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Rick's Library
Suggested Reading -
Also see Rick Wine Book Library &
Business Book Library

This started with my Wine Book Library. People regularly ask me where they can learn more about wine. A fine wine-book library is almost as rewarding as a fine wine library. On that page is a selection of wine and wine-country related books from my library. Below are other books I've read recently that  I hope you find as useful and entertaining I did! Then came Ricks (book) Library followed by my Business Book Library and now video favorites - Videos, Movies, and TV favorites.
Author - Title - Comments - Rating - (Click on book jacket images for full view.) 

Rick's Rating -

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Categories:
 BiographyBusiness CollaborationCurrent events FLW HistoryLiteratureSportsWine
 

Literature

Books by Peter Mayle: When can we expect another???
A Year in Provence by Peter MayleToujours Provence by Peter MayleHotel Pastis by Peter MayleAnything Considered by Peter MayleChasing Cezanne by Peter MayleAcquired Tastes by Peter MayleFrench Lessons by Peter MayleA Good Year by Peter Mayle
 A Vintage Caper

 

A Good Year

A Year in Provence
Tojours Provence
Hotel Pastis   
Its a Dog's Life

Anything Considered
Chasing Cezanne  
Encore Provence
Acquired Tastes
French Lessons : Adventures With Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew
   
Books in which I have Collaborated or contributed ....
 
Frank Lloyd Wright: The Man who Played with Blocks Frank Lloyd Wright: The Man who Played with Blocks, A Short Illustrated Biography (Adventures with Architects) (Volume 1)
by
Leslie M Freudenheim (Author), Pia Licciardi Abate (Author)  
Featuring some of Rick McNees' (my) photography of Frank Lloyd Wright sites.
�Out of every score of books on Frank Lloyd Wright, usually only one is worth reading. This is one.�
William Allin Storrer, The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, A Complete Catalog
 
 

Designing a Place Called Home: Reordering the Suburbs

by James Wentling
Featuring some of Rick McNees' (my) photography of Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie architecture sites.
 
Image result for Facade for a Penny Arcade, by James Reiss, published by Spuyten Duyvil. Facade for a Penny Arcade
by James Reiss,
published by Spuyten Duyvil

Featuring some of Rick McNees' (my) photography of Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie architecture sites. Cover photo by Rick McNees
 
Image result for FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S $10,000 HOME History, Design, and Restoration of the Bach House Robert J. Hartnett  Frank Lloyd Wright’s $10,000 Home: History, Design, and Restoration of the Bach House
Robert J. Hartnett
Hilton Publishing: Chicago, 2019
NA7511.4 C6 H37 2019
Featuring some of Rick McNees' (my) photography of Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie architecture sites. Cover photo by Rick McNees
Food Dudes  

The Mars Family: M&M Mars Candy Makers (Food Dudes) 

by Joanne Mattern 
Featuring some of Rick McNees' (my) photography of Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie architecture sites.
 
  An Architectural Laboratory: The Oak Park Studio of Frank Lloyd Wright
by Lisa D. Schrenk,
Soon to be published by the University of Chicago Press in 2020.

Current Events and recent releases - my latest reads ....

Cheap and Thin - Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright - Book Cheap and Thin: Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright
Raymond Richard Neutra
Dr. Raymond Richard Neutra traces the forty-year relationship between his parents and the great architect Frank Lloyd Wright. His father, pioneer modern architect Richard Neutra, worked for his idol Frank Lloyd Wright and spent his career exploring the American industrial potential for economical and light weight housing, schools, medical facilities and other “architecture of social concern.” The influence of Wright on Neutra and how Neutra adapted, adopted and added strategies and design features to gradually develop what was to become mid-century “California Modern.”
Killing Reagan by Bill O'Reilly Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency
by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
The New New Thing
By Michael Lewis 
Michael Lewis has a unique style that combines human interest, intrigue, technology, business and history into another enjoyable reader.
Courting Disaster: How the CIA Kept America Safe and How Barack Obama Is Inviting the Next Attack
By Marc Thiessen

 

The Wright Brothers
By John McCullough

Another one sitting read ...
 
Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis

Flash Boys: A Layman's Guide to High-Frequency Trading - What Is Wall Street Hiding from...
By Michael Lewis


Read in one sitting ... couldn't put it down!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41V8UI0e77L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpgFrank Lloyd Wright: An American Architect
By Frank Lloyd Wright, Edited by Edgar Kaufman
 
Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General
By Bill O�Reilly, anchor of Fox News Channel�s �The O�Reilly Factor,� and his co-author Martin Dugard,

 
 
The Shah by Abbas Milani The Shah
By Abbas Milani
 
Killing Lincoln:
The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever

Bill O�Reilly, anchor of Fox News Channel�s �The O�Reilly Factor,� and his co-author Martin Dugard,
Henry Holt & Company, 2011
The Great Bridge by David McCullough

The Great Bridge:
The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

By David McCullough
 
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris

By David McCullough
 
Super Crunchers by Ian Ayres

Super Crunchers
Why Thinking-by-Numbers Is the New Way to Be Smart

By Ian Ayres

 
The One Percent Doctine by Ron Suskind

The One Percent Doctrine
Deep Inside America's Pursuit of its Enemies Since 9/11

By Ron Suskind
 

The Shadow Factory: The NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America
by James Bamford

 
Jawbreaker by Gary Bernstein
Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander
By Gary Bernstein
Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan

The Reagan Diaries
by Ronald Reagan

Stay tuned.
Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades)The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam(and the Crusades)  
by Robert Spencer
Stay tuned.
Securing the City - Inside America's Best Counterterror Force--The NYPD by Christopher Dickey

Securing the City

Inside America's Best Counter-terror Force--The NYPD

By Christopher Dickey

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Outliers
By
Malcom Gladwell  
A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity - A Memoir by Bill O'ReillyA Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity
By
Bill O'Reilly  
Another best-seller from the #1 cable news show host. Amazing how the liberal media have moved soooo far left that the center is now seen as the right! Bill O'Reilly's Memoir shares life's experiences and explains how they shaped his views and perspectives and his approach to life and the culture war that envelopes us all. Entertaining and thought provoking reading for thinking people.
 
Dark Tide
By Andrew Gross
Thanks Andrew for the Acknowledgement! Well done on weaving my work and our product into the complex and intruiguing plot - it works and I got it. You exceeded my expectation with the suspense and intrigue - and it just kept coming. I read it in one sitting! It'll make a great movie. I look forward to meeting up for dinner when you come to town for the book tour! Well done!
 
Unhinged - Liberals Gone Wild by Michelle Malkin
Unhinged
By Michelle Malkin
Wow, not for the feint of heart! No punches held here. Regnery Publishing's review; Warning: Unhinged liberals are hazardous to the nation�s health. They�re slashing your tires. Burning your lawns. Heaving pies at Republican pundits. Hurling racist epithets at minority conservatives. Nursing nutty conspiracy theories. And pining publicly for the murder of President Bush. And they call us crazy?
In Unhinged: Liberals Gone Wild, Michelle Malkin plays conservative Margaret Mead to the alien political creatures of the American Left. With uproarious detail and rollicking reportage, Malkin chronicles the bizarre world of leftists gone mad in their natural habitats: the mainstream media, academia, Hollywood, and Washington. Unhinged unmasks liberals who�ve completely abandoned rationality and reality. They�re taking chainsaws and bayonets to campaign signs. Running down political opponents with their cars. Setting fire to political opponents in effigy. Defacing war memorials. Swiping yellow ribbons off cars. And supporting the fragging of American troops. With wit, wisdom, and a bullet-proof vest, Michelle Malkin ruthlessly and raucously skewers the myths of liberal tolerance, peace, and civility. Unhinged shows how conservatives are driving their opponents mad. The good news for liberals? Self-help starts here."
Quiet Strength by Tony DungeQuiet Strength
By Tony Dungy

Touching autobiography of the NFL head coach Tony Dungy and the role God and his faith play in his life - guiding his journey to triumph of winning the Super Bowl, and supporting him through family tragedy. His devotion guides his daily life in his family, friendships and his leadership of gifted athletes and coaches. Website.

February 2008
 
Lion in the White House Lion in the White House: A Life of Theodore Roosevelt
by Aida D. Donald

January 2008
Charlie Wilson's WarCharlie Wilson's War
By George Crile

The extraordinary true story of how the wildest man in Congress and a rogue CIA agent changed recent modern history. Basis for the major motion picture starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts that was a fair and relatively faithful albeit limited depiction of the book.

