Category Archives: History

A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama

Posted on December 26, 2020 by OnlyGoodBooks

As I finished reading Barack Obama’s 768-page memoir, I was reminded of how I’ve always told my students that what you get from a text depends on what you bring to it.  So here’s a funny, true story of what … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Memoir | Leave a comment

THE GREAT INFLUENZA by John M. Barry

Posted on April 7, 2020 by OnlyGoodBooks

I first read this book—about the 1918 pandemic that killed somewhere between 21 and 100 million people on the planet—when it first came out, in 2004.  Sixteen years later, when the World Health Organization announced we were officially facing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Epidemics, History, Nonfiction, Science, WWI | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

BLOWOUT by Rachel Maddow

Posted on December 31, 2019 by OnlyGoodBooks

One sign of a good book is that you can open it to any page and become engaged. I was reminded of this after I excitedly picked up Rachel Maddow’s latest book, BLOWOUT, and accidentally clicked a link in the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Investigative journalism, Nonfiction, Politics, Russia | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

MY LATEST BOOK…

Posted on July 28, 2019 by OnlyGoodBooks

“Whether you know much about charter schools or not, you have probably—at some point in your life—wondered: Why is K-12 education the way it is? Why isn’t it more the way I want it to be? People have asked themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Reform, For BUSINESS PEOPLE, For EDUCATORS, For PARENTS, History, Inspirational, Nonfiction, Politics, Social entrepreneurs, Social Justice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BECOMING by Michelle Obama

Posted on November 23, 2018 by OnlyGoodBooks

Michelle Obama’s memoir, BECOMING, is a humble, honest account of what so far has been an amazing life. “When I was a kid,” she begins, “my aspirations were simple. I wanted a dog. I wanted a house that had stairs … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, For EDUCATORS, History, Memoir, Nonfiction, Politics, Race relations | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

THE FIFTH RISK by Michael Lewis

Posted on November 16, 2018 by OnlyGoodBooks

What I have loved about Michael Lewis’s writing, from LIAR’S POKER forward, is how he follows his intellectual curiosity to investigate timely problems then tells engaging stories to explain these problems and shed light on the people trying to solve … Continue reading →

Posted in For EDUCATORS, History, Investigative journalism, Nonfiction, Politics, Science, Technology, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean

Posted on November 11, 2018 by OnlyGoodBooks

I read Susan Orlean’s latest book in half-hour installments for two reasons: 1) because I’ve been exhausted from long rush-hour drives to and from work, and 2) because her sentences warrant patient appreciation. In fact, THE LIBRARY BOOK, a mélange … Continue reading →

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DOPESICK by Beth Macy

Posted on August 29, 2018 by OnlyGoodBooks

As I noted in my review of Dreamland by Sam Quinones, most of us either know someone or know someone who knows someone who has suffered from opioid addiction. This horrifying epidemic, precipitated by the release of the addictive painkiller … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Drug addiction, For BUSINESS PEOPLE, For EDUCATORS, For PARENTS, History, Investigative journalism, Nonfiction | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

UNBELIEVABLE by Katy Tur

Posted on March 8, 2018 by OnlyGoodBooks

This book got me into some trouble–well, this book and the other four I brought on vacation, which formed a solid, suspicious, sharp-edged block that caused a TSA agent to inform me that she needed to search my bag. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, History, Humor, Investigative journalism, Memoir, Nonfiction, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

THIEVES OF STATE by Sarah Chayes

Posted on January 1, 2018 by OnlyGoodBooks

When we reflect on politics in America, as annoying/frustrating/horrifying as things might seem, Sarah Chayes reminds us that they could always get worse. In THIEVES OF STATE: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security, she explains how corruption has overtaken Afghanistan, Nigeria, … Continue reading →

Posted in For BUSINESS PEOPLE, For EDUCATORS, History, Investigative journalism, Nonfiction, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment