MichaelS

1820 to 2020, all the in-fighting in da D party!!!

Revisado: 10-28-24

I'm very fortunate that Audible included this book in prime because I may have overlooked it. I took a long road trip right before the 2024 election, about 7-8 hours both ways, and this turned out to be the perfect book to try and conquer while driving. It has big, long chapters covering major epochs and eras and telling a deep and fluid story of how inner-party dynamics played out within the party and the country. I liked how the book focused more on the internal struggles within the party and the forces trying to control the party than other books that would be more zoomed out and talk about American politics in a more apolitical way. Politics is messy and dirty and involves compromise, collaboration, and, most importantly, building shared identities between disparate peoples. It succeeded but did not have much to say about how Democrats distinguished themselves from Republicans. And only briefly covered in later chapters how Republicans dominated the political landscape post-LBJ, and what Democrats could have possibly done to avoid that onslaught. The prescriptions are a bit too Bernie Bro, and it seems like his own analysis of the failed candidacies of Humphrey, McGovern, and Mondale seem to point to how a pro-union, culturally liberal marriage failed. Perhaps Kazin was hoping Dems would hide their culturally liberal leanings and go hard on the pro-worker and pro-union stuff, instead of how to some extent Dukakis, Clinton, Gore and even Obama seemed to go the other way, sporting themselves as pro-business, cultural liberals. The Bernie Bro pandering pops up a little bit more and more, but the narrative is still strong and seems honest enough. I think the further back you go the easier it is to be objective, and he does a real good job with the whole progressive turn lead by William Jenning Bryan, which he wrote a book about and hope ill have a chance to read. A really deep and fascinating narrative about the various groups that jockeyed and jostled for political power, and how this internal struggle continued forward for 200 years, from the birth of the party machine under Martin Van Buren in 1820 to Biden's covid victory in 2020. Really wished this author had it in him to write a narrative of the 200 years from the Whig/Republican side as well.

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superb treatment of Augustine & John Milton

Revisado: 05-01-18

excellent literary treatment of augustine and John Milton. ties together life and art brilliantly. the movement from pre biblical myth to biblical myth was also fluid and deep. exploring the rich trade offs in different systems of thought.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

accessible but scholarly, a fairly good read

Revisado: 03-28-18

not as good as c.s. Lewis's work on the psalms but its probably better than anything else available on audible with regards_to_the_psalms.if_you_read_N.T._Wright_before_this_is_basically_his_same_ideas_but_focused_on_psalms. so read CS.Lewis & then this.

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on the importance of "philosophy" for modernity

Revisado: 02-14-18

interesting reflection on the problem with group-think & instrumental-rationality. focusing largely on_the fact/value distinction. enjoy!

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

the best book on US tax policy. period.

Revisado: 05-18-17

not just the best in the US, but examines what works and what does not work all around the world. this book provides the deepest analysis and workable no nonsense solutions to our tax problems

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the ultimate book on Dyslexia

Revisado: 11-04-16

this book is completely comprehensive, expliring all aspects of dyslexia. if you only read one book on dyslexia this ought to be it. it contains everything you need to know or would want to know.

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Trump the assclown asshole

Revisado: 07-28-16

a good read. a very very very very very very very very very good read. u will enjoy this book

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esto le resultó útil a 10 personas

slight edge

Revisado: 07-22-16

living the work! loved listening to it!!! every word he speaks of is so on point and easy to understand I can listen to it over and over again!!!

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esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

Aristotle, explained and defended

Revisado: 06-22-16

Aristotle, explained and defended

a great listen, covers much and helps us know aristotle and his legacy

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

VE Frankel's best audible title on Game of Thrones

Revisado: 05-16-16

no clear spoilers here. many potential plot paths explored, but none seem to capture the magic. some of them are very funny, but implausibe, many of them plausible but uninspired.

more importantly is being able to discover all the inspirations. G RR Martin is definitly derivative with his writing. always paying homage to something or someone. i personally love this about Martin. and i think having all these connections to history, myth, culture, and politics is refreshing and is the main reason the world of ice and fire is soo emersive

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas