Review: Not in the Heavens: The Tradition of Jewish Secular Thought

Not in the Heavens: The Tradition of Jewish Secular Thought by David Biale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

David Biale’s survey of Jewish secular thought is fascinating. It is wide-ranging, covering from the premodern periods into the medieval and modern eras and up through twentieth century thinkers. While Biale does bring in the various precursor traditions, most of the book, understandably, focuses on ways in which the Jewish thinkers dealt with, wrestled with, and tried to reconcile the various movements of modernity: rationalism, mysticism, nationalism, and so on. There is a way to read this book as a history of European modernity from the Jewish perspective(s). As such, much of it centers around Spinoza: his specific contributions to what becomes secular thought and also how later thinkers take and use Spinoza’s ideas for their own secularism.

The book looks at idea from philosophy, language, culture, or nationalism; and explores how Jewish thinkers responded to, innovated in, and rejected aspects of these on their paths to and through secularism. One of the themes, though not explicitly so, is that much of Jewish thought is focused on what it means be to be Jewish and to be a Jew. This takes on heightened importance in secular thought where one cannot merely point to religion, but even the religious traditions in Judaism struggle with this issue -- as evidenced in the Talmud itself. There are so many ways to be Jewish, even religiously, that this question is inescapable. And importantly, it provides the space within which secularism is born and grows.

Biale highlights key thinkers and how they deal with these issues. Some of these are more obscure, others are well known (figures such as Freud, Einstein, and Ben-Gurion). The intellectual tradition is rich and fruitful (though there are many dead ends as well). It is not a long book, though at times dense. By necessity, much is left out in order to provide the focus it needs. There are extensive notes and references for those wishing to use this as a jumping off point. I profited much from book and think it will provide a framework for future thought.




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Review: Leviathan Falls

Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Coming to the end of a book or book series that one loves is always bittersweet. It’s thrilling to see the story completed; to experience the totality of the work. But it’s sad to know it’s over: that one has to say good bye to the characters and to the world they inhabit. The Expanse series is just such an experience. The authors created indelible characters and set them in a fascinating universe. It never got dull or predictable; it balanced the small intimate moments and the cosmic level struggles. I appreciate how the characters (or at least some of them!) struggle with the ethical dilemmas and choices they face: there is a deep respect and open-eyed love for humanity in these books.

I wasn’t sure how the authors would land this plane: though I suspected something like the way it did as the only way. Nevertheless, the particulars were well-executed and helped to tie the whole series together. It is sad and tragic but also filled with hope.


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Review: Star Wars: The High Republic: Path of Vengeance

Star Wars: The High Republic: Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit, I got a bit confused/lost at times. Partly this is because this overlaps somewhat with Cataclysm, but I didn't realize that at first so there were a few times where I was like, wait, didn't this already happen? I was a little disappointed in Marda's development: she seemed to shift around a bit in what she was doing and why. The romantic angles were at times awkward. There were some interesting twists though and I think this likely helps set up some later events in the HR era. I think the variety of Jedi in Phase 2 is helpful. The Skywalker era tends to have just one kind: the warrior-monk (or fallen), so seeing the diversity of ways the Jedi existed when they were at the height provides more context. In all, I enjoyed it, though it is not the best of Phase 2.

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Review: A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland

A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland by Troy Senik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic biography of one of our more important presidents. Biographies can be tricky: finding the right balance between presenting the historical context and crafting a narrative about the subjects life is hard. The former can get dry and give the biography the feel of one damn thing after another; while the latter can fall into hagiography or squeeze everything into a overriding narrative that inevitable will ring false. Senik avoids both of these. He provides sufficient historical context without it becoming a history textbook and he gets the right balance of the narrative of Cleveland's life so that we get a real sense of the man and his character.

Some of the historical details can get a bit technical or detailed: in particular with the silver issue. Nevertheless, we get a good sense of where Cleveland stood on the issues and why.

It's unfortunate that President Cleveland, and his era, are not better known. It bears many similarities to own age, and our politicians could learn a lot from Cleveland's principled stands. Cleveland's presidency (or presidencies given his two non-consecutive terms) seem to be a pivot point for American history. The Civil War and it's issues were fading from the stage: though the consequences were of course not. (The financial issues Cleveland had to deal where likely long term consequences of paying for the war. But more significantly, the transition out of slavery and the racial issues and how to deal with them where front and center.) America was shifting how it saw itself: learning how to dealing with near international crisis: Hawaii, Cuba, Venezuela being major ones. Still a young nation, it was gaining confidence and growing in power. Cleveland was more a voice of restraint, leaning on his classical liberal principles to avoid conflict and encourage self-governance. He was less successful than he would have hoped here. He was more successful in battling the financial crises that arose from bimetal monetary policies. Pushing back against the inflationary effects silver coinage, he pushed for a sounder gold standard policy. This was unpopular in his party, but ultimately seems to have won out (until WW2).

Cleveland's classical liberalism and the importance he put on character and guiding moral principles is admirable. He is not without fault. His views on women's suffrage and race would not be popular today: though I don't think it would be fair to say he was a chauvinist or a racist. He was a man of his time, and in many ways he was ahead of his time on some of these issues.

Cleveland was respected as a man of solid principles. His steadfastness may have cost him elections but Cleveland seemed to have no (or at least few) regrets on that front. The principles were more important. And that alone makes worth remembering.


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Review: A Death in Cornwall

A Death in Cornwall by Daniel Silva
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Silva returns to Allon's roots in Cornwall with his latest installment. There is art restoration, art theft, political intrigue, and complex, serpentine financial arrangements at the heart of this thriller. Allon travels include England, France, Geneva, Corsica, and Monaco. My only disappointment in the book is that it doesn't involve Israel at all. The only Jewish connection is through one of the paintings. That aside, it is always fun to return to Silva's usual wit and great story-telling.

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Review: How Great Science Fiction Works

How Great Science Fiction Works by Gary K. Wolfe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This lecture series was informative. I found it most useful in pointing me towards some potential new things to read: both classics and contemporary (and which ones to avoid too, though I don't think that was the intention of the lecturer!)

The series doesn't explain how great science fiction works, what ever that means. But it does give a concise history of the genre, how it developed, who the various key players where in its development, and the different modes of its development. It also discussed important themes and tropes of the genre (e.g. robots, aliens).

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Review: American Gods

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really love the premise of this novel. And Gaiman executes it masterfully. The plot is well-integrated, the characters are intriguing, and the story is wild. One of the more imaginative stories I've read without being overly fantastical. There is a lot of darkness and cynicism in the story, but overall really a story of love and hope. I just enjoyed so much the way he plays with the myths and stories of humanity.

