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Andrea Kay's Bookshelf
Blueprint for a New America
Karl Albrecht
https://KarlAlbrecht.com
Privately Published
9780913351444 $21.95 pbk / $10.00 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Blueprint-New-America-Reinventing-Challenging/dp/091335144X
https://blueprint-for-a-new-america.karlalbrecht.com
Blueprint for a New America begins with a brief historical overview of how American government came to be, from the creation of the Constitution to the modern day. Author Karl Albrecht makes exhaustive, scathing, and accurate political critiques of America's currently dysfunctional government, and offers a wide variety of reforms, improvements, and solutions. Intensely non-partisan, Blueprint for a New America rejects political divides (such as the debate between capitalism and socialism) as false choices.
Suggested remedies for America's myriad problems include abolishing the undemocratic Electoral College; abolishing the income tax (which is too easily loopholed) for "value chain" taxes similar to European VATs and "small asset transfer" taxes on assets such as buying and selling stocks or real estate; rethinking national defense to cease the purchase of weapons that will never be used or types of weapons that are notorious for killing innocent people; creating small, liveable, government-backed apartment-like units to house the homeless as long as the newly housed residents give up nearly all of their personal possessions for as long as they reside within (in part to keep this type of social housing from being too desirable); and much more.
Although readers may not agree with all of the many ideas presented, Blueprint for a New America makes a persuasive case that radical change is needed ASAP, and deserves credit for offering solutions instead of just pointing out problems. Highly recommended.
Andrea Kay
Reviewer
Andy Jordan's Bookshelf
Remember Us to Life: A Graphic Memoir
Joanna Rubin Dranger
Ten Speed Graphic
c/o Ten Speed Press
https://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed
9780593836903, $40.00, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Us-Life-Graphic-Memoir/dp/0593836901
Synopsis: Told through a unique blending of illustrations, photography, and found objects, "Remember Us to Life: A Graphic Memoir" chronicles Joanna Rubin Dranger's investigation into her Jewish family's history, spanning time, space, and three continents in search of her lost relatives.
As discolored photos are retrieved from half-forgotten moth-eaten boxes, Joanna discovers the startling modernity and vibrancy of the lives her family never spoke about -- and the devastating violence that led to their senseless murders.
Carefully researched and expertly told, "Remember Us to Life" recounts Joanna's family's immigration from Poland and Russia to Sweden and Israel, where her relatives found work, marriage, and community, blissfully unaware of the horrors to come.
Interweaving these anecdotes and stories are historical accounts of the persecution of Jewish people in Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia prior to and during World War II, as well as the antisemitic policies and actions of the supposedly neutral government of Sweden, Joanna's home country. Joanna's unflinchingly brave and intimate portrayal of one of history's greatest tragedies will capture and break readers' hearts.
"Remember Us to Life: A Graphic Memoir" is a thought-provoking exploration of grief, alienation, and reclamation of one's history.
Critique: Uniquely formatted by universally resonate, "Remember Us to Life: A Graphic Memoir" is part family history, part personal memoir, and part Holocaust Memorial. A riveting, emotionally engaging, and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Remember Us to Life: A Graphic Memoir" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Biography/Memoir and 20th Century Judaic History collections. It should be noted for non-fiction graphic novel biography/memoir fans that "Remember Us to Life: A Graphic Memoir" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Joanna Rubin Dranger is an award-winning Swedish graphic novelist, illustrator, and animator. Her accolades include the Stora Svenska Illustrator Prize, the Swedish Series Academy's Adamson statuette, and the Nordic Council's Literature Prize. She was the first female professor of illustration at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design and lives in Stockholm. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Rubin_Dranger)
Abraham's Kitchen
David Haliva, editor
Gestalten
https://us.gestalten.com
9783967041354, $65.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Abrahams-Kitchen-Israeli-Palestinian-Culture/dp/3967041352
Synopsis: Compiled and edited by David Haliva (with input from the Gestalten staff), "Abraham's Kitchen: Israeli and Palestinian Food Culture and Recipes" is visually striking collection of recipes from local markets, Arab traditions, the nomadic tribes of the desert, and the hip restaurants of Tel Aviv.
Israeli and Palestinian cuisine is rich in flavor and filled with enticing intricacies. The region's position at the crossroads of trade routes has long influenced its ingredients, a trend that continues today. Abraham's Kitchen takes readers on a culinary journey -- from the North, where a temperate climate yields succulent vegetables, to Tel Aviv, where young chefs are reinterpreting culinary traditions, to Jerusalem, a city of pilgrimage with a wealth of staple dishes, and finally to the South, where the nomadic lifestyle inspires unique desert cuisine. From shakshuka to challah to baklava, these regional recipes offer a deep dive into the origins of iconic and delectable dishes.
Each of the recipes comprising "Abraham's Kitchen" are clearly explained, inviting home cooks and food enthusiasts to savor their bold flavors. No matter where your dinner table is, these recipes bring the aromas and tastes of the Mediterranean right to you. Rooted in authenticity and tradition, "Abraham's Kitchen" offers not just culinary insights but historical ones as well. A stunning regional portrait and a go-to collection of recipes, "Abraham's Kitchen" transcends the conventional cookbook.
Critique: This large format (8.27 x 1.34 x 10.24 inches, 3.35 pounds) hardcover edition of "Abraham's Kitchen: Israeli and Palestinian Food Culture and Recipes" from David Haliva and Gestalten is beautifully illustrated throughout with full color, full page photography. A fascinating and informative compendium of commentary and DIY recipes for authentic Israeli and Palestinian cuisines, "Abraham's Kitchen" is ideal for menu planning with 'kitchen cook friendly' dishes that are guaranteed to be palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, and health promoting. A culinary pleasure to simply browse through, "Abraham's Kitchen" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a unique and highly prized addition to personal, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.
Editorial Note #1: David Haliva is the author of several cookbooks, as well as an art director and publicist, has collaborated with a handpicked group of chefs, restaurateurs, and photographers to create Divine Food. With fifteen years of experience shaping corporate identities for Israeli companies and organizations, he is also the founder of 42 Degrees magazine, which has made a lasting impact on Tel Aviv's creative scene.
Editorial Note #2: gestalten continues to actively reimagine the way in which they approach publishing. With their extensive range of titles, they not only seek to enhance and to enrich their reader's lives, but to continually engage with the surrounding creative landscape. Their origin story began with a focus on the aesthetic, particularly that of graphic design and, over the last two decades, the scope of both the content and their expertise as publishers has widened. Today, using a myriad of observations of culture, people, art, and other intimate inspirational informants, they document and anticipate vital movements in architecture, visual culture, design & fashion, escapism, food & beverages, travel, and contemporary art.
Andy Jordan
Reviewer
Ann Skea's Bookshelf
The Buried Life
Andrea Goldsmith
https://andreagoldsmith.com.au
Transit Lounge 2025
9781923023253, $35.14 PB / $16.99 Kindle, 328pp
https://www.amazon.com/Buried-Life-Andrea-Goldsmith/dp/192302325X
The Buried Life begins with characters whose fates seem predictable, but Andrea Goldsmith is too good a writer to rely on cliches.
Adrian Moore (alias 'Doctor Death' because of his academic field of study) is 43, successful, healthy and focused on his work. His wife, Irene, has recently walked out on him, although he doesn't really know why and he still expects her to return. But he is clearly a methodical creature of habit and is certain that
he wasn't passive, he'd made something of his life, and he'd done his fair share of the work with Irene. So perhaps the failure of the relationship wasn't entirely his fault.
He is, in effect, a nice man but a rather boring stick-in-the-mud, and ripe for change as the novel progresses, although, typically, he 'gave little credence to the human capacity for change'.
In his academic Doctor Death mode:
It occurred to him that change was rather like death: both of them happen to everyone, and everyone knows they will happen, yet people live in a cloud of denial. Death and Changes: it might make an interesting paper.
That was before 'the lightning struck him'. This lightning, however, was not love, but music - Mahler's 'The Song of the Earth'. And that was just the beginning.
Laura Benady, a smart, capable woman in her late fifties, is a social scientist working for the State Department of Planning. She is an expert, involved in the planning of urban development in a growth area of Melbourne, and she is valued by her colleagues. As the chief planning officer said at a recent committee meeting:
We could have done this without you, Laura, but the final result wouldn't have been as comprehensive.
Laura's marriage to Tony is seemingly perfect:
First life-changing impressions, first all-consuming love, first intimations of fabulous possibilities: any of these firsts could capture a person for life. But imagine if all of them occurred simultaneously and slotted into one person. That was how Tony Sheldrick entered Laura Benady's life.
Laura loves him fiercely, 'Tony was and would always be, essential', but as the novel progresses the reader can see, even if Laura cannot, that Tony is not the doting husband he pretends to be. The first hint is that Laura's ambition, before they married, had been to stay on at university, do a PhD, and pursue an academic career.
It's what her family expected, too; but as Tony pointed out, two academics in the family was, by any calculation, one too many.
Since Tony was to be the academic, Laura gave up her plan, but things happen that make her begin to see her life differently and she, like Adrian, is clearly heading for a change.
The third major character in The Buried Life is Kezi, a vibrant young artist who specialises in creating beautiful handmade paper but works in a call-centre in order to survive. Kezi had grown up in a strict religious community called Crossroads.
Life was smooth and happy until the questions started - such bad questions because they revealed holes in her faith, and a faith with holes is no faith at all.
Kezi is imaginative - but that is interpreted by her parents as lies, and she is fat:
Unfortunately, her slim mother conflated being fat with religious laxity, so throughout the meal she policed every one of Kezi's mouthfuls. Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? [She] would quote from Corinthians with distressing regularity, while assuring her overweight daughter she had her best interests at heart. As a child in the church, Kezi had wondered what sins she had committed for God to punish her with being fat.
As she matured, Kezi also realised that she was lesbian, which, of course, was completely unacceptable. Her parents issued her with an ultimatum: 'unless she changed her ways she was to be out of the house by Christmas'. They were unrelenting, so at the age of 16, Kezi, with the help of her lesbian friends, left, but she has never stopped hoping that her parents will soften and accept their 'unconventional' daughter.
When her brother Luke calls her to tell her that she is invited to a special ceremony to honour her parents and the important work they have done for Crossroads, 'the past, and all the longings it engendered, had flooded into her':
Kezi had walked away from this years ago, but it would seem she hadn't walked far enough. A few phone calls from her brother and she wanted to smuggle God back into her life. Though what she really wanted was her parents' love. And she wanted them to love her as she was, not as they wanted her to be.
Kezi's 'carefully constructed life' is thrown into turmoil as she struggles day by day to decide whether or not to attend the ceremony.
She was the sum of her past: to lop off the past now causing her grief would be crippling, she knew this all too well, yet to hold onto it was crippling too.
Kezi and Adrian are neighbours and friends; and fate (of course) brings Adrian and Laura together. But it is not as simple as that: all three have been shaped by their pasts and all three struggle to adjust to the changes that happen in their lives.
Andrea Goldsmith juggles their thoughts, emotions and actions realistically. Adrian, Laura and Kezi become lively, likeable and understandable characters, and as each of them tries to deal with the complexities of reconciling their long-held beliefs with vastly altered circumstances, there are no easy answers, just life and death and the human need to try and make sense of it all and to accept what can or cannot be altered.
So, The Buried Life is not as predictable as it initially seems and there are no contrived romantic endings. Andrea Goldsmith writes compellingly and creates an intricate, absorbing, thoughtful and enjoyable novel.
The Sun was Electric Light
Rachel Morton
University of Queensland Press
https://www.uqp.com.au
9780702268892, A$34.99 PB, 224pp.
https://www.uqp.com.au/books/the-sun-was-electric-light
Ruth is in her thirties and is disillusioned with life. She had moved to New York because it was the 'furthest place' from her hometown in Australia, but life there has not worked out, although she has done all the usual things - 'lived a normal life'.
'On the outside I seemed to be functioning well, but inside I had the feeling that nothing had meaning and also that everything was fake. Even the waves of the sea looked fake... they looked fake, as though we were on a movie set and the sea was a giant swimming pool and the sun was electric light.'
'Things had never really been good' but she believes that things will get better if you work at them. She thinks life seems to be about love and staying alive, and she remembers loving the lake at Panajachel in Guatemala, but nothing since then. 'That,' she thinks, 'was part of how [she] wasn't well,' so she decides to go back there.
She leaves her job, gets rid of her furniture and books a flight to Guatemala, from where she will take a bus. But even on the flight she is not convinced that she is doing the right thing.
The Sun Was Electric Light is a strange book. Ruth is the narrator and her prose is often as bare and factual as the rituals and list-making that filled her life in New York. She observes things that happen around her, like the passengers on the flight clapping and kissing each other when the plane lands, but she remains distanced from it all.
Even at times when she is struggling to cope, the prosaic surfaces:
'I spoke to the lake... I told the lake that I needed work if I was going to stay and I told the lake why it was important that I stayed... Then when it was dark, I walked back home. Nothing had happened. I made tea and went to bed.'
In Panajachel she is 'trying' to be normal, so she accepts the invitation of an Italian couple she has just met to go to a bar with them:
'I watched the people and I had the feeling again that nothing here was real. Like the time with the waves. I felt separate, as though I was watching through a screen. There was nothing here for me.''
But she does notice a woman who seems to be different to those around her. She seems independent, unusual, slightly exotic and beautiful: 'I knew she was strange. I wanted to know her.'
It is some time before she actually meets this woman, Carmen, and before that she meets Emilie, who quickly becomes her friend, companion and lover. Emilie seems confident and stable, and Ruth begins to dream of making 'a quiet and mundane life' with her, but she is determined to stay in Panajachel, and Emilie, who is about to start a new job in Patzcuaro in Mexico, soon leaves.
Ruth tries to convince herself that the episode was 'not real life' but she feels lost. She is also running out of money and knows she must leave the hotel, find somewhere to live and find a job. She moves to a small house outside the tourist areas and makes economies, but that is not enough. Moving and job-hunting keep her busy, but she becomes increasingly frantic as work seems unobtainable. Then she bumps into Dwain.
She had met him a few weeks before and knows that his parents are American and have returned to the States, leaving him in their house in Jaibalito, just across the lake from Panajachel. He grew up in this area, knows the local people and foreigners, and might be able to help her find work. He is also close to Carmen, who, most of the time, shares the house with him, and it is through Carmen that Ruth finds work.
'There's this family,' Carmen says, ' 'Friends of my parents' friends. They are looking for someone to take care of their kids. Three boys, I think. Rich Guatemalans. You know the type. Poor little rich boys. Poor things.''
She said that some years ago she had babysat the eldest boy, who would now be about eleven, and that the mother was 'intense' and the father was never home.
To begin with Ruth's new job satisfies her. She enjoys being with the younger boys and feels hopeful. It is as if life has finally brought her things - 'first Emilie, now the boys'. Carmen, however, warns her that she is 'too soft', and that the boys' mother, sooner or later, will 'walk all over' her. Ruth does not believe her but already the 'Senora' has been leaving lists of things she expects Ruth to do besides looking after the boys. In the end Carmen is right and Ruth leaves the job and must find another.
Meanwhile, Carmen and Dwain have invited her to join them in Jaibalito and Dwain suggests he might know of a job there for her and a place to live. Emilie, too, has been in touch with her, but when Carmen asks about Emilie, Ruth is adamant that she will not leave and join her.
''I'm not going anywhere. It's a different life, the one she has.' I said all of that. But it didn't feel right.'
Ruth begins to work as a volunteer at a local school, and is allowed to live in a small hut adjoining it. Once again her life has purpose, but it becomes clear that Carmen and Dwain, who, like her, are foreigners in this place, have problems not much different to her own. Carmen, in particular, is unstable. Her parents had 'taken bad acid together and it had driven them crazy'. They had been hospitalised, then returned to the States, 'dumping her' (as Carmen puts it) with Dwain's parents. She often disappears for days and according to Dwain:
''She goes wild, you know? She hangs out with the party kids in the bars in Zone 2. The gay kids, the trans kids, the women who want to have lots of sex and who don't want to have to get married. The misfits. The ones who have been kicked out of their families... Carmen goes to be with them. They're intense, but they match Carmen perfectly.''
