Doing the Not Do-able

Trump is going to send foot soldiers into Iran. Of course he is. It’s a deeply complex country of complexity.

At almost a third of the size of the continental United States, Iran has around 93 million people. Taking, let alone holding, a deeply complex country of its size and complexity and weaponry with 50,000 troops, military experts say, is not doable.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/29/us/politics/us-marines-middle-east-iran-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.W1A.dKPw.oJsftxsiwLGs&smid=url-share

Tracy Kidder (1945-2026)

Massachusetts-based author Tracy Kidder’s name has appeared here a few times. Like Jon Krakauer and Michael Lewis, Kidder was a non-fiction writer.

I first read Kidder’s Soul of a New Machine and last read Rough Sleepers. I didn’t read everything in between, but I have fond memories of reading House, Among Schoolchildren, and Home Town. The NYTimes has a good overview of Kidder’s life and writings.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/books/tracy-kidder-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.V1A.QxcJ.WiCrUVkq40Cd&smid=url-share