Alameda Free Library Staff Picks

Yiddishkeit: Jewish Vernacular & The New Land

2011-11-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

Edited By: Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle

It may be that the graphic novel has run up against a subject it is not really suited for. Yiddish can be transliterated into English as well as Hebrew, still the drawn panel better illustrates a situation rather than a concept. However, this book does not intend to be a dictionary, nor is it anything close to a history of Yiddish. For the most part, various Yiddish writers are critiqued, mainly by Harvey Pekar, with the panels used to display passages from the author's life or from the book in question. Many are written as a remembrance by the stories subject.

Other than authors, the emphasis is on Jewish theater, and Yiddish influence on film and popular culture. It traces the days when Jews performed mostly for Jews, and then the broader move to assimilation for a broader audience, with names changed along with reference to the players ethnicity.

Finally, there is a section on Yiddish revival, that includes a couple of Pekar's original stories. This part demonstrates the greatest strength of the graphic form. It is clearly a powerful way to breathe some life into a subject that could otherwise be reduced to academia and archives.

Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness

2011-11-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

By: Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner

It may be true with most academic physicists writing about quantum mechanics. The subject is so massively counter-intuitive that even a straightforward examination can sound like magic, or worse yet, nonsense. So the history of dozens of researchers and thousands of experiments that actually prove something can be in two places at once are used as a supporting structure. Staying mostly with the famous Copenhagen agreement, the enigma is that somehow "observation collapses" the probability wave of an object, in fact then creating a particular reality.

So far so confusing. The problem for these authors is talking about observation without forcing the inclusion of consciousness. First, consciousness is less understood than the quantum. And secondly, agreeing that consciousness has such an immediate control of objective reality opens the discussion to all manner of pseudo science, paranormal, and even occult possibilities.

That leaves a very narrow path of explanation that is in turns obscure to what is essentially an article of faith.

Dead End in Norvelt

2011-11-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

By: Jack Gantos

Jack Gantos does it again with another great book for kids. It is a slightly biographical book because it takes place during the summer of 1962 in the town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania where the author really did grow up. I’m not sure how much is truly biographical but Jack ends up being grounded the whole summer for mowing down his mother’s corn crop upon instructions from his dad who wants to build a landing strip for the airplane he is refurbishing. The only way he can leave the house is if he is doing some kind of community service and he finds it by helping the local historian/nurse/journalist/coroner, Ms. Volker, write up obituaries when a series of original townspeople end up dead. Jack learns a lot about his town of the course of that summer and tangles with his nemesis, Mr. Spizz, who patrols the small town on his adult size tricycle, giving tickets for various crimes like having weeds grow too high.

Dead End in Norvelt is a great dark comedy full of colorful characters, underage driving, Girl Scout cookies, a few Hell’s Angels and even a little mystery to solve.

Epigenetics: The Ultimate Mystery of Inheritance

2011-10-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

By: Richard C. Francis

Standard genetic models depend on random mutations to produce new chromosomal characteristic that, if favorable, could be then displayed after a great many generations throughout a species. Epigenetics supposes that changes can occur to the inherited DNA after conception, before birth, and even during the lifetime of an individual, that not only produce genetic variation, but that these variations can be passed on to offspring. This mechanism, while limited, can bypass the entire standard model of genetic inheritance.

Rather than random mutation, genetic changes can be produced by environmental conditions experienced by the mother during pregnancy, or by the individual after birth. These involve chemical triggers that can control the expression, either absolutely or relatively, of particular genes. These triggers can occasionally be inherited directly, producing an apparent genetic change in a single generation.

The example that begins the book is the severe famine experienced by a region of the Dutch population, deliberately deprived of supplies by the Germans during World War II. This serious caloric deprivation produced some unusual but characteristic effects in the children of mothers pregnant during this time, but also of additional generations. Because of the many control groups available for comparison, these effects became the subject of many studies. Unfortunately, the author also launches a couple of other long, discursive chapters that seem to have far less relevance: one about professional baseball, and another about fast food in Thailand.

Twenties Girl: A Novel

2011-10-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

By: Sophie Kinsella

Lara Lington’s life is a mess. Her business is in shambles, her boyfriend has just dumped her, and she’s lying to her parents about all of it. The last thing Lara needs is the ghost of her recently deceased, 105 year old great-aunt Sadie incessantly shrieking out her ideas about fashion, love, and the proper way to dance in Lara’s ear and sending her on a wild goose chase for a missing necklace. But that’s just what she gets!

Kinsella draws you into a laugh-out loud adventure, with memorable characters, impossible situations, and a feel good ending. If you need a reprieve from more “intellectual” reading, this is it. Seriously light, fluffy cotton-candy “chick lit” at its best! Refreshingly humorous and full of wit, charm, and a healthy dose of 1920s American trivia, Twenties Girl may be the perfect summer/relaxing read.

The Hidden Reality:

2011-09-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos

By: Brian Greene

The subject of multiple universes has mostly been an amusement, both for scientists and the philosophically inclined. Bizzaro worlds, doppelgangers, parallel realities have until recently been dismissed as cute, but improvable, causing unnecessary creative chaos. The broad acceptance of quantum mechanics has required a more generous approach, because of two very non-scientific compromises in its applications. If the smallest particles are really probability waves with no precise location, than first, there must be an arbitrary separation between the very small and those things made up of the very small, and secondly, the wave function must somehow "collapse" when observed, into ordinary reality.

Neither the math nor common sense really supports either. In the 1950s, Hugh Everett proclaimed the "many worlds" theory of quantum properties, which states that the wave does not collapse, but that each possible permutation of all the particles in all the probability waves must actually exist in a continuously and gargantuanly expanding series of universes.

What's most interesting is that the math fully supports this hypothesis and a long discussion in the book suggests that math, not perception, is reality.

Various other forms of parallel universes (nine in all) are suggested, each requiring different features and manipulations of ordinary logic. But they all answer one fundamental question: we no longer have to worry about why the minutely specific conditions of our reality came to be, if there are multitudes of other realities with all the other possibilities manifested.

The Information

2011-09-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

By: James Gleick

This is not the first book to describe the commoditization of information. Bits and bytes have real value, confer real power, and demarcate real divisions. Interestingly, Gleick explains that information has always had value, from the first grunted expression to the latest digital download; it has brought people together at the same time it has divided, confused, and angered them. Information is unarguably faster, arguably better, but not really different in terms of purpose and value.

A subtext of the book is how often a communication technology has inspired many to believe they could finally "annihilate time and space" while providing something like universal access. Even before the telegraph, signal towers were build within sight of each other across much of Europe, with elaborate communication displays that could be "instantly" transferred across great distance. Then as now, however, information transmission was restricted to those that could pay for it, leaving the majority of people and their informational needs unaccounted for. Nothing about the internet is actually free - hardware, software, and transmission connection all insure exclusivity, which insures power and control.

What is distinctive about the present is not just the sense, but the fact of information glut and its subsequent devaluation for those with access. Control of information now is about restricting it, indexing it, and filtering it. The important element is that it is still controlled, while it is bought, sold and hoarded.

Before I go to sleep

2011-08-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

By: S.J. Watson

Imagine waking each day in an unfamiliar room, next to a much older stranger. You sneek into the bathroom racking your brain to remember the previous night. You see your reflection in the mirror, and get the shock of your life. You have aged 20 years. There are pictures tacked on the wall of you and the unrecognizable bed partner. The label attached identifies you as "Christine" the strange man, your husband, "Ben." You are terrified! You don't remember anything!

This is the storyline to Before I Go To Sleep. It's a great read; full of thrills, mystery and danger. I couldn't put it down.

Inside of a dog : what dogs see, smell, and know

2011-07-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

By: Alexandra Horowitz

The author criticizes unthinking anthropomorphizing of animals, appliances, and nearly everything else. One must not attribute human attitudes or processes to a dog, with its own sensory world, and non-linguistic understanding of reality. A dog's mind might in some ways be similar to ours, but it also may be indescribably different.

The problem is, we live with dogs, give them names, and find it nearly impossible to interpret their behavior in any other terms but those that apply to us. So the author concedes that a dog's motives, behaviors and habits are very likely parallel to ours. Still, we cannot possibly imagine how they think. We think about things conceptually, the slightest impression can turn into a volume of language. Connections do not arise automatically. They are mitigated, in fact created by words. A dog has the purity of image without the conceptual distancing. In fact, since their primary sense is smell, they live in a world interpreted very differently than the one we inhabit, fashioned by sight and sound primarily.

The only reasonable manner to interact with a dog then is as much on their terms as possible. If they seem to enjoy, hate or fear something, we should simply assume that they do. There is certainly a reason wolves were domesticated, and since then, a dog’s evolution has been largely determined by people. Dogs are powerfully integrated into our own cultural evolution, and our empathy is almost certainly mutual.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2011-07-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

By: Lisa See

Set in China’s Hunan Province during the 1800’s, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan tells the story of two young girls designated “old-sames” who are paired together in a laotong relationship meant to last from early girlhood through the rest of their lives. They communicate through the nu shu language, known only to Chinese women.

The story is a detailed weaving of life for women growing up in old China. The paths the two girls follow overlap at times, but diverge in interesting and surprising ways. Throughout their lives the relationship is tested by tragedy, loyalty, pride, and expectation. The story of their partnership anchors the book while providing a unique look into the culture of female life in old China.

This best-selling novel is soon to be released as a full feature film on July 15th. Make sure to check out a copy from the library to read before going to see the movie!

Infinite Reality

2011-07-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Avatars, Eternal Life, New Worlds, and the Dawn of the Virtual Revolution

By: Jim Blascovich

The subtitle is actually misleading. There are many prognostics about future developments in virtual reality, but they are neither very original nor given realistic foundations. What the book does very well is to expand the comprehension of VR, taking it out of science fiction, and placing it intelligibly in common history and shared experience.

Virtual reality is nothing more than a representation or extension of human thought or action. Language, art and tools are all methods of extension. The development of writing was probably a bigger step into VR than the invention of the computer. In fact, even the most fundamental of realties, that are experienced by a person, is an interpretive selection, mitigated by the sensory apparatus, of what may (or may not) actually be "out there."

We find that VR is absolutely basic to human interaction of any kind, and that like all other human artifacts, can have both positive and negative applications. It is more than inevitable, it is so integrated as to be invisible.

The end of discovery

2011-06-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

By Russell Stannard

At a time that knowledge is literally increasing exponentially, little is assumed to be permanently beyond scientific reach. Perhaps biological immortality, but many believe that in a few generations a person’s brain (for a reductionist, all that there is) will be digitized and stored. Not just a memory bank, but the actual functioning personality. Space exploration to the farthest reaches might also be inevitable, as soon as a way is worked out to travel beyond the speed of light.

Stannard is less impressed by technology than someone like Ray Kurzweil (see "The Singularity is Near.") He is a theoretical physicist and is convinced that regardless of technological advances, there is an actual limit to what the human brain can comprehend, and therefore also a limit to the extent that technology can assist comprehension. He writes that understanding consciousness itself is limited by the ability of the instrument to explore itself. Knowing the actual origin of the universe is limited by the extremely miniscule times and distances involved, also considered to be beyond the reach of ancones grasp. Similarly, the nature of time and space, the origin of life, and quantum reality would also be of this category.

Other theoreticians believe that computers will not only store knowledge, but that they will enable vast increases in understanding, at least until biological evolution catches up. In fact, technology may well represent the continuation of evolutionary progress, producing a hybrid human with unimagined capabilities. Should this not be the case, Stannard presents a compelling picture of where the limits might be.

A Holocaust reader

2011-05-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

Edited by Michael Morgan

There is not only an unconquerable difference between those who believe that the Holocaust should be written about (as any other subject) and those that don't, but also an argument as to whether it even can be written about at all. The idea that it is an historical event, linked to others both past and future, is far from a given. One author coins the word "tremendum" to distinguish this event as so surpassingly unique and "sui generis" that is in fact not a part of history. It is removed from explanation, comparison, and even description.

