Book Reading List - 2025

• Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism - Author: Sarah Wynn-Williams
• Lakota America A New History of Indigenous Power Author: Pekka Hamalainen
• Becoming Earth How Our Planet Came to Life - Author: Ferris Jabr
• Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the Battle Between Science and Religion - Author: Michael Taylor 
• The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War - Author: Michael Shaara
• By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land - Author: Rebecca Nagle
• Chief Joseph & the Flight of the Nez Perce: The Untold Story of an American Tragedy - Author: Kent Nerburn
• The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster - Author: John O'Connor
• What This Comedian Said Will Shock You - Author: Bill Maher

Book Review - Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism

Title: Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism
Author: Sarah Wynn-Williams
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: Careless People is a tell-all book by Sarah Wynn-Williams who  worked for seven years as Facebook's global public policy director. I'm not a big fan of Facebook and have a healthy distrust of most social media. Unfortunately, this book confirmed my distrust and helped me see how powerful Facebook and social media is in controlling people and spreading false information. What's interesting and not surprising is Meta (formerly known as Facebook) is pursuing a legal case against Sarah Wynn-Williams and trying to block the distribution of the book.  I highly recommend this book.

Description (Audible): From trips on private jets and encounters with world leaders to shocking accounts of misogyny and double standards behind the scenes, this searing memoir exposes both the personal and the political fallout when unfettered power and a rotten company culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative where a few people carelessly hold the world in their hands, this eye-opening memoir reveals what really goes on among the global elite. Sarah Wynn-Williams tells the wrenching but fun story of Facebook, mapping its rise from stumbling encounters with juntas to Mark Zuckerberg’s reaction when he learned of Facebook’s role in Trump’s election. She experiences the challenges and humiliations of working motherhood within a pressure cooker of a workplace, all while Sheryl Sandberg urges her and others to “lean in.” Careless People is a deeply personal account of why and how things have gone so horribly wrong in the past decade—told in a sharp, candid, and utterly disarming voice. A deep, unflinching look at the role that social media has assumed in our lives, Careless People reveals the truth about the leaders of Facebook: how the more power they grasp, the less responsible they become and the consequences this has for all of us.

Description (ChatGPT): Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams is a sharp critique of Facebook's rise and the perilous intersection of power and technology. Through an incisive analysis, Wynn-Williams reveals how Facebook’s founders, initially driven by idealism, ultimately became entangled in a web of greed and influence. The book serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the ethical compromises that accompany immense power in the digital age. With its timely relevance, this book is a must-read for anyone questioning the true cost of social media’s dominance in modern society.

Book Review - Lakota America - A New History of Indigenous Power

Title: Lakota America - A New History of Indigenous Power
Author: Pekka Hamalainen
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍
My Review: I am an absolute fan of books on Native Americans. This book is a fire hose of information and details about Native American tribes from early 16th century to present. As such, it became a little overwhelming. I especially enjoyed the later chapters that described first encounters with white Europeans and the evolution of the various Native American tribes. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who really want to learn more about Native Americans.

 
Description (Audible): This first complete account of the Lakota Indians traces their rich and often surprising history from the early 16th to the early 21st century. Pekka Hämäläinen explores the Lakotas' roots as marginal hunter-gatherers and reveals how they reinvented themselves twice: first as a river people who dominated the Missouri Valley, America's great commercial artery, and then - in what was America's first sweeping westward expansion - as a horse people who ruled supreme on the vast high plains. The Lakotas are imprinted in American historical memory. Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull are iconic figures in the American imagination, but in this groundbreaking book they emerge as something different: the architects of Lakota America, an expansive and enduring Indigenous regime that commanded human fates in the North American interior for generations. Hämäläinen's deeply researched and engagingly written history places the Lakotas at the center of American history, and the results are revelatory.

Description (ChatGPT): Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power reimagines the story of the Lakota people, flipping the script on traditional narratives to reveal a history of resilience, resistance, and sovereignty. With sharp insights and compelling storytelling, this book doesn't just tell the Lakota story — it empowers it, offering a fresh lens on the fight for land, culture, and identity. It’s history, but not as you’ve ever heard it before.

