Some Non Music Reviews

I finished a couple of books this week. First was The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed The Middle East by Abraham Rabinovich. It was significantly better than The Eve of Destruction. If you're interested in the Arab Israeli peace process it is fundamental that you understand this war. This book explains the change in political mindset of the Egyptians and Israelis brought about by this war better than any other I've read. It explains the stalemate created by the 6 Day War and the Wars of Attrition and the effect they had on Israeli policy. It is an earnest and down to earth piece of history without a lot of the character adoration that was in E.O.D. It also gives a lot of insight into the character of Ariel Sharon.
The other book I read was Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President by Allen Guelzo. Apparently this book won the 2000 Lincoln Prize. I'm not totally sure what that means and this is the first book I've read about Lincoln so I don't know how authoritative it is. With the disclaimer out of the way I'll say that it was really fascinating. Lincoln was one of the first Republicans and his personality and beliefs strongly influenced the way the U.S. economy and culture developed. The book explains a lot of the nuance of the civil war and the cultural battle between the Jeffersonian agriculture myth and the free labor system. It's also interesting to see the differences in campaigning then and now. There are accounts of some of Lincoln's foibles which makes him more human and more interesting. The book doesn't lionize him as a great moral American hero, but as a real person who struggled to do the right thing and regretting his weaknesses in extraordinarily difficult situations. Lincoln is more admirable and impressive as a more rounded and human character. This is a must read for pretty much everyone.
Last I saw Pieces of April last night. The movie was hilarious. It's like a middle class Igby Goes Down. It has a little less of the Holden Caulfield aspect than Igby, but that makes April more likeable and her problems funnier. The family is reconciled at the end, and it is a little cheesy, but it is only a small quick part of the movie. Pay the three bucks to rent it.