Lincoln - The Biography of a Writer by Fred Kaplan

Not another Lincoln bio. Aren't there like a million of them? Yep, give or take but this is different from any of the others I've read. The author answers the "why another" question with "...there is no modern study of the origin and development of Lincoln's literary sensibility and genius... Lincoln's reading in the textbooks and literary anthologies of his youth, the literature that helped shape his mind and his prose style, is an essential part of the story."

Kaplan does a first rate job of looking at the available literature of Lincoln's youth, his favorite authors (especially poets) of his adulthood and the speeches by others who Lincoln admired and shows the echos of those sources in his famous and not so famous essays. Kaplan calls them essays rather than speeches because Lincoln almost never spoke extemporaneously. He laid out each formal speech in a tight format that made the point while allowing for inserted jokes and stories (mostly "earthy") as the situation dictated. He wrote decent poetry, made two of the best speeches by any politician ever and could well be called the political Mark Twain. Kaplan also focuses on areas skipped over by everyone else I've read, including his unhappy (and coerced?) marriage, his treatment of the Indians, and his alienation from his father. Lincoln's use of language and his personal philosophy of how honest language is a critical factor in presidential leadership brings into sharp focus why the presidential utterances of the last eight years have been such an unsatisfying experience and what contributed in great part to his (GWB) impotence as a leader. For anyone who is interested in Lincoln, this is a must read.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

This book was a Christmas gift from Amanda and it's a winner. If you love a good ghost story, you must add this one to your reading list. Written in the style of a gothic romantic mystery, it's a real page turner! The plot is well paced, original and intriguing; the characters well-developed, convincing and so mysterious. I was hooked from the first page and was sorry to see it end.

In brief, this is a tale about an old estate, a very strange family, sexual obsession, twins, murder, ghosts and madness (all the elements that make for a really great story!). The Thirteenth tale begins to unfold when the reknown author, Vida Winter, contacts Margaret, a young author and antiquarian bookseller in London, and asks her to write a biography of her (Vida's) long and secretive life. Since Miss Winter had already told her"story" to 19 other writers, in 19 completely different versions, Margaret was wary of the task ahead of her.

As Vida begins to share her "stories" will feel yourslef getting sucked into her mysterious web of intrigue. The storytelling is masterful, suspenseful and surprising. And just when you think you've figured it all out, wait...there's more to come. I don't want to give anything away, but trust me, you will not be disappointed!

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

Now that I can again get on and post reviews after an unexpected hiatus (due to log-on problems) I will report on this book that I read much earlier this year. As the title suggests, it is about a beauty school that the author was a significant factor in helping open and run. She is a US citizen, hair stylist by training, with a dismal marriage (lived in Michigan for part of it) who decides to do something bold and different. It is a true story. I was touched by the descriptions of the lives of Afghan women and once again became aware of how different my life as an American woman is from women in many other parts of the world. In learning skills at the beauty school, Afghan women are then able to support their families and themselves, which then opens a whole other door on the consequences of that in a country where women are not valued. Just trying to physically get around Kabul is a challenge, as is trying to do business as a woman who does not speak much of the language in a male-dominated country. I felt dangling at the end and wanted more of a conclusion one way or the other, which did not occur. I gave this book to my hairdresser (who says she never reads any books) who couldn't put it down and is passing it on to her friends.

Marley and Me

I read this book way before any hype about the movie came along. As you all probably know by now, it is a funny, touching book about a newlywed couple who gets a lab puppy who is full of personality, headstrong, loyal, with fears of thunderstorms (not good living in Florida as they do in the beginning). I laughed out loud many times. I cannot imagine having an animal like Marley for my pet, but the bonds with him swing emotions around like he enjoys swinging some pleasurable toy. The author is a professional writer (newspapers) and is an easy read. You learn about his family and their ups and downs (some very deep downs) as they all entwine themselves as a family. This is more like summertime beach reading, but if you want something to make you laugh and touch your heart, this is a good one.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

Jackie read this years ago and recommended it. The story involves a German boy of 15 being seduced by an older woman and a quasi reunion years later. There is much more but it would take away from the reading to reveal the remaining plot.

