This is Cuba

Cuba is a little Island in the Caribbean that has managed to have a huge impact on American policy. A combination of the a near Apocalypse caused by the Cuban Missile crisis and a decades long embargo made Cuba one of the most contentious foreign policy topics of the previous century, dragging into the present. This Is Cuba, is a glimpse of the country that Americans rarely see. It is not the Cuba of our domestic politics, nor is it the Cuba of the Miami immigrants. Rather it is the Cuba that real Cubans live and struggle in everyday.

Ben Corbett describes a society where everyone is dependent on the black market to live. He depicts a nation whose revolution has decomposed into a sad desperate attempt of an old man to find political and historical significance. This is Cuba shows the frustration of a people who honestly believed in change after the fall of the Batista government and who live in a society whose standard of living increasingly decreases while rich tourists enjoy the finest things of the island.

The book is excellently written and, instead of trying to push a certain ideology, embraces the people of Cuba's beliefs and ideas of their government. Everyone from prostitutes to dairy farmers share their beliefs and lives with Corbett as he explains life on this island nation. If one is looking for a quick and informative read about the Black Sheep of the Caribbean, this is it. I rank this a read.

The Unthinkable

The Unthinkable

You’re on an airplane that has crashed, or a hurricane is coming towards your home, or your house is on fire. What do you do? How do you perform under stressful situations? “The Unthinkable” by Amanda Ripley, is a book that explores how human beings respond to danger using anecdotes and well researched neurological studies to explain how human beings either succumb to the brains evolutionary response to danger or use this response to escape danger.

The most interesting part of this book is the destruction of the myth of panic by large groups. Ripley shows that there are instances where large groups panic, but in the majority of cases it seems that people are calm and helpful in dangerous situations. What seems to be the problem during disasters is a lack of training and knowledge of their situation. Public officials tend to believe that people can’t be trusted with a thorough knowledge of danger rather. Because of this, people are often robbed of knowledge that can save their lives. “The Unthinkable” give details of this problem and much more information that is of use to readers.

I rank this book a buy. This is especially good for minorities as they tend to be at risk of danger from fires, which are primarily a problem of lower earners. It is one of the best books I’ve read on this subject in a long time.

Richistan

Some Americans are really, really wealthy. “Richistan”, by Robert Frank, is a description of the lives of the upper 1% in America, who make huge amounts of income and live vastly different lives from the rest of us. This book is fascinating and manages to examine the social consequences of economic inequality while at the same time treating those who have more money than the rest of us as human beings.

American income inequality has been an issue since Reagan began dismantling regulation and our tax code. Frank, in a curious and fascinated manner, examines the everyday lives of the ultra rich and shows the readers a world that is so alien as to be a foreign land, thus the title.

It is a good book and a good read, albeit a brief one, and is well worth picking up. I purchased it but would recommend you borrow it from a friend or the library. However, if you do purchase it you won’t be disappointed.

In Defense of Food

Wow, we eat a lot of things that are bad for us. This book is not about looking for nutrients or trying to get more vitamin C. It’s about eating food. In fact that is the premise of the book “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” explains the authors entire philosophy on food.

I had been thinking about my eating habits before I read this book. I want to get into the best shape of my life, and had begun wondering if the stuff I was putting into my body made a bigger difference than I had previously thought. “In Defense of Food” divided the world into food and food substitutes. The author argued, convincingly, that there is a marked difference in taste, quality, and health benefits between mass produced agro-business food products, and organic local produce and meats. Further, he explains how fake foods, like margarine, got on the shelves of supermarkets, and how a reductionist scientific approach has led to food that is not as healthy as what our ancestors ate.

When I read the book I began to think of some eating experiences that stood out for me. My grandmother would buy whole milk that was so fresh cream would form at the top. I remembered hating 2% milk that I drank at home because it tasted like water and being absolutely in love with the bottled local milk at my grandmothers. I thought about the first time I ate free range chicken at my girlfriend’s mothers house and how I didn’t even realize it was chicken because the bones were so thick and the meat so flavorful. I remembered the taste of fresh chicken in Kenya which only had a little salt and tomatoes stewed with it.

