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Dreamers and Deceivers: True Stories of the Heroes and Villains Who Made America
The new nonfiction from #1 bestselling author and popular radio and television host Glenn Beck.THEIR NAMES ARE FAMILIAR.THEIR STORIES ARE NOT.Everyone has heard of a "Ponzi scheme," but do you know what Charles Ponzi actually did to make his name synonymous with fraud? Credit for inventing radio usually goes to Marconi or David Sarnoff and RCA--but if you've never heard of Edwin Armstrong or Lee de Forest, you know only half the story.You've probably been to a Disney theme park, but did you know that the park Walt believed would change the world was actually EPCOT? He died before his vision for it could ever be realized. History is about so much more than dates and dead guys; it's the greatest story ever told. Now, in this powerful follow-up to his national bestseller Miracles and Massacres, Glenn Beck brings ten more true and untold stories to life.The people who made America were not always what they seemed. There were entrepreneurs and visionaries whose selflessness propelled us forward, but there were also charlatans and fraudsters whose selfishness nearly derailed us. Dreamers and Deceivers brings both of these groups to life with stories written to put you right in the middle of the action. You know that Woodrow Wilson was a progressive who dramatically changed America, but did you know that he was also involved in one of the most shocking national deceptions of all time? You know I Love Lucy, but the true story of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball is much better than anything they produced for television. You've heard of Upton Sinclair, the socialist author who gained famed with The Jungle, but it was a book he wrote two decades later that proved the depths he was willing to go to maintain his reputation.From the spy Alger Hiss, to the visionary Steve Jobs, to the code-breaker Alan Turing--once you know the full stories behind the half-truths you've been force fed...once you meet the unsung heroes and obscured villains edited from our schoolbooks...once you begin to see these amazing people from our past as people rather than just names--your perspective on today's important issues may forever change. Find out why this series has become America's new go-to history book.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2014
170 people are currently reading
1832 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Beck
77 books1,081 followersGlenn Edward Lee Beck is one of America's leading radio and television personalities. His quick wit, candid opinions and engaging personality have made The Glenn Beck Program the third highest rated radio program in America and Glenn Beck, one of the most successful new shows on the Fox News Channel. His unique blend of modern-day storytelling and insightful views on current events allowed him to achieve the extraordinary feat of having #1 New York Times bestsellers in both fiction and non-fiction. Beck also stars in a live stage show and is the publisher of Fusion magazine.
Online, he is the editor of GlennBeck.com and the publisher of TheBlaze.com.
Beck is the author of six consecutive #1 New York Times Bestsellers including his latest book, the thriller The Overton Window. When The Christmas Sweater, his first novel, debuted at #1 on the fiction list, Beck became one of a handful of authors to write books that reached #1 on both the fiction and non-fiction NYT lists.
Online, he is the editor of GlennBeck.com and the publisher of TheBlaze.com.
Beck is the author of six consecutive #1 New York Times Bestsellers including his latest book, the thriller The Overton Window. When The Christmas Sweater, his first novel, debuted at #1 on the fiction list, Beck became one of a handful of authors to write books that reached #1 on both the fiction and non-fiction NYT lists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
December 8, 2014
Does Glenn Beck write his own books? I doubt it's possible. I believe his role is more like that of a film director or even a producer. With Miracles and Massacres and his latest offering Dreamers and Deceivers, I believe he picked which stories were to be told, what details were to be emphasized, and what the overall effect on the reader was to be.
Dreamers and Deceivers However these two books came together, it worked. Dreamers and Deceivers is another winning collection of short stories chronicling the lives of several individuals who made significant marks on our history. Some of them would be characterized as "good guys" and others would be "bad guys."
The first story in Dreamers and Deceivers &emdash; "The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing President" &emdash; stands out from the rest of the stories in the book because it doesn't really establish a strong antagonist or protagonist. It does, however, seem incredibly relevant given today's headlines and the public's increasing distrust of the government, particularly the Executive Branch.
Chapter five's story of Desi Arnaz, the on-screen and real-life husband of Lucille Ball, was one story that really stood out for me. His backstory as a refugee fleeing communist Cuba for America where he had to start over from scratch as a young boy has all the trappings of a quinticential American success story. Arnaz's fear rooted in his family's losses in Cuba that good things never last was a self-fulfilling prophecy in his life. Desi Arnaz's story is inspiring, but sad.
