Moore Musings

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

2009-07-13T17:07:00.010-05:00

This book has made a name for itself, becoming a best-seller last year, and ensuring an automatic interest in any other books Mr. Wroblewski may happen to write. He will probably get another out a bit quicker - this book supposedly took 10 to 15 years to write.

The book is about Edgar, who is a boy who cannot speak (but hears just fine) and is an only child somewhere in the wilds of Wisconsin. His parents raise dogs, and in their raising are not looking for the finest physical points or useful traits, but are trying to create a dog who is able to enter into communication deep enough with its master so that it brings knowledge to each enterprise – another mind, as it were, not just a helpmate.

This is a lovely idea, and the book largely works on the entrancing quality of this belief. Many who have spent time with dogs can attest to the companionship and the “depth of understanding” that seems to lie beneath the relationship.

Wroblewski can write attractive prose, and the challenges of Edgar shouldering his share of the work, when his father unexpectedly dies, absorb us as they absorb him. Then there are obstacles upon obstacles. His mother gets pneumonia, no one can help (why, we aren’t told) and things unravel until they have to ask his father’s brother to come help. This person’s villainy is hinted at, but never explained.

Halfway through the book, Wroblewski casts the father as the vengeful ghost in Hamlet. This device is hard to uphold (can Hamlet be 14?), and each plot turn seems like another wedge inserted to keep everything upright.
Suffice to say that you keep reading, hoping for something better, hoping for resolution. Wroblewski works his drama for all that it’s worth – whether he delivers or not is up to the reader.

The Bright Forever / by Lee Martin

2009-07-10T12:06:00.015-05:00

On a summer evening in a small midwestern town, nine-year-old Katie Mackey, darling daughter of town magnate Junior Mackey, rides her bike to the library and doesn't come back. The town in an upheaval, the investigation promptly begins amid few leads, fewer suspects and only marginal circumstantial evidence. But while the authorities know very little, certain key individuals know all too much surrounding the disappearance.

The real story of what happened is steadily through a handful of loosely interconnected individuals, each offering their collective accounts, input, suspicions and secrets about the night in question. Gilley is Katie's sensitive older brother who's so remorseful at his inability to keep his sister safe that he's willing to do anything (well, almost anything) to see things righted. Then there's Henry Dees. Welcomed into the Mackey home as Katie's tutor, Mister Dees may be a respected high school math teacher, but he's also a bit of an awkward loner whose creepy, voyeuristic habits haven't been so discrete as to go unnoticed. Lonely simpleton Claire Mains may not be a suspect, but her own suspicions about her n'er do-well husband Raymond R. can't be quelled, sentiments echoed by more than a few fellow townspeople. Ultimately the fact that Raymond R. looks the part is enough to convince the indignant Junior Mackey who, ignoring all due process of law, subsequently takes justice into his own hands.

Readers will enjoy how Martin, author of River of Heaven, combines an omniscient narrative with multiple first-person perspectives, able to reveal the most intimate of intimate details about the story, its characters and the surrounding context.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Painting Novels

2009-07-06T16:51:00.009-05:00

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I, Mona Lisa / by Jeanne Kalogridis
In this empassioned novel of Renaissance Italy, author Kalogridis examines the woman behind that mysterious smile depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa—Lisa di Antonio Gherardini. Her life and the eventful, often bloody, circumstances surrounding the commission and painting of her portrait are vividly described in this fascinating book.
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Girl with a Pearl Earring / by Tracy Chevalier
A young girl becomes the friend and muse to renowned 17th century Dutch Painter Johannes Vermeer after she’s hired on as a servant at his Amsterdam home. Chevalier’s fictional story behind the famous painting is as charming as the portrait itself.
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In the Company of the of the Courtesan / by Sarah Dunant
Amid the sacking of Rome in 1527, a young Courtesan, Fiametta Bianchini, escapes the city and heads to Venice in the company of her escort Bucino Teodoldo, a dwarf. This story and its heroine were inspired by Titian’s “Venus of Urbino”, which is featured on the cover.
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Luncheon at the Boating Party / by Susan Vreeland
In her latest fictional rendition chronicling the events surrounding a famous painting, Vreeland tracks artist August Renoir as he labors under the Paris sun on his impressionist masterpiece, “Luncheon of the Boating Party”. Accompanying the often unpleasant heat is the stress of trying to get just the right people in just the right light, not to mention the unwanted attention of critical onlookers and a host of other distractions.

Something To Do With Death

2009-06-30T18:12:00.056-05:00

C'era Una Volta Il West (Once Upon a Time in the West) DVD (1968) / w/ Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards & Claudia Cardinale; a film by Sergio Leone

Jill: "You saved his life."

Harmonica: "I didn't let them kill him . . . that's not the same thing."

In an era of change and transition in a land far from civilized, one man bids for his portion of the American dream while another helps try to preserve it and still others aim to obliterate any chance could have. An outlaw fugitive shoots his way out of captivity only to find new enemies at the next turn, a bigger bounty on his head, more battles to be waged. A woman from the east seeking a new life arrives to find her fiance murdered, his children slain alongside him. All the while as ruthless ambitions are collectively played out, a solitary "man with no name" deliberates his own purpose-filled agenda, one not indifferent to morality yet still wrought with necessary evils. It is Once Upon a Time in the West, a time of order and civility striving to overcome violence and corruption; of progress and development in the face of lawlessness as a way of life.

The Western to top all Westerns, Sergio Leone's masterpiece is not only a staple of the genre, it's widely considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made. The cinematography itself--symbolic imagery, visual aesthetics and soundtrack--warrants instant appeal: barren landscapes as worn and desolate as the figures and faces which inhabit it, winds howling across unobstructed terrain mirroring civilization's unencumbered progress, tattered buildings withering under the elements reflecting man's own imperfections, etc. The cast is likewise distinguished. Henry Fonda, in his darkest role, portrays the very essence of evil as the psychopathic Frank, a ruthless mercenary only too obliged to kill on a whim. Bronson is the mysterious "Harmonica", a man bearing the scars from a wounded past consequently linking him to a singular, irreversible fate. Robards and Cardinale complete the leads as the sympathetic outlaw and sturdy heroine, each complemented by a well-positioned supporting cast all helping to lift the movie to its rightful place in film history.

