THE AGE OF REVOLUTION by FAREED ZAKARIA

 Fareed is an amazing writer of historical and current political issues. He generally has a column daily and a hour on Sunday of CNN. His books are always articulate and detailed. I am amazed at his referencing so many statements of historical politicians voicing their understanding of reality.

This book starts in the 1600 hundreds and steadily proceeds to the present. In all instances, he zeroes in on specific issues infringing the political stand of those who often suffer the consequences of the outcomes. The idea that the government should focus on what helps the majority, helps the nation to progress from static and self destructive laws is true. The examples of such issues are taxes, insurances, law and order, gun control. The problem is the major disagreements, e.g., the MAGA Republicans and the Democrats 

Fareed clearly focuses on the need to bridge the gaps dividing a nation or dividing one nation from others. Differences are understandable, but violent reactions are inhospitable 

I always admire Fareed’s detailed manuscripts. 

WE DON’T KNOW OURSELVES by FINTAN O’TOOLE

 The author wrote a personal history of his experience of Ireland. He went from being a conservative Catholic to one to embraced a nation that is actually new to me. I am Irish by virtue of my mother, an Irish immigrant.  While she never said anything about her heritage, I was unable to press her since she died when I was 13.  I then became a token Irishman until I learned from a movie many years later that if you were not the first born male or married one, you could not survive in Ireland. You had to leave. But the movie indicated that you could never talk about Ireland without crying. So I got the reason why my mother never shared the beauty of Ireland. 

I have read many books about Ireland but this was most different. For sure, the author’s experience is most different. Admittedly there is much humor, but many episodes of sexual episodes that frequented his experience, the anger among many, the political chaos only contributed to a new understanding of modern Ireland. 

The author, a professor at Princeton University, captures a moment in Ireland that I never knew. It is why I read history books.