Tagged: africa

The Real Anthony Fauci

The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 5/5

There is no denying that this is a controversial book on controversial topics, written by a controversial author, and it wasn’t particularly difficult to spot some inadequately substantiated claims, outlandish hypotheses, less-than-impressive sources, and questionable interpretations of data. That said, one would have to be willfully naive and ignorant of human nature to ignore the preponderance of inarguable, factual evidence the author provides that some of our most respected institutions, scientists, politicians, businessmen/women, and philanthropists have sold their souls and woven a pervasive web of deceit, corruption, avarice, censorship and moral bankruptcy. Even with its failings, this book is a necessary and fearless testament to the enduring wisdom of 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (ESV).

Additionally, The Real Anthony Fauci is a tour de force in terms of seamlessly and meticulously incorporating technology into a traditional reading experience; the chapter endnotes link via a QR code to RFK Jr.’s website, where one can easily click through to the actual sources for most of the 2,194 citations contained in this formidable exposé.

Why I read it: Originally, I had no intention of reading this because, judging solely from its cover, it appeared to be little more than a hit-piece full of conspiracies, written by a crackpot. However, RFK Jr.’s interview on The Joe Rogan Experience left me with a more favorable impression of the author, as well as many unanswered questions about his claims.

Trader Horn

Trader Horn: Being the Life and Works of Alfred Aloysius Horn, the works written by himself at the age of seventy-three and the life, with such of his philosophy as is the gift of age and experience taken down here and edited by Ethelreda Lewis, 3/5

It’s safe to assume that everyone has a story to tell by the age of seventy-three, but not everyone was a trader who explored central Africa in the late 1800s. As such, “Trader Horn” fully deserves to have his life adventures immortalized in print and lovers of tall tales will have no quibble with his fantastical stories and idiosyncratic writing style. However, readers, like me, who prefer a clear separation between fact and fiction, will struggle to distinguish between the two in this book. At first, I wrongly suspected the author was not even a real person, but further research did not necessarily inspire confidence in the historical accuracy of someone who, for example, embellished even their own age in the book’s subtitle (he was sixty-seven at the time of publication, according to Ian Cutler’s excellent and very detailed article). The fact that editor Ethelreda Lewis was a novelist, not a historian or biographer, and that Horn aspired to be a novelist as well, further muddies the waters. While this sort of factual ambiguity does not make for a very enjoyable reading experience in my opinion, I’m glad that Horn’s life story was preserved instead of being lost forever.

Why I read it: Making progress in my efforts to ensure my collection of old books is more than purely decorative.