BOOKS IN BRIEF--SUMMER 2010

By Bill Breakstone, September 19, 2010


The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations?
By Ian Bremmer
The world’s economy is undergoing profound changes, as economies such as China, India, Russia, Brazil and Mexico have risen to prominence. Understanding the differences between these state capitalist economic systems, and traditional capitalist economies, has become essential for any student of economics and politics. Bremmer’s book is beautifully written, concise, and not at all dry.

Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance
By Nouriel Roubini
The title says it all. Here is a history of financial crises. Yes, our recent economic catastrophe was not the first, and will not be the last. In addition to past crashes, Roubini details the causes of the current mess, and what can be done to lessen the impact of future downturns. A must read.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest
By Stieg Larsson
The third and final installment by the late Swedish author, and another page-turner. What a trio of tales!

A Ticket to the Circus
By Norris Church Mailer
This book is not for everyone, as it borders on the lewd. Mrs. Mailer was the famous author’s fourth or fifth wife, and 30 years his junior. Mailer may have been an award-winning writer, but his character left a whole lot to be desired, at least in this reviewer’s eyes. Several times, I was about to throw the volume in the trash, but I fought off the urge and eventually was fascinated with the story.

The First Tycoon
By T. J. Stiles
The award-winning biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt, a fascinating subject, and a voluminous account of this self-made, uneducated, yet brilliant merchant and empire builder. It is also an account of the industrialization of America and its transportation system. Another must read!

Three Stations
By Martin Cruz Smith
The seventh Arkady Renko novel again set in Moscow. If you are a Renko fan, you’ll love this one. If you’re unfamiliar with this Moscow investigator, you’ll want to go out and read the previous volumes. This one’s a two night read, and you’ll have trouble putting it down.

The Great Decision: Jefferson, Adams, Marshall, and the Battle for the Supreme Court.
By Cliff Sloan and David McKean
Here is a true sleeper. I first came to know of this book when Charlie Rose interviewed the authors two months ago on his PBS show, and immediately marked it down for a read. I was not disappointed! Here is a mix of American history and jurisprudence, describing the events leading up to the famous case, Marbury v. Madison, and the Marshall Court’s surprising and precedent-setting decision. Be sure to read the appendices, which contain the entire decision written by the Chief Justice, as well as the far briefer one written by Associate Justice William Paterson in Stuart v. Laird. Critics of the book have remarked that the authors have not paid sufficient attention to Marshall’s contemporary detractors, and I for one agree with some who argue that since the Court ruled against its own jurisdiction, was it proper to decide on the merits before dismissing the case.

War
By Sebastian Junger
The final read of the summer. A brutal account of an Army platoon’s [2nd Platoon of Battle Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade] fifteen-month tour of duty in Afghanistan’s Korangal Valley in 2007 and 2008. The Barnes & Noble Reviews writes: “As a narrative of combat in Afghanistan from the U. S. ground perspective, the book has no rivals. It makes one wonder how any army could hold ground in Kornegal, and indeed why it would even want to.” Forty-seven American soldiers died in the Valley before leadership determined the effort was not worth the cost, and withdrew later in 2008. This is a powerful read, written by one of our best journalists. Not for the faint of heart!