Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

what a gem. i highly suggested you read/listen to this bio of one of my most admired historical figures.

i have read other Hamilton bios before but this was the most complete and the most interesting. i highly recommend it.

being a big follower, i learned two very important things from this book:

1. I still massively admire Hamilton, but now my admiration ends at 1797. starting then he loses his judgment. basically, Hamilton is brilliant, but he needs Washington to temper his unbridled commitment. Without Washington, Hamilton is basically a time bomb. once Washington leaves office, Hamilton is essentially a lost and depressed man.

2. if anyone thinks partisan bickering is bad today, transform yourself back to the 1790s. wow. the level of discourse was far worse than it is today. people were literally killing each other. and worse, spending time slandering one another to a degree that would not even be tolerated on talk radio. so to all those people who think partisanship has reached new levels in govt … read your history and you’ll be thankful we have progressed.