Review: Interesting Times: A Twentieth-Century Life

Interesting Times: A Twentieth-Century Life by Eric J. Hobsbawm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Interesting Times: A Twentieth-Century Life is the autobiography of Eric Hobsbawn. It was first published in 2002. My copy is of the paperback edition published and reprinted by Abacus. The first book I read by this author was The Age Of The Capital 1848-1875 which I picked up rather accidentally in the bargain section of my local book store. Well structured and written in an accessible style, it turned out to be a good introduction into the history of that period. It left a lasting impression on me in the way that I wanted to learn more about the author himself.

Günter Grass – Hätte er besser geschwiegen?

Tja, was soll man sagen? Soll man etwas sagen oder schweigt man besser? Schwierig! Günter Grass hat mit seinem Gedicht “Was gesagt werden muss” eine Lawine der ‘Entrüstung’ losgetreten. Vom Inhalt und von der lyrischen Qualität des Textes sollte sich jeder Interessierte sein eigenes Bild machen. Dem möchte ich hier nicht vorgreifen. Einige allgemeinere Anmerkungen vertrete ich jedoch gern.

What’s wrong about health care for all?

What’s wrong about health care for all? This question crossed my mind last week when I learnt that the constitutionality of President Barak Obama’s health care reform (commonly known as ‘Obamacare‘) is being contested. The ruling of the US Supreme Court on this may turn out decisive in the presidential elections to be held on November 6th. Here is some background.