The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Has Done So Much Ill and So Little Good / by William Easterly

2009-06-24T16:47:00.035-05:00

For sixteen years, William Easterly was a senior research analyst with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) World Bank where he witnessed both the blight of global poverty and the further tragedy of ineffectual, often detrimental attempts at intervention on behalf of the world's wealthier, developed nations. Currently a professor of economics at NYU as well as a senior fellow with the Center for Global Development, Easterly's previous book The Elusive Quest For Growth: Economists' Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics, has also received rave reviews.

When the Red Cross was established in 1863, its mission was to alleviate suffering by ensuring that humanitarian aid would be provided on an impartial footing for all persons and nations alike. Over the years this credo has been bolstered and reinforced by numerous other philanthropic agencies, all of which have contributed multitudes of resources, capable man power and trillions of dollars toward the cause. Yet all the collective aid and funding has done abysmally little for the populations most in need of assistance and, in some cases, the situation has become even worse.

Easterly claims that much of the problem lies with the hegemonial ideologies inherent in westernized countries--a sort of "we know what's best for the rest of the world" attitude. All too often, high-minded humanitarian schemes are implemented by woefully ill-informed "Planners" who know little to nothing about the places and people they're trying to help, thus erring horribly in their inflexible designs for assuaging disease and poverty and, all too frequently, having said resources "absorbed" by the political regimes of suffering nations. The ineptitude of bureaucracies and non-governmental organizations (NGO's) in accounting for aid apportionment, who mediates it and what happens after it exchanges hands is another major reason why places like Africa and South Asia are still dirt poor and continue to be ravaged by treatable illnesses such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Despite his cynicism, Easterly says there is hope. Sustainable development requires non-temporal, grass roots aid programs in order for progress to be made. Existing humanitarian organizations must coordinate their efforts through what the author terms the "Searchers", or aid agencies and NGO's adaptable to alternate methodologies and target-nation perspectives. Aid itself won't end poverty. Only the self-reliance and forward-minded efforts of those residing in the poor nations, with practical ideas and regulated support properly rendered from western institutions, can permanently put an end to poverty. That being said, well-coordinated aid that is concentrated on "feasibly attainable" goals can eliminate the suffering of multitudes in the meantime (p.382-383).

First comes love, then comes malaria by Eve Brown-Waite

2009-06-18T14:23:00.003-05:00

A very enjoyable read. Eve Brown-Waite’s first novel is a memoir of her experiences of living abroad for a good cause, first by herself (in the Peace Corps) and then with her husband (employed by CARE in Africa). Her husband John is actually the Peace Corps recruiter who interviews her and who she falls for, big time. Fresh out of college as a political science major, Eve did some grass-roots organizing in college and found she had a flair for it, and liked the idea of doing something “meaningful” for people. We follow her through her eventual posting to Ecuador, right after getting seriously involved with John. So, on the plane bound for her first experience in a third world country, instead of feeling determined and resolute and/or nervous, she’s crying her eyes out missing her boyfriend. Eve may be guilty of exaggerating her reactions to the culture in Ecuador and later to Uganda, but emphasizing her culture shock makes for lighthearted reading. She is naïve, but she can adjust – as in how she first refuses to get a “house girl” to clean for her in Uganda, but finally changes her mind after a servant finds a nest of mambo snakes in her neighbor’s house, behind their dresser. Her account of life in both countries is very down to earth, grounded in particulars (like her toddler eating termites like the locals), and the goals and ideals of the organizations that send people to these countries are not unduly emphasized. But what comes across is the attraction these other cultures hold for us in their family, village, and community ties and customs – and how adrift we are from these in our “developed” lands.

Are We Alone in the Universe?

2009-06-18T14:12:00.024-05:00

Life As We Do Not Know It: The NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life / by Peter Ward

Currently a professor of astronomy at the University of Washington, Peter Ward has been closely involved with the NASA Astrobiology committee charged with researching the possibility of alien and extraterrestrial life. His latest book takes a hard look at what life on other planets--carbon and non-carbon-based--might be like. Comparing life of earthly origins to simulated "life" created from artificial matter in test labs, Ward goes into great detail hypothesizing on exactly what extraterrestrial lifeforms would consist of, pointing out the conditions which would theoretically comprise their evolution and makeup.

The Roswell Legacy: The Untold Story of the First Military Officer at the 1947 Crash Site / by Jesse Marcel, Jr. and Linda Marcel w/ foreword by Stanton T. Friedman

On July 8, 1947, an unidentified object crash landed in field near Roswell, New Mexico. Initial reports confirmed that it was a "flying disc". Hours later, government officials released a statement claiming it was only a weather balloon. Ever since then, conflicting follow-up reports, witness accounts, interpretations and conspiracy theories have been brought forth. Among the more reputable is the story of Jesse Marcel, Sr. An Air Force Major at the time of the crash, Marcel was the first military officer on the scene and would recount, decades later in a much publicized interview, details of the debris found at the crash site as being otherworldly in nature and featuring graphics and encoding which were indecipherable upon observation. This new book by Marcel's son testifies as to not only the accuracy of his father's experiences, but also the government cover up and hush efforts which have attempted to invalidate his testimony.

Flying Saucers & Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of UFO's / by Stanton T. Friedman

Professor Stanton Friedman may be the most well-known expert on the flying saucer phenomenon and, subsequently, its correlation to the possibility of extraterrestrial life. With several advanced degrees in nuclear physics and having worked on a number of (very classified) space and rocket propulsion programs, he may also be the most qualified proponent-advocate for the existence of aliens and UFO's. Here Friedman addresses several of the more intriguing questions on topics like the 1947 Roswell incident (he actually wrote the foreword for the preceding book--see above), human-alien encounters and abduction stories, assumptions and reality about the SETI program, whether interstellar travel is conceivably possible, and a myriad of probing concerns surrounding the government's covert involvement in some of the more prominent UFO cases.

