A non-fiction medical mystery. That's all I needed to hear.
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
Genre: Autobiography, medicine
Publication date: November 2012
A shocking true story about a twenty-something journalist living in NYC who suddenly goes mad, due to a mysterious disorder that doctors cannot diagnose. Susannah first shows symptoms of madness as she imagines bugs in her Hells Kitchen apartment (not unrealistic) and uncharacteristically and exhaustingly snoops through her boyfriends belongings. Eventually, these small signs develop into grander and more severe signs (paranoia, hallucinations, seizures). She is admitted into NYU's hospital, thought to be psychotic, and losing her mind and most of her facilities.
A Dr. House mystery medical case told from the perspective of the patient. However, this patient loses about a month of her life, as after she has difficulty remembering the trying times in psychosis. She relies on family and friends' recollections, interviews with her doctors, and video surveillance of her time in the hospital. The medical drama is made personal as her loved ones stay by her side and through her recovery, demonstrating how an illness not only affects the patient but those around them.
DD's rating: A
Another book I read in two days. Terrifying and fascinating to read about someone losing their mind, from their perspective. How they dealt with conflicting positions (paranoia vs. reality) and being aware of ensuing madness.
Next read: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
Showing posts with label non-fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label non-fiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Killing Kennedy
I'm still chasing that book-high I got from reading Killing Jesus (which I couldn't find in military-full Killing Patton and Killing Lincoln). Combined with my love for fellow Mass./Cape Cod families. Also, one of my favorite Stephen King books is 11/22/63, so I was interested about a non-fiction version of the assassination of Jack Kennedy.
Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard
Genre: Non-fiction, John F. Kennedy
Publication Date: October 2012
This book chronicles the last few years of Jack Kennedy's life, with some detail on how he became President of the U.S. O'Reilly and Dugard takes us into Kennedy's misadventure in the Navy, his marriage with Jackie, his many affairs, and his policy. The life and ambitions of Lee Harvey Oswald are also displayed, a young man with dreams of being a great man with a legacy.
Difficult to write a synopsis because I've already heard the Kennedy story so much, and he had a very short stint as president (only three years). He was a pained man (with a myriad of diseases and conditions), a playboy, arrogant, tied perhaps too closely to his family (especially Bobby), a doting father, and a socially popular President (with the help of Jackie and their open relationship with the media).
This is a good book for someone unfamiliar with the 35th, but I can't say if it was any more entertaining or informative than the miniseries.
Finished reading: Tuesday, July 28, 2015
DD's rating: A
Who doesn't love the Kennedy's?? However, this book did not present me with any information I had not already heard, either from 11/22/63 or The Kennedy's TV series, thus it does not get a "+."
**BTW 11/22/63 is hitting the little screen as a mini-series and starring James Franco. I am very excited.
Next read: The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison
Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard
Genre: Non-fiction, John F. Kennedy
Publication Date: October 2012
This book chronicles the last few years of Jack Kennedy's life, with some detail on how he became President of the U.S. O'Reilly and Dugard takes us into Kennedy's misadventure in the Navy, his marriage with Jackie, his many affairs, and his policy. The life and ambitions of Lee Harvey Oswald are also displayed, a young man with dreams of being a great man with a legacy.
Difficult to write a synopsis because I've already heard the Kennedy story so much, and he had a very short stint as president (only three years). He was a pained man (with a myriad of diseases and conditions), a playboy, arrogant, tied perhaps too closely to his family (especially Bobby), a doting father, and a socially popular President (with the help of Jackie and their open relationship with the media).
This is a good book for someone unfamiliar with the 35th, but I can't say if it was any more entertaining or informative than the miniseries.
Finished reading: Tuesday, July 28, 2015
DD's rating: A
Who doesn't love the Kennedy's?? However, this book did not present me with any information I had not already heard, either from 11/22/63 or The Kennedy's TV series, thus it does not get a "+."
**BTW 11/22/63 is hitting the little screen as a mini-series and starring James Franco. I am very excited.
Next read: The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison
Sunday, July 26, 2015
The Big Short
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep despite your best efforts? This was an issue for me for a long time, and at around 4am, I would turn on HBO and watch random movies. One night I watched HBO's Too Big to Fail, and fell in love. I have no background in finance or economics (AP Econ was the only AP exam, of 9 AP exams, that I didn't pass), but I loved this movie and probably have seen it over 20 times. Maybe because I love the way Topher Grace explains credit default swaps or maybe I love Paul Giamatti (as Ben Bernanke) eating oatmeal -- Giamatti won an Oscar for this role. For whatever reason, I turn to this movie every time I can't sleep. And I then became obsessed with the housing and credit bubble (and eventual crash).