Book Review - Becoming Earth How Our Planet Came to Life

Title: Becoming Earth How Our Planet Came to Life

Author: Ferris Jabr
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: Pending...

Description (Audible):One of humanity’s oldest beliefs is that our world is alive. Though once ridiculed by some scientists, the idea of Earth as a vast interconnected living system has gained acceptance in recent decades. We, and all living things, are more than inhabitants of Earth—we are Earth, an outgrowth of its structure and an engine of its evolution. Life and its environment have coevolved for billions of years, transforming a lump of orbiting rock into a cosmic oasis—a planet that breathes, metabolizes, and regulates its climate. Humans are one of the most extreme examples of life transforming Earth. Through fossil fuel consumption, agriculture, and pollution, we have altered more layers of the planet in less time than any other species, pushing Earth into a crisis. But we are also uniquely able to understand and protect the planet’s wondrous ecology and self-stabilizing processes. Jabr introduces us to a diverse cast of fascinating people who have devoted themselves to this vital work. Becoming Earth is an exhilarating journey through the hidden workings of our planetary symphony—its players, its instruments, and the music of life that emerges—and an invitation to reexamine our place in it. How well we play our part will determine what kind of Earth our descendants inherit for millennia to come.

Description (ChatGPT): Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life is a thrilling, time-traveling odyssey that zooms from the cosmic chaos of the universe's birth to the quiet drama of Earth's earliest days. With a blend of science and storytelling, it uncovers how our planet went from a swirling mass of rock and gas to the vibrant blue orb we call home — all in the blink of a geological eye. Think of it as Earth’s origin story, told with a wink and a whole lot of science.

Book Review - Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the Battle Between Science and Religion

Title: Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the Battle Between Science and Religion
Author: Michael Taylor 
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍
My Review: Pending...

Description (Audible): When the twelve-year-old daughter of a British carpenter pulled some strange-looking bones from the country's southern shoreline in 1811, few people dared to question that the Bible told the accurate history of the world. But Mary Anning had in fact discovered the "first" ichthyosaur, and over the next seventy-five years—as the science of paleontology developed, as Charles Darwin posited radical new theories of evolutionary biology, and as scholars began to identify the internal inconsistencies of the Scriptures—everything changed. Beginning with the archbishop who dated the creation of the world to 6 p.m. on October 22, 4004 BC, and told through the lives of the nineteenth-century men and women who found and argued about these seemingly impossible, history-rewriting fossils, Impossible Monsters reveals the central role of dinosaurs and their discovery in toppling traditional religious authority, and in changing perceptions about the Bible, history, and mankind's place in the world.

Description (ChatGPT): Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the Battle Between Science and Religion is a rollicking ride through history’s most jaw-dropping clash—dinosaurs versus dogma. Michael J. Boulter digs into the bones (pun intended) of how science and religion have tussled over the truth of our past, all while dinosaurs lurk in the background. It’s part adventure, part intellectual brawl, and all fascinating. If you’ve ever wondered how we went from believing in fire-breathing dragons to discovering fossils that challenge the status quo, this book will show you the jaw-dropping journey.

Book Review - The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War

Title: The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War

Author: Michael Shaara
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍
My Review: Pending...

Description (Audible): July 1863. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia is invading the North. General Robert E. Lee has made this daring and massive move with seventy thousand men in a determined effort to draw out the Union Army of the Potomac and mortally wound it. His right hand is General James Longstreet, a brooding man who is loyal to Lee but stubbornly argues against his plan. Opposing them is an unknown factor: General George Meade, who has taken command of the Army only two days before what will be perhaps the crucial battle of the Civil War. In the four most bloody and courageous days of our nation’s history, two armies fight for two conflicting dreams. One dreams of freedom, the other of a way of life. More than rifles and bullets are carried into battle. The soldiers carry memories. Promises. Love. And more than men fall on those Pennsylvania fields. Bright futures, untested innocence, and pristine beauty are also the casualties of war.