Ruth's contact with Emilie is intermittent. She thinks about her often and she sees Emilie's life and Carmen's as 'two ways of living in the world':
'Both ways were inside me and I had to choose. It was obvious. The only way that worked was Emilie's. Carmen was beautiful and dysfunctional. In the past I had wanted to be more like her. Now, I needed to be like Emily.'
She arranges leave from the school to take a carving course in Antigua, and finds peace and stability while carving. When she returns, she spends her evenings practising what she has learned on small pieces of scrap wood that she finds around the place. She throws the small figures she carves into the lake or burns them, which feels good.
Reading The Sun Was Electric Light, which immerses you in the lives of people who have lost their compass in life and struggle to make sense of their existence, is not always comfortable but it is real. Rachel Morton draws you into their worlds and keeps you hoping they will find their way. Her novel is strange, thoughtful and honest and, in the end, full of life and love and the promise that Ruth may now be able truly to see the sun.
This is Rachel Morton's debut novel. As Panajachel it won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2024, and it has now received the 2025 UQP Quentin Bryce Award.
Saltblood
Francesca de Tores
Bloomsbury
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us
9781526661326, $TBA PB, 344pp.
https://www.amazon.com/Saltblood-Francesca-Tores/dp/1526661330
Francesca de Tores makes it clear from the start:
Mary Read and Anne Bonny are real historical figures - but I am no historian.
In Saltblood, she follows what is known about them but gives Mary Read a voice of her own, a personality, emotions, friendships, loves, and a story to tell that is as full of change, challenges, excitement and danger as Mary's life must surely have been.
From the time of her birth, Mary was taught to conceal her gender. Initially, this was a practical ruse by which her mother sought to conceal an illegitimate pregnancy and to ensure that the money provided by her deceased husband's parents to support their first grandchild, Mark, continued to be paid:
This is me: born in 1685 in a rented room in some stranger's cottage... But as I was being born, my half-brother Mark was dying. Ma's sister sent a letter from Plymouth: Mark died from the flux, having lived only a little over a year. Ma always says that I came quick and hard, so when I picture my birth it gets muddled in my head - the blood and sweat and screaming of my coming and of Mark's going...
To keep the money coming, I had to become Mark.
Mary's mother habitually treats Mary as Mark, and when she is eleven, she decides that Mary must go into service as Mark, because 'you'll bring in more as a boy. It'll keep you out of trouble... You won't get boys sniffing around you like dogs.' She buys her 'reed stays' and laces her into them - 'yank - tighter - yank', but her breasts do not grow. Then, before she starts work at the big house, Ma gives Mary a present:
'Put this in your drawers,' she says. It's a rag sewn around a bundle of dried beans, the whole of it the size of a small fist, and she had stitched three neat buttonholes with matching buttons inside the man's drawers that I will wear...
So I tuck the bag of beans into my drawers, and fiddle ungainly with the buttons until the parcel is fastened into place. It feels strange - a weight where no weight had been. I stand differently too: my legs apart, and when I walk it is with more of a swagger.
The big house is owned by a widowed French lady who lives a quiet, retired life. Mary is answerable to Mr Twiner, who teaches her to be attentive, unobtrusive, and ever at hand to help 'Madam'. She has a small room to herself, a fine jacket, a stiff white neck-cloth and stockings for when she is working inside, and her wage is given to her mother. When, at fifteen, her 'monthly courses' begin, she washes her rags privately and keeps her secret.
Then, in 1701, there is a war with France. So, as Mark, she jumps at the chance to join the navy and get away from 'the tyranny of trays' and 'Ma coming to take my money'. She lies to the officer that she is fourteen, and she is taken on as a powder monkey on a third-rate ship of the line, the Resolve.
Life aboard Resolve is hard and the captain, who sees himself as a man of science, is more interested in collecting sea creatures than with the Spanish or French, but Mary is constantly in fear of committing some misdemeanor and being stripped and flogged. This does not happen, but the storms and the action against the French that she describes are terrible, and she sees the death of a young shipmate:
'Jesus,' says Marston, when the bosun yells at us to scatter the sand, 'You would not believe so small a lad had so much blood in him.'
There are officers' wives aboard who have servant boys, one of whom, Belling, becomes an enemy when Mary catches him selling trinkets he has stolen. Belling is there, again, when Mary is assigned to a second ship, the Expedition. But after this second assignment, partly to escape the captain, who is constantly angry and will have a man 'whipped for no reason other than a glance or a stumble', and to escape Belling's constant watching and rumour-mongering, she and Marston decide to leave the navy and enlist in the army, which is fighting the French in Flanders.
In the navy, Mary had been distanced from the killing - 'carrying the powder or manning the rigging'; now, when a Frenchman charges at her 'bayonet first', she has no choice but to kill him: 'if it is not to be their death it will be mine, so I must fight on'. When Marston 'my only and my truest friend' is killed and word comes that men are needed for the cavalry, Mary takes her chance. Lying that she knows 'her way around a horse', she has trouble controlling her mount but is befriended by a Dutchman in her troop who teaches her how to keep her horse under control.
The Dutchman, Dan Jansenns, becomes a friend and guesses her secret, so they decide to leave the army, marry, and take up the running of a tavern in Breda that Dan's uncle has handed over to him. So, for a while, Mary becomes a wife, but she dreams of the sea, and when her baby is born prematurely and dies, and Dan, too, dies of a lung disease, she gives up the tavern and heads for the sea again.
As Mary recounts her amazing experiences it is hard remember that Mary Read did experience all these things. This is what it was like for her to live and work, eat, sleep and fight among men in the close confines of an old ship and in a wartime army camp, aware, always, that some small slip, even with a friend, could reveal that she was not what the men thought her to be.
But the adventures go on. Mary heads for Rotterdam and finds work, as a woman, aboard a merchant vessel. The Walcheren is an old East Indiaman, sailing for the Americas with a cargo of tobacco. The captain, Payton, earns a little money on the side by trading with a man who buys from the pirates the goods they have stolen, and who works between Jamaica, Charles Town and Nassau, which is the 'seat of the pirate empire'.
It is in Nassau that Mary meets young Anne Bonny. She sees that Anne, who frequents the taverns and ale tents with her lovers, is bold and fearless, and she is fascinated by her. As they become friends, she learns that Anne, too, was brought up as a boy by her lawyer father who had sired her with a maidservant. Anne tells her that:
'Pa wished to keep me close by him, and as all the town knew his bastard was a girl child, he passed me off as a boy. Said I was the child of relatives, come to live with him to be trained up as a law clerk.'
And Mary is thrilled to learn that both of them were bastards - 'both of us hidden as boys to hide our parents' shame, and to preserve an allowance'.
Eventually Mary ends up on a pirate ship captained by the notorious 'Calico Jack' Rackham, and Anne Bonny (who in Saltblood marries Rackham), accompanies them. Mary still has special feelings for Anne, and eventually the two become lovers.
Jack is not an easy man to deceive - and Anne is not one for hiding...
'If I care for Mary, it does not follow that I care less for you,' says Anne, and indeed she kisses him then very fierce.
And she makes it clear that she takes her pleasure where she pleases. Mary, too, takes a young lover. 'You may think,' she says, 'that my tastes no longer run in that direction. But being with Anne is the opening of a door, not the closing of anything.'
Eventually, as history tells, Rackhan and his crew are captured, judged, and found guilty. The men are condemned to be hanged but Anne, who is pregnant, uses what she learned from her lawyer father to 'plead the belly', and Mary under her instructions does the same. They are examined by a jury of matrons, and reprieved.
Saltblood reads like a gripping, immersive drama told by a fine story-teller. That it closely follows what is known of Mary's life is remarkable, and in the end, as she contemplates her fate she is as full of character as she has been through the book.
Dr. Ann Skea, Reviewer
https://ann.skea.com/THHome.htm
Arthur Turfa's Bookshelf
The Intersection of Poetry and Jungian Analysis Through Metaphor
Regina Colonia-Willner
Lexington Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
https://rowman.com
9781666944457, $105.00 hc / $45.00 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Intersection-Jungian-Analysis-Through-Metaphor-ebook/dp/B0D1MC11NG
"...metaphor is rooted in the body because it is located on the border between mind and brain.", the author tells us in her Preface (p. x). Jungian Analysis would be receptive to such a discussion, given the importance of archetypes.
As poets create poems, human create a self that they present to the world. Metaphors exist both in verse and life. Towards the end of the book, the author incorporates examples from her casework to illustrate the point. This is perhaps the most fascinating part of the book
I am a poet with some familiarity with Psychology and counseling from my pastoral work, civilian and military, parochial and institutional. In fact, I am sending this book to a seminary classmate who has worked for decades as a Psychologist. He does appreciate poetry, by the way.
In several places the importance of reading and rereading poetry aloud is mentioned, which is key. The author underscores the importance of the text of a poem to the reader, by reading and hearing, and by fashioning a connection between the poet and the reader. This is something I recall from my graduate studies in Literature long ago, and it holds true today as well. There is more to a poem than determining what it means; "What's going on here?" is also important. The author explores the conscious and unconscious dimensions of the reader/client as he or she explores what is real and what is imagined.
While not an easy read, it is worthwhile for poets/writers, psychologists, and others to read. The sections on fairy tales seemed to be overly-detailed and extremely long. However, it could well be that there is something there that my poetic side could not grasp; others perhaps could.
I also must add that Janus is a Roman, not a Greek god. The author's exploration of the puer aeternus from Ovid on is fascinating. I suppose the Peter Pan Syndrome derives ultimately form that.
The author makes some valid and interesting points. She documents each chapter thoroughly, demonstrating not only her command of the subject matter, but also that she grounds her theses in the scholarship.
Arthur Turfa
Reviewer
Carl Logan's Bookshelf
Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication
Andrew Brodsky
Simon Element / Simon Acumen
c/o Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781668055243, $28.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ping-Secrets-Successful-Virtual-Communication/dp/1668055244
Synopsis: When and how to best use virtual communication tools (from video to instant messaging and everything in between) has become essential in today's digital dominated world.
With the publication of "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication", Professor, management consultant, and virtual communications expert Andrew Brodsky offers a complete and comprehensive instruction manual and advisory on the subject of virtual communication including such issues as yes, that meeting could have been an email. And that email? Maybe it should have been a voice note (really!). And your camera -- it's okay to turn it off; and sometimes it's even better to have it on.
If you're crushed under the weight of your inbox or exhausted from back-to-back-to-back video calls, then "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication" is here to help workers, managers, executives, and administrators at all levels and of all stripes (remote, hybrid, and in person) who use communication technologies as part of their jobs.
Split into three parts, "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication" tackles the core components of how to better navigate communication challenges and technology in contemporary workplaces. Addressing critical topics such as:
When to choose an email, instant message, or video call
How to make better virtual first impressions
Methods for optimizing communication productivity
How to build strong relationships at a distance
Ways to win negotiations and solve conflicts from behind a screen
And more
With enlightening stories, interviews with top business leaders, and Professor Brodsky's cutting-edge social science research on virtual communication tools, "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication" is the necessary playbook for mastering virtual communication to increase productivity, gain influence, and deepen connections.
Critique: Timely, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization, presentation, and style, "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication" by Professor Andrew Brodsky is deftly organized into three major sections: Using Virtual Communications to Get Ahead; Building & Strengthening Relationships via Virtual Communications; Overcoming Virtual Communication Challenges. Is is additionally enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a twelve page Appendix, a four page listing of Acknowledgments, a two page listing of Image Sources, thirty-six pages of Notes, and an eight page Index.
Timely and invaluable, "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, business school, and college/university library Digital Communications Skills collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication" from Simon Element / Simon Acumen is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9781797194431, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Andrew Brodsky (https://abrodsky.com/) is a Management Professor at McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and CEO of Ping Group. He is an expert in workplace technology, communication, and productivity. Andrew has received numerous research and teaching awards, including being chosen by Poets&Quants as one of the "World's 40 Best Business School Professors Under 40." He earned a PhD in organizational behavior from Harvard Business School and BS from The Wharton School. Brodsky has conducted research, led training, and consulted with organizations around the world such as Amazon, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dell Technologies, and Novo Nordisk. His research has been covered in media outlets such as The Economist, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and CNBC.
Carl Logan
Reviewer
Clint Travis' Bookshelf
The New Order
Chris Edwards
Prometheus Books
https://www.prometheusbooks.com
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493089116, $28.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/New-Order-Rewrites-Narrative-Science/dp/1493089110
Synopsis: What if the great discoveries of science came in the "wrong" order? The Laws of Thermodynamics were discovered well after the creation of algebra, classical physics, and chemistry, but are perhaps much more important to our basic understanding of the universe. This flawed chronology led to a confusion that has prevented a cross-curricular understanding of the sciences.
With the development of Artificial Intelligence, it will soon be possible to solve the philosophical and biological problem of solipsism, the problem that all of our scientific discoveries have been necessarily (and incorrectly) built upon anachronistic foundations. In other words, we've built our fundamental understanding of science out of order.
With the publication of "The New Order: How AI Rewrites the Narrative of Science", Chris Edwards shows that AI will be able to understand science outside of the traditional chronological developments of the sciences, unlocking entirely new potentials and perspectives on the universe. If human scholars are to understand how AI interprets the universe, we will first need to understand the scientific narrative in a "new order".
Moving through the dawn scientific history to modern quantum physics, Edwards frames a "new order" to place thermodynamics in its proper place at the center of our scientific universe. AI is likely to view the history of the universe through entropy and probability, and with the insights and invention of The New Order, readers can, too.
Critique: Informative, insightful, iconoclastic, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The New Order: How AI Rewrites the Narrative of Science" by Chris Edwards is extraordinary reading from start to finish and a 'must' for readers with an interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact upon mathematics, science, our future. Essential and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library AI collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "The New Order: How AI Rewrites the Narrative of Science" is articulate, impressively presented, and ideal for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The New Order: How AI Rewrites the Narrative of Science" from Prometheus Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.50).
Editorial Note: Chris Edwards, EdD, teaches history and English at a public school in the Midwest. He is a frequent contributor to Skeptic magazine and the author of numerous books on philosophy, science, world history, and educational theory. His original "connect-the-dots" teaching method was published by the National Council for Social Studies. Chris is a former research affiliate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Clint Travis
Reviewer
Debra Gaynor's Bookshelf
Our Dear Miss H is on the Case
Violet Marsh
Forever
c/o Hachette Book Group
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781538739631, $17.99 PaperBack
B0DFW9QW6L, $11.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Dear-Miss-H-Case/dp/1538739631
This is the second book in this series.
Georgina Harrington lives in an era where women are not taken seriously. She survived a few social seasons which she believes were a waste of her time. She is a brilliant archaeologist; she inherited her love of excavating from her father. She has written several articles and found several artifacts but is unable to ask for credit for her accomplishments. She turns to her cousin Percy to present and take credit for her work. She should not have trusted him. The world knows him as a talented archaeologist (which is a real joke). When Percy disappears, Georgina knows he is in danger. She turns to Alexander Lovett, Percy's best friend, for assistance in finding him.
Georgina's brother is attempting to marry her off. He has arranged a marriage to a man she has never met and doesn't want to meet. Alexander has similar feelings he has no desire for an arranged marriage. However, he finds himself falling for Georgina; he likes that she is brilliant, a free thinker, and willing to take chances. Georgina is attracted to Alexander. What she doesn't realize is he is the man her brother wants her to marry.
I like the main characters. Alexander was born with a club foot. He was forced to have surgery after surgery, but the results were minimal to non-existent. His father wanted a perfect son. He was bullied at school. Alexander has learned how to smile and be pleasant even when belittled and mistreated.
