Category: books

Book Review: ‘Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin’s War Against Ukraine’

The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War has been a two-fold conflict. It has been a physical military conflict within the borders of Ukraine, while at the same time it has been a propaganda war within and without those borders, reaching (or “overreaching”) across Europe and across the Pacific into America. Owen Matthews has been covering the fight…


Mischief Breeds Mayhem: Beatrix Potter’s Short Story for Children, ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’

One of life’s great appeals is the adventure it brings. However, when we allow our desire for adventure and intrigue grow into mischief, some of the worst mistakes or even danger can enter our lives. In her story, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” Beatrix Potter shows how little Peter Rabbit’s sense of adventure quickly falls…


Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for April 21–27

This week, we feature an important biography of an undervalued president and a lucid argument for putting children’s welfare before adult desires. Biography ‘A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland’ By Troy Senik Grover Cleveland is the quintessential topic of political trivia: the only president to serve two separate…


‘Canticle of the Sun’: St. Francis of Assisi and the Art of Praise

The reputation of St. Francis of Assisi as a nature lover often eclipses his identity as a writer in modern culture, and yet he is among the principal figures in Italian literature. In his youth, St. Francis greatly admired the courtly love poetry and lifestyle of the troubadours; in his maturity, Francis embraced the title…


Book Review: ‘The Lincoln Miracle: Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History’

My grandfather on my mother’s side was a self-taught lawyer. His jurisprudence was practiced in Socorro, New Mexico in the late 1800s. Some of my relatives say that he lobbied for statehood, though that effort didn’t succeed in New Mexico until 1912. It was more than 50 years earlier, in 1860, that another self-taught lawyer…


How to Find Good Children’s Books at Budget Prices

I took a trip to my local library the other day, visiting the children’s section for the first time in a while. I was appalled. My surprise didn’t come because the shelves were empty—they were well-filled. Nor did it come because the books I loved as a child had largely disappeared—I already knew that many…


Book Review: ‘The Madman in the White House: Sigmund Freud, Ambassador Bullitt, and the Lost Psychobiography of Woodrow Wilson’

Woodrow Wilson was possibly the most consequential president of the 20th century. His presidency has alternatingly been praised and condemned throughout the century since he left office in 1921. Wilson has been looked upon through an almost bipolarized lens as a man of dignity, integrity, wisdom, brilliance, pride, condescension, unconstitutional perspective, and self-destruction. Woodrow Wilson…


Vulgar Distinctions: T.S. Arthur’s Short Story, ‘Going to the Springs’

When we judge others’ merit by their fashion, rank, or wealth, rather than by their morality, we become vulgar. Morality and purity of heart prove our worth, not status or fashion. In his short story, “Going to the Springs,” T. S. Arthur shows that morality is far superior to rank, riches, and fashions. He shows…


Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for April 14–20

This week, we feature a concise military history tracing battles from ancient Greece to Desert Storm and a joyful guide on how to age gracefully. Lifestyle ‘The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly: Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You’ By Margareta Magnusson In her earlier work, Swedish author Margareta Magnusson introduced the…


Texas County Votes Not to Close Libraries After Banned Books Return to Shelves

Officials in Llano County, Texas, have voted not to close the county’s library system after a federal judge last month ruled that dozens of books containing sexual and racial content be returned to shelves after they were banned. The Llano County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to remove an item from their agenda during an April 13 meeting considering…