The seventh chapter was about early computer scientist Alan Turing. I'm sure this was a frustrating story to write without boring the non-technical reader with technical details that would fly over their heads. As a technical reader, I craved more of the technical guts that were excluded. Beck and Co. did a great job covering the necessary bases to produce a mostly accurate story of Turing's rise and unfortunate fall.
There are some links between the otherwise standalone stories that I enjoyed catching. The story on journalist Upton Sinclair in chapter six provides some great background for the story on state-department-diplomat-turned-convicted-communist Alger Hiss in chapter eight.
I loved how the book interwove its last two chapters on Walt Disney and the men behind Pixar, Steve Jobs and John Lasseter. A personal note from Glenn Beck on his reverence for Walt Disney and his intention to try to restore his vision, somewhat, appears at the end of chapter nine.
Dreamers and Deceivers However these two books came together, it worked. Dreamers and Deceivers is another winning collection of short stories chronicling the lives of several individuals who made significant marks on our history. Some of them would be characterized as "good guys" and others would be "bad guys."
The first story in Dreamers and Deceivers &emdash; "The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing President" &emdash; stands out from the rest of the stories in the book because it doesn't really establish a strong antagonist or protagonist. It does, however, seem incredibly relevant given today's headlines and the public's increasing distrust of the government, particularly the Executive Branch.
Chapter five's story of Desi Arnaz, the on-screen and real-life husband of Lucille Ball, was one story that really stood out for me. His backstory as a refugee fleeing communist Cuba for America where he had to start over from scratch as a young boy has all the trappings of a quinticential American success story. Arnaz's fear rooted in his family's losses in Cuba that good things never last was a self-fulfilling prophecy in his life. Desi Arnaz's story is inspiring, but sad.
The seventh chapter was about early computer scientist Alan Turing. I'm sure this was a frustrating story to write without boring the non-technical reader with technical details that would fly over their heads. As a technical reader, I craved more of the technical guts that were excluded. Beck and Co. did a great job covering the necessary bases to produce a mostly accurate story of Turing's rise and unfortunate fall.
There are some links between the otherwise standalone stories that I enjoyed catching. The story on journalist Upton Sinclair in chapter six provides some great background for the story on state-department-diplomat-turned-convicted-communist Alger Hiss in chapter eight.
I loved how the book interwove its last two chapters on Walt Disney and the men behind Pixar, Steve Jobs and John Lasseter. A personal note from Glenn Beck on his reverence for Walt Disney and his intention to try to restore his vision, somewhat, appears at the end of chapter nine.
December 24, 2014
This is the kind of book which reinforces my belief that this country is racing to the bottom of the intellectual barrel.
As a few other reviewers have pointed out the entire book consists of imagined, made-up events and conversations "based" on historical events. However, this fact is not revealed anywhere on the cover or in a Prologue, but rather at the very back of the book in a lengthy "footnote" chapter that reveals, practically page-by-page, all of the pretend history in the book. How many read that chapter?
This book is to learning history as is "eating healthy" at McDonald's or being "into sports" by virtue of wearing an NFL team sweatshirt while lounging on the couch. It is all pretend.
However, reading this book for history is worse than comparing fast food to dining, because it creates a false sense of historical knowledge, when in fact, all that has been accomplished is the reader has been fleeced for $19 +/- and Mr. Beck can watch his pile of $90 million (Forbes 2014) get higher, while the dumb sheep who buy this crap stay poor and uneducated.
It is really disappointing that Mr. Beck did not include himself on the list of Deceiver's. He is, after all, among the best.
As a few other reviewers have pointed out the entire book consists of imagined, made-up events and conversations "based" on historical events. However, this fact is not revealed anywhere on the cover or in a Prologue, but rather at the very back of the book in a lengthy "footnote" chapter that reveals, practically page-by-page, all of the pretend history in the book. How many read that chapter?
This book is to learning history as is "eating healthy" at McDonald's or being "into sports" by virtue of wearing an NFL team sweatshirt while lounging on the couch. It is all pretend.