But of course, the Holocaust is written about, and even used as a fictional theme. Is it not valuable to be reminded of the event? To have a chance of achieving the goal of "never again," the Holocaust must not diminish in memory as survivors and observers vanish.

The argument is that the Holocaust is beyond human understanding and that to attempt this, trivializes and relativizes it. Even among survivors, the premise is that any story is partial, any description shaped by the experience of the writer and then the reader, twisted by language and personal memory. Even history must be subject to these forces.

For other questions beyond human contemplation - the origin of the universe for example, religion and believers will offer up the truth to God and be satisfied. But to do this with the Holocaust creates the greatest problem of all. Can God have caused it? Can the victims have deserved it? This is unsupportable, unbearable and demonstrably false. In the end the Holocaust has the potential to destroy the foundation of any belief in human progress, but also the concept of God that most believers share. Yet these questions are asked, and must be asked.

Room : a novel

2011-04-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

By Emma Donoghue

Room is the story of Jack, a 5 year old boy, born and raised with his mother in a room disguised as a garden shed in their kidnapper’s backyard. Jack was born into captivity with his mother who has been held for 7 years by a man who kidnapped her when she was a young college student. The story is told in Jack’s voice and is a unique exploration of how one would grow up in a world only 12 square feet in size. The writing is engaging, the story is compelling, and the book is impossible to put down.

Although told from the perspective of a young boy, the story is full of depth and packed with emotion. Room was nominated for the Booker prize in 2010 and is a highly recommended read.

One crazy summer

2011-04-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

By Rita Williams-Garcia

Delphine (11 years old), and her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern fly from their home in Brooklyn where they live with their father and grandmother to visit their mom, Cecile, for the summer in Oakland. The girls haven't seen or heard from her in years, and although their grandmother disapproves, their father decides the children should know their mother. They arrive anxious about meeting her. With money in Delphine's pockets, they hope Cecile will take them to San Francisco and possibly Disney Land. Instead, Cecile is annoyed and unwelcoming. She immediately confiscates the money, forbids the girls from entering her kitchen, and kicks them out of her house each day from morning till night. She tells them if they want breakfast, the Black Panther's center will feed them for free, and they should spend the rest of the day there too; at the Panther's Day Camp. It's 1968. The African-American revolutionary leftist Panther Party is organizing and leading their historical Black Power Movement. The girls are smack in the middle of the action...and so, they will discover, is their mother.

One Crazy Summer is a National Book Award Finalist. It's a good read with interesting local history, recognizable settings and a "crazy" story about relationships, especially unusual ones.

Introducing mind & brain

2011-03-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

By Angus Gellatly, Oscar Zarate ; edited by Richard Appignanesi

The book's introduction gives rise to an expectation that mind and brain will be distinguished, and in fact, that is the purpose of the text. The emphasis is clearly biological and not ontological. Once that is understood, the book has much to offer. There is excellent historical and anatomical coverage of "brain states," "states of mind,” and forms of consciousness tied to particular brain structures, or as is often the case, a network of these structures. The study of patients with brain damage to various parts of their brains and the resulting anomalies of consciousness this produces is an important feature. Even the states of mind induced by psychedelics, meditation, and religious "rapture" are generally traced to electrical chemical patterns in various parts of the brain. In conclusion, the authors suggest that the holistic sense of self does not exist in any "actual" way but is only solipistically experienced by an individual. This is not attributed here to any spiritual source, but does allow the possibility that mind is not contained in brain, and demonstrates some reality beyond biology.

How to teach physics to your dog

2011-03-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

By: Chad Orzel

The author does, in fact, instruct his dog in the intricacies of quantum theory. In this case though, his dog is highly literate, articulate and inquisitive. If choosing a dog as his student is intended to make the lessons appear to be as simple as learning to fetch a stick, he fails. But if you replace "dog" with intelligent college student having a background in math, philosophy and physics, then the thesis makes more sense.

Having a dog as the object allows for some humorous analogies. Electrons and photons are described as bunnies and squirrels. Expressions such as tunneling and "Schrödinger’s Cat" are given dog friendly explanations. Troubling though is that while the author often uses the term 'magic' as a descriptive, and has a scholarly talking dog, he also devotes perhaps a third of the book to writing about some of the 'absurd' applications of the quantum theorized by 'new age' philosophers, medicos, and theologians. It would seem that when teaching your dog about advanced theoretical physics, it might be wise to resist questioning the authenticity and credibility of others.

In the end, this falls between "Quantum Physics for Dummies" and a graduate level text. If you can resist considering the whole dog thing an irrelevant conceit, the explanations are clear and imaginative.

Star Island

2011-03-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

By: Carl Hiaasan

Celebrity gossip lovers, here's one for you! Young and talentless, but hot and worth millions, pop-star Cherry Pye is often so wasted her parents have secretly hired a double to pose as her when Cherry has "tummy troubles." Craziness ensues when sleazy, star-struck Paparazzo Bang Abbott kidnaps Anne, the double, mistaking her for Cherry Pye. Now Cherry's parent's have to come up with a plan to rescue Anne, while keeping the kidnapping a secret from both the public and from Cherry...except, wouldn't escaping a horrifying kidnapping be great for Cherry's career and increase ticket sales for her upcoming tour? If you can't resist the good, the bad and the ugliness of Hollywood's famous, you're going to enjoy this book.

New proofs for the existence of God

2011-03-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

By: Robert J. Spitzer

Generally, theories intended to prove God's existence, at least those that don't ultimately require faith to bridge any inconclusiveness, depend on logical problem solving. Spitzer applies the form of proofs used by philosophers, theologians and mystics to hard science resulting in some convincing conclusions.

He demonstrates mathematically that both time and space, whether proceeding infinitely or not, had to have a beginning. Otherwise, neither could accumulate, and would have to exist all at once. If reality must have a cause, then it must be by something other than reality, something that is an uncaused cause that both transcends reality and has no qualities, at least none that exist in the reality it causes. Physics, both classical and quantum are used to demonstrate the necessity of time and space having a beginning, and of that beginning being something that is not time or space. This is a case where the synopsis is actually more confusing than the actual thesis. While occasionally difficult, for both the non-physicist as well as the non-philosopher, the book rewards the effort by offering an excellent synthesis of faith and physics.

The god of small things

2011-03-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

By: Arundhati Roy

The God of Small Things is a gorgeously written novel full of strong emotion, rich tapestries of language, and a narrative both dreamlike and tragically authentic. Arundhati tells the story of an Indian family dealing with loss, family expectation, and personal struggle in a country growing more and more unstable.

Estha and Rahel drive the narrative as the brother and sister twins living with their single mother in a village full of judgment and stricture. When their beautiful half-English cousin arrives for a visit their world is changed forever. The novel documents the moments in their lives leading up to “the darkness” and what happens after. The order in which each incident is presented does not follow chronology, but rather a more organic flow of importance and memory.

This novel won the Man Booker Prize in 1997, and has received critical acclaim throughout the world.

LSD : doorway to the numinous

2011-02-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

By: Stanislov Grof

LSD literature has been mainly of two types: Personal experience or other forms of writing influenced by the author's experimentation, and anti drug scare stories by governmental or contracted sources, along with frighteningly negative personal accounts, generally with a political orientation.

While politics trumped science in this country, in parts of Europe, LSD was neither politicized, sanctified, nor demonized. In Czechoslovakia, Dr. Grof explored the psychiatric implications of the drug, using informed volunteers in highly controlled environments. Expecting perhaps that LSD would lower defense mechanisms, allowing easier retrieval of traumatic memory, Grof instead found it to be a pathway to interpersonal, Jungian, and transcendentally cosmic accounts. Grof was unconvinced by his colleague’s dismissal of these experiences as fantasy or wish fulfillment. He uncovered corroborative data, as well as a group of patients unaccountably familiar with arcane or technical information they could not have possibly experienced with standard sensory analysis. Ultimately he could no longer be dismissive or even defensive with the real possibility of transcendence, and its spectacular healing potential.

Pierre the penguin : a true story

2011-02-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

By Jean Marzollo
Illustrated By Laura Regan

This book is about an African penguin that lives at the Academy of Science in San Francisco. The illustrations are terrific, and if you have been there, it is fun to recognize African Hall and the Penguin Aquarium. Pierre's story is heartwarming. It begins with Pierre having lost a good deal of his feathers. As a result, Pierre is too cold to get in the water and swim. Heaters don't help and neither does medicine. Then a staff biologist named Pam comes up with a clever idea to try to help the little penguin. She designs a tiny wetsuit for Pierre to wear in the water. This is a great, happy story. The last page is a question and answer interview with Pam about penguins, the Academy of Science, and information about biologists. She also provides a web-cam address so you can go on-line and see Pierre and the other penguins live. This book would be enjoyable for children preschool age - grade 2, but honestly, adults will love it too!

The Universe in a Single Atom

2011-02-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

By Bstan-Dzin-Ryga-Mtsho

The Dalai Lama attempts to reconcile science with spirituality, and does a remarkably good job of it. Many other religious leaders would be unable to approach this with enough objectivity to be credible. Buddhism however is neither dogmatic, nor even really theistic. It offers instead a solid basis for ethics and compassion.

The Dalai Lama is not naive. He criticizes the materialism and reductionism of western science, and is shaken by some of the disasters wrought by nuclear and chemical science, among others. This makes him skeptical, but not completely dismissive of genetics, but a real fan of bioscience, astronomy and other studies that he does not see as the least bit competitive or condescending of Buddhist tradition.

In the end, he believes that science can serve spiritual goals by enforcing belief in human similarity and connectedness, while helping to reduce physical suffering and hunger. The only obstacle is allowing science to be "pure" rather than directed, and for control of research to be in so few hands with so little accountability to humanity at large.

One Day

2011-02-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

By David Nicholls

Emma and Dex meet at a graduation party and are attracted to each other. They spend the night together. Too drunk to do much else, they spend the whole night flirting, kissing and talking. The next day they both leave their University town to live their lives, but they stay in touch. Since timing didn't work out for them to become a couple, they end up great friends. Both daydream of the possibility of ending up together, but....

Each chapter of the book is written on the day of the anniversary of their meeting. It covers 19 years. The ups and downs of Emma and Dex's careers and romantic relationships over the years are smartly written. Their stories keep you hoping the two will finally get together. Whether they do or not is up to you to find out. I'm not telling.

One Day will be coming to the big screen this summer starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.

A sick day for Amos McGee

2011-01-25T16:05:00.000-08:00

By Philip C. Stead

Philip C. Stead's latest children's book is a heartwarming story about an elderly zookeeper and his loyal friends. It's a lovely tale of quiet compassion and dedicated friendship. The story is enhanced by the stunning illustrations created By Philip's wife, Erin Stead, who uses woodblock printing techniques and pencil. The colors are soft, complimenting the warmth of the tale. This book has been chosen as the 2011 Caldecott medal winner and is worthy of a spot in any family library.

Palo Alto : stories

2011-01-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

by James Franco

Palo Alto is a collection of 11 short stories written by actor James Franco about teenagers living in his hometown suburb. His characters are young and smart, but they are lost and living dangerously. Reading each story, you can only hope their intelligence will eventually help them transition into responsible adults. At this phase in their lives they spend a lot of time being promiscuous, getting stoned, swearing, doing really vulgar and cruel things, etc. Franco's narrators are straight forward and sadly believable. If his intent was to present how far suburban kids can go astray when left on their own without guidance or supervision, he has succeeded.

