Monday, February 10, 2025

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


Tuesday, February 4, 2025

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