You know I take literary characters to heart and like a story more if I like the main character. In this case both Jackie and I are uncertain of how we feel about either the boy or the woman. They are both flawed. Although the woman's seduction of the boy and also actions she took prior to meeting the boy are worse on the surface than those of the boy, I found myself more sympathetic to the woman. There is a court scene where she asks a judge in her trial what he would have done in her situation. She didn't ask the question as a calculated move; she truly could not see other options that may have been available to her. The boy was cold in his relationships after parting from the woman and perhaps it was due to the affair or is just how he is. Regardless, he had the power to make a number of relationships better and did not.

The book is a sparely written 218 pages that could be finished in one day. If you are thinking of seeing the movie that is just arriving in theaters, read the book first. I can't tell if any of our bloggers will love this, hate this, or be in between. I think I'm in between.

The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell

I've read two of Vowell's previous books: "Assasination Vacation" and "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" and LOVED them, so I was really looking forward to this one. And it didn't disappoint. This one is a little less funny, though, what with all the Native American slaughter and such.

Relying heavily on John Winthrop's journals and famous sermon "A Model of Christian Charity" as a worldview lens, Vowell takes the reader on an eye-opening tale of the founding of the Massachussetts Bay colony. She interweaves Winthrop's story with those of John Cotton, Anne Hutchinson, and John Williams, among others.

What I found most interesting about this history was the contradiction between our Puritan founders' ideals and those of most modern Americans. In fact, evangelical Christians, who seem to stake a claim as the voice of "our nation's Christian founders", probably diverge from the Puritans ideals most of all (although many might agree with the "eye for an eye" justice meted out in Puritan courts!) Vowell dives to the depths of Puritan theology and how that worldview shaped everything in their lives, encompassing both their charity (sharing with one another) and ruthlessness (burning Indian women and children alive.) It's a complex, brutal, and ultimately, enlightening story about some of the founders of this complex, brutal, and enlightening nation. A must read.

The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb

I'm reviewing this book not because anyone else is likely to read it (it's a statistical discussion) but because I'll be referencing it in phone chats and notes hereafter. The title refers to how everyone can have an understanding of existence and a single observation can completely change that understanding. Every so often , that event also may have large consequences. In this case it was all Europeans being sure swans were only white because those were the only ones they had ever seen. After seeing a single Australian black swan, that theory of many centuries was shown to be wrong.

The book's point is that we view most of our existence in the same way, as if it were a statistical bell curve. If X observations have not indicated our understanding is wrong, then the chances of it being wrong are so remote as to be almost impossible. However, most things in life do not conform to the bell curve and lack of proof of an outlier is not the same as proof of the model we have in our head. Most of life's processes, including economics, history, social sciences and even many scientific areas, do not correspond to a linear formula. The reason an idea or a scientific model becomes dominant is not due to the merits of the idea or model but to luck and social dynamics related to the herd instinct. Other ideas and models can be more accurate or "better" and die off for reasons not related to the idea or model. Even a formula that may work under restricted (and unnatural) constraints will spin out of control in a short time span because of unknown or misunderstood interactions. We see this yearly with government and scientific predictions that fall apart in weeks, months or a few years, yet react strongly to embrace the next prediction with fervor.

So what? Taleb feels we are living in a world of increasing black swans due to the increased complexity of our world. Since his area of expertise is economics (he was a Wall Street options trader, among other things) economics is his main focus. He wrote this book in the last half of 2006, yet one of his points is "...As if we did not have enough problems, banks are now more vulnerable to the Black Swan ...than ever before with "scientists" among their staff taking care of exposures. The giant firm J.P. Morgan put the entire world at risk by introducing in the nineties RiskMetrics, a phony method aiming at managing people's risks, causing the generalized use of (a) fallacy... Likewise, the government-sponsored institution Fanny Mae, when I look at their risks, seems to be sitting on a barrel of dynamite, vulnerable to the slightest hiccup. But not to worry: their large staff of scientists deemed these events "unlikely."'

