Book Review- "Alexander Hamilton The Outsider" by Jean Fritz

With the success of the Broadway musical "Hamilton" Alexander Hamilton is getting some much deserved modern recognition. For those interested in Alexander Hamilton's actual life story try the book "Alexander Hamilton The Outsider" by Jean Fritz.

Alexander Hamilton was born in 1755 or perhaps 1757 in the West Indies. After his mother passed away, Alexander moved to New York to pursue his education.  In 1755, Hamilton joined a militia and eventually became an General Washington's aide.

Like most of The Founding Fathers, Hamilton was a true Renaissance man and  author Jean Fritz does a good job of detailing his many

 accomplishments which include: writing a majority of The Federalist Papers , the founding of America's financial system, The U.S. Coast Guard, The New York Post,The New York Bank, The Federalist Political Party, and was America's first Secretary of the Treasury.

It is probable that Alexander Hamilton would have eventually become president, but he was sadly killed in a duel with Aaron Burr in 1804.

Book Review- "Mao Zedong" by Whitney Stewart

Mao Zedong was one of the most powerful men of the Twentieth Century and perhaps the worst mass killer in history.

"Mao Zedong" by Whitney Stewart is a  brief narrative of the long and complex life of the founder of Communist China.

Mao Zedong was born in 1893 and tried several occupations before he became a political revolutionary. Ms. Stewart brings to light some details of Mao's personal life such as his failed marriages and abandoned children, but somewhat glosses over his undeniable military leadership abilities.

In 1949, Mao Zedong became the Communist Dictator of China. Mao did achieve some progress, but his arrogance and unwillingness to listen to criticism also created chaos and mayhem especially during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s.

"Mao Zedong" is a fair introduction to the founder of Communist China, but unfortunately it's short length  leaves out many vital details of Mao's life.

"They Came In The Night." a short story by Craig Zimmerman

They came in the middle of the night as the secret police often do. In just minutes, Michael was taken from his bed to a waiting car and whisked away to an unknown destination.

After about two hours in a dark cell, an armed guard escorted Michael to an unadorned office. Some sort of commander sat behind a desk and he motioned for Michael to sit.

"Do you know why you are here?" the commander asked. "Maybe you should tell me." Michael replied.  The commander gathered together a sheaf of papers and dumped them on the desk in front of Michael.

"Are those your writings?" The Commander asked. Michael looked at the papers. Apparently they had gathered together all of his internet posts for the last several years. Michael nodded.

The Commander shook his head.  "You probably think we are monsters, but we are actually very tolerant. We let you post pro-Bill of Rights crap for years, but lately you have developed a following and now that must end." The Commander said.

"What is going to happen to me?" Michael asked the Commander. The man behind the desk smiled. "You are going to make an emergency visit to a very ill old friend. Eventually, we will put out the story that the visit became a permanent move."

In the next few weeks, Michael's car was disposed of and his house was put up for sale. His employer was sad to see him go, but his position was filled within a week.

A few people thought Michael's sudden move was odd, but even those questions stopped after a few weeks.

"The Hermit" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

When he was thirty five, John Riley bought several acres in the northern Rocky Mountains and turned his back on civilization. In the beginning, John still needed to drive the forty miles to the nearest town, but as the years went by, he became more self-sufficient and eventually gave up even  that last minor connection to humanity.

While John went about his daily routine, the rest of the world engaged in the intrigues and violence that humanity had practiced from the beginning.

One day, the mad plan of a mad scientist went too far and almost every fertile male in the world was wiped out. John didn't now anything of the cataclysm until he received a procession of visitors.

All of the arrivals were women. The apparent leader of the women told John what had happened and that since he was one of the few healthy males left, it was John's patriotic duty to replenish the earth with humans.

John wasn't so sure that was such a good idea and told them so. The women offered him riches and the most beautiful women in the world.

John thought about the offer and added a few conditions of his own.  The leader of the women grudgingly accepted the conditions and that is how John the Hermit became the King of The United States.

Old Photo

I have an old photo that I inherited from my Mother. In the photo, a young man with a bandage over part of his face is standing in front of a severely wrecked car. 

I am assuming the young man was the driver of the car  and judging from the damage done to the vehicle, it is a wonder that he survived.

There is no caption to the photo, but from the young man's expression, I think he is saying: "Look what I survived."

I do not know the identity of the man in the photo. I would like to think that a man with that kind of guts was a member of the family.

Book Review- "The True History of the Elephant Man." by Michael Howell and Peter Ford

"The True History of The Elephant Man" by Michael Howell and Peter Ford is a short but thorough chronicle of the life and times of Joseph Merrick AKA "The Elephant Man." 

Joseph Merrick was born in Leicester, Great Britain in 1862. For the first few years of his life, Joseph developed normally, but then began showing signs of a still unknown genetic abnormality.

As he got older, Joseph's skin and bones began to thicken and become deformed. Even though it must have been incredibly difficult, Joseph attempted to work at various jobs, but in the end was forced to put himself on exhibition in order to earn enough money to live.

After being robbed by his manager, Joseph willingly put himself under the care of Dr. Frederick Treves and had his own room at London Hospital where he remained for the rest of his life.

At the hospital, Joseph became friends with aristocrats and ordinary people and apparently found a measure of happiness until he passed away at the age of 27.

The story of Joseph Merrick is more than a terrible congenital disease. It is also about the remarkable character of Mr. Merrick himself who remained  a kind soul even after all of the suffering he endured during his life.

Book Review- "Logan's Run" by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson

"Logan's Run" by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson is a science fiction satire of what might happen if the sex, drugs, and rock & roll youth culture of the 1960s actually ran the world.

Sometime in the distant future, mankind lives in domed cities that resemble giant shopping malls. Pleasures of all kinds are available in the domed cities, but only for twenty one years. ( The film version of the novel extended it to 30) After your time is up, the crystal embedded in your palm turns to red and you must submit to euthanasia or "Sleep" as the city authorities like to call it.

Those who  rebel against  euthanasia are called "Runners" and are hunted down and killed by a  police unit called "Sandmen."

"Logan 5" is a Sandman  who goes about his duties until  one day he is given a special assignment to find a mythical destination for runners called "Sanctuary."

Logan's search for sanctuary leads him to discover that the system he has served so faithfully is all based on lies.

Logan's Run is one of my favorite science fiction novels and I think  an enjoyable read for anyone that likes the genre.