Passport to the Cosmos: Human Transformation and Alien Encounters / by John E. Mack

For a period in late 1980's and early 1990's, Dr. John Mack, a psychiatrist and then Harvard professor, conducted one of the more exhaustive studies on the alien abduction phenomenon. Interviewing and analyzing countless professing "abductees" along with others attesting to UFO sightings, human-alien encounters and other trans-paranormal experiences, Mack summed up his concluding evaluation in this provocative book, basically leaving the validity of said abduction incidents open for interpretation but asserting that the profound lasting impact it's had on such individuals cannot be dismissed. The complex psychological implications involved and the drastic, transformative nature affecting the individual is too significant to discount; just as the notions some have that we might live in a multidimensional universe can't be chalked up as rubbish due to mere probability and conjecture.

Miss American Pie: A Diary of Love, Secrets and Growing Up in the 1970's / by Margaret Sartor

2009-06-17T15:54:00.033-05:00

"If memory stores the spirit of our experience, then a diary, in its bona fide physical existence, surely retains the flesh and blood." (p.9)
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In a memoir that will have a great many heads nodding in recognition, writer and photojournalist Margaret Sartor looks back on her youth in small town Louisiana during the 1970's. By all accounts, Sartor's was a very typical adolescence characterized by school, peers, dating, church and outdoor activities. The adventuresome middle child of a physician father and a homemaking mother, she and her family ("dysfunctional in the normal way") got along amicably in their comfortable estate house, a remnant of plantation days, embedded on the Ouachita River. It was here under cover of the moss-hung live oak trees scattered along the riverbank where much of the business of growing up took place--beer, cigarettes & making out as much a part of life as church youth group and prayer meetings.

The very capable resource of Sartor's own teenage diary comprises most of the book's content; the original text, formatted into mostly one or two-line entries, employed as the primary means by which the author tells her story. Undoubtedly, her depiction of life between the years 1972-1978 (her own ages 12-18) gives a very open, unadulterated viewpoint of class, gender, race, love and relationships as well as the more at-large issues of the day like the tail-end of Vietnam, Watergate, desegregation and price goudging. It's the personal revelations which will interest readers though, Sartor's captivating, intimate and above all honest disclosures on the one period in everyone's life which remains unavoidably memorable and inescapably well-preserved.

Fathers and Sons / by Ivan Turgenev; trans. by Michael R. Katz

2009-06-12T15:08:00.037-05:00

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One of Czarist Russia's most recognizable authors and a staple of the literary world in the nineteenth century, Ivan Turgenev was among many noted Russian writers to contribute significantly during the time period. Well-traveled with a degree from Oxford and holding company with the likes of Emile Zola, Henry James and Gustave Flaubert, not to mention compatriots Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, his book Fathers and Sons(1862) has been labeled one of the greatest novels of all time.

Following their university term in St. Petersburg, young Arkady Kirsanov and his friend Yevgeny Bazarov head home to the Kirsanov's provincial estate where Arkady's father Nikolai cheerily welcomes both. Pavel Kirsanov, Arkady's uncle, feels rather put upon, however, by the youths presence--Bazarov's in particular--and their rather unobtrusive theories on the new philosophy of "nihilism" which contrasts vigorously to the older generation's more aristocratic principles. Arkady and Bazarov decide to travel to Bazarov's parents' estate where on the way they stop off at the home of Madame Odintsova's, a libertine woman sharing the pair's altruistic views and ideologies for the new age. Bazarov soon falls hopelessly in love with Odintsova, who remains decidedly uninterested but withstands his advances for the sake of her daughter Katya, who's genuinely in love with Arkady.

Bazarov's rejection is so disturbingly felt that he remains irascible for the duration of the pair's journey and stay at his parents home, a temporary falling out between he and Arkady prompting the decision return to Arkady's where the situation is hardly better. Back at the Kirsanov estate, an irksome Pavel, feeling increasingly irritated at Bazarov's morose attitude, intrusive mannerisms and opposing viewpoints, ultimately coerces the situation into challenge of honor--a duel.

A work deeply entrenched in the social context of the day, Fathers and Sons deftly examines the cynical, disillusioned mentality of Russia's new generation in contrast to their forebears established, more patrician regime. Both ideologies are craftily undertaken by Turgenev who eventually manages to superimpose both without necessarily undermining each's significance. Bazarov's high-minded belief in a world bereft of meaning is put to shame in the face his inescapable passion for Madame Odintsova. Conversely the pompous Pavel, who simply cannot abide anyone convinced that a society should operate without the sole intentions of the aristocracy, remains obtuse to any other form of social heirarchy or way of life. The redemptive power of love trumps all of these quibbling disputes however; peace and harmony found not through philosophical initiatives, but rather in the fulfilling relationships of marriage and family.

An Amateur Marriage / by Anne Tyler

2009-06-08T09:06:00.032-05:00

Despite a naturally shy demeanor and general disinterest towards media & publicity attention, American author Anne Tyler is still recognized as one of the country's most prolific writers, having won a Pulitzer for her novel Breathing Lessons (1989) and a Critics Circle Award for The Accidental Tourist (1985). An Amateur Marriage (2004) is a lighthearted but telling account of a marriage which is, frankly, just as the title describes it.

It's post-Pearl Harbor 1941 and patriotism runs high throughout the country, perhaps nowhere more fervent than in the Baltimore where eager young men march through the streets on their way to war. Yet 18-year-old Michael Anton feels reluctant to enlist, not wanting to leave his recently widowed mother alone to run their neighborhood grocery, especially for a dangerous and perhaps fatal stint as a soldier. These inhibitions are overruled the moment he sets his sights on Pauline Barclay for whom Michael feels that any life lived out of her favor would be hopelessly unworthy. Consequently, the younger and girlishly romantic Pauline can't help her feelings for Michael and a hasty engagement is swiftly set in motion just as Michael heads off to boot camp.

Following Michael's medical discharge the young but amorous pair are married and promptly settle into domestic life in the apartment above the family store. But Pauline's more cosmopolitan ambitions and restless temperament simply won't allow such an arrangement, especially once the couple's three children--Lindy, George and Karen--start arriving. Within years following their marriage and despite Michael's more conservative viewpoint, the family relocates to a home in the suburbs where even upon arrival, Pauline's well-vocalized yearning for more desirous prospects becomes a constant barrage in Michael's ear. Arguments and frequent bickering are commonplace in the Anton household, the couple's routine fallouts over anything and everything overriding their few happy moments. While fond and loving of their three kids the pair are, at best, less than adequate parents, consistently erring on matters of discipline and ultimately unable to prevent their eldest, Lindy, from running away at 17. Neither can Michael or Pauline prevent their marriage from its inevitable collapse as, after 25 years of their steadily decaying relationship, things dissolve in divorce.