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Review: Robert B. Parker's Grudge Match

Robert B. Parker's Grudge Match by Mike Lupica
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lupica does a good job with Sunny. It's not Parker, never will be, but Lupica captures, for the most part, the quick pace, the quirky humor, and the style of Parker's characters and stories. I do get a kick out of the little references to Spenser and the characters and events of the Spenserverse. The story itself is a classic Parker set up and resolution. All in all, I really enjoyed it.

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Review: Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die

Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die by Steven Nadler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nadler has given us a readable and concise account of Spinoza's philosophy. The focus, as can be intuited from the title, is on living and mainly his Ethics. But to understand Spinoza's views on how best to live, one has to understand his broader philosophical system. So Nadler does get into some of the more complex metaphysical, epistemology, and theological issues in Spinoza's thought, but only insofar as it is important for getting the context and basis for Spinoza's Ethics.

One of the more interesting elements for me was the connections that Nadler draws out to other philosophers. Nadler discusses the influence of Descartes and Hobbes, as well as ancient thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. This shows the continuity of Spinoza with the history of philosophy while also demonstrating his uniqueness and his innovations. Lastly, Nadler shows how Spinoza's thoughts on how to live can be still be relevant and useful today.

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Review: Ten Years Gone

Ten Years Gone by Jonathan Dunsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so glad to have stumbled onto this! A classic hard-boiled mystery set in in 1940s Israel. The mystery is well done, there are several twists that keep you guessing. Lapid is a tough, intuitive detective with a heart of gold. Like classic hard-boiled detectives, Lapid lives by a strict code of morality and honor -- though not a conventional one. Willing to hurt and even kill, it always serves a kind of justice. Lapid's hardness is rooted in his past: a former Hungarian police officer, he survived Auschwitz, though his family does not. This accounts for his heightened sense of vengeance and justice; his survival ability; and his doggedness in pursuing the truth.

The social dynamics of post-independence Israel play an interesting role in the plot and characters as well.

I look forward to diving into this series.



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Review: Cataclysm

Cataclysm by Lydia Kang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first half was not as engaging, but the second half carries the rest of the book. Partly this is because there is just a lot more action with battle scenes and several surprising deaths. Much of the mystery of the Nameless is left unanswered--which makes sense given the role they played in Phase 1. Marc Thomson's reading is as always fantastic (though some of the female voices are a bit off).

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Review: The First Eagle

The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like Leaphorn and Chee, their interactions and the contrasting, but complementary characters are what make the Hillerman books so good. But the actual mystery in this novel is not very complicated. There is usually a bit more that turns on something in Navajo culture but this one really doesn't. Nevertheless, it's still a good read.

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Review: Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans: A Brief History

Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans: A Brief History by Charles H. Kahn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The focus of this book is primarily on how Pythagoreanism influenced thinkers from ancient times up through Kepler in the 17th century. My main take away is that Pythagoras and Pythagoreanism really become a catch-all symbol of a sage-like, mystical philosophical/mathematical musings. It's not even really clear to me that the ideas later referred to as something called Pythagoreanism is all that connected to the historical Pythagoras--of whom we seem to know very little. Pythagoras seems to become a kind of omniscient sage symbol rather than a philosopher of distinct ideas and arguments.

Kahn argues for some influence on Plato and his Academy and through this and Neoplatonism gets picked up by others in later antiquity and in the Renaissance. The content of this influence on Plato is somewhat opaque, and seems centered on two main ideas: the cosmological role of numbers and geometry and the transmigration of souls. But it's also not entirely clear where these ideas really come from and how they find their way (and the extent that they really do) into Plato (though I think they are there in Academic Platonism and later Neoplatonism -- I'm less sure about Plato himself).

The book doesn't really get into the ideas themselves as such, it's more focus on tracing the lines of influence from thinker to thinker. It won't really be of interest to someone looking for a precis of Pythagoras or his ideas. I found it enlightening at times but not really what I was looking for.

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Review: The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human

The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A thoroughly enjoyable look at the role that stories have on us and our lives. Gottschall explores why we tell stories, what stories do for us, what impact stories have on us, and what the future of story might be. He grounds his arguments in psychology and evolution, while also playfully including various kinds of stories. One of the big take aways is the universality of human storytelling: it is integral to what human lives are and how are societies work.

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Review: The Stand

The Stand by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading The Stand post-covid is a bit terrifying. Obviously, covid was nothing like the superflu, but the sense of the spreading dread and confusion was all too real at times. While the superflu is the proximate cause of the setting, this is really an epic battle of the forces of Good and Evil given embodiment in the characters. There are divine, mystical forces at work here, though the humans are not mere playthings of these forces. King does a good job of showing how the characters make the choices that ultimately align them with each side. There are natural tendencies this way or that, but each character makes choices that put them on the path they end up on.

The Dark Man, Randall Flagg, embodies nihilistic evil. We don't know really where he comes from or what his goals might be, but in the end he's really just seemingly interested in destruction and chaos. He just wants to watch the world burn. Part of what King is saying is that there is a little bit of that in all of us; maybe that's why almost all the characters dream of him. There is real evil in the world. But, and this is part of the story as well, we don't have to follow Flagg(the evil), we can reject that nihilism and instead choose creation, connection, love, and trust.

One of the things that really struck me was how dated much of it felt. Word choice, cultural references, and similar sort of things read like the 70s and early 80s. This makes perfect sense, but it threw me a bit. I read the complete and uncut version which is nearly 1200 pages. There was definitely some room to trim that down a bit; but the book is meant to be epic, and so needed to be long. Though the middle gets a bit bogged down, the last third of the book gets cooking. It's worth the time and investment of time to read.



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Review: The Examined Run: Why Good People Make Better Runners

The Examined Run: Why Good People Make Better Runners by Sabrina Little
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm writing a review of this book for a journal, so I can't say much here. But here's the short of it. This a well-written book that tackles some interesting and important questions but is really disappointing because it utterly fails to take account of and engage with the philosophy of sport literature. (Not a single reference!) This is a book published by a prestigious academic press that failed to do the basic research necessary.

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Review: Path of Deceit

Path of Deceit by Tessa Gratton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am sometimes amused that the YA books are often better than the 'adult' books. I found this book to be refreshing and the plot more focused. The portrayal of the Jedi was not as simplistic as some of the High Republic Jedi. And the story took some surprisingly dark twists. I think I will continue listening to the SW:HR books -- Erin Yvette does a great job.

