Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Signature of All Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Why this book: Recommended to me by a good friend. My Impressions: Bottom line –wow!  I’ve never read  a book like this before –found it very powerful. Elizabeth Gilbert pulled me into this story – I felt like I grew … Continue reading

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Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce

Why this book:  It was selected by my reading group.  Also, I bought a copy while an undergraduate, planning to read it and never did. The copy I read is that copy, paperback, with a price $1.65 on the cover. … Continue reading

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Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Why this book:  Selected by my reading group.  I had read it as an undergraduate and it made a strong and positive impression on me. I remember it more than most books I’ve ever read. My Impressions: The book is … Continue reading

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Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Why this book:  I had already read it twice before, but it was selected by my reading group and I was very willing to read it again. This time I read  (I believe for the first time) an unabridged version … Continue reading

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Just and Unjust War, by Michael Walzer

Why this book:  I spent a whole semester in seminar studying this book at the Naval Academy and was stunned to learn so much about the ethics of my profession at the end of my career.  I wanted to provide … Continue reading

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The Wrong War, by Bing West

Why this book:  I had read a number of reviews of this book,  and thought it would be good to learn more about the war in Afghanistan from a respected journalist on the ground there.  I also agreed to read … Continue reading

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The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Why this book:  Selected by my reading group.  I vaguely remember reading it in high school.  It is so often referred to I thought it would be a good book to read again. My Impressions:  This is not the same book … Continue reading

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The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens, and the Search for the Good Life by Bettany Hughes

Why this Book: I read a fascinating review of this book in the Wall Street Journal. Went right to my Kindle and had it downloaded. My Impressions: I really enjoyed this book. The author of the WSJ book review is … Continue reading

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Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand

Why this book: My wife read this book and told me that I definitely needed to read it.  She reads more than I do and she doesn’t make that recommendation very often.  My friend Liz Train, a voracious reader herself, also … Continue reading

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Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot by Bruce & Andrea Leininger and Ken Gross

Why this book: I’ve always been interested in The Unseen Order of Things and have found the idea of reincarnation an interesting possibility.  I’ve done a fair amount of reading on the topic since reading the (now discredited) Search for … Continue reading

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