7 min read ⌚ Charles Mackay’s 1841 classic, “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds” is just two decades shy of being two centuries old and it still reads as if it has been just published. Once you finish reading it, you’ll realize that there’s actually neither anything extraordinary in any of the numerous popular delusions […]
Category: History & Biographies
Titan Summary – Ron Chernow
7 min read ⌚ The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. In many languages, the surname “Rockefeller” has basically become synonymous with the phrase “fabulously rich.” The man responsible for that? John D. Rockefeller, Sr., quite possibly the richest person in modern history and most certainly the wealthiest American of all time. And Ron Chernow’s “Titan” is […]
Strategy Summary – Lawrence Freedman
6 min read ⌚ A History Strategy is about power and how to create it,” writes Sir Lawrence Freedman in his authoritative 2013 book simply titled “Strategy,” but it is also about the ability to understand the limitations of power. Read our summary to find out what he means – and why it directly affects you. […]
Churchill and Orwell Summary
7 min read ⌚ The Fight for Freedom What do Winston Churchill and George Orwell have in common? Thomas E. Ricks’ interesting dual biography with a straightforward title “Churchill and Orwell” tries to find out. Spoiler alert: the answer is in the subtitle. Who Should Read “Churchill and Orwell”? And Why? Naturally, dual biographies are less thorough […]
Democracy Summary – Condoleezza Rice
7 min read ⌚ Stories from the Long Road to Freedom They didn’t value democracy too highly in Ancient Greece. In fact, Plato thought that it is the second worst way in which you can organize a country, just a little better than tyranny. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begs to differ. In “Democracy” she […]
Code Girls Summary – Liza Mundy
6 min read ⌚ The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II By now, you are undoubtedly familiar with the name and the legacy of a certain Alan Turing, the guy who cracked the German Enigma ciphers and, thus, shortened the war for about two years and saved at least 14 […]
Promise Me, Dad Summary
6 min read ⌚ A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose Joe Biden served as the 47th Vice President of the United States between the years 2009 and 2014. “Promise Me, Dad” covers mostly the events happening during 2014-5 and it encompasses everything from the pain over the loss of a child through the presidential race of […]
Killers of the Flower Moon Summary
8 min read ⌚ Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI “History,” write David Grann in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “is a merciless judge.” Not exactly something we don’t know, but also something we need to be reminded from time to time. Because we tend to forget – much too often – that […]
What Did Leonardo da Vinci Invent?
6 min read ⌚ Who Was Leonardo da Vinci? Look up the word “polymath” in the Dictionary, and you’ll end up reading a biography of Leonardo da Vinci! Don’t believe us? Here’s what Wikipedia says a “polymath” means: A polymath (Greek: πολυμαθής, polymathēs, “having learned much,” Latin: homo universalis, “universal man”) is a person whose […]
The Diary of a Young Girl Summary
5 min read ⌚ A “… Diary of a Young Girl”? What could possibly be interesting (and worth reading) about that? Well, as it turns out, many things! Who Should Read “The Diary of a Young Girl”? And Why? “The Diary of a Young Girl” is the story of Anne Frank – as she told it. […]
