My Favorite books of 2018

Getting set for retirement I thought it time to switch my emphasis from non fiction to fiction.  I have always found a well written novel is hard to put down.

FICTION

"The Son in Law" by Charity Norman was only discovered after a flukey chain of unlikely events, but I am grateful for grabbing it when I had the chance.  The book is beautifully layered.  You are introduced to a dramatic emergency resulting in death.  Next you go a few years ahead to learn some of the consequences.  Then you go back and gradually uncover the background.  The son in law (and you know he can't really be as bad as first portrayed) is hated by his in laws and the book really tracks how that originated and follows how it evolves.  Hint:  a masterpiece of mediation.  Read more:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/02/charity-norman-discovery.html







"MacBeth" by Jo Nesbo was an ambitious murder political power inspired by William Shakespeare.  I had studied MacBeth in high school but confess many details eluded me.  Nesbo has shifted from mediaevel times to more recent, but has retained many of the same names and locations.  Instead of royalty as the structure for power politics he uses a police force and municipal government.  A few other elements were three witches and obsessive washing of hands.  The real core is of power politics.  If you are familiar with Jo Nesbo you would be right to expect interesting violence.

"The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarty was enjoyed during my trip to New Zealand.  Vjakumar MK Nair, a Facebook friend from India first brought author to my attention   Enjoyable read.

"Manhattan Beach" by Jennifer Egan is an historical novel set before and during World War II.  The protagonist is a determined woman who becomes an underwater diver against male rules.  There is also a mystery involving gangsters and a missing father. 

"The President is Missing" is full of inside information and a complicated plot.  The president is on the verge of being impeached yet is faced with Armagedden and unable to tell his tormentors.  Reminds one of Bill Clinton when he first tried to kill Osama bin Laden.  There are mechanical details few would know about, but the most fascinating feature is the political games being played.  Government certainly seems complicated with the president constantly juggling a variety of balls.  It has the clever twists one would expect of James Patterson.  A few digs against the Russians and Saudi Arabians.  Towards the end there is a list of Democrat agenda with a few sly comments on Republicans, but since I think Hilary should have defeated Trump easily it only adds to my enjoyment of the book.


NON FICTION

 Lots of politics, but there is more.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century, another book by Yuval Noah Harrari that deserves recognition as the  best of the year.  Everyone should read his three books to better understand where humankind has been, where it is going and what needs to be thought for today. For more: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/12/21-lessons-for-21st-century.html

 

"The World as it is" by Ben Rhodes a speech writer and aide to Barrack Obama.  Ben traveled with Obama helping make many key speeches such as for Mandela's funeral.  He also wrote for Suan Rice for the initial response to Benghazi.  He points out Republican hypocrisy.  Also on Russian intransigence with Crimea.  He reported how Mitch McConnell blocked attempts to publicize Russian interference with the American election.  He was given negotiating responsibilities regarding improving Cuban relations and for cleaning up the mess left by American bombs in Laos.    For more check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/06/the-world-as-it-is.html

"What Happened" by Hilary Clinton, may be seen by some as excuses for her failure to get elected, but it a good analysis of the election and events subsequently learned reinforce her analysis. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/02/hillary-clintons-what-happened.html

"Hitmaker's"  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/02/hit-makers.html   Ever wonder what makes one piece of art/music become a hit while others never reach public consciousness?  A few answers, but you will have to work hard and be a bit lucky if you want to duplicate some of the success stories.  