Wow, did he nail that two years ahead of the event. So what do we do if many of these big events can happen without us being able to predict them and yet those events can substantially change our life?

Don't worry about the stuff you can't control. The fact that any of us lives is a statistical miracle. Enjoy it. Rely on the things you know through practical experience. Be conservative if the downside risk of a chance failure is more than you can live with. Conversely, if you are working in an area where minor variance can occasionally produce huge payouts, expose yourself to those circumstances as much as possible. The richest, or longest living, or healthiest (pick your desired category for existence) person got there by having the luck of being in the right place at the right time with the right gifts (good genes, the right parents, the right culture, etc.) and then the skills to exploit the situation. In the case of investing, Taleb figures we don't really know the odds of most investments working out, so he's ultraconservative with about 85% of his investments (government bonds) and then invests the other 15% in those areas where a single breakout could make him ultra rich e.g. some computer companies in the early '90s, yet if he guesses wrong the chance of all of the 15% of the investments being hugely bad are not very high.

If you do read the book, he's pretty pleased with himself and is not afraid to throw zingers at authority. It's a fun read and if you decide to skip most of the statistical discussion and take his word for it, there are some profound insights worth retaining.

The Life of Andrew Jackson by Robert Remini

I picked this up to fill in some gaps about American politics in the first half of the 19th century. It is an abridgement of a three book set that won the National Book Award in 1984.

From the beginning, Jackson's life was an adventure. He fought in the Revolution at 13 and was orphaned in the same year. He fought duals, had a controversial romantic life, fought Indians and the British, and reshaped American political and governmental life. It is a life that a fiction script writer would risk criticism for inserting so many near-death experiences, national firsts and bigger than life characteristics. He is justifiably controversial for having elevated the presidency to its modern executive status, for moving almost all eastern native American tribes to lands west of the Mississippi, for balancing the budget for the first time since the Revolution, changing national banking practices, etc.

When I read about FDR last month I came away with mixed emotions due to his character flaws and strengths combined with some governmental successes. He pales in comparison to Jackson, both for his flaws, his strengths, and his governmental outcomes. What was most surprising was the many similarities to issues that were addressed in this last election. Jackson took actions that reminded me of Bush, except Jackson was more courageous and competent. He also took stands that Democrats would applaud, especially since he created the Democratic party. He probably reminds me most of Teddy Roosevelt but is a unique individual. You will not be bored with this story and will come away with an excellent understanding of people like Calhoun, Clay, Webster, J.Q. Adams, and those presidents who followed Jackson into the 1840's. A worthwhile read and one that will leave me thinking about a president's place in the American governmental triumvirate for a long time.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

This book was one I picked up a few times throughout the last year or so and finally decided to give a try after reading some rave reviews. And while it was a good book, I really wanted to like it more than I did.
The story is told as a single monologue to an anonymous person who the main character, Changez, meets and sits down with at a cafe. Changez is a young Pakistani who is educated in the US (Princeton), falls in love, and is working at a great firm making a great living. But, while out of the country on 9/11, he finds that, upon his return to the US, the way in which he is perceived, and hence, the way he perceives the country as a whole, has changed drastically. He is profiled and experiences prejudices he never thought possible and eventually returns home to Pakistan to find that his perceptions of his homeland have changed as well. He seems to have an almost knee-jerk reaction to what he sees as a typically American snobbery, elitism, and entitlement. So, he becomes...yep, you guessed it! A reluctant fundamentalist.
It's a quick read and an interesting book, catching a glimpse inside the struggles with identity and sense of pride for your home that I'm sure many people experienced in the months and years after 9/11. But, again, I just couldn't really come to care about the character too much and really just found myself wanting to like this book more than I did. Could be a case of just reading it at the wrong time, or could just be the fact that it didn't click with me. Overall, I don't think any of you would really be riveted by this book, but I'm glad I read it. Fulfilled my curiosity and was a pleasant way to spend a few days. Not a glowing review, but they can't all be "Stori Telling"!

