notanotherbookreview

"... the precedent set by the Founders demands that we examine history to understand the deep sources of tyranny, and to consider the proper responses to it. Americans today are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to facism, Nazism, or communism in the twentieth century. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. Now is a good time to do so." --Tim Snyder "Mr. Snyder is a rising public intellectual unafraid to make bold connections between past and present." --The New York Times This little book of 126 pages succeeds in connecting our time with what went before. In short essays astute, wry and instructive, it lets you know what has happened, where we are and what one person of conscience can do. Here are snippets from Topics.  1. DO NOT OBEY IN ADVANCE Anticipatory obedience is a political tragedy. 2. DEFEND INSTITUTIONS Do not speak of "our institutions" unless you make them yours by action on their beha...

Multicultural Children's Book Day passed my reviewer info to Gea Meijering, author of  a useful amusing book about Kees, a kid who can't write two pages in four hours. His best friend, Pete, knocks out his essay in a half hour and is ready for outside fun and games, pranks and adventures. Pete and him are a team! In 4th grade, they had to make a paper mache volcano. Kees made the volcano and Pete wrote the journal. But in 5th, last year in elementary school, there's more writing to be done "separately". Kees knows he's falling behind in his classes. He dreads being called-on to read. He tries to decipher a paragraph two pages ahead, and hopes for a picture to help him make sense, but then stutters amid laughter, though there's Pete's encouraging "thumbs up." Dyslexia is the issue. The two friends have fun doing what they do best, that's not sitting in class. Kees knows he can build things, figure out ways to navigate his issue, like weari...