The Dark End of the Street. "A black woman's body is never her own." Until relatively recently, that was all too true. The reality was that while a black man's wayward glance at a white woman could mean he'd be swinging from a tree, white men were free to rape black women with impunity; there was little risk that he would suffer any consequence, but certainly not a death sentence even though the death penalty was available for rape at that time. "The Dark End of the Street" is a pretty appropos title, given that much of what happened was hidden. The police that raped women, the drunkards who went cruising for a black woman to abduct, story-after-story of women who suffered pain and humiliation with no recourse.
Perhaps the most surprising thing was that Rosa Parks was an activist in the fight for justice. Indeed, until the bus boycott, she was better-known for that. Also surprising was that one of the Little Rock Nine was a victim of an attack by a white man.
I am often reminded that the present is a pretty good time to be alive for women. This book is yet another reminder of the how much things have improved for women, black women in particular.
Sex at Dawn. This was a fascinating book, positing the theory that from an evolutionary or anthropological standpoint, humans were not meant to be monogamous. Rather, our history and our evolution suggest that we are better suited for lots of different partners. The authors theorize that the thing thing that changed the trajectory of human sexual development was the move to agriculture, which led to a need for private property, which resulted in women becoming another object of ownership. They support their theory with evidence that hunters and gathers were more cooperative and collaborative because there was no reason to fight--there was plenty of food and it was easy to move to another area to avoid strife. Rather, sex was used as a way to build cooperation and collaboration. There was little concern about paternity certainty, but rather it was to the advantage of the community that all men protect all children.
The authors further describe a variety of hunter-gatherer peoples in which there is lots of sex among lots of people. In some of those cultures, there is the belief that a young woman must be filled with semen upon menarche or other special occasions, which come from various men.
The authors also build their case with descriptions of bonobos, the primates that are nearest to humans who have multiple partners. Moreover, the question the size of the human penis as compared to that of primates where there is a dominant male or pair-bonding. According to them, in humans, rather thabe men battling by size or other prowess, the real competition occurs at the sperm level, i.e. the man whose sperm has the best shot of hitting the jackpot of the egg will have the best chance of reproducing. A larger penis helps get the job done. Plus why are men so fast on the trigger while women take so long to get going? Because, if there are lots of men doing a woman, it's no problem.
In short, there is a reasonably convincing case that humans are not "naturally" monogamous. I'm not planning on having an affair, but it's an interesting theory.
The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain. I felt so much better after reading this book! I'm not losing my mind, and there's little reason to believe that I have early stage dementia just because I find my self questioning what I went to the kitchen to retrieve or do. This is a feel-good book, that reminded me that being middle-aged has its advantages. The studies show that as we age, we are more easily distracted, hence forgetting what we were doing, but we also have a better ability, as compared to younger folks, to focus on what's important and to respond accordingly. We take longer to learn new things, but once we don, we're as good or better as the younguns! Plus, we're happy, happier than the young folks. Provided that we are are in good health with sufficient resources, we tend to be happier than young people because the kids are raised and we have perspective.
Some of what is in this book seems obvious, but I learned some things about what's happening as my brain ages. There's still plenty of plasticity and cell growth that means everything is A-OK, just different.
The Female Brain. A look at what makes a brain female and the developmental stages it goes through, from birth to post-menopausal. It was interesting. Some things were obvious (e.g. girls have a larger area of their brains devoted to talking and teenage girls are very much affected by hormone spikes), but it was nonetheless interesting. If there was one gripe, it was that the author, a psychiatrist, took some of the anecdotes from her practice, which sames made up of far too many whiners who don't need a shrink, but some of Helen Wilson's common sense to just get on with life. Anyway, it was a good read.
Reading: The God Delusion; Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities
Listening: Nothing currently. something soon.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
What's happening!
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Being poor is hard; it's challenging. Francie, the main character, manages to survive and to have hope. She survives the demeaning statements of the doctor who immunizes the poor children before statrting school. She survives the meaniness of the neighborhood school and her choice to walk more than a mile to attend a better schol. Francie survives her mother's decision to allow Neely, Francie's younger brother, to attend school while expecting Francie to work to help support the family. Through all that occurs with her nuclear family and her aunts, she retains a steely core and has hope--sustaining hope. A nice coming-of-age story.
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. This book marked a temporary return to the Time 100 Best Novels list. I love the true crime shows on cable tv, and I loved this book! Written like one of the best true crime stories, but with the collateral stories that exist in a work of nonfiction. Clyde Griffiths, raised by non-ordained Christian ministers that run a"mission" and can barely take care of themselves, wants more. He wants the material goods that he sees other 12-year olds have. He wants to hang out with friends, especially girls, like other teens, as time progresses. He wants the American dream. As is the case in real life, often, the first bit of freedom spells trouble for a boy who is ill-prepared to deal with the temptations of the world.
As the novel unfolds, a chance meeting with the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family coupled with an unplanned pregnancy with a working class girl spells doom for Clyde. At points during the story, I felt bad for Clyde because of his treatment by the wealthier branch of his family. Later, I hated Clyde--he had no redeeming characteristics. By the end, I felt bad because of Clyde's wasted life. Masterful story-telling, for sure.
