Review: The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands

The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands by Amir Tibon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amir Tibon lived on Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7. With this wife and two young daughters, they directly experienced the terror onslaught of that horrific day. Hiding in their safe room, they could hear the mortars dropping, the bullets firing, and the Arabic spoken by the invaders. They stayed in their safe room for most of the day, only exiting once Tibon’s father, a retired IDF general who had rushed from Tel Aviv to save his family, had arrived. Noam Tibon’s story, as he and his wife make their way to Kibbutz, is an adventure all in itself.

Tibon is also a journalist for the Israeli paper, Haaretz, and knew he had to tell this story. He does it in three levels. First is the personal: his and his family’s experiences of that day and how they came to be living in Nahal Oz. He also tells us about what happens to many of the other kibbutz members. Second is historical: the history of the kibbutz and the history of relevant aspects of the conflict. Third is the political: what was happening in the spheres of politics and war. These are neatly woven together to present what that gives the book something more than being a memoir, history, or analysis book. Mostly Tibon refrains from analysis: though his views certainly come through. Netanyahu and his government do not come out well here. Tibon places a lot of blame on Netanyahu’s shoulders -- with at times good reason although the other side of things is not told.

At times this was a tough book to read; the accounts of what was happening on the kibbutz and to the families there was overwhelming. The courage and resilience it took to get through this is almost unimaginable. The book ends on a note of hope: for the hostages, for return to the kibbutz, and for peace.



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Review: Bright Orange for the Shroud

Bright Orange for the Shroud by John D. MacDonald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another McGee book, there is much to say that I haven't said in previous reviews. McGee is a great character; very much in the the knight-errant anti-hero category. One thing I am struck by as I make my way through these books, is that McGee's 'salvage work' is more often about people and not the goods he is trying to recover. So many of the novels, including this one, turn on McGee working to help rebuild, salvage, the individual or individuals he is helping. Given how this one ends, it is even more obvious here.

There was less of MacDonald's social commentary here, though certainly not absent. Though I often don't agree with McGee's view of things (at least not in total), it is always an interesting perspective to consider. He can be a bit too cynical at times for me, but he is picking out important threads.

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Review: The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust, Destroys Institutions, and Threatens Us All—But There Is a Solution

The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust, Destroys Institutions, and Threatens Us All—But There Is a Solution by Greg Lukianoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having read and followed Lukianoff (and Haidt) for years, there was not much that was new here. But it was still helpful and interesting to apply the thinking they have developed applied to the phenomenon of canceling. Rikki Schlott adds her experience and expertise to this analysis. They examine many cases of cancelling: from different kinds of institutions, for a range of reasons, from the left, from the right, and so on. Many of these are harrowing examples of illiberalism that showcases the harm and damage down. They also present useful conceptual tools to help analyze these cases, as well as steps forward we can take to reduce the phenomenon. An important contribution to cases for free speech and liberty.

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