Bringing down the house is a great read -- the true story of Kevin Lewis -- a brilliant MIT student during the week and high rolling Vegas card counter on the weekends.  The story became better known in the last year with the release of the movie version of the book -- 21.  As with almost every case, the book is much better.  If you didn't see the movie get the book first.  If you saw the movie, then get the book to know the real story.  This book contains all the elements of a classic fiction book:  drama, danger, excitement, love story (with an NFL cheerleader no less) and yet it is all true.  It leaves you thinking anyone can make money at blackjack -- which I suspect the casinos appreciate.

This week we have a special guest blogger—Samantha Fritz—my 12 year old cousin.  Sam is a prolific reader and I really enjoyed her book review of Ana’s Story.  

Anna's Story by Jenna Bush

Anna is a girl whose life has been hard since the day she was born. Living with a deadly disease, living without a mother, and battling all the secrets she has to keep from the world around her. But the worst of it, is that she knows if the world finds these secrets, she will be shunned.

Eyes on the Prize is a great book that everyone should read—(it goes with the PBS series by the same name).  It does a great job walking through the key moments of the Civil Rights movement in the 50s and 60s in a vivid, readable, and engaging manner.  The book starts with the story of school desegregation and then has chapters on major moments of the effort:  Mississippi and the Till Case; the Montgomery Bus Boycott; the Little Rock Story; Albany and Birmingham; the March on Washington; and the stories of the efforts in Mississippi and Selma.  It is hard to believe that just 50 to 60 years ago there was such violence and strife over something that seems so normal today—the right to vote, use the same facilities, attend school, etc. 

This book has created quite a buzz--I have seen countless people reading it on the plane, coffee shop, etc.  So I picked up a copy and understand the interest—it is the fascinating story of a father whose daughter is kidnapped and murdered from a family camp site.  Some time after the tragedy, still wrecked by anger, bitterness, and grief the father receives a letter supposedly from God asking him to go to the shack were his daughter was killed.  What follows is an amazing story of a weekend with God—walking through the pain he has lived with since the death of his daughter.  I found this to be a fascinating fiction book that touches on theology, religious beliefs, grief, family and countless other topics.

Vince Flynn is one of my favorite fiction writers -- Protect and Defend is his ninth book and is as good as the previous eight.  Mitch Rapp again saves the world -- or in this case the Director of the CIA and uncovers an Iranian plot to blame America for the sinking of an historic naval vessel.  Action packed and a quick read -- Vince Flynn is the new Tom Clancy and Mitch Rapp could take Jack Ryan any day of the week!

Land of Lincoln is an enjoyable book by Andrew Ferguson that walks through our nations expressions of admiration for Abraham Lincoln.  At times funny, Ferguson takes the reader to the living rooms of Lincoln item collectors, Lincoln impersonators, and Lincoln detractors.  One of my favorite parts of the book was the family road trip of the “Lincoln Trail”.  The author relived his own childhood trip to the key movements in the life of Lincoln—his birth in Kentucky, years in Indiana, and most well known time in Illinois. 

This is one of the most moving books I have read in quite a while.  A Long Way Gone is first person story of the author Ishmael Beah and his unbelievable and unfortunate experiences in his native Sierra Leone during their period of civil war and strife.  At the age of 12, Ishmael Beah’s life was upended when rebels attached his village in the early 90s.  He was immediately separated from his family (who were all killed) and became a refugee moving from place to place avoiding the rebel forces, witnessing terrible atrocities and merely trying to survive. 

This book was referred to me by a great friend Ken O. The title immediately caught my attention—In Praise of Public Life—the Honor and Purpose of Political Service. So often the public service aspect of political office seems to be lost. I truly believe that public office is public service and an honorable profession and Senator Lieberman not only agrees, but wrote a book on the subject.

A good friend of mine (who is a great manager) recommended this book to me. It is a great read and one I now recommend to anyone who manages people - in any profession.

I’ve never met Richard Branson, but based on reading this short book it would be a fun meeting. Someone with a zeal for life — his own life is an interesting one. You can read this book in a sitting and will probably enjoy his tails of adventure and success in business.