As a percentage of our income, Americans pay less than most other people for our food. The reason is not that we produce inexpensive food. We pay less because we eat a cheap substitute for good food. It is less healthy and it doesn’t taste as good. I rate “In Defense of Food” a buy. The book has made me determined to spend a little bit more for my food, because after all this stuff goes in my body and why settle for crappy food when a healthier alternative is available that TASTES better.

The Rise of Counter-Establishment and Blinded by the Right

The Rise of the Counter-Establishment

Where did the modern conservative extreme right come from.? Sidney Blumenthal explains this, in rich detail, in his book “The Rise of the Counter-establishment”. This book starts in the beginning of the twentieth century by explaining the roots of the neo-cons and ideological roots. In Blumenthal’s book we get extreme which include the rise of Milton Friedman, the Reagan Revolution, and the merger of the religious and economic right.

What is most interesting about Blumenthal’s book is that we can see the feudal out look of some of the leaders of the conservative movement. There is a belief in a type of capitalism that is more akin to a feudal world where the wealthy dominate, social movement is limited, and religion is homogenized. We have nearly one hundred years of the history of one of the most influential movements of our lifetimes in one place. Its worth buying and I rate it a buy.




Blinded in the Right

Imagine being a gay man in the closet working for the far right during their rise to power. That is what David Brock was as a hard core right wing pundit who was well enmeshed in the power structure of the Republican and conservative movements. He went from being a darling of the right, to an outcast shortly after he was “outed”.

Brock’s story is fascinating as we watch him argue passionately against his own interests, and then see his tumble on the road to Damascus. He rights well, and it is very difficult to put the book down once it is begun.

This is a fantastic book, a quick read and well written. It’s worth buying as well, if for no other reason than to be able to loan it to friends who are curious about the inner workings of the modern Republican Party.

The Looting of America

Les Leopold’s “The Looting of America” is one of many books that have analyzed the economic crisis of 2008 and its causes. While it may seem to be a bit of a retread as financial instruments are explained in numerous publications, Les does manage to make the subject interesting. He begins by giving an example of a small town in Wisconsin that lost millions of dollars due to being sold derivatives. Leopold then goes on to discuss the origins of the economic crisis and possible solutions.

Les gives a history of money and lending which is quite interesting. He begins to explain how each civilization handled debt laws differently, some allowing interests and some banning it out right. He gives a history of money and how it came about and then explains how the modern financial innovations of the United States last two decades have lead to devastation in the present.

He also makes an argument, similar to Paul Krugman’s in “The Conscience of a Liberal” that the redistribution of wealth from the production economy to the finacncial service economy has been bad for the middle class and has benefited the upper 5% of Americans. Leopold gives possible solutions and approaches to solving the economic problem and possible preventative measures that are quite interesting. One of these solutions, insurance paid by financial institutions to the government to help protect citizens from the effects of the boom bust cycle, was especially fascinating.

The book is well written, although occasionally Leopold comes off as silly when he makes a point. The wine analogy that he uses to explain derivatives and credit default swaps gets tiresome too. Overall, it’s a short, information packed, and interesting book that is worth reading. I rate the book a borrow.

The Conscience of a Liberal

The Conscience of a Liberal, by Paul Krugman, is an analysis of what brought the Republican Right to power and what needs to be done to undo the damage that their anti-government policies have wrecked on the United States. Krugman, a Nobel winning economist, explains that the high quality of life that the middle class of the United States possessed during the fifties and sixties was due to a lack of economic inequality. He also argues that the prosperous era of the mid-twentieth century came to an end because of the policies of the hard right, rather than because of a change of economic circumstance.

Krugman’s analysis of the conservative right was covered more in depth in “The Rise of the Counter-Establishment” and its political machine is made more clear in “Blinded By the Right”. However, Krugman adds more context by explaining how specific conservative policies have led to the wealth of the nation has been shifted to the top 5% by political means and that the middle class has been mugged by those whose money can influence elections. Anti-union policies, as the elimination of many taxes on the wealthiest Americans, are blamed for the United States current circumstances as well as a Republican party willing to use racism, regionalism, and bigotry to win elections.