Tyler is a sentimentalist but her characterization of two halves of a doomed union rings of genuine authenticity. Michael and Pauline aren't bad, they're just ordinary flawed individuals trying and failing to manifest any joy or prosperity in matrimony. The author's subtly clever about how she goes about it all. The mood is very "light" with divisiveness arising from mild personal dissatisfactions rather than ill-wrought grudges or resentment--more the Ropers from "Three's Company" than Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Yet this doesn't dissuade from any realism or validity. Michael and Pauline are very much your archetypal 'normal' people living in mid-century middle America where any biased distinction of class, race, generation or upbringing can't be chalked up as a reason for the marriage's failure. The Antons fall short because they very evidently lack the tools to make it work.

Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir, with Damien Lewis

2009-06-03T17:04:00.007-05:00

Published last year, this is a personal account of the sufferings being undergone in Sudan in Africa during their civil war. Two different groups have long uneasily shared this land - nomadic Arabs, a minority with power, and the black tribes. Traditionally sparring for land in times of drought, periodic uprisings from the black community against the Muslim government in 2004 brought violent reprisal by Arab militants against black villages. This reprisal was sponsored by the government and fueled by racial hatred. Rape and brutal killings abounded, and Halima relates her experience of this genocide. The first half of the book tells about her childhood in the village and illuminates their traditions. Some are good, as her grandmother’s knowledge of healing herbs, and some are bad, such as the cutting and sewing of the girls’ genitals when they are eight years old. Halima’s father is a prosperous citizen and sends her to boarding school in the nearest town, where she begins to learn of the hostility between the Arabs and the blacks. As she conquers one obstacle after another in her education, political events unfold so that the horrors take place in an atmosphere already fearful and apprehensive. Her father wants to run to Chad, but her mom and grandmother want to stay, not leave their homeland. But the father knew better. Halima and her co-writer show us again how knowing what could happen does not reduce our helplessness in the face of civil disaster.

Matrimony Managment: New Books on Weddings and Wedding Planning

2009-06-02T15:39:00.010-05:00

Do I Have to Where White? Emily Post Answers America's Top Wedding Questions / written by Anna Post

The unopposed queen of etiquette and still the one to go to for answers on what to do according to the finishing school code of conduct, Emily Post has long been the defacto authority on what's proper--an all the more commendable feat seeing as she's been dead 50 years. There are already 5 published editions of Post's official wedding etiquette, but this book offers something a little different with its easy-to-follow format and accessible content. In very basic Q&A style, great-great-granddaughter Anna dishes on just what and how a proper wedding should be got off, expounding on both formal and informal wedding ceremonies with insights on outfit accessories, stationary for the programs, and just who and how many guests to invite.

The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on any Budget / by Kate L. Harrison

Environmentally-friendly weddings may be in vogue but most veterans of these types of ceremonies will tell you they aren't always so affordable, or easy to plan. If you're going all out and will settle for nothing but a full-fledged carbon-neutral, energy efficient, vegeterian ceremony, Harrison states that you'll almost certainly need an experienced planner, one with enough savvy to orchestrate the eco-friendly details, save money and still maintain the style you're going for. Even couples wanting a more of mainstream atmosphere but still desiring a wedding comprised of thrifty, eco-conscious attributes will need spend the appropriate amount of time researching things like catering, facilitation and energy costs.

The Knot Guide to Destination Weddings: Tips, Tricks and Top Locations from Italy to the Islands / by Carley Roney w/ Joann Gregoli

The trendiest way to get married nowadays is with a destination wedding. Or so say the editors of this stylish book covering nearly every detail on getting hitched in a locale other than where you live. With advice on everything from picking out the most oppropriate setting for your celebration, legal marriage requirements in foreign countries, calculating traveling expenses and hiring caterers in your destination of choice, this is a great informative resource for anyone wanting a wedding ceremony with an exotic flare. It's also got some great charts, worksheets and templates for remembering those oh-so-important small details.

Wedding Rites: A Complete Guide to Traditional Vows, Music, Ceremonies, Blessings and Interfaith Services / Michael P. Foley

Frankly, this economy doesn't leave much room for loose budgeting and extravagance, especially when it comes to planning and executing your wedding day. Even the most important person involved at a traditional ceremony aside from the bride and groom--the minister--can have quite a lofty sum attached to his or her services. Understanding the necessary ceremonial rites, vows, blessings and procedures concerning all the vital details can be a key factor in determining just who to have orchestrating the most important day of your life. Fortunately, this book lets anyone and everyone (all persons of practicing judeo-christian faiths, that is) in on the exact rules and regulations for that special occasion.

Shipwrecks & Treasure Troves

2009-05-29T17:53:00.016-05:00

The Wreck of the Medusa: The Most Famous Sea Disaster of the Nineteenth Century / by Jonathan Miles
Arguably the worst shipwreck prior to the Titanic and certainly one of the most (in)famous sea disasters ever, the 1816 destruction of the French naval vessel Meduse was nothing if not a testament to the corruption and incompetence of man pitted against the forceful brutality of nature. The wreck and subsequent sinking of the ship near the west African coastline was only the beginning. What followed in the hours, days and weeks aboard the crew's one lifeboat and a makeshift life raft of 150 mutinied passengers would be one of the most excruciating survival experiences ever recorded. French author Miles accurately re-crafts the story of the most doomed voyage in the Age of Sail, not shying from the utterly deplorable accounts of barbarism, atrocity, mayhem and murder.