The Believing Brain by Michael Shermer. I guess it's accurate to say that I'm in my brain stage. Back-to-back audio books on the brain is the evidence. This book focused on how beliefs form--the patternicity and agenticity--and why the scientific method is a superior method for testing beliefs. I mostly enjoyed it, especially the chapters on religious beliefs and alien abductions, which, according to Shermer, can be explained based on the physiology of the brain. On the other hand, like Incognito, at times it digressed into other areas, that I'm not sure I understood why they were there or where they fitted. There's a lengthy discussion of the origin of the universe. I understand why that may raise questions about the belief in god, but it went into the kind of detail that was more appropriate for A Short History of Nearly Everything. It was a good review, but not necessary. Nonetheless, I suppose I've become more of a skeptic, which in some ways, is a bit troubling, but that's a discussion for another time.
Reading: The Dark End of the Street.
Listening: Sex at Dawn
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. This book marked a temporary return to the Time 100 Best Novels list. I love the true crime shows on cable tv, and I loved this book! Written like one of the best true crime stories, but with the collateral stories that exist in a work of nonfiction. Clyde Griffiths, raised by non-ordained Christian ministers that run a"mission" and can barely take care of themselves, wants more. He wants the material goods that he sees other 12-year olds have. He wants to hang out with friends, especially girls, like other teens, as time progresses. He wants the American dream. As is the case in real life, often, the first bit of freedom spells trouble for a boy who is ill-prepared to deal with the temptations of the world.
As the novel unfolds, a chance meeting with the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family coupled with an unplanned pregnancy with a working class girl spells doom for Clyde. At points during the story, I felt bad for Clyde because of his treatment by the wealthier branch of his family. Later, I hated Clyde--he had no redeeming characteristics. By the end, I felt bad because of Clyde's wasted life. Masterful story-telling, for sure.
The Believing Brain by Michael Shermer. I guess it's accurate to say that I'm in my brain stage. Back-to-back audio books on the brain is the evidence. This book focused on how beliefs form--the patternicity and agenticity--and why the scientific method is a superior method for testing beliefs. I mostly enjoyed it, especially the chapters on religious beliefs and alien abductions, which, according to Shermer, can be explained based on the physiology of the brain. On the other hand, like Incognito, at times it digressed into other areas, that I'm not sure I understood why they were there or where they fitted. There's a lengthy discussion of the origin of the universe. I understand why that may raise questions about the belief in god, but it went into the kind of detail that was more appropriate for A Short History of Nearly Everything. It was a good review, but not necessary. Nonetheless, I suppose I've become more of a skeptic, which in some ways, is a bit troubling, but that's a discussion for another time.
Reading: The Dark End of the Street.
Listening: Sex at Dawn
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Oops, I did it again . . .
How did I get behind? I keep forgetting to post, but here goes.
Dragonfly in Amber, by Diana Gabaldon. This is the second in the Outlander series. The story is not quite as engaging as Outlander, but still passably good. The first part of the story is mor.e present day, as Clair returns to Scotland with her daughter, having practiced medicine for some 20 years or so. Her present day husband, Frank, has died, and she's ready to disclose to her daughter her paternity. As it turns out, Frank is NOT the daddy. Rather than honor goes to Jamie--not exactly a surprise.
The second part of the story recounts Jamie's and Clair's life after Clair rescues Jamie from prison and nurses him back to physical and mental health. The history of the Jacobites, in my mind, weighs the story down some; the story seems to drag, as Jamie, armed with Claire's knowledge of the future, attempts to rewrite history to avoid defeat at Culloden. The characters too often seem to act, well, out of character. At times, Claire seems irrational and overly emotional. In the end, it was an okay story, but I found myself counting down the pages until the end.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy. This is a re-read, and it was better, although no less tragic, the second time around. Poor Tess. Circumstances beyond her control, and society's view of women, lead to her ultimate demise. The men in her life mostly fail her if they don't outright hurt her in some way. Hardy writes an interesting commentary about the social order, creating what what he believes to be a pure woman. I'm not so sure she's pure, or maybe it's just that I want her to stand up for herself and to be more worldly. Maybe, once again, it's me looking at a 19th century story with 21st century eyes. Well worth the time to re-read.
Agnes Grey, by Anne Bronte. There's a reason why Anne didn't enjoy as much fame and renown as Emily and Charlotte. This story is interesting, but ultimately seems to be little more than a glimpse into the world of a governess, with little character development and only a thin plot. Agnes, to help her family who is nearly destitute after an investment goes bad, becomes a governess. The first family she lands with has the brattiest, pre-sociopaths one could possible hope to meet. It's no surprise, given that the parents exercise no discipline and won't allow Agnes to do so either. Plus they condone torturing baby birds, after all, God made animals for man's pleasure. The engagement doesn't last long. The second family has older children, but with much the same attitude. The two boys are arrogant and the daughters are deceitful. One is willing to play with the affections of men just for the pleasure of turning them down. Through it all, Agnes, raised on her mother's love and disciplined with her disapproval, maintains her integrity. She never speaks up, even to defend herself. A little backbone please? Anyway, in the end, she finds her soul mate, who is every bit as good-hearted as she is, and they all live happily ever after.