The Perfect Divorce
Jeneva Rose
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonepublishing.com
9798874620936, $20.99 HardBack
B0DGYVBN3X, $8.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Divorce-Jeneva-Rose/dp/B0DGY5F5JX
Marriage is forever until it isn't. Eleven years ago, Sarah Morgan's husband was accused and convicted of murdering his mistress. Sarah is a high-powered lawyer and defended her husband. Unfortunately, he was convicted and sentenced to death by lethal injection. Sarah went on with her life; she married Bob Miller and started a family. She also made a career change.
Bob made a mistake; he had a one-night stand. Furious Sarah files for divorce. Bob keeps begging for a second chance to no avail. The divorce gets messy. New evidence is discovered in the case against Adam, evidence that proves he may not have committed the murder. The police reopen the case. Former deputy Marcus Hudson, now the sheriff, is determined to find the truth.
The woman Bob had the one-night stand with goes missing. Then his hairdresser disappears. There is evidence that all points to Bob.
Sarah is devoted to their daughter, Summer. When Bob threatens to go for custody, the gloves come off.
This is the second book in the Perfect series. Book 1 was the Perfect Marriage. This book stands well alone. The plot of this book is absurd and strange and beyond belief, but it works. If you read book 1 you know that Sarah is manipulative, but so is Bob. They are plotting against each other. The question is which one is the most devious, the most diabolical, and the most conniving. The plot is fast paced, and there is plenty of action. The plot is also dark and twisted. As to the characters: Sarah was smart, brilliant, and cunning. Bob tries to outsmart Sarah but, does he have what it takes to beat her at her own game.
Strangers In Time
David Baldacci
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781538742051, $19.50 HardBack, $31.99 AudioBook, $14.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Time-World-War-Novel/dp/1538742055
This tale is set in London in 1944 during the London Blitz of WWII
Charlie Matters is fourteen years old. He lives with his grandmother in poverty. He isn't allowed to work so he supports himself in the only alternative manner, he steals. He takes what he needs to survive. Charlie plans to join the military as soon as he is old enough; he is ready to take on the Germans! Charlie is well aware he life could end at any moment, as the bombs explode.
Molly Wakefield, was from a wealthy family, like so many others, was sent to the countryside to stay with the host family, for protection. She hasn't heard from her family in quite some time. The fifteen-year-old has returned to London to find everything different. She rushes to her parents' home only to discover they are both gone.
Ignatius Oliver is a recent widower; he owns a bookstore. He takes Molly and Charlie under his wing, offering them protection and guidance. Together the unlikely trio form a family.
This is a tale of relationships, warfare, toughness and family. Author David Baldacci demonstrates how people responded to the bombings. He describes the devastation. Baldacci brings three unlikely people together to form a relationship, a family. Baldacci shows the best of humanity, despite the horrific events of that era, many people were kind and caring.
Friends with Benefits
Marisa Kanter
Celadon Books
https://celadonbooks.com
c/o Macmillan
https://us.macmillan.com
9781250358899, $15.99 PaperBack
B0D9TTWHYZ, $12.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Benefits-Limited-Sprayed-Edge/dp/1250358892
In Friends with Benefits, Author Marisa Kanter introduces readers to Evie Bloom and Theo Cohen. Evie is offered an internship, but it does not have health insurance. Theo's roommates move out for one reason or another. They end up married for convenience. Theo can put Evie on his insurance. Theo has a spouse for the lease.
I wanted to like this tale, but it didn't appeal to me. I didn't like Evie. The pacing is inconsistent. This was supposed to be a Rom-Com but to me it wasn't funny.
Deadly Badlands Pursuit
Sharee Stover
https://shareestover.com
Love Inspired Suspense
9781335484123, $7.99 PaperBack
B0D9YHFD5D, $15.99 Large-print, $4.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Badlands-Pursuit-Dakota-Unit/dp/1335980555
Author Sharee Stover transport readers back to the South Dakota's Badlands National Park. This is the second book in this series.
The South Dakota landscape is beautiful but rugged. Cameron Holmes has been in the Witness Protection Program (WITSEC) since his family was murdered. He has been living on the ranch for a couple of years. K-9 Deputy US Marshall Gracie Fitzpatrick stopped by to check on Cameron while she was in the area investigating gun trafficking. It has been a while since Cameron checked in. The ranch was under ambush when Gracie arrived. It is up to Gracie and Bane, her K-9 partner, to keep Cameron alive. Together Bane, Gracie and Cam escaped into the Badlands. . Bane is a Belgian Malinois.
Cameron and Gracie are attracted to each other. Cameron likes where he lives and doesn't want to be transferred to another safe house. Someone has discovered Cameron's identity, and they are there to take him out.
It didn't take Cameron and Gracie long to realize they had a lot in common and they are attracted to each other. The action is gripping and non-stop. This is a Christian romance.
Some Like It Scot
Pepper Basham
Thomas Nelson
https://www.thomasnelson.com
9780840716743, $17.99 PaperBack, $7.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Some-Like-Scot-Pepper-Basham/dp/0840716745
Katie Campbell has a travel blog; it is not your usual travel blog. Katie shares stories about people she meets along her way. She was raised traveling; her father was an army chaplain which meant moving a lot from one town to another, from one state to another, from one country to another. She grew up making new friends and collecting stories. She managed to take her talent and turn it into a very nice career.
She is offered the opportunity to travel to Scotland for an Edwardian event at Craighill House. She visits with the towns people collecting stories and Scottish myths. The guests are an eccentric bunch. They are expected to live an Edwardian life for three weeks. When she arrives, she is greeted by a parrot swooping through the air. There is a Scot handyman, Graeme, that catches her eye. He appears to be grumpy but as she gets to know him her opinion changes. He is actually very striking, dashing, and formidable. He is raising his nephew. Katie is a bit accident prone and the strong Scot always seems to be there to recuse her.
Katie wants a home, a real home, one with roots, with a man that loves her, one with children but she also wants to continue traveling. Katie has never known true love or the comfort of home.
The romance between Graeme and Katie was so sweet. His family was delightful, especially his nephew. This tale has strong overtures of Christianity. I love this tale. The author's note was touching and added so much to the story.
The Marriage Pact, Amish of Marigold #3
Kathleen Fuller
Zondervan
https://www.zondervan.com
9780840713384, $17.99 PaperBack, $40.95 HardBack
B0D8VP83QY, $7.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Pact-Amish-Marigold-Novel/dp/084071338X
For over a year Daisy Hershberger has thought she is in love with Maynard; however, it is one sided. She has invited him to dinner, baked special treats for him and showing up anywhere he is. Maynard has never once shown her any special attention. She is so obsessed with Maynard that her parents send her to Marigold in hopes of getting Maynard off her mind. She is sent to stay with her cousin, Beth, on the pretext of helping her plan her cousin's upcoming wedding. When she arrives at their home, no one is home. She goes next door, where she meets Perry.
Perry Bontrager lives next door to Beth. He is an odd sort; he is obsessed with butterflies; he prefers his own company to others. Perry's family is convinced he will never find a woman willing to put up with him. His mother is always trying to match him up with some nice girl. Perry was hurt in the past and doesn't want to be hurt again.
When Daisy and Perry meet, they aren't sure what to make of each other. After a while they become good friends. Together they come up with a plan that should get his mother off his back and satisfy her family that she is meant to be with Maynard. She will pretend to be in love with Perry and he will help her convince Maynard that she is the one for him. They are so absorbed in butterflies and Maynard they do not see they are falling in love with each other.
Perry's employee, Furman Eash is having a hard time getting around. His knee hurts and he's having trouble walking. Perry brings him into his home and Daisy volunteers to help taking care of him.
This is a lovely Amish romance. Author Kathleen Fuller is a master of Amish romance. She throws in just the right amount of humor. This is the third book in the Amish of Marigold series. Perry is an interesting character he's a bit nerdish with large biceps. Daisy is a determined dreamer. She is naive and sort of innocent. Perry and Daisy are perfect for each other; they understand each other. There is another character in this book that stands out... Furman; he is funny, a bit of a grouch at times and a great match maker.
Where Secrets Lie
Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
Thomas Nelson
https://www.thomasnelson.com
9781400345694, $18.99
https://www.amazon.com/Where-Secrets-Tupelo-Grove-Novel/dp/1400345693
Savannah Webster is a college professor at Tupelo Grove University. She was shocked when she was turned down for tenure but then offered the position as president.
Her ex-husband is Hez; he is a recovering alcoholic. Savannah never stopped loving him; when he suggests they make another go of their marriage she is tempted. When she finds an empty wine bottle in his trash can she thinks he may be up to his old habits. She isn't sure she can trust him.
The board of the Tupelo Grove University offer Savannah the position of college president. She is both shocked and excited. Hez wants a new start with Savannah and with his new position of mentor at the university's legal clinic. He swears he has not gone back to his old way. He wants to help Savannah as she attempts to save the university from a mounting debt. The previous administration made very bad decisions. Savannah and Hez discover a smuggling ring involving the university. The deeper the investigation goes the more danger lies in waiting for both Savannah and Hez.
I love this book! The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep this reader turning pages. I was cheering for Hez and Savannah to reunite.
This is the second book in the Tupelo Grove series. I could not stop listening to Savannah and Hez's story. There are several subjects approached in this tale, they include: alcoholism, smuggling, theft, second chances, trust, and redemption.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.
Insignificant Others
Sarah Jio
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com
Harper Audio (audiobook)
9780063371156, $34.00 PaperBack, $30.00 HardBack, $45.95 AudioBook, $14.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Insignificant-Others-Enchanting-Time-Travel-Heartfelt/dp/0063371154
Lena Westbrook was wearing a beautiful red sequin dress as she awaited the arrival of her boyfriend. The restaurant was perfect with a violinist playing close by. He comes in late, sits down and reaches in his pocket and pulls out an envelope, not a ring.
Lena is a perfectionist with a type A personality. She is a planner and organizes every part of her life. After breaking up with "envelope guy" her heart is broken, she is confused, hurt and angry. She escapes to her aunt's home on Bainbridge Island. She needs to heal and re-tune her life. When she wakes up the next morning, she is no longer in the guest house, neither is she on Bainbridge Island. She is in an elegant Parisian flat. She is clothed in lavish silk lingerie. Lying next to her is a sexy, handsome French man... who thinks he is married to Lena.
Each morning Lena is transported to a different place. Each time she is married to a different person and ex or a brief encounter. She sees a glimpse of what her life could have been like if she had made a different decision. What if?????
This is an interesting read. We could all benefit from a few what if moments. As Lena revisits the men of her past, she begins questioning decisions she has made. She becomes attached to some of the men of her past. This tale has its humorous moments.
The Summer of You and Me
Denise Hunter
Thomas Nelson
https://www.thomasnelson.com
9781400348558, $18.99 PaperBack, $31.99 HardBack, $7.99 EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-You-Me-Denise-Hunter/dp/1400348552
Maggie Reynold's has spent the last five years grieving for her deceased husband Ethan. She believes she is ready to move on. Maggie is a teacher; she plans to spend the summer in Seabrook, NC along with her four-year-old daughter Zoey. While she and Zoey are visiting a carnival, she sees someone that looks like her deceased husband. She contacted Josh, her best friend and brother-in-law. Josh has loved Maggie from the day he first met her. But his older brother won Maggie's hand. Josh's feelings for Maggie have destroyed all his relationships including his marriage. He rushed to her side to attempt to figure out who she saw.
Maggie has feelings for Josh, but she feels guilty because he is her former brother-in-law. She feels like she is betraying Ethan. She doesn't want to get hurt.
It is so obvious that Maggie and Josh love each other. I enjoyed watching their feeling grow and how they overcome obstacles standing in their way. Maggie and Josh work well together. They uncover several secrets as they search for the identity of the person she saw at the carnival.
The characters in this book are mostly interesting and likeable. Zoey is sweet. Josh's parents were loving and supportive. However, Maggie's mother is horrible. Author Denise Hunter demonstrates the importance of good family dynamics, the need for closure, the need to heal. This tale demonstrates Christian values.
Next to Heaven
James Frey
Authors Equity
c/o Simon & Schuster (distribution)
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9798893310269 $26.00 HardBack, $23.99, $14.99, EBook
https://www.amazon.com/Next-Heaven-Novel-James-Frey/dp/B0DKPHX5B7
Devon Kensington McCallister is the wife of Billy McCallister, a hedge fund manager. Texas oil heiress, Belle Hedges Moore is the wife of Teddy Moore. Their search for a thrill will destroy their world. Grace is the wife of Alex; he is cute and tempting and a cheater. Charlie and Katy enjoy their single life.
New Bethlehem, Connecticut appears to be the ideal place to live. Best friends, Devon and Belle live in New Bethlehem. They have it all, money, status, beauty and friendship. They have everything they want except they are bored. They long for excitement. What could be more exciting than a "key "party (a swinger party)? They carefully worked on a list of guests, planned the special invitations, and planned the pairings. The party starts off well but quickly descends into chaos leading to murder. The residents of New Bethlehem demonstrate that money isn't everything; it does not buy happiness.
Author James Frey allows readers to peek through the windows of the elite, the wealthy, the famous, the pretenders. He demonstrates the lack of authenticity of those who depend on their wealth for happiness; they buy thinking one more item will fulfill the needs of their hollow life. They do not see how the worship of wealth is destroying their lives. The characters in this tale are not particularly likable but their flaws are what makes them relevant. There were times when I found the author's writing style rather odd and confusing.
Debra Gaynor, Reviewer
www.facebook.com/bookreviewsbydebra
www.hancockclarion.com
Jack Mason's Bookshelf
Creating the Future of Work
Anette Hallin, et al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035324477, $105.00, HC, 138pp
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/creating-the-future-of-work-9781035324477.html
Synopsis: "Creating the Future of Work: Imaginaries in an Era of Digitalization" from Edward Elgar Publishing is timely exploration of the ways in which the future of work and associated digital technologies are imagined in contemporary society. Drawing on a wealth of original research, "Creating the Future of Work" features detailed case studies that link broad sociological concepts to everyday practice.
Building on the view that ideas about the future matter, "Creating the Future of Work" examines four imaginaries -- namely, work as rational, work as human-machine collaboration, work as freedom and work as self-improvement. Also discussed is how these imaginaries of work and technology risk shaping unwanted futures, and outline different scenarios that reflect an ideal future working world.
"Creating the Future of Work" is an indispensable resource for academics and students of business and management, organization studies, employment relations, and the sociology of work and organizations. Researchers, policymakers and business professionals interested in creating a positive working environment and in deploying constructive technology will also find "Creating the Future of Work" to be of great importance.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking study, "Creating the Future of Work: Imaginaries in an Era of Digitalization" is co-authored by the team of: Anette Hallin, Christoffer Andersson, Lucia Crevani, Caroline Ingvarsson, Chris Ivory, Inti Lammi, Eva Lindell and Anna Uhlin (Malardalen University, Sweden). Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Creating the Future of Work" from Edward Elgar Publishing is Open Access. -- Open access books are publications made freely available online to the public, allowing unrestricted access and distribution without cost to readers. A link to access this title for free is available here: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035324484.
Editorial Note: Edward Elgar Publishing is a global publisher of academic books, journals and online resources in the social sciences and law. The company also publishes a social science and law blog with regular contributions from leading scholars.
Jack Mason
Reviewer
John Burroughs' Bookshelf
Dennis Morris: Music + Life
Dennis Morris, author
Laurie Hurwitz, editor
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500028377, $60.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dennis-Morris-Music-Life/dp/0500028370
Synopsis: "Dennis Morris: Music + Life" from Thames & Hudson is the first in-depth career retrospective of the trailblazing photographer, designer, and art director. Although Dennis Morris is celebrated for his iconic portraits of reggae superstar Bob Marley, this monograph also shines a light on Morris's documentary work, which explores questions of race and cultural identity as it draws on his experiences as a Black teenager in 1970s Britain. Supported by an international touring exhibition, Dennis Morris unveils a trove of previously unseen images, offering new insight into the image-maker's visual language.