Description (ChatGPT): The Killer Angels is a historical novel that doesn’t just tell the story of the Civil War—it feels it. Michael Shaara’s vivid portrayal of the Battle of Gettysburg brings to life the warriors, the heartache, and the chaos of war. With rich character development and battle scenes so intense, you’ll swear you can hear the cannons. It’s history, but make it gripping. If you’re looking for a book that combines strategy with humanity, this one will march right into your heart. Just be ready to leave with a few more questions about what it means to be a hero.

Book Review - By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land

Title: By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land
Author: Rebecca Nagle
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍
My Review: Pending...

Description (Audible): Before 2020, American Indian reservations made up roughly 55 million acres of land in the United States. Nearly 200 million acres are reserved for National Forests—in the emergence of this great nation, our government set aside more land for trees than for Indigenous peoples. In the 1830s Muscogee people were rounded up by the US military at gunpoint and forced into exile halfway across the continent. At the time, they were promised this new land would be theirs for as long as the grass grew and the waters ran. But that promise was not kept. When Oklahoma was created on top of Muscogee land, the new state claimed their reservation no longer existed. Over a century later, a Muscogee citizen was sentenced to death for murdering another Muscogee citizen on tribal land. His defense attorneys argued the murder occurred on the reservation of his tribe, and therefore Oklahoma didn’t have the jurisdiction to execute him. Oklahoma asserted that the reservation no longer existed. In the summer of 2020, the Supreme Court settled the dispute. Its ruling that would ultimately underpin multiple reservations covering almost half the land in Oklahoma, including Nagle’s own Cherokee Nation. Here Rebecca Nagle recounts the generations-long fight for tribal land and sovereignty in eastern Oklahoma. By chronicling both the contemporary legal battle and historic acts of Indigenous resistance, By the Fire We Carry stands as a landmark work of American history. The story it tells exposes both the wrongs that our nation has committed and the Native-led battle for justice that has shaped our country.

Description (ChatGPT): By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land is a passionate, eye-opening exploration of a battle that’s been burning for centuries. With sharp prose and a fierce dedication to truth, this book ignites the untold stories of Native communities fighting for justice—both in the courtroom and on the land. It's a compelling reminder that history isn’t just written in books, but lived in the fires that still burn. If you’re looking for a book that combines history, resilience, and activism, grab a seat by the fire and prepare to be moved.

Book Review - Chief Joseph & the Flight of the Nez Perce: The Untold Story of an American Tragedy

Title: Chief Joseph & the Flight of the Nez Perce: The Untold Story of an American Tragedy

Author: Kent Nerburn
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review:  The story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce is beyond tragic. This is a well written and well researched story on the history of the Nez Perce tribe and how Chief Joseph became a mythical and somewhat reluctant leader in the struggle to maintain their homeland and way of life. Love this book!

Description (Audible): Hidden in the shadow cast by the great western expeditions of Lewis and Clark lies another journey every bit as poignant, every bit as dramatic, and every bit as essential to an understanding of who we are as a nation - the 1,800-mile journey made by Chief Joseph and 800 Nez Perce men, women, and children from their homelands in what is now eastern Oregon to Montana. There, only 40 miles from the Canadian border and freedom, Chief Joseph, convinced that the wounded and elders could go no farther, walked across the snowy battlefield, handed his rifle to the US military commander who had been pursuing them, and spoke his now-famous words, "From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever." Drawing on four years of research, interviews, and 20,000 miles of travel, Nerburn takes us beyond the surrender to the captives' unlikely welcome in Bismarck, North Dakota, their tragic eight-year exile in Indian Territory, and their ultimate return to the Northwest. Nerburn reveals the true, complex character of Joseph, showing how the man was transformed into a myth by a public hungry for an image of the noble Indian and how Joseph exploited the myth in order to achieve his single goal of returning his people to their homeland.

Description (ChatGPT): Chief Joseph & the Flight of the Nez Perce: The Untold Story of an American is a gripping tale of courage, survival, and resistance, as the legendary Nez Perce leader, Chief Joseph, takes on the U.S. Army in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. It’s the ultimate underdog story—except, spoiler alert, the "underdogs" are the ones with the strategy, the heart, and the spirit of freedom on their side. A must-read for anyone who thinks history is just about battles—and not the battle for what’s right.

