Recent Reviews and Posts

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey: On Richard III, Tudor Propaganda, and How History Gets Written

In September 2012, archaeologists started digging in a parking lot in Leicester, England. On their first day of work, they found a skeleton. The bones belonged to a man in his thirties who had died violently — a large bladed weapon had struck the back of his skull. He had been buried in a simple grave and then forgotten for five centuries, his tomb lost when the friary church above it was … [Read More...]

Book Review | The Field of Blood by Joanne Freeman

The elevator pitch for this book is easy: it is all about the violence in Congress during the decades leading up to the Civil War—a period marked by intense turmoil. Through Benjamin Brown French's eleven volumes of diary entries, Joanne Freeman vividly brings to life a chapter of history I was previously unfamiliar with, and she does so with remarkable insight. What I recognize best is the … [Read More...]

Reflections | Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey

I recently read ‘Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier’ by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey, and it offered some profound, research-backed insights into happiness. One core idea is that happiness isn’t a fixed destination but an ongoing process—a direction we move in through intentional habits and choices. A key tool they discuss is metacognition: the ability to … [Read More...]

Short Review | A Republic, If You Can Keep It by Neil Gorsuch

Neil Gorsuch's book, "A Republic, If You Can Keep It," is a blend of memoir, legal analysis, and philosophical musings, providing readers with insights into the mind of one of the U.S. Supreme Court's more recent justices. I was fortunate to hear the justice speak during a visit to Brigham Young University associated with the book's release. Though I read parts of it at the time, I only recently … [Read More...]

Recommendation | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

After finishing Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation, I couldn't wait to recommend it to my family, friends, and others. I truly believe this book is a must-read for anyone with a smartphone, children, or, well, a pulse. Smartphones' impact has been so fast and pervasive in our culture that we are only beginning to understand how they are changing us. Because of that, The Anxious Generation … [Read More...]

Reflections on Night by Elie Weisel

When reflecting on a literary work that has endured for almost 65 years and left an indelible mark on history, it's remarkable to consider its profound impact on millions of readers and its recognition with a Nobel prize. The moment was the Holocaust, and the book--the memoir--is Elie Wiesel's Night. It is a gut-wrenching snapshot of the horror and human suffering enforced on millions in the … [Read More...]

Book Review | The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

If there's one book that surprised me, it's The Book Thief. I brushed it off for the longest time due to my aversion to historical fiction and young adult novels. However, an unexpected trip to Poland, with a visit to Auschwitz on the agenda, led me to reconsider. It all started with Elie Weisel's Night, but my wife's suggestion for our girls to read The Book Thief truly piqued my interest. … [Read More...]

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