Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Cait Murphy

Cait Murphy is an assistant managing editor at Fortune magazine and author of Crazy '08: How a Cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History.

I recently asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
At the moment, I have Team of Rivals on my bedside table; this book is about Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet -- most of whom he had defeated for the Republican nomination, and all of whom, at first, considered him the lesser man. I am a huge fan of Lincoln and this excellent book adds to my understanding of him.

I am also reading Suite Française by Irene Némirovsky. She was born a Russian Jew who moved to France as a child after the revolution and became a highly regarded novelist. This book is 2 short novels/long short stories; the final product was supposed to be a five-part cycle of stories about life in occupied France. She was never able to complete it, being deported and killed in Auschwitz. The manuscript, saved by her daughters, was only published in 2004. Wonderful writing that gives real, poignant insight about the daily humiliations and tragedies of a defeated nation.

I also like mysteries and thrillers of all kinds, and have just started Angels and Demons by the ubiquitous Dan Brown.

I'm not reading any sports books at the moment, but I expect to get to The Blind Side by Michael Lewis soon.
Cait Murphy is an assistant managing editor at Fortune magazine in New York. She previously worked at The Economist in London and the Wall Street Journal Asia in Hong Kong. A former Little League infielder, Murphy played softball at Amherst College, where she received her degree in American Studies. She does not throw like a girl.

Visit Cait Murphy's website and read an excerpt from Crazy '08.

The Page 99 Test: Crazy '08.

--Marshal Zeringue