Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers

Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers by Nick Offerman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Better in small doses than a straight read through, as a fan of both Offerman the man and the character he portrayed on Parks & Rec, I enjoyed the verbose verbal style though it can get repetitive at times. For his choices of folks who portrayed gumption, I appreciated learning about the folks I knew less about going in, like Wendell Barry, Thomas Lie-Nielsen, etc. Chapters on Ben Franklin and George Washington were interesting, but not much of what was shared wasn't already know. And while the chapter on Willie Nelson was also appreciated, he did not actually interview Nelson, so it felt more like a well-worded wikipedia entry than something necessary, better relegated to a bonus chapter.

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Ruthless: A Memoir

Ruthless: A Memoir by Jerry Heller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After seeing Straight Outta Compton, I wanted to find out if the portrayal of Heller matches his recollections. As expected, Heller strongly defends himself against Ice Cube and Dr. Dre's accusations of financial impropriety. The interesting aspects of Heller's career are really the early years - his childhood in Ohio, moving to Los Angeles in the 60s and his interactions with the biggest movers and shakers in the music industry. If anything, I wanted more information as Heller jumps between time periods and leaves few areas underdeveloped.

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The Circle

The Circle by Dave Eggers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My appreciation for this book rose when Eggers did not take the easy path with the protagonist and stayed true until the end. Knowledge is power, and power can be/is addictive. Replacing the tyranny of backdoor deals and secrets with tyranny of constant surveillance is still tyranny, and Eggers makes it seductive and even logical to eliminate privacy to create a never ending feedback loop.

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