However, reading this book for history is worse than comparing fast food to dining, because it creates a false sense of historical knowledge, when in fact, all that has been accomplished is the reader has been fleeced for $19 +/- and Mr. Beck can watch his pile of $90 million (Forbes 2014) get higher, while the dumb sheep who buy this crap stay poor and uneducated.
It is really disappointing that Mr. Beck did not include himself on the list of Deceiver's. He is, after all, among the best.
June 13, 2015
Probably one of the best books of history that I have read in several years.
Do yourself a favor and don't get bogged down by who the author is... take it at face value and read it for the content alone.
Each chapter is a condensed telling of history as it relates to the Subject or Persons, around who the story revolves.
This is without a question my favorite Glenn Beck... and one of my favorite reads this year.
Do yourself a favor and don't get bogged down by who the author is... take it at face value and read it for the content alone.
Each chapter is a condensed telling of history as it relates to the Subject or Persons, around who the story revolves.
This is without a question my favorite Glenn Beck... and one of my favorite reads this year.
December 17, 2014
Not quite what I was hoping for. I was expecting more information regarding these individuals whether good or bad. Instead, it was extremely brief little anecdote type stories that if you did not already familiar with the individual being written about, it would not make sense. Also, the author admits to it being speculative historical fiction at the very end (which I felt should've been put in the front of the book as warning as an introduction as it would have prevented me from feeling upset and misled). I would not have bothered reading the book if I knew it was fiction as it is a really short quick read that is not worth paying hardcover (even on discount at Wal-mart) price for. My own fault for not researching it further before buying it, but I thought it would be interesting to read what i thought was going to be historical research or ideas regarding the inventors/dreamer and those involved in scandals or questionable practices that helped form the United States of America in some fashion. It is 284 pages with history combined with "fictional scenes". Recommended for fans of historical speculative fiction regarding how the current United States of America into what it is today in regards to not only inventions and policies, but also the popular culture and social aspects.
March 17, 2018
I was listening to this book when I went to bed night before last, and a lot of discussion about Steve Jobs was going on, also Desi Arnaz, and others during that time frame. I was kind of disappointed that Glenn Beck did not narrate his own book. I've followed him quite a bit over the years, and have enjoyed the ones he has done himself and narrated himself. Got the feeling he had help with this one as it didn't seem like his own work.
I feel like Glenn Beck could be cast as a deceiver for advertising this book as non-fiction when it is in fact historical fiction. The entire book consists of historical events but in the disclaimer at the end of the book it is confessed that they altered quotes, made up dates, and added pretend dialogue/situations. This message should have been placed as a forward to the book not as an afterthought in the back.
Charles Ponzi ripped people off because both he and his victims thought that America presented an opportunity to get rich quick with very little work. By contrast, Desi Arnaz worked hard and was fortunate to marry a talented wife. (His contribution behind the scenes was often underestimated, though: Desi Arnaz practically invented the TV rerun.) In his personal life, Arnaz was a womanizer who ended unhappily without the woman he really loved.
The founders of the award-winning animation company Pixar, for example, had both been spurned by the companies where they had had their dream jobs, and yet, through Pixar, they not only rediscovered their passions but eventually worked their ways back into their original jobs--only when they returned they were more successful than before.
There are also heroes within each story of a villain. Sometimes people are part hero and part villain. We learn that someone risked everything to expose a presidential lie and his reputation suffered. Beck does not dwell on it, but perhaps tacitly acknowledges that the president in that case, Grover Cleveland, had a good reason for lying to the American people, but did this justify either the perpetuation of the lie or the destruction of a man's reputation?
Not my favorite book. Disappointed with author, content was scrambled. Do not recommend.
I feel like Glenn Beck could be cast as a deceiver for advertising this book as non-fiction when it is in fact historical fiction. The entire book consists of historical events but in the disclaimer at the end of the book it is confessed that they altered quotes, made up dates, and added pretend dialogue/situations. This message should have been placed as a forward to the book not as an afterthought in the back.
