Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson (Jane E. Calvert)

You may know John Dickenson as a man whose writings helped unite a patchwork arrangement of colonies 3,000 miles away from England into a protonation. Dickinson was one of the nation’s founding sages - a man who was a part of the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, state legislatures, and even was the governor (then known as Presidents) of two states. He was arguably as instrumental to America’s beginnings as most of our more well-known founding fathers. Jane E. Calvert’s Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson is a well-written, well-researched biography of one of the important thinkers in 18th Century America.

Calvert chronicles Dickinson’s life and political career from Philadelphia, where he was involved in Pennsylvania government in the 1760’s and 1770’s. In addition, he helped Delaware earn its motto as “The First State” for ratifying the Constitution that Dickinson himself was involved in putting together. He also served in the Continental Army during the Revolution at various ranks and helped defend Wilmington from the British. Despite all of these accomplishments, Dickinson was dogged by the fact that he did not sign the Declaration of Independence, believing it to be too violent of a document because of his increasingly strong Quaker beliefs of pacifism. 

Dickinson was a man of varying levels of moderation and driven to compromise. Some of the frames of American government, such as a bicameral legislature, were ideas Dickinson promoted at various points in his life. Dickinson, a one time slave owner, also gradually evolved into an abolitionist and tried to more strongly limit slavery in Delaware in later years. Calvert’s biography of one of our nation’s early statesmen is a timely example of how leaders can lead not with absolute ideology but on principle and with the conviction of helping their fellow state and nation improve.

MY RATING: 4.5

Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon (Mirin Fader)

Hakeem Olajuwon had a remarkable basketball journey, starting in Lagos and ending his career in Toronto. However, a 20 year stay in Houston and the fame that came with it is what Olajuwon is best known for. His collegiate career at the University of Houston included three trips to the Final Four and two losses in the title game. His NBA career included three trips to the NBA Finals and winning the two championships that Chicago did not win between 1991 and 1998. Olajuwon’s statistics are among the best in basketball history, yet for many reasons he isn’t as well-known as other superstar players from the 1980’s and 1990’s. Mirin Fader hopes to change that with Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon.

This biography of Olajuwon tracks his story from a kid who played handball and soccer to his display of raw basketball talent that was behind his superstar collegiate and NBA player careers. Olajuwon’s personality and devotion to his faith are also woven throughout the book. Fader describes how Olajuwon was drawn back to Islam, using it to harness his talent, control his temper, and become a much better teammate. His Rockets eventually became a Western Conference power in the 1990’s, winning back-to-back titles and in 1995, becoming the only NBA team to eliminate the four best teams in the league by win-loss record as they won the second of those titles.

Olajuwon retired as one of the greatest players to have played in the NBA, known for his defense and also his “dream shake” fadeaway jumper. He was also its first truly international star, helping pave the way for countless others to join the NBA from overseas. Dream is an inspiring story about one of the greats in NBA history.

MY RATING: 4.5

To Overthrow the World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism (Sean McMeekin)

Communism traces its formalized history back to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. However, the ideas of social equality that formed the foundation of their thinking traces back centuries prior to religious and enlightenment thinkers. While Marx’s social ideals and elimination of individualized property were theorized as ideals to be pursued, the practical reality in politics has been much different, much bloodier, and much less successful for those countries that have been governed by it.

Sean McMeekin’s To Overthrow The World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism is a detailed history of communism, from the theories of Marx to the execution of communism by the Soviets, Chinese, and others. McMeekin focuses on how communism has rarely been implemented through the ballot box, with countries transitioning to communism through revolution, military coup, or civil war. Very rarely have these communist countries held power without use of force or repression of critics. Soviet-era communism failed through lack of military and financial legitimacy in Eastern Europe; however, China has been able to grow economically thanks to trade with the West and favorable economic deals from the United States and Japan.

McMeekin points out that while Soviet-era Communism failed, parts of Chinese state control and repression of alternate viewpoints are gaining wider acceptance in some democratic governments. While America and others are still highly democratic, McMeekin cautions about how technology has been used in monitoring citizens. Additionally, he warns about the developing “thought police” within the private sector that can control or shame those whose views aren’t in lockstep with accepted norms in the workplace or polite society. I’d argue that, especially in the workplace and private sector, such tactics are more Orwellian than Communist, but the idea of state or societal control of an individual is a hallmark of past Communist states.