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Review: Lethal White

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rowling continues her Cormoran Strike series with this fourth volume. Picking up almost immediately following book 3, we see the the relationships of the main characters develop and evolve. The mystery keeps you guessing, with many red herrings and misdirection. For some it might get a bit too intricate or complicated, but I enjoy the writing and story telling. Rowling draws such vivid characters and tells a good story that keeps you engaged, on your toes, and wondering where things will go.

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Review: Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi

Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t remember who recommended this book to me, but I am glad that they did. I knew the essence of the story: Israel stages a daring mission to capture Eichmann in Argentina and bring him back to Israel for trial. But I knew little of the details. In crisp and engaging writing, Bascomb’s book provides the mission details, but also how the mission came to be and who was involved.

We learn how Eichmann came to hold the power he held in Germany; we learn how he eluded capture after the war and made a new life in Argentina. Bascomb’s portrayal of the man is one of utter mediocrity mixed with unearned arrogance and haughtiness. It is haunting to hear Eichmann’s rationalizations for what he did, that he was just following orders; but at the same time clearly felt a kind of pride for being able to complete his orders as successfully as he did.

The detailing of the mission itself is obviously the most exciting and interesting parts of the book: it reads at times like a spy thriller. One almost expects Gabriel Allon to appear! The random near misses and mistakes that could have undermined the mission are mind-blowing. The author is able to create tension and suspense even though one knows the mission is a success.

Bascomb briefly covers the trial and execution, and includes an epilogue that explains what subsequently happened to all the main players: the agents involved as well as Eichmann’s wife and sons.

There are many books that tell the story of Eichmann’s capture; many written by members of the capture team. I haven’t read them, so I can’t compare. But Bascomb’s book seems well-balanced and thoroughly researched.


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Review: Catch-67: The Left, the Right, and the Legacy of the Six-Day War

Catch-67: The Left, the Right, and the Legacy of the Six-Day War by Micah Goodman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Goodman’s Catch-67: The Left, the Right, and the Legacy of the Six-Day War is an excellent and important book. It lays out in concise and clear language the range of philosophical and political ideas that help to structure and frame the Israeli understanding of itself and the conflict with the Palestinians.

Goodman focuses on the core problem of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the way it is currently understood makes it impossible to make progress. Essentially, what Israel needs in a peace deal with the Palestinians is precisely what makes it impossible for the Palestinians to accept. Conversely, what the Palestinians need for a deal is precisely what the Israelis could never agree to. This is part of what Goodman means by “Catch 67;” a play on Joseph Heller’s Catch-22.

Another “catch” is that Israel faces an internal dilemma between its security needs in the disputed territories and a population problem. To keep the territories for security purposes, means having to rule over a substantial non-Jewish, non-Israel population. This threatens both the Jewish and democratic nation of the state. If the Palestinians in the territories were granted Israeli citizenship, it wouldn’t be long before the state would lose its distinctive Jewishness. But the alternative within this security paradigm, ruling over another people, would violate the democratic nature of the state. But, on the other hand, to relinquish these areas means a significant security threat to Israel. Hence, the Catch-67 nature of the conflict.

These catches make progress, both internally amongst Israelis and externally between Israelis and Palestinians, impossible. The solution to each problem is itself a problem whose solution is the original problem.

Goodman’s approach, then, is to stop trying for a solution and instead to look to reduce the conflicts. Thomas Sowell said about economics there are no solutions, only trade-offs. Goodman’s approach is analogous. There isn’t a solution to the conflict in the offing. But there are things to do to reduce the conflict. And in the last part of the book Goodman’s discusses various proposals that could help to do just that. I am skeptical about the effectiveness or feasibility of these, but I think he’s correct about the overall approach of focusing on more practical things to do that could shrink the conflict. I think real progress could be made on that front. In the wake of October 7, this is hard, even impossible, to imagine. But Goodman’s suggestions could be useful frameworks for thinking about the so-called ‘day after.’


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Review: Sports Spectators

Sports Spectators by Allen Guttmann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Noted sports historian, Allen Guttman, takes on the topic of sport spectators in this short volume.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part is “Part 1 From Antiquity to Modern Times” and it covers just that, though, in 123 pages, in no great detail. Most of the chapters in the first part focus on specific sports of the era and their spectators. Guttman highlights some of the demographics and what we know (or think we know) about how sport was spectated.

The second, and shorter, part of the book looks at spectatorship more analytically. It considers the impact that media has had on spectatorship, in short, but useless chapter, what academic critics like neo-Marxists say about spectatorship, and then closes the book with two of the more interesting chapters. The chapter on hooliganism tries to get at explanations of spectator violence; though Guttman’s analysis seems to end with few answers. None of the theories offered satisfy, though they all explain at least a small part of it. The last chapter on what motivates fans to be fans has a similar trajectory. There are several different theories and analyses offered, all of which seem to get at piece of it, without themselves being satisfactory. It’s an aesthetic experience, but not art. It’s kind of like worship, but also not religion. It’s a way of self-identification, but that’s also really complex and fraught. This chapter was the most interesting to me as a philosopher; and in part tis what draws me to the study of sport spectatorship both professionally and personally. Why do we watch? Guttman’s chapter isn’t an answer, but it is a good palace to find some questions to answer about why we spectate.

Published in the mid-80s, there is much that is out of date. Obviously, in the last 40 years sports spectatorship has continued to evolve. But Guttman identifies many of the trends that are still relevant today. I would imagine the media chapter would be much more substantial and the changes in in spectator violence would make the analysis of that chapter even more ambivalent. The role of gambling and fantasy would also have to be covered.

The book as a total is uneven. There are sections that offer interesting insights but others that are a bit pedantic. The historical sections condense a lot of material to provide a useful overview of the history, but is also too general to be that helpful beyond the general sense of things. The analysis/methodological sections are just too limited in scope, though as I noted above the last chapter raises some important questions about fan motivations.



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Review: The Battle of Jedha

The Battle of Jedha by George Mann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maybe it's the audio drama with a full cast, but this is the best High Republic book yet. Interesting characters, good action, and a clear story. The different sects of the force on Jedha is something new in Star Wars, we don't see that kind of thing much. Silandra Sho seems like an interesting character that I hope they develop more.

I'm still a little unmoved by the war between Eiram and E'ronoh. There are supposed to be in this forever war that has been raging for .... five years? These deep and unhealed wounds that make peace so hard are not well developed. The war/ struggle for peace angle seems a bit naïve, even for Star Wars.