I was persuaded to read "The Devil in the White City" by co-worker Susan Brinkmann.  An interesting juxtaposition of a serial killer and the Chicago World's Fair with its architectural wonders.  Makes for compelling reading.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/04/the-devil-in-white-city.html

"Rescue" was bought after author David Miliband was on tv with Fareed Zakaria.  While there are many countries acting out an anti-immigrant hysteria the refugee situation is desperate.  It is tied into not only political turmoil, but also climate change so we are all complicit.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/04/rescue.html

"Ordinary Virtues" illustrates that similar to the United States we in Canada do not properly appreciate real global thinkers.  Michael Ignatieff as part of a project identified four virtues (tolerance, forgiveness, trust and resilience) as essential for global survival.  Interesting examples around the world.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/04/the-ordinary-virtues.html

"Leonardo da Vinci" was another engrossing biography by Walter Isaaccson.  Da Vinci was more than a genius, known for his art, science and engineering.  You the reader would learn how deeply he understood the human body and how it was reflected in his art.  He truly is one of the giants that others have stood on.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/05/leonardo-da-vinci.html
 
"No is Not Enough" is another Naomi Klein well thought out protest book.  She sees greedy politics denying climate change.  She covers up to the Puerto Rico recovery which she asserts is undergoing shock therapy.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/05/naomi-klein-writes-another-insightful.html

"No Turning Back" is based on numerous interviews by journalist Rania Abouzail undercover from 2011.  She covers prisoners, refugees, fighters,one child.  Some of the complexities reported.

"Triumph of Christianity" by Bart D. Ehrman reports on how Christianity rose above many pagan religions to dominate the western world.  St Paul, more than the original apostles attempted to convert non Jews.  Constantine's conversion led many others to follow and gain momentum. Lots of psychological perspectives.  Read more: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/08/the-triumph-of-christianity-history.html

"That's what she said" is an interesting book advocating a bigger role for women for the good of us all.   The title comes from an experience where a man gets credit for an idea first voiced by a woman.  Read more:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/08/thats-what-she-said-book-worth-reading.html

Fascism Madeleine Albright writes of parallels between Fascists and modern America under Donald Trump.  She grew up in Czechoslovakia and saw much of the political changes in Europe.  Her observations while working with Bill Clinton and since are very perceptive.  For more check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/10/fascism-warning-form-madeleine-albright.html

"Fear" by Bob Woodward:  makes it seem that there are endless anti-Trump books.  Hopefully the deluge will accomplish something constructive.  More at:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/11/fear-another-anti-trump-book.html

"Prius or Pickup" starts with a simple premise that people can be reduced two major world views allowing for people that are somewhere in between.  Of course it is a little more complicated and they explore consequences. Read more: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/12/prius-or-pickup.html

In an attempt to better myself I am always on the lookout for self improvement books, particularly with a new slant.  "Get your Sh*t Together" by Sarah Knight comes from a different angle.  The language gets your attention and her advice is compatible with what you may have read elsewhere.  To follow further:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/03/get-your-sht-together.html

CANADA READS  was a mix of fiction and non-fiction.  For book lovers the contest where champions campaign and dissect each other is one of the most entertaining events of the year.  This year I was able to read the five nominations, but did so after the winner  "Forgiveness" had been declared. Read more including a brief discussion of each book.      http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/10/canada-reads.html

To see my favorite books from 2017:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/12/enjoyable-reads-from-2017.html

Ayushmann Khuranna; An actor to watch

Not as good looking or confident or even charming as Shah Rukh Khan, but Ayushmann Khurrana is very likeable, natural, and selects good movies often with a social message.

Ayushmann was born in 1984 in the city of Chandigarh.  He majored in English literature and took part in many college theatrical productions winning a few awards.  From there he worked as a tv host.

"Vicky Donor" (2012) was a big breakthrough.  He played a reluctant sperm donor.  Keeping it secret from his family to avoid embarrassment and later from a woman (played by Yami Gautam who with Ayushmann won a best debut award) he met at the bank.  As you might imagine there was a lot of room for humour which is very natural for Ayushmann, but it also had a few 'touching' moments that made it a memorable film for me.

After this he went into three movies that might be described as mediocre both in artistry and popularity.  "Nautanki Saalat" (2013), "Bewakoofiyaan"  (2013) with Sonam Kapoor and "Hawaizaada" (2014).  Not bad time fillers, but not much more.

