Bad Guys in American History – George Cantor. This is a very interesting book about 36 different bad guys or stories, from the Salem witch trials to Alcatraz. There are many names you will recognize & also many you will not. They are short stories with many surprises & twists that you have not been aware of. *****

Code Breaker – Walter Isaacson.  About Jennifer Doudna & several bioscientists. She discovered how to do gene editing & a procedure known as CRISPER, eventually getting a Nobel Prize. It is unbelievably complex & complicated changing DNA & RNA to customize them to fight viruses’ or enhance physical properties. A tough but very interesting read. *****

Chasing The Thrill – Daniel Barbarisi. The story of a treasure chest being hidden by Forrest Fenn. The author searched for it and documents his search & the search by several others. Several people died trying to find the treasure. Several families divorced because of one partner searching for it. It was finally found after 10 years & shortly before Forest Fenn died. ****

Speed – Bob Gilliland & Keith Dunnavant. Bob Gilliand graduated from the naval academy & transferred to the Air Force when it was new. He flew almost every fighter jet, as well as other planes. He became a test pilot for Lockheed where he had more time in experimental jets fly at Mach 2 & Mach 3 than any other pilot. Several of his friends were killed testing experimental planes. ****

Proof Of Life – Daniel Levin. This is a page-turner thriller about trying to find a missing person in Syria. It covers intrigue, politics, & corruption throughout the Middle East. ****

Vision or Mirage – David Rundell. This is a good book on the history of Saudi Arabia. He covers the good & the bad & it seems to be slowly getting better in recent years. ****

The Tyranny of Big Tech – Josh Hawley. Missouri senator writes about the control big tech has acquired through social media & the enormous fortunes they have acquired. He argues that they should be broken up because they are monopolies that buy their competitors or force them out of business with their wealth. ***

Dark Quadrant – Jonathan Marshall. This one is about corruption at the national level from Truman to Trump. He also mentions FDR. He covers big business, foreign countries, politicians at national & state levels and organized crime. This is a depressing read when you realize how corrupt every level of government is. **

Demystifying Hospice – Karen J. Clayton. A couple of hundred narrations of Hospice visits between Hospice caregivers, Hospice social workers, patients, & patients’ caregivers. It gives one a good understanding of the various ways patients & caregivers adjust & cope with the final stages of life. **

The Real J.R.R. Tolkien – Jesse Xander. A good biography of Tolkien’s life. Shows how many characters in his life may have influenced him to create characters in his books about the Hobbits & Middle Earth. **