February 12, 2023 by Philip Lewenstein

Fascinating Books Dominated My Reading in 2022

Many fascinating books dominated my reading in 2022. Topics included sports, media, politics, history, higher education, general nonfiction, and fiction.

In sports, I read about Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski), Jim Kaat, Patrick Reusse, Jim Thorpe, and Phil Mickelson. I especially appreciated Linda Flanagan’s Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports.

In media, I read about Katy Tur, Art Buchwald, and Wallace Carroll, and recalled the history of Look Magazine. In Newsroom Confidential, Margaret Sullivan discusses Americans’ lost trust in newspapers and what is needed to regain it.

My favorite book in politics was Jamie Raskin’s Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy. The congressman describes the 45 days at the start of 2021 that changed his life—and his family’s—with his son’s suicide, the January 6 insurrection, and the second impeachment of Donald Trump.

In higher education, I was intrigued by Will Bunch’s After the Ivory Tower Falls: How College Broke the American Dream and Blew up Our Politics—and How to Fix it. He describes how higher education evolved from a public good into a massive industry that has saddled a generation with huge debt but without the return on investment of previous college graduates.

In history, my favorite book was The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland. It is the story of the first Jew to break out of Auschwitz and his effort to warn the last Jews of Europe. I also liked Whiteness in Plain View: A History of Racial Exclusion in Minnesota.

I enjoyed several general non-fiction books. One that stands out was James Patterson by James Patterson: The Stories of My Life. It is an insightful memoir of how Patterson became the world’s most successful storyteller.

In fiction, I enjoyed new books by some of my favorite authors: Scott Turow, John Grisham, and Elin Hilderbrand.

SPORTS

Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski by Ian O’Connor (February 22, 2022)—examination of the great but flawed leader of the highly-successful Duke basketball program for more than four decades.

Jim Kaat: Good as Gold: My Eight Decades in Baseball by Jim Kaat and Douglas B. Lyons (April 19, 2022)—autobiography of former Minnesota Twins hall of famer, who was a major-league pitcher for 25 seasons as well as a pitching coach and broadcaster.

You Are Looking Live! How the NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting by Rich Podolski (October 15, 2021)—story of the first NFL studio show to go live and the first to have both a Black and female co-host. Started in 1975, the show launched four magnetic personalities to stardom: Brent Musburger, Phyllis George, Irv Cross, and Jimmy the Greek Snyder.

Discredited: The UNC Scandal and College Athletics’ Amateur Ideal by Andy Thomason (August 20, 2021)—story of University of North Carolina scandal in which athletes were flocking to a slate of fake classes that advisers deftly used to keep them eligible to play. That revelation and others grew into one of the most damaging scandals to visit American colleges.

Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline by Patrick Reusse and Chip Scoggins (August 16, 2022)—Story of Star Tribune senior sports columnist Patrick Reusse, legendary figure in Minnesota sports since 1965, who has covered every major sports event imaginable and met scores of unforgettable characters during his long career in newspapers, radio, and television.

Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports—and Why It Matters by Linda Flanagan (August 23, 2022)—a close look at how big money and high stakes have transformed youth sports, turning once healthy fun activities into all-consuming endeavors—putting stress on children and families.

Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss (August 9, 2022)—biography of America’s greatest all-around athlete who won Olympic gold medals, was an all-American football player at the Carlisle Indian School, star of the first class of the professional football hall of fame, and major-league baseball player. The book describes Thorpe’s struggle as member of the Sac and Fox Nation. Thorpe faced many obstacles in his athletic career and personal life.

Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar by Alan Shipnuck (May 17, 2022)—a biography of the famous golfer’s life of thrilling victories, crushing defeats, and many controversies. Description of Phil Mickelson as a smart-ass who built an empire on being the consummate professional, a loving professional dogged by salacious rumors, and a high-stakes gambler who knows the house always wins but can’t tear himself away.

MEDIA

Rough Draft: A Memoir by Katy Tur (June 14, 2022)—The MSNBC anchor writes about her eccentric and volatile California childhood, the complicated relationship with her father, and her survival from local reporter to globe-trotting foreign correspondent, running from her past.

