Reading TMHTE

I have been reading, and enjoying, Tell Me How This Ends, a book about the Iraq War from about two years ago to the present time. I'd heard about the book while reading that article on the style and practice of General Petraeus, and came across it accidentally while at the local library. That was a bit of a surprise, since, as I've mentioned more than once, my local library tends to focus on books like How To Avoid Probate, Making Money on eBay, and The History of Religious Charities - and why You Should Give More. But there it was, on the bottom shelf, and I snapped it up. One of my few resolutions this year was to read serious books more often - I'm aiming at four pages a day, which is not much, I know -- and this is that one. As I say, I'm enjoying it.

One small problem, though. As people pass through the book, I find myself having to stop every so often and go back to say Now, who was that guy? Was that the guy who turned down the job as Army Chief of Staff, or was that the guy who had been the CIA station chief in Baghdad? I find myself wishing for a quick way to make notes along the way -- something better than the index card that I tend to have to rely on. When I encounter this problem elsewhere, I can write notes in the book -- but the library tends to frown on that kind of thing. I need some kind of digital book.... preferably, a lot more graceful than the ones that are out there now. Tap the name to activate the hyperlink, update the database, or perform other research functions...

Maybe by the time my daughter's in college, hmm?