Boom!

My sister recently loaned me her copy of Tom Brokaw's latest book, entitled Boom! I like Brokaw to begin with, and I very much liked his book, The Greatest Generation. So, I anticipated that this one would be good too. "Good" would be an understatement, at least from my biased point of view. The book is mostly about the 60's, with Brokaw concentrating on 1968-1973. I like to think I was greatly influenced by the 60's, although some say that if you can remember the 60's you really weren't there. I finished my MS in 1968 and started working at the UI that year. My first child, Will, was born in 1968 (sadly, the very same day we lost Martin Luther King). Will is really the only reason I escaped being drafted into the Army that year. Boom! chronicles, through interviews and Brokaw's own personal reflections, issues surrounding the Viet Nam war, civil rights, women's rights, politics, and the cultural revolutions of the times. Those times and our present times have many parallels, especially that of engaging in a morally wrong war based on lies and failed policy. The difference now is that, comparatively, there seems to be so little public outcry. Will we ever learn?

I highly recommend this book to you. For my kids, I think I'll make it assigned reading. And, there will be a quiz!