The Fifties by David Halberstam

Wow! Fascinating, informative, enlightening. A whole decade of political, cultural, social policies highlighted and explained clearly. The advent of television, increasing domination and impact of advertising, the beginning of pushback against segregation in schools, the development of the hydrogen bomb and long-range missiles, American Foreign Policy dominated by the CIA and covert actions in Latin America and Cuba, and the list goes on with it all taking place primarily during the Eisenhower Era. I feel like I just enjoyed sitting in on a great history class.

Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Fascinating description of the raising and care of a starling by the author and her family and a juxtaposition of the life of this "pet" starling and the impact of a pet starling on the work of Mozart. Starlings are non-native usurpers in North America and as a result, have been reviled but the reader cannot help come away from this book with an appreciation of one remarkable and delightful representative of this particular species.

Lost Connections by Johann Hari

Finished a very insightful book. Johann Hari in his book, Lost Connections says the following: "Depression and anxiety might, in one way, be the sanest reaction you have. It's a signal, saying--you shouldn't have to live this way, and if you aren't helped to find a better path, you will be missing out on so much that is best about being human." 
Best wishes to all who are suffering mental anguish. The message that you are weak, or biologically impaired is harmful. The Medical/Pharmaceutical Industries offer a plethora of drugs to combat depression and anxiety when in fact, the better solution might be to reconnect with the World around you. Discovering a new meaningful way to connect with Nature, Animals, and other human beings will not eliminate all the sadness but it will likely provide the strength to cope with the sorrows that surround us and skills to focus more on the beauty and relationships the World offers.

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman

A fascinating but also disturbing book about wild birds that illuminates their types of intelligence, but also reveals their increasing vulnerability to extinction as a result of climate change, habitat loss, and the poisoning of the environment. I have always loved birds, but now I have an even greater appreciation of their adaptive skills developed to exist all over the world in diverse terrains, changing climate conditions and human-impacted habitats. 2018 is The Year Of The Bird. I recommend reading this book, and other books about birds. They are incredible wild creatures, and our World will be sadly diminished by their loss.

Educated by Tara Westover

Wow! What an incredible story of endurance, resilience. and strength.

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain

A historical fiction about Martha Gellhorn, a writer and journalist/war correspondent who led an exciting eventful life that briefly intersected with Ernest Hemingway along the way. The focus of the book is the seven-year period she spent as a colleague and lover of the famous author but it also very much presents her as the remarkable and fascinating individual her own achievements created.

The Age of Eisenhower by William I. Hitchcock

 This is a fascinating book. Eisenhower, a WW2 warrior who knew the horrific consequences of war resisted efforts to draw America into any global conflicts but at the same time, he presided over the development of the CIA and its subsequent insidious interventions around the World. He was a man beset by contradictions: personal integrity and a fervent morality vied with an unwillingness to "impose" upon others even when the Supreme Court mandated an end to segregation in schools. His reign of eight years reflected a strong commitment to fiscal prudence, even as he authorized large expenditures for defense against the overwhelming fear of Communism posed by the Soviet Union and the escalating fear of the spread of Communism into Latin America and Asia. This book was very informative and revealing about a modern president who served two terms in an important yet often sentimentalized decade. Leave to Beaver and Lassie aside, the reality was so much more complex and provides so clearly a context for the following tumultuous decade.

Hotel Silence by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir,

An older man, despondent travels to an ex-war zone country with the intent to commit suicide and takes up residence at Hotel Silence. Caught up in the lives of the small community, he begins to see his life differently. Poignant.

The Common Good by Robert ReichA powerful plea that we re-establish the essentiality of the "common good" in our government and society. The viability of our faltering Democracy depends on a populace that is educated to think critically and tolerant enough to disagree with civility yet cooperate for the common good of all our people. Profit for individuals and corporations cannot be the dominant concern but needs to be sublimated to a concern for the well being of all. Only in raising all Americans to a reasonable standard of living can our Society rise to its full potential of freedom and justice for all. The author begins his book by reminding us of JFK's inspirational words in his 1961 Inaugural Address: "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Our country needs more than ever to embrace this advice if we are to ensure the viability of the Democracy envisioned by the Founding Fathers so many years ago. Yes, the Democracy was flawed but it also held a promise that now more than ever still needs to be realized.

A powerful plea that we re-establish the essentiality of the "common good" in our government and society. The viability of our faltering Democracy depends on a populace that is educated to think critically and tolerant enough to disagree with civility yet cooperate for the common good of all our people. Profit for individuals and corporations cannot be the dominant concern but needs to be sublimated to a concern for the well being of all. Only in raising all Americans to a reasonable standard of living can our Society rise to its full potential of freedom and justice for all. The author begins his book by reminding us of JFK's inspirational words in his 1961 Inaugural Address: "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Our country needs more than ever to embrace this advice if we are to ensure the viability of the Democracy envisioned by the Founding Fathers so many years ago. Yes, the Democracy was flawed but it also held a promise that now more than ever still needs to be realized.

Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen

Enjoyed this story about a close-knit New York City block as the main character. The other main characters are a couple settled into married life with their two children on this block who are busy with careers and gradually grow apart even as the city block also develops a fission and residents begin to leave.

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

A masterful biography that reveals nuances of Leonardo da Vinci's unquestioned "genius". The author has studied Leonardo da Vinci's extensive journals to provide readers with incredible detail about this man's life, constant scientific investigations, thoughts, beliefs, and artistic accomplishments.