Tony Daniel Reviews ‘American Dirt’ by Jeanine Cummins for the ‘Federalist’

federalist4siteJeanine Cummins’s bestselling novel ‘American Dirt’ has elicited protests over the author’s belonging to the wrong group to be allowed to write Mexican characters, writes Tony Daniel. He finds this ridiculous, and thinks the real problem is that the book is plodding moralistic melodrama—and thus perfectly suited to be an Oprah’s Book Club selection.

Read the review here.

Legendary Independent Genre Bookstore Uncle Hugo’s Burned to Ruins by Rioters Reports Tony Daniel in Article for the ‘Federalist.’

federalist4siteUncle Hugo’s and Uncle Edgar’s were legendary among the community of science fiction, fantasy, and mystery readers—and now they’re gone. Rioters burned the Minneapolis mainstay to ruins. Daniel includes an account by owner, Don Blyly.

In the article, Tony Daniel reflects: “The hustle and bustle of the street, the shops and restaurants and churches and halfway houses and all the rest engender this hustle and bustle. When you burn such places down. . . you are not clearing for renewal. You are destroying the very possibility for growth and change in a community. You are killing hope.”

Read the article here.

Tony Daniel Reviews Mike Rowe’s Book, ‘The Way I Heard It,’ at the ‘Federalist’

federalist4siteTony Daniel says Mike Rowe’s new book, which arises from Rowe’s popular podcast, reminds him of the great Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” broadcasts from his youth. Rowe also divides the biographical sketches in the book with tales of  his own coming of age and professional ups and downs, which are amusing and at times touching.  Tony calls the book a pitch for a certain amused, easy way of looking at life, and a tale told by a smart, polished communicator who has figured out how to tug at your heartstrings and whack your funny bone without trying to stick a knife in your back in the process. Read the review here.

Tony Daniel Delivers a Generally Positive Review of ‘A State At Any Cost: The Life of David Ben Gurion’ at the ‘Federalist’

federalist4siteTony Daniel’s reviews A State At Any Cost: The Life of David Ben Gurion by Tom Segev, translated by Haim Watzman, at the Federalist. Tony says the book supports an important political lesson from the twentieth century : nationalism, for all its flaws, helped humans survive what could have been a machine-age, science-based Armageddon, and socialism, for all its claims to virtue, nearly wiped out the human species.

The interview is here.