Book Review - The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster

Title: The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster
Author: John O'Connor

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: When I saw this book at the local bookstore, my first thought was, COOL! a book about Bigfoot! My second thought was, I hope it’s not one of those poorly written books based on little or no evidence trying to exploit the Bigfoot legend. Thankfully, my second thought was wrong, and the book turned out to be a surprisingly well-written, well-researched book that kept me entertained from start to finish. I was especially surprised at the amount of humor and philosophy the author used and how he tried to make the book relevant to current politics in America. I loved this book and am surprised to admit that it is on the list of my all time favorite books.

Description (Audible): From the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest to off-the-wall cryptozoological conventions, one man searches high and low for the answer to the question: real or not, why do we want to believe? Bigfoot is an instantly recognizable figure. Through the decades, this elusive primate has been featured in movies and books, and on coffee mugs, beer koozies, car polish, and CBD oil. Which begs the question: what is it about Bigfoot that's caught hold of our imaginations? Journalist and self-diagnosed skeptic John O'Connor is fascinated by Sasquatch. Curious to learn more, he embarks on a quest through the North American wilds in search of Bigfoot, its myth and meaning. Alongside an eccentric cast of characters, he explores the zany and secretive world of "cryptozoology," tracking Bigfoot through ancient folklore to Harry and the Hendersons, while examining the forces behind our ever-widening belief in the supernatural. As O'Connor treks through the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest, listens to firsthand accounts, and attends Bigfoot conventions, he's left wondering—what happens when the lines between myth and reality blur? This heartfelt exploration of a cornerstone of American folklore unpacks why we believe in the things that we do, what that says about us, and how it shapes our world.

Description (ChatGPT): Field Notes on a North American Monster is a quirky, darkly hilarious exploration of the human fascination with the strange and the unknown. Blending folklore, memoir, and a touch of the absurd, the book pulls you into its wild ride through the forests of skepticism and superstition. It's like an anthropology project gone delightfully off the rails—think The X-Files meets a college thesis on cryptozoology, with a wink and a nudge. It’s the kind of book that makes you question everything... and also kind of hope that Bigfoot is real, just for the drama of it all.

Book Review - What This Comedian Said Will Shock You

Title: What This Comedian Said Will Shock You

Author: Bill Maher
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: I love Bill Maher’s Real Time on HBO Max. Unfortunately, about a year ago, we canceled our HBO Max subscription. I always looked forward to his “Editorial” segment at the end of each show where he would discuss and usually give quite provocative opinions on current issues. I’d been missing those segments more than I realized. So, when I saw that his current book was a compilation of those “Editorial” segments, I was ecstatic. After reading the book, I can’t say that I was “shocked” but I would say that I was totally entertained and enlightened. However, the book is fairly provocative and likely would be a bit shocking for some people. So, it’s good that Bill provided a trigger warning in the title. I absolutely loved this book but recommend keeping an open mind when reading it.

Description (Audible): Some of the smartest commentary about what’s happening in America is coming from a comedian—this comedian being Bill Maher. If you want to understand what’s wrong with this country, it turns out that one of the best informed and most thought-provoking analysts is this very funny pothead. The book was inspired by the “editorial” Bill delivers at the end of each episode of Real Time. These editorials are direct-to-camera sermons about culture, politics, and what’s happening in the world. To put this book together, Maher reviewed more than a decade of his editorials, rewriting, reimagining, and updating them, and adding new material to speak exactly to the moment we’re in. Free speech, cops, drugs, race, religion, the generations, cancel culture, the parties, the media, show biz, romance, health—Maher covers it all. The result is a hugely entertaining work of commentary about American culture in the tradition of Mark Twain, Will Rogers, and H. L. Mencken.

Description (ChatGPT): What This Comedian Said Will Shock You by Bill Maher is like a stand-up special in print form – sharp, unapologetic, and ready to offend anyone with a fragile sense of humor. Maher brings his usual blend of political banter, societal observations, and uncomfortable truths, wrapped in the kind of snarky wit you either love or dread. It's a book that will make you laugh, think, and possibly throw it across the room. Either way, it’s a fun ride for those who enjoy their comedy with a side of controversy. Just don’t say you weren’t warned!