Charles Ashbacher Reviews

  Review of Iowa Trivia , compiled by Janice Beck Stock, Alan Beck and Ken Beck, ISBN 1558539425 Four out of five stars Very short tidbits of Iowa history   The definition of what is trivial is a very loose one, what one person considers trivia is something that others believe to be an historical fact. For example, the number of years that Robert Ray was governor of Iowa is considered by most to be an historical fact rather than a point of trivia.   That minor criticism aside, this is a fun book to read. All of the points are one sentence in length and most of the answers are from 1 to 4 words in length. It is a fast read and one where you can stop at any point and restart later with no loss of context, as all points are independent of their surroundings.   While there is no depth, there is enough breadth so that all readers will find points that will interest them.

  Review of Sunday Afternoons on the Porch: Reflections of a Small Town in Iowa, 1939-1942 , photographs by Everett W. Kuntz, text by Jim Heynen, ISBN 9781587296536 Five out of five stars Images of life in rural Iowa   Everett Kuntz was an avid amateur photographer. In 1939 he spent his life savings of $12.50 for a camera. He made a camera case from an old boot along with other scraps of metal. From 1939 to 1942, he took pictures of many scenes in and around the small town of Ridgeway, Iowa (population then about 350). The title and the image on the cover are based on a very common small town tradition in the summer. Church on Sunday morning and then a family gathering on a large, shaded porch.   As is mentioned on page 83, “… cash from Iowa farms increased by 60 million dollars between 1938 and 1939.” Therefore, the Depression was starting to ease in Iowa at that time. People are depicted in many different activities, from a woman milking a cow by hand to outho...

  Review of The Sporting News Baseball Trivia 2 , edited by Joe Hoppel and Craig Carter ISBN 0892042427 Five out of five stars A must read for baseball trivia buffs   The only really different aspect of this book from other baseball trivia books is that the chapters are labeled as the first through the tenth inning. Each chapter is then given a title. For example, chapter one is called “Opening Day” and chapter 3 is called “All-star Break.” The items within a chapter based on the title are alphabetically presented. Therefore, one or more items about Hank Aaron opens several chapters.   Since this is truly a book about baseball trivia, there are many names and deeds listed that the standard reader will be unaware of. Some of them had major league careers measured in a few hours of elapsed time. One thing that I found especially entertaining is the seventh inning, whose title is “Major Accomplishments in the Minor Leagues.” Some of the numbers are truly astonishin...

  Review of Winning @ Amazon: The Business Memoir You Always Wanted to Read, by Gisela Hausmann ISBN 978-1-7371990-3-8 Five out of five stars The ultimate insider book   Gisela Hausmann and I share one major characteristic, we have both been interacting with Amazon almost since the company went national. We have both seen it grow from a questionable business that begged for input in the form of posted reviews and books offered for sale. It is now of course a behemoth that has branched out into many different areas, and it continues to expand.   What Gisela has to offer is actual insider activity, for she has spent an extended period of time working in a fulfillment warehouse. This book is a description of some of her experiences as an author as well as what happened when she helped move the merchandise from point A to point B along the fulfillment chain.   Some of what she experienced bordered on the absurd, in the sense that it seems that the company fi...

  Review of Hitler’s Plans For Global Domination : Nazi Architecture & Ultimate War Aims, by Jochen Thies, ISBN 9780857454621 Four out of five stars Nothing really new here As Adolph Hitler first stated in his book “Mein Kampf,” his goals in starting the Second World War in Europe were simple and had several steps. The first was the subjugation of the European mainland, the second was the extermination of those of the most “undesirable” background, followed by the subjugation of others, the destruction of the Soviet Union and then seizing control of North Africa, the Middle East. If all of these had been accomplished, there would have been an inevitable conflict between the United States and the greater German state. Hitler also had grandiose ideas of building massive buildings that would be monuments to the power of Germany.   All of these plans are put forward in this book, therefore there is really nothing new, as these goals were clearly enunciated in speeche...

  Review of The Wall and the Bridge: Fear and Opportunity in Disruption’s Wake , by Glenn Hubbard ISBN 9780300259087 Five out of five stars Sound and wise economic advice, often ignored   For the purpose of this book, a wall is any structure, legal, procedural or structural that actively modifies what is happening in either the macro or micro economic field in a country or the world. They range from protective tariffs to physical walls that prevent the free and unfettered transfer of economic goods of all forms, including human.   Conversely, a bridge is any structure that softens the blow of economic dislocation. That includes everything from unemployment insurance payments, retraining programs and other programs that provides displaced workers opportunities other to replace those that were lost. As a center-right economist that served under President George W. Bush, Hubbard comes out strongly in favor of bridges over walls. All while admitting that the politic...

  Review of Side Hustle Law: 9 Essential Lessons for Part-time Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses , Myles G. Taylor, ISBN 9781794037595 Five out of five stars Excellent primer on how to do a side business   Doing something to earn extra money while holding down a job is nothing new. Decades ago, my father and many of the other men that grew up in rural areas trapped for furs. My uncles in construction also did side jobs for people they knew. I developed an independent business while working as a programmer for a GIS company.   What is different these days is the explosion of what is referred to as the “gig economy,” where people pick up odd jobs outside of their livelihood and must balance work and work. Since most people now work on or around computers, for many it is possible to do the side job while at the main job. More people are now turning what is called here the “side hustle” into a significant level of employment.   This creates many legal and re...