Another breakthrough in 2015 with "Dum Laga Ke Heisha" that got a better than anticipated box office.  Ayushmann's character was persuaded to an arranged marriage, but his wife was overweight and better educated than him.  Bhumi Pednekar played his wife and won our admiration.  Eventually he adjusted for a not unexpected happy ending.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/a-feel-good-movie-little-off-beaten-path.html

Next release was "Meru Pyaar Bindu" (2017) with one of my favorite leading ladies Parineeti Chopra, but not particularly noteworthy.

Bhumi took on a socially progressive role in "Padman," (2018)  but has reunited with Ayushmann to help start a string of highly regarded films with "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan" (2017)  In this film Ayushmann plays a man with erectile dysfunction discovered before marriage.  His wife bears with him through several failures.  

Next up for Ayushmann was "Bareilly ki Barfi"  (2017) a popular romance comedy with Kirti Sanon and Rajkummar Rao.  It won a best screenplay award.
 
For 2018 Ayushann played a blind pianist in "Andhadun" (2018) which had one of the highest ratings ever for a Bollywood film.  It was considered a combination of thriller, comedy and a bit of romance.  Tabu, playing a murderess was brilliant.  see more of her:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/12/tabu.html  Radkika Apte provided a little romance.  The film is full of twists with a little gesture as the camera fades makes you wonder if you can believe every thing you had just been told. The editing decisions of  co-writer Pooja Ladha Surti added to the suspense.  Written and directed by Sririam Raghaven who had done "Ek Hasin Thi" (2004 ) and "Badlapor" (2015).

Another hit follows with "Badhaai Ho" (2018) where Ayushmann's mother gets pregnant in her 50's.  Sex is not seen as normal for elderly.  Not seen, but assured it is very funny and in the end  an enjoyable family film.  Has done very well at the box office.

2019 looks to be another busy year.  He is scheduled to have three films released.  The first is "Bala" with Bhumi Pednekar for September.  Next is another romance comedy, "Dream Girl" with Nushrat Bhuarucha for November.   Also included is "Operation Kukri" with Shah Rukh Khan who also will write the script.  It is about a military event when the Indian army was involved in liberating hostages in Sierra Leone in the summer of 2000.

Ayushmann has written a few songs and sings in film and live.  As a host he was personable and spontaneous enough to get an opportunity with movies.  His future looks very bright.

Still another blog on an Ayushmann film, "Article 15" is here http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html

Prius or Pickup?

Political power comes from accurate analysis of voters.  In this age of American partisan voting the contest is very competitive and the consequences can be frightening.  Another book brought to my attention by Fareed Zakaria

The authors contend that the answers to four apparently non political questions can tell a lot about a voter and why there is such a divide in America.  The outcomes of the four questions can be applied to many situations.



Here are the four questions that respondents are requested to indicate a preference: with respect for their children
                    1).  independence vs respect for elders.
                    2).  obedience vs. self-reliance
                    3).  curiosity vs. good manners
                    4).  being considerate vs. being well behaved.

The answers would be classified by worldview as fixed, fluid or mixed.  The fixed tended to prefer authoritarian parenting and set in life style while fluid were more nurturing and open minded.  Mixed were the ones who did not answer all questions consistently and thus might bend a little either way.

You might guess that the fixed worldview tends to vote Republican and that fluid tends to vote Democrat and generally that is true.   Race turns out to be an offsetting factor.  Many blacks, Muslims and Hispanics are naturally fixed in their world view, but the Republican leaders cannot avoid offending many minorities, because their base wants them to stand up to the minorities including the LGBT community.  Race can even modify some fixed views as when Obama supported same sex marriage and many blacks followed the change in attitude.

In addition to the direct political links there are endless non political links that reinforce the political choices.  Most Fixed stick with traditional food, entertainment, fashion, education, etc.  Fluid are more open, even seeking new things. This leads to segregation based on worldview making it more difficult to change attitudes.  Check a related blog on attitudes to novelty:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/08/new-understanding-our-need-for-novelty.html

Partisanship has intensified significantly since 1990.  There is hatred not just for the opposing party, but to those people who claim loyalty to the opposing party.  Amazingly facts do not matter so much as each side is capable to spinning information to defend their loyalties.

