I started reading Bolton's book yesterday afternoon.

[MineralMan]

I've had it longer than that, but have been reading a book on neuroscience that was 800 pages long, so I had to finish that before picking up Bolton's book. The information on neuroscience is related to my current work projects.

So, far, about 60 pages into the book, I find that it is much about Bolton, himself, and his praise for himself. However, Donald Trump is in there, too, and it's not in any way flattering to Trump, so far.

I don't like John Bolton one bit, but he had a close-up view of Donald Trump, so the first-hand information on Trump is useful to me as i consider his failed presidency.

[niyad]

1. I am so sorry. CanI get you a drink?? Pills?? No doze??

A pillow?

[live love laugh]

3. 🤣🤣🤣

[MineralMan]

6. No need to be sorry. I read a lot, and not all of it

is pleasurable. I read for information, and prefer first-hand accounts to news reporting, frankly. I read to learn, whether it's a complicated book on neuroscience or a self-serving book about a toxic administration. I don't read for pleasure any more. I read for knowledge that gives me a background for thinking about things.

I can't count the number of books I have read in my almost 75 years. Thousands of books. The number is in the five figures, I'm certain. I enjoy some books, but learn from them all. Learning is my life.

[Mike 03]

2. I gave in and ordered it too, for the same reasons you've set forth.

As soon as I finish the book I'm reading about the end of WW2 I'll check it out.

I really am addicted to the Failed Trump Presidency books. What I'll do with them after he's out of office I don't know. There really are a lot of them.

Woodward's dropping his second Trump book in September. It doesn't have a title yet, but it has a release date.

[Gothmog]

4. I watched too many interviews of Bolton to want to buy this book

I am not surprised that the book is all about Bolton. The man is a major league asshole

[MineralMan]

7. One can learn from assholes, too.

Bolton doesn't interest me. Trump does, though, and Bolton's account of his time in the Trump administration is instructive.

I don't want to read Bolton's book, but I think i must read it, as a student of history. As I expected, we learned only a little from the reporting on the book. Very little, and only that information that had some bearing on current news. There is much more to learn about Donald Trump from Bolton, so I'm reading his book. I'll spend a number of hours reading it. Those hours will not be wasted, because I will learn from that exercise.

[Gothmog]

10. My mind has been made up on trump for a long while

I have no doubt that with or without the Bolton book, history will not be kind to trump. trump is on his way to being the worst POTUS in US history and all the Bolton book does is provide more material. Objectively, 130,000 deaths and a new depression should be enough to seal trump's standing in the judgment of history.

[MineralMan]

11. The Schadenfreude Alone Is Worth It.

The more I know, the better the schadenfreude.

[live love laugh]

5. Thanks for your intestinal fortitude. nt

[Talitha]

8. Just got up to page 59 and agree with your thoughts.

Bolton seems to feel that he's the sharpest tool in the shed - just like Comrade Dumbass. IMHO it's actually quite a tiresome read so far. Sure am glad I downloaded the free pdf document - there's no way I'd buy it.

[MineralMan]

9. We're about at the same place in the book.

Tiresome? Yes. Interesting? Yes. That, too. Bolton is a very conservative figure. That he is sharply criticizing Trump is very interesting, even if I don't trust his perspective.

Like a lot of books I have read, this one will be informative, but not a pleasurable read. Lots of the books I have read have been like that. If I only read for pleasure, there would be many things I did not know.

[MurrayDelph]

13. I won't be reading (or listening, as I do with many books), so please correct me if I'm wrong

Last edited Tue Jul 7, 2020, 12:09 PM - Edit history (1)

I get the feeling that the gist of the book is:

A) Nobody appreciates, or is deserving of, my unsurpassed genius,
B) Donald Trump is corrupt and unworthy of the presidency, and should have been removed, but
C) There is no way I would ever do anything that might help a Democrat.

[tanyev]

12. I'm on chapter 12. Started skimming the self-congratulatory passages.

Feels a bit like if Marcel Proust were a war-mongering jackass who thought he was always right. I noticed in the first few chapters he only had a problem with Trump when Trump disagreed with him. The later chapters are more satisfying. Still seems like he’s portraying Trump more capable than Trump actually appears to be.