Use Fun Nonfiction to Cure at-Home Blues

Many folks tell me their forced COVID-19 at-home time has become 1) a surprising reprieve from their usual hectic life, or 2) a numbing stretch of isolated boredom. It means, either way, there's more room for contemplation, enrichment and education in our lives, and there are some bestselling nonfiction books waiting to not only help fill the void but provide perspective in our current crisis. Just start with picks on the New York Times' nonfiction bestsellers list. For those obsessed with understanding pandemic challenges, there's The Great Influenza, by John M. Barry, an overview of the 1918 flu epidemic and a cautionary tale for the current large-scale outbreak. For those obsessed with the unifying power of great rhetoric and leadership (or lack of both), there is No. 1 on the list, The Splendid and the Vile, by the inimitable Erik Larson, about how British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, with stirring and calculated speeches, brought his nation back from the brink during the 12 turbulent months of the Blitz, stretching from May of 1940 to May of 1941, based not only on documents of the powerful but moving stories of the powerless he inspired. Meanwhile, the Smithsonian Magazine has some nonfiction suggestions that may be apropos, too, such as Roadside Americans: The Rise and Fall of Hitchhiking in a Changing Nation, by Jack Reid. If you are my age or older, you can remember when hitchhiking was still a common mode of travel for the young, poor or free-spirited, relying on an assumption of communal good will. Reid traces its evolution from the Great Depression to the mid-1970s, when hitchhiking became a "taboo form of mobility reserved for desperate and often unsavory individuals." The shift in attitudes corresponds to a shift in culture and politics that is still with us, and it's worth considering the price of that loss of communal trust now that we must all pull together. And if you're looking to find and inspire your inner warrior in a crisis, read The War Queens: Extraordinary Women Who Ruled the Battlefield, by father-daughter duo Jonathan W. Jordan and Emily Anne Jordan. The authors present women leaders, from England’s Elizabeth I to modern figures like Golda Meir, who defied gender conventions to protect their kingdoms and even lead troops on the battlefield. For more ideas, see https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/five-new-nonfiction-books-read-while-youre-stuck-home-180974524/

The Art of the Politically Cunning Tweet

I noticed the other day, thanks to NPR reporting, that Twitter has published a 136-page manual for politicians, "The Twitter Government and Elections Handbook," addressing questions from the basic "Where Do Tweets Appear? Who Reads Them?" to why politicians should be creative with tweets: "In 'stepping out from behind the podium' and showing natural personality, these leaders humanize themselves and the political process — and gain followers to boot." Personally, I don't think 140 characters are conducive to thoughtful political discussion. But there's no arguing Twitter has been a great tool for Donald Trump to keep media buzz constant and display his "natural personality." Those who dismiss his tweets as ego-fueled embarrassments are missing the political strategy in the social media campaign that has kept him top of GOP candidate polls. A recent article by InsideGov.com ranked 30 of Trump's most popular tweets (based on retweets and media attention) by scoring them for arrogance, offensiveness and political cunning. Consider the tweet judged most "Trump-tastic," an April 2015 comment on Baltimore's troubles: "Our great African American President hasn't exactly had a positive impact on the thugs who are so happily and openly destroying Baltimore!" InsideGov rates it strong on all counts: "It's arrogant. Politically, it appeals to Trump's base by belittling Obama and emphasizing crime — a particularly prickly issue among many Trump conservatives. Most of all, however, it maximizes offensiveness, ensuring that the tweet will be reposted, retweeted and criticized around the world." Aristotle's classic analysis of rhetoric posited that effective persuasion is based on ethos (authority of the speaker), logos (logic and facts) and pathos (emotional appeal). Even if facts are given short shrift in Trump tweets, he consistently hits two out of three persuasive power points for followers. Twitter also keeps messages in line with the political virtue of simplicity. To quote Aristotle again: "It is simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences." For InsideGov analysis of all 30 Trump tweets: http://tucson.com/news/data/ranking-donald-trump-s-best-worst-tweets/article_09035f9a-12d2-5002-92e1-df5379857d2f.html