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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu by Jules Roy. Jules was a French writer and outspoken critic of French colonialism across Indochina. Jules published this book just seven years following the French defeat. To his credit, he wrote a detailed book and a trip back to the valley writing with the knowledge available to him at that time.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu by Jules Roy

Much of the information was raw and new scholarship would remain elusive for decades. North Vietnam’s essential documents along with those of the French, British, and American governments were still classified. To this end, the facts have not really changed, only the recent access to NVA documents helps shape context today.

However, Roy portrays an honest, detailed assessment of the battle based upon a return visit to the valley. Roy is perhaps one of the early recognized authors of the siege. While subsequent authors have added valuable additions to the west’s understanding, his efforts certainly allowed for early insights by Americans just as Vietnam began to come into greater focus across our country.

Yet, America was still awash in post-World War II success and global expansion under then President Eisenhower. But the warning signs across Laos and Cambodia were ringing.

Roy introduces the appointment of General Navarre as commander of French forces in Vietnam. Navarre’s plan, with the approval of the US was to provoke Giap by duplicating the success at at Na San and ultimately push the Viet Minh into a final pitched battle at Dien Bien Phu.

Categories
Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: The Road to Dien Bien Phu

The Road to Dien Bien Phu: A History of the First War for Vietnam by Christopher Goscha. Christopher teaches History at the Université du Québec à Montréal. This is perhaps one of the new, most important books regarding France’s failure across Indochina.

The Road to Dien Bien Phu: A History of the First War for Vietnam by Christopher Goscha

In short, Christopher has written an amazing book addressing how the communist Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh established a long term strategy to defeat France. Ultimately, this reveals how America began our generational nightmare in southeast Asia. This is perhaps one of the most misunderstood battles that impacted America.

Christopher certainly is delivering new insights regarding the discovery of documents now available to western scholars. Yet, there must also be an accepted acknowledgement the folklore of Ho Chi Minh, easily nurtured by the victors, actually permits a more even and understood review of how France would collapse at the siege.

Perhaps these details reveal how the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu was a decade in the making. And for more than a generation, Americans and even French citizens would be amazed at the resilience of the Viet Minh. This was no rag-tag group of guerrillas in black pajamas. This was an effort led by Ho but driven by several key leaders with the assistance of China and the Soviet Union in that order.

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Education Reading

Latest Read: Invisible Walls

Invisible Walls: How to Create Deeper Connections Through the Purity of Experiences by Stephanie Zorn-Kasprzak. Stephanie holds a degree in Written Communication and Master’s Organizational Leadership from Lourdes University.

Invisible Walls: How to Create Deeper Connections Through the Purity of Experiences by Stephanie Zorn-Kasprzak

Today Stephanie is Executive Director of the Monroe County Opportunity Program in La Salle Township, Michigan. In addition, Stephanie is a part time professor at Eastern Michigan University. And most importantly Stephanie is my sister in law.

Stephanie is working to show readers how the pandemic shifted the world and not for the better. However the last two years have taught her that true, lasting bonds will be the key relationships and our own character.

The first Chapter starts boldly with a lesson one cannot forget. Stephanie shared the sudden passing of her older brother Tim. This included a passage how her Dad attempted to revive his son. This was so overwhelming for me to read. In fact, Mr. Zorn is a wonderful man that I have known for twenty years, so visualizing this event was very painful.

And yet, Stephanie makes this a powerful lesson: do not wait to live your dreams. This reminded me of Daniel Pink’s latest book The Power of Regret. In a later chapter in recalling a trip to Germany, Stephanie shares how visiting the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp created a life long impression.

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Education Reading

Latest Read: The Witches Are Coming

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West. Lindy is a columnist at The Guardian, a contributor to This American Life, and a freelance writer appearing in the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Vulture, and Jezebel.

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West

She is the founder of I Believe You, It’s Not Your Fault, an advice blog for teens, as well as the reproductive rights destigmatization campaign #ShoutYourAbortion.

Following the release of her book Shrill, she launched a streaming show about her life. So, this book is a series of cultural essays and supports her previous book and TV show. Lindy is addressing Harvey Weinstein, the #MeToo movement, Trump, climate change, misogyny, white nationalism, and even Adam Sandler.

As a follow up to Shrill, her social media hashtag launch #ShoutYourAbortion is further addressed. Perhaps the mission of her book is to indicate that America has not learned about the impacts of sexual abuse, fat shaming, rape culture, abortion, and the gender pay gap.

Yet, Lindy is accurate to document whenever a woman does stand up, the counter attack is the title of this book. At the same time, Lindy writes about how people are with Ted Bundy’s “charm and charisma”. Drawing a line that Bundy murdered women, somehow the judge leaned towards wanting to interact with him and basically buy him a beer.

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Education Reading

Latest Read: The Coddling of the American Mind

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff. This book is the result of their very popular article in The Atlantic magazine.

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff

Jonathan is a social psychologist and professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business and he is focusing on the psychology of morality and moral emotions. Greg is an author and activist and is currently serving as President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

Jonathan and Greg reveal how the following ideas became established after 2013: students’ feelings are always right, students should avoid pain and discomfort, and finally students should look for faults in others and not themselves.

They also address three specific untruths that are part of a larger philosophy in which students are certainly portrayed as fragile who must be protected and supervised by adults.

However, by setting aside all good intentions, they indicate untruths actually harm students by teaching them the opposite of the basic foundation of wisdom.

Admittedly, much of this is driven by social media. In fact, look at our recently finished mid term elections. In fact, candidates for public office actually campaigned stating students were identifying as cats and brining litter boxes to school.