Favorite work of fiction or non-fiction: Again with all that is happening around the world much can be traced to the evils and mistakes of the past. If you want a good understand of why the Middle East is such a mess I would invite you to read “ A Peace to end all Peace” by David Fromkin is a must read.

Book planning to read this summer: “The Writings of Abraham Lincoln”. To say the least, Abe Lincoln is the most impressive and yet troubled president of our country’s past. I hope to learn more of how he managed to hold a country so divided that it was willing to sacrifice thousands of its own for a cause, and hold out for even greater end. Lincoln completes the journey our Founding Fathers were unable to make.

At a different level, I enjoyed “The Long Ships,” a swashbuckling bit of historical fiction by Frans Bengtsson about Vikings during the 10th Century.

Favorite work of fiction or non-fiction: Fiction: I’ll admit to being a fan of Alexander Dumas and either “The Three Musketeers” or “The Count Monte Cristo.” Non-fiction: I recall many, many years ago reading “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing about Ernest Shackelton’s ill-fated expedition to the South Pole. More recently, I liked Ross King’s “The Judgment of Paris” about the birth on Impressionism.

Book planning to read this summer: I anticipate it will take most of the summer to finish “The Prize,” Daniel Yergin’s book on the history of the oil industry. Next on the list are either “Embarrassment of Riches,” the history of Dutch Culture in the 17th century, or Amitav Ghosh’s “Flood of Fire,” the third novel in his trilogy about the opium trade and its effect in India in the 19th century.

Favorite work of fiction or non-fiction: “Yertle the Turtle” by Dr. Seuss – Whenever I am asked to read to children in schools or libraries, I bring this book because it is a fun parable of totalitarianism and human rights.

Book planning to read this summer: “Three Who Made a Revolution” by Bertram Wolfe – Growing up in the Cold War and as an undergraduate and graduate student of international relations, the Soviet impact on foreign policy was a fundamental aspect of the post-war interaction between nations. The nature of the Soviet Union was shaped at the outset by its revolution and subsequent leadership. This book focuses on the personal histories and relationship between Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin in building the nascent Soviet Union – their founding fathers.