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.

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.

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.

Jim Cramer's Real Money

There are a lot of stock investment books out there, all touting different investing strategies and methods. However, very few actually explain and define some of the common language that is used in the investment world. “Jim Cramer’s Real Money” does this with gusto.

I’m a guy who has attempted tor read Benjamin Graham’s “The Intelligent Inevestor” a couple of times. I would follow what he was saying until he threw a word like “multiplier”. I would wonder what a multiple was. I would try and figure out what he was talking about 12 time earnings etc. The most powerful part of Jim Cramer’s book is that he didn’t assume I knew what he was talking about.

In addition to this, the book was a smooth read and seemed to be brutally honest at times. I haven’t been able to invest using his strategies as of yet as I have other budgetary concerns to address first. But I would advise this book to anyone who’s interested in the stock game. It is an important book to read if you are trying to figure out how to invest in stocks, or even whether it is something you want to do. Try not to let his television show turn you off if you find the bells and whistle’s a bit much. It’s a good book.

I rate “Real Money” a buy.

Unjust Desserts

I think it is Newton I’m paraphrasing when I say that as a society we stand on the shoulder of giants. We have all of history to draw on as a blueprint for every invention we ever create. We learn from the experience of our ancestors. “Unjust Desserts” by Gar Alperovitz is a book that begins by explaining how collective knowledge leads to invention. He gives an example of the telephone which had three different inventors in three different areas. He shows that the invention was created because the accumulated knowledge of human civilization generated an environment where a device that allows you to talk to someone on the other side of the world is invented.

Gar brilliantly explains the concept of shared knowledge and “rent seeking”. He shows how there are individuals in society who have not generated any new product or created any new idea and who reap benefits due to their inheritance of ideas that were generated before they even existed.

Finally, he explains the contribution that society makes in creating new resources. He quotes Bill Gates Sr. and Warren Buffet’s assertions that they are where they are now because as much as because of the environment of the United States as their native abilities.

It is a must own book that contains a great deal of information. It is an essential part of your library.

25 Things That Really Matter in Life

I have recently gotten the opportunity to read "25 Things That Really Matter in Life". I have read many books that attempt to break through the self built barriers to success that most people possess. Many are good but they are often long and filled with unnecessary fluff. They often piggyback on older books like "Think and Grow Rich" or "How To Win Friends and Influence People". Gary does not fall into these traps. Rather, he in simple and direct terms, explains how he pushed himself to operate a successful business and over come depression and how others can do the same.



In the book Gary explains what matters to him and why. He shows how faith led him to start his own business, the joy that family brings, and even the importance of great sex. What really stands out about the book is the portion that asks the readers to list the 25 things that matters to them. This is a very personal part of the book that allows the readers, if they are serious about truly becoming successful and happy, to figure out what they truly want so that they plot their own direction in life rather than letting others do it for them.



I truly enjoyed 25 Things and recommend it to anyone who is unsure of where they want to go in life and to those who know the course they want to travel but want to enrich the journey.

Spend Well, Live Rich

Michele Singletary is a financial advice contributor on NPR who also writes the Color of Money column for the Washington Post. With the possibility of a recession looming, now is an excellent time to study and apply sound financial advice and Michelle offers this in spades in her book “Spend Well, Live Rich”

The book explores seven principles that Michele learned from her grandmother including, “If it’s on your ass it’s not an asset” and “Priorities lead to prosperity”. She also explores issues like budgeting, life insurance, and saving for your children’s education. What I liked most about the book is its simple common sense advice and its easy application in everyday life. Often such books are for those who are either completely engulfed in financial problems or for those who have never had any. Michele’s book focuses on those who fall in between the financial extremes as well as those who dwell on the fringes.

African American economic empowerment will not be the result of some mass economic uprising but rather the result of many individuals taking control of their financial futures. “Spend Well, Live Rich” is the perfect book for anyone who is looking to improve their own lives as well as those of their people. It is a must read.

I was sent a copy of Bill Cosby’s Come on People new book to review after my NPR appearance by what I believe to be some of his public relations people. I have to admit that I may have been a little harsh in my language on News & Notes but I still feelthe same way. A great deal of what Cosby and Poussaint say is dead on and useful but it has been presented in such a negative way that the people he wishes to reach won’t listen. Come on People is an excellent book that expresses what the problems are in the African American community and gives step by step instructions on how fix them.

The best thing about the book is how it has managed to divide itself into chapters and sections that address specific problems and how to solve them. The authors managed to find people throughout the country who can relate to the subject matter and who have gone through difficult situations and overcome them. Cosby and Poussaint, for the most part, manage to avoid coming across as condescending or negative as they examine problems such as teen pregnancy, mental illness, health, and education. It is very useful to those who are in a trouble spot in their lives or who know someone who is.

The cool thing about books that demand changes in behavior is that they allow you to give a relative or friend much needed advice without bruising their ego. If there is someone you know who over disciplines their child, or who is trying to figure out how to improve their own circumstances you can give them the book without being perceived as meddling. All in all, it is an excellent book and worth reading.