Jamaican-born Morris moved to East London when he was just five years old. His passion for photography was ignited when he joined a local church's camera club. A rebellious thirteen-year-old, Morris skipped school to meet (and photograph) Marley, an encounter that would catapult him into a whirlwind tour with Marley and, subsequently, the Sex Pistols as their official photographer. His adventures in the reggae and punk scenes of the 1970s laid the groundwork for a multidecade career spanning photography, art direction, design, and music.
"Dennis Morris: Music + Life" unfolds in two symbiotic parts: the first captures Morris's unapologetic lens on race, culture, and identity in 1970s Britain, while the second surveys his collaborations with music legends, including (in addition to Marley) Lee "Scratch" Perry, Gregory Isaacs, and Marianne Faithfull. Featuring an original contribution from Sean O'Hagan and an essay by the late cultural theorist Stuart Hall, this unique and original volume promises to delight both photography aficionados and music lovers alike.
Critique: This large format (10 x 1.1 x 12.5 inches, 4.4 pounds) hardcover edition of "Dennis Morris: Music + Life" is embellished with 200 captioned illustrations (75 of which are in color). A visual fascinating volume that will be a special delight to the legions of Bob Marley, Reggie, Sex Pistol, fans. Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of informative essays and commentaries Simon Baker, Shoair Mavlien, Sean O'Hagan, Stuart Hall, and a seven page Timeline, "Dennis Morris: Music + Life" is a major and recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Music History & Photography collections.
Editorial Note #1: Dennis Morris (https://www.dennismorris.com/) is a British photographer, best known for his images of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols. He is also the author of Growing Up Black.
Editorial Note #2: Laurie Hurwitz is senior curator at the Maison Europeenne de la Photographie in Paris. Previously curated exhibitions include Boris Mikhailov: Ukrainian Diary, Zanele Muholi, and Erwin Wurm - Photographs. (www.art-critique.com/en/author/laurieh/)
John Burroughs
Reviewer
Julie Summers' Bookshelf
Greek Inscriptions: Ancient Scripts
Peter Liddel
J. Paul Getty Museum
c/o Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606069615, $18.95, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Greek-Inscriptions-Ancient-Peter-Liddel/dp/1606069616
Synopsis: Ancient Greek inscriptions are crucially important in understanding the cultures of Greece and the Mediterranean in antiquity. They provide glimpses of the behavior of the people of the time, including clues about their mindsets and aspirations. These public records combine word and image in a multitude of ways and are rich in the insights they offer.
The inscriptions examined comprising "Greek Inscriptions: Ancient Scripts" by Professor Peter Liddel are derived from a range of objects on metal or stone that include laws, decrees, accounts and inventories, honorific texts, dedications to deities, and funerary epitaphs. They give a broad view of interstate relations, historical narratives, and the political administration of various city-states while also providing new perspectives on concepts such as democracy, citizenship, gender, ethnicity, religion, and the supernatural.
Professor Liddel also emphasizes the physical form of the texts alongside their importance in understanding ancient Greek culture. Accessible and insightful, Greek Inscriptions both highlights the significance and history of these artifacts and examines their reception in the modern world.
Critique: Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Ancient Greek writing/inscriptions, "Greek Inscriptions: Ancient Scripts" is an impressively accessible introduction to Greek inscriptions for students, scholars, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject -- and one documents their relevance to the study and understanding of ancient Greek culture. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Greek Inscriptions: Ancient Scripts" from the J. Paul Getty Museum is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.00).
Editorial Note: Peter Liddel is professor of Greek history and epigraphy at the University of Manchester. (https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/peter.liddel)
Great Grandmother Remembers: Heirloom Treasury Of Memories
Judith Levy, author
Noelle Giddings, illustrator
G Editions LLC
https://geditions.com
9781943876655, $20.00, HC, 72pp
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Grandmother-Remembers-Heirloom-Grandchild/dp/1943876657
Synopsis: With "Great Grandmother Remembers: Heirloom Treasury Of Memories", families can celebrate the special great-grandmothers in their lives. This beautifully illustrated DIY keepsake memorial volume will captures family history, cherished memories, and words of wisdom. Designed and written by Judith Levy (the creator of the original fill-in memory books), this heartfelt gift is designed to be a treasured heirloom, passed down through the generations.
With simple prompts and plenty of space for family photos, "Great-Grandmother Remembers" invites great-grandmothers to record everything from their family tree to favorite recipes, unforgettable moments, and life lessons. This isn't just an ordinary memory book -- it is an unique and guided opportunity for the whole family to join in and bond over shared memories, ensuring that these important stories are preserved for future generations.
Judy Levy's bestselling books have sold millions of copies, and her unique approach to preserving family history has touched countless lives. Great-Grandmother Remembers builds on this legacy, offering a meaningful way for families to document their matriarch's life and experiences. Whether your great-grandmother is near or far, this keepsake is a gift that will bring generations together and ensure that her legacy is celebrated for years to come.
Critique: This large format (8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.00(d)) hardcover edition of Judith Levy's "Great Grandmother Remembers: Heirloom Treasury Of Memories" from G Editions LLC features impressive illustrations done in soft pastels by artist Noelle Giddings. A perfect gift that will capture for posterity the wisdom, memories, life experience and observations of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, "Great Grandmother Remembers: Heirloom Treasury Of Memories" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended choice as a gift. It would also well serve for amateur and professional genealogists for the purpose of family research.
Editorial Note #1: Judith Levy (www.goodreads.com/author/list/9231.Judith_Levy) and her husband have raised three daughters, and now have five grandchildren. Telling them how their grandparents met comes easily for Levy; she's a natural storyteller with a quick wit and an engaging sense of humor. Blessed with the gift of gab, Levy was surprised to discover, while attending a memoir-writing course at Florida Atlantic University some 40 years ago, that not all grandmothers have family tales tripping off their tongues. That realization led to a best-selling book, "Grandmother Remembers: A Written Heirloom" for My Grandchild. That book has spawned a series of related books . "Grandmother Remembers" is essentially "a baby book backwards," as Levy puts it. An illustrated album, it has spaces for photographs, but its pages are mainly filled with writing prompts to help a grandmother put down her memories on paper for posterity. Judith Levy and her husband, Herb, were named Grandparents of the year in 2007 for the state of Florida.
Editorial Note: Noelle Geddings (https://noellegiddings.com) graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1990 as an Illustration major and has been working on a professional freelance artist since that time. She spent many years as a successful comic book artist for Marvel, DC, and others, was an artist on the animated show "Doug" for the Nickelodeon Network, and the color editor and artist for Milestone Media, the comic books company dedicated to producing multicultural comics, with whom she continues to work. In addition, she has spent the last ten years creating "Original Cleared Art" for television and film and developing her multiple styles of talent and rendering. Along the way she has illustrated two children's books, Half and Half (Young Explorers) and Christmas With Grandma (Storytime Books).
A Northern Light in Provence
Elizabeth Birkelund
Ballantine Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9780593722213, $29.00, HC, 352pp
9780593722237, $18.00 PB / $14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Light-Provence-Novel/dp/0593722213
Synopsis: Ilse Erlund is a translator who lives in a house on stilts along the west coast of Greenland. Isolated and restless in her world by the sea, she convinces her publisher to pay for a trip to the country she has never visited but whose language she speaks fluently: France. Her mission is to translate the verses of Geoffrey "Po" Labaye, a charismatic poet known as "the last living troubadour of Provence."
Upon arrival in the medieval hilltop village of Belle Riviere, Ilse falls under the spell of the Provencal way of life, captivated by the air, the sun, the vibrant spring colors, and the dulcet sounds of the dialect. Soon enough, Ilse is captivated by the poet, too, and she and Po develop a daily rhythm and warm camaraderie -- which is disrupted by the arrival of the poet's son, Frey. Though he has a fiancee back in Paris, Frey turns his attentions to Ilse, and suddenly she is forced to learn another language, one her translation skills have not prepared her to decode. Where (and with whom) does her future lie?
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, a fun and fascinating read from cover to cover, "A Northern Light in Provence" by Elizabeth Birkelund will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in contemporary romance aptly set in a small French village. Especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "A Northern Light in Provence" from Ballantine Books is also readily available in paperback (9780593722237, $18.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Elizabeth Birkelund (https://www.elizabethbirkelund.com) is the author of two previous novels, "The Runaway Wife" and "The Dressmaker". She started her career in the editorial department of European Travel and Life magazine, then turned to freelance writing as a monthly personal finance columnist for Cosmopolitan. She has written for numerous national publications, including Glamour, Self, Working Woman, and Victoria.
Julie Summers
Reviewer
Margaret Lane's Bookshelf
The Yogi's Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality
Reema Datta
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608689408, $19.95, PB, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Yogis-Way-Transform-Health-Reality/dp/1608689409
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Yogi's Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality", celebrated yogi Reema Datta presents her world-renowned twelve-week course in book form -- an accessible and practical method for cultivating mental and emotional well-being, physical health, and spiritual nourishment.
"The Yogi's Way" combines ancient yogic wisdom and practices with cutting-edge science and personal stories to offer insightful solutions to the challenges of modern life. This holistic program integrates movement and breathwork with visualization, meditation, and awareness practices.
"The Yogi's Way" will help you overcome challenging thoughts and emotions such as fear and anxiety, awaken your creative potential, and connect with consciousness -- the deepest and most powerful part of yourself.
Critique: A complete DIY instructional guide and manual, "The Yogi's Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality" is the next best thing to enrolling in one of yogi instructor Reema Datta's 12-week courses. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Yogi's Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality" is suitable for novice and expert yogi practitioners alike. Organized into individual weeks, this twelve week program is expertly laid out. It is further enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an Introduction (A Return to Wisdom), a Conclusion (Peace is Possible), two Appendices (Building the Yogi Way & The Sun Salutation Practice with Mantra and Chakra Awareness), a two page listing of Acknowledgments, and ten pages of Notes. This paperback edition of "The Yogi's Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality" an extraordinary and recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Yoga collections. It should be noted for readers with an interest in Hindu Sutras and Ayurveda Medicine that Reema Datta's "The Yogi's Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Reema Datta (https://reemayoga.com/bio) is the founder of the Yogi's Way. She first learned yoga and Ayurveda from her mother, grandmothers, and grandfather, who wrote several books and gave seminars worldwide on Vedic philosophy and history. Datta has taught yoga and Ayurveda workshops, retreats, and trainings in more than twenty countries across five continents.
The Fourth Coming
Francis Keith Robins
Austin Macauley Publishers
https://www.austinmacauley.com
9781035861880, $26.95, HC, 138pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Coming-Francis-Keith-Robins/dp/1035861887
Synopsis: In a time of dire need, as climate change, conflict, and economic upheaval imperil our existence and our mental well-being deteriorates from not utilizing our minds as God intended, With the publication of "The Fourth Coming - How God Mathematics Can Put The World To Rights", author Francis Keith Robins introduces a groundbreaking approach to saving humanity - reshaping our thought processes through mathematics.
In "The Fourth Coming", Robins provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to unlocking our inherent mathematical potential. His vision is to create a society that is inclusive, equal, and peaceful - one that aligns with God's desire for us. He advocates for a paradigm shift where shared mathematical models and systematic thinking supplant the ineffective classes of governments and institutions currently jeopardizing our planet. This revolutionary approach aims to alter the trajectory of human history in a manner that aligns with divine intentions.
Robins' theories, described as a work of mathematical brilliance, offer a refreshingly simple yet profound solution to consciousness - which, as noted by 'New Scientist', remains one of the most elusive and significant mysteries in science and philosophy. Furthermore, he concludes that the introduction of religion by God was a response to humanity's failure to use their brains as He intended.
Critique: Unique, eloquent, erudite, iconoclastic, groundbreaking, fascinating, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Fourth Coming - How God Mathematics Can Put The World To Rights" will have an immense appeal to readers with an interest in philosophy, metaphysics, religion, and science. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Fourth Coming" by Francis Keith Robins is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, seminary, and college/university library collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Fourth Coming" is also readily available from Austin Macauley in paperback (9781035861873, $11.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.50).
Editorial Note: Francis Keith Robins (https://www.powerofobjectivethinking.com), is a philosophical mathematician from Merseyside, Northwest England, who possesses a singular mind from which has emerged a radical solution to the existential threats facing the world today - changing the way we think and reason. His mathematical models of set thinking and the 15 classes of knowledge have provided a framework on which a new, more egalitarian, society can be created. Robins attributes his breakthroughs in the field of God mathematics to his hypersensitive and hyperactive mind and a life lived through the lens of mathematical principles. He has a maths degree from Bradford University and spent three decades as an auditor for the British civil service.
Margaret Lane
Reviewer
Matthew McCarty's Bookshelf
One Nation Under Guns
Dominic Erdozian
Crown Publishing
c/o Penguin Random House
penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593594315, $16.50 Hardcover, $16.99 Kindle xviii 270 pgs.
https://www.amazon.com/One-Nation-Under-Guns-Threatens/dp/0593594312
American gun culture has become the cornerstone of how the world perceives our country and our community. Gun culture has given America an image as a rough and ready for a fight outpost on the fringes of right and wrong. Author Dominic Erdozian, a practicing historian, with an outside looking in perspective, writes that the gun culture in America has effectively altered how Americans live and work. One Nation Under Guns: How Gun Culture Distorts Our History and Threatens our Democracy (New York: Crown Publishing, 2024, xviii, 270 pgs., USA $28, CAN $37.99) is Erdozian's look at how the American gun culture has evolved from an understanding of how gun owners need to be a part of a "well-regulated militia" to an ultra-powerful lobbying force that has directed policy at each level of government for many years.
Erdozian writes about how the National Rifle Association has taken the meaning of the Second Amendment to the Constitution and used it as a politicizing weapon against sensible gun control laws. The NRA has evolved into a business that single-handedly lobbies members of Congress, as well as local and state politicians, against passing gun control laws. These gun control laws would positively impact American communities but would have a negative impact on gun companies and their related industries. Erdozian does well in helping the reader to understand that the gun crisis in America has evolved into a public health crisis. He shows the reader just how far the NRA has regressed in attempting to control the conversation about guns in the public arena.
One Nation Under Guns should be required reading for anyone interested in how the NRA has changed America. Erdozian writes authoritatively that the NRA has influenced the last several decades of gun-control policy in a very negative light. The reader who comes to One Nation Under Guns looking for a history of guns in America will have their quest answered. They will also read about how guns have given an almost free-reign to take the law into our own hands. This has proven to be consistently bad, both as a way of life and as public policy. One Nation Under Guns is a great primer for the socially conscious American who desires positive and progressive change in our wonderful society.
Embers of the Hands
Eleanor Barraclough
WW Norton & Co.
www.wwnorton.com
9781324089230, $32.99 Hardcover, $16.92 Kindle, 374 pgs.
https://www.amazon.com/Embers-Hands-Hidden-Histories-Viking/dp/1324089237
The Viking Age of World History has produced some of the greatest historical figures and stories of the last millennium. The voyages of Eric the Red to North America and the fascination that modern folks have with the Norse Gods make for some very exciting reading. Author Eleanor Barraclough has written an in-depth history of the Vikings, also called the Northmen or Norse. Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age (New York: WW Norton and Co., 2024, 374 pgs, US $32.99 CAN $43.99), is a wonderful chronicle of life among the Vikings. Embers of the Hands is a fine example of narrative history.
Barraclough describes life for both the ruling class of Vikings and average citizens with equal attention. The Vikings were a people who adapted to life among the cold climates of the North (Scandinavia, Denmark, and eventually parts of North America) with an inventiveness that later conquerors would only dream of. Life in a typical Viking village is described as both difficult but fulfilling and daily tasks are described with the same attention as military campaigns. The Vikings left a lasting impression on the peoples and cultures that they encountered much as the Huns had in an earlier age. However, the Vikings possessed the skill and knowledge to assimilate into alien cultures that the Huns often lacked.