Mixed worldviews are closer to fixed than they are to fluid, especially with regard to racism and immigration.  Fear shifts everyone.  Trump's campaign emphasized things to be afraid of.

Europe is showing similar trends, although there are significant differences.  They examine the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Denmark that are all experiencing growth of right wing parties. There is greater inequality in America than in Europe.  It appears that wealthy American interests have been well served at the expense of the less well off.  Offsetting this to some extent is that large corporations do realize their interests are best served by being fair to minorities.

The authors close with a quote from Abraham Lincoln.  "a house divided against itself cannot stand."  Their concern was that the conflicting worldviews need to work together on a global scale.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

The first lines of the introduction give a clue to Yuval's focus, "In a world deluged by irrelevant information clarity is power."  He has already given us a focus on how man came to be and where man can go.  This book reflects on the stresses and contradictions in the world today and explores a few ways we might extricate ourselves.  Fortunately he does have a sense of humor and offers many attention getting examples.

There are more thought provoking ideas than I can cover in a short post.  A lot to digest.  My attempts to sort through are only a taste of what you can expect.  To me this is the Book of the year.

In the middle of the last century the world was offered three global political philosophies--Fascism, Communism and Liberalism.  Fascism was killed during World War II and Communism collapsed by the close of the century leaving Liberalism to expand its umbrella.  However our current news reflects a new range of anti liberal trends.  The 21 Lessons reviews several alternatives we might consider for the 21st century.

Economic growth has underscored liberal thinking, but the most critical problems today are being undercut by economic growth.  Technological innovation threatens job security.  Climate change and pollution suffer with economic growth.  I see a problem with his concern about the need to reduce meat consumption:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/01/what-happens-to-farm-animals-when.html

Social media is taking over the lives of the entire globe.  Yuval expresses concern about online vs offline.  Online does have potential to steer people to offline activities that can be healthy for bodies and social beings. Generally social media is likely to cut down physical interaction and be unhealthy.

Algorithms are becoming increasingly more invasive.  One simple example given was how a GPS system can tell us to turn right or left.  Artificial Intelligence combined with bio tech is now getting  an understanding of emotions.  Algorithms will know you better than you know yourself.  Trust in algorithms will increase as they will become more reliable.

Ethics can be and will be integrated with algorithmic decisions.  Philosophers will have a demand as many decisions will need to be made split second with examples coming from such endeavors as self driving cars.

Happiness depends less on circumstances than on expectations.  Humans are easily satiated.

Inequality is likely to increase as those who control algorithms will have tools to squeeze more.  But it might not just be financial wealth, but also longevity as biotech will be more accessible to some.  The future of the masses will depend upon the goodwill of a small elite.  Some nations with a tradition of liberalism such as France or New Zealand will more likely support the masses while those with a more capitalist tradition like that of the United States may well dismantle the welfare state.  Newly emerging states like India and China, Brazil) are more likely to see an increase in inequality.

Killing a few people in Belgium draws far more attention than killing hundreds in Nigeria or Iraq.

Most people believe they are the centre of the world and their culture the linchpin of human history.  Rather than denigrating other cultures Yuval, a Jew living and working in Israel makes a few points about "God's Chosen People."   The universe is at least 13 billion years old with Earth being formed about 4.5 billion years ago.  Humans have existed for at least 2 million years.  Jerusalem was founded  about 5,000 years ago which does not mean it is eternal.  He also pointed out that Orthodox Jews usually hold the balance of power in Israel and have helped pass laws that curtail activities on the Sabbath including for secular Jews.

Morality predates religion.  He gives the example of pups playing until one bites too hard and they will not play with a bully.

Author quote:  "Questions you cannot answer are usually far better for you than answers you can not question."

We are all complicit to some degree--"How can anyone understand the web of relations among thousands of intersecting groups across the world."