Dracula

So I borrowed this book from Natalie, who highly recommended it. She and I typically have pretty similar book taste and exchange books often. However, this was one (much like "Middlesex") that I did not take to quite like she did.

The story is told mostly through the papers, diaries, and phonograph recordings of people involved in this bizarre story. The general story line is that of a Count that plans to move to a more urban setting (London) where there is a richer "diet." There he finds lots of women (who he can sink his teeth into). But he runs into some opposition, though he always seems to be one step ahead of them. It is interesting to observe the technologies and ideologies of the time, as Stoker describes them, but overall I just found it a bit too...ridiculous. Perhaps I should've read it as more of a comedy, though, because upon reflection, I think that may have been the intent, to a point. And by no means was it poorly written, but I tend not to be drawn so much to this time period in general and the overall writing style.

Having said that, of the blogging enthusiasts in the family I would say this is something dad or Amanda would gravitate to more than mom. It's a dense book but could be worth your time, especially since it is a classic. And, quite appropriately timed (more or less) with Halloween!

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Not sure how many of you have seen the movie version of "Breakfast at Tiffany's", but I saw the movie before reading the short story by Truman Capote and they are quite different. But different in a great way! The short story is about Holly Golightly and her relationship with her neighbor (the narrator). Throughout the story they became good friends and you soon realize that the narrator hasn't seen Holly in 15 years and that the beginning of the story is actually the end (and I typically love books like this). Holly is a bit flighty and lost, but seems to catch the attention and adoration of those who encounter her. She is constantly wondering, roaming, searching for a place to belong. However, Truman Capote leaves us not knowing quite what has happened to Holly - did she ever find a sense of home or peace?

When I was searching for a picture of the book cover online I stumbled across a review of the book that seems to sum it up quite well (better than I ever could):

"Holly is the epitome of wild things, for what place does a wild thing belong but in the wild? It puts forth the question but not the answer of where a wild thing belongs when there is no wilderness left. But the cat, a wonderer who found a home, gives us some hope, that a wild thing can find a place to belong, and not be caged. It is a motif that Capote exposes with a charming tale and a truly unforgettable character. "

And that about does it! You can easily read this short story in a few hours and it's defintely worth the read! Enjoy!

The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman

I thought I'd just give a short plug for Tony Hillerman, since he pasted away a little more than a week ago. This was his last book and I'd recommend the series. In brief, these books feature an older Navajo police lieutenant and a younger police sergeant who solve cases in reservation areas of the southwest tribes in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. The FBI is responsible for handling felonies like murder and armed robbery, but often do not understand the underlying dynamics of those indian cultures. The two Navajo policemen do and often solve the cases by coming at them from another point of view and a different entry point, like a stolen pot or container of pine sap.

Some of the most satisfying reading for me is to be immersed in a culture very different from my own and following an interesting human dilemma using points of view that blend the familiar human condition with the unique issues associated with a different culture. In his best books, Hillerman pulled it off well. If you want to get a feel for his writing, try some early books, although this one stands alone as a decent mystery.

Straight Man by Richard Russo

I have a dilemma. The Salmon Rushdi review referred to it as a hoot. "Straight Man" by Richard Russo, also is a hoot in a somewhat different way, so hoot needs clarification. A hoot is a combination of funny (from ironic to laugh-out-loud) and complex in a good way. Rushdi's book was ironic with a dense and outlandish plot. Russo's book is laugh out loud funny with a compelling plot that is only slightly outlandish.

