Book Reviews on a Music Blog

Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life by Eric Greitens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The question is not whether you have a philosophy. Everyone has a philosophy. ... The question is, are you aware of the philosophy you have – the assumptions, beliefs, and ideas that drive your actions? Are you aware of the way those assumptions, beliefs, and ideas add up to shape your life? Can they stand exposure to the light of day?"

A book about philosophy and worldview written by a former Navy SEAL? Yep, this one is right up my alley.

The good news is that this book delivers. In everything from its structure (letters exchanged between the author and another former SEAL friend of his), to the topical ground it covers, to its accessibility, this book provokes thought, challenges, and inspires without the usual hand-holding that usually seems to accompany most contemporary books written about worldview and purpose (RE: 'self-help').

This is not a self-help book. This is not a book interested in communicating to each of us just how special of a snowflake we all are. This book does its level best to convey the wisdom of the centuries in light of the reality of how the world works and how difficult life is. Greitens is interested in the time-tested, the ancient, and the bonafide, not in the flavor of the month or the flash in the pan.

As I so often like to say, stop trying to reinvent the wheel - give me the old stuff.

There are some things here I disagree with. For instance, I like much of Stoic philosophy (of which Greitens seems to be a big fan), but I find it incomplete. That's ok. It's good to think through why you disagree with something - especially when you're reading a philosophical work. This is the one and only reason for my lack of a perfect 5-star review. Not quite everything in this book can be completely imbibed, but maybe that's good, after all.

Nevertheless, despite my lack of complete, 100% endorsement of every point and conclusion reached in this book, I can't imagine anyone to whom I wouldn't recommend it. We are all going to go through seasons of life in which we will find this kind of wisdom and philosophy invaluable. Getting our minds right on why we think what we think in the midst of the chaos and noise of modern life is an important venture for everyone.

Do yourself a favor and read this book.

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Creators: From Chaucer and Durer to Picasso and Disney by Paul Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"All the same, creation is a marvelous business, and people who create at the highest level lead a privileged life, however arduous and difficult it may be. An interesting life, too, full of peculiar aspects and strange satisfactions. That is the message of this book."

The abbreviated biographical stories in Johnson's Creators are brush strokes in a much larger painting, individual pieces of a mosaic (pun absolutely intended). Opening the book with the notion that creativity is inherent in all human beings as a result of our own creation in the image of a creative (and yet uncreated) God, Johnson proceeds to take snapshot looks at the lives of some of human history's most well-known & notorious creative personalities (I would have liked to have known what his thought process was for selected those he did). Searching for any semblance of pattern or recurring characteristics, Johnson delves into the world of music, literature, art, and even fashion & decorative glass to see if he can't put his finger on some undeniable creative gene.

What he finds might surprise some readers, but most creative types will probably conjure up an affirmative and familiar smile & nod. Along the way, however, Johnson makes some interesting observations about the nature of creativity: that it's not necessarily tied to intelligence or genius or moral decency, that it can be both largely derivative or highly original, that it can spring of intense education & wealth or relatively little of either. His conclusion is a refreshing and satisfying one:

"The truth is, all creators are highly individual and have different views about what helps or hinders their work. Often their views are confused, or are formed so slowly and tentatively – after setbacks and failures – as to come too late materially to influence their careers, when options have closed and energy flags. It is not easy to be a creator at the higher levels, and at the highest it is often agony. All creators agree that it is a painful and often a terrifying experience, to be endured rather than relished, and preferable only to not being a creator at all."

Basking in the lives of some of humanity's most powerful creatives makes for a fascinating, interesting, and thought-provoking read. My only (small) issue with the book was the very occasional editorializing that occurred without further explanation. (I'd like to know, for instance, why Johnson seems to assume that everyone already knows that Monet and the other Impressionists were so universally "dull".) Other than that, however, I found this to be a marvelous jaunt through artistic history, even during the chapter on Dior & Balenciaga (caring about fashion is simply not my thing). And, believe me, the final chapter juxtaposing Walt Disney & Pablo Picasso serves as a brilliant payoff.

I love Johnson's writing and this book is no exception. Highly recommended, especially for artistically-inclined types.

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Book Reviews On A Music Blog

Designing Disney by John Hench
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Artists can always profit from lessons delivered by the masters, and, often times, the lessons transcend the different artistic forms. Musicians can learn from writers. Painters can learn from architects. Dancers can learn from sculptors.

As John Hench says in this book, "The rules of art are the rules of life." The things that make art work do so because art - in all its forms - is both a reflection and an expression of human experience.

Given all of that, plenty of books have been written about the Disney empire's business model. This is the first I've had the opportunity to read that has delved into what drives the creative side of one of Disney's greatest artists. It's a peek behind the curtain with one of the men who went back almost to the very beginning. If there was an authority on Disney's artistic design concepts - both for animation and the amusement parks - John Hench was probably it.

The book is not a long read, and it certainly left me wanting to know more about the details of Disney artistic philosophy. I would have welcomed more depth, to be sure. But there are some brilliant and thought-provoking insights provided here that all artistically-inclined people can learn from, such as: genuinely appreciating & liking your audience and doing your best to see things from their perspective (Walt himself used to walk through Disneyland in disguise in order to interact directly with its attendees), the vital importance of paying attention to small details (like proper period doorknobs & cash registers to keep with the theme of attractions, shops & restaurants), and the invaluable nature of trial-and-error experience (like the 26 attempts at finding the right shade of pink for the castle in Disneyland Paris).