Reading: The Apothecary's Daughter.
Listening: A Brief History of Nearly Everything.
Dragonfly in Amber, by Diana Gabaldon. This is the second in the Outlander series. The story is not quite as engaging as Outlander, but still passably good. The first part of the story is mor.e present day, as Clair returns to Scotland with her daughter, having practiced medicine for some 20 years or so. Her present day husband, Frank, has died, and she's ready to disclose to her daughter her paternity. As it turns out, Frank is NOT the daddy. Rather than honor goes to Jamie--not exactly a surprise.
The second part of the story recounts Jamie's and Clair's life after Clair rescues Jamie from prison and nurses him back to physical and mental health. The history of the Jacobites, in my mind, weighs the story down some; the story seems to drag, as Jamie, armed with Claire's knowledge of the future, attempts to rewrite history to avoid defeat at Culloden. The characters too often seem to act, well, out of character. At times, Claire seems irrational and overly emotional. In the end, it was an okay story, but I found myself counting down the pages until the end.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy. This is a re-read, and it was better, although no less tragic, the second time around. Poor Tess. Circumstances beyond her control, and society's view of women, lead to her ultimate demise. The men in her life mostly fail her if they don't outright hurt her in some way. Hardy writes an interesting commentary about the social order, creating what what he believes to be a pure woman. I'm not so sure she's pure, or maybe it's just that I want her to stand up for herself and to be more worldly. Maybe, once again, it's me looking at a 19th century story with 21st century eyes. Well worth the time to re-read.
Agnes Grey, by Anne Bronte. There's a reason why Anne didn't enjoy as much fame and renown as Emily and Charlotte. This story is interesting, but ultimately seems to be little more than a glimpse into the world of a governess, with little character development and only a thin plot. Agnes, to help her family who is nearly destitute after an investment goes bad, becomes a governess. The first family she lands with has the brattiest, pre-sociopaths one could possible hope to meet. It's no surprise, given that the parents exercise no discipline and won't allow Agnes to do so either. Plus they condone torturing baby birds, after all, God made animals for man's pleasure. The engagement doesn't last long. The second family has older children, but with much the same attitude. The two boys are arrogant and the daughters are deceitful. One is willing to play with the affections of men just for the pleasure of turning them down. Through it all, Agnes, raised on her mother's love and disciplined with her disapproval, maintains her integrity. She never speaks up, even to defend herself. A little backbone please? Anyway, in the end, she finds her soul mate, who is every bit as good-hearted as she is, and they all live happily ever after.
Reading: The Apothecary's Daughter.
Listening: A Brief History of Nearly Everything.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Playing Catch-up, big-time
From the last post:
Two for the Money, by Janet Evanovich. Another Stephanie Plum novel with parts that make one laugh out loud and make me think that Janet Evanovich must be one fun woman to hang out with. Stephanie has become a better bounty hunter, but still needs help, sometimes from her grandmother, although with the kind of help she offers, who needs antagonists. One moment attending funerals and checking out the body to see if a finger has really been severed; the next, spouting lines from Dirty Harry, everyone should have a grandmother like Grandma Mazur.
This one is enough different that I'm not too concerned (yet) about the books becoming formulaic, but I wonder if she can maintain the originality as the books continue.
Gray Matter, by David Levy. Dr. Levy is a Christian. Like most doctors, Levy did not attend a medical school that openly discussed spirituality, specifically prayer. Nonetheless, Dr. Levy, a brain surgeon, discovers his spirituality and the importance of prayer in his life, and undertakes to pray with his patients. As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Levy encounters many frightened patients for whom prayer is a comfort. Others are scared, but skeptical of prayer. Either way, after he gets up the nerve to ask to pray, he discovers that most patients are willing to allow the prayer, and that many of the medical professionals with whom he works also want to participate.
I was a bit skeptical myself. I believe in the power of prayer, but I was concerned that Dr. Levy was another sanctimonious holy-roller who, given his position of power. What I found was that he was a bit arrogant, but then again he's a brain surgeon. He was sensitive to the sentiments of others and did not force himself on anyone. He even senstively handled the situation involving a Jew and a Muslim.
Overall, I hope that other medical professionals might be encouraged to consider it. When I was a patient, I remember how I felt more peaceful when Raymond B prayed with me before my surgery. It would have been nice to have the medical professionals asking for wisdom and skill in peforming the surgery.
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. Everyone should read a time travel book from time-to-time. This one, set in Scotland, involves Claire Randle, who one moment is enjoying a second honeymoon with her husband, whom she barely knows given that she's spent several years as a WW2 battlefield nurse, and the next, she's wandering the Scottish countryside, courtesy of some bewitched stones that hurl her back in time to the 1700s when she walks through them. Sex, murder, accusations of witchcraft, and a little bit of English-Scottish history make for a pretty good story. Gabaldon has some annoying traits, like verbosity and constantly using the adverb "dryly" to modify every bit of dialogue, but overall, it's a pretty good read, good enough that I've been working on the second book in the series, Dragonfly in Amber.