The good daughters

2011-01-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

by Joyce Maynard

Ruth Plank and Dana Dickerson, two baby girls, are born on the same day in the same hospital. Their parents lead completely different lifestyles and are not friends. Still each year on the girls birthday, Mrs. Plank loads her family into the car and travels near or far to pay the Dickerson's a visit. Why she insists on keeping the connection is a mystery to the girls. Mrs. Plank is not sentimental and Ruth and Dana don't even like each other, but Mrs. Plank calls them "birthday sisters" and repeatedly tells them their connection is special. During their youth, this "connection" seems absurd, but later in life, Ruth and Dana are stunned to discover they have more in common than they ever dreamed. The Good Daughters is a page-turner about family relationships. It has great characters and a surprise so wild I ended the book with a "Wow!"

Extra-dimensional universe

2010-12-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

by John R. Violette

In understanding quantum reality, the author reviews the two most prominent theories: The Copenhagen Interpretation, and Hugh Everett's many worlds interpretation. He finds both lacking in logic, and too limited to explain the paranormal and other non-quantum possibilities. His proposal is that there must be at least one additional spatial dimension. We perceive this fourth dimension only as time and defined by movement, and our sensory apparatus are not equipped to perceive it directly. He uses the "flatland" analogy associated with Edwin Abbott, without crediting his predecessor. As a third dimension unites all elements of the second dimension, and as the second does to the first, a fourth dimension connects every thing of the third. Quantum particles are related in fact, not just theory, and reality is not created by the observer, it just requires observation from another perspective.

Along with "Flatland" there is an interesting additional analogy that involves three levels of consciousness associated with three levels of observer: a snail, a dog and a human. This is clever, but presumes the author understands more of the thought process of a dog than otherwise seems reasonable.

Nothing I see means anything

2010-11-23T17:23:00.000-08:00

by David Parrish

The elusive Theory of Everything (TOE) has been the goal of physicists since Einstein - a grand explanation of reality. Quantum physics has made the very idea of such a concept an anachronism. Recognizing this, Parrish attempts not to explain everything, but to set out some boundaries. His synthesis is of Newtonian physics, quantum physics, psychology and mysticism. If it hasn't already happened, soon mysticism will have a clear division, also necessitated by the discovery of the quantum. But instead of making the original format obsolete, quantum physics offers the possibility of making mysticism explainable.

The most valuable contribution here may be understanding that if reality can be seen as consciousness, then psychology is a way into reality. Freudian, existential and cognitive psychology are considered as more than methodologies of defining awareness. Parrish, a psychologist, uses them to structure a framework for the universal.

The lonely polygamist

2010-11-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

by Brady Udall

This is my favorite book of the year. The main character, Golden has 4 wives and 28 kids but to say he's not close to any of them, would be an understatement. He barely remembers his children's names. He avoids his wives as much as he can. He often hides from them in the closet or in the play structure he deemed off limits to the children. How he found himself living the Mormon Principle lifestyle is an engrossing story. What he does to keep his family fed is humorous, sad and page turning. Wife #4, Trish, and a son named Rusty are also given big story lines. Rusty had me cracking up one minute and nearly in tears the next--this poor kid is dying for attention. He's a mixed up rascal, with spunk and an imagination that won't quit. It leads him down a bittersweet path. I couldn't wait to read what he would do next. If a movie is made from this book, I want to be the first in line.

The biology of belief

2010-11-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

by Bruce H. Lipton

Several areas of research that have passed in and out of fashion have been given a new image along with aspirations to scientific objectivity as a result of quantum physics. Among these are standard new age disciplines such as psychic healing, positive thinking, and the general belief in mind over matter. The author works from the cellular level, not the genetic in hypothesizing a continuous network loop between the human cell, and the physical environment. Beyond this level, he believes that matter disappears, that the atom and its components are in fact invisible energy vortices, and that their reality is only the result of quantum wave function.

The so-called new biology is a discipline in formation. Here it is not defined in any academic sense, but is given some useful parameters.

Red Hook Road

2010-11-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

by Ayelet Waldman

Engrossing from start to finish, Red Hook Road is well written and informative. The book takes place in beautiful coastal Maine where wealthy families own summer homes and permanent residents are working class citizens who cater to them. On the street Red Hook Road, Iris is the homeowner and Jane is her housekeeper. These two totally different women are thrown into an unusual relationship when Iris' daughter, Becca and Jane's son, John marry and then are killed in a car accident on the way to their wedding reception. The relationship between Iris and Jane would have been awkward enough had the bride and groom lived, but now dead, the in-laws find themselves tied in ways they never expected. They will not only have to be civil at annual parties, they will need to work together when danger threatens their family members a second time.

An interesting subplot about classical violin also holds a big role in the book. Mr. Kimmelrod, Iris' father, is a retired, world famous violinist. Now elderly and unable to play, he finds new purpose when Jane's young niece shows strong talent and love for classical music and learning to play the violin. The author’s words lifted the music from the pages to my imagination allowing me to hear the notes.

Particle physics : a very short introduction

2010-10-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

by Frank Close

The Copenhagen agreement attempted to reconcile the non-quantitative aspects of quantum physics, with the measurable and traditional physics articulated by Newton. Essentially, the physics of the atomic level and above would remain objective and predictable, while subatomic physics would allow for a more imaginative and qualitative conception of reality.

Particle physics is the understanding of subatomic elements as "real" and therefore objective. So electrons and neutrinos are elemental (they have no further interior structure) while protons and neutrons are composed of quarks, which are in turn elemental. The author never satisfactorily explains how mass accumulates, and how higher level matter actually exists, if it is assumed to be "real." Of course, quantum physics can't explain mass either, but Heisenberg's uncertainty principle at least explains why this is so.

One very valuable goal of this book is to explode the notion that the subatomic world and the macro world of galaxies and stars are analogous.

Just Kids

2010-10-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

by Patti Smith

In the late 1960's, Patti Smith left her home and family in Philadelphia and headed to New York. Young, penniless, but full of dreams she met, by chance, Robert Mapplethorpe, a boy her age, who was also broke, living on the street, and like Smith, talented and creative. Just Kids is a beautifully written eulogy to Mapplethorpe who died in 1989 of AIDS. The two were immediate friends. Creating art, writing, playing records, dancing till late in the night, they supported each others talents wholeheartedly. They lived together, sleeping on a discarded mattress, surrounded by their incredible crafts. Smith worked in a bookstore, Mapplethorpe did odd jobs. They stole art supplies and food when their cash was low. They were lovers and later remained best friends and biggest fans. After years of just getting by, they moved into New York's famous Chelsea Hotel. There they were surrounded by other talented artists including William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. In this time period Mapplethorpe found his niche in photography. Smith acted in friends’ plays. Later she wrote songs, put a band together, performed and began recording. Smith and Mapplethorpe's dreams of success and recognition were lined up to blossom at last

The genie in your genes

2010-10-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

by Dawson Church

The inevitability of new age studies of all kinds (health, philosophy, economics ... ) discovering the importance of quantum physics as an explanation for what would otherwise be entirely faith (and perhaps personal experience) based, was never in doubt. The quantum field is ambiguous by definition, and can be used to model everything from ESP to palm reading.
That alternative medicine is often effective is also not in doubt. Even if only a placebo, the placebo effect is well established and necessarily supports some level of "mind over matter" continuum.

Alternative healing is considered here to be far more than an accident. If consciousness is understood as the foundation of the quantum level, rather than matter, then consciousness can directly effect matter. Consciousness is a form of energy, and most alternative medical practices are based on manipulation of energy. In this paradigm, illness is the result of blockages in energy fields, and directed thought can heal.

Mockingjay

2010-10-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

by Suzanne Collins

Katness recovers from her near fatal Quarter Quill wounds. District 12 has been obliterated. The survivors have escaped to District 13, but find no refuge. Coin, the leader of 13 is controlling and she's determined to overthrow the Capitol. Taking advantage of Katness' celebrity, Coin uses her to coax all citizens of Panem into a revolution against the government. Katness is angry and questions Coin's motives. She takes on Coin's duties exhausted and without conviction. But as war takes it brutal course, she is taken with the devotion and unity her fellow citizens show her. She witnesses horrifying personal losses. Fueled by both, she is ready to attack. She is the people's Mockingjay.

Mockingjay is the third and final book of The Hunger Games.

Too much happiness : stories

2010-09-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

by Alice Munro

Alice Munro, a very distinguished Canadian author, was presented the Man Booker International Prize in 2009. This prestigious award is presented biannually to one writer whose works of fiction has significantly influenced writers and readers worldwide. Too Much Happiness is her latest compilation of short stories. The main characters in these stories are ordinary women who are dealing with extreme life situations. With themes like madness, deception and murder each of the 10 stories could easily fill the pages of full length novels, but Munro is talented; she delivers interesting, sophisticated, complete stories in a very limited number of pages.

The Jew in the lotus

2010-09-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

by Rodger Kamenetz

The phenomenon of the "JuBu" is the starting point for the author's search for the intersection between Judaism and Buddhism. Among western converts to Buddhism, a disproportionate number are Jews, perhaps as many as ten times greater than the percentage of Jews in the United States. Kamenetz visits and interviews JuBus around the world, but most of the book is devoted to a conference with the Dalai Lama in Dharmasala India by a group of Jews representing various traditions and backgrounds.

What the Jews have to offer the Tibetan Buddhists are lessons in keeping a tradition alive through centuries of exile. In exchange, the Dalai Lama convincingly proposes the importance of a personal spirituality supported by culture and history. Jewish culture is mostly a function of the family, while the synagogue in the west is often a place of dry ritual, emphasizing the exoteric at the expense of the esoteric. Tibetan Buddhism depends greatly on a monastic tradition that is largely foreign to Jewish history.

What connects the two is the mystical, meditative, experiential aspect. For Buddhists, this is one of the primary features. For Jews, Kabbalah has a long and debated history. Modern Jews know very little about it, as do their rabbis and teachers. It is often hidden or forgotten, a source of some embarrassment. Kamenetz discovers that Kabbalah resembles Buddhist esoteric religion in many important features, and believes that if must be brought forward, both to reduce the major impetus for the Jubu, as well as saving Judaism from becoming much more of a culture than a religion.

Catching fire

2010-09-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

by Suzanne Collins

Katness and Peeta have outsmarted the Gamemakers. For the first time ever, two tributes survive the Hunger Games. The young lovers can be together forever, or can they? Tricking the government does not settle well with the Capitol. President Snow is quick to take revenge by massacring one of Katness and Peeta's cheering fans during their Victory Tour celebration. Citizens rebel and Snow calls for a special "Quarter Quell" edition of the Hunger Games. Introducing his own "first time ever" surprise, all Hunger Games champions are sent back into the arena to battle against each other. Brutal forces of nature, provided by the Gamemakers, make this game especially treacherous. Katness' one goal is to keep Peeta alive. Attacked and near death, she is removed from the arena, leaving Peeta's future to fate, and the citizens of Panem in an uproar.

Hobbes : a very short introduction

2010-09-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

by Richard Tuck

Many people that may have never heard of Hobbes have heard the description of life (in a "state of nature") as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short." The phrase is from his book Leviathan and it turns out that it describes not Hobbes conclusions about the human condition, but his starting point.

Tuck considers Hobbes to be the first important English philosopher, and that may well be. However, Rousseau, Locke and even Kant became better known while expanding on ideas Hobbes had already published. That Hobbes is a "transitional" philosopher, with some debate as to whether or not he belongs to or precedes the "modernist" era, is partly due to a career that paralleled a very transitional period of English history: the English Civil war and the restoration of the monarchy. As much or more as these historical events influenced his political philosophy, the upheaval in the English church, primarily over civil vs ecclesiastical authority, influenced his religious philosophy even more.