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Review: People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present

People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dara Horn’s book is much praised, and deservedly so. She goes through the history of antisemitism in a novel and personal way. She doesn’t explain the causes of anti-Jewish hatred or do a detailed history. On one hand, this is an intensely personal journey; a memoir of sorts. On the other hand, it is an analysis of the pervasiveness of anti-Jewish hatred. Even in places where people seem to be sympathetic to the injustice befallen Jews, there is a sense of an underlying, if implicit, rejection of Jews. As Horn lays it out this is because this sympathy only seems to be there for dead Jews. Once Jews are dead, they are loved or celebrated. Living Jews are criticized, rejected, expected to conform.

This idea is part of what lies behind her trenchant criticism of the Holocaust Museum movement (if we can call it that). Counterintuitively, she suggests this might be causing or allowing greater anti-Jewishness. By detailing the horrors of the Holocaust, anything less mass murder of millions of Jews seems to be able to dismissed or downplayed as “Well, it’s not the Holocaust.” There is a kind of worship of the dead Jew that can be seen in so much Holocaust and antisemitism education: it seems at first to come from a place of sympathy and justice, but Horn picks out ways it which it is actually ugly and deep down a love of dead Jews.

Another element of her thesis is that people seem to prefer to tell stories about dead Jews rather than ones about actual, living Jews. A troubling question she asks is, which is easier to name: three Nazi death camps or three Yiddish writers. The positive call in Horn’s book is to celebrate Jewish life and thriving, not just our tragedies but our triumphs.

The reader, Xe Sands, was wonderful; she really seemed to capture the author’s voice. Not literally, I have no idea what Horn sounds like; I mean more in the sense of matching the tone and feel of the text. Horn’s sardonic wit can be biting and maybe off putting to some. I had several, “oh damn!,” moments while listening to the book. Sands carries this off perfectly.

I think this is an immensely important book, all Jews should read it. I don’t agree with everything, but it does help to make some sense of the recent rise of antisemitism.



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Review: Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict

Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict by Oren Kessler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A thorough, well-documented journalistic history of the Great Revolt of 1936. Kessler provides voices from all the key players: Jewish, Arab, and English. And within each of these groups, he brings forwards the continuum of the views. There are a range of more strident and more moderate voices an all sides, and Kessler is able to reconstruct the contemporaneous dialogue between these different factions and how they led up to the revolt, evolved through the revolt, and how the revolt impacted these viewpoints. Kessler does a good job of presenting these views without bias or sentiment, such that one can understand why they thought the way they did. Each is, in their own way, sympathetic.

The main thesis is that this Great Revolt of 1936 was decisive for future of Israel/Palestine. It left the British exasperated and unsure how to proceed: setting the stage for their abandonment of the Mandate. It left the Arab Palestinians in disarray. Many of the Arab elites left during these hostilities, and the long-standing boycott had serious economic consequences for these communities. In putting down the revolt, the British were able to take out much of the fighting capability of the Arab communities. By the time the civil wars and war of independence comes a decade later, they still had not recovered.

On the other hand, the Yishuv (the Jewish community) comes out of the revolt stronger and better able to move forward. The Arab boycott meant the Yishuv had to hasten the construction of much of the economic infrastructure, such as ports and industries, that would be essential in the state building that was to come. The official policy of restraint by the Yishuv (holding back from offensive reprisals against Arab attacks) led the British more and more to rely on and train the Yishuv forces to help keep the peace. This helped to lay the ground work for the ability of the Yishuv to fight the civil war and war of independence that would come in 1947-48.

One of the most striking things about this book is paradoxically that it shows so many points of missed opportunities that might have avoided the decades of conflict that was to come but also how inevitable the conflict was. So many of the statements from the Jews, Arabs, and Brits of the 30s could be slightly edited for timeliness (and swapping out the Brits for the US) and be indistinguishable for statements issued today.

The book is indispensable for anyone wanting to get a much deeper understanding of the roots of the current conflict.


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Review: Pumpkinflowers by Matti Friedman

Pumpkinflowers by Matti Friedman by Matti Friedman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a unique memoir. Friedman tells the history of a hill, called Pumpkin, in the Israel security zone within southern Lebanon. This is where Friedman himself served with the IDF, though he doesn’t start with his service. The first focus is on Avi, a soldier serving at the Pumpkin before Friedman. Then Friedman gets into his service, which was in the late 90s ending with the Israeli pull out of the Lebanon security zone. Then Friedman tells about his fascinating clandestine trip back to the area only a few years later.

The story is intensely personal and poignant. It also gives hints of the world that was to come: IEDs, video taping of terror attacks, the challenges of asymmetric warfare against a civilian embedded enemy. The memoir also gives us glimpses into the debate within Israel about the security zone and how this zone eventually unraveled.

The book is decidedly not political: it’s not about analyzing the arguments for or against the security zone or any other aspect of the conflict. It’s about the soldiers, their families, and their lives: how war impacts and shapes their lives. Though at times brutally honest about the soldier’s experience it is free from hyperbole or dramatics. It doesn’t demonize the enemy and it doesn’t glorify his own side. Like the soldiers on the hill, it just lives in the complexity of the conflict; just tries to survive it.

This is the third Friedman book I’ve read; they have all been amazing. I recommend all of them: Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai and Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel.


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Review: Convergence

Convergence by Zoraida Córdova
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the end, I enjoyed Star Wars: Convergence. It moves along fairly well, the world building is very good, it has some good action, and some of the characters are compelling. Still, the High Republic remains overall a disappointment to me. Partly, I just don’t get the point. The stories can be fun, but overall it doesn’t really add that much to Star Wars. There is little adding to the lore or fleshing out of the Jedi or the Republic.

The Jedi, Gella Nattai, has promise. One of the main problems with the High Republic era is that most of the Jedi are caricatures, too good, too perfect. It’s very hard to get a feel for them, or make a connection. Gella is younger, not flawed as such, but still developing as a Jedi and her finding her way in the Force. I found it easier to connect to her character.

Axel Greylark is a fun character; in some ways he’s a caricature of the rich playboy type, but there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Xiri and Phan-Tu are more mixed as characters. There are interesting things about them, but their romance doesn’t work for me: too forced and too quick. As the book goes on, they seem to be there more for the story to happen then as drivers of the story.

Most of the other characters are pretty flat, indistinguishable, and not very memorable.
The Mother and the Path could be an interesting adversary; we’ll see how it goes as it develops in Phase 2.

The plot itself is kind of far-fetched: one never figures out why the two worlds are fighting, and then they come together far too quickly after what is termed a forever war. It’s very simplistic: as if war just happens and all that is needed for peace is for two people to stand up and declare it.
But once that is put aside and the story moves along, it does become more compelling and entertaining.