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. Interesting premise--a story about the old-time traveling circuses during the depression era. Jacob Jankowski literally, although unintentionally, ran away and joined the circus, and in the process, acaquired an elephant and a wife.
The story is told in retrospect by old Jacob. Those parts are rather depressing reminders of loneliness and despair of growing old, outliving spouse and most friends, and waiting for . . . what, in a nursing home where the residents are treated much like children. The parts that take place while Jacob is young are intriguing, if a bit fantastic, but one gets an idea of why running away to the circus was considred romantic.
Bossypants, by Tina Fey. How did Tina Fey get to be Tina Fey? This memoir takes the reader fron her childhood and her education on the facts of life, through her time in Chicago learning how to do improv to her hiring as a writer on Saturday Night Live to her position as creator, producer, and star of 30 Rock. It's Tina Fey. She writes jokes for a living, so there are some pretty funny parts, plus, one gets an backstage pass to these iconic shows--well two of them are iconic. Good book.
Well, I think I'm caught up.
Reading:
Dragonfly in Amber
Listening:
A Brief History of Nearly Everything
Two for the Money, by Janet Evanovich. Another Stephanie Plum novel with parts that make one laugh out loud and make me think that Janet Evanovich must be one fun woman to hang out with. Stephanie has become a better bounty hunter, but still needs help, sometimes from her grandmother, although with the kind of help she offers, who needs antagonists. One moment attending funerals and checking out the body to see if a finger has really been severed; the next, spouting lines from Dirty Harry, everyone should have a grandmother like Grandma Mazur.
This one is enough different that I'm not too concerned (yet) about the books becoming formulaic, but I wonder if she can maintain the originality as the books continue.
Gray Matter, by David Levy. Dr. Levy is a Christian. Like most doctors, Levy did not attend a medical school that openly discussed spirituality, specifically prayer. Nonetheless, Dr. Levy, a brain surgeon, discovers his spirituality and the importance of prayer in his life, and undertakes to pray with his patients. As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Levy encounters many frightened patients for whom prayer is a comfort. Others are scared, but skeptical of prayer. Either way, after he gets up the nerve to ask to pray, he discovers that most patients are willing to allow the prayer, and that many of the medical professionals with whom he works also want to participate.
I was a bit skeptical myself. I believe in the power of prayer, but I was concerned that Dr. Levy was another sanctimonious holy-roller who, given his position of power. What I found was that he was a bit arrogant, but then again he's a brain surgeon. He was sensitive to the sentiments of others and did not force himself on anyone. He even senstively handled the situation involving a Jew and a Muslim.
Overall, I hope that other medical professionals might be encouraged to consider it. When I was a patient, I remember how I felt more peaceful when Raymond B prayed with me before my surgery. It would have been nice to have the medical professionals asking for wisdom and skill in peforming the surgery.
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. Everyone should read a time travel book from time-to-time. This one, set in Scotland, involves Claire Randle, who one moment is enjoying a second honeymoon with her husband, whom she barely knows given that she's spent several years as a WW2 battlefield nurse, and the next, she's wandering the Scottish countryside, courtesy of some bewitched stones that hurl her back in time to the 1700s when she walks through them. Sex, murder, accusations of witchcraft, and a little bit of English-Scottish history make for a pretty good story. Gabaldon has some annoying traits, like verbosity and constantly using the adverb "dryly" to modify every bit of dialogue, but overall, it's a pretty good read, good enough that I've been working on the second book in the series, Dragonfly in Amber.
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. Interesting premise--a story about the old-time traveling circuses during the depression era. Jacob Jankowski literally, although unintentionally, ran away and joined the circus, and in the process, acaquired an elephant and a wife.
The story is told in retrospect by old Jacob. Those parts are rather depressing reminders of loneliness and despair of growing old, outliving spouse and most friends, and waiting for . . . what, in a nursing home where the residents are treated much like children. The parts that take place while Jacob is young are intriguing, if a bit fantastic, but one gets an idea of why running away to the circus was considred romantic.
Bossypants, by Tina Fey. How did Tina Fey get to be Tina Fey? This memoir takes the reader fron her childhood and her education on the facts of life, through her time in Chicago learning how to do improv to her hiring as a writer on Saturday Night Live to her position as creator, producer, and star of 30 Rock. It's Tina Fey. She writes jokes for a living, so there are some pretty funny parts, plus, one gets an backstage pass to these iconic shows--well two of them are iconic. Good book.
Well, I think I'm caught up.
Reading:
Dragonfly in Amber
Listening:
A Brief History of Nearly Everything
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Just a Quick List
No time to do more than just list, so here goes:
1. Two For the Dough, by Janet Evanovich.
2. Gray Matter, by David Levy
Reading: Outlander and Angelology
1. Two For the Dough, by Janet Evanovich.
2. Gray Matter, by David Levy
Reading: Outlander and Angelology
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A pretty good one
One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich. I've been a bit of a hater if the last two reads are any indication. But alas! A pretty good book. The Facebook question on the B&N page asking about books that made readers laugh sparked my interest. It might not have a gut-splitter, but there was still some funny parts. The 250 pound whore, who apparently is in good physical shape--humping all day must keep you in shape! Who, besides Stephanie Plum, would, 1) intentionally hit the guy she screwed in high school with a Buick; 2) go into bounty hunting with no experience, and an initial fear of her gun; 3) get herself handcuffed to her shower rack naked?