What saddens me is that the book is probably one of the best in terms of step by step instruction that I have seen in years and it is unlikely to reach the people who need it most, the African American underclass. I agreed with Cosby and thought that people were overreacting to his original comments when I heard the substance of what he said through third parties. When I actually recordings of his rants via radio I was taken aback by the disrespectful way he spoke of the African American lower class going as far as mocking their names. I was near the end of the book and was riding the Metro in D.C. when a sister struck up a conversation with me by asking me what I was reading. I told her it was Cosby’s book and she and a friend of hers began to discuss it with me. They said that “Cosby’s heart is in the right place but that mouth…ummm”. What they meant was that Cosby’s delivery is so stained with contempt that it made it next to impossible to listen to what he said.

I don’t pretend to know what type of situation these sisters were coming from, but I would hazard to guess that there were at least some portions that would have been useful to them. I learned a lot myself. But I have to admit that if it were not for the review copy I probably would not have read it. What this means to me is that the message, which is a phenomenal one, has been lost. I would recommend that anyone who cares about the African American community read this book, and I am sure that many in the frustrated middle class will do so. But those who need it most, those in the African American under class, will likely not do so because of Cosby’s failure to speak frankly out of concern rather than from frustration and anger.

In college I did a report on John McWhorter’s “Losing the Race”. I was reading slightly right of center African American authors in order to get a better understanding of people who thought differently than I did. Rather than being irritated by his arguments I was intrigued. His point of view actually expanded my horizons. “Losing the Race” is definitely worth reading.

In the book McWhorter explores some attitudes and worldviews that hold African Americans back. I was intrigued by his examples of pseudo-intellectual Black supremacists who were treated as rational among academics, and of a young African American linguist who studied foreign languages without bothering to learn them. They spoke to a problem in the African American community. There were times when I found him a bit naïve, such as an incident he referred to when he was stopped by the police. Also, some of his arguments are not up to snuff in terms of evidence from a political scientist’s perspective. However, it is a good book worth reading and I would recommend you do so.

Don't Blame it On Rio

There are very few books or media that focus on how African American men see the world. This is especially true when it comes to relationships. All too often a discussion of African American men in relationships focuses on trifling broke brother’s failure to be fathers or remain faithful to their mates. Well, this book follows this narrative to a certain degree but differs in that it explores the phenomenon of middle class African American men who take sex vacations in Brazil and truly attempts to understand their rationale and their beliefs about African American women.

Jewell Woods, the author, honestly made an attempt to understand how African American men view relationships with African American women and with Brazilian women. He also explored what motivated African American men to go to Brazil, moving beyond the obvious answer of sex and exploring some of the emotional and psychological factors involved. Rather than outright condemning the brothers, Jewell allowed them to have their say and then dissected their arguments, showing their hypocrisy, but also their humanity. Jewell manages to hold middle class African American men to account, without pandering to African American women who are likely to read his book.

Sexual tourism is a growing phenomenon in the African American community, and it is good that Jewell is holding middle class African American men, who normally get a pass on their sexism, accountable. One thing that I had a problem with in the book is that he opens with the question “Are Black Women Necessary” but does not really explain why they are. I love African American women, but considering what some of the complaints about them in the essay it felt like more of an effort to refute the arguments against sisters in the book would have been beneficial. Besides this, the book is an educational and a worthwhile read, especially considering the lack of literature that makes a real attempt to study African American outside of the prison and baby daddy categories.

Priceless

How much is your life worth? How much is your health worth? Frank Ackerman and Lisa Heinzerling discuss the process through which right wing free marketers have cheapened the value of human life, and its quality, through logical but inhuman economic practices that attempt to dollarize everything. They show the pseudo logic of economist who have argued that an senior citizen's life is worth less in terms of dollars than a young person and who are against any form of environmental and job regulation because of the costs.

The book is extremely well written and explains how economist measure risk for everyday Americans, and how that measurement has been corrupted by monied and political interest. In light of the case in Baltimore and our current environmental problems that we face, and that our children are likly to face, I would recommend this book to anyone who cares about their future and their quality of life.

A Review of To Die For the People

The Black Panthers are a very misunderstood group. This is especially true when it comes to the leadership of the organization. Huey Newton's autobiography "Revolutionary Suicide" explains his life, "To Die For the People" explains his worldview and shows the deductive processes by which he led the Black Party organization.

The book is a collection of speeches throughout his life as leader. It is a fascinating testament to what the party stood for and what Huey himself believed in. It allows the reader to judge the Black Panther Party, and Huey Newton for themselves. It is a must read for anyone intersted in history of the African American advancement movement.

Losing My Virginity

Losing My Virginity

Richard Branson is a billionaire who wrote and autobiography. That fact alone makes his biography worth reading. Besides this fact though, “Losing My Virginity” is a great book. The book covers nearly fifty years of Branson’s life, starting with his childhood in England and ending shortly after his battle to establish Virgin Airlines. It is definitely worth picking up.

Virgin records, Virgin Music, and various other Virgin businesses are Branson’s creation. In the book he explains his highs and lows and hides very little about himself. Things that many memoir writers might leave out, like his infidelity and legal troubles, are included in the book and one cannot help but respect Branson for that. What is best is how entertaining the book is. Biographies can run the risk of being dry and uninteresting, Branson avoids all of these things.

For anyone who wants to start a business, or who just wants to read a good autobiography, I recommend picking up “Losing My Virginity”. I’ve read it twice.