Category: Uncategorized
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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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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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The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency
The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency is the best book I’ve read this year. Chris Whipple gives an inside view of American history through the lens of White House Chiefs of Staff, and sources include interviews with some great stories as well as notes from internal meetings. Before each…
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Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
I will buy every book Michael Lewis writes. He is an incredible storyteller, and I enjoyed his latest work on Sam Bankman-Fried. Going Infinite tells about the wild rise of Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange and the company’s collapse. Lewis gives clear context and insight into the crypto currency industry while detailing Bankman-Fried’s unlikely ascension. Lewis’ access…
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Buying Disney’s World: The Story of How Florida Swampland Became Walt Disney World
I have never been to Disney World, and I have not thought about the infrastructure required to build an amusement park of its scale. Aaron Goldberg’s Buying Disney’s World: The Story of How Florida Swampland Became Walt Disney World tells the behind-the-scenes story of Disney’s massive operation to buy and build Disney World. I appreciated the…
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Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command
My sister, Sierra (the first BK Reads subscriber!) recommended this book. Sierra flies C-17s in the Special Operations Low Level (SOLL) program in Charleston, and this book tells the story of her unit and areas she supports. Relentless Strike is pretty dense, but the stories of active firefights and rescues are awesome. The book details…
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