Ode to Reading - Non Fiction 2024 (April - June)

I did return to a heavy dose of non-fiction during the second quarter of 2024. It was not intentional. Instead, books suddenly appeared on my radar screen through positive reviews or seeing author interviews on TV. There was no calculated effort to pursue particular themes or topics. Ultimately, the menu included British politics, American national security policy, Silicon Valley pathology, basketball and social history, the American Civil War, economic and political philosophy and the deteriorating state of American discourse. There are no “can’t miss” or “must avoid” books on this list. A decidedly mixed bag.

1. The New Cold War by David Sanger

Mr Sanger is a well credentialed New York Times correspondent specialising in national security and foreign policy issues. He is ultra experienced and his sources are impeccable. His 2012 book, Confront and Conceal, is the best book on Obama’s foreign policy. It included explosive revelations on Operation Olympic, the successful clandestine program disrupting Iran’s nuclear weapons program and the sustained drone warfare and assassination program in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I just saw his recent interview with Ivo Daalder, the President of the Chicago council of Global Affairs.

Mr Sanger retains a great rolodex. His sources here definitely include Jake Sullivan, the President’s National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. He also has access to the strategic planners at the Pentagon and CIA. There is an “inside baseball” feel to the analysis, but it is an illuminating exercise.

The book’s strength is issue identification. The aggressiveness of Russia under Putin, the the endgame in Ukraine, the tech and artificial intelligence race with China, President Xi’s global challenge to US primacy, crazy autocrats in North Korea, Venezuela and Iran. He emphasises that many prior assumptions of the foreign policy establishment in both Republican and Democratic administrations were wrong. Specifically, Putin was a supposed pragmatist who would not sacrifice his economic relationships with the West by invading Ukraine. Mr Putin has his own agenda- recreating the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union and we misread him. Ukraine is a huge test. Will the West stay united and bear the costs of long term economic and military support for Ukraine. They cannot prevail without it. Putin thinks he has more stamina and certainly isn’t impacted by his own casualties. China was supposed to open up politically and become more integrated globally based on the depth of its economic exchanges with the United States and Europe. Basically, in exchange for prosperity, become a member of the club and abide by the international rules. Like Putin, Xi wants to create a new system with new rules. Domestically, they are more oppressive than ever. Now, we need to de-risk our trade relationships with them and develop new supply chains for critical national security materials. Taiwan remains a point of tension and the competition in tech is brutal. This will also require long term commitment and resources from the United States. The Mideast is more complex than ever and a scenario which avoids a major regional war with Iran is unlikely. Ideologically strange bedfellows like North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Russia do share one goal; stay in power and work together to fight US power and influence.

Sanger poses endless questions, but solutions are not as prominent here. We are going to spend more, not less dollars on defense. We need to fortify our alliances in Europe and Asia. We need more strategic thinking and less sporadic tactical responses to events. We need to clean up our act domestically. Biden has done a solid transitional job. Trump has no clue!

The book can best be described as sobering.

2. The Real Hoosiers by Jack MacCallum

Indiana basketball produced legends- think Larry Byrd and Bobby Knight. One of the best sports movies of all time is Hoosiers- the inspirational tale of tiny Milan High School winning the Indiana State Championship in 1954. Mr MacCallum’s book chronicles the less publicised triumph of Crispus Attucks High School in 1955 and 1956. They were the first all black team to win a state championship. It is a story worth telling. Mr MacCallum has a breezy journalistic style- very user friendly.

Crispus Attucks and Milan were at different ends of the Indiana demographic spectrum in the mid 1950’s. Milan was small town white and Attucks is Indianapolis urban black. The Attucks program is underfunded and the facilities are awful. The surrounding neighbourhood is undergoing urban renewal and the school board is racist. Remember, Indiana was very comfortable with the KKK. The Supreme Court found segregated school systems unconstitutional in 1954 but Indiana was in no hurry to implement the decision. At the state finals, the referees were biased against the all black squad and the crowds were disrespectful. But Attucks was special. They had a great coach who imposed a structured and disciplined system. They had great players and were lead by Oscar Robertson who eventually became a legend after starring in college and in the pros. Robertson’s character is a key attraction for the book. He is stoic but determined. He blocks out distractions. He makes his teammates better and is awesome in clutch situations. It is a wonderful portrait of a young man.

