I've really been trying to make non-fiction a bigger part of my reading repetoir.

[lazarus]

4. I did a great project in 09/10 to boost my non-fiction reading, and my history knowledge

My sister and I both read a biography of every US president, in order, from Washington through Carter.

I stopped at Carter because it became very difficult to find a scholarly, non-partisan work starting with Kennedy. Schlesinger started the whole "Camelot" myth, and hagiography, and the concomitant hack attack pieces, became the norm. I was able to get a good one on LBJ.

I actually read a Nixon bio from Regnery Press, as I wanted to see if they'd be able to spin it. They tried, but had to admit he was a horrible, horrible person. Had some good points (started the EPA, for example), but was a fascist thug at heart.

Ford was nigh impossible. I found one quickie bio written up to his ascension to the VP slot that was churned out in a matter of weeks, from the looks of it. And found one written on just his presidency and post-presidency that was decent. (Did you know Ford was the first president to take money for speaking engagements after he left office? Nixon was appalled.)

Virtually everything I found on Carter was a hack job. Don't even think about finding something decent on Reagan. For fun, I bought "Tear Down This Myth", which did a nice of just that.

My favourite presidents now are the Roosevelts, Lincoln, Washington, van Buren (actually tried to reduce the President's power during the War of 1812), and Polk. Best name for a President has to be Rutherford B Hayes. It just makes me giggle.