book reviews
Reviews for political die-hards of books about politicians, civil rights, Supreme Court rulings and the ever-changing Swamp.
Book Review: "How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps" by Ben Shapiro
Ben Shapiro’s introduction to his new book “How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps” begins with capturing the very depths of the free-thinking mind of the new generation of political libertarians, liberals and conservatives alike. He ignites conversation, question and rethinking with his incredible argument that America moves towards disengagement and misinformation. Shapiro proves to be back on top form with his book “The Right Side of History” being a massive success and, from a readers point of view whether you like him or not, you have to admit that he knows what he’s talking about. As America tries to uphold herself in her 250 year civil rights’ history since the war, Shapiro lets us all in on a secret: that we are the problem and yet, we are also the solution. His writing style is clear, concise and consistent with a man who proves that ethics and morals, standards and cultural traditions seem to arise over conflict, mass mob culture, labelling and chaos. As both the right and the left of the American Political slip into chaos, Ben Shapiro is there explaining why they are both completely wrong.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in The Swamp
"The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli
I first read this book as an early teen after hearing the word “machiavellian” pop up around public figures at the time like George Bush Jr. and Tony Blair (yes, I grew up in that era). I had no idea what this word meant as a thirteen-year-old and so, when I looked it up and saw that it was related to a person, I was looking through the works by him in no time. When I first found the list, I was initially thinking about reading the “Discourses on Livy” and when I realised I had to look up a word in the title, I proceeded on to an easier title: “The Prince” is what I read instead. Honestly, I’m glad I chose this one first because it really does explain a lot. It is written quite simply and so, I didn’t need to do much looking up, annotating and researching. I noticed immediately that the first part concerns gaining power and the second part concerns maintaining it. I can honestly say that I was shocked that many political figures were actually so much like this in real life - especially concerning the second half of the book. When I re-read it, I like to concentrate a lot of my attention on to Chapters 17-19 because these are the ones I believe to hold the key to the machiavellian identity. When I went to university, I was 20-years-old when I wrote my essay on machiavellian authorities and powers on the Renaissance stage and how they had an impact on to how certain characters of a play were viewed. If we apply this to real life, we can’t actually be much further from the truth as a machiavellian is not a particularly villainous person or a psychopath - just one who knows how to gain and maintain power and they know how to do it very well. I have read this book over ten times in my life and I still own the first copy I bought when I was thirteen (it is the same copy I re-read). It now contains various annotations from over the years and never fails to shock me into realising what people will do for power, some of the quotations are absolutely timeless in every sense of the word. They will make you shudder to see that the rules of the machiavellian prince are applicable from every world leader from the malevolent Genghis Khan to the charismatic golden-boy, Barack Obama.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in The Swamp
5 Books About the French Revolution
On the 14th of July, 1789, the people of France took matters into their own hands for once and stormed the Bastille Prison, reducing it to nothing as an act of revolution against the monarchy - Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. After this, there were riots, acts of violence and war against their current regime. It was a revolution that would, along the way, eat itself up and be thrown back up with incredible irony.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in The Swamp
Why Everyone Should Read "A Piece of Cake" by Cupcake Brown. Top Story - June 2020.
TRIGGER WARNING: the following review discusses some graphic and severe elements of Cupcake Brown's memoir, "A Piece of Cake." While some details may be disturbing, it is important to talk about them, as they pertain to systemic injustice we the people are trying to overcome. Thank you.
By Kathryn Milewski6 years ago in The Swamp
Lifelong Learning
A Story of Race and Inheritance . This is the autobiography of Barack Obama. It's a story of the dreams of his father and grandparents , who had hope to live in a world in which race did not matter. It comes on as the movement in the 60s, the integration of spirit, the notion we could create a more just and equal nation , with harmony and equality for all. He describes how the dream of his family kind of fell away with the country as a whole but he somehow held onto it and rekindled it as a fire in his own heart.
By Sustainable Scott6 years ago in The Swamp
Our House is On Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis
Recently I finished reading the Ernman-Thunberg (as in Greta Thunberg) family's memoir and wow... It was a total doozy. Our House is On Fire tells the story of the events that led up to Greta Thunberg's school strike for the climate on August 20th, 2018. As hard as it would be to cover any four years in just 222 pages, the four years in question for the Thunbergs are some of the craziest. So many changes, so many struggles, so many fears & dark days, and so much action. More than anything, this book is a guide to getting back on your feet after life knocks you down. And none have been more so knocked than Malena Ernman upon having to watch first one daughter and then the other get bullied in school, receive life-altering diagnoses, and develop life threatening eating disorders. About more than just the young girl who started the World's largest climate strike by sitting alone in front of the Swedish Parliament building, Our House is an insider's view on the good, the bad, and the ugly that took the Thunbergs from a simple Swedish family ruled by their internationally-renowned opera singer mother's tour schedule to an internationally-despised family led by their eldest daughter, her deep concern for the health of the planet we all call home, and her unyielding faith that humanity is not evil.
By AB Pendragon6 years ago in The Swamp
3 Great Novels (and more) about Political Campaigns
In the summer of 2009, I fell in love with the English language and American politics at the same time. I have Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing to thank for that. As a child and pre-teen, I read voraciously and wrote prolifically, but when we moved to England and my mother tongue, French, began to rust, so did my love of language. Sorkin convinced me that English could be elegant. He also showed me how exciting — how glamorous, how romantic — politics could be. Or could, at least, appear.
By Claire Amy Handscombe6 years ago in The Swamp
3 Books to Read If the George Floyd Case Has You Fired Up
So, I don’t know about you, but 2020 has been one heck of a year so far (to put it lightly). It seems like time has flown by, but so many things have happened that it is hard to keep track of the days. I have been struggling with my mental health for the past year and have been trying my best to manage it through COVID-19; however, I have felt a fire growing within me as things have escalated, and when the George Floyd case came to light, I just about exploded.
By Ashley Nestler, MSW6 years ago in The Swamp
Big Brother In The Twenty-First Century
Big Brother in the Twenty-First Century -Or- Why I Am Proud to Be a Prole Seventy years ago on June 8, 1949 what would become George Orwell’s last book Nineteen Eighty-Four was published. An instant success, it has continued in its popularity and terms such as “Orwellian” and “Big Brother” have become part of the standard dystopian lexicon. Nineteen Eighty-Four tells the story of Winston Smith, a man at odds with a political system that seeks to maintain absolute power and control over its citizens’ actions and thoughts. In many ways, Orwell’s work has proved prophetic. We are living in a society where nothing we do is private. Our thoughts - and in turn our reality - are being continuously monitored and controlled. While Orwell’s book deals with a strictly political antagonist, the forces at work in our society are not as easily identifiable. This paper will discuss the main images of Nineteen Eighty-Four and compare them to their contemporary counterparts. While this may seem a bleak topic, rest assured that along with his dire predictions, Orwell also indicated a method of fighting back against the oppressiveness of the system.
By Phillip Merrill6 years ago in The Swamp
