Welfare equivalent program, but overall it just wasn't my style of book.

7. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty intense book for me. I don't usually read this type of literature, but it was available on Overdrive so I gave it a shot. I thought the story was pretty compelling and the viewpoints from which it was told were interesting. The warning here is that it had a good bit of foul language and was certainly adult themed. The sex scenes weren't particularly graphic, but not bland or mere suggestions either. I probably couldn't give it a very strong recommendation because of the content.

8. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked Seabiscuit. Laura Hillenbrand took a subject that I know little to nothing about and brought a story to life that captured my interest and made me want to know more. It actually made me want to watch the Kentucky Derby too. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. Probably the best book I've read this year, even if you aren't into horse racing.

9. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Overall Wonder was well written and fairly captivating. Looking back on it I don't really think it's my kind of a book too much. It was pretty sad - maybe a little depressing - because I don't normally spend a lot of time thinking about people who are different and how others react to them. Maybe I should more, and for that reason I'm glad I read the book. Hopefully it brings a little more compassion, acceptance, and love into the world.

10. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall, a very sad book about a boy's abrupt and violent transition from boyhood to manhood as he is made a boy soldier in Sierra Leon's civil war. Ishmael is a few years younger than I am and was made to join the army to fight the rebels when he was 12. This was just after he almost caught up to his family, but they were slaughtered minutes before he was reunited with them when the village they were living in was attacked. I have rarely pondered on the impact and utility of drugged up boy soldier warriors, but hearing Ishmael's story really made that stick out to me. He did terrible things and murdered a lot of people. Thankfully, he made it out of the army and was able to be a strong voice for good across the world. I definitely recommend the book, though beware that is it kind of gory in parts. Otherwise no swearing or sex.

11. Thunder in the Mountains: Chief Joseph, Oliver Otis Howard, and the Nez Perce War by Daniel J. Sharfstein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Though I had heard of Chief Joseph and his famous "I will fight no more forever" quote since I was a child, I knew little about the Nez Perce Indians and their struggle to maintain their land. Having read about the Lewis and Clark expedition a few years ago I was reminded of the role of this small tribe in shaping America, so when I came across this book I was interested. It is a little bit long and I listed to the audiobook version, but overall I enjoyed the book and felt like I gained a much greater appreciation for the Indian efforts of the late 1800's. I have even driven fairly close to the ancestral lands the Nez Perce claimed as their own and hope to stop there next time we are passing through. If they could have run a little faster or had a few changes in their history, they would have escaped to Canada like the Sioux did and perhaps have never been forced by the US Government to settle on reservation land. Chief Joseph was certainly a unique leader and one with many honorable qualities.

12. Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War by Ben Macintyre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really cool book with interesting information about a topic I know very little. I'd never heard of the British SAS before reading this book (I suppose I could have guess they would have a special forces division but had never really thought about it) and was amazed to hear about their audacious exploits behind German and Italian enemy lines. The book was well written and made me want to keep reading to hear more about the destiny of the men involved in the creation of the SAS.

Dan's 2016 Books

1. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Awesome book. I liked this one better than the Devil in the White City because the topic was a little more interesting to me and it was overall cleaner, though both were historical non-fiction. I didn't know anything about the Lusitania and the disaster that befell it, nor the implications of that event for the US and WWI, so this really was an eye opening book for me. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in historical literature.

2. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not worth reading again, but a reasonably captivating mystery.







3. Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Compared to some of the more mainstream books about why people do the things we do and how to get better at them, I did not think this one was quite as compelling. However, it provided some great insight about why and when we are challenged in our willpower and how to improve upon it. I listened to it on CD and may have gotten a little more out of it by reading it, but it was enlightening still and overall I'd recommend reading it if you are interested in figuring out why it is so hard to do the things you don't want to do and stop doing the things you shouldn't be doing.

4. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is definitely a really depressing book. It's a story about everybody trying to do their best, do what they think is right, and everyone ends up kind of screwed up and sad in the end. It is well written and quite captivating, but not really my kind of literature. It did make me think about my own kids and what I would do for them, so perhaps that is what the author intended for the reader.

5. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maybe I liked this book so much because I knew so little about JFK before reading it. Or maybe it was because I like Bill O'Reilly's style and voice reading his own book. Either way, the book really pulled me in and I wanted to listen to it a lot so I could hear how things ended. I'm moving on to Killing Lincoln, so I must have liked it.

6. Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I probably did not enjoy this one quite as much as Killing Kennedy, but it was still a very interesting read. The most compelling part was the narration of the last few days of the Civil War and how it all came to a close. I didn't realize that Lincoln was killed so soon after the War ended. He really didn't get much of a chance to celebrate the conclusion of such a bloody chapter in our nation's history. I would certainly recommend the book as it is well written and pretty captivating.

7. Junius and Albert's Adventures in the Confederacy: A Civil War Odyssey by Peter Carlson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book was good, but it's pretty quirky. I don't really have a desire to read it again, but do not regret having read it once. I suppose it was a bit of a miracle either of these guys survived the war, and it certainly was not without cost to them personally. I never would have thought about the plight of newspaper correspondents during war, but I'm not totally sure the number of people impacted by their situation is very significant either. Anyway, good book, interesting stories.

Dan's 2015 Books

4. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is definitely my kind of book. I love the author. I love the subject. I love the style and learning all about how it really happened. I really did learn a ton about the infancy of aviation and the role the Wrights played in it. They were two pretty amazing guys who had little backing and a lot of ingenuity. It's amazing neither of them died in airplane crashes! I would venture to say that they changed the world as much as Henry Ford and Bill Gates have. Pretty impressive individuals. Totally recommend the book if you like other McCullough writings.


3. The Candy Bombers by Andrei Cherny
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a book that opened up a chapter in history that I didn't even know existed. Nor did I think it was an important time in history as the beginnings of the cold war are often glossed over between two glamours book ends of WWII and the Korean War. My biggest complaint of the writing is that is Cherny is too verbose. I would have preferred about 2/3 of the length. I think it was 29 CD's or something. He did a good job weaving several converging stories together and showing how they changed the history of the world. Pretty interesting. And I know the Candy Bomber personally, so that helped keep my interest too!


2. American Sniper by Chris Kyle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Good book, but I didn't think it was quite as well written as Lone Survivor, nor quite as compelling a story. Perhaps the saddest part is that he was murdered back home in America after safely returning from such treacherous places. I'm not sad I read it, but would only give it two stars.



1. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nelson Mandela was someone I have heard about my whole life. I knew he was the president of South Africa and was in prison for something before he was president, but I really had no idea what he was all about. He lived quite a life. One that I would have been uncomfortable with. Nonetheless, a very honorable man (at least from his telling of his own story) and one who was vitally instrumental in the downfall of apartheid in South Africa. This is not a book for the faint of heart (23 CDs!) but I enjoyed most of it and it kept my attention. It was well written and worth reading.