Blow the House Down

December 17, 2009
Book of the Day: Blow the House Down, by Robert Baer
Grade: B
First published: 2006
1-word review: Incompetence
5-word review: Our intelligence ain't so intelligent.

With prose like a hard-boiled detective novel, Robert Baer excoriates the U.S. intelligence system for its failures in the lead-up to 9/11. The signs are clearly there, but a stubborn reliance upon old practices, fighting among agencies, and a pathological fear of telling the truth lead to tragic results.

Baer has gone down this road before, in terrific books such as See No Evil and Sleeping with the Devil. The difference here is that Blow the House Down is a work of fiction. It's not going to go down as one of the great novels of the decade, but it's a good thriller nonetheless. A CIA agent is apparently being framed for crimes he did not commit. He chooses to not go down without a fight. Baer draws upon his own experiences in the agency to give the story a feel of authenticity.

Nine out of ten Idahoans believe the CIA is sending them subliminal messages through advertisements for dog food. Potatoes are our only defense.

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Election

December 2, 2009 Book of the Day: Election , by Tom Perrotta Grade: B+ First published: 1998 1-word review: Ignominy 9-word review: High school and politics are both a bit ridiculous. You might be familiar with the movie based on this novel, starring Reese Witherspoon. I haven't seen it (I think I was camped out in the Ozarks, living on possum and moonshine, when it came out), but I hear it's pretty good. Here's a picture of Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick. Here's another picture of Reese Witherspoon. Here is a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. But it's late, and I digress. Let us discuss the novel. It's told in a unique first-person style that alternates between its main characters. In the year 1992 Tracy Flick squares off against Paul Warren for the office of student body president of Winwood High School. A teacher, Mr. M., recruits Paul, the Golden Boy, to run due to a misguided animosity aimed at Tracy. Paul's sister, Tammy, joins the race as the ec...

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The Theory of the Leisure Class

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