Sea Venture: Shipwreck, Survival and The Salvation of the First English Colony in the New World / Kieran Doherty

Few people familiar with the story of Jamestown, England's first New World colony, realize the particularly dire straits it experienced in its first formidable years of existence. Illness and harsh conditions had dwindled the burgeoning township of over 500 settlers to a meager 50 by the time rescue aid arrived onboard the cargo ship Sea Venture; and yet the ship's tale of perseverance through adversity had been as harrowing as that of the fledgling colony. Originally the flagship at the helm of 9 smaller frigates embarking for North America, all was nearly lost when a vicious storm obliterated the fleet, destroying all the subsidiary vessels and only sparing the Sea Venture when it washed ashore at Bermuda. Even then it would be a ten month hiatus before the voyage could successfully be re-engaged and the rescue mission completed. Doherty's fantastic narrative of this largely overlooked but incredibly important historical tidbit is a great read for anyone even remotely interested in America's earliest years.

Treasure Ship: The Legend and Legacy of the S.S. Brother Jonathan / by Dennis M. Powers

While the Civil War waged in the eastern United States, the Pacific coast remained largely uninvolved subsequently carrying on with routine matters. Gold was still an avid interest and prospectors, craftsmen and merchants continued unheeded with the business of trading the precious metal. So it was on July 30, 1865 that the S.S. Brother Jonathan, a steamer noted for its efficiency, was traveling north along the California coast with over $50 million in gold bullion when turbulent seas violently heaved it onto an uncharted reef. Only 19 of the ship's 247 passengers survived and the ship's remains along with its lucrative cargo were seemingly lost forever, a presumption upheld through several salvage efforts over the years until in 1993, amid a fluke expedition, the wreckage was discovered. Numerous adventurers, archaeologists and treasure hunters would descend to the site only to have their eager retrieval efforts jutted by a myriad of ensuing legal battles, political proceedings and lawsuits which would be ongoing for nearly a decade.

Treasure Hunt: Shipwreck, Diving and the Quest for Treasure in an Age of Heroes / by Peter Earle

Earle, bestselling author of The Pirate Wars, informs and entertains in this riveting account on the evolution and lasting romantic legacy of treasure hunting and the heralded adventurers who lustfully sought it out. From the early years when Spanish galleons and Dutch traders would trundle vast quantities of gold and jewels from the New World to the years immediately following when commercial voyages and pirates would earnestly seek out the same merchant vessels--sunken, shipwrecked or otherwise--and into the age when primitive diving equipment was employed to retrieve unsalvaged booty, this is a book that will delight fans of the true-adventure novel as well as anyone curious about the real history behind lost riches just waiting to be found. For a non-fiction compendium to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, this is a great read.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? [Blade Runner] / by Philip K. Dick

2009-05-27T12:14:00.035-05:00

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A scion in the Science Fiction realm, Philp K. Dick is one the genre's truly unique individuals, authoring over 30 novels and countless short stories all expanding the boundaries of modern literature. Like many gifted though unconventional writers, Dick's artistic vision has come into the public conscience via Hollywood; most notably with Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner based on Dick's futuristic dystopian novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The movie quickly became a cult hit and is still unanimously praised as a cinematic masterpiece.
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In a world ravaged by nuclear war and the military-industrial complex, life in the purely organic sense has become almost obsolete. While advancements in science have helped preserve much of humanity, plants and animals are all but extinct. With radiation fallout imminent, humans meeting certain requirements are routinely encouraged to emigrate to fledgling colonies on Mars where, as an added incentive, each is paired with a servant android, or "andy".
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Though androids are manufactured robots indistinguishable from humans, each are programmed with enough innate intellectual capacities to simulate psychological sensitivities, a condition giving rise to renegade behavior and rogue droids clandestinely infiltrating earth's population. Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter in charge of rounding up and "retiring" six escaped Nexus-6 model androids, some of the most advanced and therefore most threatening forms of artificial intelligence. Meanwhile truck driver John Isidore, labeled a "special" for defective medical problems, deals with being relegated as substandard within the human realm and subsequently being denied potential emigration to the more desirable planetary colonies.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is ultimately a book about what it means to be human; and, furthermore, man's exploitation of technology at the expense of nature. From Deckard's personal war against the droids to the irony of John Isidore's "special" qualities and planet earth's post-apocalyptic decrepitude, it's a story emphasizing the contradictory atmosphere of "real life". Man's dissident caretaking of the natural world and the faulty side-effects of man-made innovations hold staggering consequences. Rather than improving on the inadequacies of existence, technology has wrought the demise of "life" in the purest sense; and while humanity has survived, the biological world is a mere degenerate habitat now infested by man's own 'personal recreations'.

Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption / by William "Cope" Moyers w/ Katherine Ketcham

2009-05-20T10:47:00.012-05:00

Many people have long enjoyed the groundbreaking work of broadcast journalist Bill Moyers. His pleasant mannerisms, classy personal skills and poignant insights have always been highly esteemed whether the topic be politics, cultural analysis or grassroots domestic issues. So it was somewhat a surprise and a disappointment that a man so linked to old fashioned family values could have a son, William "Cope" Moyers, who while demonstrating admirable qualities much like his father's on the outside, was actually a lifelong junkie with a relentless crack/cocaine habit. Absolutely nothing was known about the Cope's problem until he was well into his 30's, having established a reputable career as a Washington, D.C. journalist and married over a decade to an unsuspecting wife and father to a toddler son.

Even after the secret was 'broken' to his family in 1994, it would be a grueling 7-year path to sobriety, compacted with numerous relapses, methodone treatments and stints in rehab, not to mention several heartbreaking counter-reactions from those closest to him. Ultimately Moyers would find and maintain a full recovery only after permanately discarding all pride, dishonesty and personal dignity, a theme clearly identified in the memoir as utter "brokenness". His own words say it best, "Sobriety couldn't just be a part of me--it had to be me, become me, overtake me . . . If I lost it, I would have nothing because I would be nothing." (p. 332). Cope Moyers is now vice-president of the Hazeldon foundation which advocates better facilitation and treatment for addicts in dire need of recovery just like himself.

Maxed Out on the Half-Pipe: Skateboarding Books

2009-05-18T17:40:00.021-05:00

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Scarred for Life: Eleven Stories About Skateboarders / by Keith David Hamm
This book hits the streets with the skaters--both famous and obscure--who've carved their paths on the asphalt, covering over four decades of the thrasher lifestyle from its West Coast origins to its embodiment as a youth movement and on to its glorified X-games status. Complete with pics and personal quotes of real-life street legends like Steve Alba, Tony Caballeros and Jen O'Brien, Scarred for Life gives a authentic history of skateboarding, its cultural impact and the icons who made it what it is today.

