The Last American Man

The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Last American Man is in essence a biography about Eustace Conway. Gilbert, a friend of the Conway family, writes in a journalistic manner that is reminiscent of John Krakauer. Her writing is both personal and objective, and weaves a personal and moving portrait.  Gilbert's writing unfolds also into a portrait of American maleness and its radical shift from the 19th century. I found the Last American Man a complex book that was both moving and a pleasure to read.

Blank Spots on the Map

I generally shy away from books that delve into the "dark" parts of our nations political and military undertakings. Author Trevor Paglen even notes in his own introduction how writing on these kind of topics can often be relegated to conspiracists and sensationalists (my words).

So anyhow I picked Blank Spots on the Map because I was interested in the metaphor of blank spots and also because Rebecca Solnit recommend it on the back of the book. Long story short, it is a really interesting book. Perhaps one of the most compelling arguments that Paglen bring up is the degree of secrecy around both the financial and physical activities of  the US military and CIA operations. Paglen writes in depth about how the constitution states explicitly that all government spending need be transparent, which of course is not the case. Blank Spots on the Map can be read on a number of levels and even if you don't buy all of Paglens arguments, it is an interesting read.