With that out of the way, let's continue. If you like "Empire Falls" or "Nobody's Fool" then you will like this book. For those who have not read either of the others, Russo gives you a man negotiating life's normal problems with humor and insight in a small town that has seen better days. In the case of "Straight Man" the town is equally down-and-out with the main character, William Henry Devereaux, Jr., being a college english professor with a wise-ass approach to life. The book hit close to home because WHD's dialogue sounds like what often goes through my head. It took a while to finally suppress most of the dialogue (but not the thoughts) because, as my father used to say, nobody likes a wise ass. In "Straight Man" many people do not like WHD for that reason. An equal number do like him because he is a funny, decent guy, but are exasperated by what looks like self-destructive behaviour. Most of the plot involves a week or so as he nears 50 and his wife is out of town. He's a man at war with himself but doesn't quite realize it. Following him to a satisfying conclusion is a fun ride through this interesting life. I'm pretty sure all of you will like this one.

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

I know, I've had this discussion with Jackie, Becky and Amanda. Salman Rushdie? The guy who angered an entire religion and had a death sentence on his head for his writing? When you could be cruising with Torri Spelling? That Salman Rushdie? Yes, and he's a hoot.

Envision the story of the birth and beginning of the life of India as told by Forest Gump on crack. Add in the magic story telling of (I can't think of anyone else who can make up this stuff) and you've got what I think "Snow" was supposed to do for Turkey but failed miserably. To help you out, the narrator gives you a running start by giving you two generations before he was born at exactly midnight of the day India became a nation. As it turns out, anyone born around that hour was gifted with some kind of magic power, from changing their own sex at will, to multiplying fishes, to really being able to do magic, to (well, you get the idea). As a conglomerate, they are called midnight's children.

Now, it would probably help if you knew the background of the gazillion deitys that make up the Hindu religion but he gives you enough background to know a guy named Shiva will not be the hero of the story. It would also help to understand whichever language is Rushdie's native tongue (India has about as many languages as it does gods) so you would know when the thing he is eating (or is floating down a river) is a fish or a sweet piece of cake. In the end, it's sort of fun to figure it's either and see which way you like the story best.

Finally, I like his style. He tells stories with lots of parenthetical asides, as do I. Although some may find it annoying (present reader's company excepted), it worked for me. Of our faithful readers, Amanda would probably like this best but it really is a heck of a story and worth the 533 pages (did he say 533?) to tell the tale. Enjoy.

Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs

I loved this book. Yes, I realize that Amanda may run away screaming because it's by Augusten Burroughs, acclaimed author of Running With Scissors, but this is a fabulous collection of short stories that had me laughing out loud. If any of you are David Sedaris fans I think you would get a kick out of this book. And the comparison isn't only with the writing style, though they are quite similar. His sexual preference (yes, he's gay), the slightly disturbing childhood and family drama (though, arguably, Burroughs had it way worse), and the humor with which he deals with it all is just...well, refreshing!

Even though Burroughs has unquestionably had a crazy, disturbing life, he addresses it with such humor that you actually find yourself relating to it...I swear! I think my favorite story is about him living in New York City and encountering a rat in his bathtub. This is a pretty typical New York City story - the whole rodent infestation problem, etc. But the way with which he goes about destroying this creature, and feeling this tug between good and evil, humanity and cruelty - it was absolutely hilarious.

If you're looking for a quick read, and (like most short story collections) a book you can put down and pick up at any time, this is your book. I realize this is coming from the person who read, blogged about, and even reveled in Stori Telling, but I swear...this was good!

Snow by Orhan Pamuk

I wanted to read this book because it was a NY Times Best Book of the Year and I've enjoyed several on the list. After all, who could resist a book that Margaret Atwood described as "Not only an engrossing feat of tale-spinning but essential reading for our times.?" Well, apparently Jackie could because she put it down after reading 100 pages.

Briefly, this is a story of a Turkish poet in exile who returns to Turkey and goes to a back-water town near the Iranian border to write about Islamic girls who are committing suicide but also because he might be able to hit on a beautiful woman he briefly met in college who is now divorced. Sounds like a page turner.