The meaning of life is looking for a role to play and a story to provide identity.  A wise man asked about meaning of life replied, "I have learned that I am on earth in order to help other people.  What I still haven't figured out is why the other people are here?"

He goes on to say that asking about the meaning of life is the wrong question.  The better question is how do we stop suffering.  He does seem to have a Buddhist bias, but is upfront about it.

Going back to Confucius, rituals are good for social stability.  The most meaningful ritual is sacrifice.  The author contends that rituals are an obstacle to seeking truth.

On the question of free will Yuval asks to define it first.  If you mean the freedom to do what you desire, yes.  But if you mean the freedom to choose what to desire then no.  Humans do not have free will.  He asks us to think where does a thought come from?  He concludes that although we don't have free will we can be a bit more free from the tyranny of our will.

Mankind has made much progress in studying the brain, but have barely begun learning about the mind.  He personally has found meditation to be a tool for observing your own mind directly.  Self observation has always been difficult because there are so many stories surrounding us.  In the future  algorithms will create more stories making it more difficult to observe your mind.

My little sketches do not do justice to his overview of how we might look at life out of our complacent perspective.  Well worth reading and I expect different readers will get different values from the effort.

Read my thoughts  on "Sapiens":  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/12/sapiens-brief-history-of-humankind.html

Read my thoughts on "Homo Deos": http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/04/homo-deus.html

The BDS Movement

The BDS Movement  (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) might not have been noticed quite as much if there weren't concerted efforts to make it illegal.  The goal is for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, removal of the barriers at the West Bank, full equality of Arabs in Israel and to promote the right of return by the Palestinian refugees.  Israel claims Arabs enjoy equality in Israel and that the movement is anti-Semitic.  Both Israel and the United States have made efforts to make the BDS illegal and use national resources to reject. 

The cause is known and for most people who consider themselves progressive liberals it is admirable enough.  Like a lot of people when I hear and believe negative things about individuals and companies I try to make a conscious decision not to support.  Other people want to take a strong stand and some of them are organizers and others looking for an organized effort.

Up until past my university years I would tell anyone who asked, that "Exodus" was my favorite movie.  I barely knew any Jews, but somehow came to admire them and how they had overcome the Holocaust.  I still grapple to understand the horror of  their ordeal.  I have watched several movies that focused on the Holocaust from many different angles.  It is horrifying to read about people who deny the Holocaust.  It not only is anti-Semitic, but also indicates rationalization (guilt feelings) for expressing hatred.

A few things happened over my adult years to change my perspective  At work I remember talking to a secretary at work about Hallowe'en.  I was telling her that I had to get home early to protect my home from tricksters.  She surprised me by saying as a born again Christian they could not celebrate Hallowe'en.  I have always considered myself secular, but Lynn was someone I liked working with and accepted her offer to read a book about Armagedden.  There seemed to be a lot of logic, but really twisting the meaning of Biblical words which I just could not accept.  But I came to understand and more frequently heard or read references to the second coming of Christ.  I kept a few details in mind such as there would be the anti-Christ who would seem to have the answers (could that be Donald Trump?), Israel would have to be run by Jews again and there was something about ten tribes that would play a role and that the true believers would ascend to heaven.

I gradually became aware of the role this belief played in American politics and other nations.  They seemed very protectionist of Israel, but at the same time saw Jews only as necessary for the prophesy.  The Palestinians were in the way and needed to be stomped down.  The fact that they resorted to terrorism only proved how undeserving they were.  Arab states and Muslims were suspect as they always seemed to be using the supposed Palestinian injustices to inflict terror on the rest of us.  Many Christians just wanted to protect the holy sites. 

The Arab oil boycott of the west was mostly seen as inconvenient.  One good thing that came out of it was a movement in part led by Jimmy Carter (who is my most admired president) who preached conservation.  Of course Ronald Reagan ridiculed the idea and reversed course.