December 2007 

 The Quest for Absolute Security
The Quest for Absolute Security: The Failed Relations Among U.S. Intelligence Agencies

October 2007 
 

Devil in the White City
By Eric Larson

Fascinating, horrific, spell-binding, incredible tale of the magnificent Chicago world's fair in 1893, and an underlying true horror story that played out in its shadows.

July 2007 

Culture Warrior
By Bill O'Reilly
Love him or hate him, one can't deny we are at war and Bill O'Reilly is defining the battle lines with his highest rated television news program and its 'no-spin zone'. O'Reilly spells out the cultural war that is playing out around us. If you're an O'Reilly watcher, then you know the story as the book essentially replays the theme and backdrop of his highly acclaimed show. From the team that arguably practices and sets the standard for 'fair and balanced', this is a must read for the thinking person of our time.

The Innocent Man
By John Grisham  -
John Grisham Official Site
John Grisham�s first work of nonfiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet.

"If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you." - from the jacket.

 

Killing Pablo:The Hunt for the Richest, Most Powerful Criminal in History
By Mark Bowden

Godless: The Church of Liberalism
by Ann Coulter

 

Wilderness of Mirrors
by David C. Martin, 1980

Basis for the movie - "The Good Shepherd", produced and directed by Robert DiNiro, starring Matt Damon and Alec Baldwin. Friend and former CIA executive Jon Monett appeared in a minor role but served as technical advisor to the project.  

Freakonomics
by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner
How Soccer Explains The World
by Franklin Foer
 
The Tipping Point
by Malcolm Gladwell

Blink
also by Malcolm Gladwell

It took 16 years for Enron to grow into a trading colossus. The company dominated markets with $60 billion in assets. It came apart in ...
24 Days

by Rebecca Smith and John Emshwiller
of the Wall Street Journal
1776
by David McCullough
Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror
by Richard A. Clarke
 
Plan of Attack
by Bob Woodward
Preventive Defense: A New Security Strategy for America
by Ashton B. Carter & William J. Perry

In process

Longitudes and Attitudes: The World in the Age of Terrorism
By Thomas L. Friedman
A collection of Friedman's columns from the New York Times, pre and post 9/11/2001. An introspection on events and how they came to be. Thought provoking perspectives on the new world order, or lack thereof. Not light reading but divided into numerous bite size chunks for easier handling.
 
Body of Secrets :
Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency

By James Bamford
Insights into the ultra-sophisticated super secret National Security Agency and its ability to monitor worldwide communications to track down territories, spies, and other enemies of the state. See 20th centure history from a new and insightful perspective.
Art and Spirit of K. P. SinghThe Art and Spirit of K. P. Singh
Selected Drawings and Writings
By K. P. Singh
Collection of intricate masterful drawings of buildings and cityscapes from around the globe and particularly Indiana by this Indianapolis resident artist and author and friend of dear friends. I had the opportunity to attend this gala launch release recently at Butler University.   
Secrets of the Koran
Revealing Insight into Islam�s Holy Book
By Don Richardson
Forget all those evening news sound bites or diplomatically correct half-truths about the Koran and the religion of Islam. If you want to know what the Koran is really about, you have to know what it really says.

God's Promise to the Chinese
Dr. Ethel Neison, RIchard E. Broadberry, & Ginger Tong Chock

In Process
This book shows new light on the origin of the Chinese writing system. Readers will learn that the Chinese incorporated an unusual knowledge of sacred history into their unique writing system.


The Hot Zone - Book by Richard Preston

The Laundrymen
Jeffrey Robinson
The Hot Zone - A Terrifying True Story
By Richard Preston
Stephen King, the horror novelist says it best, "One of the most horrifying things I've ever read." And the scary thing is that it's a true story!

History

Franklin and Winston : An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship
By Jon Meacham
   
Books by Joseph E. Persico

Roosevelt's Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage
   
Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow
 
Benjamin Franklin by Edmund S MorganBenjamin Franklin
By Edmund Sears Morgan
 
Benjamin Franklin : An American Life
By Walter Isaacson
John Adams
By David McCullough
Wonderful biography of this most overlook founding father, provides great insights into our country's founding, and the other notable figures of they day. 
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
By Joseph J. Ellis
Book Cover
America's First Dynasty: The Adamses, 1735-1918
By Richard Brookhiser
Jefferson
By Saul K Padover
Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot: Unleashing Your Brain's Potential
By Richard, MD Restak
If sis Dr. Pat bought this for me to drive me crazy, she succeeded! I can't take more than one chapter at a sitting - the brain teasers make your brain hurt.. but then you can't get them out of our mind! #@&*%$#@!.
American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley: His Battle for Chicago and the Nation
By Adam Cohen
Coming ....
 