Krugman wrote the was published in 2007 but manages to explain the problems of creating universal health care and the importance of health care being passed if progressives are to pull the nation from the precipice that the radical right is pushing it towards.

This was a great book, well written, and a surprisingly quick read. I would recommend reading it and rate it a buy.

Cabin in the Sky

Cabin in the Sky is a classic African American film. It came out back when we were still Negro’s and is a film about a man, Little Joe, who is killed while gambling. He is a borderline soul and is given a short amount of time to come back to Earth so that he can earn his way into either heaven or hell. An Angel and a devil both try and nudge his soul in their respective directon It’s a musical, that stars the likes of Lena Horne, and many other classic actors.

I watched this film quite often as a child, and never ceased to enjoy it. It shows the dedication and artistry of African American film makers during a time when their abilities were not respected. Besides being a great African American film, it is also a great American film.

I would recommend this as a buy for several reasons. It is well written, well filmed, and truly entertaining. It is a historical film that will allow you to see a glimpse of how the pre civil rights African Americans lived in their own communities and you’ll enjoy it.

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs, and Steel” is a brilliant analysis of how societies form and how technology is developed. He shows that, while culture and native intelligence is important, environment has a great impact on how a society develops. I first read this book for a Technology and Culture class in graduate school and was very impressed by it.

Jared Diamond starts with the premise that humans are basically similar in intelligence and drive on average. He then explores the environmental differences throughout history that each group of human beings has faced, and how these differences affected the development of technology, culture, and society.

Jared demonstrates that human beings, when shown new technology and foodstuffs that are useful, take advantage of them, and that much of the success of many societies has to do with experience learned from the past and advantageous environment. Diamond shows how agriculture throughout the world came about. He explains how the geography of an area could affect the nature of the crops that were available to a population and in turn the cultural development of a society. His largest example is comparing the cyclical crops of Eurasia. The Eurasian crops, due to the changes in weather, had regular growing and planting times allowing agriculturalist to plan for the future. In climates that were more extreme, such options were not there and this slowed down their agricultural development. This is just one of many interesting agricultural facts that he brings up in his book.

Jared also explains how the availability of animals that could be domesticated was important because it lead to the contraction of diseases for which immunities could be developed. When the West entered the New World, they found populations that had not domesticated many animals and so the West infected them with diseases for which they had no immunities. I am oversimplifying his argument, but hope that what I have written in regards to agriculture and animal husbandry inspires you to buy the book.

Diamond discusses how cultures either embrace or reject technological advancements based on how connected they are to other societies, or how decentralized and interactive their cultures are. He also explains how elites, or plutocracies, evolve. It is a fascinating book. I would recommend buying the “Guns, Germs and Steel” I bought the hardcover and it sits prominently on my bookshelf.

Slumdog Millionaire

Wow. The film is about a poor kid from the slums, or a “slum dog” who is one question away from winning the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The film begins with the police torturing him to find out how he cheated because it is assumed that an impoverished product of the slums could not possibly have known the answers to such difficult questions as those asked on the show. As he explains to the police how he knows the answers, we are shown flashbacks of the significant moments of his life that are tied to his knowledge.

The film is in both English and an Indian language with subtitles. We are able to see the plight of the Muslim minority in India. The abuse of women, children, and the poor is also highlighted in the film. The industry and grit of the Indian people is displayed in every moment of Slumdog Millionaire. The lead actor Dev Patel, is brilliant in the film, making the audience feel happy when he is happy, and sad when he is as well. His brother, Selim, is played by three different actors throughout his life, all of whom make you both love and hate the character.

Slum Dog Millionaire is a movie that has won many awards and much critical acclaim. You have doubtlessly heard of it. I want to let you know that, besides being a darling of the critics, it is also a watchable and engrossing movie that you will enjoy. It’s a buy.