The story was a bit wacky, but it moved. And it was a short (and thereby quick) read. Nothing too taxing, but interesting nonetheless. I think I might just give Two for the Money a shot.
The story was a bit wacky, but it moved. And it was a short (and thereby quick) read. Nothing too taxing, but interesting nonetheless. I think I might just give Two for the Money a shot.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Beyond Justice? Beyond Belief!
Beyond Justice, by Joshua Graham. There are plenty of times that I can see why others might enjoy a book that doesn't particularly appeal to me. I just don't get why the reviews for Beyond Justice have been so positive for a book with such a contrived and preposterous plot line. For example, the court room scenes are ridiculous. What DA goes to trial before the DNA results are available? What defense attorney argues a motion about the admissibility of those DNA results before reviewing the DNA results? What judge would entertain a motion to suppress without a basis? And if that's not enough, there's the scene in which an assistant DA impersonates a public defender in an attempt to get a confession out of Sam, the protagonist. I guess the author is unfamiliar with the rules of ethics and that beyond the impact on the case, the lawyer who attempted it would likely soon be both an ex-ADA, and indeed an ex-lawyer, even in the slimiest of DA offices.
Then there are the prison scenes. Since when can one correctional officer move a death row inmate into general population just out of vindictiveness? Can an inmate really casually walk out of a super-max prison with just a change of clothes and an escort in the form of a sympathetic CO?
When the real killer is finally identified, the clear conflict of interest between one of the detectives and the perp is just overlooked. Indeed, in virtually every setting, there are no more than two people who do everything. There are just two DAs, both of which handle Sam's case and the prosecution of the real killer. There's one detective, who gathers the evidence against Sam (and is a stock man-hating bitch) and who has a cyber-affair with the real perp, and is later allowed to assist in bringing him in. There are only two COs in the whole prison, and neither appears to be subject to much oversight.
Those are just the most blatant licenses taken in the story, but it's enough to make this book an almost total waste of time. I ultimately finished it just to see what would happen, but it wasn't the page-turner others described, rather just a book that required discipline to finish.
If there is one redeeming factor, it is that the author ackknowledged that there is some bad religion out there that serve only to discourage conversion. I'm not sure that what Graham presents is much better however. While the story doesn't end with a perfectly happy ending, there is still the kind of theology that makes it hard for non-believers to believe. Most of us will never have visions or read Bibles where the words glow or get the kind of "sign" from God that speaks in volumes. Those who expect such before they believe will never believe. That is the kind of fare served up in this book.
Oh well. Live and learn and what I've learned is that if there's a highly recommended book that lists for only $2.99, then I'm likely to get what I paid for.
Then there are the prison scenes. Since when can one correctional officer move a death row inmate into general population just out of vindictiveness? Can an inmate really casually walk out of a super-max prison with just a change of clothes and an escort in the form of a sympathetic CO?
When the real killer is finally identified, the clear conflict of interest between one of the detectives and the perp is just overlooked. Indeed, in virtually every setting, there are no more than two people who do everything. There are just two DAs, both of which handle Sam's case and the prosecution of the real killer. There's one detective, who gathers the evidence against Sam (and is a stock man-hating bitch) and who has a cyber-affair with the real perp, and is later allowed to assist in bringing him in. There are only two COs in the whole prison, and neither appears to be subject to much oversight.
Those are just the most blatant licenses taken in the story, but it's enough to make this book an almost total waste of time. I ultimately finished it just to see what would happen, but it wasn't the page-turner others described, rather just a book that required discipline to finish.
If there is one redeeming factor, it is that the author ackknowledged that there is some bad religion out there that serve only to discourage conversion. I'm not sure that what Graham presents is much better however. While the story doesn't end with a perfectly happy ending, there is still the kind of theology that makes it hard for non-believers to believe. Most of us will never have visions or read Bibles where the words glow or get the kind of "sign" from God that speaks in volumes. Those who expect such before they believe will never believe. That is the kind of fare served up in this book.
Oh well. Live and learn and what I've learned is that if there's a highly recommended book that lists for only $2.99, then I'm likely to get what I paid for.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Septimus Heap: Neither Magykal or Majical
Magyk: Septimus Heap, by ??? The Harry Potter is arguably one of those once-in-a-lifetime phenomenons, so I'd be crazy to expect that anything would or could match Harry Potter for plot, character, or overall imagination. But I'd hoped that this might be good enough. The best that I can say is that it was okay enough. The son of the seventh son, hence Septimus, is at the heart of this book. It doesn't take too long to figure out who among the characters is the real Septimus, given that Septimus allegedly died at birth--so much for suspense. And there's too little character development to cause me to care about really any of the characters. Jenna or the Queenling? Seems nice enough, but other than that she is the adopted daughter of the Heaps who looks nothing like them, there's not much more to say. Nicko? He's one of the Heaps, and he knows his way around a boat, but so? Marcia, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard? Other than that there's only one, who gets the penthouse suite of the Wizard's Tower, it's not clear how the ExtraOrdinary Wizard is different from the Ordinary Ones.
