Tag: nonfiction

2020 Reading Goal #34 – Flash Boys by Michael Lewis

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Y’all, I’m getting so close to my goal of 50! This is already my second best year overall. I’ve decided that I’m going to include every review I write for the last few books of the year on here. This is the first.

The stock market is rigged against the average investor by every other party taking part in the market. That’s what Michael Lewis explains so thoughtfully in this book.

This was the second book I’ve read by Michael Lewis. This was the second time he’s left me thoroughly impressed.

Fair warning, the subject matter of the book is not just the stock market, the focus is on high frequency trading and dark pools and the fractured nature of exchanges. All of it is highly complex and not easily understood even by the financial professionals who work within the system. This isn’t my takeaway, it’s shown throughout the book. But he manages to make these extremely complex practices understandable. Sure, I won’t be giving a Ted Talk on high frequency trading, but upon completion I understand the story he was trying to tell.

What nonfiction often struggles with is leading up to something, a climax or grand event that acts as the high point of the story. Somehow he writes this exactly like a fiction novel. Toward the end of the book Brad Katsuyama (with plenty of help from his small, but highly talented group) launched IEX, their new stock exchange meant to level the playing field and protect investors from the predatory trading practices found elsewhere. Reading the description of what happened that first month is as good as any writing I’ve ever read. As a reader it gave me goosebumps to read about this band of people joining together to take on the entirety of Wall Street. A small minority that needs just a little help from the silent majority to quite literally change the world.

5 stars. No doubt.

A Look Into an American Nightmare: Dave Cullen’s “Columbine”

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I’ve been absent from here, but I’m finally ready to get back to what makes this blog what it is: BOOKS.

I’ve owned this book for a couple of years. I first started it a few months back, and finally got around to finishing it last night. What follows is my review.

So often after mass shootings we hear about “politicizing” the issue. There’s nothing political anout this book, just as there’s really nothing political about combatting gun violence. It would have been easy for this book to delve into the common topics that persist after every shooting, but it did no such thing.

Dave Cullen takes you into the minds and private lives of these two muderers. He chronicles in minute detail the days, weeks, and months leading up to April 20, 1999. He details how these two kids went from fantasizing about murder to committing a massacre. He takes you into the lives of several parties after the killing had finally stopped. Parents, students, educators, law enforcement. No life is the same after such an event, and he makes it crystal clear.

There’s a part near the end of the book in which he describes how “Columbine” had become the name of a mass shooting rather than a high school, but over the years seems to have reverted back to just the name of a high school in Colorado. I’m not sure if a community can ever really love on from something like this, but based on the book this one seems to constantly try.

An phenomenal story about an unspeakable act.

Summer Reading? People Do That?

John Guillen5 Comments

I wasn’t a give reader when I was in school. I read more in college than I’ve read during the rest of my life. Seriously.

I can think of one summer reading assignment I completed. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It was assigned the summer before my freshman year in college. I thought it was a great book, but I’ve not gone back to read any of his other books.

What’s your take on summer reading?

Books I Recommended to Someone who Asked for a sad Read

John Guillen3 Comments

The actual request was for a book that may make them cry.

Lone Survivor

Night

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Martian

All of the books have completely different storylines. Two are based in fact. Two are not. The common thing from all of them is that I believe there are lessons to be learned from each. Just like there’s a lesson to be learned from nearly every book ever published. The messaging may be off and the writing poor, but find a book in which you take nothing away from it and I’ll gladly hand you hundreds in which you’ll find something hidden beneath the printed words.

What was the last book that made you cry?

Wait, What?

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Bill O’Reilly is essentially always in the news. Recently it’s been for some serious things that have happened in the past. It was recently reported by the NYT that Fox News has settled multiple sexual harassment allegations made against O’Reilly for millions of dollars.

This isn’t the point of this post because wherever you get your news has surely reported on the latest developments. The point of this is to tell you that a book on “family values” written by O’Reilly was just published during the same week these allegations and settlements have come to light. Hollywood couldn’t write this stuff.

I’m not even surprised by this. It often seems that those who are the worst examples of people want to tell others how they should or shouldn’t act.

The book is called Old School and is available wherever books are sold. I know you’re eager to get your hands on it.

Should I do This?

John Guillen7 Comments

People are becoming more and more politically active, but not everyone is outspoken and open about it. I’ve just read multiple reports of people doing something great. They’re buying dozens of copies of books like 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale, and In The Garden of Beasts, but guess what they’re doing with the books they’re buying? They’re giving them away!

The stories I’ve read about have included anonymous buyers who simply ask that the bookstore give the books away while telling the lucky readers to stay aware. Every instance has resulted in every book being taken. I want to do this.

I’m not sitting on a pile of cash to buy dozens of books to give away, but again I’m willing to make a sacrifice to get people reading and start conversations. It would definitely be on a smaller scale than the ones I’ve read about. Maybe 10 copies of 2-3 books. But I wouldn’t want to stay in the shadows. I’d want to do the whole thing myself. I’d want to hear what people have to say about the topics in the books and how they relate to current ongoings.

I’m already sending three books to the White House with a message to President Trump. What do you think about doing this too?

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2016 Reading Challenge: Texas Rising

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This is it! The final homestretch!

