Reviews for My troubles are going to have trouble with me

The average rating for My troubles are going to have trouble with me based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-12-16 00:00:00 Kevin Wright I don't really need to review this book. It's kind of irrelevant now, considering that the author wrote an update (The American Vice Presidency: From Afterthought to Assistant President) to account for the Biden years. If you're interested in the topic, you're just going to read that edition anyway. Overall the book was fine, but kind of read like a really long term paper, a list of facts. Why, then, did I read this? When I was in high school, I was elected student body vice-president in my senior year, due to the fact that I was the only person interested in running. From that point on, I relished the idea of getting to do unique things by enthusiastically volunteering to not be in charge, but be near the person in charge. This was reflected again when I was a senior in college and I became the executive officer (i.e. the #2) in my ROTC detachment. With that in mind, I bought this book in 2011. I thought that being Mr. Vice was simply my thing, that I would spend my life in pursuit of being the best at being #2. Then I read the first chapter, and it was *fine* but I had other stuff going on, so I put it back on the shelf. Since then, this book has followed me on three major moves, from one coast to the other to the middle of the country again. And every time I've unpacked and set out my bookshelves, it's been there on the to-read shelf. I didn't even want to read it. I knew that I bought it and a time in my life that I don't particularly relate to now. I also knew that it wouldn't be that exciting a read. I removed it from my to-read list on Goodreads because I didn't want to be reminded of how long I'd put it off. I even went so far as to take it to the public library with every intention of donating it, finally ridding myself of its persistent presence. But when the moment came, I was unable to give up on the book. I didn't want it, but I also didn't want to dishonor the me that had ordered it. Plus, it had a pretty interesting table of contents. Something in me wanted to know how this story ended. So last night, I just decided it was time. I was going to read the thing and be done with it. I read about 100 pages before my eyes glazed over, then I finished it this morning. For so many years, this slim volume has represented something about who I am, about who I wanted to be. What kept me from reading it was not that the page count was daunting, but that I was not sure I wanted to put myself back in that time. There's a certain inertia to an unread book, where it becomes harder to read the longer it is unread. It attains a place in your mind as The Book I Have Not Read. It's hard to kill that identity. So here we are. The book is done, and a couple hours ago, I went through with the act and donated it to my public library. I'm sure they'll take one look at it, think "Dick Cheney??," and throw it onto the For Sale shelf. And that's just fine.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-04-24 00:00:00 Terry Paquette Truly one of the best books I've ever read on the civil rights movement and fight for economic opportunity and how the two are, at the core, inseparable. As the title says, freedom is not enough. People must have the opportunity to earn a living and to provide for their families. Without this, the promise of freedom rings hollow. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that it is nearly impossible for those of us who were not deeply involved in the 50s & 60s movements or are not Ph.D.s in American history to really understand how important Title XII was to minority men and all women. This book is a first step toward understanding and appreciating how we now stand on the shoulders of the people who fought for our rights.