I love castles. I forget this and don't make it a point to visit them, but every time I do I'm awed. Last year I visited Hearst Castle while I was in Big Sur, CA (courtesy of Buick), and not long ago I visited Bishop's Castle here in Colorado. While Hearst's is a sprawling estate at the top of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Bishop's was (and is still) built by one man … [Read more...]
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Book Review)
I don't even know where to start reviewing The Bully Pulpit because it's such a big and all-encompassing one. In short, it's about one of Americas most famous friendships between Presidents' Roosevelt and Taft and its rapid and public unraveling. Beyond that, it's also about the first president who harnessed the power of the press, the divergence of the Republican party, … [Read more...]
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard (Book Review)
Confession: I'm a bad political science graduate. I like to think that I know a little bit about some things when it come to former presidents, but apparently I was wrong. Although I knew about Teddy Roosevelt as a politician (reformer, ran for a third term, had a stuffed bear named after him), I had no idea that he was also a naturalist and explorer. This is pretty … [Read more...]
Elizabeth Warren on the Power of Banks (Book Review)
In 2012, Elizabeth Warren burst onto the scene by winning a highly contested congressional race in Massachusetts. Her victory was part of the country's most expensive race, as well as the race that saw Massachusetts' highest voter turnout ever. Before this, however, Warren was quite active within the beltway as an advocate for consumer financial protections and as a … [Read more...]