User Profile

Tom - Bookrastinating

farmertre@bookrastinating.com

Joined 11 months, 2 weeks ago

I read a book or two... when I get to it.

This link opens in a pop-up window

Tom - Bookrastinating's books

View all books

User Activity

Famous Men Who Never Lived (2021, Tin House Books, LLC) 5 stars

A work of multiverse art. Amazing debut novel

5 stars

Content warning I talk about the plot a bit... nothing outlandishly spoiling

The Party (2012) 5 stars

"with Chinese characteristics"

5 stars

Although not quoted directly in this text, Art 1 Sec 1 of the Constitution of the PRC weighs heavily over this text. "The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. "

This is a great primer for the way the party/state/economy of China functions and how the party maintains that "leadership" across the years.

The Death of a President (Hardcover, 1967, Harper and Row) 5 stars

Review of: The Death of a President

5 stars

This text is a hyper detailed accounting of the events of the assassination of JFK and the days before & after. I was transported... and consequently I feel as though I can now share in some of the original emotion and shock of the world at this tragedy.

One of the great things about the text is the diagrams of the key locations which help you build a firmer mental picture of the events.

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome (2015) 4 stars

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome is a 2015 book by English classicist Mary Beard …

1000 years in the blink of an eye

5 stars

Dr. Mary Beard ( DBE, FSA, FBA, FRSL) brings together in this small volume an immense amount of history. I have been exposed to a fair amount of Roman history in dribs and drabs over the years, but this narrative brings it all together from what we know of the kings, through the republic and empire until the 1.0 version of the empire created by Octavian ceased to be what it once was after a dozen first citizens.

My favorite piece of this is the up to date (to 2015) scholarship and archeology and what it tells us about the everyday human beings who lived in that world. A pleasure to consume

The 1619 Project (Hardcover, 2021, One World) 5 stars

In late August 1619, a ship arrived in the British colony of Virginia bearing a …

Know better; do better

5 stars

Angelou's quote about knowledge and action that I borrowed for the title of this review was not quoted during this text, (as far as I can recall) however it was on the top of my mind throughout my reading of it. Part of being able to make a just society is to educate the ignorant portions of that society to the the injustices inherent in it. This text does that. My own ignorance of the depth of inequality in the US, established and perpetuated by the self interest of the powerful as expressed through racist policy was vast. This compilation of great work inspires me to dig deeper, and to do more.

Peace That Almost Was (2015, Nelson Incorporated, Thomas) 4 stars

History of the transition

4 stars

Did I like it? yes Could it use some work? very much so Good parts first, I love transitional history. The events that happen at the seams always pique my interest. This text takes us primarily to Feb 1861 and the events surrounding a conference held in Washington DC called by Virginia and chaired by former president Tyler which attempted to develop and propose amendments to the US constitution that would prevent the pending civil war. It failed in its primary purpose but had the side effect of keeping VA and some border states from hitting the secession button until after Lincoln's inauguration.

Criticism: The author spent a lot of time zooming in on the men who said prayers at the opening of each day of the conference. It wasn't relevant and could easily have been left out. Also the author dealt too charitably (in language used) with enslavers and …

1776 (2006, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks) 5 stars

Chronicles the American Revolution during the year 1776, examining the leadership of George Washington and …

Making it real

5 stars

Many history texts don't bring you along. They make you understand but not feel as though you were, in part, there. McCullough's texts buck that trend consistently. I felt, I still feel, as though I could smell, hear and feel some of what happened in the company of George Washington and his "Army" in 1776.

How to Be an Antiracist (EBook, 2019, One World) 5 stars

Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism—and, even more …

A journey of ideas

5 stars

Dr. Kendi takes us on two parallel journeys. His own, through his own life and struggles, and that of our society which both end up in a place where antiracism and the policies that support it are in the forefront of his discourse. I loved this text. Like so many great texts it pulls together thoughts I already had and makes clearer the motivations behind them. We all are on a journey and I'm so happy I was able to get a peek into these.

The Diary of Samuel Pepys (AudiobookFormat, 2003, Brand: Naxos Audio Books, Naxos Audio Books) 5 stars

Samuel Pepys (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an administrator of the navy …

Review of 'The Diary of Samuel Pepys'

5 stars

Audio book and abridged. He certainly lived in momentus times. My only quibble with this text was the compilers went to the trouble to translate Pepys's short hand back to text but failed to translate the portions written in French or Spanish to English. I don't have command enough of those languages for those passages to be meaningful. Just put it all in English! On the other hand my suspicion is most of those passages were relating to his dalliances with women other than his wife so ... probably best to miss it anyway.