Barraclough writes with the attention to detail of the academic historian and the narrative ability of the novelist. Embers of the Hands reads much as narrative history should. Narrative history should be interesting to both the academic and the lay reader alike. Barraclough has accomplished this with Embers of the Hands. Academic historians would do well to look to Barraclough as an example of how to write history to reach the masses.
Matthew W. McCarty, EdD
Reviewer
Michael Carson's Bookshelf
Yogalands: In Search of Practice on the Mat and in the World
Paul Bramadat
McGill-Queen's University Press
www.mqup.ca
9780228023746, $24.95, PB, 294pp
https://www.amazon.com/Yogalands-Search-Practice-Mat-World/dp/0228023742
Synopsis: Millions of people practise yoga, attracted to the mat by its promise of physical and mental benefits, social connection, and spiritual nourishment. Promoted as a way of healing the body and mind from wounds inflicted by the world, modern yoga may be a critique of the social order - an "anti-world" to which practitioners escape. Yet yoga can never free itself entirely from the compromises and contradictions of reality.
With the publication of "Yogalands: In Search of Practice on the Mat and in the World", Paul Bramadat wrestles with his position as a skeptical scholar who is also a devoted yoga practitioner. Drawing from his own experience, and from conversations with hundreds of yoga teachers and students in the United States and Canada, he seeks to understand what yoga means for people in the modern West. In doing so, he addresses issues that often sit beneath the surface in yogaland: why yoga's religious dimensions are rarely mentioned in classes; how the relationship between yoga and trauma might be reconsidered; and how yoga seems to have survived debates around nationalism, cultural appropriation, and sexual misconduct.
"Yogalands" encourages practitioners and critics to be more curious about yoga. For insiders, this can deepen their practice, and for observers, this approach is an inspiring and unsettling model for engaging with other passionate commitments.
Critique: Partly a study of American popular culture in reference to the practice of yoga, partly a study of the religious/spiritual aspects of how yoga is presented to both its novice and seasoned practitioners, and partly a history of yoga in the U.S. and around the world, "Yogalands: In Search of Practice on the Mat and in the World" is an inherently fascinating and thought-provoking read that will hold immense appeal to readers with an interest in the practice of yoga and its historical origins in the context of Eastern religions. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented for the benefit of the reader, "Yogalands: In Search of Practice on the Mat and in the World" by Paul Bramadat is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Yoga Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Yogalands: In Search of Practice on the Mat and in the World" from McGill-Queen's University Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.70, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Paul Bramadat is Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria, BC, Canada (https://ancientfutures.substack.com/p/paul-bramadat)
Michael J. Carson
Reviewer
Robin Friedman's Bookshelf
A Patchwork Planet
Anne Tyler
Vintage
https://knopfdoubleday.com/imprint/vintage
9780449003985, $16.00, paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Patchwork-Planet-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0449003981
The Story Of Barnaby Gitlin
Anne Tyler's novel "A Patchwork Planet" (1998) tells a small particular story that radiates. Tyler tells a belated coming of age story about Barnaby Gitlin, 30, who is trying to overcome a troubled past and discover what he wants to do in life. Barnaby is the first-person narrator of his tale which is set primarily in Baltimore but also in Philadelphia and on the trains between the cities.
Barnaby is divorced with a daughter, Opal, 9 who lives with her mother Natalie and her husband in the exclusive Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia. Barnaby himself is the child of the well-to-do Gaitlin family which had made its fortune generations earlier when an ancestor had taken the advice of his guardian angel. Barnaby searches throughout the book for his own guardian angel to make something of his life. He had had a youth of delinquency breaking into neighboring homes and looking into their letters and intimate possessions without actually stealing. He also had set fire to his parent's home. Upon returning from a high end reform school, Barnaby took a low paying job for a small company, Rent-a-Back which involved heavy lifting, moving items, and running errands for a largely senior clientele. He has an uneasy relationship with his parents, especially his mother who is from a middling, not-wealthy background, and lives in a cramped, basement apartment.
Barnaby is a loner but his relationships with many people, his parents, grandparents on his mother's side. and the elderly clients for whom he works are intricately described in his story. But the book turns most on Barnaby's relationship with two women. Early in the book, Barnaby meets Sophia, 36, during the course of his monthly train trips to Philadelphia to see his daughter. Sophia is a bank loan office, dignified, prim, and organized. She and Barnaby gradually develop what may be a lasting relationship. At one point, Barnaby sees Sophia as the angel for whom he seeks, but this view is dispelled.
Martine is the other primary character in Barnaby's story. She is small in build, rugged, muscular, and colloquial. She works with Barnaby at Rent-a-Back and the two spend much time together, work and social. Their relationship status is uncertain.
The story is localized and particular inside Barnaby's mind and with others as he tries to find his angel and a course for his life. Characters are developed in convincing scenes, showing the vicissitudes of old age and the pulls of social class. Barnaby carries on trying to be good and to do his job with the burden of his early life behind him.
The story is localized and inward but it gradually mirrors out. Late in the novel, after an unsuccessful visit to Opal on her 10th birthday, Barnaby sits by himself in a Philadelphia park and has something of an epiphany as he reflects upon his life and in particular upon his relationships with women and with his former wife Natalie. Another brief scene late in the story gives the novel its title. One of Barnaby's favorite clients, a Mrs. Alford, has passed on. With her failing eyesight, she has spent her moments working on a quilt of the blue planet, the earth. The quilt is hinted at throughout the story but Barnaby sees it only upon Mrs. Alford's death. Barnaby describes what he sees in the quilt.
"I'd heard about that planet quilt often, but I'd never seen it. What I had pictured was a kind of fabric map-- a plaid Canada, a gingham U.S. Instead the circle was made up of mismatched squares of cloth no bigger than postage stamps, joined by the uneven black stitches of a woman whose eyesight was failing. Planet Earth, in Mrs. Alford's version, was makeshift and haphazard, clumsily cobbled together, overlapping and crowded and likely to fall into pieces at any moment."
Barnaby's story broadens both inwardly and outwardly. From a story of a troubled man in search of himself, Tyler has created a story of family life and its tensions, the difficulties of aging, the force of social classes, and the need for love. These human searches for meaning occur on a planet which is "makeshift and haphazard" and "likely to fall into pieces at any moment." Tyler approaches and understands large things through particulars. I found much to be pondered in this moving, engaging novel.
A Spool of Blue Thread
Anne Tyler
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
https://knopfdoubleday.com
9780553394399, $18.00, paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Spool-Blue-Thread-Novel/dp/0553394398
This Old House
A large old-fashioned house in Baltimore is both the scene of and a primary character in "A Spool of Blue Thread" (2015) the 20th novel of Anne Tyler. The novel follows the course of the house from its construction by the Whitshank family, a family of builders and contractors. The Whitshanks soon acquire the house from its original owners and occupy it for decades. Age ultimately catches up with all. With the death of the family matriarch, Abby, and the growing infirmity of her husband, Red, the family is forced to leave the house as the family members go their ways.
It is a broad but simple story and shares much with Tyler's earlier novels. The book focuses on family life and on family members as well as on the old house as a unifying force. The book flips back and forth in time between the 1920s and the early 21st Century. The book consists of four parts, with the first and far the longest part set in contemporary Baltimore, the second and third parts going back in time to the courtships of the two primary Whitshank couples, and the brief final part returning to contemporary life.
Most of the focus is on the present generation of Whitshanks, with the mother, Abby, and the father, Red, and their family of four children, two boys and two girls. Three of the children have married with families of their own while the fourth, Denny, is the odd and most intriguing character. He has never fit in, wanders away from the family, quarrels, and has difficulty finding work. He has also been his mother's favorite. Denny and Abby receive most of the attention in this book. Denny in his aloneness resembles many men in other Tyler novels such as Ezra Tull in "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" and Barnaby Gitlin in "A Patchwork Planet" as well as the wayward son Jack Boughton in the "Gilead" novels of Marilynne Robinson. For all of the book's emphasis on family, the wayward, solitary, Denny is clearly the character that most captures Tyler's heart.
The book develops the long story of family tensions and heartbreaks and of moments of togetherness and attempt to find unity. Tyler portrays each of the characters as individuals. The book moves slowly and includes some large communal family scenes, especially long dinners. The old age of Abby and Red is the glue that brings the family together as each of the children and their own families return to the old house to help their parents and to return to the tensions of old among them.
The earlier generation of Whitshanks, Junior and Linne, also play crucial roles in the story. They had met when young and got back together later. both under less than ideal circumstances. Their reunion takes place in Depression-Era Baltimore with the scenes of that time beautifully described. Junior establishes himself in the construction business and builds and maintains the old house, only to purchase it from its original owners as the family home. Much of the book shows the difference in classes between working people such as the Whitshanks and the more educated community where the old house is situated. The Whitshanks never fit in with their surroundings and become convinced of their own uniqueness.
"What a world, what a world" the title of Part two of the novel aptly describes the book and its story of the everyday. ."A Spool of Blue Thread" is a moving story of family and people, although it reads slowly in places. It is longer and more spacious than most of Tyler's novels. It took time, but I was drawn into the story and into the family. Tyler understands people and human frailty well. The book offers its moments of humor together with a clearsighted, view of people with their faults -- told without anger or criticism. Individuals, such as Denny, still must struggle to find their way. "What a world, what a world", indeed.
A Ring for a King: A Tale of King Solomon
Martha Seif Simpson, author
D. Yael Bernhard, illustrator
Wisdom Tales
https://www.wisdomtalespress.com
9781957670119, $19.95, hardcover
https://www.amazon.com/Ring-King-Tale-Solomon/dp/1957670118
From King Solomon To Abraham Lincoln
On September 30, 1859, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech at the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee and alluded to the ancient saying "this too shall pass." Here are Lincoln's words. "It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentiment to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words, 'And this, too, shall pass away.' How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride; how consoling in the depths of affliction! 'And this, too, shall pass away.' And yet, let us hope, it is not quite true. Let us hope, rather, that by the best cultivation of the physical world, beneath and around us, and the intellectual and moral worlds within us, we shall secure an individual, social, and political prosperity and happiness, whose course shall be onward and upward, and which, while the earth endures, shall not pass away."
Lincoln spoke words of hope for difficult times in his day and in our own. I was reminded of these words by Martha Seif Simpson's note to her new children's book "A Ring for a King: A Tale of King Solomon" which places their possible origin in the reign of King Solomon (c 930 -- 971 BCE). Written for children between 4 and 8 years of age, the story has a timeless message for both children and adults. D. Yael Bernhard beautifully illustrated the book using ancient artifacts and sources available in several archeological museums in Jerusalem. Simpson and Bernhard have collaborated on several earlier children's books with Jewish settings, including "The Dreidel that Wouldn't Spin" and "Esther's Gragger".
This retelling features a young lad, Ezra, who works as a kitchen servant in the court of King Solomon. As a cupbearer, Ezra has won the king's trust. The wise king is puzzled by the inevitability of change and by his inability to comfort the sad person or to humble the arrogant person. Ezra sets out to help the king.
When he performs a small good deed, Ezra receives a ring with three Hebrew letters inscribed from a mysterious stranger. He takes the ring to King Solomon who see that the letters stand for the Hebrew phrase "Gam Zeh Ya'avor" or "This too shall pass;" King Solomon understands that this phrase will comfort the troubled in their sorrow and humble the boastful in their arrogance in that everything human is subject to change. Ezra receives a sack of gold as a reward which he shares with his benefactor.
This is a wonderful little story, beautifully told and illustrated. It offers much to discuss for children and for their adult readers. It made my day and also intrigued me enough to search for the use of "this too shall pass" in the words of Lincoln. (The quotation may be found on the National Park Service website for the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Illinois.)
Wisdom Tales Press published this book as part of its series of children's books from around the world with spiritual themes. It is an outstanding addition to the series. Wisdom Tales kindly sent me a copy to review.
Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution
James M. McPherson
Oxford University Press
https://www.corp.oup.com
9780195076066, $22.99, paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-Second-American-Revolution/dp/0195076060
How Lincoln Transformed America
Books on Abraham Lincoln and on the Civil War abound, but few books explore their significance with the eloquence and erudition of Professor McPherson's "Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution." This book is a compilation of seven essays which discuss the transformations the Civil War brought to the character of the United States and the indispensable role Lincoln played in bringing these transformations about.
In these essays, Professor McPherson explains that the changes the Civil War brought about can be summarized in two words: Nation and Liberty. First, The Civil War transformed a Union of States into a single Nation. This change is exemplified in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. As Professor McPherson points out in the preface to his essays, in the Gettysburg Address Lincoln spoke of the American "nation" rather than of a "union" in order "to invoke a new birth of American Freedom and nationhood." (p. vii)
Second, the change of America from a union of states to a nation was accompanied by a change in the concept of liberty on which the nation was founded. In a word, this change involved emancipation, the abolition of slavery, and the application to all people of the principle articulated in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal". In several essays, Professor McPherson uses the work of the political philosopher Isaiah Berlin to develop a distinction between negative and positive liberty. Before the Civil War, liberty was understood primarily in a negative way which involved individual freedom from government regulation and freedom from interference with private property. With the Civil War, the concept of liberty changed to allow the Federal government to assume a positive role in promoting human freedom and human good. The most striking example, of course, is the abolition of slavery. But the concept of the government's role in creating a positive concept of liberty has continued.
Professor McPherson's essays show how Lincoln unified the ideals of Nationhood and Liberty as the Civil War progressed and thus effected a revolution in the basic nature of the United States. The essays explore these basic themes masterfully as Professor McPherson discusses Lincoln's political skills, his insistence on the unconditional surrender of the South, the development of Lincoln's ideas on emancipation, the significance to the second American Revolution of Lincoln's eloquence as a speaker and a writer, and much else.
Professor McPherson also discusses the Reconstruction period in a thoughtful way. He takes issue, in part with modern revisionists who claim that the Civil War failed in its basic aims by the backtracking from Reconstruction and by the reinstitution of Jim Crow that occurred following 1876. A "second reconstruction" proved necessary in the mid-20th Century to realize fully the aims of the first. But this does not derogate, Professor McPherson argues, the significance of the Revolution that was wrought by Lincoln and the Civil War.
This book will help the reader to think about Abraham Lincoln and to understand why the Civil War remains the pivotal event in our Nation's history.
Boutwell: Radical Republican and Champion of Democracy
Jeffrey Boutwell
W.W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324074267, $39.99, hardcover
https://www.amazon.com/Boutwell-Radical-Republican-Champion-Democracy/dp/1324074264
Learning About George Boutwell
Many people, both well-known and obscure, have made valuable contributions to our country. Counted among those less-known is George Sewall Boutwell (1818 - 1905), who enjoyed a seven-decade career of public service yet remains little remembered today. Jeffrey Boutwell, a writer, historian, and science policy specialist (as well as distant relation of his subject) has written the first major biography of Boutwell titled, Boutwell: Radical Republican and Champion of Democracy. In it he tries to show why George Boutwell is important and deserves wider remembrance.
The author states that his interest in his subject stemmed from reading a book about the Reconstruction Era and becoming fascinated by the courage George Boutwell showed while serving in the US Senate. While Reconstruction was nearing its end, Boutwell traveled to Jackson and Aberdeen, Mississippi to document white supremacist violence and efforts there to deny Black voting rights during elections in 1875. Boutwell and his committee collected extensive evidence about the extent and nature of the intimidation inflicted upon Black Americans.
Learning this information moved the author to explore George Boutwell's career in depth, including his service in the Lincoln and Grant administrations and his role in the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. This moving and thorough biography is the result. The book consists of an Introduction and Epilogue and five chapters discussing Boutwell's early life, his service during the Lincoln administration, his role during the Johnson presidency, his long-term relationship with Ulysses Grant, and his later years.