Another factor emerged when my sister, Rebecca married a Muslim from Morocco.  She was actually married in an inter denomination ceremony.  It was over ten years and two daughters later that she decided to convert.  She is one of the people who I both love and admire.  I had come to admire Ali as well and he gave a different view of Palestinians.  He was careful not to speak against Jews and in fact pointed out to me that he would seek kosher food when halal food was not available.

My reading convinced me that the Palestinians had been taken advantage of.  While I could still admire what the Zionists had accomplished against heavy odds I began to realize they did so at the expense of the Palestinians. And the more I heard and read the more it seemed the Palestinians were being dismissed and discriminated against.  The media in my neck of the woods was almost totally picturing Palestinians as backward, dishonest, violent and undeserving.  The Israelis are pictured as besieged, but very innovative.  Perhaps there is an element of guilt from many Western countries that had allowed anti-semitism to prosper and helped set the events of the Holocaust.

After a television appearance I read a book by Peter Beinart.  It made me realize there is a lot of politics behind the support of Israel.  Check out  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/07/crisis-of-zionism-book-review.html

By now you realize I am sympathetic to the Palestinians, but there is more to it than that.  I am not much of a boycott participant.   I have completed two books by Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli and have started his most recent book.  He has the best understanding of what it means to be a human of any one I am familiar with.  I am not willing to give up that.  An investment counselor was recommending a mutual fund and thought one of its highlights was that they included Israeli stocks--although like anyone else I wanted to make the most money for the least risk,  passed on it.  I watched and appreciated many movies from Israel http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/youll-find-arabic-and-hebrew.html  particularly the ones that seemed balanced.

My experiences with boycotts are very limited.  As a Canadian one example was when Heinz decided to stop processing tomatoes from their Simcoe, Ontario plant.  I had driven through Simcoe numerous times as part of my sales job.  I remember consciously actually driving by the plant with a distinct, but not unpleasant smell of the ketchup plant.  French's, better known for mustard, picked up the slack and I have made it a point of buying their ketchup (which happens to taste pretty good).

I was too young or disinterested to think about the anti apartheid boycott.  I am proud that Canada did participate unlike United States and the United Kingdom.  Thinking what would I buy from South Africa?  Never thought of diamonds or gold.  A little later did enjoy eating Granny Smith apples and have since enjoyed South African wines, but think of them as post Mandela (one of my very favorite heroes).

If we don't want people to settle their differences with violence we have to accept alternatives.  Every person who has a dime to spend has some power.  Once they spend that money they have lost some of their power, but the choice should be theirs.  Yes, there should be exceptions--we should not be able to physically harm someone or denigrate them. 

Israel is forgetting its values.  They have suffered at the hands of degenerates, but now they are causing great suffering that to me is counter productive.  I know there are significant elements that want to bridge the gap, but they don't seem to dominate.  Hatred and ignorance are very difficult to deal with, but others have found ways

Critics are welcome to do a counter boycott if they really want, but they have absolutely no right to impose legal restrictions on people who  feel the merits of the cause.  I think what needs to happen is more effort to reconcile the Jews and Palestinians.  Biblical prophesies can be interpreted any way that suits someone else.  The Qu'ran is interpreted very widely.  To me the boycott and such efforts to encourage Israel to take a fairer treatment of the Palestinians is a worthy cause and those that want to delegitimize it are the immoral ones.  Politics and money are a big part of the problem.

FEAR :ANOTHER ANTI TRUMP BOOK

The title comes from a quote by Donald J Trump to Bob Woodward and Robert Costa in March of 2016, "Real power is--I don't even want to use the word--fear."  He has said so many things, but perhaps this is the core of his philosophy.  First learned of this title from Fareed Zakaria.

Bob Woodward, of Watergate fame has found a style that helps to uncover interesting information.  He conducts interviews as for background meaning he does not attribute quotes. His sources seem quite willing to provide some juicy details.  He had also done a lot of research of media information.  The book is full of details of interactions of the supporting cast who mostly tried to prevent Trump from doing a lot of what he wanted to.

