Currently reading
The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia
The Master and Margarita
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement 1954-63
The Path to Power
The Nature of Nebraska: Ecology and Biodiversity
Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original
Cutting for Stone
Let me just start by saying that while I'm certainly a Leftie, I'm actually no great fan of Rachel Maddow. The details aren't relevant here, but I don't find her show compelling or particularly informative. That said, I did appreciate this book. There is wide room for non-partisan agreement on the mission creep and bloat that have become such a prominent feature of America's military, and Maddow stays well within this common ground. Her analysis is solid, if not overly deep. I suppose I can't speak to whether it's balanced, because I'm as likely as she to ascribe pretty sinister motivations to Ronald Reagan and Dick Cheney. But her assertions are backed with verifiable facts, and she lays out quite an informed/informative case. She does seem to promise a prospective solution, however, and doesn't deliver on that. Still, well worth a read.