Mongol

Mongol is the story of how Genghis Khan came to power. It is a quite interesting portrayal of a man who is usually portrayed as a heartless and barbaric conqueror. It is a foreign film, so you have to read the subtitles, but it appears to be well funded and is quite interesting. The audience is afforded the opportunity to see inside Mongol culture and witness how cultural mores and values can be both harm and help the life of an individual.

Aside from the action and historical aspect, the focus on how culture tears apart the friendship of Genghis and his blood brother, how it leads to his fathers death and then saves his own life, is a fascinating part of the story. We do not get the opportunity to see Genghis conquer the kingdoms of Asia, but we do get an opportunity to see him conquer the many barriers cast in his way.

I would rate Mongol a buy. It may not be a film that you watch every other weekend, but it will be one that, when you do sit down and watch it, you will enjoy thoroughly.

Uprising

Huey Newton said “I’d rather die on my feet then live on my knees”. The story of Uprising, a film about the rebellion of Jews in the Ghettos of Warsaw during World War II, is a presentation of this philosophy. Germany conquered Poland in about a month during World War II. They isolated the Jews into the Ghettos and then began a process of evacuating Jews to concentration camps where they were killed en mass. Rather than go willingly to their deaths. Heroes in the Warsaw Ghettos fought a hopeless battle against the Germans. The managed to kill many German soldiers and a few of the Jews even escaped to freedom.

I’m generally a sucker for a film with people fighting a hopeless battle and facing their deaths bravely, but it is a little different when the story being portrayed is not a work of fiction. Uprising is very respectful to the people who died in Warsaw. It shows them as human beings who were imperfect, but who were trying to do the right thing. It shows how the anti-Semitism of the allies prevented them from coming to the aid of the successful Jewish fighters. And it showed how the spirit of a people who had been oppressed for millennia could not be destroyed. It is a film which is definitely worth seeing, not just because of its historical content, but because of the quality of the film. It’s worth having in your DVD collection.

Confederate States of America

I was going through the mountains of West Virginia when I first heard of this film. The premise intrigued me, what would the world be like if the South had won the Civil War? I finally got to see it a year later and was not disappointed. The film is set as a documentary of sorts tracking the history and modern life of the Confederate States of America. The South wins the war in the 1860’s spreading slavery through out the United States. It ends up conquering all of Latin America and instituting Jim Crow laws in Mexico.

The film is most interesting when it shows how closely related the United States of American and the Confederate States of America are. It follows a famous politician around as he pontificates about modern issues as they affect the CSA. He could easily be mistaken for a far right religious conservative in his assumptions and belief in his own righteousness. Commercials parodying COPS, shown instead as a show about slave catching, and highlighting brands that really existed in American history, such as Niggerhair cigarettes, the film shows us just close we resembled the CSA for during some portions of our history.

It was a good film, the film is low budget but well executed. It quite enjoyable, being interesting and informative at the same time. The Confederate States of America is worth purchasing and I would recommend that you do so. The director, Kevin Willmott, is a professor at Kansas University and is currently working on a film about a young Native American who escapes the Haskell internment camp.

Diary of a Tired Black Man

Diary of a Tired Black Man is high concept and low quality. It was written, shot, and produced by Tim Alexander. I don’t think it is because of any laziness on Tim Alexander’s part, I just simply think it’s hard to make a film. It’s a little bit documentary, a little bit feature film. It’s the story of a Black man who has divorced a Black woman and the personal and relationship issues that led to their separation.

The film has a good message; don’t carry your baggage from a former relationship into your present one. The issue of some Black women, and men to be honest, punishing their current partner for the mistakes of a past one is valid. Tim Alexander also focuses on how the problems between men and women while raising a child lead to generational problems in terms of relationships in the community. I was also very impressed by a portion of the film where the lead character, James, had to come to terms with his own role in choosing a woman with whom he was not a good match. I think that helped the film simply being a female bashing answer to men bashing films and books. For these reasons alone it’s worth giving a look. That’s the good.