Oscar’s long term legacy is complicated. He was low key, but became the leader of the first players union. He testified before Congress. He was a terrible announcer on TV and was ridiculed for it. Although at the same level as a Bill Russel of Jerry West, he never held a major position in an NBA organization and gradually disappeared from public view. This book is a nice reminder of his strengths and his importance to the game and his race. Heck, it would make a great movie. Robertson always said the 2 high school championships were the proudest moment of his basketball career.

3. Demons of Unrest by Erik Larson

Mr Larson has a loyal following. The Splendid and the Vile and The Devil in White City were best sellers. His niche is “popular" history. His earlier works did not move the needle much for me. They were fine and he displayed a knack for discovering quirky and entertaining anecdotes which supported his thesis.

This book addresses the 5 month span between Lincoln’s election and inauguration. The South was loudly proclaiming its plan to secede from the Union. Confederate troops challenged US forts, particularly Fort Sumter off Charleston. James Buchanan, universally recognised as the worst American President until the arrival of Donald Trump lives up to that reputation here. He is indecisive, cowardly and borderline treasonous in responding, or failing to respond to the aggressive actions by the South. He left Lincoln a mess. Perhaps the message is don’t elect bachelors as President.

Lincoln comes off well in the book, but there are more scholarly treatments of this era. Larson focuses on Major Robert Anderson, the commanding officer at Fort Sumter and we get a detailed description of the siege. The pro secession activists in South Carolina are crazy people. Some were criminal level sociopaths, but they drove the more responsible leaders in the south to the ultimate break with the Union. The fringe controlled the debate. We know how the story ends. The book is rather pedestrian and tedious. It is 565 pages. Basically 110 pages per month of the crisis. I would not rush out and purchase this one.

4. Wild Problems by Russ Roberts

Mr Roberts is the host of one of my favourite podcasts- Econ Talk. He is an Israeli- American economist, a University of Chicago grad, a Stanford Professor and now Dean of a leading university in Jerusalem. He is a biographer of Adam Smith and a proud member of the free market school in his profession. He would probably be considered classic conservative. However, I am uncomfortable labelling him. He has Renaissance man elements- broad interests and a comfort level with serious discussions with representatives from all ideological silos. He is a Zionist and practices his Jewish faith. There is a philosophy major hidden in there somewhere. He is a curious humanist and projects fairness and civility when interviewing his guests. He is a decent fellow- would be a great neighbour.

Based on my positive experiences with the podcast I took a flyer on Wild Problems. It is a stream of consciousness analysis on how to live a good life. The key is to make the right decisions on the big questions. Don’t sweat the small stuff. There are critical issues which will dictate the arc of your narrative. How do you get them right? Well, Roberts is clear that an economic or algorithmic approach will not suffice. Don’t rely on straightforward costs and benefits models. You need to go beyond data and be self reflective and spiritual. Establish a value system and stick with it. DO THE RIGHT THING. Good advice, but spending time with Mr Roberts on his podcast will be more beneficial than reading this small book.

5. How Not to be a Politician by Rory Stewart

This is an outstanding memoir. Rory Stewart is a fascinating Brit. He had privileged, old world, conservative Tory upbringing. He lived Upstairs in Upstairs- Downstairs. He has a blue blood education. He made a conscious decision to engage with the world. He did a walking tour of Afghanistan during the “hot” times of the war against the Taliban. He then volunteered for Iraq and held a leadership position in the Coalition Authority charged with running the country in the post Saddam. He then returns to England, runs successfully for Parliament, becomes a Cabinet member and ultimately seeks the position of Conservative party leader- a potential Prime Minister. He loses and then decides to teach, research and write as and academic in the United States. He has been liberated and this book is an extraordinarily candid memoir. He is ruthless in his observations and the book is refreshing and often funny.

The book undermines any argument that the British political system is superior to our own chaotic mess. He is brutal. Brexit was an ill conceived mess. It was a bad idea, based on false premises, poorly executed and a political and cultural disaster. Someone should be held accountable. Boris Johnson is a charismatic rogue, but a pathological liar who was a disastrous party leader and an awful Prime Minister. No redeeming qualities although fun fellow at a party. Liz Truss was Prime Minister for 44 days and that was 44 days too long. He knew her well, working as an Assistant Cabinet official to her and the that experience was not positive. She is lightweight and he thinking and rhetoric is a series of cliches. David Cameron is a poll dependent politician who has no core principles. Rishi Sunak should stay in private equity and move to California. The Conservatives were just crushed in the 2024 elections and that is no surprise after reading Mr Stewart’s memoir.