MY RATING: 4.5

Gobsmacked!: The British Invasion of American English (Ben Yagoda)

Britishisms - think “bloody” or “rubbish” or my personal favorite “sacked” - have been a part of American vernacular since before America fought a war over taxation nearly 250 years ago. With globalization and an increasingly close tie between America and England, the Britishization of American English has accelerated over the past 25 years. Ben Yagoda, a professor emeritus of English, has curated a bespoke collection of these cheeky terms in Gobsmacked!: The British Invasion of American English.

Gobsmacked! reads as part dictionary, part story, and part linguistic history. The book covers a large swath of real estate - from historical terms to military slang to modern words that are becoming a part of American vernacular. While some of the words and expressions are downright weird, others have really made tremendous inroads into modern American life. Personally, I use “one-off” and “run-up” a fair amount. I probably don’t refer to “sports” as “sport” but there’s a not-so-small percentage of us in the States that do so now. 

Gobsmacked! Is one of the more enjoyable books I’ve read this year. As a fan of the Premier League and British drama (generally), I appreciate some of the British terms oozing into American life. While I probably won’t eat a proper British breakfast anytime soon, I will enjoy proper British wit. This book delivers those at a bloody high level.

MY RATING: 5

Hopped Up: How Travel, Trade, and Taste Made Beer a Global Commodity (Jeffrey M. Pilcher)

The vast majority of countries have a go-to brand of beer that defines their palate. Heineken in the Netherlands, Budweiser (until recently) in the United States, Molson in Canada, and Corona in Mexico are several identifiable examples. All of these are lagers, most of them of the pilsner variety. The lager is arguably the most consumer variety of beer globally, and its spread from Central Europe to the rest of the world is a story of trade, globalization, and migration of people over centuries.

Jeffrey M. Pilcher’s Hopped Up: How Travel, Trade, and Taste Made Beer a Global Commodity is an ode to beer history. From its origins in Sumer and Egypt thousands of years ago to the variety of brewing traditions that grew over time, beer has had a long journey in evolution and in how it quenches thirst. Much of Pilcher’s book focuses on the spread of lagers and pilsners, but he spends a fair amount of time covering identifiable brands such as Guinness due to their contributions to global beer culture.

Pilcher focuses on the boom in craft brewing that took place over the past 30 years. Craft brewing is not just an American phenomenon, as Pilcher points out. The spread of hoppier, more bitter IPAs is mostly a product of America in recent years. However, the IPA is a throwback to the original English Pale Ale that dominated 18th and 19th Century tastes in the British Empire. 

Hopped Up is mostly an enjoyable read, although parts of the book (especially when the author drifts into social commentary) may not leave a pleasant aftertaste with a beer aficionado.

MY RATING: 4

Italy in a Wineglass: The Story of Italy Through Its Wines (Marc Millon)

Italy’s historic contributions to human civilization cannot be understated. One of those contributions is its winemaking. Marc Millon’s Italy in a Wineglass: The Story of Italy Through Its Wines is a journey through most of Italy’s regions, highlighting a historic event or contribution made in that portion of the world, as well as the various modern wines of today that either pay homage to history or are grown near some of those historic sites and events.

Mark Millon travels the country, offering snapshots of Italian history and culture from Sicily to South Tyrol, including alpine and volcanic stories and wines along the way. The best parts of the book feature historical relevance or, as a foodie, the ever-present discussion of bread, cheese, and other charcuterie.

Italy In A Wineglass is a joy to read and will make you hungry and thirsty to not only know more about Italy, but to have a glass of wine and a nice piece of Tuscan bread while doing so.

MY RATING: 4

Money: A Story of Humanity (David McWilliams)

Money is the tie that binds societies together. The means of exchanging something of value for goods or services, money has been around since its initial introduction in Mesopotamia some 5,000 years ago. Even earlier, the first means of indicating owed debts goes back almost 20,000 years to the Congo. Since these rudimentary beginnings on clay tablets and notches into bones, money has evolved dramatically to the form that we see today with coins, bitcoins, paper currency, and more. 

Money: A Story of Humanity is as much a history of currency and economics as it is humanity.  Author David McWilliams chronicles the rise of financial systems, the items that backed finance, and the evolution of how humans use money to buy and sell items, as well as to hold onto assets. The reader learns how money fueled not just economic growth and advancement but also warfare. McWilliams also includes humorous stories of how money has been expressed in architecture and art, along with how greed fueled speculative practices and economic calamity. 

In essence, Money is a journey of us over the past centuries and how cash, or currency, or cryptocurrency rules everything around us whether we like it or not. McWilliams’s book is informative, entertaining, and fast-paced. 

MY RATING: 4.5