The Hunger Games

2010-09-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

by Suzanne Collins

Katniss sneaks into forbidden areas beyond the boundaries of District 12 to hunt, trap and gather food for herself, her mother and her little sister, Prim. Since her father died years ago in a mining accident, the weight of her family’s survival has fallen onto her shoulders. Her skills become especially imperative on Reaping Day, an annual Government festivity where a girl and a boy from each of the 12 districts is picked to compete against each other in a live televised extravaganza. Fighting to the death, the last one standing will win the game. Prim is just 12 years old when her name is drawn to participate. Katniss immediately takes unusual action by volunteering to take her place. Then District 12's male selection, 16 year old Peeta, makes a surprise announcement declaring his secret love for Katniss. The crowd goes wild. Will Katniss return his love? If so, what will happen to these star crossed lovers?

*A page turner from start to finish, this suspenseful, engrossing story is a great read for teens and adults.

The Hunger Games is book 1 of a trilogy. To find out what happens next read Catching Fire (book 2) and Mockingjay (book 3).

The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks

2010-08-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

by Rebecca Skloot

Henrietta Lacks died of Ovarian Cancer in 1951. She was 30 years old, desperately poor, and the mother of 5 children. During her illness and again after she died, tissue was removed from her tumor without her knowledge or consent. The specimens were used for research. While every attempt scientists made to keep cultures alive failed, Henrietta's cells thrived. They multiplied with such potency they were shipped to medical laboratories all over the world. Her cells, which became known as HeLa, are responsible for the Polio Vaccine, fertility procedures, gene mapping, cloning, and more. They have even been sent into space and used in atomic bomb testing. They are still used today. While this alone is incredible, it's only part of the story.

In gathering information for this book, Rebecca Skloot developed relationships with Henrietta's relatives, her daughter Deborah in particular. Adding human interest into the mix, readers learn all about the Lacks family. They are still dirt poor, mostly uneducated, almost all have health problems, none have medical insurance. They were not informed about the use of Henrietta's cells, although they have been contacted many times by doctors requesting blood samples. Family members thought they were being tested for cancer. Once they learned of Henrietta's contribution to the medical field, they were proud but confused, frightened and angry. If nothing else, they wanted Henrietta to be recognized as a heroine. During the years Skloot researched the book, Deborah sometimes joined her on the road. While Skloot gathered information on HeLa, Deborah attempted to get to know the mother she was too young to remember.

This is an interesting and eye opening book that leaves you pondering patient’s rights and medical research practices. It's well written and very recommended.

Magic, mysticism, and the molecule

2010-08-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

by Micah A. Hanks

The author does something very interesting, even if not unique. He equates all experience of "otherness" as conceivably equivalent. Out of body, UFO abduction, shamanism, Ouija boards, ghosts, ESP, possession, alien communication, psychedelic drugs, and all manner of technologically, chemically or suggestion based experience may all open the same "door of perception" as described by Aldous Huxley. In other words, the paranormal, whether viewed as inter dimensional, psychological, other worldly or drug induced is valid (or not) based on experience and regardless of origin.

What the author does not do very well is preach to the unconverted. His descriptions of paranormal experience, both his own, from his friends, or from written historical accounts, are accepted as matter of fact, never considering deception or even exaggeration. No proof, experimental or otherwise, is offered, and he does not seem to even consider it important. The book is a narrative of strange experiences, without regard to authenticity or credibility. But it is fun to read.

Every last one

2010-08-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

by Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen’s latest novel has some of her usual themes: families, childrearing, relationships, middle-class life, but it also contains some tragic twists that make this an immensely readable book. This is the story of Mary Beth Latham a landscaper living in Vermont with her ophthalmologist husband and three teenage children. Mary Beth is an involved mother who worries about her children’s ability to navigate in their increasingly complex worlds. She is particularly distressed about her son Max who seems depressed, but she has concerns about the other two, Ruby and Alex, as well. The Latham’s lead a good life until half way through the novel, when tragedy strikes and Mary Beth is left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. I think what I found most inspiring about this novel was how Mary Beth coped after her loss. I normally don’t like to read books that involve family tragedies and I almost didn’t read this one, but I’m glad I did and I highly recommend that others do as well.

Leibniz in 90 minutes

2010-08-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

by Paul Strathern

Leibniz was the first in a long line of important German philosophers. The author tries to understand why for two hundred years or so Germany produced the best musicians and philosophers and concludes that the authoritarian political structure allowed few other outlets not restricted or cooereced. In any case, Leibniz developed one of the most comprehensive philosophies since the Greeks. He was convinced that only "things" existed, and neither time nor space. God created what are essentially metaphysical units (Leibniz called them monads) that are closer to consciousness than material, and not subject to cause and effect. It is especially interesting to view monads in terms of quantum particles, which appear to also defy the classical physicists’ conception of time, space, cause and effect.

Leibniz was a bit of a pompous character, supposedly the model for Dr. Pangloss in Voltaire's "Candide", the one famous for the line "the best of all possible worlds." Strathern has written several of these introductions, but in this one there is an unusual level of parody and sarcasm, characterizing Leibniz as the "archetypal caricature genius."

Why the Jews rejected Jesus

2010-08-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

by David Klinghoffer

Early Christians realized that their new religion depended on Judaism as it's foundation, as it incorporated the so-called Old Testament. Therefore, there had to be support for the New Testament in the Old, and given the prophetic nature of the earlier text, there needed to be evidence that Jesus was the messiah. A further complication happened when the apostle Paul declared that Jesus replaced the original covenant, and that Christians no longer needed to obey Jewish law and tradition.

The older prophetic "proof" is metaphorical, poetic and interpretive. The Jews have always believed in the coming of a messiah, but the prophets believed that his appearance would bring peace and brotherhood, and a universal acknowledgement of the "one true God." The prophecies could be argued either way, but a consistent prediction was highly problematic. Christians argued that these prophecies would be fulfilled with a second coming, but the Old Testament does not seem to mention it. The other primary problem was the belief in the trinity - which actually began as a duality and was later expanded to contain the Holy Ghost. Can God be a unity and also have aspects?

The author notes many other reasons for the rejection of Jesus, commenting that many Jews did in fact convert, and many of those without physical coercion. Finally he makes an interesting assumption that if the Jews had accepted Jesus, Christianity would never have expanded beyond a Jewish cult, Europe would now be Islamic, and the entire religious, scientific and cultural history of the world would be unrecognizably different.

Barthes

2010-08-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

by Jonathan Culler

Barthes was a post war, post modernist, homosexual, French academic intellectual. He was considered a structuralist, in that he wanted a systematic, scientific approach to his studies of language and culture. He was also an "avant-garde" critic of the same subjects, and a symbologist or proponent of semiology.

Underlying all of this is his belief in individual interpretation and therefore, the absence of commonality in literature, and by extension, culture, and eventually, reality itself. Everything is full of signifiers at every level. Even the most banal of expressions of culture or literature is distorted by fashion, culture, class, education, and personal history, becoming a symbol rather than a fact. The individual may be seen as more important than the author in giving meaning to any artifact. Subjectivity overwhelms creation, interpretation cancels culture.

House rules

2010-08-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

by Jodi Picoult

Jacob is a 19-year-old young man with Asperger’s syndrome who is fascinated with Forensic Science. He watches Crime Busters daily on TV, keeping a journal of each episode. He solves the crimes along with the homicide agents, usually before the specialists do. He sets up pretend crimes scenes at home for his mother to solve. He has his own police scanner and likes to show up at crime locations to watch and offer assistance to the officers. His passion is so deep, he sees evidence that detectives miss. Jacob has a private tutor, Jess, to help him with social skills. While Jacob is not comfortable around others, he and Jess have a close relationship. When Jess' bruised body is discovered with Jacob's blanket carefully draped across her body, he is arrested for her murder. The family's already fragile world unravels. Jacob is completely unable to cope. As the story develops, readers are submerged in Jacob's symptoms; what it's like to have the condition and what it's like to be in his family. Living with Jacob requires emotional strength, sacrifice and special attention. Jacob's brother feels resentment, guilt and sometimes embarrassment in regards to Jacob. He responds by doing self-destructive things that put him in very risky situations.

Add some romance between Jacob's mother and his attorney for a spicy escape and you have House Rules.

* Sometimes Jodi Picoult's books are so intense I have to put them down and prepare myself for the next chapter. They may upset me, but at the same time I am engrossed. I didn't feel this way about House Rules. It was an OK read, but for me, not a great one

Schopenhauer in 90 minutes

2010-07-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

by Paul Strathern

For those who remember it, "The Philosophers Song" by Monty Python was a useful introduction to many of the leading thinkers. Those philosophers in the song needed to be recognizable enough to be parodied as comic drunks, and they also needed to have names that could either be rhymed with another philosopher, or with a particular libation: ("Heidegger was a boozy beggar," "Wittgenstein was a beery swine," etc.). Schopenhauer was perhaps lucky (or not) to meet neither criteria.

He was known as the "philosopher of pessimism," and for good reason. He believed that the universe is indifferent to us, governed by a completely impersonal will, that parallel to evolution, is a matter of randomness. It is not arbitrary, but is without goal or reason. Schopenhauer preferred to call this will evil, not because of any intelligence, but precisely because of its indifference.

The only way to escape is with a kind of stoicism, avoiding expectation along with pointless temptation. What made Schopenhauer interesting was his complete hypocrisy toward this. He was a consummate bourgeoisie, lived long and well on an unearned inheritance, was envious of his more famous peers, and contemptible toward most others. He probably wasn't sociable enough to be a comic drunk and was too self important to be any other kind.

Food of the gods

2010-07-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

by Terence McKenna

Groups of early hominids gained an evolutionary advantage by becoming omnivorous. By sampling everything, they would have eaten psilocybin mushrooms, abundant at the time and place (Africa) of this transition.
They liked the effect, and the consumption became ritualized and regular.

Once initiated, early peoples migrated, finding similar hallucinogenics as they went: peyote became a favorite in the New World. The type of societies that evolved at these times were aligned with goddess and earth worship, shamanism, and cooperation over warfare. All of this fell away as migration made communal ingestion of psychedelics difficult, and eventually repressed. The so-called "dominator" tribes spread, characterized by competitive ego and a sense of separation that quickly led to war, slavery, and hierarchy. The only solution, writes the author, is a return to communal drug taking.

McKenna has some fairly radical ideas for producing this new birth, and he can sound a little paranoid when writing about drug policies, especially that of the CIA. Otherwise "Food of the Gods" is excellent food for thought.

Beyond the threshold

2010-07-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

by Christopher M. Moreman

Academic, heavily footnoted and generally dispassionate. This is probably the best way to approach as an emotional subject as death. The first part is comparative and searches for common beliefs and rituals across cultures, religions and historical periods. All are evaluated in terms of wish fulfillment and cultural coherence.

Most major religions tend toward the development of a hierarchy both of a supernatural and a priestly variety. As reaction, most have a mystical tradition, generally condemned by the priests. The majority have an acceptance of reincarnation, although the Christian belief in bodily resurrection is anomalous as is the worship of the religions founder.

The second part of the book is less rigorous, and considers the experience of the afterlife through the paranormal: mediumship, apparitions and hauntings, near death and out of body experience, and past life memories. Here the study is less comparative and more historical, with the quality of scientific investigation determining the quality of the experience. Finally, an attempt at synthesis is made that considers the paranormal experience of religion as critical despite any intervening hierarchies.

The Lake Shore Limited

2010-07-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

by Sue Miller

Sue Miller's new novel features a play about a terrorist attack on a train, the Lake Shore Limited. Billie, a playwright, wrote it in response to the 9/11 death of her live-in boyfriend, Gus. Her work of art exposes a secret Billie has lived with since his death...she was planning to leave him. Billie's grief over Gus' death, clouded with ambivalence, guilt and discomfort is played out on the stage for all to witness.