The bad is abundant as well. The acting is not great throughout most of the film, although the lead actor Jimmy Jean-Louis does a good job. Tim, when interviewing people on the street came across as aggrieved at times. Sometimes messages in the film that could have been delivered with subtlety were delivered with way too much force. In other words he lays it on kind of thick. It also gets a little long near the end. However, over all the film had a worthwhile message and is worth watching. Despite some rough patches, the good moments are really excellent. I rate it a rent.

The End of Suburbia

Oil and the suburbs, that’s what this film is about. The End of Suburbia is a film that explores the history and future of suburban America. We are a nation that is dependent on foreign oil, but this was not always the case. When America was awash in its own oil resources the automobile was seen as a way to utilize this natural resource. The creation of the American suburbs was made possible by the car, and peak oil may be the end of it.

The film, The End of Suburbia, is a fascinating study of how the limited resource of oil an our culture of consumption may have vast and far reaching consequences on our future. Various scientists and futurist discuss how the quality of American life had declined due to suburban life and how it is likely to continue to do so because our lifestyles are not sustainable.

I would rank this a rent. It is a good film, but probably does not have a great deal of re-watch value. It is useful for any students or political scientists who are working on papers regarding our depleting natural resources, but is a little dry at times. Check it out.

Cocaine Cowboys

This is a fascinating documentary about the rise of cocaine in the United States, mostly focused on Florida. It describes how some entrepreneurial, and morally lax, people managed to turn cocaine into a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. It explains how Miami, Florida became a dangerous place to live because of the wars between cocaine smugglers and the drugs immense social costs. It also shows how some people profited from the suffering the drug caused.

The film does not glorify the smugglers; it simply shows how they gained their wealth, and eventually how they lost it. What you will find most interesting is the amount of jail time that these big time drug peddlers received when they were finally caught.

In any case, the documentary was very thorough, and will keep your attention throughout. There is a sequel that I will definitely have to watch. I would rate this as a rent. I liked it but doubt I would watch it very often. I highly recommend checking it out.

Unchained Memories

Who were our ancestors? We know they were slaves and that overcame a great number of difficult circumstances. We know they loved the idea of freedom and survived things that would have broken weaker people, but what about their personal stories? What about their day to day lives? HBO’s Unchained Memories is the recitation of slave narratives that were collected from former slaves during the Great Depression and has famous stars such as Samuel Jackson voicing the slave’s stories.

The actors do a brilliant job telling powerful stories from the slave perspective. The former slaves talk about their owners, losing relatives to the auction block, and their efforts to become free. I rank this a buy. It is worth owning, watching, and sharing if for no other reason than to hear the songs of our ancestors, the slave songs, and see the pictures of beaten down people, and learn about the people survived hardship so that we could be born.

The Ditchdiggers daughters

The Ditch Diggers Daughters could be called, “how to raise successful children” or “how to overcome any limitations”, or even “how to ignore naysayers and raise young people”. I’ll just call it a really good family biography. Dr. Yvonne Thornton recounts how her father raise five daughters with the belief that they could all do anything that they wanted to do. Her father, Donald Thornton, dug ditches at one point of his life and managed to get his children educated, helped them become brilliant musicians who played the Apollo, and became educated and independent women. Mr. Thornton did this by any means necessary, ignoring an and all obstacles, including his own pride, to get his children where he wanted them to be.

The book is an easy read. I rate it a buy. I started reading it in a book store and couldn’t put it down. It is rare for the story of rising from poverty to the middle class is documented in book form. Dr. Thornton does a great job recounting the life of her father, and her family. This book is a good tool for showing that determination can help one overcome racism, poverty, and many other obstacles. It’s a great book.

The Snowball

This authorized biography of Warren H. Buffett gives you insight into the mind of the greatest investor of our generation, and possibly ever. It's a long book objectively, around 900 pages, but subjectively the book breezes by. Warren from childhood to the twilight of his life is a depiction of a child who seemed like he was destined to work with money, but who also, recognized the providence of fate that allowed him to born in a nation that nurtured him.

I loved the book. It was well written, very detailed, and fun to read. I would rate this book a buy. It gives you so much information in such an easily absorbed format that one feels a little wiser after reading it. It looks great on a bookshelf, and it may even increase your investing circle of competence. Pick it up.