Funny Business: The Legendary Life and Political Satire of Art Buchwald by Michael Hill (June 7, 2022)—story of Art Buchwald, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning columns of political satire and biting wit made him one of the most widely-read American humorists for over 50 years. The book also covers Buchwald’s darker, more serious side of a childhood in foster homes and his struggle with depression.

Century’s Witness: The Extraordinary Life of Journalist Wallace Carroll by Mary Llewellyn McNeil (September 1, 2022)—story of journalist who covered the most significant events of his time, from the London Blitz to the Vietnam War. Carroll covered the League of Nations in the 1930s, headed United Press’s London office at the start of World War II, and was among the first journalists to reach the Russian front after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.

Look: How a Highly Influential Magazine Helped Define Mid-Twentieth Century America by Andrew L. Yarrow (November 1, 2021)—story of one of the greatest mass-circulation publications in American history, from 1937 to 1971, and its influence on mid-twentieth century America. Yarrow describes how the magazine covered the United States and the world, telling stories of people and trends, injustices and triumphs.

Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took on a World at War by Deborah Cohen (May 15, 2022)—story of four journalists (John Gunther, H.R. Knickerbocker, Vincent Sheean, and Dorothy Thompson) during the global crises in the first half of the twentieth century. They landed exclusive interviews with Hitler and Mussolini, Nehru and Gandhi and helped shape what Americans know about the world. They subjected themselves to frank, critical scrutiny and argued about love, war, sex, and death.

Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life by Margaret Sullivan (October 18, 2022)—chronicle of Sullivan’s years as chief of the Buffalo News, public editor of The New York Times, in which she acted on behalf of readers to weigh actions and reporting of the paper’s staff, and media commentator for the Washington Post. Sullivan explores how Americans have lost trust in newspapers and what it will take to regain it.

POLITICS

Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America by Maggie Haberman (October 4, 2022)—chronicle of Trump’s life and meaning, from his rise in New York City to his tortured post-presidency.

This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns (May 3, 2022)—account of the 2020 election and first year of the Biden presidency with detail on how both political parties confronted a series of national traumas, including the coronavirus pandemic, the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and the political brinkmanship of Biden’s first year in the White House. 

Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission by Mark Leibovich (July 12, 2022)—account of the moral rout and culture of submission of the Republican Party, tracking the transformation of leaders like Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Lindsey Graham into the administration’s chief enablers.

Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congress’s Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump by Rachael Bade and Karoun Demirjian (October 18, 2022)—a behind-the-scenes examination of how Congress twice fumbled its best chance to hold accountable a president  many considered one of the most dangerous in American history; reveals how and why congressional oversight failed when it was needed most.

Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy by Jamie Raskin (2022)—congressman’s story of the 45 days at the start of 2021 that changed his life—and his family’s—as he confronted the painful loss of his son to suicide, lived through the January 6 insurrection in the Capitol, and led the independent effort to hold Donald Trump accountable for inciting the political violence.

HISTORY

The Shattering: America in the 1960s by Kevin Boyle (October 26, 2021)—an account of the inspiring brutal events of the late 1950s through the early 1970s, including conflicts over race, sex, and war: the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and challenges to government regulation of landmark decisions on privacy rights, gay rights, contraception, and abortion.

Watergate: A New History by Garrett Graff (February 15, 2022)—fullest account of the Watergate crisis, explaining the full scope of the scandal through politicians, investigators, journalists, and informants who made it the most influential event of the modern era. 

Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II by Buzz Bissinger (September 13, 2022)—story of how on Christmas Eve 1944 in the dirt and coral of Guadalcanal, preparing for the invasion of Okinawa, members of the 4^th and 29^th Marine regiments, which included many star college football players, played each other in a bruising and bloody football game that became known as the “Mosquito Bowl.” Within months, 15 of the 65 players in the game would be killed at Okinawa—the largest number of American athletes ever to die in a single battle.

Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth by Elizabeth Williamson (March 8, 2022)—landmark investigation of the aftermath of the December 12, 2012, mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the work of parents who fought to defend themselves, and the truth of their children’s fate against the frenzied distortions of online deniers and conspiracy theorists, particularly Alex Jones’s Infowars.