Hench is, as many masterful artists tend to be, somewhat enigmatic and ambiguous. But, his insights and stories are well worth reading. I came away with a new found understanding and respect for the attitudes and artistic worldview that created some of the world's most famous cultural icons, and any artist looking to glean a bit of inspiration can definitely find it here.

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The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

World War II stands, in my mind, at least, as perhaps the seminal moment of modern history. Perhaps most notably, it signaled the death toll of the Enlightenment, birthed the nuclear age, and elevated the United States to the level of superpower preeminence on the world stage. But, beneath the grand historical themes reside the stories of untold millions of people that lived through it all - stories that captivate the imagination and, at times, defy comprehension, due mostly to the fact that they actually occurred.

'The Monuments Men' documents just such a collection of stories - ones that may constitute some of the most fascinating & unknown aspects of the war.

Book Reviews on a Music Blog

The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's always a great feeling when you buy a new book based on the title and jacket cover alone and end up discovering that it's just as satisfying as you had dared to hope when you purchased it.

For an author's first novel, this is a stunner. Well-written, well-researched, well-paced. To put it succinctly, this book paints wonderful pictures, crafts memorable scenes, and tells a compelling story. Mullen weaves a tale of moral complexity remarkably well: this is a story about self-doubting characters forced to make ethically intricate & taxing decisions (IE: like real life). The book compounds the consequences of well-intentioned but short-sighted choices with the devastating effects of a proverbial act of God, and a cast of believable, developed characters adds great heaps of plausibility to the storytelling.

The historical aspects are impressively layered in, as well: there's much to be learned here about some of the lesser-known dynamics surrounding the first World War. Mullen doesn't simply pick a time and a place for his setting, but folds the truths of the time into his characters: into their motivations, their understandings, and their actions. The result is a very down-to-earth and credible feel for the story - it strikes a chord because it's grounded. Even Mullen's descriptions of what it feels like to be set upon by a life-threatening flu feel familiar (even for someone who's never been assaulted by a homicidal virus).

This book is refreshingly recommendable... to everyone. It's not obscene, it's not hard to read, and it's the polar opposite of an awful book. It's hard not to be envious of a guy striking gold like this on his first foray into published prose: Thomas Mullen hit a home run at his first major league at bat.

Well done, sir.

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The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While bookended with fascinating & eminently readable history and highlighted in its main thrust by bits of thrilling narrative, several aspects of this book cause it to fall short of the high pedestal on which it seems to have been placed by most readers.

Unnecessary and baseless forays into evolutionary theory in regards to the Amazon Basin and uneven pacing interrupt what could have been one of history’s most interesting untold adventures. Time consuming descriptions of wildlife and environment that end up never being encountered by Roosevelt’s expedition, for instance, seem like attempts at either misdirection or simple filler. Furthermore, the brutality and drudgery of wilderness survival – with its mind-numbing redundancy – is difficult for an author to convey to the reader without themselves becoming redundant in their writing. With all due respect to Ms. Millard, I don’t believe she adequately handled this aspect of this story’s retelling.

And, perhaps most notably for this reader, the construction of models of human greatness for the purposes of their own admiration always seems to me a hollow and precarious pursuit. Theodore Roosevelt was certainly notable not only amongst US Presidents, but perhaps throughout all of history, for his adventurous spirit and fearless character. But, for those willing to read between the lines, tragedy and futility always seem to accompany those inordinately consumed with achievement & accomplishment – and Roosevelt comes across no differently here. Our 26th President was luminary during a time in history when people were more than willing to risk not only their lives, but the lives of everyone in their exploratory parties, to be the very first to get somewhere, see something, or put something on a map. What results here is not only the description of an expedition characterized by bad decision following bad decision ad infinitum, but a loss of empathy and relatability for people willing to place inevitable burdens on loved ones in the name of taking unreasonable risks to achieve unnecessary goals.

‘The River of Doubt’ is a good book, and one worth reading for anyone interested in either the life of Teddy Roosevelt or the exploration of the Amazon. But, for me, it did not quite stack up to some of the other acclaimed micro-histories released in the past few years. There are simply too many distractions and bumps in the road for me to agree with the mantle of greatness so many seem eager to place upon this one.


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Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's probably hard to argue that Michelangelo's painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is a part of history everyone should know, but that doesn't mean it's not fascinating in its own right. King's descriptions of the temperament, disposition, ambiguity, and ego of the artist's artist seem both honest and compelling - Michelangelo comes across as a sort-of Dr. House of the Renaissance. The geopolitical events that surrounded the construction of the world's most illustrious fresco are in and of themselves plenty riveting for the history buff, as well - names as luminary as Midici, Borgia, Machiavelli, and Luther accompany other Renaissance giants like Da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, & Bromante in making appearances throughout this account. This book serves as another sterling example of how historical fact can many (perhaps most?) times be more interesting than fiction, as well as a reminder that the same tensions, pressures, politics, scandals, and depravities that contaminate our world are, in fact, nothing new. And yet, in the middle of humanity's relentless pursuit of self-debasement, almost unfathomable beauty can somehow manage to make its way into the world.

Thank God.

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Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A predominantly great book marred by the increep of white guilt/New England liberal bias. Philbrick is both deft in his compositional skill and a masterful storyteller, but his uneven handling of the events of King Philip's War serves to detract from an otherwise marvelous work. Despite being a bit disappointed (as Philbrick has become a favorite author of mine and is usually fantastic at staying out of the way in regards to historical editorializing), I would still highly recommend the book - it is a marvelously well-written account of some little known and fascinating American history and the biases certainly don't rise to the level of revisionism.

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