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Review: Romeo's Fight

Romeo's Fight by James Scott Bell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Of the four Mike Romeo books I've read so far, I think this one is the best. The plot is tighter and more focused. Previous installments have sometimes got a bit convoluted and involved too many plotlines. This one is more straightforward, though with some twists and turns. It's a fast, fun read with some interesting characters. Romeo is a hard hitting, philosophically-minded detective and knight-errant. His dialogue is peppered with quotations from philosophers, artists, and authors. I think the books could be improved if the philosophical ideas worked themselves a bit more into and where reflected in the plot. They are fun and helpf characterize Mike, but don't serve anything more substantive in the books.


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Review: The Book of Genesis

The Book of Genesis by Gary A. Rendsburg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This course was quite fascinating. Over the course of 24 lectures, Prof. Rendsburg takes you through Book of Genesis. One aspect of the course I appreciated was that Rendsburg had lectures weaved into the overall progression of the book that focused on various issues needing special focus. For example, there are lectures that focused on the history of the Ancient Near East that are relevant for understanding the historical context of the Bible, another lecture on the literature structure of the Bible, one on the different ways of translating the Bible, and another on the dating of the Book of Genesis. These provide important theories and ideas for understanding Genesis, but also they help break up the lectures and avoids the tedium that can sometimes come in long Teaching Company courses.

Though most of the stories where familiar to me, and I imagine would be to almost anyone raised in the West, I learned a lot about the context of these stories, how they related to each other and to other parts of the Bible. I also developed a deeper appreciation for the language, structure, and construction of the Biblical text.

My main criticism would be that some of the discussion of the historicity of the stories could be too credulous. Most of the evidence for the events of the Biblical narrative is circumstantial at best and I think Rendsburg ought to have been clearer about that. Personally, I don’t think it matters all the much: the power of the stories and their meaning is not tied to their literal truth. Like fiction and mythology, the narrative can be meaningful and significant without historical accuracy.



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Review: When the Thrill Is Gone

When the Thrill Is Gone by Walter Mosley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the rhythm and language of Mosley's writing. McGill, the main character, intricately describes the variations of color and shape of everyone he meets. At first, this might seem like Mosely's overly interested in race. But I think it's more about the way McGill sees the world, as a detective looking at every detail of the people he interacts with. McGill is a fascinating character; struggling with his past and his present, but always guided by trying to do what is right. And Mosley develops a cast of characters around McGill that are equally as interesting and engaging. I am not sure McGill is everyone -- his view of the world is a bit too malevolent for me at times -- and I can see that being a turn off for some. In the end, I think while McGill has a malevolent sense of things, the people around him subvert, through their actions (and his own) that view.

I do find at times, I get a little lost in the flow of the story. But, regardless, it pays off; and I really enjoyed how the plot of When the Thrill is Gone resolves itself.

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Review: Shadow of the Sith

Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set between TROJ and TFA, this book fills in back story for the sequel trilogy, and in particular key aspects of TROS. Lando and Luke teaming up is interesting choice, but it works. One issue I've had with several Star Wars novels is that they can sometimes get bogged down; but Christopher does a good job moving things along. There is a good balance of exposition and action. I think he does a good job with Lando and Luke, capturing those original trilogy characters well. (Though Lando could have been a bit more dashing and swashbuckler-y.) Ochi struck me as quite different from the comic books, but he's been through a lot since the setting of those books.

Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it for Star Wars fans. I don't think this adds all that much to the wider world of Star Wars, but it does explore the latter development of two beloved characters and that makes it worth while.

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Review: The Secret Lives of Sports Fans

The Secret Lives of Sports Fans by Eric Simons
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although there are some interesting parts of this book, overall, I was disappointed. In many ways, the book felt like it was really a long form magazine article (like the Atlantic or the like) that got stretched into book. The flow of the book is mainly a series of anecdotes punctuated by interviews with scientists and other relevant experts. In themselves these were each usually interesting or informative, but they don’t hang together as a whole in a satisfying way. And there is no non-fiction equivalent of a denouement for the various strands of theories and ideas about fandom that Simons presents in the book.

That said, there are some worthwhile discussions of fan identity, how fans relate to each other, and how fandom intersects with other parts of our lives. And Simons and his interviewees do provide some useful social science and evolutionary biology that is relevant for thinking about fandom.


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Review: Making It Home: Life Lessons from a Season of Little League

Making It Home: Life Lessons from a Season of Little League by Teresa Strasser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's a cliché that baseball is a metaphor for life; and yet there is little about this book that is cliche. Teresa Strasser tells the story of her son's championship little league season and how watching the season with her father helped them both to grieve their lost loves one and deepen their own relationship. Strasser's brother and mother died within four months of each other; and so both she and her father have a lot to process. But Strasser's relationships to her brother, her mother, and her father are, shall we say, a bit complicated; and that all comes out as Strasser tells the story of her son's little league season. Each chapter is a mix of baseball and flashbacks that tell you more about these relationships and the unique Strasser family situation. This is also usually tied together with a relevant metaphor or two from baseball. There are laughs and tears throughout. Strasser reads the audio and you can hear the emotion in her voice. The memoir doesn't hold back, there is a real honesty in Strasser's narrative as she struggles with her grief, her guilt, and her anger. And before you think this is just depressing, there is a lot of joy and happiness here as well.







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Review: The Brass Verdict

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I always enjoy Connelly's books. Haller is an interesting character. Still, he's not Bosch. But Haller and Bosch meet and work together(somewhat) in this book. Seeing Bosch in this way is different: his terse and brash personality are bit less enduring from the outside! What I enjoyed most was Haller's struggles with his own place in legal system and how to deal with the ethical dilemmas he faces.

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Review: Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel's Soul

Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel's Soul by Daniel Gordis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Daniel Gordis presents us with a picture of Menachem Begin as a complex, principled, sometimes paradoxical man. Gordis shows us the full humanity of Begin. Gordis shows us why Begin ought to be honored and praised as one of the re-founders of Israel, while avoiding hagiography. Equally, Gordis presents us with many reasons to be sharply critical of Begin without lapsing into vilification or demonization.

The central theme of Gordis’ book is that Begin was deeply committed to the Jewish people and the restoration of the Jewish homeland. So much of what animated and informed Begin’s actions and decisions was Jewish history and thinking. The history of Jewish suffering and oppression was never far from his mind: he experienced all the 20th century threw at the Jews. He suffered the pogroms of Poland; the murder of his family by the Nazis, the tyranny of the Soviet Union, the restrictions and oppression of the British, and Arab hatred. Throughout it all, he remained steadfast in the need for Jewish freedom and Jewish sovereignty. These principles shaped the man and through him, they helped shape the country.