The last time I saw you

2010-06-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

by Elizabeth Berg

Graduates from Clear Springs High School are celebrating their 40th and final reunion. Classmates who ignored previous reunions see this one as a last chance to revisit their youth. In some cases that's a frightening, possibly painful thing. But it's also a chance to say Look at Me! I am fabulous, successful, not the person I was labeled way back when. Elizabeth Berg's characters are wonderful! They are quirky, fun and realistic. Readers really get to know and understand everyone of these almost 60 year-olds. Their attempts to rock their stuff is an enjoyable, light, fast read.

The Scientific American brave new brain

2010-06-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

by Judith Horstman

The Scientific American is the principal, but not exclusive source for this book. Subjects include methods for changing brain function, boosting various activities such as memory while curing or mitigating diseases such as Alzheimer’s with biological and technological interventions, and the possible abuse of all of the above.

The approach is sometimes reminiscent of a tabloid: "Juicing the Brain," and sometimes oversimplified and overly optimistic: : "Six Drug Free Ways to Boost Your Brain," and "The Future is Closer than You Think." But the book serves as a highly accessible overview of brain science that covers medical, technical, economic, legal and ethical problems.

Mysticism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam

2010-05-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

by Ori Z. Soltes

The mystical experience is transcendence of the material reality, and as such has important similarities in all cultures and faiths. The Christian personified deity is mostly unique, Judaism and Islam meticulously avoid giving God attributes, and certainly not human ones. But the Trinity is another subject, and the experience of the Christian mystic is ultimately parallel.

This book is historical, and observes that the reactions to and treatment of mystics - cultural, political and theological - is also very similar through history, and regardless of culture. The pattern of a mystic attracting a following, over time building a hierarchy and then a bureaucracy, and ultimately discouraging those that would want an unmediated experience of God, is repeated, with mostly the intensity of the "discouragement" differing.

The distinction between mystic and magician is interesting. The former looks for knowledge and insight with the goal of spiritually enriching his community. The later demonstrates "miracles" he has discovered or claims to have been given from the sacred entity. A messiah is a mystic without pretension or personal agenda.

Chomsky : for beginners by David Cogswell

2010-05-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

Chomsky is the nagging conscience of political reality. He knows that our country is an empire: laws, budgets, and even wars are manufactured for the profit of the rich and sold to the rest of us as right and just even while the non-rich pay for them with lives, money and moral decay. The U.S. has done horrible things around the world, supported dictators and brought down democratic governments in order to insure markets. After communism, one has to wonder who would have played the role of Godless, immoral, vicious evil if the events of September 11, 2001 hadn't supplied just the right enemy at just the right time.

What may be the worst characteristic of the powerful rich is their overwhelming greed and selfishness. While extending their own profits by manipulation, lies and "corporate welfare," they villianize the poor and maneuver to cut the most meager and necessary benefits, while creating conditions that spread and maintain massive poverty at home and abroad. All of this is possible for two reasons: the American middle class would rather envy the rich than sympathize with the poor, and people of conscience are made to feel so isolated and impotent in the face of inequalities that they prefer to ignore them.

This is what Chomsky reminds us of, and why his voice is one of the most necessary.

Go down together by Jeff Guinn

2010-05-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Jeff Guinn offers a very well researched, factual account of American outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. Their lives are often romanticized, but the truth, as told in the book, is very different. Go Down Together is historically interesting, well written, very detailed and includes photographs. Guinn's research produced vast information from Bonnie Parker's diary, and journals written by their family members. Reader's get a good sense of Barrow and Parker's psyches, as well as, an understanding of the circumstances and mind-set that lead them into a career they blundered their way through.

The Dead Sea scrolls by Timothy H. Lim

2010-05-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here we have the antithesis of The DaVinci Code. The book briefly discusses the rumors, theories and fantasies attached to the scrolls, and attributes the majority to misinformation, deceit, and the absolute love of a good conspiracy. That those studying and releasing the scrolls contents (experts or conspirators, take your pick) have been working for half a century with sporadic and confusing results have led many to assume that the scrolls contain such profound secrets, that powers both political and religious have stalled, falsified and perhaps even murdered to keep these secrets buried. The most widespread theory is that the scrolls contain proof of early Christian origins, particularly the divinity and resurrection of Jesus, that differ radically from accepted dogma.

The author explains that the scrolls were in the condition one would expect after 2,000 years. Many were fragments that were rendered coherency by opinion and consensus. Other inconsistencies would be explained by the vagaries of various copyists working in less than ideal conditions. In any case, the scrolls mainly recreate various selections from the Old Testament. Substantial references to Jesus or early Christianity is generally the result of wishful thinking, the difficulty of translating Aramaic to Hebrew to English, etc, and prejudice.

What we are left with is a brief history of Sectarian Jewish history at the time, with particular focus on the Essenes, the presumed authors of the scrolls. They were cult like by current definition, and while outside mainstream Jewish society, they were not that far removed in their beliefs. Lim does a very good job of describing these people in the context of Jewish and secular history.

The last train from Hiroshima by Charles Pellegrino

2010-04-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

Pellegrino explains that both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were left relatively intact, presumable because in the event of atomic bombardment, they would provide the best stage for studying the effects, and also, despite post war propaganda, neither had significant military targets. After the destruction of Hiroshima, many survivors determined that Nagasaki would be a suitable refuge, and two trains made the trip between August 6 and August 9 1945. So several people survived both attacks, and that is the basis for this book.

The story of the events, from preparation to aftermath, is mostly told by participants, both American and Japanese. The horror of the attacks is not depersonalized by statistics, but related by those in the middle of it, talking about their families and friends. It's not the physics of the blast that horrifies, it is the effect it had on individual people and neighborhoods.

Although the bombs were probably intended to pacify the Japanese and intimidate the Russians, the effects on civilian populations were so horrific that General MacArthur did his best to minimize and distort the events. He not only dismissed, but heavily censored any survivor reports of radiation effects, so mysterious to survivors they at first called it only "disease X." It was clearly in American interests to boast of the power of what they referred to as a "conventional" weapon, while denying the continuing destruction of lives after the war ended and the enemy became an ally. This approach also allowed for a more credible threat that the bomb would be used again.

Note: Pelligrino has been accused of distorting or even inventing interviews with several people, especially a pilot on one of the spotter planes.

Act like a lady, think like a man by Steve Harvey

2010-04-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

Comic Steve Harvey has written an advice book that is both helpful and enjoyable to read. Humorous and frank, Harvey tells women, single and married, why men act the way they do. You learn what men want, need and respect in a relationship. He also tells women how to tell if a man is going to stay around or play around, and whether he’s worth your time in the first place. The advice is practical and straight from a committed male.

Plato in 90 minutes by Paul Strathern

2010-04-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Plato was the student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. His best known philosophical contribution was his conception of "forms" and his explanatory device of the men in the cave. He believed that all attributes of our world are shadows of their pure conceptual forms. We see many things that are red, for example - but they are only a reflection of the pure concept, existing in a higher order. Our bodies and senses allow us to believe the shadows are reality, without sensing the deception.

Plato's other contribution was to politics, and in "The Republic" he describes his notion of a perfect state, where each class is perfectly suited to there work, and those most suitable spend years studying philosophy, with the "wisest" becoming philosopher kings.

Curiously, his description of a higher, pure reality was easily adapted by Plato's followers (called Neoplatonics) into the systematic doctrines of Christianity. It is theorized that without Plato, the religious authority that produced the so-called dark ages might never have been realized. And his notion of leadership has also led to great abuse. A tyrant with only power is hated. But one with a "philosophy" inspires the most destruction. Hitler and Lenin are examples of many.

Plato produced a coherent philosophical system. The primary thing it lacked was an ordered logical foundation. Logic was to be the most important contribution of Aristotle.

Socrates in 90 minutes by Paul Strathern

2010-04-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Greece was one of the first civilizations with a class of people wealthy enough to devote some time to non-survival activities like art and philosophy. It should be remembered, however, that much of this wealth and leisure time derived from slavery.

There were scattered philosophers prior to Socrates, but not much is known about them. Socrates was the first of the famous triumvirate - followed by Plato and Aristotle - to attract followers and written records. Socrates however, left virtually nothing in writing. Plato, his student wrote about his teacher in several books, and most of what is known about Socrates came from Plato.

Socrates philosophy was similar to Buddhism. He believed that only the soul had access to truth and that the body hindered the search because of it's needs and temptations. However, he seemed a little uncertain about the souls existence, and while offering his own funeral discourse, he understood that he was about to find out.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

2010-03-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is a biography of Abudulrahman Zeitoun, a hurricane Katrina survivor. Residents of New Orleans know him simply as Zeitoun, a dedicated, trustworthy painting and general contractor. Born and raised in Syria, Zeitoun is proud, hardworking and devoted to his Muslim faith. As the danger of Katrina increased, Zeitoun's wife Kathy and their children evacuated. Zeitoun stayed home to protect their home, work sites, business and rental properties. For days after the storm, Zeitoun traveled the devastated streets in his row boat. He came to the rescue of frightened, hungry animals and elderly neighbors who were unable to evacuate. He had made his way to his rental unit when a group of Homeland Security officers rushed in and arrested him. He was incarcerated in a portable outdoor prison without rights or a phone call. During the weeks he was jailed, he was never told his charge, but he soon figured it out on his own. The guards repeatedly referred to him as "Taliban." Zeitoun’s story is compelling. Eggers gives a vivid first-hand description of the devastation New Orleans residents faced, as well as, the injustices innocent middle easterners meet in post 911 America.

Noah's compass by Anne Tyler

2010-03-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

Liam Pennywell woke from his first night's sleep in his new apartment to find himself in a hospital bed. Bruised, sore, his head wrapped in bandages, Liam has no idea what happened. He’s told he was injured fighting off a burglar. People think his memory loss is a blessing, but for Liam, his inability to remember is tormenting. He decides he needs someone who will help him retrieve his lost hours. Possibly someone he could hire….a “Rememberer.” He finds this person in an oddball, younger woman named Eunice. Socially awkward with a bizarre fashion flair, Eunice stumbles into Liam’s heart. Her exuberance brings things Liam didn’t expect. Eunice hides a secret. When it's exposed, Liam is dumbfounded. Duped, he begins to think about his past...one that stifled him...one he must overcome so he can move forward.

Introduction to phenomenology by Robert Sokolowski

2010-03-04T16:36:00.000-08:00

This one is about perception, reality, and consciousness. It quickly deposits you in an intellectual hall of mirrors, and that is confusing, self referential, and fun.. Certain premises are established. The material world is actual, and mutually intentionalized. However, there are at least two levels of perception. The 'natural' level is the way reality appears, how we interact with it, and how we communicate with other receivers. Next is the phenomenological attitude. What's most interesting here, is that in order to be anything more than be purely reactive, we must approach natural reality in ways that cannot possibly come from it. This requires transcendence of objectivity and internalization of reality. The author emphasizes that this is not related to any mystical interpretation. Phenomenological transcendence is not ego transcendence. It concerns consciousness, memory and symbols, not separation.

The section on the phenomenology of time is especially good because it adds a third level. There is natural, "real world" clock time, and then our subjective experience of it. There is also transcendent time that allows us to step beyond pure reactive "present" orientation, and to remember, anticipate and correlate more or less simultaneously. This allows for doubt, vagueness, intentional dishonesty most other essential human characteristics.

There is an historical philosophical component to the book. Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger are especially important here but so is the rationality of Descartes and even Newton. In addition to a bibliography, the author introduces several academics currently working on various phenomenolocial problems. The Cartesian reference of the mind as a closed sphere is still very strong in philosophy, but Husserl's vison is not going away.