Charles Ponzi ripped people off because both he and his victims thought that America presented an opportunity to get rich quick with very little work. By contrast, Desi Arnaz worked hard and was fortunate to marry a talented wife. (His contribution behind the scenes was often underestimated, though: Desi Arnaz practically invented the TV rerun.) In his personal life, Arnaz was a womanizer who ended unhappily without the woman he really loved.
The founders of the award-winning animation company Pixar, for example, had both been spurned by the companies where they had had their dream jobs, and yet, through Pixar, they not only rediscovered their passions but eventually worked their ways back into their original jobs--only when they returned they were more successful than before.
There are also heroes within each story of a villain. Sometimes people are part hero and part villain. We learn that someone risked everything to expose a presidential lie and his reputation suffered. Beck does not dwell on it, but perhaps tacitly acknowledges that the president in that case, Grover Cleveland, had a good reason for lying to the American people, but did this justify either the perpetuation of the lie or the destruction of a man's reputation?
Not my favorite book. Disappointed with author, content was scrambled. Do not recommend.
August 11, 2017
Despite my husband's disapproval for Glenn Beck, I chose to read this book anyway. (My husband (and I, for that matter) don't like how Beck has a tendency for twisting the truth, especially with reports on Fox.) I knew, though, after seeing the reviews on Goodreads I was going to have to read it.
And I will say that I absolutely enjoyed this collection of historical accounts. Beck did change some minor details in each story, but fully explains why at the end of the book in the "About" section. He also labels this as Historical Fiction, so I can't see why anyone should complain.
With all of this being said, Beck's writing style is outstanding. He kept me intrigued in each story and I kept looking forward to the next one as I read more. The pacing of each story was well thought out and I never thought any story was being told too fast or slow.
My favorite accounts were of Charles Ponzi, Edwin Howard Armstrong, Alan Turring, and, undoubtedly, Walt Disney.
My only issue with this book is that all of the stories are based on individuals who made impacts on America in the early to mid-20th century, with the exception of Grover Cleveland and Steve Jobs. I wish more innovators from the 19th century had been highlighted, as well.
However, as this was my only problem with this book, I would have to say it's a great read indeed. I would recommend to all history lovers.
And I will say that I absolutely enjoyed this collection of historical accounts. Beck did change some minor details in each story, but fully explains why at the end of the book in the "About" section. He also labels this as Historical Fiction, so I can't see why anyone should complain.
With all of this being said, Beck's writing style is outstanding. He kept me intrigued in each story and I kept looking forward to the next one as I read more. The pacing of each story was well thought out and I never thought any story was being told too fast or slow.
My favorite accounts were of Charles Ponzi, Edwin Howard Armstrong, Alan Turring, and, undoubtedly, Walt Disney.
My only issue with this book is that all of the stories are based on individuals who made impacts on America in the early to mid-20th century, with the exception of Grover Cleveland and Steve Jobs. I wish more innovators from the 19th century had been highlighted, as well.
However, as this was my only problem with this book, I would have to say it's a great read indeed. I would recommend to all history lovers.
December 17, 2015
Another great history book by Glenn Beck! I also really enjoyed Miracles and Massacres. I've always really appreciated this format of storytelling. Reading a full biography sometimes can be difficult. Glenn made a great choice in the last two stories; Walt Disney and Steve Jobs/John Lasseter. Disney's Hunchback of Norte Dam marked the day I decided I wouldn't buy Disney videos for my kids without watching them first. Too dark for children. Now that movie and others make sense. The last chapter on John Lasseter was such a happy note to end on. Many of the stories in Dreamers and Deceivers ended sadly for the protagonist, so ending on Toy Story and Pixar just left me feeling good. I hope Glenn continues to give us more of these little known yet very interesting history stories. Highly recommend!
January 8, 2021
It would have been nice if this book was more historically accurate and less of an opinion piece. Beck’s opinion, whether it was praise or disdain, was palpable in each story, which I felt took away from the narrative. I threw this book in the trash (so as not to subject anyone else this aberration of history) and will not be reading anything else from Beck, nor will I be recommending him to anyone else.
February 11, 2015
Glenn Beck writes about people who influenced America. I enjoyed hearing about people who did things which inspired names such as "Ponzi scheme" and how the name came about. I learned about Edison and Tesla a while back, thanks to Glenn's show, and was saddened to hear what a creep Edison actually was. Very interesting and worth reading.
