Author: Beau Kelly
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2025 Power Rankings
2025 Power Rankings 5 Stars-I would recommend these to anyone. Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue by Sonia Purnell “Pamela’s strategic sex life is now recognized by scholars of diplomacy and war as “politically significant.” Power. Pamela Harriman’s power was sex and intrigue, and Kingmaker tells Harriman’s global impact spanning from…
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Freedom’s Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II
Freedom’s Forge is a badass cross section of World War II history, construction in the West, and American ingenuity. Arthur Herman tells the story of the “arsenal of democracy” including Bill Knudsen and the business leaders across the country who turned manufacturing and construction companies into war machines. America and the Allies prevailed in World…
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A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic’s Wild Ride to the Edge and Back
Dark. Heavy. Hilarious. This book made me lose sleep–a trainwreck I could not stop watching. I stayed up too late reading and then thinking about this book. I love learning about the underbelly of different industries. Kevin Hazzard’s memoir tells the daily story of EMTs and paramedics in gory detail. Hazzard’s career is based at…
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True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear
I wasn’t sure if I would like this book. It is very niche and a little weird, but it came recommended from my favorite Twitter account for men’s style—@dieworkwear. I bounced around the book a fair bit, but looking back–it was one of my most highlighted books this year and it was funny. Some of…
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The Library Book
I love the library. I love the smell of the library. Growing up, my family frequently visited the East Library, and I can distinctly remember doing their summer reading challenges. My favorite book to check out was Frank and Ernest Play Ball (this book is still awesome, and we have a copy for our boys). …
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Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History
If you didn’t like your presidential candidate options in the 2024 election, Uncharted is the book for you. I loved Whipple’s work in Gatekeepers about the White House Chiefs of Staff, and Uncharted is equally as good. The reviews of this book are all over the map because Chris Whipple takes aim at all three…
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Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue
“Pamela’s strategic sex life is now recognized by scholars of diplomacy and war as “politically significant.” Power. Pamela Harriman’s power was sex and intrigue, and Kingmaker tells Harriman’s global impact spanning from World War II through the Clinton administration. I appreciated Sonia Purnell’s use of recently unveiled primary sources because this book reads like historical…
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2024 Power Rankings
5 Stars-I would recommend these to anyone. The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple The Gatekeepers is the best book I read this year. Chris Whipple gives an inside view of American history through the lens of White House Chiefs of Staff, and his interviews include some…
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Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World
Henry Grabar’s Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World shines a light on an overlooked piece of most city dwellers’ day-to-day experience. Parking spaces and parking policy flavor every urban environment, and Grabar makes a compelling case illustrating the high and unintended cost of parking. The lack of intentional plans and study around parking tore…
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All the Worst Humans: How I Made News for Dictators, Tycoons, and Politicians
Phil Elwood’s memoir, All the Worst Humans: How I Made News for Dictators, Tycoons, and Politicians influences every piece of “news” I consume. Elwood goes scorched earth showcasing the underbelly of public relations, and the book is awesome. The book came out in June, and I cannot believe the recency and depth/dirt of stories included.…
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