Boutwell was born into a farming family in Massachusetts of modest means and was largely self- taught. As a young man, he became active in business, law, and politics and served two terms as a Democratic governor of Massachusetts while still in his early 30s. Strongly opposed to slavery, Boutwell left the Democratic Party in 1854 and participated in the formation of the Republican Party in Massachusetts. He participated in drafting the 1860 Republican platform leading to the election of Abraham Lincoln. Boutwell distinguished himself during Lincoln's administration as the first Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, responsible for raising the funds necessary for the prosecution of the Civil War. Boutwell then served as a member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts where he helped draw up the Articles of Impeachment against Andrew Johnson, participated in drafting the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, and began a long friendship with Ulysses S. Grant.
During Grant's first term, Boutwell served as the Secretary of the Treasury where he foiled an attempt by speculators to capture the gold market and worked to put the United States on sound financial footing by retiring the large Civil War debt. Throughout, he was a strong supporter of equal political and civil rights for African Americans. Boutwell served in the Senate during Grant's second term and urged him to remain firm on Reconstruction.
Denied a second term in the Senate, Boutwell remained active in politics and had another important moment in the public eye late in his life. He strongly opposed imperialism and the United States conquest of the Philippines following the Spanish American War. Boutwell became leader of the opposition to annex the Philippines and spoke out eloquently against it. Although a staunch Republican since 1854, Boutwell felt so strongly about the Philippine Annexation that he changed his political affiliation again and returned to the Democratic Party.
Jeffrey Boutwell writes well with knowledge of and admiration for his subject. The book weaves together Boutwell's life and activities with complex, momentous events across several periods of American history. The author stresses Boutwell's lifelong commitment and activism in the areas of equal rights for African Americans and his careful, detail-oriented service as Commissioner of the IRS and as Secretary of the Treasury. The author also shows impressive insight into American history during Boutwell's long years of service. The book occasionally loses its focus on Boutwell in its discussion of the broader history. And while the author discusses Boutwell's accomplishments in detail, Boutwell himself remains an enigma. The book shows Boutwell's public life but much less of the private man. This may be due to the reticence of the nineteenth century on private matters and to Boutwell's tendency to work behind the scenes and in part out of public view.
The author in fact points to Boutwell's reticence as a reason for his relative historical neglect. He also suggests that Boutwell has suffered inattention due to his role in the Johnson impeachment, his affiliation with the Grant presidency and its taints of corruption, his strong support of Radical Reconstruction, and his opposition to annexation of the Philippines. Historians have revised and revisited their views of each of these matters in recent years.
Boutwell: Radical Republican and Champion of Democracy tells the story of a dedicated and thoughtful public servant, something of an unsung hero, who made important contributions to the United States. Jeffrey Boutwell has performed a service in writing this book which will be of interest and benefit to students of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
This review was posted on the Emerging Civil War (ECW) website on April 3, 2025 and is used here with permission.
Robin Friedman
Reviewer
Suanne Schafer's Bookshelf
Clever Little Thing
Helena Echlin
Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593949061, $31.00 (large print edition)
https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Little-Thing-Helena-Echlin/dp/0593949064
Helen Echlin's Clever Little Thing is a devourable psychological thriller full of plot twist after plot twist, lie after lie. Echlin keeps the tension up through tight prose that reveal the main character, Charlotte's state of mind, a woman walking on the edge yet never veering into hysteria. A woman who'd do anything to protect her child.
Charlotte, happily married to Pete, has an eight-year-old daughter, Stella, who is bright, reading on an adult level, but "on the spectrum" and who doesn't conform to social or cultural expectations. Charlotte is pregnant with their second child after multiple miscarriages and understandably anxious about both the unborn child and Stella. Stella's babysitter, Blanka, resigns suddenly and dies a few days later. Shortly thereafter, Charlotte notices what, to her, are disturbing changes in Stella's behavior. From being a bright, creative if socially awkward child, Stella becomes quiet, docile, and withdrawn, a model child as far as Pete is concerned, but Charlotte misses her child's vibrant personality and knows something is wrong. Charlotte becomes something of an amateur sleuth and tries to solve the dual mysteries of whether Blanka's death is an accident and what is going on with the sudden changes in Stella's behavior. Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed with the changes in her daughter's behavior, though Pete feels they are all in Charlotte's pregnancy-addled mind. As Charlotte comes to the only logical conclusion, she - and the reader - question what is real.
Threaded through Clever Little Thing are important themes: dealing with a child on the spectrum, autistic parents, autistic children; the stressors placed on parents to produce "perfect" children; stressors placed on children to be "perfect" and "exceptional"; depression and pre- and post-partum depression; and international refugees and pogroms.
The Whip
Karen Kondazian
https://kondazian.com
Hansen Publishing Group
https://hansenpublishing.com
9781601823021, $18.00
https://www.amazon.com/Whip-novel-inspired-Charley-Parkhurst/dp/1601823029
The Whip is a fictionalized biography of a famous Wells Fargo stagecoach driver in California. Charlotte Parkhurst (1812-1879) is dropped at an orphanage as an infant. She soon bonds with a boy named Lee Colton who assumes the role of her protector and best friend, who tempts her into playing games with the other boys instead of stitching with the rest of the girls. When Charlotte proves too recalcitrant for the head mistress, the girl is sentenced to live in the barn with the animals. There she falls under the spell of horses and the old Black man who's in charge of them. He teaches her to drive a carriage.
After Charlotte leaves the orphanage she lives a solitary, itinerant life until she falls in love with Byron, a Black blacksmith, with whom she has a child. The pre-Civil War racism catches up with her when her lover is hanged by the KKK - led by Lee, who is hurt that Charley doesn't love him, but loves a Black man instead. Lee takes off to California and Charley follows, set on revenge. To get there, she disguises herself as a man and takes a job with Wells Fargo. From this point, with rare exceptions, she lives her life as a male.
I enjoyed reading this as it dealt with many issues I consider particularly pertinent in the current times: the patriarchy, feminism, and racism. It's also one of those women who beat the code of the American West stories. There is some gorgeous writing, such as this description of the sky: "It was as though all that heavy azure might wrench itself free from the Good Lord's hand and plummet to the earth." However, there were places I felt could have used more fleshing out and chapters five and forty (Charley's death scene) were essentially identical, the duplication doing nothing to enhance the story.
The Stolen Queen
Fiona Davis
Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593949214, $31.00 (large print edition)
https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Queen-Novel-Fiona-Davis/dp/0593949218
The Stolen Queen is a dual-time line story split between Egypt in 1936 and New York in 1978. In the earlier timeline, Charlotte Cross, a budding archeologist, falls in love with a fellow Egyptologist then faces an horrific tragedy that upends her life. She returns to her family in New York and refuses to ever return to Egypt. In 1978, she's become an associate curator in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Department of Egyptian Art.
The two women meet when Vreeland demands the use of a broad necklace from the Department of Egyptian Art to use with a costume display and sends Annie to demand it. The night of the gala, a piece of Egyptian art disappears, and the two women team up to look for it. Charlotte must return to Egypt to face her demons.
The two women meet when Vreeland demands the use of a broad necklace from the Department of Egyptian Art to use with a costume display. The night of the gala, a piece of Egyptian art disappears, and the two women team up to look for it. Charlotte must return to Egypt to face her demons.
I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Met and am always fascinated by anything related to Egypt. However, I felt Davis's efforts to tie all the loose ends together stretched the bounds of believability and resulted in a less satisfying, almost too-good-to-feel-true ending.
Afraid to Let Grow (Book 2 of the Marriage Survivors Club series)
Annette Nauraine
https://annettenauraine.com
Beasley Books
9781736308080, $15.99
https://www.amazon.com/Afraid-Let-Grow-Annette-Nauraine/dp/1736308084
Afraid to Let Grow is the second in the Marriage Survivors Club series but can easily be read as a standalone novel without having read the prequel (In the Beginning) or the first in the series (Do Over Daughter). The series involves the intertwined stories of a group of never-married or divorced women as they navigate life and children and possible second-chance romances.
In Afraid to Let Grow, the protagonist, Olivia Maxwell, has allowed her fears to govern her life to the extent that she won't risk anything and is sheltering her college-age son and her Down syndrome daughter excessively. With the help of friends, family, and a new love, she learns to let go of her at-times irrational fears and grow as a woman and mother. The series is nice, inspiring women's fiction read with lovely characters, though a bit slow-paced at times.
Weyward
Emilia Hart
St. Martin's Griffin
https://www.stmartins.com
9781250842725, $19.00
https://www.amazon.com/Weyward-Novel-Emilia-Hart/dp/1250842727
Weyward is a lovely three point-of-view debut novel about three women who exist four centuries apart (Altha in 1619, Violet in 1942, and Kate in 2019). Their timelines and lives are intertwined and connected by their common family history, their struggle with evil in their lives, and their intense connection with nature. A bit of magical realism is tossed in as well.
Altha and her mother are healers in the 17th century. Altha, after her mother dies, is accused of witchcraft and faces death during her trial. During World War II, Violet lives with her brother and father, isolated at home, not even allowed to visit the nearest little village. She knows little of her family's past, not even the cause of her mother's death. Her evil involves a cousin, a soldier in Africa, who comes home on leave to visit, and leaves after raping her. Kate struggles with leaving an abusive spouse and heads to a cottage left to her by her aunt Violet.
In books with multiple timelines and point-of-view characters, it is often easy to prefer one over the others, but all three stories here were compelling on their own and even more so when put together.
Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age
Ada Palmer
University of Chicago Press
https://press.uchicago.edu/index.html
9780226837970, $37.50
https://www.amazon.com/Inventing-Renaissance-Myth-Golden-Age/dp/0226837971
I LOVE THIS BOOK. It is wildly expensive but worth every penny for its 757 pages. It is nonfiction that is humorous yet erudite. Believe it or not, there are truly some laugh-out-loud moments. Having lived in Italy, I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Florence, Milan, and Rome. Palmer essentially deconstructs the Renaissance and talks about why it had to be invented and how, rather than being a set timeframe, bits and pieces of it occurred over hundreds of years and the influence the Black Death and the Roman Empire had on the people, politics, and art of the time. The book covers mainly the Italian Renaissance with detours into England, Switzerland, France, Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.
Palmer looks at the lives of fifteen different Renaissance women and men and their roles in the making of the era. Some famous, some not-so-famous, these folks range from Alessandra Strozzi, Manetto Amanatini, Francesco Filelfo, Montesecco, Ippolita Maria Visconti Sforza, Josquin des Prez, Angelo Poliziano, Savonarola (of the Bonfire of the Vanities fame), Alessandra Scala, Raffaello Maffei il Volterrano, Lucrezia Borgia, Camilla Bartolini Rucellai, Michelangelo, Julia the Sibyl, Machiavelli (three parts on him), and finally, Pope Julius II.
This is fun reading on an absorbing topic.
The Antidote
Karen Russell
Knopf
https://knopfdoubleday.com
9780593802250, $14.99
https://www.amazon.com/Antidote-Novel-Karen-Russell-ebook/dp/B0D6VGZB4Y
Having just finished penning my own novel about the Dust Bowl, I picked up The Antidote, not realizing it was a book about the Dust Bowl. From the first few words, I developed a severe case of writers-envy - The Antidote is simply extraordinary, and I wish I'd written it.
Russell takes one of the worst moments in American history, the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, tosses it with magical realism. The Antidote opens in a fictional Nebraska town of Uz, Nebraska, during Black Sunday, April 16, 1935, when the worst dust storm in history strikes the Midwest. The novel follows five characters, the most compelling of whom is a Prairie Witch known as "The Vault" uses an ear horn (an old-fashioned trumpet-shaped hearing aid) who acts as something of a confessor to the townspeople who leave their memories on deposit with her to be retrieved later at their will. For some reason, the dust storm "bankrupts" her, and all the stored memories vanish. Other characters include a Polish wheat farmer whose fields are the only ones that are surviving the Dust Bowl; a basketball playing girl (his niece) who becomes the Prairie Witch's disciple; a Black New Deal photographer with a magical camera who comes to Uz to document the effects of the Dust Bowl; and a scarecrow with human sentience and memories that is stationed in the farmer's fields.
One of the best things about this book is its thoughts about memory lost, memory regained, and the formation of new memories which is a subject I find fascinating. Russell makes sharp social commentary within the pages of this story including social justice, personal and collective memory, and who exactly tells the story of "history." The prose is delightful with many unusual, yet haunting, turns of phrase. Loved this book enough to put it on my all-time favorites list!!!! Now I need to read the entirety of Russell's backlist.
The Sirens
Emilia Hart
St. Martin's Press
c/o Macmillan
https://us.macmillan.com/stmartinspress
9781250280824, $29.00 hc / $14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Sirens-Novel-Emilia-Hart/dp/1250280826
The Sirens is a two timeline story. One is set in 1800 with two sisters, Eliza and Mary, banished to Australia from England and carried there on the Naiad, a ship that sinks off the Australian shore with the loss of one hundred lives. The other timeline is contemporary, occurring in 2019 and involving two sisters, Lucy (a journalism student) and Jess (an artist), who share dreams of Eliza and Mary, an obsession with water, and a bizarre disfiguring skin condition, aquagenic urticaria, in which their skin reacts to contact with water, causing hives.
After Lucy begins having these dreams, she wakes up one night in her ex-lover's college dorm room, strangling him in a sleep-walking episode. To escape the uproar caused by his sharing of a nude picture of her and revealing her skin condition as well as her attempt to choke him, she drives to her sister's house in the town of Comber Bay where she discovers that her sister has vanished only days from a major art exhibition. Comber's Bay has a long history of bizarre happenings, including the wreck of the ship carrying Eliza and Mary to Australia and the disappearance of eight men over the course of several decades. To kill time while her sister shows up, Lucy starts researching the men and trying to find a link to their disappearances.
This book is dark and eerie with threads of Irish folklore and magical realism. The sirens here have a rather feminist attitude unlike in Greek mythology. I read this because I enjoyed Hart's Weyward, but did not enjoy this one as much. I found it dragged at times and also that neither Jess nor Lucy were particularly likable characters. Hart does a good job in showing women's strength when subjected to the tyrannical whims of her male characters.
The King's Messenger
Susanna Kearsley
Sourcebooks Landmark
https://www.sourcebooks.com
9781492689058, $14.99
https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Messenger-Deluxe-Susanna-Kearsley/dp/149268905X
In The King's Messenger, Kearsley takes as her inspiration the untimely death of Henry, the heir to the throne of King James (the son of Mary Queen of Scots) and Queen Anna. The book takes place in 1613 when young Andrew Logan, a Messenger for the King, is sent to bring Sir David Moray from Scotland to England to stand trial for the alleged poisoning of Henry. Logan is accompanied on the journey by Laurence Westaway, who serves as a scribe - to document any confession Moray may make on the trip - and Phoebe Westaway, who tags along because of her father's poor health. Phoebe dislikes Logan, which ratchets up the tension on the long, hazardous journey from England to Scotland, but she finds she must rely on him and his "second sight" for survival.
Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors due to her superb scholarship, deft portrayal of characters, and ability to verbally capture the atmosphere and speech patterns of the time period. Told from four points of view (Logan, Phoebe, Queen Ann, and Sir David Mornay), this book deals with honor, truth, and integrity. Her author's note at the end is worth the price of the book as she explains her research and reaches a logical conclusion to the actual cause of death of Henry. She has the grace to acknowledge that history is not made by kings and queens alone; common folk affect historical events as well, though they remain undocumented.
Suanne Schafer, Reviewer
www.SuanneSchaferAuthor.com
Susan Bethany's Bookshelf
The Baker of Lost Memories
Shirley Russak Wachtel
www.shirleywachtel.com
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662525674, $28.99, HC, 317pp
https://www.amazon.com/Baker-Lost-Memories-Novel/dp/1662525672
Synopsis: Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It's as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.
The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena's life, Lena forges ahead: college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena's happiness -- and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.
Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents' anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.