October 4, 2015
From The Infamous Ponzi scheme, to Presidential Scandals this book had the dirt...
Like a historic gossip magazine. Even had America's favorite married couple!!!
Was a little slow in the starting but got better by page..(that's why the 3 stars..)
Like a historic gossip magazine. Even had America's favorite married couple!!!
Was a little slow in the starting but got better by page..(that's why the 3 stars..)
May 4, 2016
Well-researched and entertaining.
July 23, 2023
This was a really good book recommended and given to me by my friend and avid reader aficionado Conner.
It was a lot of fun to read about all the different people of history and finding out whether they did good or bad things for mankind throughout each chapter. I liked how there were subtle connections between some of the characters in each chapter. I also found many of the lessons and historical events written about in this book, written in 2014, are repeating themselves today. Many of the issues have magnified in fact. One such being Alan Turing taking forced injections (by the British government) of estrogen to “cure his gayness”. Such a sad thing to see. But, we can see almost a forced injection from the US government on the Covid vax. If you didn’t comply, you were going against the status quo and the acceptable normal pushed by the government. And not only that, but also how the estrogen shots changed Turing so much that he committed suicide. A sad, and now much more deeply understood, side effect of hormone injections. This too is now a much more prevalent and often celebrated practice in our society now for people who are injecting themselves (or parents injecting their children) with hormones like estrogen for gender changes.
It is apparent history repeats itself often. It’s also extremely important we learn from past lessons so we do not repeat them again and again and cause tremendous harm year would otherwise be avoided. That is the power of this book. Learning lessons of the past in an entertaining way, and hopefully using this knowledge for the present and future good of society.
It was a lot of fun to read about all the different people of history and finding out whether they did good or bad things for mankind throughout each chapter. I liked how there were subtle connections between some of the characters in each chapter. I also found many of the lessons and historical events written about in this book, written in 2014, are repeating themselves today. Many of the issues have magnified in fact. One such being Alan Turing taking forced injections (by the British government) of estrogen to “cure his gayness”. Such a sad thing to see. But, we can see almost a forced injection from the US government on the Covid vax. If you didn’t comply, you were going against the status quo and the acceptable normal pushed by the government. And not only that, but also how the estrogen shots changed Turing so much that he committed suicide. A sad, and now much more deeply understood, side effect of hormone injections. This too is now a much more prevalent and often celebrated practice in our society now for people who are injecting themselves (or parents injecting their children) with hormones like estrogen for gender changes.
It is apparent history repeats itself often. It’s also extremely important we learn from past lessons so we do not repeat them again and again and cause tremendous harm year would otherwise be avoided. That is the power of this book. Learning lessons of the past in an entertaining way, and hopefully using this knowledge for the present and future good of society.
January 10, 2021
Dreamers and Deceivers: True Stories of the Heroes and Villains Who Made America by Glenn Beck was not what I initially expected but I did find it very interesting and hard to put down. Instead of a book on politics (the deceiver part) it was more in the mode of Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story (look it up if you're not familiar. Most of us know what a Ponzi Scheme is and immediately the name Bernie Madoff (or Social Security) comes to mind. Hardly anyone knows about Charles Ponzi who originated the idea as a win win for everyone until it grew so large and blew up as is always the case. Most of todays young scholars have no idea who invented the radio; if they are a little older or read a lot they would suggest Erico Marconi. But they have probably never heard of Edwin Armstrong or Lee de Forest (or Nikola Tesla for that matter, but that's another story-look it up). Walt Disney's original idea for Epcot was a futuristic and ideal community with very forward-thinking ideas to be implemented. These and other little-known facts are explored and presented in this book. Learn about all of these interesting facts for your own gratification or load your brain with a pile of trivia to amaze your friends. Excellent book!
August 4, 2022
This book was full of information I had not necessarily heard before. From a president hiding his cancer diagnosis and surgery so as to not send a country into panic to two Italian Americans being executed for a crime in which this book sheds some light as to their guilt or not to Charles Ponzi to Walt Disney to Steve Jobs...this book has a little bit of everything.