My boyfriend is well aware of my love for this TV film, and his favorite author is Michael Lewis (who also wrote his favorite book, Moneyball, as well as Blind Side and Liar's Poker). He also was a Economics undergrad and JD-MBA, so clearly he enjoyed and recommended The Big Short. I owed it to William Hurt (Hank Paulson) and my man-friend to explore.
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
Genre: Non-fiction, Finance
Publication Date: March 2010
The title refers to individuals who foresaw the housing and credit bubble burst, and bet against ("short") these deals. The individuals are Steve Eisman, a former Wall Street analyst, Michael Burry, ex-neurologist turned hedge fund manager, and Charlie Ledley and Ben Hockett of Cornwall Capital. These odd balls and socially reprehensive men went against the grain and called Wall Street out for what they were - crooks. However, these crooks of Wall Street didn't fully know they were crooks, they were trying to make a profit and believe that the market and raters were right and everything was hunky-dory. Eisman, Burry, and Hockett thought that Wall Streeters were idiots and ignorant, who didn't know what they were doing, lending money to homeowners who were going to default. So these men bet against housing market, they knew the deals/loans being distributed were shitty and bet that Americans were going to default.
I don't know if I can write a review for this book without trying to explain the financial situation, and credit default swaps, and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs, which I still don't completely understand). However, Michael Lewis did a humorous job of depicting the outcasts/outsiders who took a risk, which wasn't really a risk for them, but came up big. These are the men who actually profited from the market crash. These are the guys who had wits to actually question what others were doing, to calling out CEOs on their jiggery-pokery, and then betting against them. To quote, "the lesson of Buffett was: To succeed in a spectacular fashion you had to be spectacularly unusual.”
Finished reading: Friday, July 24, 2015
DD's rating: N/A
I can't rate this book, maybe because I don't understand the bets and CDOs. Maybe because I'm still so flabbergasted that AIG took on so much risk and Howie Hubler lost $9 billion but it still a millionaire. I'm still so intrigued by the situation and amazed that Wall Street doesn't have a clue what they are doing, that they want no government regulation but expect bailouts when their shit hits the fan... Thank you Michael Lewis for feeding my fascination.
Fortunately, The Big Short is hitting the silver screen, with Steve Carrell as Steve Eisman, Christian Bale as Michael Burry, Brad Pitt as Ben Hockett, and Ryan Gosling as Greg Lippman. I predict a double-feature of The Big Short / Too Big to Fail in my future!!
Next read: Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
My boyfriend is well aware of my love for this TV film, and his favorite author is Michael Lewis (who also wrote his favorite book, Moneyball, as well as Blind Side and Liar's Poker). He also was a Economics undergrad and JD-MBA, so clearly he enjoyed and recommended The Big Short. I owed it to William Hurt (Hank Paulson) and my man-friend to explore.
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
Genre: Non-fiction, Finance
Publication Date: March 2010
The title refers to individuals who foresaw the housing and credit bubble burst, and bet against ("short") these deals. The individuals are Steve Eisman, a former Wall Street analyst, Michael Burry, ex-neurologist turned hedge fund manager, and Charlie Ledley and Ben Hockett of Cornwall Capital. These odd balls and socially reprehensive men went against the grain and called Wall Street out for what they were - crooks. However, these crooks of Wall Street didn't fully know they were crooks, they were trying to make a profit and believe that the market and raters were right and everything was hunky-dory. Eisman, Burry, and Hockett thought that Wall Streeters were idiots and ignorant, who didn't know what they were doing, lending money to homeowners who were going to default. So these men bet against housing market, they knew the deals/loans being distributed were shitty and bet that Americans were going to default.
I don't know if I can write a review for this book without trying to explain the financial situation, and credit default swaps, and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs, which I still don't completely understand). However, Michael Lewis did a humorous job of depicting the outcasts/outsiders who took a risk, which wasn't really a risk for them, but came up big. These are the men who actually profited from the market crash. These are the guys who had wits to actually question what others were doing, to calling out CEOs on their jiggery-pokery, and then betting against them. To quote, "the lesson of Buffett was: To succeed in a spectacular fashion you had to be spectacularly unusual.”
Finished reading: Friday, July 24, 2015
DD's rating: N/A
I can't rate this book, maybe because I don't understand the bets and CDOs. Maybe because I'm still so flabbergasted that AIG took on so much risk and Howie Hubler lost $9 billion but it still a millionaire. I'm still so intrigued by the situation and amazed that Wall Street doesn't have a clue what they are doing, that they want no government regulation but expect bailouts when their shit hits the fan... Thank you Michael Lewis for feeding my fascination.
Fortunately, The Big Short is hitting the silver screen, with Steve Carrell as Steve Eisman, Christian Bale as Michael Burry, Brad Pitt as Ben Hockett, and Ryan Gosling as Greg Lippman. I predict a double-feature of The Big Short / Too Big to Fail in my future!!
Next read: Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
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