His conclusion is that Westminster is a shell of its former self. No vision on domestic or foreign policy. We may have a special relationship with the United Kingdom, but British leadership is now an empty shell, a paper tiger.

Another sobering book- although Stewart is an excellent writer with a wonderful sense of humour. He doesn’t spare himself, frequently criticising his own willingness to cater to the lowest common denominator. Hopefully, he returns to public life. If given the opportunity, he would be a principled and capable Prime Minister.

6. The Age of Grievance by Frank Bruni

Mr Bruni is a respected New York Times columnist. He definitely leans “progressive”, but is known for his civilised tone and willingness to consider a wide range of views. In this era of polarisation where rage and anger are default modes of communication, he is a throwback to another time. Basically, a Walter Cronkite type, but in the world of print. I instinctively embrace his approach, agree with his views the majority of the time, but am painfully aware the audience for his type of public spirited journalism is shrinking. The Age of Grievance builds on his columns. The book is perceptive and provocative.

Public discourse is deteriorating; it is not your imagination. A nation built on boldness and dreams is now a bunch of whiners, complainers and miscreants. Social and political discourse is a blame game. Victimhood, a sense of self pity and a “woe is me” dynamic are poisoning the well. This illness is not the preserve of one party or ideology. No, the far left and the far right are operating from the same playbook. They just identify different sources of their distress and blame different people for causing it. Politicians and “influencers” grow more popular in social media and more successful in fundraising the “hotter” their message is. The goal is to fire up the audience. Hate pays- the more vitriolic the better. Politics has lost any semblance of being aspirational. It is enemy bashing and demonising opponents. The social media incentive system is misaligned. Every exchange is weaponised and those who offer compromise or seek common ground are ostracised. Bruni submits none of this is healthy!

Let’s begin with the nonsense on the left. They see the world with a distorted lens. Every relationship is seen as defined by inequality and unfairness. The world is divided into Oppressor- Oppressed, Colonialists and Subjects, Imperialists and Indigenous. The power structure is hierarchical and white males are creatures of privilege and are naturally exploitative. Identities and what side of the historical line you are on should dictate policies and results. The Left labels the offenders as white supremacists, racists, homophobes, sexist, xenophobic, transphobic and patriarchal depending on the issue presented. Identity politics gone crazy. A life view that everything is driven by my rights and preferences. Duties and responsibilities are off the radar screen. No consideration is given to the idea that people who disagree with them may have good faith and rational reasons for doing so.

The left goes to incredible lengths to protect society’s victims from bad people running the show. Ironically, the biggest problem is on college campuses, supposedly a bedrock institution honouring free speech. Instead, we must control potentially offensive language. We have rules against “microagressions”. We create “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings.” We ban insensitive halloween costumes. We establish “Equity Language” guidelines. Offensive words are banned under these codes. The offenders include urban, vibrant, hardworking, brown bag, empower, the poor, minefield, battle, brave, basket case, migrant, mentally ill, hip hop youth, the disabled and poorly educated. Many things are renamed to avoid historically uncomfortable events. ALL OF THIS IS NONSENSE! There is nothing progressive or liberal about these assaults on free speech. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous.

Drum roll- the far right is worse. Welcome to the Kafkaesque reality of Alec Jones and Marjorie Taylor Greene. The movement is anti- progress. The working premise is that traditional society is being attacked by the “other”- people who are not true Americans. Conspiracy theories proliferate and the vast majority of social media postings have no basis in reality. Opponents are dishonest, immoral and foreign agents. Language regularly employed to describe fellow citizens include fanatics, vermin, monsters, radical thugs, lunatics, sinister forces and for old time’s sake communists. It is politics based on intense resentment and ugly prejudices. The crazy left is silly; the crazy right is scary. Theories with traction include big tech and pharmaceuticals sneaking micro-chips into vaccines and voting machines being altered by gamma rays from outer space. The blacks are hell bent on vengeance and critical race theory is a bogeyman. Homosexuals are coming for your children. Public schools are grooming transgender generations. Radical feminists are emasculating white men. Immigration is a plan to marginalise us- the Great Replacement Theory a particular insane favourite. The danger on the right is particularly pronounced because a major American political party has three times nominated a man for President who validates this rhetoric through his own brand of demagoguery. It is about revenge and retribution- obliterating and eradicating the enemy. Hatred and violence are normalised. There is no hope for compromise- only permanent political cleavages. A catastrophe!