Another interesting motif running throughout the book is the troubled relationship between Begin and David Ben-Gurion. Though they at times despised each other; the two needed each other: Begin the principled and steadfast idealist; Ben-Gurion the pragmatist single-mindedly focused on building the state. Unsurprisingly in his own biography, Begin comes out getting the better of this fraught relationship.

Begin is sometimes and unfairly presented as harshly militant (even a terrorist). True, he did not shy from the use of force, especially when fighting the British. But he was willing to take big swings at peace (e.g. Egypt). He argued against the military administration for Israeli Arabs, engineered the rescue of Ethiopian Jews, and was the first major political figure to reach across Ashkenazi and Mizrahi lines.

Though his legacy was permanently tarnished by the Lebanon War, Begin’s impact on Israel is uncalculatable. Gordis’ biography captures this important man’s life and historic contributions.


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Review: Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815

Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 by Gordon S. Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Woods’ Empire of Liberty covers the history of the early US, roughly 1789 to 1815. Starting with the reasons for the constitution and the early years of the new government, the first part of Woods’ hefty volume covers some fairly well-trodden areas. This is not to say it doesn’t offer some interesting analysis of the reasons for the new constitution as well as how it was interpreted and implemented in those early years. It is primarily focused on the presidential politics up to the election of 1800 that sees Jefferson come to power. The general theme here is the initial power of the Federalists followed by the rise and dominance of the Jeffersonian Democrat-Republicans. For those familiar with this historical period, it is fairly standard, but laid out masterfully and deftly.

The second half of the book is more thematic, rather than chronological. Here the chapters pick up a theme or topic and explores it. So, you have a chapter on religion in the early republic, another on the development of the Supreme Court and its power, one that looks at slavery, and one that looks the foreign policy and diplomacy of the period. Each of these provide a fascinating window into an aspect of the history of the period.

The book ends by providing a coda for the enlightenment. That is, as the War of 1812 ends and its consequences are felt, the 18th century ends and the Enlightenment ideas that inspired and influenced so much of the ideas of the founding generation give way to both a more pragmatic approach and the new Romanticism that takes root in the 19th century.

The overall, general theme of the book is the rising republicanism and egalitarianism in the early US. By that, it is meant that the central conflict, as it is convincingly presented by Woods, was between hierarchical, monarchial societies on one hand, and on the other, the push to individualize, democratize, and equalize society on the other. Today we think in terms of liberal and conservative, right and left. And while there are elements of that in the early republic, these dichotomies are mostly absent. The split is really primarily between those supporting more traditional social hierarchies (Federalists) and those with a more radical and flatter view (Jeffersonian Republicans). The former seeing these hierarchies as bulwarks against the ravages of both tyranny from above (kinds) and tyranny from below (mob-rule). The latter seeing individual liberty and an engaged citizenry as the real spirit of ’76.

All in all, I think this book is a well-balanced and important history of the early Republic. While probably a bit overly focused on the political history, it does capture the broad themes of the society more generally. It is important to understand this history: if only to see that all the controversies and issues and concerns we fret about today where all there in the early Republic. We got through that. We can get through the craziness of today too.


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Review: The Blade Itself

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abercrombie has a created a fantasy world that is interesting and fresh, with deftly crafted characters, avoiding hackneyed types. The story is a slow burn, but never boring, driven by the characters and how they are dealing with the circumstances they find themselves in. The subtle world-creation is great; Abercrombie dribbles out bits and pieces as it makes sense to the characters; it is never forced or just for the sake of world-building itself. The characters are really what makes this book shine. They so well-drawn, compelling, funny, and intelligent. As for the greater story of the trilogy, and why these characters are coming together, little is revealed but there are lots of hints. The book ends with the stage set for the next round without telling us all that much.

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Review: How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book

How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book by Liel Leibovitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book. It is funny and playful, and yet profound and meaningful. Leibovitz makes relevant this ancient book (if you can call it that) and shows how its wisdom is important and needed for our lives today.

Leibovitz starts each chapter with some contemporary and seemingly un-Talmud (even un-Jewish) like story (e.g. the friendship of Tolkien and Lewis; the spy Aldrich Ames; Billie Holiday; etc.). But then he finds a way to draw the connections between these and the stories the Talmud tells; and then ends the chapter discussing the underlying enduring truth or deep meaning convened by both the Talmud and the contemporary story. Along the way one learns about the history and construction of the Talmud, the role it plays in Jewish life, and some of the lessons it teaches. Moreover, Leibovitz demonstrates what makes the Talmud so unique. It is not just a legal text or law book; not is it just stories and myths. And it’s not just the idiosyncratic structure of the Talmud: it’s meandering style, it’s replication of the debates and arguments of generations of Rabbis, it’s commentary on itself that is contained within its own pages. It’s all of this and more that makes the Talmud unique, eternally engaging, and meaningful.

The Talmud is able to capture something very human: we are rational beings, but also emotional and story loving beings; and it also captures the paradox of being both particularistic and universalistic (something that runs through so much of being Jewish and Jewish history). The Talmud convenes truths that are universal, but convenes them in particularistic ways of stories, parables, and disputations about arcane legal matters.

I may never actually read the Talmud (I’ve tried; it can be a slog at times), but if I do, it’ll be because of books like this.


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Review: The Ethics of Sports Fandom

The Ethics of Sports Fandom by Adam Kadlac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll be posted a more thorough review of this book on The Sports Ethicist soon, so this will be short. Overall, I liked Kadlac's book. It is clearly written, free of jargon and doesn't get dragged down into minutia. It is well situated in the philosophy of sport literature on the various issues, but also personal and relatable. My main issues are that I don't think many of the arguments Kadlac makes work: that is, either I think the premises are inaccurate or the reasoning doesn't establish the conclusions he thinks they do. That said, Kadlac does a good job of balancing his arguments and conclusions with nuance and perspective: he is not dogmatic or intellectually arrogant. I'd recommend it to someone who's interested in philosophical and ethical issues related to being a sports fan. I also think it would be good as a text or supplemental resource for a class on those topics.

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Review: A Deadly Shade of Gold

A Deadly Shade of Gold by John D. MacDonald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I continue to develop my love for this series. McGee is such a fascinating character: the knight-errant anti-hero type. He likes to think he prefers life on his boat, taking retirement in installments; but deep down he has a need to help heal the world one piece at a time. He's not out for justice, per se, but he does tend to set things right (or more right than they were) that have gone wrong.

