Books of the Moment - Past, Present, and Future
BOOKS OF THE MOMENT - PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
I never really enjoyed reading while I was in school. Mostly because I didn't get a chance to choose my own reading. But now that I've flown the coop and am on my own I enjoy sitting down and reading a book. Book of the Moment is a way for me to add comments about books I read and what I thought of them and their subject.
My life is fairly hectic right now (New Home, Wedding, Honeymoon Planning, etc...) and I'm getting certified as a Treasury Professional (AFPonline.org). So, as you may have guessed my reading time has diminished (if not evaporated completely). Interestingly, my book buying time has stayed pretty steady. Because of this I'll divide my Books of the Month into three catagories, PAST (Books I've read), PRESENT (books I'm reading), and
FUTURE (books I'm going to read)
So, sit back and enjoy. Also, if you're interested you can either buy the book by going to Amazon or asking me to borrow it... Be advised though, If you don't return it... I will hunt you down and humiliate you!
PRESENT
Napoleon: A Biography by Frank McLynn - I've never known much about european history but always wanted to know more. So I figured the best place to start would be Napoleon. The times and warfare are modern enough to grasp easily, which is important because this is a rather lengthy book. So far, McLynn seems to be a big fan of Napoleon and spends a lot of the time defending him from other critics. The first thing i took away from the book is that all of Napoleon's mental issues stemed from his parents, especially his mother. This book is exciting for me when is discusses military operations, but tends to get a bit long during all his relationships.. I'll let you know more as I read on.
Why Courage Matters by John McCain - John McCain is just one of those people. He probably should be president. Almost everyone I know sees him in a positive light and as a model for other public servants to follow. Even if you take away his heroics, he is an honest man who calls it like he sees it. I saw this book in borders and knew it would serve as a good departure from my L O N G book on Napoleon.
PAST
John Glenn: A Memoir by Col. John Glenn, USMC - Wow! Two books in a row written by Marine Coronels. I've always been facinated by space and space exploration. One of my earlier memories is sitting outside my home in Delware, Ohio at night staring at the moon and stars wonder what else was out there. So It's no surprise that John Glenn is one of my heroes. He is an Ohio boy whew grew up to earn titles such as Marine, Test Pilot, Astronaut, Husband, Father, Senator, and Grandfather. This book is a quick span threw his life up to the point he decided to return to space a second time. According to John, one key to his success is always work hard and never cut corners. Pretty good advise. Because of this book I'm now hell bent on learning to fly an airplane. I'm not sure when, but I'll get it done sometime. As far as role models go, John Glenn isn't a bad one to pick. I hope to meet him one day soon.
The Sling and The Stone by Col. Thomas X. Hammes, USMC - This book discusses the most recent evolution in warfare, 4th Generation Warfare or 4GW. He discusses how it has changed over the past 40 years and how the United States can best adjust its military to better combat, and defeat the 4GW enemies we are currently facing and are sure to face in the future. I recommend it to anyone interested in warfare. It's also an important read for those concerned about our handling of Iraq and Afganistan. If anyone reads it be sure to email me at me@zanejones.com to tell me what you thought! Chances are, that if you're on this site you know me already... I'd be happy to loan it to you.
The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad by Fareed Zakaria - This is a great book about the give and take between freedom and democracy. I was always impressed by Zakaria's columns in Newsweek and his book surely didn't dissapoint me.
FUTURE
Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror by Anonymous - This is a natural progression after reading the sling and the stone. It is written by an EX-CIA Analyst who headed up the intel on Bin Laden. This guy came out of the CIA closet a few months ago and was on Meet the Press. He has a good understanding of the current situation and is honest in the agressive nature we need to take in our war against terror. He rails on Bush, Clinton, and Bush 2 for their efforts so I feel like he doesn't have a political angle to pull. I can't wait to read this book.
