Archives: Thoughts on Books About Politics, History, and Other Social Science Topics
- Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford
- I've read and re-read Nancy Mitford's fiction (see next), but I had a hard
time getting into her biography of Frederick the Great. However, after
going to Paris in January, I decided to give this a try. I wasn't
disappointed. It's like reading a gossip column from the reign of
Louis XV. Here and there she dips into world politics, but this is
mostly a tale of court life. Especially after seeing Versailles, I
found it interesting and entertaining.
- Coming of Age in Samoa by Margaret Mead
- I found this a fascinating read. Mead describes village life in Samoa at a time when there was little influence from the more developed world. She focuses mainly on the girls; her main point is that adolescence does not have to be the angry, troubled time it often is in the U.S. While her thesis is interesting, the book makes the broader point that nothing about society has to be the way it is here. The Samoan society she describes is radically different from our own, and this challenges assumptions about what is natural and therefore right in our society.
- Granta No. 84: Over There: How America Sees the World
- The first section of this issue is a bunch of very short stories by
Americans about their experiences abroad, and some of them are pretty
good. I have to admit, though, I got bored and skipped to the next
story.
- Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson
- I'm feeding my Nixon obsession with this book. I read about half of it on my post-graduation beach vacation, but it's been put aside for bar exam study. It's great, though, especially if you are interested in the politics of this period. I think it might be confusing if you're not somewhat familiar with the main characters already.
Now I've been reading this book for a while, and I have to say, I'm not getting anything new out of it at this point. I know who wins, so there isn't much suspense, and it's pretty much the same stuff over and over. I think I may come back to it later.