Maybe it's not fair to compare Septimus Heap to the Harry Potter series, but when I think of what I knew after the first book, I understood that Hermione was a know-it-all with the brains to back it up, and even in the first book, her character developed as she learned to moderate her annoying know-it-allness. I understood the charcters of Fred and George Weasley. It was clear that Ron felt the insecurity of being the youngest son in an old wizarding family. Heck, even Neville Longbottom was drawn well enough that I felt like I knew him because I had known kids like him growing up. Not to mention that the creatures JKR created were not only creative, they existed to push the story further. Plus, Harry Potter appealed to both kids and adults.
Maybe the other books in the Magyk series will accomplish more of the things I was looking for, but ultimately, this first one was a book that I could put down quite easily, and it did not spark my interest enough to want to read the others in the series.
Maybe it's not fair to compare Septimus Heap to the Harry Potter series, but when I think of what I knew after the first book, I understood that Hermione was a know-it-all with the brains to back it up, and even in the first book, her character developed as she learned to moderate her annoying know-it-allness. I understood the charcters of Fred and George Weasley. It was clear that Ron felt the insecurity of being the youngest son in an old wizarding family. Heck, even Neville Longbottom was drawn well enough that I felt like I knew him because I had known kids like him growing up. Not to mention that the creatures JKR created were not only creative, they existed to push the story further. Plus, Harry Potter appealed to both kids and adults.
Maybe the other books in the Magyk series will accomplish more of the things I was looking for, but ultimately, this first one was a book that I could put down quite easily, and it did not spark my interest enough to want to read the others in the series.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
2(Jane Austen) + Perry.
Well, I finished Sense and Sensibility, and then, since I was in "Jane Austen mode," I figured I might as well go ahead and read Emma. But one can stay in JAM only so long before one has to return to the non-JAM world. That's where, The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, comes in. So here goes.
Sense and Sensibility. I did it! I finally finished this book, having started it a couple of times before becoming distracted during the first chapter. I liked it, but hadn't gotten far enough into it to feel compelled to finish it when life (and other books) got in the way. Anywho, I enjoyed it. Typical Jane Austen fare, where much of the tension centers around young women who must find a spouse or risk eternal vulnerability. And as is so often clear in JA books, even marriage is no guaranty of security, as Mrs. Dashwood finds out when her husband leaves the vast majority of his property to his son from his first marriage, notwithstanding that the son already has a house in London and is well-provided for, leaving his three daughters and their mother essentially without a home. Of course there is the rogue man (Willoughby) who toys with Maryann's affections. And in this book, we get the rogue female, if you will, in the form of Lucy Steele, who dashes Elinor's hopes for domestic happiness by disclosing that she is secretly engaged to Edward Ferrars, whom Elinor hoped to bag--I mean marry. It all works out in the end as both women end up with the right man--Ferrars in Elinor's case, and Col. Whathisface in Maryann's case. Elinor who is "sense" in the beginning becomes more sensible, and Maryann who is "sensibility" develops (finally) good sense. The one thing you can count on is that everyone will marry happily in the end, and have enough income to have servants. Life is good.
Emma. Yet another book that I started but only now finished. Poor (or rather rich), determined Emma, the neighborhood "matchmaker." Having fixed up her governess, she is convinced that she can do the same for Harriet, a girl with no known parentage and limited means. As one would expect, it all goes awry, to the despair of Harriet. And then there's Frank Churchill, whom Emma takes great delight in using him as her sounding board as she bad-mouths Jane Fairfax, of whom, at bottom, Emma is jealous of. What a surprise she ultimately has coming about the real deal between Jane Fairfax and Churchill. And although Emma is determined to remain single, in part to care for her invalid father, in the end, we know, it's JA! There will be a marriage, and in fact, there are three: Emma, Harriet, and Jane all find their true loves. And they're all going to be mostly fat and happy.
Having read two JABs back-to-back, I find myself torn about whether I like JA or not. I like the stories, and there are complex themes, and even a hint of feminism at times. JA was one of the gentry and her characters live in that world. The servants exist only to serve and to provide a tidbit of gossip from time-to-time. On the other hand, the portrait of the rich is not particularly complimentary. They sometimes come across as insensitive and self-centered, or even shallow--after all Frank Churchill rides off to London (16 miles!) simply to get a haircut. That's seems extreme even today! They mostly do nothing, except sitting around playing cards, eating, and gossiping. In the end, I like Jane Austen, but I feel like a traitor or an outsider. She didn't write about people like me by any stretch of a comparison. But I suppose I'll eventually read the only JA novel that remains to be read, i.e, Northanger Abbey. Indeed, I'll probably even re-read most if not all of them.
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Dr. Bruce Perry. A friend, who adopted an older child, recommended this book, and I have her to thank for it. Perry is a child psychiatrist/researcher who used this book to illustrate some his principles and findings regarding children who have suffered very difficult childhoods.
