About

Philosophy

I believe that a deep understanding of American and world history and politics is essential.  It can help one have a greater love for their country and more empathy for the world and its concerns and become a better citizen in daily life.  Also, the study of history and politics can be just as stimulating as reading any work of fiction, especially in the hands of a great writer.

However, I also believe that fiction can stimulate the mind and discussions in ways that books of history and politics can't.  Indeed, ask anyone on the street what are some of the best books they have read, that meant the most to them, and they will most likely give you fictional titles.  Lovers of history and politics can be just as stimulated by any book of great literature just as much as any history or politics book.

At the heart of this blog, though, is that every book, no matter how old or obscure or how long it has been on a shelf, unread, deserves its chance to shine.  All books are the result of hard work and passion on the parts of authors, editors, and publishers and a book would not have been published if someone didn't see some value in its content.  Even reading the worst written book can hold a kernel of truth.  Also, if a book is terrible, people deserve to know so that they don't waste their hard earned money or libraries don't waste tax payer dollars on it.  Thus, even though it would save me a great deal of time to remove some books from my unread shelf, I would lose and so would those who are interested in reading these books.

About Me

I hold two bachelors' degree in history and political science and a master's degree in international affairs.  I am also an avid reader of books, but over the years I have collected too many books that I have not read yet.  So, I am keeping my wallet firmly in my pocket and endeavoring to read only the books on my shelf.  For every three books I finish from my list of unread books, I will add a new one either from my local library or from my local book store. 

Contact

If you are interested in contacting me about this blog or about which book on my list I should read next, you can contact my gmail account here: skitch4143@gmail.com