Skater Girl: A Girls Guide to Skateboarding / by Patty Segovia & Rebecca Heller
A very all-inclusive guide to skating as it applies to the fairer sex, this book lets you in on everything about female participation in what's predominately considered a male-friendly activity. With advice on choosing the right board to safety gear as well as what shoes to buy, where to skate and pile-driving on the half-pipe, this book tells girls all they need to know about skateboarding and skate culture, striking down any pre-conceived notions on what can and can't be done.

Stalefish: Skateboard Culture From the Rejects Who Made It / by Sean Mortimer; w/ a foreword by Tony Hawk

Before YouTube, the only way to gauge who could really shred on a board was to attend contests where legends like Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi and Stacy Peralta routinely displayed their skills. As these contests increased in attendance, the events became more celebrated, the tricks more daring and the sport more popular. It was a time when skateboarding bonded with aspects of music and youth culture to become the phenomenon it is today. Through a variety of sources and feedback Stalefish describes the transformation of skateboarding, its emergence from the back alleys and playgrounds, its social trendsetting, tie-ins to popular culture, and legacy as not just a sport but a 'lifestyle'.

Skateboarding: Ramp Tricks / by Evan Goodfellow

A veteran skateboarder and ramp enthusiast, Goodfellow offers a few well-explained tips for beginners, all of which are illustrated with in-action photographs. While it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that ramp boarding (and pretty much all of skateboarding in general) is potentially dangerous, Goodfellow outlines several helpful hints and guidelines which can limit those inevitable cuts and scrapes. He also offers a few construction techniques which might help any amateur carpenters and novice craftsmen in fabricating their own backyard ramp or half-pipe.

Beyond Eden / by Catherine Coulter

2009-05-13T09:35:00.013-05:00

Lindsay Foxe has had a rough go of things. Daughter of the prestigious but pompous San Francisco Judge Royce Foxe, she's been overlooked in place of her older, more glamorous step-sister Sydney all her life. When, at 18, she's viciously raped by her brother-in-law and falsely blamed for seducing him, Lindsay's informally cut off and forced to relocate from her family. Her alienation takes on a literal form when she resolves to take on a new name and profile; "Eden", as she's now called, begins her new life alone in New York City.

Kismet can be kind as well as cruel, however, and Eden soon lands a job as a model, giving her life new meaning as she takes part in the exciting world of fashion and glamour. Opportunities in her newfound career offer the chance to meet many new, exciting people; but also some creepy characters. When Eden suspects she's being stalked, a private investigator is hired for additional security. The man, Taylor, is a former cop and part time computer troubleshooter who's abrasive mannerisms catch Eden off guard initially. But after some misadventures involving a would-be predator where her personal safety's jeopardized, Eden's more than relieved to have the dashing Taylor by her side. Soon things between the two settle into a trusting, solidified relationship, one Eden could have only dreamt of before hand.

Catherine Coulter is one of the leading 'names' in the genre of Romance fiction, having penned a plethora of Regency and Historical romance series prior to her foray into romantic suspense thrillers. It's a book which will delight true fans of the romance genre; its fast-moving plot, melodramatic backdrop and delicately sensitive heroine providing what romance readers have always treasured.

"The Pickwick Papers" (DVD) 1985 / a TV-miniseries directed by Jack Davies & Brian Lighthill

2009-05-06T10:03:00.065-05:00

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From London's narrow alleyways to the pastoral serenity of the countryside and spilling over into quaint village inns and taverns, The Pickwick Papers is the resplendent work of a young Dickens at his best. Enamored with all the trademark elements which set him among history's greatest writers, the novel follows the inimitable Samuel Pickwick, a gentleman among gentlemen, and his charming group of friends--The Pickwick Club--along on their wistful travels; the group's indelible spirit, though beset by deceitful charlatans, dubious lawmen and misadventures of the sporting kind, remaining forever optimistic.
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Masterfully applied to the small screen is the BBC's extraordinary rendering of this classic tale starring Nigel Stock, Patrick Malahide and Phil Daniels. This is how Dickens (and all established literature) should be done: true to the author's original vision yet diversified and segmented just enough to allow the actors time to effectually "become" the characters. It could well be said that Stock, a career supporting actor, was born to play the portly Pickwick. No small task was the role either, Samuel Pickwick is one of Dickens' truly special people. Sustained by the affection of loyal friends and constancy of his dutiful servant Sam, Mr. Pickwick is a man with a heart as big as his paunch and an unwavering certainty in the inherent 'good' of every man--convictions upheld despite numerous instances of affrontery, tribulation, betrayal and disappointment.
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While central to the drama is Stock's marvelous portrayal of Pickwick, it's Daniels and Malahide--servant Sam and swindler Alfred Jingle respectively--who almost steal the show in their supporting roles. Though each's on-screen time is marginal, it's effective enough to earn awestruck approval of viewers. Daniels' inhabitation of the charismatic Sam, with his cockney charm and neverending supply of clever witticisms, could effectively stand alone as an independent story while the dexterous Malahide's embodiment of the garish, artful and fast-talking Jingle is a near-majestic performance. Still as breathtaking nearly 25 years since the original broadcast, "Pickwick Papers" is a lasting indication that you scarcely need lofty production values and 'names' to create a masterpiece.

Jaws / by Peter Benchley

2009-05-06T10:03:00.058-05:00

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An adventure thriller penned by a writer already respected for several previous novels, Jaws was a best-seller meriting even further recognition after Stephen Spielberg brought his own personalized version to the screen. While perhaps not as visually dynamic as the movie, its a book recognizable in its own right for its vivid descriptions of a small town, its residents and a monster of indescribable power.
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Amity Island is a tourist town. Year-long residents number out at approximately 1,000 while its summer population is annually 15,000 mostly native New Yorkers--"summer people"--vacationing at their Long Island beach homes. Despite this yearly swell, year-rounders have it hard financially, often barely breaking even and finding themselves desperately dependent on tourist season. So when, over the course of three days, 5 people are attacked and killed by a shark, the unthinkable happens: the authorities close the beaches--indefinitely.

