Books

Oakland Poet Writes Infinite Poems for Infinite Prices

With the sun shining down on the San Francisco pier and farmers market attendees sauntering around in the background, there was quite a few people surrounding a young man with a green Swiss-made 1968 Hermes Rocket portable typewriter, hovering over him excitedly as he pounded away furiously on his machine. Potential customers encircled the fast-talking, fast-typing Zach Houston, owner...

Chernow Humanizes Washington

George Washington has stood as the pivotal figure of American history, the ethos of an entire nation distilled into one man, however it is sometimes difficult to remember he was just that: a flesh and blood figure who experienced the same passions and emotions as all humans do. “Washington: A Life” by Ron Chernow reminds us that Washington did...

Eugenides Breathes Life into Love Triangle

Three Brown University college students, Leonard, Mitchell and Madeleine find themselves in a quixotic love triangle while trying to navigate life after graduation, questions of spirituality and the threat of mental disease in a society that has undergone an extreme transformation—that’s right, the ‘80s. American Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jeffrey Eugenides, who is most known for his first two exceptional...

Official Steve Jobs Biography Explains It All

As if destined by the powers that be, a biography commissioned by Steve Jobs to document his life was released on Oct. 24, two weeks after the technological titan’s death. Walter Isaacson, responsible for biographies on Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein, was put to the task. The once editor-in-chief for Time magazine interviewed over a hundred of Jobs’ associates, including such notables as Al Gore and Bill Gates, to construct a tome that would present both Jobs’...

“Lost City Radio” Illustrates the Enduring Agony of War

In Daniel Alarcón’s “Lost City Radio,” Norma has hosted the Lost City Radio show for a decade, giving hope to a war-torn country from the poor of the barrios to the Indians of the jungle. Using the power of voice, she reads the names of people who have disappeared into the furiously developing city in order to help loved...

Ambition Untamed: Lyndon Johnson’s Years in the Senate

Throughout this nation’s history, the institution of the United States Senate has served as a mirror of the America it represents. From her “Golden Age” when such figures as Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun held sway on the floor with their oratory down to the partisan stagnation of contemporary times, the Senate has reflected American virtues and vices...

Stein Captures Complex Life Issues With a Subtle Touch

College students rarely get the opportunity to read a book not required for class, so the easy to read, relatively short novel “The Art of Racing in the Rain” is the good way to break from textbook monotony and enjoy a reading experience. “The Art of Racing in the Rain” is an insightful, creative and inspiring story that will...

“Beyond Bin Laden” Essay Collection Is Misleading

Executive Editor and Pulitzer Prize winner Jon Meacham uses his standing at random house to compile a collection of essays in his newest published work, “Beyond Bin Laden.” Jon Meacham’s personal opinions take a back seat to the magnitude of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, and their affects on current American society. “Beyond Bin Laden” offers readers different...

Marable Writes A Gritty Account of Malcom X’s Life

When you think of African American rights and activism, many people first think of Martin Luther King Jr., but others might recall another hero of African American rights, Malcolm X. Much is known about the public speaker who was able to rally thousands of black Americans to follow his particular American dream. Although many have read his autobiography, Manning...

Von Luck’s Memoir is a Tale of “Duty” and “Fatherland”

History is an unremitting waltz that moves to the three beats of war, peace and revolution. Hans von Luck’s war memoir “Panzer Commander” showcases the life of one man caught up in an era of social revolution, brutal war and tenuous peace. Von Luck’s autobiographical account of his service in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War paints a...