What Are You Reading

[Harp]

Revisiting Capitalism and Freedom.
Milton Friedman's core thesis of his economic theory that competitive capitalism serves as both a device for achieving economic freedom
and a necessary condition for political freedom.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"World Panorama: 1918-1933" by George Seldes.

Published in 1933, this is a fascinating and highly readable work of narrative history by one of the preeminent foreign correspondents of the 1920s. Before beginning his career as an outspoken critic of the "free American press," Seldes covered various stations in Europe for the Chicago Tribune --- despite his loathing for his proto-fascist publisher Robert McCormick -- and from that vantage point saw post-WW1 history unforld first hand. He knew both Lenin and Mussolini personally, both of whom ended up deporting him, and had a front-row seat to their rise to power, offiering quite a bit of insight into man-on-the-street conditions thruout the countries that formed his beat.

Seldes is not the polemicist here that he became in his critical works, but he can be hilariously snarky when he wants to be. He is unmistakable in the disdain and contempt he felt for Hitler's bunch as they rose to power, and repeatedly refers to Ernst Rohm as "Hitler's boyfriend," a reference which he intended to convey exactly the meaning that you think he's trying to convey.

 

[Fading Fast]

Revisiting Capitalism and Freedom.
Milton Friedman's core thesis of his economic theory that competitive capitalism serves as both a device for achieving economic freedom
and a necessary condition for political freedom.

Note, I am not commenting on the politics of this, just noting the similarity. Ayn Rand came to the same conclusion from a slightly different angle.

I haven't read "Capitalism and Freedom," but I did read Friedman's "Free to Choose" when it first came out and it made a big impression on a young me.

 

[Fading Fast]

...Seldes is not the polemicist here that he became in his critical works, but he can be hilariously snarky when he wants to be. He is unmistakable in the disdain and contempt he felt for Hitler's bunch as they rose to power, and repeatedly refers to Ernst Rohm as "Hitler's boyfriend," a reference which he intended to convey exactly the meaning that you think he's trying to convey.

That's been floating out there forever (maybe Seldes got the rumor started and maybe he was right).

The odd thing is Eva Braun. Hitler all-but kept her hidden from the public - hence, she wasn't a public beard for Hitler. Which means he could have been gay and using her as a beard for his inner circle (kudos to him for an advance game-theory move if true), he was bi and she was what he was into at the time or he was straight and the rumors aren't true.

There's also my personal theory - the guy was off-the-charts, turbo-crazy and fits into no boxes as we know them.

 

[G.W. Masters]

"The Wine Of Youth" by John Fante.

 

[Harp]

There's also my personal theory - the guy was off-the-charts, turbo-crazy and fits into no boxes as we know them.

A college course in prewar Nazi ascendance which included Mein Kampf- and a US Army psychiatric profile done during the war-
prompted a warning from the prof, a former Hungarian Army intelligence officer (thrown inside a solitary prison cell by the Soviets in 1956
and kept sane by recalling poetry) that such psychological assessment material was probably the darkest Hitlerian lit proved true.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Or as one American critic put it in 1941, "That man is crazy as a bedbug."

 

[Fading Fast]

A college course in prewar Nazi ascendance which included Mein Kampf- and a US Army psychiatric profile done during the war-
prompted a warning from the prof, a former Hungarian Army intelligence officer (thrown inside a solitary prison cell by the Soviets in 1956
and kept sane by recalling poetry) that such psychological assessment material was probably the darkest Hitlerian lit proved true.

yup

Or as one American critic put it in 1941, "That man is crazy as a bedbug."

yup

 

[AmateisGal]

The Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith.

 

[Benzadmiral]

A reread of a late Travis McGee novel by John D. MacDonald, Free Fall in Crimson. I seem to be reading the series in reverse, from the last, No. 21, backward. A sort of bookwormish version of Benjamin Button, that's me.