This novel felt much more "noir" than earlier entries. It's darker and no one comes out better off than before(and many don't make out at all); but there is a kind of justice done.

McGee's cynicism (and thus underlying idealism) shines through here even more than in previous books. I think he's often a lot harsher than he needs to be when passing judgment on the 1960s American society; but there is truth in there as well. There is much McGee says that could easily be a comment on our current society and politics. In many ways, not much as changed. I think that though much in the novel is dated and of the 60s, the novels have lasting power because they are at core dealing with timeless issues.



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Review: The Olympic Games: The First Thousand Years by M. I. Finley

The Olympic Games: The First Thousand Years by M. I. Finley by Moses I. Finley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book covers the main features of the ancient Olympic games. It doesn't get into any great detail, but covers the site at Olympia, the history and development of the program, the spectators, and officials. The authors also cover the political aspects of the ancient games and contemporaneous criticisms of the games. There are several interesting things covered: in particular, the lack of amateur/professional dichotomy moderns are seemingly obsessed with, and the deeply intertwined relationship with ancient religious rituals. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered; in particular, why do the Olympics get and then maintain the prestige and prominence in the ancient world that they do? It's a short book, but worth the quick read for anyone interested in the history of the ancient Olympics.

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Review: Capitalism and the Jews

Capitalism and the Jews by Jerry Z. Muller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An interesting collection of essays about European Jewry and the rise of modern capitalism. It is neither an economic history of capitalism, nor a history of European Jewry, but it does capture snapshots of both. Covering the middle ages up through the twentieth century, Muller’s essays examine the role of antisemitism and how that affected the relationship of Jews to modern capitalism. He argues that earlier religious antisemitism (large rooted in Christian theology) lead to the restriction of employment by Jews to areas of trade and commerce; and then as modern capitalism grows, the Jewish overrepresentation in trade and commerce leads to new forms of antisemitism. Muller also explores the Jewish involvement in the major social movements of nineteenth and twentieth century Europe. He shows that Jews were overrepresented in most of these movements, not just socialism and communism as is the common stereotype. Indeed, Muller argues, that only a small minority of European Jews were ever supportive of the socialist movements. And in the movements, Jews were also always a small minority. But Jewish involvement was conspicuous and tended to reinforce older antisemitic stereotypes, and so these newer antisemitic tropes develop. In one of the more tragic ironies of the twentieth century is that Jews were regarded, by the socialist left, as being evil, rapacious capitalists, but then, on the right, as being the leaders of communist vanguard. Muller also looks at the rise of nationalism and how Zionism fits into that both as a form of nationalism and a response to European nationalism.

All the essays are clear and informative, exploring the contours of this history in interesting and often novel ways. The analysis is at a more general level; a ten-thousand-foot view if you will, rather than getting into any great detail. As such, this is a good starting place, rather than the only or final account, for understanding the complex relationships of capitalism, socialism, antisemitism, and Zionism.


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Review: The Dark Horse

The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed returned to Wyoming with Longmire. The characters and setting are so well drawn and interesting. My one compliant is the unfolding of the mystery itself; I liked the back and forth of the time sequence. But Walt's solving of the mystery is kind of out of no where and then the details all get explained in the epilogue. The reveal could have been better drawn out. Also need more Standing Bear. The plot seemed vaguely familiar, as this was adapted, partially, for one of the TV series episodes.

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Review: Career of Evil

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The third novel in the Cormoran Strike series continues to demonstrate JK Rowling's mystery chops. This might be the darkest and most disturbing thing Rowling has written; the subject is grim and Rowling doesn't shy away from details and she's able to get into the mind of a truly evil and disturbed person. Cormoran and Robin's relationship continues to develop in interesting ways. The secondary characters, like Shanker and Wardle, grow in prominence as well. Matthew continues to be a wanker though.

I listened to the reading by Robert Glenister which is fantastic. His performance helps bring the book to life, especially with the accents.

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Review: Last Shot (Star Wars): A Han and Lando Novel

Last Shot (Star Wars): A Han and Lando Novel by Daniel José Older
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a lot of fun. The story moves quickly and is interesting. There are few nice twists. It gets a little confusing at certain points as the time frame jumps around. The author does a great job, I think, of capture Han and Lando's voices and character. It feels authentically Star Wars -- even without any force.

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Review: The Games: A Global History of the Olympics

The Games: A Global History of the Olympics by David Goldblatt
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Quite disappointing. There is some interesting and useful information; especially about the early games and the 19th century context that the Olympic revival comes out of. But as it gets further on; the book suffers. Frankly, it is probably trying to do and say too much in too little space. There is no overarching theme or narrative; no through line, that connects the chapters. There are some focal points; but these are not as well developed as they could be; and sometimes forced as the author tries to shoe horn in all the games of a specific time frame into the focus. But, as often as not, these focuses get lost in the details. The author tends to spend more time on the planners (and their backgrounds) than the games themselves. The latter half is almost entirely focused on the broader sociological and economic contexts of the host cities and games with very little discussed about the games themselves. There is only a tiny bit about Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, for example, when discussing the Summer Games in 2008. A good chunk of the Rio games is taken up by a discussion of the Brazilian presidential impeachment and surrounding scandals. Also, the closer to our own era we get, the more the authors particular political biases come through, muddying the analysis.

The subtitle of the book is the “A Global History of the Games” but it is not at clear what is particularly global about this history. Obviously, it is global, since the Olympics is global, but beyond that, I am not sure what they are trying to get at with that.

There is also a kind of elitist aesthetics expressed throughout. Inevitable, Olympic projects, such as buildings, slogans, or mascots, are described as kitschy, banal, vacuous, or ugly. There is a lot of sneering at the consumerism around the Olympics—which seems to run counter to the author’s concerns about the IOC’s long history of clinging to 19th century amateurism.

There are some errors as well; the most egregious being when he inexplicably labels the Christian identity nationalist, Eric Rudolph, the terrorist responsible for the Atlanta Olympics pipe bomb, a libertarian.

Overall the author’s cynicism and elitism get in the way of the valid criticisms of Olympic projects. As this and other histories show, there are many problems and criticisms to be made, but this work doesn’t do the work necessary to develop these, explain why they are concerns, or offer much in the way of alternatives. In most cases, the reality of the games is implicitly compared to some unstated majestic and idyllic system where the Olympics could take place without these problems.

Furthermore, as critical as the author is of the vision of Coubertin’s Olympics, the author actually seems to in a way share this utopian vision of pure sport. But since the reality of the Olympics can never live up to this vision; it gets lots of righteous scorn and rhetorical sneering.


