Despite Tragedy, Triumph

The horror of 9-11 has seared in most of us memories and images that we wish we could forget. It's easy to get lost in the agony of the event, but this book reminds us that there were miracles on that day, too. Blind from infancy, Michael was only a teen when matched with his first guide dog. His job at the World Trade Center found him there on September 11th, 2001, along with his dog, Roselle. We go through that day with the two of them, and you can imagine how tense that all is. This remembrance of a horrific day in the lives of so many is artfully written (with co-writer, Susy Flory) in such a way that when you feel yourself starting to panic, the narrative switches to Michael's childhood or the nuts and bolts of being blind. There are several subtexts, and it was quite edifying. If the only thing you come away with is that blind people are just folks, that's a good outcome. But you won't. You'll be moved by the story of the Twin Towers, you'll be grateful for guide dogs, and will probably reconsider what you previously thought was a limitation.

Never Good Enough

It is so telling that in behaving like a normal child for once, Marc sees himself as a failure. Chiding himself for his one fumble, it seems, this book was named. One-Legged Mongoose is the chronicle of a slice of the life of Marc Strauss, child prodigy. From ages 10-12 we are flies on the walls of his life, marveling at his hutzpah, ingenuity, and street-smarts. Tasked with watching out for his often-picked-on little brother, he has to hone those skills early in life, as this was the 1950s and there was no anti-bullying campaign enlightening the neanderthals of the world. Navigating a post-war society still glaringly anti-Semitic, Marc has his own challenges. Plus, there's a secret enemy who is not in the streets, and much more covert. This page-turner tells the story of an amazing kid who had to grow up way too fast. It runs the gamut from funny to tragic, and is definitely more than good enough.

Goose-Stepping Armies, Here We Come

For as long as I've been alive, I've heard people wonder how the heck Hitler came to power and was able to get people to do all the horrifying things done in his regime. Although there were projects done to illustrate how we could, indeed, fall into this trap again (check out The Wave, for example--true story), we still tend to smugly assume that having the benefit of hindsight, we are immune to this type of snowjob. Well, think again, because here we are, unless something or someone can stop this heck of a henchman. While Trump shares many characteristics with Hitler (rigidity, personal insecurity, stubbornness, bullying behavior, no real personal relationships, selfishness, cruelty, and of course, racism), the real linchpin here is Stephen Miller, about whom the book Hatemonger is written. Aptly named, this chronicle of his upbringing and ideological evolution is enlightening, but chilling. With his x-ray vision into the souls of his own base, he is adept at whipping them into a frenzy of fear of brown people which bolsters the far-right bloc. He echoes, verbatim, phrases from white supremecist groups, knows the leaders personally, and has demonstrated his disdain for human life by separating children (even infants) from parents who have committed no crime. Shame on those brown people for requesting asylum--SHAME! SHAME!! It makes you wonder how he would have looked on his own ancestors who fled the pogroms and found protection here. He is a hypocrite of the highest degree, and not only hateful, but power-hungry. I'm fearful of where this could take us, and anticipate the deja vu of another genocide and future generations of people, yet again, asking how in the world that happened. This book is informative and eerie, and gives a glimpse into the mind of who's running the show. And I don't mean Trump.