Critique: Deftly scripted, original, inherently fascinating, emotionally engaging, and a truly memorable read from cover to cover, "The Baker of Lost Memories" showcases author Shirley Russak Wachtel's genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that raises her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While this hardcover edition of "The Baker of Lost Memories" from Little A is unreservedly recommended for community library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in paperback (9781662527609, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Shirley Russak Wachtel (www.shirleywachtel.com) is the author of A Castle in Brooklyn. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, she was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Shirley holds a doctor of letters degree from Drew University and for the past thirty-five years has taught English literature at Middlesex College in Edison, New Jersey. Her podcast, EXTRAordinary People, features inspiring individuals who have overcome obstacles to make a difference.
Hi! I'm Cher. I Go Everywhere!
Jane Enright, author
Monica Joy & Asha Butler, illustrators
http://janeenrightauthor.com
Tellwell Talent
https://www.tellwellpublishing.com/us/homepage
9781779625489, $20.99, HC, 40pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hi-Im-Cher-Everywhere-Mindfulness/dp/1779625480
Synopsis: "Hip Hip Hooray for such a fun day! I got to be mindful, try new things, and play!"
"Hi! I'm Cher. I Go Everywhere!" is a mindfulness picture book for young children and their grownups. Fun, lively, entertaining and rhyming, it is inspired by the true-life story of a beautiful working dog named Cher who lives by the ocean. Cher inspires happiness and enriches the lives of everyone she meets by teaching them about the superpower of mindfulness!
Told through the wise eyes of Cher herself, this entertaining story encourages young readers to be playful and to be thankful for each day. Cher teaches children and their grownups how to respond to life's changes calmly, and how to stay present and aware with all or our senses in a "pawsitively" warm, wonderful way!
Filled with entertaining thoughtful phrases and fun, interactive activities to promote a positive attitude and a healthy sense of well-being, gratitude, love, kindness, creativity, calm, and peace, "Hi! I'm Cher. I Go Everywhere!" will help children and their parents, caregivers and teachers to learn how to use and celebrate the gift of mindfulness, live joyfully, and be confident and comfortable being their true authentic selves wherever you go.
Beautifully illustrated by the co-creator of CoComelon, "Hi! I'm Cher. I Go Everywhere!" is perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, early readers, and primary school students. It serves as an exceptional resource for parents, grandparents, teachers, educators, and caregivers.
Critique: Unique, original, special, and fun, "Hi! I'm Cher. I Go Everywhere!: A Mindfulness Book For Children And Their Grownups" by author/storyteller Jane Enright and co-illustrators Monica Joy and Asha Butler, is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 6 month to 8 years. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Hi! I'm Cher. I Go Everywhere!" from Tellwell Talent is also available in paperback (9781779625472, $12.50) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note #1: Jane Enright (https://www.janeenrightauthor.com) is a positive, uplifting, humorous Canadian creator and author of several award-winning books for grownups and children, including Butter Side Up: How I Survived My Most Terrible Year & Created My Super Awesome Life, and Jane's Jam: Inspiration to Create Your Super Awesome Life. Learn more about Jane on Instagram @janeenright.author or visit her at janeenrightauthor.com (http://janeenrightauthor.com).
Editorial Note #2: Monica Joy (www.monicavioletjoyproductions.com) is an artist, illustrator, writer, narrative designer, original content creator, and art director.
Editorial Note #3: Asha Butler (https://www.artstation.com/ashabootlerart) is a graduate of Kennesaw State University, and is a working artist who holds a BFA in Digital Animation.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Theresa Werba's Bookshelf
DoorWay, Vol. 3 of the English Cantos
James Sale
Independently Published
9798314456927, $11.61 Paperback
B0F27M6BK3, $2.99 Kindle, 194 pages
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F1NG4GHW
The Rhymes and Reasons of James Sale
I have had the honor and pleasure of knowing James Sale as a poetic colleague and ofttimes mentor for many years. I asked him once why he chooses to use imperfect rhymes in his poetry, because I had been under the impression that as formal poets we are never, ever to do it, and that is isn't following the rules of formal poetry to do it. His response was "There simply are not enough rhyming options in the English language, unlike Italian, which is full of options." At first I was uncomfortable with the seeming license he was taking in this what I perceived to be a sacrosanct element of formal poetry. How does he get away with that? Is that really allowed? When I first started reading his trilogy The English Cantos, this was really getting to me. It caused me to look constantly at the rhymes, to the detriment of my ability to read the actual poetry.
But I have come to realize what James Sale is doing with rhyming in his poetry is anything but a lack of discipline, or skill, or oversight: it is liberation, innovation, and re-creation. James Sale is not using "lazy rhyme;" he is deliberately, carefully stretching the boundaries of what is acceptable rhyming convention in English formal poetry. He uses his slant rhymes, half rhymes, near rhymes, assonant rhymes, consonant rhymes, light rhymes, and syllabic rhymes with abandon. With joy. With freedom. Lavishly. He is demonstrating that our language is a language that by default doesn't always perfectly rhyme - but when you get close, it can be as beautiful, and powerful, and in many instances, more effective than a perfect rhyme can ever be. I have come to appreciate his poetic moxie, his brazen iconoclasm, his stretching of the normative, his ingenuity. Whereas I was once rather religious in my approach to rhymes, I now see in James Sale's work how imperfect rhymes can be effective and of great beauty, and how he does not stray into the realm of formal poetic heresy. It is providing us with another way to look at English rhyming in poetry. It also provides an intentional alternative to the "predictability" inherent in perfect rhyme.
DoorWay is the third volume of the English Cantos trilogy. James Sale recounts his battle with cancer and descent into hell (HellWard, Vol. 1), his visit to purgatory (StairWell, Vol.2) and his ascent into heaven (DoorWay, Vol. 3). Jospeh Salemi aptly describes the trilogy as a "medieval dream vision," and throughout the entire work we encounter unusual, mystic, human, emotional, spiritual, and metaphysical realities. In DoorWay James Sale moves through the celestial constellations as he meets loved ones and poets (including, of course, Dante) and ultimately encounters God Himself. He combines mythology, astrology, and Christianity into a syncretic expression of the ultimate spiritual experience.
James Sale has written all three volumes of The English Cantos in terza rima form. This form consists of three-line stanzas, with groups of three rhymes alternating in a chain-like, interlocking pattern (aba bcb cdc). Whereas with a sonnet, you need only find one rhymed pair per quatrain (in the Shakespearean or Spencerian forms) or per octet and most sestets (in the Petrarchan form), with terza rima you need three rhymes per two tercet sets. The option to employ imperfect rhyming opens many unexploited poetic possibilities for rhyming in this challenging form.
Consider this set of tercets, from Canto 4 ("Detour to Taurus"):
"In turning then, to glance at what I'd see
Making disturbance so, and seeing, froze:
I saw its wings beating effortlessly;
Yet as they did flesh shifted, changed its clothes,
Me glimpsing glimmerings of some star's right
To be to which it must metamorphose:"
We have a delightful use of the word "metamorphose" as the rhyme to "froze" and "clothes", yet it is a near-perfect rhyme. Compare this with the following imperfect rhymes in Canto 2 ("St. Dismas Speaks"):
"Reminding me before I made my flit
Upwards, one action more to do, be sung:
Even to contemplate, my soul was lit.
'Hail!' and I turned, and saw the women's tongues
Like flames of fire ascending to the heights,
All nine, and one apart, more lovely, strong,"
Here we have the addition of "s" to "tongues" to rhyme with "sung" (some poets do this as a matter of course and do not consider this a form of imperfect rhyme, though I normally would), but then we have "strong" as a consonant rhyme to "sung" (where the final consonant rhymes but the preceding vowel is different). Contrast with the assonant rhymes in the following two tercets (Canto 1, "St. Dismas speaks"):
"So heavy that, despite Nenya which saves,
My knees buckled and lungs collapsed like shelves;
Yet for all that: epic faces, and braves:
'Hail! Hail! Great Muse, Calliope herself!
Visit me now and with your beauty let
Me soar where you taught John those secret spells;"
Here we have "shelves", "herself", and spells", which all have the same vowel, but the ending consonants are different.
An example of eye rhyme further illustrates expanded rhyming possibilities (Canto 2, "Family Scales"):
"Such runes as testify His glory's due;
Though meshed in flesh, embedded in deep mud
As you are; yet for all your filth accrued,
Still chosen because His Will produces good
Despite unworthy vessels of His grace.
You know (I know!) and sing about His blood.'"
Here we have "mud" "good" and "blood", and I have seen "good" and "blood" rhymed in Elizabethan poetry when I am pretty sure the words did actually rhyme, but we keep them as eye rhyme nowadays.
A particularly interesting use of imperfect rhyme is found in Canto 2 ("Family Scales"):
"So high, and first equal of those God made.
Like twins they were, the one called Lucifer
Who fell to where no light is, no words prayed-
His balance lost and righteousness tipped over-
So that in the midway of highest heaven
Michael held firm to prove ultimate victor."
I found this set of rhymes particularly interesting because I never thought to see Lucifer get his own rhyme! I also see that this is an actual perfect rhyme, because the schwa sound at the end of "Lucifer", "over" and "victor" are the same sound, though spelled differently. So an eye rhyme of a different sort!
I approached reading DoorWay with the idea to listen to the rhymes in my head with a different place in the ear than what I am used to utilizing. I now think of James Sale's poetry more as the way I might listen to a song, where imperfect rhymes are perfectly acceptable. Then it becomes more of an ornament to the pulses and rhythms and phraseology and storyline. I alertly relax, and enjoy the ride.
Not only did James Sale cause me to reconsider how to rhyme a poem, but he has filled me with wonder at some of the most inventive use of language I have ever read in poetry! Consider the following various lines:
"One hullabaloo, hubbub of joyous cries,"
"Some hypnagogic state holds one in lieu-"
"No sagging, sickly sorrows plaguing flesh,"
"My lips ablaze - cremating all my lies;"
"Linear, pillar-like of hot blue steam,"
"Behind, her hinds who fed on trefoil's leaves
Whose trifurcation tallied being blessed"
I have enjoyed every one of these poetic gems of language, and DoorWay is replete with them.
Another fine feature of DoorWay are the excellent annotations by fellow poet and literary critic Andrew Benson Brown, who provides supplemental information and insight throughout the work. The Kindle version makes accessing the annotations very easy, and you do not lose your place as you are reading!
I started as a wary member of the School of The Perfect Rhyme At All Cost, but James Sale has made me a convert to the School of Rhyming Possibilities. In my own poetry going forward I hope to be more open to the sounds and variables inherent in imperfect rhyme. I recommend DoorWay, and the entire English Cantos, as an impressive and satisfying reading experience, a work of technical skill and artistic achievement, a masterpiece for the ages.
James Sale has over 30 books to his credit listed on Amazon. In the U.K. his poems and literary work have appeared in the Bright Star Anthology, Heavenly Hymns: the 10th International Collection of English Poems, Footnotes, Iota, Krax, Linkway,The Little Word Machine, Lynx, New Hope International, Ore, PN Review, Quaker News and Views, The Schools Poetry Review, Terrible Work, The Third Half, Towards Wholeness, and DawnTreader. In the US he has appeared in The Anglo Theological Review, Ancient Paths Literary Magazine, Bible Advocate, New Poetry, The Epoch Times, October Hill Magazine, Art Times Journal, Lowestoft Chronicle, Midwest Review of Books, The New Book Review, New Poetry, The Unchained Muse, and Honest Rust and Gold. Sale won First Prize in the Society of Classical Poets 2017 poetry competition and also First Prize in the 2018 Society of Classical Poets prose competition. Find more information about James Sale's The English Cantos at https://englishcantos.home.blog
Theresa Werba, Reviewer
@thesonnetqueen
www.theresawerba.com
Victor Owens' Bookshelf
Old Man's War
John Scalzi
Tor Science Fiction
https://torpublishinggroup.com
9780765348272, $9.49 pbk / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Old-Mans-War-John-Scalzi/dp/0765348276
While I enjoy (most) science fiction, I can't generally say the same for war stories. In the first place, I have about as much experience of being in the military as I do with living in the distant future. As such, I lack the perspective to tell whether or not such novels ring true - indeed, many of their authors, including John Scalzi, never wore a uniform except, perhaps, on Halloween. I don't mention this to cast aspersions on their qualifications, though it does make me wonder why they chose this subject.
Another bone I have to pick with most military fiction writers is that they generally seem to idealize and glorify armed conflict and the organizations that take part in it. Almost every combat veteran I've ever spoken to has a much more nuanced, even cynical outlook. On the basis of an author interview I read, though, I suspected that Scalzi would approach the topic thoughtfully and with some perspective, and the fact that he's won or been nominated for multiple awards didn't hurt.
Old Man's War is indeed grim and gritty, though not quite to the extent of the Warhammer 40k storyworld. It is therefore more suitable for younger readers, who may even find an original thought about life or politics being snuck into their heads. As in the Warhammer video games and books, Old Man's War's premise rests on biologically enhanced soldiers waging a seemingly perpetual, many-sided war against a variety of alien species. The title refers to the fact that all of these volunteers are older than seventy-five: instead of going gently into that good night, they mortgage their existence in return for a new lease on life...such as it is.
The wars they engage in are, aside from a curt justification of ensuring humanity's future in the galaxy, all seemingly of the "because we can" variety or forced upon humanity by a hostile universe. The soldiers, effectively indentured for a period of ten years, are thrown into one battle after another until they're used up, physically or mentally. Their officers are candid about their poor prospects. Yet, lacking any better options, they all carry on and do the best they can.
This brutal depiction of a dystopian future is tempered by the author's sense of humor. Unfortunately, this often comes in the form of dialogue, which results in the characters' speech being somewhat stilted - nobody is that witty, least of all when they're under significant stress. Still, though I feel that even the protagonist remains a little flat, you'll have no trouble understanding and identifying with their motivations. Throughout, the emphasis is on fast-paced action rather than a psychological profile of soldiers. The novel also doesn't pause to examine many of the philosophical points it raises, though some of these are worth pondering and might be taken up again in this book's several sequels.
Something worth mentioning is that, in this book, the aliens are indeed...well, alien. Instead of being imagined as essentially human but with extra eyes and arms, their various psychologies and cultures are utterly exotic and far removed from anything social evolution has produced on earth. The effort the author spent on this aspect of his worldbuilding is to be appreciated; the apparently irrational actions of various interstellar races drive much of the plot.
In short, Old Man's War is good entertainment, well-written, and doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is. While I'm not in any kind of rush to read the other six books in this series, they're on my "sometime, maybe" list, and almost certainly worth picking up when you're not in the mood for anything too heavy.
The STELLAR Career Guide
Linda Chung
Sustainable Life Design
https://sustainablelifedesign.com
9781738208173, $12.95 pbk / $0.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/STELLAR-Career-Guide-Self-Leadership-Fulfillment/dp/1738208176
The STELLAR Career Guide: Master Self-Leadership, Leverage Your Strengths and Build a Life of Fulfillment and Achievement
Even without quoting Das Kapital or the Unabomber, it's hard to ignore the fact that most working people are profoundly dissatisfied with their careers. Life, we are told, is supposed to consist of whatever you can scrape up using the finite amount of time and energy left after earning a living. It's no surprise that there's a plethora of jokes about worker bees' desire to ditch society and go live in a cave instead, murder their bosses, or selling their kidneys instead of their souls - and these jokes seem to be getting darker as the years go by.
Publishers and writers haven't been blind to this commercial opportunity, resulting in a number of books that are supposed to offer you a way out. Some of these are great in terms of what they want to accomplish, but tend to fall short in one regard or another. Roadmap by Roadtrip Nation, for example, is chock-full of inspiring stories but kind of assumes you have exceptional talents, determination, or other internal resources. Also, like The 10 Laws of Career Reinvention by Pamela Mitchell, the advice it offers is somewhat fragmentary and a little banal, often telling you things you already know but aren't able to act upon. Meanwhile, Pivot by Jenny Blake is an excellent resource for people who are thinking of transitioning to entrepreneurship from a corporate career, but I suspect that only about 10% of people will find it relatable.
