The Killer’s Shadow – John Douglas & Mark Olshaker.
John Douglas was the pioneer of criminal profiling in the FBI. This book is mostly about Joseph Paul Franklin, a serial killer (30+) who also bombed a few places. It describes the effectiveness of profiling in this case & a few others. It details the crimes committed & how they interview criminals in custody to assist in developing profiles. ***
The Light of Days – Judy Batalion.
This is the story of Renia Kukieka & several other Polish women working with the Polish resistance during WW2 after Germany invaded Poland. It is a detailed description of the hardships, killings, brutal beatings & torture the Polish Jews suffered during the German (& Russian) occupation. ****
Parenting Asperger’s – Michael Uram.
A handbook on how to treat children with Aspergers from 4 to 18. A good read to help one understand the symptoms associated with Aspergers. **
The Anthropocene Reviewed – John Green.
The anthropocene is the current geological age. He writes short chapters (essays) about his life experiences. Some are about animals, some about places, plants, friends, & cities. ***
Any Given Sunday – Matthew Sherry.
Good book for rapid pro football fans. He reviews the 100-year history of pro football, with the years 1920 – 1960 being quite interesting. He covers 20 of the most important games in great detail with inside stories about many players, coaches, owners, and others involved with pro football. ***
I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust – Valerie Gilpeer & Emily Grodin.
The story of raising a child with autism who could not speak. Well-written descriptions of the symptoms and acts of a child with autism & the emotions & trials that the parents experienced. ****
It’s not the Gun – Kathy Sterman.
Biography of life in the FBI. She was stationed in India & China during her career. She reveals many stories about relations with foreign governments & FBI protocols. She has many stories where she felt discriminated against just because she was a woman. **
The Bomber Mafia – Malcolm Cladwell.
The “mafia” refers to 5 bomber pilots trained at Maxwell Field. The most famous was Haywood Hansel, who believed in precision bombing using the Norden bombsight. He was replaced by Curtiss Lemay in the Pacific theater. Lemay used Napalm to bomb 60 Japanese cities which turned out to be instrumental in ending the war. ***
My Remarkable Journey – Katherine Johnson.
Her story of being a math genius. She worked with NASA before electronic computers calculating trajectories for space flights. She also writes about her personal life overcoming the prejudices because she was black & female. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ****
Cheated – Andy Martino.
The inside story of the Huston Astros cheating by stealing signs. It traces sign stealing in baseball from 1900 to 2020. There are many, many details about various ball clubs & probably many players you’ve never heard of. It also details the investigation & results of it. The extreme details make it a difficult read. *