Though mayhem over the situation on land ensues, Police Chief Martin Brody knows that it's nothing compared to the savage fury and carnage the shark, a Great White, would continue to perpetrate if the beaches were left open. Though no one's actually seen the beast, few doubt its ferocity and the un-likelihood of its departure from Amity's shore while food is still 'provided'. Left with few alternatives, Brody and two other men, both well-aware of the shark's destructive capacities, embark on seemingly their only other option: they decide to hunt down the shark and kill it.

Benchley is a true craftsman of the adventure-thriller novel, managing to generate a very viable and imminent threat while maintaining a genuine realism amidst the panicked upheaval. Subtly he shows how an inhuman presence deftly seeps through into the human conscience, culminating in a fatal conclusion on both literal and figurative levels. Subplots and side stories like the tenuous relationship of year-rounders vs. "summer people", the town chairman's dubious dealings with loan 'sharks' and the love triangle between Chief Brody, his wife and scientist Matt Hooper give the book a well-rounded sense of just how volatile the situation is.

The Shack by William P. Young

2009-04-29T15:49:00.004-05:00

This book has had unexpected success. The author and friends self-published the first 10,000 copies and it has gone on to sell 5.5 million copies in English and has been translated into a dozen languages. There are many reviews and discussions of the book available on and offline, some of which criticize the book’s theology. The story is not a true story, although the event that prompts the protagonist’s encounter with God (in the shack) is compellingly “real”; as a tragedy we often witness today. The character, named Mack, had his 6 year old daughter abducted and murdered while the family was on a camping trip. The shack is the place where the authorities found the evidence of her murder. Several months later, God invites him back to the very same shack, to meet with him. Actually Mack meets with three persons there– the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Critics have taken issue with what they see as distortions and/or softening of Christian theology in The Shack. Young has God explain the Trinity as relational, not hierarchical, and emphatically refutes any idea that God generates negative events, even for our own good. What God does, according to Young, is redeem such events, and the persons acting them out. The church as an institution is downplayed, and characterized mostly by its shortcomings. Young, asked in interviews about his church-going, focuses more on his “community of believers” than institutional religion, which may explain why his book is so popular. In one sense, the book is about “entering a relationship”, which is not a new theme in evangelical Christianity. Young also insists that evil comes from freedom, which is what we are born into. The story realistically communicates Mack’s anguish and despair, and keeps us interested even as the conversations begin to sound like lectures from a course called “God101: Forgiveness”. While a particularly Protestant expression, Christians of all stripes can be counted among the book’s audience. A good book to check out if you’re wondering what resonates spiritually in today’s society.

Hands of my Father by Myron Uhlberg

2009-04-28T17:35:00.003-05:00

Myron Uhlberg is an author of books for children, and this is his first book for an adult audience. It is not so much a story, as a bunch of childhood recollections that are roughly in chronological sequence, but do not work together to show any development of the principal characters – Myron, his younger brother, and their deaf parents. His brother is the least illuminated, with most of the focus on Myron and his father. The recollections range from trivial (what Myron picks out in a candy store, watching a neighbor tend his pigeons) to terrifying (his brother having grand mal seizures, his father cutting himself accidentally on a broken bottle). The book is noteworthy in its depiction of how people who were deaf lived then, in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Myron describes a virtual wall between his parents and the hearing world, one constructed by ignorance and prejudice. (It would be interesting to learn how this wall has been affected by our presently more “enlightened” acceptance of handicapped people.) The author remarks on how incredibly close his mother and father were, leading him to speculate how their deaf condition may have served to increase their dependence and focus on each other. Both his parents came from hearing families, and they describe (to him) the pain of living as aliens in their family circles. But the author hesitates to examine these stories closely, seeming to tread more on the surface of their narratives. When he asks for a dog, he hears about his mother’s experience of having a dog in childhood, how she communicated with it, how it knew her moods and her inclinations in an instant. The dog had to go, after a biting episode – but the pain of the story is not about losing the dog, but the glimpse into what the dog alleviated - the darkness, the lack of relating. All Myron says is, he stopped asking, realizing he didn’t need a dog. His life was not like that. But then, he was not deaf.

This I Believe & This I Believe II / from NPR & Jay Allison, ed.

2009-04-22T09:23:00.022-05:00

Fans of NPR will recognize This I Believe, a collection of oral interviews examining the core values, independent philosophies and personal credos of a variety of individuals. Virtually every walk of life is touched upon. Both celebrity and everyman, living and deceased, domestic and international, old and young are granted a voice. Originally conducted and cataloged by Edward R. Murrow and Studs Terkel for radio broadcast in the 1950's, this 2006 updated anthology displays the wide array of beliefs, influences and principles which have served as the backbone of mankind's contributions to society.

The likes of Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, John Updike, Carl Sandburg, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Albert Einstein grace the pages of the first edition while a later--2008--adaptation entitled This I Believe II includes excerpts from "Dead Man Walking" nun Helen Prejean, skateboarder Tony Hawk, musician Yo-Yo Ma, peace corp volunteer and activist James Loney and Hurricane Katrina survivor Robin Baudier. Jay Allison, an independent broadcast journalist and frequent member on NPR's special interest panel, does a good job tying in all of the various personal essays and making each presentation worthwhile.

Rock Rants: Rock Music Memoirs, Insider Narratives and Groupie Tell-alls from Rock's Most Legendary Icons

2009-04-20T14:22:00.042-05:00

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Cobain Unseen / by Charles R. Cross
More a collage of Cobain’s personal letters, photos, notes and memorabilia with little interference from chronological details, Cross’s book is essentially a shrine published in memoriam of the deceased Nirvana front man. If any doubt remains that Cobain was (and will likely continue to be rendered as) the most iconic figure in Generation X pop culture, books like this one tend to reconfirm and proliferate—with venerating affectations only a melodrama like Cobain’s could provoke—his never-ending legacy.

