1776 by David McCullough 10/10
D-Mac and his book seemed to have a higher profile in your average Border's than "Bringing Down the Horse" in a mid-nineties Columbia House ad. It was for that reason that I ignorantly put off the thought of processing "1776" for as long as I did. This book is "Phantom of the Opera" soundtrack awesome. I'm incredibly negative and hate 9.5 out of 10 things about the current state of our country, but apparently few things strike at my core faster than Pennsylvania Militia, Nathaniel Green, or a desperate Washington. My heart swelled so often and to such a degree that a trip to the ER could have been merited. Close to the end Dave brought the "full-on" cry that I thought was going to come so many times before.
World as Stage by Bill Bryson 9/10
So apparently we know almost nothing about the actual Bard, but Bryson pulls out his sharpest pencil and does a lot with it. I could have been watching "Fight Club" for the first time I was having so much fun. Bonus, it's short as heck.
Phil Gordon's Little Green Book by Yep... 8/10
One quick listen of the above took my game from maybe not horrible to completely almost better than average. I found it to be engaging, informative, and worthy of a repeat.
Man's Search For Meaning by Victor E. Frankl 8/10
"Among the most influential works of psychiatric literature since Freud", sure I'll try it. This seemed like an incredibly unique book, and I'll probably give it a relisten at some point in the future.
The Next Hundred Years by George Friedman 8/10
OK, now I'm pretty much completely sold that Russia and China are gonna implode and that in 2055 the U.S.A. and Poland are going to be at war with Turkey and Japan. Both this and "The Post American World" were bullish about our chances but George provided and infinitely more entertaining and informative read.
On Writing by Stephen King 7/10
I've never read any of his books and find most of their movie conversions to be incredibly annoying, but this was darn rewarding. His wife pulling an unfinished "Carrie" out of the wastebasket, blowing off the cigarette ash and demanding it's completion from a boozed up Steve was fun stuff.
Sway by Ori and Rom Brafman 7/10
A poor man's Gladwell but still decent and better than many other books concocted out of psychology, case, and marketing studies.
Chuck Klosterman IV by Yep... 7/10
Obviously some of it is dated, but he sucked me in, and "IV" is worth digesting just to appreciate how easily he finds the pulse of low culture, present and future . I'm definitely getting after "Eating the Dinosaur" pronto.
I Am America by Stephen Colbert 7/10
Painfully funny and best taken in medium sized doses.
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell 6/10
The Paris half is somehow very interesting, and the man can write, but overall there's no reason to seek this out unless you are trying to hit for the Orwellian cycle.
Crash Proof by Peter D. Schiff 6/10
Parts are illuminating and Mr. Schiff has an extremely intriguing contrarian perspective, but while I'd side with him before Larry Kudlow his empty bravado (his picks fell off the table last year too), some almost disingenuous statements, and an atrocious ghostwriter kept me from ever climbing completely on aboard. Maybe "Crashproof 2.0" addresses those concerns.
Ace on the River by Barry Greenstein 6/10
This book is good but it's more of a guide to living as a professional poker player, and less a primer on what to to at the table.
Play Poker Like the Pros by Phil Hellmuth Jr. 6/10
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston 4/10
Wow, I was dumb. Who reads/listens to a non-"In Cold Blood" true crime book. It's too long they don't find the killer, case not closed.
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell 6/10
Again George is the top banana, but unless you're already an expert on the Balkans or "For Whom the Bells Tolls" has awakened some insatiable interest in the Spanish Civil War you'd probably do well keep on moving.