A people's history of American empire by Howard Zinn

2010-02-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

The recent death of Howard Zinn marked the passing of one of America's greatest patriots. This graphic novel will make his honesty and courage available to many, and render any attempt to marginalize him as a crackpot that much more difficult.
"Speaking truth to power" is what Zinn did most of his life. After Viet Nam, Watergate, Iran-Contra, WMD's, the election of 2000, ad nauseam, people realize that this country and its leaders have made mistakes, have lied, and have covered up. What Zinn does in this book is to demonstrate that these are not aberrations. America was founded on religious and racial intolerance, and has grown, as do all empires, by serving the rich and powerful, and lying to everyone else. Zinn shows that whenever the movement for social justice reaches a certain threshold, a war is available to offer a common enemy and make dissent unpatriotic and punishable. What has served this empire so well in modern times is the establishment of a powerful middle class, envious of the truly wealthy, but generally intolerant of the working classes and too greedy to question the ruling elite when their main ambition is to join it.

Zinn is not interested in moralizing, cynicism, or determining the least evil of available evils. His object is truth, and he is fearless and convincing in his pursuit. It may be uncomfortable, for example, to learn the situation in Iran was created by the CIA under Truman and made worse by every administration since, or that Osama Bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein were once our friends, until it became more useful to have them as enemies. The American Empire is responsible for atrocities on a scale nobody wants to remember.
However, Zinn ends this book by reminding us that "to be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic ... history [is] not only [about] cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage and kindness."

Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis

2010-02-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

Catalogers may regret the advent of the Graphic Novel, but now at least there is some consistency to it application. This GN is cataloged as a biography of Bertrand Russell, which may be the best choice, but it is not accurate. Major events in Russell’s life are depicted with questionable verisimilitude : for example, two of his four wives are referred to and one of his three children. The focus is on his thought and writing, with his lifetime defining the era of ideas studied here.

The book is also highly self referential. This, like other themes, is also used as a major mathematical reference, for which the structure of the book itself serves as an example. The story often goes back to the authors, discussing their methods, research and decisions. One thing they stress is that this is not a strictly factual book, but a creation that serves the purpose of the creators. There is also the recurring rehearsals for the play by Aeschylus “The Oresteia Trilogy” which also illustrates philosophical points central to Russell and between the wars philosophy.

All of the major players are here, and their thought is understood by their personal relationship to Russell, even when none actually existed. The origins of Euclidian logic, Russell’s paradox which questioned it, various attempts at reconciliation (including his own) and the current state of logic after Godel and Wittgenstein are the primary themes.

Return to sender by Julia Alvarez

2010-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Tyler Paquette and Mari Cruz are in the same class at school. They are 12 years-old. Tyler’s family owns a dairy farm. Mari’s father and two uncles work the Paquette farm. They were hired after Tyler’s dad was badly injured in a tractor accident. The Cruz’ are in Vermont illegally. They came to the United States for a better life and to support their relatives in Mexico. Now they live in a trailer on the farm, close to Tyler’s house. The help they give the Paquette’s is priceless. Their work allows Tyler’s family to keep their farm. But because they are illegal immigrants, both families live in constant fear of being discovered by Homeland Security agents. The Cruz’ have an additional worry. Mrs. Cruz is missing. She went to visit her sick mother in Mexico months earlier and never returned. Over time Tyler and Mari build a close relationship. Although they are from different cultures they see that they are similar in many ways. As friends, they learn a life lesson; the cooperation and support of one another creates a bond that knows no borders.

Wishin' and hopin' by Wally Lamb

2010-02-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas is only a piece of this story. Don't wait for the holidays to read it.

Felix Funicello attends 5th grade in the 1960's. Every teacher at his school, St. Aloysius Gonzaga is a nun, except for his teacher, Madame Frechette. She was hired mid-term when Felix's first teacher, Sister Dymphna had a nervous breakdown. The new teacher wears high heels. She speaks to the students in French. She's spunky and has ideas to liven up the school's Christmas program. The Sisters are not happy. The kids are though. Wishin and Hopin is like stepping back in time to your own childhood. Remember the irritating class kiss-up? How about the not-so-smart kid who got in trouble a lot, but was still cool? Remember the kids who announced they were boyfriend and girlfriend and then made-out on the playground to prove it? This laugh-out-loud book will take you back to the 1960's, to school, to budding adolescence, and to the joys and embarrassments of life with Mom and Dad.

Aristotle and an aardvark... by Thomas Cathcart

2010-02-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

...go to Washington

The authors have apparently struck a winning streak, using philosophy humorously to make otherwise difficult subjects accessible. Here they quote some well know political double speakers, and breakout the flaws in their seemingly logical arguments. Some speakers make invalid comparisons, unsupportable conclusions. or follow an illogical chain of thoughts.
Some lie, some misspeak, some rely on the assumption that if the lie is big enough, you might just get away with it.

George Bush gets quoted frequently, as do Nixon, Reagan and Clinton. It is fair to say there is a slight liberal bias in terms of presentation and sarcasm. The jokes are generally pertinent, dealing with misapplied logic, and the philosophy is to the point, although some of the Latin seems a little unnecessary.

The book of Genesis illustrated by R. Crumb

2010-02-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

This is technically a graphic novel (the question of the literal truth of the subject is not raised), not a comic, or a comix.

It may have never occurred to most of us, perhaps not for a long while to Crumb himself, that the Bible resembles in many ways a Crumb story of the old days of Zap. It is highly dramatic and improbable. The cast of characters are fallible to an excess, giving in almost too easily to all the temptations available: cruelty, dishonesty, hypocrisy, violence and sex far outside the normative morality of the times. Yet, they see themselves as paragons of virtue, justified and upright. Their actions are never actualized, explained or even understood. In the Bible, the descendants of Adam and Eve are mostly guilty of a kind of righteous self-righteousness, in that God has selected them as special and unique. This relationship provides justification (in their minds) for even the most vile and venal of acts.

Crumb's drawing style is unmistakable. The Biblical characters often resemble Mr. Natural, Whiteman, and Flaky Foont, without the comic exaggeration. Most of the women, from Eve on, seem completely familiar from Crumbs stylebook. They are universally zaftig, hyper sexual, independent, incomprehensible to their mates, and massively fertile. Crumb seems never to have been overly concerned about accusations of sexism, even misogyny in the past, but is a little bit defensive now.

The book concludes with several pages of notes, in which Crumb explains his influences and choices. He writes about the matrilineal culture of the times, the power of women, and their religious hierarchy. All of this, he explains was manipulated or erased by later Biblical interpreters and copiers.

Stitches : a memoir by David Small

2010-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

An autobiographical graphic novel that finds a near perfect blend of words and drawings. The story depicts the author's childhood, one that from the outside would probably appear to be more or less typically suburban, middle class, 1950s dysfunctional. From the author's perspective, beginning at age six, his parents are practically monstrous in their narcissism and bizarre lack of empathy for their children. Of course, children see things differently, the borders of their reality does not extend much past their friends and family. That the author's childish view is ultimately more objective than that of his parents does by necessity require something of a leap of faith in him, but his epilogue is documented with several photos and adult reminiscences.

Attempting to picture a child's reality for adults is a common and typically unconvincing endeavor. There are certain romanticized tropes of isolation and outsize perspectives. In literature, an author must assume that his readers can identify various phrases and conventions, but can rarely write convincingly as an adult his worldview as a child. The graphic novel presents a chance to represent this in a way that even films, also made by adults for adults, generally sentimentalize. In this book, the fear and confusion of the child along with the icy selfishness of the parents is palpable.

Heidegger and a hippo by Thomas Cathcart

2010-02-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

What is the difference between a philosopher and the rest of us? Well, since all of us consider the "big questions," it must be that philosophers take themselves and their "discipline" so very seriously. The purpose of this book is first to prove that we are all philosophers - it is in fact the human condition, given the reality of death - and secondly, that those who we consider to be the professionals can be understood by humanizing them, and approaching their writing with a sense of humor. So quoting Wittgenstein along side of Woody Allen, Groucho with Karl Marx, Socrates and Stephen Wright can knock some very esoteric theories down a little. Besides, getting a joke is generally easier (and more fun) than "getting" phenomenology, for example.

Death is certainly a universal concern. It is both the unifier and the catalyst for, perhaps, every thought, philosophy, culture, religion and joke. Philosophy is a way of dealing with this reality, but so is humor. Together, you can find some very useful insights.

Why my third husband will be a dog by Lisa Scottoline

2010-02-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

Lisa Scottoline invites readers into her life with this collection of vignettes. For women 50ish (and fabulous!) her experiences are familiar, but whatever your age or gender, Lisa's storytelling is entertaining. Tales of visits with her elderly mom, tender moments from her college-age daughter's life, a little dig at ex-husbands, drooping skin issues, lovable, dependable and sometimes mischievous pets, memories of a terrific dad.... all the little things in life that can drive you crazy, bring you joy, and make a great story are wrapped up in Lisa's daily adventures. Snuggle down in your favorite spot and get ready for a great time with your new best-old-friend, Lisa.

The boy who dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

2010-01-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Helmuth Hubener sits in a German prison. Beaten. Tortured. Starving. He is 17-years old, waiting to be executed for treason. The boy who dared is fiction, but Helmuth Hubener was a real person, and the book is a fictional biography of his short life. The story flashes back and forth between Helmuth in his cell and the events that led up to his arrest. Helmuth was a boy when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. He entered the Hitler youth group proud and handsome in his smart new uniform. But as Hitler’s power grew and the horrors of Nazi regime took over, Helmuth lost respect and trust in Hitler's leadership. Secretly listening to BBC broadcasts from an illegal short wave radio, Helmuth learned that Hitler's claims of superiority and world power were lies. Wanting others to know the truth, he put his life at risk, and lost, attempting to spread the news.

The boy who dared includes photographs of Helmuth Hubener, plus documents, records, etc. of his life and death. Thoroughly researched and well written, this important book is emotionally difficult to read, but worth every draining sentence.

The help by Kathryn Stockett

2010-01-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

While trying to find her way after college, Skeeter Phalen returns home to the country club lifestyle of her family and friends in Jackson Mississippi. It's 1962. Skeeter dreams of a career at Harper and Rowe Publishing Co. in New York, but first she needs experience. She lands a job at the local paper writing a "how to clean everything" column. Totally inexperienced at cleaning anything, Skeeter asks her friend's maid, Aibileen for help. Meeting with Aibileen over the next few months is an eye opener for Skeeter's socially conscious mind. The treatment Aibileen and other maids receive from their employers (and in general) sets a fire to Skeeter's sense of what's right and wrong. Risking her friendships and social status, Skeeter decides to interview the women and publish the collection. Aibileen quickly agrees to participate, but every other maid in Jacksonville fears repercussions. Time and events, both national and local, change their minds. Secretly the maids meet with Skeeter to share their experiences, some heart-filled, some heartbreaking. Their voices make a powerful statement. Harper and Rowe publish the interviews. Life in Jackson Mississippi will never be the same

The end of materialism by Charles T. Tart

2010-01-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Tart attempts to reconcile the worlds of science and of spirit by hoping to reshape science to its most impartial ideals. In other words, science is not worth its reputation if it dismisses in advance all paranormal activity as unscientific and therefore impossible, and all psychical research as wasting time and resources. Tart presents case studies of what he considers to be proper and objective studies of paranormal phenomenon, and believes more research would prove (in scientific terms) that such activity is incontrovertible.

Interestingly, Tart summarizes in only a couple of pages the subject of quantum physics. These scientists are demonstrating that reality does not behave according to Newtonian concepts at the sub-atomic level, and that some of these behaviors could be the sources and means for most of the spirit driven abilities that Tart discusses. This seems to be a good opportunity missed.

Tart does a very good job of distinguishing religion from the spiritual. The former is generally based on the founders paranormal experiences that in the hands of followers becomes codified and mythologized, while an organization develops that separates its followers from exactly the kind of experience the founder had. The paranormal is about these transformative experiences that can be understood by everyone, and experienced by those sufficiently determined or lucky.