The Year That Broke America: An Immigration Crisis, a Terrorist Conspiracy, the Summer of Survivor, a Ridiculous Fake Billionaire, a Fight for Florida, and the 537 Votes That Changed Everything by Andrew Rice (February 22, 2022)—account of the turning-point year, 2000, that proved momentous and transformative for American politics and the fate of the nation. It was the year when the authority of the political system was undermined by technical malfunction; when the legal system was compromised by justices of the Supreme Court; when the financial system was devalued by speculation, creative securitization, and scam artistry; when the mainstream news media were destabilized by the propaganda power of Fox News and supercharged speed of the internet; and when the power of tastemakers, gatekeepers, and the cultural elites was diminished by a dawning recognition of its irrelevance.

The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland (October 18, 2022)—story of Rudolph Vrba—the first Jew to break out of Auschwitz—one of only four who pulled off the nearly-impossible feat. The 19-year-old did it to share the truth of the death camp to the world and to warn the last Jews of Europe what awaited them at the end of the railway line. He helped save 200,000 Jewish lives but never stopped believing it would have been more because many could not believe his story or thought it easier to keep quiet.

Whiteness in Plain View: A History of Racial Exclusion in Minnesota by Chad Montrie (July 5, 2022)—an examination of white Minnesota’s efforts to exclude African Americans from local communities, jobs, and housing across the state through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman (February 8, 2022)—story of a decade of revolution in the human condition including role of the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the politics, and the changes regarding race, class, and sexuality.

HIGHER EDUCATION

After the Ivory Tower Falls: How College Broke the American Dream and Blew Up Our Politics—and How to Fix It by Will Bunch (August 2, 2022)—narrative of how American higher education evolved from a public good into a massive industry that has saddled a generation with huge debt but without the return on investment of previous college graduates; offers blueprint on how to rethink college and work for young adults.

Breaking Rank: How the Ranking Industry Rules Higher Education and What to Do about It by Colin Diver (April 12, 2022)—account of how popular rankings have induced college applicants to focus only on pedigree and prestige while tempting educators to sacrifice academic integrity for short-term competitive advantage. By forcing colleges into “best-college” hierarchies, he argues, rankings have threatened the institutional diversity, intellectual rigor, and social mobility that are the genesis of American higher education.

OTHER NONFICTION

Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels by Paul Pringle (July 19, 2022)—Los Angeles Times investigation of drug crimes and cover-up by Dr. Puliafito, head of the University of  Southern California medical school and reluctance of the paper to print author’s revelations.

When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World’s Most Powerful Consulting Firm by Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe (October 4, 2022)—expose of McKinsey and Company, the international consulting company that earns billions in fees from major corporations and government; highlights the often drastic impact of its work on employees, citizens, and the world. The authors, investigative journalists, penetrate the company’s veil of secrecy and present a portrait of the company sharply at odds with its public image and stated value of making the world a better place.

Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence by Ken Auletta (July 12, 2022)—biography of Weinstein—how he rose to be a dominant figure in the film world, how he used that position to feed his monstrous sexual appetites, and how it all came crashing down; examination of Weinstein’s life and career, embedding his crimes in the context of the movie business, in his failures and successes that led to enormous power.

American Cartel: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry by Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz (July 12, 2022)—investigation and expose of how some of the nation’s largest corporations created and fueled the opioid crisis; by two Washington Post reporters who first uncovered the dimensions of the deluge of pain pills that ravaged the country and the complicity of the near-omnipotent drug cartel. Story follows a small band of DEA agents and a band of lawyers who fought to hold the drug industry accountable in the face of the worst man-made drug epidemic in American history.

Freeze Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin’s Wrath by Bill Browder (April 12, 2022)—chronicle of how the author became Vladimir Putin’s number-one enemy by exposing Putin’s campaign to steal and launder hundreds of billions of dollars and kill anyone who stands in his way, including Browder’s Russian-language lawyer, Sergi Magnitzky. Browder made it his life mission to go after killers to make sure they face justice; tracks Putin’s unsuccessful effort to retaliate by chasing Browder and bring him down.

Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian by Ellin Jovin (July 19, 2022)—a roving grammarian takes her Grammar Table around the country tackling what is on most people’s minds from the Oxford comma to the location of prepositions, to the likely lifespan of whom, to semicolonphobia and more.

Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz (September 20, 2022)—a communication formula built by Axios journalists to prioritize essential news and information, explain its impact, and deliver it in a concise and visual format.

James Patterson by James Patterson: The Stories of My Life (June 6, 2022)—memoir of how Patterson became the nation’s most successful storyteller.

The Adventures of Herbie Cohen: World’s Greatest Negotiator by Rich Cohen (March 10, 2022)—son’s biography of his father, Herbie: world’s greatest negotiator, dealmaker, risk taker, raconteur, adviser to presidents and corporations, hostage and arms negotiator, lesson giver, justice seeker, author of how-to business advice, You Can Negotiate Anything. Traces father’s life from youth in Brooklyn with pals like Sandy Koufax and Larry King to days coaching basketball in the army in Europe to years as a devoted and unconventional husband, father, and freelance guru crossing the country to give lectures, settle disputes, and hone the art of success while finding meaning in the world.

The Late Truck Driver: Following the Dream by David Longanecker (February 3, 2021)—story of retired national higher education leader pursuing his dream as a truck driver; story of how he made the leap to truck driving, prepping to take the test to earn his commercial driver’s license and earn real-world experience on the road (see “From Higher Education Leader to Truck Driver: On the Road with David A. Longanecker,” June 1, 2018, www.philsfocus.com).

Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response by Andy Slavitt (June 15, 2021)—inside account of the country’s failed response to the coronavirus pandemic: investigation of the cultural, political, and economic drivers that led to the unnecessary loss of life.

Fiction

Vladimir: A Novel by Julia May Jones (February 1, 2022)—a provocative novel about a beloved English professor whose charismatic husband at the same small liberal arts college is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. The couple has a long, mutual understanding when it comes to extra-marital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become less comfortable for both of them. When the narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir, a celebrated, married young novelist, who has just arrived on campus, their tinder-box world comes dangerously close to exploding.

Suspect by Scott Turow (September 27, 2022)—legal  thriller in which a reckless private detective is embroiled in a fraught police scandal that will draw her into the deepest recesses of the city’s criminal network as well as the human mind.

The Boys from Biloxi: A Legal Thriller by John Grisham (October 18, 2022)—story in Biloxi, Mississippi, of two sons of immigrant families who grow up as friends but ultimately find themselves on opposite sides of the law. One son’s father becomes a legendary prosecutor determined to “clean up the Coast” while the other son’s father becomes “boss” of Biloxi’s criminal underground.

Sparring Partners: Novellas by John Grisham (May 31, 2022)—collection of three stories, law being the common thread. “Homecoming” takes the reader back to Ford County, the fictional setting for many of Grisham’s stories; Jake Brigance is back and called on to help old friends. “Strawberry Moon” features Cody Wallace, a young death row inmate three hours away from execution. The “Sparring Partner” features the Malloy brothers, Kirk and Rusty, two successful young lawyers who inherit a once-prosperous firm when its founder, their father, is sent to prison.

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hiderbrand (June 14, 2022)—while the Hotel Nantucket appears to be a blissful paradise with a celebrity-chef-run restaurant and an idyllic wellness center, there’s drama behind closed doors. The staff and guests have complicated pasts, and the hotel can’t seem to overcome the bad reputation it earned in 1922, when a tragic fire killed 19-year-old chambermaid Grace Hadley. With Grace haunting the halls, a staff that harbors all types of secrets and general manager Lizbet Keaton’s own romantic uncertainty, is the Hotel Nantucket destined for death or doom?

The Evening Hero by Marie Myung-Ok Lee (May 24, 2022)—novel following a Korean immigrant pursuing the American dream, who must confront secrets of the past or risk watching the world he’s worked so hard to build come crumbling down.

The Lincoln Highway: A Novel by Amor Towles (October 5, 2021)—In June 1954, 18-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has served 15 months for involuntary manslaughter. With his mother long gone and his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed by the bank, Emmett intends to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden in the trunk of the warden’s car. They have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future, one that will take all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction—to New York City.

Sources: Many of the summaries are borrowed from Amazon.