One chapter addresses how they addressed the needs of the Branch Davidian children during the seige and in the months thereafter and what they learned about children from that disaster. He talks about a two boys, one from a middle-class family and one from a poor family, with a mentally challenged mother, both of whom were left totally unattended during the first months of their lives and how it impacted their futures. Their needs for food and shelter were met, but they missed the warm touch and rhythm that comes from a care-giver who rocked and cooed to the children. There's the little girl who, despite her high caloric diet, failed to gain weight and was thought to be the first documented case of infant anorexia. As it turns out, her mother, who loved her dearly and sought help for her, had never been mothered herself as a child in the foster care system who had been moved every six months so that she wouldn't form any attachments. She didn't know how to form an attachment with her own daughter, and thus, the child failed to thrive. Mama P. was the answer--a foster parent who intuitively knew that damaged children need to be rocked and babied to make up for what they missed without concern for their chronological age.
And of course, there's the boy who was raised as a dog. After his grandmother died, her live-in boyfriend, who knew little about raising children, treated him like a dog. He wasn't cruel, he just failed to provide the boy with what he needed.
In short, the thesis of the book is the importance of patterned, repetitive conduct to help children form the attachments that they need to grow up to be healthy adults. In addition, he gives a glimpse in how he and those in his clinic go about helping children. He does a lot of coloring with the kids. It allows them to begin the therapy at their own pace.
Perry appears to be a phenomenal shrink, with uncommon insight. A bit arrogant, but with the intelligence and the success to back it up. Ultimately, the value comes in helping me to understand some of the things we've learned about the children we've fostered. Time well spent.
Sense and Sensibility. I did it! I finally finished this book, having started it a couple of times before becoming distracted during the first chapter. I liked it, but hadn't gotten far enough into it to feel compelled to finish it when life (and other books) got in the way. Anywho, I enjoyed it. Typical Jane Austen fare, where much of the tension centers around young women who must find a spouse or risk eternal vulnerability. And as is so often clear in JA books, even marriage is no guaranty of security, as Mrs. Dashwood finds out when her husband leaves the vast majority of his property to his son from his first marriage, notwithstanding that the son already has a house in London and is well-provided for, leaving his three daughters and their mother essentially without a home. Of course there is the rogue man (Willoughby) who toys with Maryann's affections. And in this book, we get the rogue female, if you will, in the form of Lucy Steele, who dashes Elinor's hopes for domestic happiness by disclosing that she is secretly engaged to Edward Ferrars, whom Elinor hoped to bag--I mean marry. It all works out in the end as both women end up with the right man--Ferrars in Elinor's case, and Col. Whathisface in Maryann's case. Elinor who is "sense" in the beginning becomes more sensible, and Maryann who is "sensibility" develops (finally) good sense. The one thing you can count on is that everyone will marry happily in the end, and have enough income to have servants. Life is good.
Emma. Yet another book that I started but only now finished. Poor (or rather rich), determined Emma, the neighborhood "matchmaker." Having fixed up her governess, she is convinced that she can do the same for Harriet, a girl with no known parentage and limited means. As one would expect, it all goes awry, to the despair of Harriet. And then there's Frank Churchill, whom Emma takes great delight in using him as her sounding board as she bad-mouths Jane Fairfax, of whom, at bottom, Emma is jealous of. What a surprise she ultimately has coming about the real deal between Jane Fairfax and Churchill. And although Emma is determined to remain single, in part to care for her invalid father, in the end, we know, it's JA! There will be a marriage, and in fact, there are three: Emma, Harriet, and Jane all find their true loves. And they're all going to be mostly fat and happy.
Having read two JABs back-to-back, I find myself torn about whether I like JA or not. I like the stories, and there are complex themes, and even a hint of feminism at times. JA was one of the gentry and her characters live in that world. The servants exist only to serve and to provide a tidbit of gossip from time-to-time. On the other hand, the portrait of the rich is not particularly complimentary. They sometimes come across as insensitive and self-centered, or even shallow--after all Frank Churchill rides off to London (16 miles!) simply to get a haircut. That's seems extreme even today! They mostly do nothing, except sitting around playing cards, eating, and gossiping. In the end, I like Jane Austen, but I feel like a traitor or an outsider. She didn't write about people like me by any stretch of a comparison. But I suppose I'll eventually read the only JA novel that remains to be read, i.e, Northanger Abbey. Indeed, I'll probably even re-read most if not all of them.
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Dr. Bruce Perry. A friend, who adopted an older child, recommended this book, and I have her to thank for it. Perry is a child psychiatrist/researcher who used this book to illustrate some his principles and findings regarding children who have suffered very difficult childhoods.
One chapter addresses how they addressed the needs of the Branch Davidian children during the seige and in the months thereafter and what they learned about children from that disaster. He talks about a two boys, one from a middle-class family and one from a poor family, with a mentally challenged mother, both of whom were left totally unattended during the first months of their lives and how it impacted their futures. Their needs for food and shelter were met, but they missed the warm touch and rhythm that comes from a care-giver who rocked and cooed to the children. There's the little girl who, despite her high caloric diet, failed to gain weight and was thought to be the first documented case of infant anorexia. As it turns out, her mother, who loved her dearly and sought help for her, had never been mothered herself as a child in the foster care system who had been moved every six months so that she wouldn't form any attachments. She didn't know how to form an attachment with her own daughter, and thus, the child failed to thrive. Mama P. was the answer--a foster parent who intuitively knew that damaged children need to be rocked and babied to make up for what they missed without concern for their chronological age.