 

[Bushman]

Just picked up a stack of Star Wars novels from Barnea and Noble as I plan to get back into reading the Star Wars expanded universe. Disney's acquisition of LFL and their subsequent wipe of the expanded universe has made it much easier to get back into reading the books, now that there's not almost 100 of them to sift through. First up on my list is "Darth Plagueis," which tells the story of Emperor Palpatines mentor, and thus young Palpatine himself. It's no part of the official timeline, but it was published close enough of the reorganization of the timeline that most of its content is still official. So I personally consider it part of the official timeline.

 

[Harp]

The End of Supreme Court Deference to the President?, Lee Epstein & Eric Posner; Academic Paper, Washington University/University of Chicago

President Obama's low win rate of 50.5% against the Court in database petitioner and respondent variables dating to 1932-2015 presidential terms.

 

[DNO]

Ron Hansen's 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford'. It's kept my interest so far. After a lifetime of being an avid reader I have finally got to the point that I won't 'stick with' a book if it fails to pique my interest. This one is doing just fine...for a change.

 

[Fading Fast]

Because of my desire to fill in the few gaps in my Herman Wouk reading and Lizzie's recommendation of "Youngblood Hawk," I just started this 700+ page doorstop of a book.

So far, one thing that stands out is how books reflect the times they are written. These characters love to smoke. They smoke all the time; they smoke cigars and cigarettes all day long; they share them; they talk about them; they enjoy having conversations through "hazes, swirls," etc., of smoke; they love them - they love smoking.

If this book, set in the late 40s / early '50s, but published in '61, was written today, somehow or other, today's anti-smoking meme would impact it. The characters would simply smoke less and talk about it less or there'd be some character who was ahead of his time and mentioned the concerns about smoking (which were out there on the fringe then, so the author could claim historical accuracy).

I read a lot of historical fiction and even the best author shows his or her modern thinking around things like smoking or racism or women's rights or drinking or....they can't help it. This is why reading works written during the time period in which they are set tell you so much more about that period than even the best historical fiction.

Away from that - a good by-the-numbers Wouk novel. It, so far, is not a "Winds of War" or "Caine Mutiny" five star book, but seems comparable to a "Marjorie Morning Star." I have just about 600 pages to go, so I'll update you when I'm done around Easter.

 

[Touchofevil]

Ron Hansen's 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford'. It's kept my interest so far. After a lifetime of being an avid reader I have finally got to the point that I won't 'stick with' a book if it fails to pique my interest. This one is doing just fine...for a change.

I believe that I was one the few who enjoyed the film version of this book. The cinematography was top notch. And a pretty nicely done story with very good acting as well.

 

[Touchofevil]

Georges Simenon's "The Saint-Fiacre Affair: Inspector Maigret." Perfect winter reading.

 

[Fading Fast]

Georges Simenon's "The Saint-Fiacre Affair: Inspector Maigret." Perfect winter reading.

Never heard of the series before your post. Just did a quick read about it on the web - sound really good. Would you suggest starting with the first book, or just jumping in anywhere?

 

[Touchofevil]

Never heard of the series before your post. Just did a quick read about it on the web - sound really good. Would you suggest starting with the first book, or just jumping in anywhere?

Jump in anywhere, you will not be lost or missing a thing. He is one of my favorite authors. He creates atmosphere and imagery as well as anyone I have ever read along with a nice story. There is good reason for his popularity as well as why his works have recently been rereleased. Fortunately, he was quite prolific which was rare for so many of my favorites from yesteryear.

 

[Fading Fast]

Jump in anywhere, you will not be lost or missing a thing. He is one of my favorite authors. He creates atmosphere and imagery as well as anyone I have ever read along with a nice story. There is good reason for his popularity as well as why his works have recently been rereleased. Fortunately, he was quite prolific which was rare for so many of my favorites from yesteryear.

Thank you. I added one to my always expanding Amazon cart and it will be ordered shortly.

 

[Touchofevil]

Thank you. I added one to my always expanding Amazon cart and it will be ordered shortly.

I hope that you enjoy his works as much as I do for then you will be a very happy man.