The latest book I read for my 2016 reading challenge was Texas Rising by Stephen L. Moore. It’s about the Texas revolution and the decade in which Texas was an independent state.

The book was very well done. It gave the reader plenty of information about well known battles and landmarks, such as the Alamo and Goliad. We know those stories down here in the state, but I imagine the average reader doesn’t.

Though I’d firmly disagree, I know people tend to say history is boring. But this book wasn’t. If you take a moment to realize who was fighting and who was sacrificing everything, then you can’t possibly become bored with the book. Imagine if the world were different today and there were no military installations throughout your state. Then it was invaded. But no one was there to fight them off. So leaders traveled throughout the state trying to recruit any willing volunteer to fight for the cause. That was Texas.

What made the book even more interesting for me was reading about present day locations. The county in which I live actually played a role in the revolution. How cool is that!?

But with this book being about events that took place nearly 200 years ago, there was bound to be some things that leave you wondering why. I imagine you’re aware of the Trail of Tears. Easily one of the low points in the history of this country. But Texas wasn’t much different. At first Texas leaders thought they could buy peace with the Native Americans. But soon realized that it wouldn’t work and made every attempt to forcibly remove or kill every Native American in Texas.

The Natives were violent toward Texas Rangers and settlers, but what were they supposed to do? What would you do if someone knocked on your door at home and said they were taking ownership of the property? You’d fight like hell to keep what’s yours. They did. But it wasn’t enough and peace eluded everyone.

As someone who enjoys history, this book was a great read. Texas history is both similar to and different from US history.

I hope that in 200 years Texans will look back on the current period and realize how much better and more equal life is for them than it is right now. History only repeats itself, unless it doesn’t.

This satisfied the requirement to read a book that takes place in your favorite city or hometown.

2016 Reading Challenge: Unstoppable by BILL NYE

John Guillen1 Comment

I love Bill Nye. I follow him on Twitter, which makes us best buds. RIGHT?

Seriously though, one of the hardest things for me to accept within the last decade of my life was how much difficulty I have with scientific concepts. I remember struggling all the way back in middle school. Give me a paper topic and I’ll write you a 98 paper the night before it’s due. Give me a lesson on history and I’ll likely never forget it. Give me a literary masterpiece to analyze and I’ll write a damn good paper and remember the story for years to come (looking at you, Dracula). But put me in a science lab and I’ll crumble. Perhaps that’s why I majored in a social science?

My point is that science is difficult for me. But this book is written FOR ME. One thing I do know is that climate change is real, it’s happening right now as I type this, and humans are contributing to it. You’ll hear people say “I don’t believe in climate change.” all the time, and that’s fine. But there is no “believing” and “not believing”. Not with this.

Which is why this book is so important. At some point all of us will have to face reality because our planet is the only one we have at the moment. It’s our only home, and we’re doing our best to leave the issue of climate change to be dealt with by our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We’re just kicking the can further and further down the road. And our continued inaction will come back to bite us. There’s no doubt about it.

Bill Nye is pushing 60. He didn’t have to write this book. He’s under no more obligation to help save our planet than the rest of us. He wrote this book looking at the future, but also looking at the present. The people of today are going to be the ones who begin making the necessary changes to help preserve our planet, our planet’s resources, and our way of life. Because humankind has never had a greater say in the future and preservation of our planet than we do today.

I know many of you aren’t interested in my videos, but I implore you to take a look this one time. Not because I care about views or subscribers, but because this book is not just entertainment or a good story, it’s IMPORTANT. This is the first time I can say a book I’ve read is more than a book.

Who is Jamie Oliver?

John Guillen19 Comments

The other night I’m on YouTube watching Jennifer Lawrence video after Jennifer Lawrence video from her press tour for the new movie Passengers. I easily did this for two hours straight.

Anyway, during her appearance on The Graham Norton Show she was joined by Jamie Oliver. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are probably the two biggest movie stars in the world today, so I’m sitting there trying to figure out who this other guy is with them. They talked about him having dyslexia and reading Catching Fire after seeing Jen as Katniss.

Then Graham Norton said something I actually couldn’t believe. This mystery man I’d never even heard of is the bestselling nonfiction author EVER in the UK. WHAA?

Tell me about this guy. I haven’t looked him up yet.

Bill Cosby Nabs Book Deal

John Guillen8 Comments

I’m sure you’ve heard of the accusations made against Bill Cosby in recent months. Lawsuits and criminal investigations followed thereafter. Well a Pennsylvania judge dismissed a civil defamation case against him last week. And now he’s got a book deal to tell his side of things.

This just shows that publishing is no different from other types of media that tend to blow up controversial figures and events. But it makes me sick thinking about this man still being able to profit from his side of things. You know the book will become a bestseller and no admission of guilt will be made. Ugh.

What do you think of controversial figures getting lucrative book deals? I know it happens, but that doesn’t make it okay.

PS: Bill Cosby hasn’t reportedly been offered a book deal to tell his story. But I wrote this to show that it’d be believable if he did. People sometimes put publishing up on a pedestal, and there’s really no reason to do so. It’s about making money. Just like every other industry. If you comment what you think of Cosby’s new deal, I’ll know you didn’t read all the way through.