If these books have left you feeling frustrated, Stellar, with its commendable lack of platitudes and a strong bias to simply getting on with things, may be more your speed. In the first place, it does not assume that you want particular things, or in fact that you already know what you genuinely want. Accordingly, it does not supply the reader with generic advice but guides them through a process of defining their vision and identifying steps toward achieving it.
Stellar is essentially a step-by-step guide to getting your head right, figuring out what goals genuinely matter to you, and deciding how your innate strengths can bring you closer to your true desires. There isn't much in the way of cliched, lukewarm inspiration and encouragement, nor is it any kind of self-congratulatory personal memoir. Some readers may well find this on-the-nose approach, with focused examples and a minimum of frills, to be a drawback: if we're being honest, some solace and energy to keep carrying on is all that a lot of us are really looking for. A book that challenges you to do better may be more aspirational than you'd like at the moment.
If you're willing to apply the level of commitment it requires, though, you will almost certainly find it rewarding. Stellar is not hard to read, but it is written with the expectation that you'll put its theory into practice. This may well be only on a second reading, though the first run through this book won't be a waste of time and may well leave you motivated to do something about your life instead of merely complaining about it.
As with any kind of transformative effort, the biggest question is often where to start. To this end, the book's title is an acronym based on a comprehensive system of self-discovery and actualization developed by the author in her role as career and business coach. This profession probably seems a bit flaky to you, though the author's credentials are fortunately impeccable: not only has she achieved success in a corporate career but has since developed a reputation for helping others to do much the same, according to the numerous glowing testimonials on her website. Scanning through these, it quickly becomes clear that her approach is rather versatile, supporting whatever ambitions her clients themselves consider important. Significantly, while she acknowledges the importance of financial security, boosting your earning power is largely treated as a means to an end - the book's thesis isn't about money, but rather personal fulfillment in a broader sense.
In one sense, then, this $13 book seems like an economical alternative to a course of counseling that would otherwise cost you several hundred dollars. It's not necessarily a substitute for talking to a human being with appropriate experience, though: the introspective exercises you're expected to work through, while worthwhile, require a certain amount of self-honesty and life experience younger readers may lack. (A workbook containing templates for these is sold separately; as they involve a lot of writing, getting a paper version may be worth the extra five bucks.) In addition, the book barely touches on some of the actual tools you may need to optimize your life. Of course, topics like investing, communication, time management, and so on each deserve their own books - just know that they're not covered here. Fortunately, Stellar should at least be able to point out which of these skills you need to work on; a whole chapter is basically devoted to doing this most effectively.
Does this "stellar" system actually work? I'm not in a position to tell you, as assiduously applying the principles outlined in this book will probably take at least a year to show tangible results. It seems clear that this book's message should at least get you moving in the right direction, though. Nothing Linda Chung asks you to do seems unreasonable and she assures us that she's seen this process bear fruit, many times.
If you're not willing to dig deep just yet, though, STELLAR remains a good casual read, especially for anyone in human resources or teaching. Thinking a little more clearly about how our personalities and values influence our chances at career satisfaction may also help kids (by which I mean anyone under the age of 25) avoid wasting the first decade of their professional lives chasing a dream that isn't really their own.
In short, if you're thinking of buying this book, you need to know what to expect: Stellar aims to be a manual for escaping an unsatisfying career situation, not an insipid pamphlet that only encourages you to accept things as they are or a cursory description of what it takes to succeed in the modern workplace. It's the kind of self-development book you seek out when you're ready to take action. You won't get much benefit out of reading and understanding its principles if you don't also put them into practice. It does allow you to do so gradually and systematically, though, and who knows where you might end up once you've gained a bit of momentum?
The Technological Society
Jacques Ellul
Vintage Books
https://knopfdoubleday.com/imprint/vintage
9780394703909, $13.95 pbk / $4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Technological-Society-Jacques-Ellul/dp/0394703901
The Technological Society
TL;DR: The ideas in this book aren't as outdated as you might suspect, though the language is. Repeated technical refinements to our ways of doing things, though each rational in itself, may cause us to end up in a place we had no intention of visiting. Today, instead of inventions like social media, telecommuting, and targeted advertising being adapted to the needs of society and man, man and society are forced to adapt to them. This book, though scholarly and keeping speculation and specific predictions to a minimum, describes how we may be heading to a world where politics exist without ideals, entertainment is devoid of art, and education hinders enlightenment.
Every now and again, you may become bored of inconsequential, escapist novels featuring vampires and/or robots. Then, you feel the need to reach for a Big, Important Book that will teach you something and perhaps even help you see the world in a new light. The next time this urge strikes you, keep The Technological Society in mind.
It is really a shame that this book isn't more widely known. In fact, it might never even have been translated into English except for Aldous Huxley's fervent recommendation. He, as we all know, understood how hard it is to make sense of the modern world. This leads to a great deal of insecurity on an individual level and massive ideological confusion in society as a whole; any paradigm that helps to explain why things are as they are should be welcomed.
Of course, the first thing you see on the cover (depending on the edition) is a large reel-to-reel magnetic tape drive - the kind used for data storage back in 1954, when telegraphs existed and the internet didn't, and also the year this book was published. The double helix structure of DNA had only been discovered a few months before. So, the first issue to address is: how does a book written back when the Dead Sea only had a minor case of the sniffles have anything to say about technology as we find it today?
Ellul's genius was that he was able to largely ignore particular technologies and instead abstracted the concept of Technique, which is the amalgamation of all individual techniques: mechanical, organizational, political, social, financial, whatever. From swimming to conducting a population census to running a business, there are techniques for almost everything humans can possibly do. In a sense, then, this book is more about management than engineering. While individual technologies are complex, difficult to understand, and evolve at an incredible pace, Technique as a whole is far more amenable to analysis. It also determines much of the shape of life as we know it.
One of the first aspects of this brave new world Ellul identifies is how desired outcomes are specified in narrow and not humanistic terms. All organizations demand autonomy: idealistic or extraneous concerns would only hamper their ability to fulfill their single technical purpose. If, for example, police are given the task of curbing crime, this becomes their central raison d'etre. Unless their technique is otherwise constrained, questions like civil liberties and philosophical justice henceforth find themselves not so much in opposition to policework, but simply irrelevant to it. Similarly, if a company's management is told to maximize shareholder value in the short term, long-term environmental and commercial sustainability quickly fade into the background of their priorities. Only those factors pertinent to their defined goals matter; when the organization's mouthpieces talk about how they're actually working for the common good, it's merely another manifestation of technique - in this case, that of marketing and propaganda.
Now, technology, in some form or another, has existed for just about as long as homo sapiens. However, at some point in the first half of the twentieth century, we crossed the Rubicon: not only the quantity of innovation but its nature changed. Today, the only thing that determines the course of technique is technique itself. Any purely humanistic or sentimental considerations are plowed under, not because some council of robotic overlords has decreed it but because they are simply irrelevant to progress.
This monomaniacal obsession with efficiency, defined in very circumscribed terms, quickly leads to another characteristic of the technological society: in any given sphere of action, there is demonstrably only one single best way of doing things. This quickly becomes the only acceptable way of doing them; anyone who performs a task in a less goal-orientated manner due to personal preference, artistic license, or even ethics is likely to be pushed out of the mainstream of life by market forces. No matter whether we're talking about police in Boston or Beijing, they are guaranteed to pursue the same goals in much the same ways. Any differences between their approaches are incidental, not fundamental. Similarly, the MBA curriculum in both cities' schools will be virtually identical, meaning that the next crop of decision-makers will have an alarmingly uniform belief system, steeped in the exigencies of technique.
This is an extremely dense book, impossible to summarize briefly and requiring your full attention. It doesn't spoon-feed ideas to you, rather, it hurls them at you by the bucketful. Sometimes, the author seems a little hasty to make a certain point and leaves it up to the reader to accept or disprove it - something a historian (or lawyer, which was Ellul's day job) can sometimes get away with, though this procedure isn't entirely scientific. Ideas are not presented in a pedantically deductive fashion, rather, mechanisms are described without much reference to how they came to be. The author doesn't try to explain the why, only the what.
It also takes some time to get used to the concise writing style - it must be an outright riddle in the original French. I first read The Technological Society in my twenties, long ago; though I have apparently not become any smarter, Ellul's theoretical framework seems to be even more relevant in an age of artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. Of course, it takes some brainwork to figure out how his thoughts apply to today's world. In addition, many of the implications he mentions in passing probably deserve a chapter to themselves, though this would have made an already long book unmanageable. As it is, you'll be doing well if you can manage to slog through one chapter a day. And there is no shame in having to take notes in order to follow Ellul's compact and sometimes convoluted logic.
He also leans heavily on (or stridently rejects) several theories and conclusions from his contemporaries. Fortunately, he usually refers to the authors by name; unfortunately, you've probably never heard of any of them. Perhaps, academics in post-WWII France all knew who these people were, but most modern readers are in the wrong place, time and profession to possess this background. Ellul makes use of numerous historical examples as well as more recent sociological and economic research, but handles these rather cavalierly. It's entirely possible that a historian with a different outlook would draw different conclusions. Many of his assertions are questionable or at least warrant extensive discussion, but come at you so fast and furiously it feels like you're being dragged along by an argument you don't fully understand. The author also has a disconcerting tendency to anthropomorphize concepts like science and progress, at least in service of metaphor, though that's not exactly a crime.
The author clearly has a broad and erudite, though somewhat idiosyncratic, understanding of history and economics. It's quite likely that you'll disagree with him on some points, and not just because the world has changed since he wrote The Technological Society. What's far more impressive is his understanding of human nature: whether talking about ancient Greek citizens or Communist apparatchiks, he has a remarkable ability to sum up their worldviews and values in only a few sentences.
Earlier, I mentioned Huxley, who was himself interested in the interplay between humanity and technology. However, while writing Brave New World, he always remained in two minds about whether the march of progress was something to be welcomed. The Technological Society is similarly non-judgmental: it tries very hard to confine itself to descriptions of extant phenomena, not their moral context. Yet, at the same time, Ellul (a Catholic lay preacher in addition to his other qualifications) is clearly concerned by the erosion of traditional values Technique brings in its wake. He even discusses the "technique of religion", though he's careful to distinguish this from an individual's personal connection to the divine.
Is The Technological Society worth the effort? The barrage of ideas it presents you with makes for poor bedtime reading and largely explains why it isn't more widely recognized as a classic. On the other hand, it's also less heavy and more practically applicable than most philosophy books; you don't need any particular academic background to make sense of most of it. Parts of the argument, like frequent discussions of Marxism's relation to technique, are no longer entirely relevant; on the other hand, this book is absolutely stuffed with incredibly perspicacious quotes. In short, it helps you better understand today's headlines (not to mention the latest episode of Black Mirror) by highlighting certain assumptions that have somehow become implicit in public discourse. Ellul is, above all, a thinker's writer and refreshingly indifferent to ideology. In the end, this book is not a manifesto but rather an invitation to draw your own conclusions.
The Ghost: A Novel
Robert Harris
Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781416551812, $26.00 hc / $15.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Novel-Robert-Harris/dp/1416551816
Robert Harris is an absolute master of creating suspenseful tales set in unfamiliar worlds: ancient Rome, a future in which the Third Reich triumphed, and, in this case, the mysterious world of high statesmanship.
Now, I have to admit that I'm a sucker for conspiracy theories - not the aliens-built-the-pyramids kind, but those that explain what might have happened behind the scenes to cause politicians to make otherwise inexplicable decisions. Given that a lot of this "real" history is probably never going to be written down where the general public can see it, we may as well rely on novelists to explain what would otherwise remain bizarre. Since government press releases and even histories by the likes of the inestimable Bob Woodward tend to only relate the bare, objective facts and therefore can't tell the whole story, fiction writers arguably have a responsibility to place some of the most momentous events of our time into context.
In this case, the subject is the so-called War on Terror and the still-controversial Tony Blair. The author went to the least possible trouble to avoid a libel suit, changing the former British prime minister's name but little else, and subtitling the book: "A Novel" to remove any confusion as to its fictional nature. I suppose he could have changed the title to "BLAIR" and draped it with ribbons, but this would hardly have made it more obvious who he is referring to. (In an interview, Harris acknowledged the risk of being dragged into court but claimed to be unconcerned.)
The "ghost" of the title refers to the protagonist's profession of ghostwriter. If tales about the supernatural either bore or frighten you, don't worry - though this story is quite scary enough without invoking the bogeyman. While Harris does touch on the seamy side of the ghostwriting and publishing industries, he doesn't go out of its way to dwell on these, only giving enough background to support the story. As the book starts out, we learn that our unnamed hero is being offered an enormous sum of money to rewrite the retired politician's memoirs - an offer too good to be true.
Of course, every ghostwriter requires a curious mixture of objectivity and sympathy for those they write about, and we see this as the protagonist discovers both admirable and sinister qualities in his subject. In much the same way, a novelist handling such an emotionally charged issue as an immoral, pointless war needs to walk a fine line between writing too dispassionately and using his work as an opportunity for moralizing. At worst, they're liable to veer off into Ayn Rand territory, producing smug, pedantic stories that preach to the choir instead of entertaining the reader. Harris, fortunately, doesn't stumble down this blind alley: any intention he may have had to sermonize is firmly subjected to his ability to spin an engaging yarn. Though the reader can certainly guess at his personal political opinions, these are overshadowed by his devotion to his craft.
Though some readers might find the pacing a little too slow, the conclusion this novel builds up to is both plausible and intriguing. Throughout the book, you're left with a sense of something hidden and waiting to devour the protagonist. In short, it's vintage Harris, with tension building seamlessly from "that's odd" through "something's wrong" to "oh, #$%^". In case you're short on time, you'll be glad to know that this novel was converted into a movie that reportedly doesn't suck, with the original author collaborating on the script.
Victor Owens, Reviewer
https://victortheghosteditor.wordpress.com
Willis Buhle's Bookshelf
It All Felt Impossible: 42 Years in 42 Essays
Tom McAllister
https://www.tom.mcallister.ws
Rose Metal Press
https://rosemetalpress.com
9781941628355, $16.95, PB, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/All-Felt-Impossible-Years-Essays/dp/1941628354
Synopsis: "It All Felt Impossible: 42 Years in 42 Essays" is meditative and lyrical collection in which the author, Tom McAllister, challenges himself to write a short essay for every year he's been alive.
With each piece strictly limited to a maximum of 1,500 words, the 42 essays comprising "It All Felt Impossible" move fluidly through time, taking poetic leaps and ending up in places the reader does not expect. Funny, insightful, and open-hearted, "It All Felt Impossible" aims to tell the story of McAllister's life through brief glimpses, anecdotes, and fragments that radiate outward and grapple with his place in the culture at large.
In the span of these essays, McAllister witnesses a monorail crash at a zoo, survives a tornado, plays youth sports for tyrannical coaches, grieves for dead parents, learns how to ride a bike as an adult, works long shifts making cheesesteaks, and more. Each annual offering is a search for meaning and connection, chronicled by an engaging and honest voice.
A testament to the power of creative constraints and finding innovative ways to tell one's story, "It All Felt Impossible" is a compelling documentation of an idiosyncratic human existence that volleys so skillfully between the mundane and the profound.
Critique: Eloquent, elegant, deftly crafted, memorably engaging, "It All Felt Impossible: 42 Years in 42 Essays" by Tom McAllister is a unique approach to the creation of a memoir and one that readers will find to be an impressively fascinating read from start to finish. This paperback edition of "It All Felt Impossible" from Rose Metal Press is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections.
Editorial Note: Tom McAllister (https://www.tom.mcallister.ws) is the author of the novel How to Be Safe, which was named one of the best books of 2018 by Kirkus and The Washington Post. His other books are the novel The Young Widower's Handbook and the memoir Bury Me in My Jersey. His short stories and essays have been published in The Sun, Best American Nonrequired Reading, Black Warrior Review, and many other places. He is the nonfiction editor at Barrelhouse and co-hosts the Book Fight! podcast with Mike Ingram. He teaches in the MFA Program at Rutgers-Camden.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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