J.D. “Jim” Fox, Head Coach, Next Act CoachingA wise woman — who happened to be my boss at a NYC PR agency — once told me:  “If you can’t think of anything else to do, read a book.”I’m there, and have two to recommend that inform our current national muck.Jill Lepore, the Harvard professor and New Yorker essayist, wrote “These Truths,” a comprehensive American history starting in 1492 and going through our wrenching 2016 elections .   To the extent this brings comfort, she notes that allegations of fake news, political demagoguery, racism, misogyny and character assassination have had a home on American soil since the beginning. Perhaps not as pervasive as today, but never more than a few inches underground.  Like many modern historians, Lepore is not above taking shots or expressing her own opinions, and condemns both PR and especially political consulting for their role in the manipulation of public opinion and elections   And, she vividly details the historical and violent subjugation of minority (i.e., non-white) groups.Feel better yet?   Yeah, I know; it’s a low bar.Look up.  My other recommendation paints a rosier picture throughout.   Atlantic magazine 40-year veteran Gregg Easterbrook wrote “It’s Better Than It Looks:  Reasons for Optimism in an Age of Fear.”He notes that in real and measurable terms, many of humanity’s woes — crime, discrimination, disease, malnutrition, poverty, violence and war — are in long-term decline.   He’s not making a case for acceptance of our continuing maladies, but persuasively argues that the planet is not going to hell in a hand basket.Back to me.  Even with the perspective of these two books, I’m limiting my consumption of news.   That’s certainly not to fault the media — journalism has never been more important;  and outrageous conduct must be witnessed, recorded, and explained.  Some of the current efforts, notably at the New York Times (my neighborhood newspaper) are in the direction of heroic.But still ...  I just get exhausted, depleted, and depressed if I pay too close of attention, especially to the spectacles.  Rationing helps a little.  By the way, this is coming from a former TV reporter.  Ouch.We are enduring a rough and even perilous time in our national life.  For me, doing a dive into books helps, but I’m hoping that we somehow get to a smoother (and higher) road.   Right now, hope is hard.  Still beats the alternative, but not by much.