Truman by David McCullough - Harry Truman is my favorite president. He served his country with dignity and hard work. He joined the army in his thirties to serve in World War I. From what I know he had a strong love for government and a hatred of politics. If I'm right, well then that's something I admire. He was thrust into the presidency at one of the toughest time in American history and served with honor. When he left he had an approval rating barely over 30%. Working in government isn't about popularity though, it's about service. After seeing the HBO movie 'Truman' where Gary Sinese played Truman I thought I should read a book on him. What's the point of having a favorite president If you don't know anything about him? The book itself is the longest I've ever attempted to read. So I'm not sure when I'll finish (or even begin it). But if it's interesting, I'm sure I'll devote the time to it.
Napoleon: A Biography by Frank McLynn - I've never known much about european history but always wanted to know more. So I figured the best place to start would be Napoleon. The times and warfare are modern enough to grasp easily, which is important because this is a rather lengthy book. So far, McLynn seems to be a big fan of Napoleon and spends a lot of the time defending him from other critics. The first thing i took away from the book is that all of Napoleon's mental issues stemed from his parents, especially his mother. This book is exciting for me when is discusses military operations, but tends to get a bit long during all his relationships.. I'll let you know more as I read on.
Why Courage Matters by John McCain - John McCain is just one of those people. He probably should be president. Almost everyone I know sees him in a positive light and as a model for other public servants to follow. Even if you take away his heroics, he is an honest man who calls it like he sees it. I saw this book in borders and knew it would serve as a good departure from my L O N G book on Napoleon. 
John Glenn: A Memoir by Col. John Glenn, USMC - Wow! Two books in a row written by Marine Coronels. I've always been facinated by space and space exploration. One of my earlier memories is sitting outside my home in Delware, Ohio at night staring at the moon and stars wonder what else was out there. So It's no surprise that John Glenn is one of my heroes. He is an Ohio boy whew grew up to earn titles such as Marine, Test Pilot, Astronaut, Husband, Father, Senator, and Grandfather. This book is a quick span threw his life up to the point he decided to return to space a second time. According to John, one key to his success is always work hard and never cut corners. Pretty good advise. Because of this book I'm now hell bent on learning to fly an airplane. I'm not sure when, but I'll get it done sometime. As far as role models go, John Glenn isn't a bad one to pick. I hope to meet him one day soon. 
The Sling and The Stone by Col. Thomas X. Hammes, USMC - This book discusses the most recent evolution in warfare, 4th Generation Warfare or 4GW. He discusses how it has changed over the past 40 years and how the United States can best adjust its military to better combat, and defeat the 4GW enemies we are currently facing and are sure to face in the future. I recommend it to anyone interested in warfare. It's also an important read for those concerned about our handling of Iraq and Afganistan. If anyone reads it be sure to email me at me@zanejones.com to tell me what you thought! Chances are, that if you're on this site you know me already... I'd be happy to loan it to you.
The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad by Fareed Zakaria - This is a great book about the give and take between freedom and democracy. I was always impressed by Zakaria's columns in Newsweek and his book surely didn't dissapoint me.
Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror by Anonymous - This is a natural progression after reading the sling and the stone. It is written by an EX-CIA Analyst who headed up the intel on Bin Laden. This guy came out of the CIA closet a few months ago and was on Meet the Press. He has a good understanding of the current situation and is honest in the agressive nature we need to take in our war against terror. He rails on Bush, Clinton, and Bush 2 for their efforts so I feel like he doesn't have a political angle to pull. I can't wait to read this book. 
Truman by David McCullough - Harry Truman is my favorite president. He served his country with dignity and hard work. He joined the army in his thirties to serve in World War I. From what I know he had a strong love for government and a hatred of politics. If I'm right, well then that's something I admire. He was thrust into the presidency at one of the toughest time in American history and served with honor. When he left he had an approval rating barely over 30%. Working in government isn't about popularity though, it's about service. After seeing the HBO movie 'Truman' where Gary Sinese played Truman I thought I should read a book on him. What's the point of having a favorite president If you don't know anything about him? The book itself is the longest I've ever attempted to read. So I'm not sure when I'll finish (or even begin it). But if it's interesting, I'm sure I'll devote the time to it.