#1548 Animal Farm by George Orwell

 Off-Genre warning:

 Didn’t we all read Animal Farm in an 8^th grade English class? Have you had a look at that novella since then? I probably read it again when I was in my 20s, but now 50 more years have passed. The book came up in a random discussion with a friend, and I decided to have another look. It’s remarkable how current the book is today. Although it was written in response to the Russian revolution of 1917 and especially in response to Stalin’s dictatorial and violent rise to power, it is an important book regarding the rise of dictatorships in the current world. It is a story about the vulnerability of democracy.  It is a great tale about how power corrupts humanity, no matter how noble were the original intents. It's a short read, and the power of Orwell’s fable remains impressive.