James Banjo

Coincidentally, I started reading The Alienist about month before Caleb Carr passed away, and finished it about a month after he passed —I wasn't surprised to learn that the author was a recluse. I had no idea what the book was about, I quickly became captivated once I noticed it touch on a topic I've been very interested in lately, "determinism". I, also fond of books from, or staged in the 19th century got me even more interested. I agree with Dr Kreizler, even though many might disagree —our actions, positive or negative are largely a result of our genetic makeup, or our lived experiences —we have little to no control over them. The way Ziegler's team put together the profile of the killer, detail by detail was really impressive, especially in a period that lacked the technology we have today. It was a difficult book to read due to it's graphic content. If you have a weak stomach, It might not be for you. With xenophobia on the rise in the US, especially towards brown people, the book reminds us that it wasn't too long ago when Germans, and other Europeans were treated similarly by Americans. As Harper Lee exquisitely stated in To Kill a Mockingbird, "As sure as time, history will repeat itself, and as sure as man is man, history is the last place he'll look for his lessons." Overall, I'd say that I'm happy to add this book to my collection.

After reading this book, I can say I'm getting tired of Grisham's books. They are easy to read, but it is increasingly feeling more artificial, almost like he leaned heavily on AI for the story. That said, it was an easy read, easy to run through, but not exciting enough to keep it glued to your hands. Although Grisham tried to portray Mitch as a remarkable character, I found him mostly bland. Abby following Hassan into the Medina to see Giovanna was an attempt to spice up the story, but it mostly fell flat because it was unnatural and unnecessary. Overall, it was not a bad book to while away time, but not a book you'd remember fondly.

One of my favorite books of all time, difficult to read (Peter Motteux's translation), but an absolute pleasure once you get into a rhythm. This version was similar to reading the King James version of the Bible (Really!) Here's my takeaway, love it or hate it, all I ask is you give it a thought. Don Quixote's madness is comparable to many religious groups of today who believe things simply because they are written down. Things that cannot be verified, and usually include many fantastical, incredible and down right impossible things --things that cannot be replicated or demonstrated. The people who hold these beliefs are usually very well educated, reasonable, rational and logical in everything else, just like Don Quixote, but when it comes to their particular flavor of fairy tales, they abandon themselves wholeheartedly to the truth of these tales without question. How can you ridicule Don Quixote for his wild beliefs about Knight errantry? when you have your own flavor of these fairy tales that are equally as absurd and void of reason. Don Quixote even exposes this flaw in a conversation he had with the Barber before his 3rd sally. The Barber tried to confront him with his unfounded idea of the existence of giants, and Don Quixote correctly objected to his denial of the existence of giants by referring to the Bible (which the Barber as a christian is required to believe as absolute truth), talks of giants, the barber had to reluctantly admit that giants exists. Before you judge Don Quixote or laugh at him for his madness, think about your position, you might not be so different. Somehow he comes to his senses on his deathbed. A good question is: When will you come to yours?

A good read by James Foreman Jr. It informs you about policies that eventually led to the US having the largest ratio of it's citizens behind bars. The author makes the case primarily about Washington DC which was emblematic of what went on around the country. He makes the case that the mass incarceration of young black men was the doing of the black community and Black leadership. Although unintentional, the policies that were favored by the black community, who were the primary victims of the crimes is what led us to this point. The victims were tired of being victimized incessantly, and were convinced by the likes of Doug Moore(council member), John Wilson, Burrtell Jefferson(police chief), Ike Fulwood, and Eric Holder, all of whom are black, to support harsher penalties. These are the people responsible for advocating and implementing harsh punishments which included mandatory minimums, and longer prison sentences.