Neil Young Nation / as Lived and Narrated by Kevin Chong
In a time when Rock n’ Roll was dominated by performers from Britain and America, Neil Young was a Canadian guitarist who rose to the pinnacle of the industry and is still going strong today. A musician of extraordinary talent, moxy and creative ingenuity, Young’s career has spanned nearly five decades and has earned countless fans the world over. Kevin Chong, a music journalist and lifelong Young-devotee, takes an eclectic look at this iconoclastic figure, recounting how his own personal obsession with the performer has meshed with his real life interaction alongside him.

Queen: As It Began / by Jacky Gunn and Jim Jenkins; with an Introduction by Brian May
Probably the one Rock band which has had the most airtime of any one musical act owing to their anthem-like ballads which have filled sporting arenas worldwide, Queen is second-to-none when it comes to mainstream appeal and popularity. A book which was published within months of frontman Freddie Mercury’s death (a disclaimer at the end says that the other bandmembers were ignorant of his illness—he died of AIDS), ‘As it Began’ tells the definitive story of one of music’s most visionary acts, commenting on everything from their collaborative song writing to their flamboyantly innovative concerts.

Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me / by Pattie Boyd w/ Penny Junior
From schoolgirl model-turned-supermodel posing alongside Twiggy to acting with the Beatles and finally on to superstardom as a 60’s and 70’s sex symbol, Pattie Boyd was the definitive Rock mistress as wife and muse to both George Harrison and Eric Clapton (Boyd's generally noted as being the inspiration for Harrison’s “Something” as well as Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight”, “Layla” and “Bell Bottom Blues”) and a famous face of the glamorous Rock n’ Roll lifestyle. Here she details the good, the bad and the downright wild times reflecting on her two (failed) marriages to Clapton and Harrison and also delving into her current passion of photography and activism.

I’m With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie / by Pamela Des Barres
Perhaps the most famous American Rock groupie of all time and a thoroughly “experienced” veteran of the glamorous Rock n’ Roll golden age, Pamela Des Barres—in her newest explicitly rendered memoir—dishes on her times spent among Rock royalty. Almost no name is unfamiliar as the likes of Mick Jagger, Frank Zappa, Don Johnson, Pete Townshend, Alice Cooper, Robert Plant, etc. grace the pages of Des Barres’ extremely intimate autobiography.
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Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns n’ Roses / by Stephen Davis
The late eighties saw one band rise above the post-punk/hair-metal/thrash/glam scene to become the era's one hard rock group singularly recognized by its raw sound and fury. From lead singer Axl Rose’s screeched out lyrics of rage, misogyny, greed and apathy to guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin’s versatile guitar riffs, Guns n’ Roses was one band you could count on not only to never sell out, but to push the envelope of ferocity, havoc and reckless behavior in the Rock arena. Not only were they not very nice, 'Guns' truly carried an 'appetite for destruction' everywhere--Axl’s propensity for inciting concert riots, violent altercations between band members and a slew of rape, assault and drug charges ultimately resulting in their partial disintegration. Veteran Rock music biographer Davis’ reveals the many ins and outs of one of music’s nastiest power groups, wisely characterizing the band and its individuals from an unbiased viewpoint leaving their legacy to be determined by the reader.

Straight Man / by Richard Russo

2009-04-15T14:50:00.027-05:00

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Richard Russo won a 2001 Pulitzer for his novel Empire Falls, which examines the dismal lives of people in a small Maine town. The author of over 10 mainstream novels, he's recently broken into Hollywood as screenplay author and script editor for the films Keeping Mum, Ice Harvest and 2007's Bridge of Sighs, based on his novel of the same name. Straight Man takes an introspectively humorous look at Academic life following an acting English department head at a small college through a particularly turbulent period of the semester.
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Professor William Henry Devereaux, Jr.--"Hank"--might be stuck as a tenured writing teacher at remote liberal arts college, but you don't have to tell him. He's well-aware of it. At the moment however, any midlife career angst he does feel is meshed against equally pressing issues like budget cuts forecasting doom for the already underfunded English department, lingering suspicions that his wife may be having an affair, unruly students, quibbling faculty and one particularly vital bodily (dys)function causing him indescribable pain. When a querulous incident involving a halloween mask, a live duck and a TV news camera makes Hank a 48 hour local celebrity, it's all he can do to maintain his composure and elicit control as acting head of the department.

Despite its somewhat misleading title, Straight Man--intended to connote a straight-forward individual in the company of fakers--is an amusing, jocular novel on the paradoxical absurdities of Academic life. Almost a Catch-22 styled plot with its abundance of oddball characters, multiple subplots and unseemly circumstances accepted as mere routine encounters, it's the truth conveyed within the sardonic narrative that readers relate to most. Hank's colorful running commentary about his various personal and institutional vexations lends American middle-age its due; and while you kind of sense that everything will turn out OK, that pitted feeling of life restrained by obligations is clearly identified. Though at times a bit rambling, the book is lightearted and entertaining and will connect with readers well-associated with the characteristics of a midlife crisis.

Oldboy (2003) DVD / a film by Chan-Wook Park starring Min-Sik Choi; based on the comic by Nobuaki Minegishi

2009-04-09T10:19:00.054-05:00

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"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone."
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Abducted by unknown perpetrators one rainy night, businessman Oh Dae-Suh has been mysteriously held captive for 15 years inside an isolated, oddly furnished cell. Now after his abrupt, unexplained release, a vengeful Dae-Suh actively seeks out the responsible party only to have his vindication efforts confronted by a peculiarly diabolical individual. As revelations concerning the reason for his confinement come to light, he's awakened to a startling secret about his own--now long forgotten--past which hides a frighteningly daunting truth.

Oldboy is an absolutely awe-inspiring film, one that clicks on virtually all cylinders. Instantly it engages the viewer with its clever cinematography, inventive storytelling and dark humor following a tenacious protagonist through a maze of self discovery. Add a powerfully rendered love story and a twisted, very noir ending and you have a sublimely original cinematic production. The movie's technical aspects are likewise as admirable. Park's direction and storyboard give the movie an undeniably flawless synergy--the scene sequencing, choreography and selective use of bleach bypass arguably as impeccable as anything before or since. An unprecedented film which will undoubtedly become a Hollywood remake, this flick is a definite must-see-before-you-die movie.