Tart's book is formatted as a scientific text would be expected to be. It is heavily footnoted, has several appendixes, and includes both textual and online references. The premise then is that most scientific facts originated as theory that in many cases was ridiculed and dismissed by the entrenched authorities. Tart mentions the concept of microscopic pathogens for example. Clearly, he believes that the paranormal is now in this stage of ridicule, requiring adequate research and impartial study to gain full acceptance.

Heidegger in 90 minutes by Paul Strathern

2009-12-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

Martin Heidegger represented one of two divergent strains of philosophy of the first half of the 20th century. Wittgenstein is associated with one, concerned with language and dismissive of ideas that cannot be adequately expressed. Heidegger was an existentialist following the work of his mentor Edmund Husserl, who popularized the idea of Phenomenology. Heidegger modified its conception by stating, contrary to Husserl (not to mention Descartes), that consciousness was not the primary element of existence, but rather it is being, an original, uncontaminated form of consciousness.

Heidegger, and therefore his work, is tainted historically by his association with the Nazi party, an event he never really apologized for. It was never clear how much he sympathized with the Nazis, and to what extent his participation was a practicality necessary for retaining his job. He broke off with Husserl and Hannah Arendt, both Jews, and did little to support the dismissal, and brutalization of other colleagues, as well as the characterization of psychology as "the Jewish science."

Gradually, Heidegger's philosophy became appreciated first by French existentialists, and ultimately, with the English publication of "Being and Time" in 1962, America.

Love and other impossible pursuits by Ayelet Waldman

2009-12-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

Emilia Greenleaf knew instantly that Jack, a partner in the law firm where she was newly employed, was the man for her. Never mind that he was married with a small son, William. Now married to Jack, and living very comfortably in Upper West Side Manhattan, she is annoyed with William and resents Carolyn, Jack’s ex-wife. Carolyn is a renowned Manhattan obstetrician with adoring patients, but she belittles Emilia's parenting skills and makes neurotic demands regarding William's care. Emilia complains about her life constantly. She has a hard time even getting out of bed. As the story unfolds, the core of her unhappiness is revealed. Emilia and Jack’s newborn daughter, Isabel has died of SIDS. Emilia is devastated. She falls apart seeing mothers strolling with infants or children playing in the park. She wants to love William, but dreads being with him. He continually brings up Isabel, with questions and comments that painfully stab Emilia’s heart. Depressed and bitter, Emilia pushes limits causing her marriage to crack. Each attempt she makes to repair the damage and build a relationship with William makes things worse. As she emotionally breaks, an incident occurs that results in Emilia recognizing her downfalls. William needs help that only Emilia understands and can offer. Much to her surprise, William, that little annoying know-it-all, offers the glue to mend her marriage, make peace with Carolyn, and secure a place in Emilia's heart.

What do existentialists believe? by Richard Appignanes

2009-12-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

It is interesting to note what a large part of the general perception of existentialists is of French philosophers dressed in black, in smoky cafes, discussing death. Camus and Sartre are clearly among the most recognized of contemporary existentialists, but that may be more the function of post war media and the popular fiction they published, than of the particular importance or originality of the two men. It is in fact the Germans, especially Nietzsche, Hegel and Heidegger, that deserve major consideration. And Soren Kierkegarrd, from Copenhagen, may not be excluded from anything approaching a serious discussion of existentialism.

Philosophies that have evolved through many generations, nationalities, and cultures are rarely amenable to a brief definition. But here, Appignanesi accomplishes it. Existentialism is about many things, but primarily about "being", which the author always italicizes. He emphasizes the primacy of "being" by explaining that existentialists believe that Descartes had it backwards. It may be true that "I think therefore I am," but it is more crucial that "I am, therefore I think." And being must be considered apart from history, sensation, material, myth, believe system and especially ordinary consciousness. Authentic identity eludes us almost by definition, but mostly is hidden by our language, learning, and aculturalization. Buddhist emphasis on stripping away the layers of false ego attachment through meditation is a model used by some existentialists to explain that they propose not an idea, but a system: not a philosophy, but a commitment

That existentialism has nothing to do with religion is important. It is even more important to realize that existentialism does not replace religion. And although sometimes a little awkwardly, it is not incompatible with religion. The concept of an existentialist with a religious identity is as likely as those that profess to be atheist or agnostic. And existentialism must not be confused with nihilism, as it often is because of Nietzche's work. Existentialism is not about nothing, it is about the search for the authentic something.

The strain by Guillermo Del Toro

2009-12-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

If you are familiar with Guillermo del Toro's exceptional film work, you would come to expect more from his first novel. If the name sounds familiar, it is because he wrote the screenplay and directed Pan's Labyrinth, a film considered by many as one of the best films of this decade.

Unfortunately, The Strain adds no new elements to the vampire genre and it is impossible not to think of it as an imitation of Richard Matheson's masterpiece I Am Legend. Fortunately, given the novel's unspoken parallelism with real and current pandemic events, it might give you a mild scare and keep you up reading into the night.

One can only hope that Del Toro will use his true creative talents when he and co-author Chuck Hogan deliver the second and third installments of this trilogy. A lukewarm recommendation.

Waiting for normal by Leslie Connor

2009-12-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Addie's mom has always been difficult. But her step-dad Dwight was wonderful and Addie adored her two younger half-sisters. Then her mom divorced Dwight. Without him the girls didn't get taken care of. They were left home alone for days at a time. A social worker found out and sent Addie’s little sisters to live with Dwight. At first that wasn't too bad, but Dwight found work in a town several hours away. He took Addie's little sisters and moved. He also found a new love. Addie’s mom spent the house payment and food money on things she'd never use. As a result, the house was repossessed. Now Addie and her mom live in a rundown trailer below some train tracks. Addie's mom continues to take off for days at a time. Twelve-year-old Addie takes care of herself. Without support from her mother, Addie finds temporary comfort and friendship in Sula, a seriously ill woman who owns of the local mini-mart. For awhile, Addie accepts her huge problems. But over time her tolerance ends. Risking more grief, Addie takes mature steps that will lead her to a stable, happy, "normal" life.

Derrida in 90 minutes by Paul Strathern

2009-12-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

This book does in fact take about ninety minutes to read. Relative to other books of this genre, and considering the subject, brevity truly serves the purpose. Derrida is one of the founders of French deconstructionism (along with Barthes, Foucault, and a few others). Biographical data, photographs, even a bibliography are superfluous to understanding this philosophy, although so is any text description unless language can be dispensed with.

Similar to Wittgenstein and Foucault in method, although decidedly opposed in intent, Derrida believed that language and even thought are hopelessly subjective. For one person to frame a thought in words and then for another person to understand those words in anything close to the exact intention or context is impossible. Mathematicians may believe that there is an inherent, transcendent or universal truth behind math, but Derrida believes that this in nonsense. No matter how scientific the words, or respected as authoritative the writer, subjectivity renders everything as endlessly interpretive and subject to individual and cultural assumptions.

The irony is lost on few, and certainly not on Derrida that the truth of his philosophy makes describing, analyzing, or any sense of mastery of that philosophy pointless.

My stroke of insight by Jill Bolte Taylor

2009-12-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, Larry Fine of the Three Stooges wrote an autobiography he called "A Stroke of Luck," as a consequence of surviving an otherwise disabling stroke. Jill Taylor's motivation is somewhat similar, but rather than a Stooge, she is a "neuroanatomist," and her insight is her literally inside knowledge of the anatomical progression of her stroke and of her recovery. Illustrated with drawings, she explains the manner in which various brain structures are damaged, and the subsequent effect this has on related functions. Her left brain hemisphere is involved, and she can connect her loss of language comprehension, most mathematical skills, and general sense of being as a separate individual identity to the appropriate areas of her brain.

This is really only the beginning of her exploration. What is undamaged is her right hemisphere, and she describes that with the organizing, discriminating and objective functions impaired, her right brain is allowed mostly unrestricted expression. Although she overuses the phrase "at one with the universe," her greatly expanded identity, connectedness, and general sense of universal, unlimited and ethereal existence is the subject of the second part of her book.

Unfortunately, she is a better scientist than a poet. Her anatomical descriptions are clear and understandable. Her attempt to explain the mystical, subjective elements of existence, have been better described by those with a poetic or mystical background, and can be found in books by meditators, Buddhists, artists, near death researchers, psychotics, new agers, mystics, as well as many (but certainly not most) writings about various psychedelic drug experiments. Carlos Casteneda or the Dalai Lama may be better sources for an understanding of unfettered right brain experience. This in no manner trivializes her experience. But ironically, since it is her objective skills that are impaired, she is not truly adept at the subjective skills necessary to describe a mostly subjective experience.

There is some research among scientists that the near death experience is similar to brain damage in that the sense of immortality and ethereality described is actually no more than brain chemistry, and a palliative function of the brain shutting down before death, rather than proof of any actual non-physical, non-biological reality. The author never touches this subject, but perhaps in another writing she will. Her background and experience would allow her to make some fascinating speculations.

Mind and life by Pier Luigi Luisi

2009-11-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

Discussions between leading scientists with the Dalai Lama and a retinue of monks have been going on since 1989 at Dharmasala, India. This one featured the current cabinet secretary, Steven Chu, and several physicists, geneticists, philosophers, and Buddhist academics. The subject was the origins of reality and attempted to bridge a very fundamental difference of viewpoints. Scientists believe that matter began with the "big bang" coalesced over billions of years, and randomly by evolutionary processes acquired organic properties. Buddhists believe that there was no beginning and have no need for creation or a creator.

The process both agree on is "emergence" which suggests that as anything becomes more complex, certain properties begin to emerge that had no basis in the original "material", and that these properties self organize, and become increasingly complex. Scientists believe that matter led to atoms then molecules than living structures. Buddhists believe that consciousness preceded everything else.

The idea of an epiphenomenon is employed by both. It is an emergent, game changing property that was neither predictable nor inevitable. Science explains that consciousness arose in this manner from very complex molecular neural systems, and Buddhists believe that matter emerged in the same way from consciousness.

The Dalai Lama is extremely intelligent and conversant in all manner of scientific theory. It is not clear how much this is dependent on the translators. One wonders for example, how the distinction between a nucleotide and a nucleic acid; or a quantum and a quark is maintained in the Tibetan language. Another problem is the profound deference and respect shown by both sides toward the other. This prevents any degree of argument or insistence, but does lead to a great deal of convergence.

The most hopeful element is that such meetings are regularly scheduled, and that as so often happens otherwise, differences of fundamental core beliefs do not lead to argument, schism and armed conflict. If other protagonists approached their differences similarly, the benefit would be profound.

Look again by Lisa Scottoline

2009-10-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, journalist Ellen Gleeson met a seriously ill, abandoned infant in a hospital while gathering information for an article she was writing. The young, single woman's heart went out to the baby and she adopted him. Life was great until a post card featuring Timothy Braverman, a missing child arrived in her mail. Ellen looked at the boy’s age-progressed picture and nearly fell over. The face staring back at her looked exactly like her adopted son, Will. Ellen knew her son's adoption was legal, but the face on the postcard dug deep into her thoughts. She became obsessed with the missing child and with looking into Will’s background. She was terrified to think that Will could be the missing child, but she had to know. Looking into Will’s past gets this taut thriller moving like a roller coaster ride. First Ellen discovers that the attorney who handled Will's adoption has suddenly and unexpectedly committed suicide. From then on every lead Ellen follows is driven with shocking revelations, mayhem, murder and the possibility of Ellen losing her son.

