Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History
I learned that no matter what your political affiliation, your viewpoint on whether we, as Americans in 2018, are in a good place or a bad one, safe or dangerous – there is in fact a 500-year documented history that we can break down that may assist in explaining it all. Once we can divide it into smaller, more digestible pieces – perhaps we can then figure out the best way forward. Only time will tell.
Welcome to the universe: an astrophysical tour – by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott, 425 pages (2016)
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What I liked about this book
I liked the way these unbelievably skilled astrophysicists – moonlighting as very talented authors – were able to take the cosmic novice into a (mostly) reader-friendly journey of a world most us only knew tidbits from television shows like Star Trek or the Jetsons. We are able to grasp how the universe began (with a Big Bang – boom!), what has taken place since the Big Bang, and what we can expect to occur between now and…whenever it all ends.
What I learned from this book
I learned that when we become 31 years, 251 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes, and 54.7843 seconds (not adjusted for Leap Years), we have lived on this earth for exactly ONE BILLION SECONDS! Dr. Tyson shares a personal tale from years ago when he stopped what he was doing at this moment and drank a nice, long swig of champagne to celebrate his milestone. His point was that very few of us experience this number in any form – so, it may be worth our while to stop and recognize the “accomplishment.” I really appreciated learning this fact!
What I disliked about this book
There was nothing. It was one of the most comprehensive books I’ve come across in any field of science. All three authors did a tremendous job in relaying a very complex subject matter into something of which most readers should be able to gain a basic understanding (at least, in general).
To whom would I recommend this book
I would recommend this book to anyone who has any curiosity in space (there are many). Judging by the popularity of some of the recent series either broadcast on network television or streaming online like Dr. Neil Tyson’s Cosmos, I would imagine there are new generations of “space geeks” surfacing each and every day. Welcome!
Any thoughts?
-A.N.
It was interesting to revisit the new millennium – a time when the U.S.A.’s company heads were spending like drunken sailors, startups were hideously overvalued and debt- laden without revenues, and the world appeared to be at everyone’s feet. This was termed the dot com boom days. Of course, it didn’t last. Nothing this hedonistic could have lasted long. Within a few years of 2000, most were brought to a grinding halt – as a result of economically unwise strategies and reckless errors.
It is now 2017 and history appears to be repeating itself. Despite the fact that we recently experienced two economic crises – the dot com bust in 2000-02, AND the Great Recession in 2008-09 – we have yet to fully learn from the error of our ways. What should have changed our ways permanently seems to have eluded us in favor of more greed and arrogance. For the most part, our collective capitalist memories seem to have been wiped clean after each recovery – only to repeat similar (and sometimes worse) actions in later years.
We should try harder to never forget that we are not the only economic empire to ever exist in history. It’s so easy to become complacent with the belief that we can always “pull through the next one.” I guess we’ll only truly realize this when we experience the event that becomes too catastrophic from which to recover. At any rate, this book is a great reminder of what happens to those who operate without thinking about the consequences of their actions.
I liked pretty much everything about this book. I think it was interesting, well researched and a smooth read.
This book is a great read for any adult who has an interest in learning about the true story of a seemingly normal Fortune 50 company which was hijacked by corporate greed and steered into destruction. It’s easy to forget about all of the family members of every employee who are affected by such incompetence and selfishness. Retirement accounts are squandered, college plans vaporize and innocent futures are never the same again. This is all the result of self-inflicted wounds and the inability to stop deviant behavior despite combined years of executive education and experience. By not having (or choosing to circumvent) a system of “checks and balances,” it is easy to get so many people (innocent and not so innocent) become ensnared in a colossal and deadly spiral.
Any thoughts?
-A.N.
Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached for appearances through our Contact page.