You want to read this book quickly, because although it points in the direction Trump is headed it also is outdated as the live narrative is changing every day.  It carries up to about March 2018.  Trump continues to make inflammatory tweets and statements and Bob Mueller seems to quietly get more incriminating information.  "Fear" does give a fuller understanding of the background behind the headlines.

Going back to 2010 Trump decided to explore how he might run for president.  He had generally been pro choice, but agreed to publicly become pro life.  He had been donating slightly more to Democrats than Republicans, but explained that was because Democrats controlled much of urban projects and he needed to grease the wheels.  Steve Bannon said he needed to donate to Republican causes, but doubted he would because his donations were more related to what he wanted to buy, sell and develop to make money.

Some bits of advice he learned.  Steve Bannon felt  Hilary talked too much like a politician which hurt her credibility even when telling the truth.  Kellyanne Conway advised to not bother with national polls, but to focus on the Electoral College where he could leverage his resources better.

As one reads of many private conversations touching on incidents we have read and heard about a couple of conclusions leap out.  Trump  has many preconceptions and shows little interest in understanding the complexities of many issues.  He always wants to project strength and prefers to intimidate those he considers opponents.  He never wants to admit he has been wrong about anything.  Ultimately everything revolves around him.  Lots of indications of mental instability.  Some of the interesting conversations are with Lindsay Graham, Steve Bannon, Reince Preibus and John Dowd.  Woodward talked to or about a lot of others.

Trump had had experience with bankrupticies and was not frightened by them.  He felt his negotiating skills included risking bankruptcy even on a federal basis.

In general Trump distrusted international commitments and organizations.  He genuinely felt America had been poorly treated by the rest of the world. 

Gary Cohn comes out as a reasonable man trying to restrain and educate Trump.  One issue was a sequence planned to deal with China.  They were to seek a coalition of allies to gang up on China regarding intellectual property theft. But before that got organized Trump insisted on imposing tariffs on a wide variety of goods and countries as well as break up trade agreements.  Instead of accumulating allies for the original goal he alienated the prospect of a united front.  In the meantime Trump met the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping and felt he was a friend.  Cohn tried to explain that trade deficits were not bad, but failed and eventually resigned partially due to his failure.

Kim Jong Un, often considered a madman is not.  His father apparently executed scientists for their failures, but Kim has realized they need to learn from mistakes, thus advancing his nuclear and missile plans.  We are all aware of a twitter escalation of war threats, but behind the scenes Trump was planning a tweet to order military dependents in South Korea to leave which would have been a signal to North Korea of impending military action.  Fortunately he was deterred from the tweet.

Trump had made a campaign promise to repeal the "worst deal ever made" with Iran.  Many argued with him, but he was adamant.  Perhaps he was influenced by Israel supporters who feared Iran or maybe he was supporting Arab interests.  Personally I believe Saudi Arabia is the bigger trouble maker when compared to Iran, but the phobia against Iran is crippling.  As one observer pointed out Trump is friendlier towards North Korea.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/01/who-deserves-blame.html

The Mueller investigation according to sources is very distracting to Trump.  It is often difficult to get his attention, but more so when public announcements are made.  Woodward obviously talked with legal staff and recounts many conversations between Trump and John Dowd.  With no legal training I would have to conclude there is no proof that Trump directly colluded with the Russians.  The book closes with a fancied quote from John Dowd, "you're a fucking liar," not actually said to Trump's face.

HOW TO THINK

It is true.  You already know how to think.  Do you think you could think a little better?  Perhaps a bit pretentious, but actually Alan Jacobs does have a few good thoughts on the matter.

We focus on making better decisions while Jacobs focuses on process.  He alludes to Jonathan Haidt who used a metaphor of a rider on an elephant to substitute for the conscious and unconscious mind. (read more at:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/10/are-you-interested-in-happiness.html Jacobs says thinking flows from our situation.  We cannot help the many details of our environment, but at some stage we can make some conscious decisions that will have long term impact.  A key element is the group of people you choose to be active among.  It is pointed out that if that group is resistant to outside ideas they are not the ideal base to develop thinking.

