By Takashi Hirade
A pleasant, warm blanket of a book, about a couple who befriend a neighbors cat when it begins visiting their home. It hits upon the beauty, joy and sorrow of getting to know an animal. Animals have their own lives. They will live and they will die.
By Bono.
I'm enjoying Bono's Autobiography. It's got me relistening to U2's old music. At one point Bono states that U2 originally wrote their owns songs because they weren't good enough to play others. Their song writing style was meant to showcase what they could do and avoid what they couldn't. Two cord guitar riffs instead of three. Over their first four albums, you literally hear the band become better musicians.
By Bill Perkins.
It's a little uncomfortable to accept the lessons of a multimillionaire who urges you to spend more time doing even at the expense of your savings. But here we are.
Perkin's does have a few good point-- we should spend more of our time intentionally, and less on autopilot. That we should consider giving away your money before you die. That the recipients (charities, friends, family) could probably do more with it earlier in their life. And that annuities and proper health care insurance are better ways to cover the expenses of aging than by saving up.
by Joel Fuhrman.
Health (of Food) = Nutrients / Calories.
Most of what we eat should be plant based, especially raw fruit and vegetables.
It wouldn't hurt you to be more comfortable with being hungry. Don't snack. Don't graze
By Agatha Christie
A murder mystery with a serial killer. I’m not a big fan of the final reveal, but overall its a good book.
By John Keegan.
Keegan wants to take down the Clausewitzian view that war is politics by other means.
War has evolved greatly over the centuries. From battles where the combatants put down their arms during harvest season, to the modern world where our great powers have the ability to end all life as we know it. He implores our policy makers that we must find a different way than continuing to grow our ability to slaughter.
I've read Churchill's The Second World War twice. It is a fantastic read, one that only someone with Churchill's position and perspective could have pulled off.
I've also become aware of how biased The Second World War is, precisely because it's written from Churchill's position and perspective. The Second World War skips or over simplifies events where didn't have Churchill's direct involvement-- Finland, the Germany's invasion of Russia, the inner workings of Germany and Russia, or events that didn't cast Britain in the best light.
Inferno is much more comprehensive. It's also much more gruesome. It includes details from those on the front lines. It also talks through the politics and economies of Germany and Russian and how the impacted the war.
Germany's army was much much better than Russia's, yet Russia had a seemingly inexhaustible number of soldiers to send to battle. Every Russian solder that was gunned down by a German, consumed munitions, gas and food that Germany was running out of. A German General called it "Winning ourselves to death."
While British ruled many colonies in the South Pacific. It did not have a warm relationship with them. The citizens of those colonies did not love Britain. The end result, when Japan invaded, (Burma, Indonesia and Malaysia for example) the locals were happy to see Britain go. They never put effort into fighting back in Japan.
"One of the most important truths about the war, as indeed about all human affairs, is that people can only interpret what happens to them only in the context of their own circumstances."
"Fighting and death everywhere and now I am also wounded. China is limitless and we are like drops of water in an ocean. There is no purpose to this war. I shall never see home again."-- note from a despairing Japanese soldier.
"I can only suggest the three things that are, at any rate, worth of investigation. First, a tendency amongst Englishmen to regard themselves as naturally superior in every way to any colored race, without taking steps to ensure this is always a fact. Secondly, a failure to develop a sympathetic understanding with the Burmese... Thirdly, the fact the the majority of the non-official Englishmen in Burma were more concerned with making money than benefiting the native population."