Dreaming in French by Megan McAndrew

2009-10-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Sanders is a privileged 15 year old American girl living in 1970’s Paris in this coming-of-age story by Megan McAndrew. Charlotte’s expatriate family includes Frank, her lawyer father, Astrid, her bohemian, free spirited mother, and her beautiful but aloof older sister, Lea. The family leads a charmed life of parties, Parisian cafes, private schools and shopping until Astrid has an affair with a Polish dissident involved in the Solidarity Movement. When Astrid makes the mistake of following her lover to Warsaw, she is promptly arrested and the news of her infidelities becomes public to her husband and daughters. Charlotte’s idyllic life comes to an abrupt end when her parents divorce and she moves to Manhattan with her mother. Forced to grow up fast with little guidance from her mother, Charlotte sets out to reinvent herself. This is a wonderfully well-written novel that will make you both laugh and cry.

Studs Terkel's Working adapted by Harvey Pekar

2009-10-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

Harvey Pekar, the master of the mundane, the king of the quotidian, is the perfect match for a graphic interpretation of Studs Terkel's famous book. The subjects are all working people; not totally identified by their occupations, but able to make the details of their work relatable. Pekar does this in all of his writing, even those that are about people other than himself.

The jobs are varied, but the sincerity is not. Some are engaged in declining work - farm workers and coal miners. There are a couple of union organizers, very much in keeping with the author and adapters slightly leftist politics. Some are people we encounter daily with little thought, such as a waitress, bar pianist, a garbage collector and mail carrier. Others have jobs we rarely consider at all: stone cutter and greenhouse workers. And finally, a couple have jobs we all know exist, but are likely to be curious about the people that do them: a prostitute and a grave digger. To round out the choices, there is a woman of independent means that discusses idleness.

We discover that not all work brings dignity, and much is despised. There is also pride and emotional reward. It seems apparent that Studs Terkel and Harvey Pekar are people whose work in examining the everyday has elevated it to art.

What I saw and how I lied by Judy Blundell

2009-10-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

It is 1947. Fifteen year old Evie Spooner is thrilled to have her step-father Joe return from the war, but there are adjustments to make. Evie’s gorgeous mother Bev is forced to give up her job to be a full-time housewife. The family lives with Joe’s mother, Grandma Glad, a sourpuss old woman who clearly doesn’t approve of Bev. Joe, caught in the middle, is hot for Bev, but overly devoted to his mother. When friction develops between the women, Joe suggests a family vacation to Palm Beach Florida. Grandma Glad stays home. The Spooners arrive after their long, hot drive to find the resort off-season and nearly empty. With only a handful of guests, Evie’s family become fast friends with Arlene and Tom Grayson, a wealthy business couple who encourage Joe to become partners with them in a new hotel business. Peter Coleridge, an ex-GI who served in Joe’s army unit arrives too. Peter is 25 years-old and really good looking. Joe is not the least bit happy to see him, but Evie is convinced Peter will be the love of her life. At this point in the story, with all the characters introduced, the plot twists with secrets, lies, racism, greed, sex, and a suspicious death.

"What I Saw and How I Lied" won the National Book Award for 2008.

Introducing Foucault by Chris Horrocks

2009-09-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

This one is really a graphic non-novel. Because of it reliance on images, text is presented as mostly captions and speech bubbles. The images are generally that of Foucault's contemporaries, or because of his primary interest in history - that of figures representative of the appropriate time period.

Unlike the Fillingham book about Foucault reviewed elsewhere, this one approaches themes as aphoristic bullet points. Accordingly, also unlike the other book, there is more emphasis on the dramatic event, disagreement, and even news story. Foucault's homosexuality is less integrated than in the other book. Here it is used to explain images of him in leather or with lovers rather than as one of many possible means of exploring his thought.

Because of the images of Foucault with the famous and infamous, his cultural importance is emphasized often at the cost of illustrating his academic importance. Therefore, the two books compliment each other and both have worthwhile and suggestive bibliographies.

Push : a novel by Sapphire

2009-09-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Push seemed so real I forgot it was fiction. Precious is a 16 year old girl with a life so hard your heart breaks. She's been abused and molested since she was very young. She's pregnant for the second time with her father's baby. Her first baby was born when she was twelve. Precious hates herself. She doesn't know why her life is the way it is, but she thinks she must be bad or her life would be different. She acts like a tough girl to protect herself from people who make fun of her and mistreat her. But inside she hurts. She wants things "normal" girls have, like a boyfriend and friends. She wants to be a good mother. She wants to be independent. She can't read, and up until now, teachers have ignored her rather than try to help her. Then a school counselor enrolls Precious in an alternative school program. There Precious has a teacher who is welcoming, encouraging and determined to "push" Precious to read, write and turn her life around. Precious tells her story in her own words and in journal entries. Her language is raw. Her spelling is crude but improves as Precious learns to read and write. Push is intense. Simple yet deep, disturbing but fascinating. The book has been made into a film called Precious.

Foucault for beginners by Lydia Alix Fillingham

2009-09-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

This book takes a different and welcome approach to the introductory genre. Rather than a short biography followed by numerous short quotations, the technique here is to present several of Foucault's major themes, and then to develop them as thematic essays set in an historical context, not limited exclusively to Faulcault's interpretation. In this way, there is a sense of the problems Foucault tried to understand, and not just his answers. Other philosophers, especially Sartre and Simone de Bouvier help to ground Foucault's work, particularly among his contemporaries.

Faulcault's philosophy was not groundbreaking, but his ideas are sweeping and provocative. He posited for example, that "modern" man, in self concept and social organization, is a very recent development. This, and his dramatic and contradictory personal life might steer a reader toward a full biography, or to one of Foucault's main texts.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

2009-09-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Sisters Pearl and May live in Shanghai in the 1930’s. Beautiful, educated and privileged the girls earn recognition modeling for sophisticated, “beautiful girl” calendars. Their glamorous fun and status ends suddenly when their father announces that he is in debt to mobsters. To meet his financial obligation he has sold Pearl and May to a “Gold Mountain” man who purchased them to become wives for his sons in America. The journey from avoiding to accepting this fate brings Pearl and May humbling and tragic consequences. Arriving in San Francisco the girls are mistreated, interrogated and held captive at Angel Island. During this period a lifelong secret develops between the sisters. Once released, they try to adjust to life with arranged husbands and in-laws in Los Angeles. They are seduced by Hollywood, stuck in touristy, junkie Chinatown, discriminated against and stalked by government agents hunting down Communists. Immersed in a foreign culture they are often bound to traditions of their past. Finally, Shanghai Girls is the story of sisters. Different in every way, they are best friends and worst enemies, devoted to each other through thick and thin.

Dead until dark by Charlaine Harris

2009-09-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sookie Stackhouse dug deep into her closet searching for the perfect outfit to wear on her date. But what exactly do you wear to a vampire bar? Deciding against the stereotypical black cape, she selected the white mini with a low cut neck line. Gran thought she needed a cardigan and Bill the Vampire was worried about how difficult it was going to be to keep Sookie to himself at Fangtasia.

Sookie was not concerned. Someone, or something, was on a killing spree and Sookie could not count of the police to solve this mystery. She may be just a cocktail waitress, but she a special gift that may just give her an edge into people’s minds.

The books that inspired the hit TV series True Blood, will not disappoint readers looking for a little love, adventure, and blood.

The complete idiot's guide to... by Benjamin Blech

2009-09-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

...Learning Yiddish

Anyone with the expectation of speaking something approaching fluent Yiddish after reading this book will be disappointed. Only if all of the vocabulary lists are memorized and the brief grammar lessons fully understood could a marginal Yiddish conversation be attempted.

However, the book fully redeems itself by presenting a history of the language, its speakers, and origins. Even better are extensive sections presenting stories by such writers as Sholom Aleichem and Isaac Singer in side by side Yiddish and English. The stories and excerpts are well chosen, as is the chapter on Yiddish humor and jokes. Finally, a discussion of Yiddish words that have become part of everyone's working vocabulary is enlightening.

Someone like you by Sarah Dessen

2009-09-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

Life for Halley, a shy 16 year-old girl, begins to change radically when her best friend Scarlett discovers she's pregnant. Until then, Halley had relied on Scarlett for everything from help getting a job to being accepted by the kids at their high school. Now the girls roles are reversed. Scarlett, who was outgoing and popular, is suddenly frightened and alone. Her boyfriend Michael is dead. Kid's at school act differently around her. Her relationship with her mom is rocky. Scarlett turns to Halley to help her deal with her problems.

Michael's friend Macon also reaches out to Halley. Macon is good looking and exciting. Halley falls for him hard and wants to be with him no matter what.

Halley's home life is stressful too. Her father embarrasses her. Her mom is constantly trying to control her every move. She's got peer pressure, boyfriend pressure....and then there's Scarlett's issues.

Will Halley be strong enough to help her friends and get her own life together? What will Scarlett do about her pregnancy? Will Macon be Halley's dream guy or will he turn out to be a nightmare? Read Someone Like You and find out. It's good!

The stuff of life by Mark Schultz

2009-09-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Taking a complicated and jargon heavy subject and presenting it graphically with a running story line does not necessarily lead to easier comprehension. Nor does drawing little heads and faces on an autosome or centromere render their functions and terminologies immediately understandable. The little DNA figures are cuter than pages of text, but the style used here suffers from both over simplification and a small bit of condescension. To learn biological functions requires more than drawings of biological entities. The specialized vocabulary needs to be thoroughly explained, and in this context, the glossary, although too brief and randomly illustrated, may be the most useful feature of the book.

For those with a decent prior grasp of the subject looking for a good overview or refresher, this book would be of significantly more service than for one hoping to crack the subject without serious academic background.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

2009-08-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

Stunning from the first page, Jeanette Wall's childhood memories are mind boggling yet addictive to read. Her parents are lunatics. Her mother is artistic and well-read, but flighty and irresponsible. Her father is a brilliant, but unemployed, unsuccessful, inventor. He's also a drunk. The family is often homeless and destitute, however, Jeanette's parents see their impoverished existence as great fun, an opportunity to be creative. One Christmas, for example, Wall's father gives his four children a unique "gift." He invites them, one at a time, to look up at the dark, desert night-sky and pick a star for their very own. Endearing, yes, but this is also the father who squanders every cent and leaves his children to rummage through garbage cans for food. Wall's story flows without a hint of self-pity or anger. She simply tells us her family's crazy story. We respond wide-eyed, sometimes with shock, and other times with fascination, but always unable to
put her book down.

Kafka : a very short introduction by Ritchie Robertson

2009-08-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

Kafka can be claimed by several different disciplines: novelist, philosopher, theologian, etc. Certainly he was a novelist, and his important writings are widely translated and studied. These books are very allegorical, but differ in important ways from the works of Jonathan Swift or John Bunyan. The allegories are never straightforward or generally agreed upon. They are confused, deeply philosophical, and open to many valid interpretations. In fact, this ambiguity may itself be an allegory - of reason, understanding and belief; all areas antithetical to objective comprehension , although many believe that faith is more important than clarity, and order their lives accordingly.

Kafka also wrote in aphorisms, that expressed philosophical points in relatively understandable, but brief and disjointed manner. They can be used as interpretive keys to the novels, but as Robertson makes very clear, this technique easily leads to more confusion and contradiction. Ironically then, Robertson's uses the biographical sequence subjectively, in that he relates particular events in Kafka's life to sections of his books and philosophy.

Still, an excellent introduction; not particularly broad in its coverage, but relatively deep in its interpretation.

Things the grandchildren should know by Mark Everett

2009-08-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mark Oliver Everett of the rock band The Eels has written a riveting tale of his life. This memoir keeps the reader enthralled as they are taken through both heart wrenching and fantastical events in this author’s life. Who could imagine, as a child, walking through the site of a plane crash in your neighborhood, passing debris strewn in the streets and not manage to have that experience alter your grasp on reality? I can’t, yet Everett manages to live his life to the fullest, sharing his highest highs, and lowest lows.

This book is more than a bland recounting of someone’s life; it is a tale of the author’s survival as his family slips away, one by one, into death’s arms. His memoir is touching and well written, drawing the reader into events that one can barely imagine.