Each chapter deals with a different famous person or event. There are 10 chapters in all. I found myself wanting to get through each chapter just to see what the twist was going to be in the end. If you like history, I think this book would be a fun read for you.
Each chapter deals with a different famous person or event. There are 10 chapters in all. I found myself wanting to get through each chapter just to see what the twist was going to be in the end. If you like history, I think this book would be a fun read for you.
July 6, 2023
This is a 4 ⭐️ nonfiction read! Each chapter is a story about a different historical figure and parts of their lives that are unknown. I enjoyed the book! It was easy to read and the different chapter setting kept you entertained. I especially enjoyed learning more about Steve Jobs and Walt Disney. If you’re looking for a nonfiction read about historical figures you probably already know this is the book for you.
December 29, 2024
Good book. I liked The Innovators by Walter Isaacson a bit more for a multiple biography in the same book.
September 19, 2017
While I did enjoy this book and found it incredibly interesting, I feel like Glenn Beck could be cast as a deceiver for advertising this book as non-fiction when it is in fact historical fiction. The entire book consists of historical events but in the disclaimer at the end of the book it is confessed that they altered quotes, made up dates, and added pretend dialogue/situations. This message should have been placed as a forward to the book not as an afterthought in the back.
January 31, 2020
I never learned history well through stuffing facts in my brain to them be parroted back for tests. I always preferred the story form of learning history, and this book is just that. It's like you're there with these people. I can remember quite a few times while my husband was reading allowed that I was becoming physically sick or cringing hard because of some of the experiences these people either went through or put other people through. 10 out of 10. Highly recommend.
December 11, 2020
You can better appreciate this book if you know going in exactly what it is, and is not. It is NOT a scholarly tome by any stretch, nor is it meant to be. Rather, it's an accessibly-written collection of the life stories of important heroes and villains in American history, episodic in format with some made-up dialogue. If you're looking for an in-depth history of the people involved, you may want to look elsewhere, but this will do for a quick and dirty read.
If you can put aside who the author is, I think you'll enjoy it. Beck's writing style is clear and concise enough to keep you interested. I can tell that he is not a historian by trade, as there are a some historical errors here and there- for example, Nazis existing in 1919, and the Apollo 11 landing erroneously reported as happening in 1968 (possibly just a typo)- but he is not making any pretense to be one as far as I can tell.
I would recommend it if you want a book to relax with that doesn't require too much brainpower. The stories are pretty well told and the writing style is enjoyable enough. Nothing particularly special about it, but not much to gripe about either.
If you can put aside who the author is, I think you'll enjoy it. Beck's writing style is clear and concise enough to keep you interested. I can tell that he is not a historian by trade, as there are a some historical errors here and there- for example, Nazis existing in 1919, and the Apollo 11 landing erroneously reported as happening in 1968 (possibly just a typo)- but he is not making any pretense to be one as far as I can tell.
I would recommend it if you want a book to relax with that doesn't require too much brainpower. The stories are pretty well told and the writing style is enjoyable enough. Nothing particularly special about it, but not much to gripe about either.
April 1, 2018
TITLE: Dreamers and Deceivers: True Stories of the Heroes and Villains Who Made America
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK: It fit my reading challenge being connect to the book before it, White Trash: The 400 Year Untold History of Class in America, having the same word in title America
REVIEW: The title says it is "true stories". It is categorized as non-fiction. But at the end of the book Beck admits this is a fictionalized account of real events. I love historical fiction, but this was not good historical fiction. It's one thing if you want to make up elements based on your understanding of the facts okay, you want to have a point of view okay but when you twist things and your point of view is laid on with a sledge hammer. It is clear that socialist, liberals and democrats are all deceivers but the capitalist are all the dreamers.
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK: It fit my reading challenge being connect to the book before it, White Trash: The 400 Year Untold History of Class in America, having the same word in title America
REVIEW: The title says it is "true stories". It is categorized as non-fiction. But at the end of the book Beck admits this is a fictionalized account of real events. I love historical fiction, but this was not good historical fiction. It's one thing if you want to make up elements based on your understanding of the facts okay, you want to have a point of view okay but when you twist things and your point of view is laid on with a sledge hammer. It is clear that socialist, liberals and democrats are all deceivers but the capitalist are all the dreamers.
