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steve coutee

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Spaceship in a Bottle

by Jonathan Brazee

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read in September 2025

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Nov 20, 2025 05:37AM

steve coutee is currently reading

A True History of the United States: Indigenous Genocide, Racialized Slavery, Hyper-Capitalism, Militarist Imperialism and Other Overlooked Aspects of American Exceptionalism (Truth to Power)

by Daniel A. Sjursen

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steve coutee said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" I’m making my way through A True History of the United States, and so far it’s a clear, direct, and unfiltered look at the country’s earliest foundations. Sjursen writes with a mix of military bluntness and historical precision, digging into the comp I’m making my way through A True History of the United States, and so far it’s a clear, direct, and unfiltered look at the country’s earliest foundations. Sjursen writes with a mix of military bluntness and historical precision, digging into the complicated layers that shaped early America — religion, class, power, race, and the constant struggle between idealism and reality.

The opening chapters cover a lot of ground: the Puritans and their rigid societal model, the Powhatan Confederacy, indentured servitude, the rise of race-based hierarchy, and the tension at the heart of colonial life. His writing is straightforward and engaging, and he doesn’t shy away from pointing out contradictions where they existed.

One thing that caught my attention early on is his use of the term “white privilege” on page 5. Sjursen is framing it from a historical perspective — how laws and early policies created differences in how groups were treated. I understand the historical point he’s making, but personally, I don’t agree with the modern use of the phrase. To me, it feels like a political term that stirs emotion more than understanding. I believe real issues come from systems of power, class, and ignorance passed down over generations — not from assigning blanket labels to entire groups.
It doesn’t ruin the book, but it’s something I pause on.

Another small issue I found is a factual typo: on page 10, “Ann Higgins” should actually be Ann Hibbins, the wealthy Boston woman executed for witchcraft in 1656. It’s a minor slip, but historically meaningful.

With that said, the book overall is compelling. Sjursen does an excellent job connecting events to the roots of American identity — the good, the bad, and the complicated. He doesn’t preach or demand agreement; he lays out the historical record and challenges the reader to wrestle with it. That alone makes it worth reading.

If you want an accessible, unvarnished look at America’s beginnings — one that digs into the forces of religion, inequality, conflict, and culture — this book delivers. Sjursen asks readers not to love or hate the past, but to understand it. And there’s value in that. ...more "

Nov 14, 2025 08:07AM · see review

steve coutee is currently reading

The Law Behind The Laws: Unlock Universal Laws to Manifest Abundance, Prosperity, Success, Love, and Inner Power Through Energetic Alignment and Intentional Living

by Owen Hermstring

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Nov 12, 2025 09:11AM

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Book cover for Iron Blooded (Iron Blooded, #1)

Iron Blooded (Iron Blooded, #1) by Reece Brooks

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“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
― Oscar Wilde

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“Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple.”
― Woody Guthrie

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“The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state...Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”
― James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

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“This machine kills fascists.”
― Woody Guthrie

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