Tag Archives: Donald Trump

Dark Towers by David Enrich

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This is a must read…..*****

This is a must read. This is also a book that needs more attention from those who can do something about the current political situation.

Enrich gives a detailed account of Deutsche bank and how it developed into the sleazy institution it is today. This reads like a novel more than a nonfiction account. While the first half is slow, the second half picks up and becomes a page turner. Enrich does a good job of explaining the financial terms so they do not bog down the reading.

This book also explains some of the mystery around the current president and how he has managed to stay afloat in spite of his bankruptcies. It also draws back the curtain on the intrigue surrounding the retirement of Justice Kennedy which opened the door to replace him with Kavanaugh.

I highly recomment this book and give it five stars.

Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff

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Nothing we didn’t know, yet still worth a read……   ***

This is an interesting book. If you already believe Trump is unfit for the Oval Office, this helps validate that feeling. If you support Trump, I doubt if you will read it, or believe any part of it.

Michael Wolff had access to to the White House and the people close to Trump. He uses first hand knowledge, conversations, and hearsay to paint a picture of a man who many believe should not be President of the United States.

This review is not going to debate the issue of competency, but rather the writing in the book. Wolff repeats himself throughout the book and tends to ramble in parts. His sentence structure tends to be long and convoluted at times. The writing felt rushed and I was expecting deeper insights but was disappointed.

There is not very much in the book that the public does not already know or suspect, with one exception. I suspected Trump was easily manipulated by others but not to the extent Wolff describes. Especially by Jared Kushner and Ivanka, and at times Steve Bannon.

This one gets three stars. It is a good read, just failed to meet my expectation.

 

Al Franken: Giant of the Senate by Al Franken

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alfranken  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry…..  *****

With a sharp wit and a refreshing honesty, Al Franken reflects on his journey from comedian/writer to United States Senator. In the telling of his story, he also pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of our government. While his satire made me smile and occasionally laugh out loud, reading about our dysfunctional government was sad.

In the current political climate we all (or most of us) realize our government does not function as well as it could, one might say it is a disaster. The gap between Democrats and Republicans seems too large to bridge. But, Franken does offer a ray of hope. He purports that 64% of the things that have to be decided, both parties actually agree on. So if politicians focus on those, things can get better. I am not so sure I agree, but Franken is on the inside and I am not.

Franken does an excellent job of explaining the Republicans’ unwillingness to work with Obama when he was in office. He also has insight into why Republicans are so against climate change, whether they believe it or not. Hint: Koch brothers. He also has no qualms about dissing Ted Cruz or Trump.

This is a book that needs to be read more than once, marked up, and used to remind all of us that there is hope, as long as more politicians are willing to be as open as Al Franken.

This one gets five stars. Regardless of your politics, read it.