And of course, there's the boy who was raised as a dog. After his grandmother died, her live-in boyfriend, who knew little about raising children, treated him like a dog. He wasn't cruel, he just failed to provide the boy with what he needed.
In short, the thesis of the book is the importance of patterned, repetitive conduct to help children form the attachments that they need to grow up to be healthy adults. In addition, he gives a glimpse in how he and those in his clinic go about helping children. He does a lot of coloring with the kids. It allows them to begin the therapy at their own pace.
Perry appears to be a phenomenal shrink, with uncommon insight. A bit arrogant, but with the intelligence and the success to back it up. Ultimately, the value comes in helping me to understand some of the things we've learned about the children we've fostered. Time well spent.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Ending the year on serious note
The Emperor of All Maladies, by Siddhartha Mukharjee.
Can a book about cancer really be compelling without being depressing? Um, yeah. The New York Times listed this book as one of the best of 2010, so I figured why not. An biography of cancer--what an intriguing concept. And Mukharjee does recount cancer from its earliest known roots to the present day. It is, as any biogrpahy must be, a recount of history. But more than any biography of a living person, it is the science behind a living cell in which something has gone terribly wrong. Mukharjee recounts the theories over time that have explained cancer, from black bile to the current understanding of a cell mutation. Not surprising, treatment has changed as understading has grown. On the other hand, as much as scientists have learned, there is still so much not known or understood about cancers.
Perhaps the most startling thing is how much of what is conventional knowledge now has been discovered only within my lifetime. For example, until the 1960s, the deforming radical mastectomy was fairly standard treatment for all breast cancers, even though there'd been little to no research to confirm its effectiveness or even its necessity. Indeed, many of the research methods that are fairly common-place have been in use for only a relativly short time. For example, one expects that a cancer diagnosis today means surgery, followed immediately by a cocktail of different chemotherapy drugs and/or radiation. As I learned when reading Death Be Not Proud, chemotherapy had its genesis in WW2 and the experience with mustard gas. But for many years, there was an ongoing rivalry and lack of cooperation between surgeons, whose hubris made them unwilling to consider any other form of treatment beyond surgery, and oncologists. Plus, until recently, different treatments were tried serially, moving to the next one when treatment failed (e.g. surgery, followed by one chemo drug, followed by another chemo drug, etc.) Only recently have scientists really grasped that there is no cure for cancer, but there will have to be many cures for many different cancers.
In short, what becomes abundantly clear is that cancer is daunting. According to the author, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetimes. Gains have been made towards cure, but many people will still die after suffering through dibillitating treatment. But there is hope that with greater understanding of how cancer works, there will be other successes like Gleevic, used to put victims of chronic myeloma leukemia into permanent remission, and Herceptin, which cures those women with estrogen-dependent cancer.
It was a compelling book. I couldn't put it down.
Currently reading: Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen.
Can a book about cancer really be compelling without being depressing? Um, yeah. The New York Times listed this book as one of the best of 2010, so I figured why not. An biography of cancer--what an intriguing concept. And Mukharjee does recount cancer from its earliest known roots to the present day. It is, as any biogrpahy must be, a recount of history. But more than any biography of a living person, it is the science behind a living cell in which something has gone terribly wrong. Mukharjee recounts the theories over time that have explained cancer, from black bile to the current understanding of a cell mutation. Not surprising, treatment has changed as understading has grown. On the other hand, as much as scientists have learned, there is still so much not known or understood about cancers.
Perhaps the most startling thing is how much of what is conventional knowledge now has been discovered only within my lifetime. For example, until the 1960s, the deforming radical mastectomy was fairly standard treatment for all breast cancers, even though there'd been little to no research to confirm its effectiveness or even its necessity. Indeed, many of the research methods that are fairly common-place have been in use for only a relativly short time. For example, one expects that a cancer diagnosis today means surgery, followed immediately by a cocktail of different chemotherapy drugs and/or radiation. As I learned when reading Death Be Not Proud, chemotherapy had its genesis in WW2 and the experience with mustard gas. But for many years, there was an ongoing rivalry and lack of cooperation between surgeons, whose hubris made them unwilling to consider any other form of treatment beyond surgery, and oncologists. Plus, until recently, different treatments were tried serially, moving to the next one when treatment failed (e.g. surgery, followed by one chemo drug, followed by another chemo drug, etc.) Only recently have scientists really grasped that there is no cure for cancer, but there will have to be many cures for many different cancers.
In short, what becomes abundantly clear is that cancer is daunting. According to the author, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetimes. Gains have been made towards cure, but many people will still die after suffering through dibillitating treatment. But there is hope that with greater understanding of how cancer works, there will be other successes like Gleevic, used to put victims of chronic myeloma leukemia into permanent remission, and Herceptin, which cures those women with estrogen-dependent cancer.
It was a compelling book. I couldn't put it down.
Currently reading: Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen.
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