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Arianna Huffington – Fanatics and Fools | Review

Title: Fanatics and Fools

Author: Arianna Huffington

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 372

Rating: 3.5/5

Arianna Huffington – Fanatics and Fools

I have mixed feelings about this book, and when I first started it I wasn’t enjoying it to the point at which I almost gave up on it. I was filming an unhaul video for my BookTube channel when I happened to notice that my copy of this was signed by Huffington herself. That made me think that I might as well keep it.

It’s basically a big long book about the 2004 presidential election, outlining Huffington’s theories on what a democratic candidate would need to successfully unseat George Bush. Obviously it didn’t quite turn out that way, but it’s strange because a lot of what she says about this new leader that they need could be describing Barack Obama.

Huffington also has an interesting take on things because she’s no stranger to politics. She ran against Arnold Schwarzenegger for the role of governor of California, and she has some interesting things to say about his brand of politics — and indeed of Republican politics in general.

Arianna Huffington

One of the main themes in this book is the way in which corporate America basically makes a mockery of democracy, with politics for sale to the highest bidder. Huffington clearly knows her stuff and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a dossier on her computer to this day detailing all of the sleazy, sketchy stuff that politicians get up to, not just in America but around the world.

Sure, it’s sometimes a little slow going, and I did have to read this twenty pages at a time as my bedtime book, but I am still glad that I picked it up even if it’s out of date by now and no longer really relevant. I also found Huffington’s writing style a little abrasive to begin with just because of how sarcastic she can get, but after a while I was able to overcome it.

All in all, I liked what she had to say here and if she was running for office somewhere that meant I could vote for her, I probably would. And most of the policy ideas she shared were spot on.

Arianna Huffington Quote

Click here to buy Fanatics and Fools.

Johnny Cash – Cash: The Autobiography of Johnny Cash | Review

Title: Cash: The Autobiography of Johnny Cash

Author: Johnny Cash

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 341

Rating: 8/10

Johnny Cash – Cash: The Autobiography of Johnny Cash

This is the story of Johnny Cash as you’ve never heard it before, the story of the man in black from his own lips – it turns out that Cash isn’t just a songwriter, he’s an accomplished novelist and autobiographer in his own right, and this is his second book of autobiographical stories, a fascinating insight in to his mind.

This isn’t an autobiography in the traditional sense of the word – it’s not really linear, and it really is more like a set of stories told around a campfire than the detailed life story of a man who knew he hadn’t got long left. By the end, you’ll feel as though J.R. is a close friend, rather than the mysterious Cash who performed on stages at San Quentin and Folsom Prison.

It’s fascinating, too, to hear his tales of the superstars that he met and conversed with, figures as notable and diverse as Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan, Bill Clinton and George Bush. Hell, president Jimmy Carter was even a cousin of his, a direct blood relative of June Carter, Johnny’s loving wife and a talented performer in her own right.

Johnny Cash

The book is offset beautifully by black and white photographs from Johnny’s own collection, and they really help to bring his story to life – at the end of the day, Cash was a fundamentally likeable person, even if he does talk about religion a little too much for my liking. But that’s just the man he was, he pulled no punches and was just himself, unashamedly, throughout his career.

If you’re a particular fan of Johnny Cash and country music, or if you’re simply a fan of music in general, this is the book for you – it’s one of the most interesting autobiographies I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of autobiographies. Keep on walking that line, kid.