The book is eloquent in detailing these disturbing developments. Again, great issue identification. Solutions not so much. The majority of people still don’t buy into either of these crazy ideological silos, but they need to regain control of the debate. The centre must hold. It is good to be reminded that things are actually going pretty well. We remain the land of opportunity and infinite possibilities. America is exceptional- that is why immigrants want to come here. They aren’t lining up for China or Russia. The sheer lunacy of the extremes should be overwhelmed by leadership based on the facts. I have always been skeptical of the “woe is us" crowd. Scientific progress is amazing- opening up new avenues of growth and enlightenment every day. Believe it or not, the world is actually more peaceful now than at any time in human history. Globalisation has brought millions of people out of poverty. There is more international recognition of a international code based the recognition and protection of human rights. Racial and gender discrimination has diminished in major western societies. We are living longer because of great medical advancements. More people have access to quality education. We have managed to build a functioning multi ethnic democratic republic. Faith in the future should be the culture model. Grace, dignity and kindness must rule the day.

I am idealistic. We can do much better. Bruni identifies the threats to civility and smart citizenship. Stop whining, ignore the fringe nut jobs and focus on the fundamentals.

7. Burn Book by Kara Swisher

If you loved George Orwell’s 1984, you will enjoy Burn Book. Another tough read because it rigorously details the potentially dystopian future being created by the powerful tech gurus running major parts of our economy. Ms Swisher is in a position to know- a serious tech journalist since the 1990’s. She has been “Present at the Creation” of Yahoo, Google, Paypal, Netscape, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and Uber. She has interviewed all the tech wunderkinds; Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Marc Andreessen and Mark Zuckerberg. Her platforms have been powerful: the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Wired and now her own production company that generates, publications, podcasts, blogs and industry conferences. She has become a digital entrepreneur herself. She is smart, ambitious and intense- proudly lesbian in a male dominated culture. The book has few “light” moments. Another rather negative portrayal of modern society. The books above explored the callowness of the British leadership class and the age of idiocy which characterised our political debates. Now, we learn the new “Masters of the Universe” may be a collection of megalomaniacs.

The thesis is credible. Swisher admits she fell prey to the early enthusiasm and excitement that accompanied the technology revolution. The conventional wisdom was that the internet and social media would strengthen society, accelerate mass education, enhance democracy and human rights and improve our global problem solving efforts. It was utopian thinking- only good things would happen. Knowledge would spread across the globe and justice and progress would be the way of the world. It was rather naive, but the early stages were genuinely hopeful and aspirational.

25 years into the revolution and Swisher has dramatically different views on the matter. The digital age has become an agent of misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, micro-targeting and propaganda. Democratic institutions have been undermined, not enhanced. Tech has been harmful and toxic. It has created a concentration of wealth and power residing with unelected tech owners and managers. Surveillance is common and privacy is compromised- all while the dollars flow into corporate coffers. There are hacks and cyber attacks. Autocratic leaders employ the technology as means of oppression and control. The billionaires created by this techno explosion are not an attractive or well balanced group of people. They definitely have a skill set, but wisdom does not follow naturally. They tend to think otherwise, assuming their success is based on knowledge unavailable to others. Frequently, despite their wealth and power, they see themselves as unappreciated victims. Many are pathological liars. Social skills are not prevalent in this narrow community. Many are rude and miss customary social cues. Many manifest signs of mental illness. Success at sustaining marriage bonds is not a common occurrence. Many appear lonely, unhinged, unhappy or damaged- and to use a word catching up quickly- WEIRD! Swisher sees that a lot of these fellows are actual intellectual lightweights when you remove them from their digital and electronic comfort zone. She describes how this corp of “odd ducks” is disrupting society in unpredictable and unregulated ways.

Swisher is another crusading author vague on solutions. Antitrust law should be employed to break up these concentrated monoliths- strip them down and separate them into individual businesses. Content standards must exist and platforms should be legally accountable for libel and misinformation. Swisher, originally a believer and now a critic still remains part of the very culture she is calling to account. She has become a multi millionaire herself and is so influential that these tech leaders she is exposing here will dutifully agree to be interviewed by her at conferences. So maybe there is hope!

She knows the players and the trends- I intend to follow her columns, podcasts and blogs. She is an insider with an outsider mindset and all of us need to stay educated on the future of tech and artificial intelligence. It will be a main driver of our future.