Sports

Papa Bear: The Life and Legacy of George Halas
By Jeff Davis
New
 
 
Coach Wooden One-on-One
Inspiring Conversations on Purpose, Passion and the Pursuit of Success
By John Wooden and Jay Carty
In Process
Coach Wooden One-on-One consists of 60 daily devotional readings. Each one begins with a page of treasured thoughts from Coach, followed by a page of Jay Carty�s comments that expand upon them. Each reading is made even more memorable by opening and closing passages from the Bible�the book that has shaped John Wooden�s life more than any other.
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
by Michael Lewis
How Billie Beane, GM of the Oakland A's threw all conventional wisdom and rules of baseball out and applied his own. The result was the winning-est team with the lowest payroll! Aberration or brilliance? This is not a book about baseball - its a book about life! Fascinating and fun. 
   
Payne Stewart: The Authorized Biography
By Tracey Stewart, Ken Abraham
Heartwarming story about the life of a well known athlete who was an honorable Christian and devoted family man. Great reading for any sports fan too interested in learning about life as a pro golfer.
 
Joe Gibbs: Fourth and One
by Joe Gibbs, Jerry Jenkins
  
   
 Singletary on Singletary
by Mike Singletary, Jerry Jenkins
   
 
Past favorites:
 
Book CoverComing Clean: The Inside Story of a Cocaine Drug Lord and His Unexpected Encounter with God
by Jorge Valdes & Ken Abraham
Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times
by Donald T. Phillips
Few of us appreciate how tenuous the Union was during it's toughest time in history.
Learn how a modest man endured and helped the Union survive.
  
The Soul of a New Machine
by Tracy Kidder
Anyone with a career in high tech will find this account of the development of the DG Nova intriguing and most likely very close to home, if you're a gm or development manager. This goes way back to the early days and advent of the 'mini' computer. Kidder eventually won the Pulitzer for this book.
Another favorite by him follows:
House
by Tracy Kidder

One of my favorite stories is in this book. This is a must read for anyone building (or contemplating) a new house. Fascinating character study of the conflicts between the owners, contractor, and architect. I believe this so much that I have bought and given copies of this to a dozen friends over the years who were embarking on such an endeavor.
Hard Drive : Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire
by James Wallace and Jim Ericson

If my kids ask me what I did in the war, I'll have them read this book. Its amazing how my career along with most in the high tech realm parallel Bill and MS. I knew him when, or even before when... I can related first hand to much of the drama and events including the infamous show-down dinner at Le Chateau in Vegas at Comdex during the OS/2 - Windows debacle which is covered.
The Puzzle Palace: A Report on America's Most Secret Agency
by James Bamford
Stay Tuned.
  
   

A Civil Tongue
By Edwin Neuman
"this is a very very funny book. It is funny and serious at the same time in its assault on the awful things all of us are doing to the language. He is our leading spokesman for clear and concise and direct language. his book is moving, inspiring, and human. It's just marvelous. - Bob Woodward

 

Biography
Frank Lloyd Wright - Biography by Meryle SecrestFrank Lloyd Wright - A Biography
By
Meryle Secrest
 
 
William J Casey - From OSS to CIACasey: The Lives and Secrets of William J. Casey-From the OSS to the CIA
By Joseph Persico
   
Father, Son & Co: My Life at IBM and Beyond
by Peter Petre, Thomas, Jr. Watson
Fabulous book about big business - the founding, history and culture of IBM. 
In All His Glory: The Life and Times of William S. Paley and the Birth of Modern Broadcasting
by Sally Bedell Smith
Story about the founding of CBS corporation - insight into 'aristocratic' life in NYC and Long Island, and the early days of big media in America. You'll be surprised at what you didn't know about the history of our TV networks.
Ford: The Man and the Machine
by Robert Lacey
Poignant story about the genius Henry Ford and his success in founding a motor company, and shortcomings as a father.
   

Stamping Our History: The Story of the United States Portrayed on Its Postage Stamps
by Charles Davidson & Lincoln Diamant
A wonderful pictorial history of the US as told through our nation's postage stamps - laid out categorically - the story behind each stamp and its relevance in that era. Better than a stamp collection and a wonderful easy history read too.
 
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Page last updated 12/26/2022