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Review: The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World

The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World by Dan Senor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Israel is a small country facing tremendous obstacles. It is threatened and attacked by well-funded genocidal enemies. Meanwhile the international community, such as it is, is ambivalent at best and internally, Israel is regularly rocked by protests and religious and ethnic divisions. Yet, Israel, according to various international metrics, is one of the happiest countries. This apparent paradox is what Dan Senor and Saul Singer have set out to explain.

Looking at the different parts of Israeli society, they try to find out what makes Israel resilient and happy in the face of the many challenges it faces. This is what they mean by the “Genius of Israel”: how it is able to deal so successfully with its unique challenges as well as the problems afflicting most of the rest of the wealthy, liberal democracies. The short answer is that Israelis share a collective meaning and purpose, with a sense of community cementing that meaning and purpose.

This ties together much of what they look at: the educational system, the military, the tech sector, the family, the sabbath, and the regional historical connections. They explore the ways these elements all connect to, create, and reinforce that purpose and community.

They also look at the Haredi (ultra-orthodox) and Israeli Arab communities. While outliers in many ways, they also share some of the features that create that purpose and community. They point out how Israel has to do better by these two groups by incorporating them more into the mainstream. But they also show the ways that this integration is being driven internally in these communities.

All in all, an informative and engaging exploration and explanation of Israeli society. Important to read to understand Israel.


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Review: Damascus Station

Damascus Station by David McCloskey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed, but didn't love, this spy thriller; it had an authentic feel and the plot was engaging. I really liked, or rather found interesting, some of the characters, though the central protagonist was somewhat weak. I just didn't connect to him or really get a sense of his character. The supporting characters around him where far more rich and well drawn. I cared far more for these characters than I did for Samuel. The book does a good job of showing the pressure and sense of being trapped that many must feel in a regime such as Syria's. The kind of compromises one has to struggle with just to survive. I thought it also dramatized the conflict many have between being loyal to one's country while watching the regime destroy it from within. So overall a good read.



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Review: Traitor's Blade

Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a delightful discovery. I don't recall who recommended this to me or how it came into my to-read pile, but thank you! A fresh story that is exciting, thoughtful, and funny. It has a good heart; the characters are interesting. It has twists and turns, keeps you on your toes, from the first to the last words. The writing is crisp and the storytelling is intricate without being baroque. de Castell spins a dark, corrupt world but rests the story on hope and honor. I'm hooked.

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Review: The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity

The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity by Micah Goodman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fascinating examination of the complex nature of Jewish identity. In particular, Goodman is focused on the various strands of Judaism and Jewishness that are within Israeli culture. Though primarily focused on Israeli Jewishness, it is rooted in the long intellectual and religious traditions of the Jewish People: from Beit Hillel in the Second Temple period to Maimonides to the 19th and 20th century religious and secular thinkers. I very much appreciate the insight Goodman brings into Jewish and Israeli thought; sharing with the reader many ideas that normally are not accessible (because they are in Hebrew).

The main idea Goodman starts with is that within Israel—and because its Israel, the Jewish national homeland—there are new ways of being Jewish developing. Just as older forms developed in response to the tensions and conditions of the world they were in, being Jewish in Israel is evolving and responding to pressures and tensions in Israel. These include the interaction of tradition and modernity; community and individualism; authority and liberty.

Many know that Israel seems to be divided into two camps: religious and secular. Goodman argues this oversimplifies things. Within each camp there are further divisions, divisions that mirror each other in the other camps. That is, there is a more strident, religious camp that holds fast to the religious laws and traditions as expressed in orthodoxy. This is mirrored in the secular camp by the strident secularists who reject and forswear religious tradition and learning. But as well, each camp has what Goodman calls “alternative” movements. There are religious Zionists who are interested in the more open and dynamic aspects of modern life. This is mirrored by the secularist Zionists who are interested in connecting to the richness of Jewish tradition. The religious are not secularizing: they are not compromising or losing faith. And the secularists are not becoming religious: they want to enrich and deepen their secularism by connecting with the ideas and texts of the tradition.

His main argument is that these alternative threads are, or are potentially, forming a more balanced, middle way of Israeli Judaism.

Goodman argues that that these threads, the alternative and mainline ones, have long pedigrees in Jewish history and roots his analysis in those traditions. This history deals with, in its own ways relative to its time period, the problems and tensions of tradition and modernity; community and individualism; authority and liberty. As such, there is much to learn about how these alternative stands in contemporary Israeli society might deepen and expand: enriching Israeli society, but also Jewish culture worldwide.

And this can move beyond the Jewish world as well. The lesson is that if one is religious, they can enrich their faith with modern ideas and ideals without losing their religion; and if one is not religious, they can enrich their connections and community by exploring and learning about their traditions without having to submit to the authority of the tradition. This helps, as Goodman argues, to balance many of the tensions and values of modern life. That is, at least, the hope Goodman leaves us; and it is one I share. As a secular Jew, who loves learning about the tradition but is not likely to be observant, many aspects of Goodman’s discussion appealed to me deeply. Lastly, it is wonderfully written: clear and approachable even while condensing and articulating complex theological, philosophical, and sociological ideas.


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Review: Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams?

Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams? by Daniel Gordis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2023 is the 75th year of Israel’s re-founding. In May 1948, the leaders of the Jewish community declared the establishment of the State of Israel. The “Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel” was read aloud by David Ben-Gurion. Broadcasted live on the radio, the text of the declaration was also sent out to the world’s media.

Daniel Gordis takes the ideas and principles expressed in this declaration, unpacks them, and asks how well the state has lived up to the vision expressed by the founding generation of Zionists in this momentous document.

This ingenious method of exploration Israel’s 75 years of modern statehood allows Gordis to focus in on some of the central questions about Zionism and the rationale for a Jewish State as well as the achievements and failures of Israel. By exploring the meaning of the founding principles and visions, and then looking at how Israeli society, culture, and governance have either met and surpassed that vision, or have at times fallen short of those principles, we get a clear set of themes and standards to consider and evaluate.

Gordis provides a balanced approach, one that pulls few punches in criticizing Israel when appropriate. He does not shy away from pointing out the internal tensions in the founders’ visions and principles, and the sometimes inconsistency of the application. This allows Gordis to also express his profound love and admiration for the breathtaking achievements of Israel’s 75 years.

This is a wonderful book that helps reiterate the purpose and need for Israel, as well as understanding Israel within the context of its founding purposes. Reading this after the pogrom of Oct 7 and subsequent explosion of world-wide antisemitism was heartening and reaffirming.


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