reviews

Enlightenment Extinguished... Author:  Mark Oppenheimer One could do worse than to concisely sum up the vast expanse of human history as a “parade of scumbags”.  There used to be a time when people looked up to their leaders as honorable individuals and upstanding model citizens, but over the centuries – and particularly over the last few decades – the full extent of this illusion has become clear.  Politicians, doctors, priests, teachers, ministers, Boy Scout leaders, police officers.  The list seems to grow by the day, so it should come as no surprise that we can now add Zen Buddhist monks.  [...]

Love and Laughter... Author:  Billy Collins I probably need to expand my poetry horizons a bit, but I can’t get enough of Billy Collins.  The best-selling, award-winning, former US Poet Laureate really gets under my skin, in a good way.  Christened “the most popular poet in America” in The New York Times way back in 1999, Collins continues to live up to that praise after more than three decades in the poetry business.   His latest collection, entitled Aimless Love, doesn’t let up one bit. A compilation of selected works from his four most recent books along with more than fifty [...]

POTUS RIP X 3... Author:  Sarah Vowell Can you name the first three US presidents killed while in office?  How about the names of the assassins?  If that kind of morbid American history trivia appeals to you and you have a special fondness for historical plaques and monuments, Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell is the book for you. Freely acknowledging her persistent and occasionally disturbing obsession with death, Vowell – a best-selling author and essayist – travels the country digging for the details surrounding the deaths of presidents Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley.  Not surprisingly, she visits the sites of the [...]