Jacobs believes a crucial factor in our ability to think is to socialize with open minded people.  He talks of the Repugnant Cultural Other (RCO), those other people who are not worth considering.  He himself is a Christian and is conscious that that automatically makes him a RCO in many groups and he is on his guard not to dismiss anyone.  An example he gives regards the Westboro Baptist Church which has gained the reputation of extreme homophobic activities.  To them homosexuals are unacceptable, but Jacobs learned of one member who stumbled on a homosexual and eventually found they could no longer spout hate language at them.

Thinking is thought of as solely an intellectual exercise, but Jacobs uses the example of John Stuart Mill to point out the shortcomings of this assumption.  John Stuart Mill was brought up in an overly rational manner and he became adept at languages, mathematics and similar endeavors, but felt his life was flat.  He discovered emotions through poetry.  He was one of the founders of Utilitarian thinking who felt that every decision depended on which choice would create the greatest amount of happiness.

Logical thinking depends on what your goal is.  One interesting example given was of Wilt Chamberlain, considered one of the best basketball players of his time.  His one weakness was foul shooting to the point of embarrassment.  Someone persuaded him to shoot his foul shots underhanded (like the high scoring Rick Barry) and his percentages improved.  But he stopped doing it and experts asked why.  Of course they assumed his goal was to score many points and win games which to some degree was true, but underlying a more potent goal.  He has bragged that he had sex with several thousand women and Jacobs suggest that was his higher goal.  Underhanded shooting was not considered masculine.

One example of open minded thinking was the Yale Political Union, a debating group with a different focus.  In debating a goal is to break or convert the opposition with the force of your argument.  Debates are usually decided on points for skillful arguing with public conversions rare.  While a debater is admired for the ability to break an opponent in the Yale Political Union they admire the person who is broken as displaying open minded thinking.

In most groups there is an inner ring.  In many cases any member who asks an uncomfortable question is rejected.  In a family (which can include pets, very close friends) the individual is not inter changeable.

Jacobs points out that those who agree with you will not always be in charge.  We all need to abide by the same rules, otherwise we risk losing a peaceable social order.  To deal with our opponents we should seek the most fair minded.

A suggested format for discussing an issue is to let one person make their case.  The second person to summarize that case to the satisfaction of the first person.   Only then the second person makes their case and this time it is summarized by the first person.  Before going forward each person must demonstrate they understand the other's case.  We all need honesty and flexibility to adjust our views accordingly when the facts change.

Sunk costs are known to be a problem with financial decisions.  As more money is committed to a project it becomes more difficult to move to a different solution even when the facts call for a change.  The same concept can be applied to ideas as they can become entrenched.  Jacobs refers to Eric Hoffer's "True Believer" where some people become so tied to a specific philosophy that everything opposed is either distorted or dismissed.  Social media is often used to fortify a viewpoint, but there is also the possibility of expanding to a different viewpoint.  Essentially if the in group you belong to is intolerant to outside ideas it is not a good place for thinking. 

Jacobs brings up the practice of classifying, the science of which is taxonomy.  Charles Darwin who spent a lifetime discovering and classifying thousands of species developed the idea of lumpers and splitters.  Lumping occurs when one entity is added to another.  A modern example might be the LGBT movement is one that continues to add new components.  Splitting is setting up a new category.

To deal with opposing view-holders Jacobs suggests you learn their RCO's moral dialogue.  Humanize problems whenever practical.  People make conclusions based on their circumstances but as circumstances change a change in conclusions is possible.  While we are looking outward Jacobs points out we need to examine our own motives--why does it suit us to think the way we do?

In conclusion I would like to quote Jacobs:  "I can't promise that if you change your mind you won't lose at least some of your friends...  There likely are commonalities.... Do not think of your old friends as losers if you used to think the same."

If you need to think about it more before committing to buying or reading the book check out this website:  https://howtothinkbook.com