February 24, 2016
I really enjoyed the format of this book. Each chapter was a new story of a dreamer or deceiver. I learned about a lot of different people without having to read an entire book on each of them. Just the important information--quick and succinct.
January 20, 2016
Each chapter is a different famous person in history. It's a kind of "rest of the story" book, telling little known background info on people like Steve Jobs, Charles Ponzi, Walt Disney, Woodrow Wilson, Henry Ford, et al. Rich reading. Would read it again as time permits.
November 13, 2015
A fun book!! I highly recommend!
October 9, 2015
Great read... particularly enjoyed the chapters on Walt Disney, John Lasseter, and Dezi Arnaz
June 18, 2020
This book is MAINLY nonfiction, though classified as historical fiction, reflecting a kind of historical writing that has developed over the last few years. Everything in it is factual, but Beck reconstructs conversations and presents the historical figures' decisions and thinking that is evident only from their actions, not from documents. This book presents really important historical incidents that show both dreamers (such as Walt Disney and others less well known) and deceivers, also some very well known, and their actions' effects on our world, some positive, some negative. Beck is true to his political stance in this book: several of these stories show some liberal "saints" to be actual deceivers (historically accurately depicted). ( Most of the stories aren't political. You won't be too unhappy.)
November 16, 2018
A friend let me borrow this book. Stories are mixed with facts and "scenes that were imagined or expanded beyond the basic historical record."
I was already familiar with stories about Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and Alan Turing. I found the material supportive to what I already knew yet still garnered a few new facts. It was interesting to read details about events surrounding older historical figures (Upton Sinclair, Charles Ponzi, Alger Hiss, Woodrow Wilson and Grover Cleaveland) that I knew their name but not so much about the ordeals Mr. Beck focused on.
All in all, an interesting read.
I was already familiar with stories about Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and Alan Turing. I found the material supportive to what I already knew yet still garnered a few new facts. It was interesting to read details about events surrounding older historical figures (Upton Sinclair, Charles Ponzi, Alger Hiss, Woodrow Wilson and Grover Cleaveland) that I knew their name but not so much about the ordeals Mr. Beck focused on.
All in all, an interesting read.
September 8, 2019
Really enjoyed this book and learning a little more about some historical figures we don't necessarily hear about all the time- Edwin Howard Armstrong, Charles Ponzi, Alan Turing, Walt Disney, etc. It's written in more of a story format which bothers me some because of inevitable embellishments, but it's great for those who normally find history "boring". Because I did the audio version of this book my kids overheard and became interested. After hearing about Armstrong and the FM radio my teen happily picked up and read the entire book. I was able to introduce "I Love Lucy" to my elementary kid after the chapter on Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. All-in-all a great book.
February 9, 2021
Fun short read of some famous characters in history and stories not widely known. Was interesting to learn about the original Ponsi who the swindling schemes has been named for. It was also interesting to see how in presidential politics how much deception went on over a hundred years ago with President Wilson's illness and stroke at the end of his presidency. I Love Lucy and the stories of the early inventors of radio as well as lawsuits surrounding those inventions were fascinating to learn.
August 30, 2018
This was a great read about stories in history that I knew little about. I knew some of the stories, but not all the details. Others, I only knew the name for some reason but couldn't remember why that name was important.
Great readable stories written like a novel but backed up by the historical record. I love the fact that at the end of the book, it separates what was invented, based on the historical record, for the purposes of the story and what is taken directly from a source.
Great readable stories written like a novel but backed up by the historical record. I love the fact that at the end of the book, it separates what was invented, based on the historical record, for the purposes of the story and what is taken directly from a source.
January 14, 2020
Ambiguous feelings about this book. I found it interesting and readable. It told true things from history, but used fiction to speculate on feelings and settings. The author carefully documented which elements were speculative and which were from historical record.
It makes history interesting, but there is the sticky icky mental point (for me) of the story being told from certain perspectives, and opinions/statements/actions being attributed to non-perspective players.
It makes history interesting, but there is the sticky icky mental point (for me) of the story being told from certain perspectives, and opinions/statements/actions being attributed to non-perspective players.
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