Well, the poet is a shallow, self-center child of a man at 47. What an idiot. This is the kind of book Becky talks about where the dialogue makes you want to curl up on the couch and overdose on something (booze, pills, "Friends" reruns). After 250 pages of this inane dialogue I thought of quiting the book but decided the story might come together in a brilliant conclusion. After all, John Updike said "...A major work...with suspense at every dimpled vortex (whatever the heck that means)...Pamuk [is Turkey's] most likely candidate for the Nobel Prize." John must have gotten a different edition than the one I read. I now feel like the little boy on Christmas morning who sees a giant pile of horse manure in the yard and starts digging to the bottom because he's sure there's a pony in there somewhere. Take it from me, after 426 pages, there is no pony.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

If there's anyone who might enjoy this, out of those who read this blog (family-wise), it'd be Amanda. Though I'm not sure exactly how you'd feel about it because I got the same feeling reading this as I did reading Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs and - dare I say it - Augusten Burroughs Running With Scissors. I dare to say it fits somewhere in the middle, which may be a turnoff to Amanda altogether. But it made me laugh in the same way those books did, and had the same overall tone.
This book almost won the Pulitzer prize when it came out and I've seen it over the years but have put off picking it up until now. It's definitely a book I can see a young 20-early 30-something guy relating to quite well. But being an (early) 30-something gal, there were definitely bits I could relate to as well (like when he tried out for the San Francisco season of The Real World...I never did so, but all of the references made complete sense to me, as they would most people of my generation).
Anyway, it's a literary autobiography about this guy who moves to San Francisco from Chicago after the death of his parents to start a hipster paper, raising his younger brother and dealing with being a young guy trying to support his family. He has to deal with his other siblings who are more or less in the picture when it's convenient, all while trying to figure out who he is.
Sometimes the writing style got on my nerves with it's stream of consciousness feeling, and going back and forth between the past and present took a second to get used to. But for the most part it helped the book flow and move quite well, and there were definitely some laugh out loud moments.
Do I think it's one of the best books I've ever read? No. But typically when I read books that have been up for or have won the Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award, etc., I feel as if it's praise for something maybe not quite worthy. Or maybe I just don't get it.
But that's not to say I didn't enjoy the book, I actually really enjoyed it. But it was a book about a guy who dealt with some really heavy family stuff pretty early in life and had to grow up (though whether he actually did grow up for a while there is still up in the air) earlier than most. It's a "coming of age" piece that I think has really resonated with a lot of people for no other reason, perhaps, than because he was able to put on paper what others can only partially conceptualize. It was good. A quick(ish) read and a book I think will find itself worked into literary and pop culture references for years to come. Worthy of the Pulitzer Prize? Probably not. Worthy of your time? Yep.

Stori Telling

Most everyone who reads this review (hell, everyone) will undoubtedly lose most of whatever respect they had for me. But I don't care. That's right, people - I bought AND read Stori Telling by Tori Spelling. Soak it up. Breath it in. You're related to me.
Why did I pick up this book, you ask? A few reasons. One, it's summertime and dammit, I wanted something to read at the beach. Forget the fact that I read this on a sunny, hot Hoboken day laying on my leather couch for 7 hours until I finished it. Forget all of that. Forget the fact that I called several Barnes and Nobles (and, admittedly, a few Border's) to see if anyone had a copy. Sure, maybe it should've made me a bit embarrassed that this book was sold out everywhere (meaning that "the masses" were picking it up, and that usually isn't good). But I was shameless. I called everywhere saying "Do you have Stori Telling by Tori Spelling?" trying to sound as intelligent and worldly as I am while also really hoping they would put it on hold for me.
Second? I was curious. Maybe it stemmed from getting sucked into a marathon of her reality show on the Oxygen network "Tori and Dean." Maybe it is because I grew up watching her on 90210. Maybe it was because I always kinda thought she was an idiot and spoiled and entitled and annoying, and then when I watched that stupid marathon thought "Wait, she's kinda funny." Who cares. I bought it, and that's that.
So. The review? Well, none of you will read it, I'm sure, and that's just fine. I proudly have it displayed right up there with "The Bell Jar" and "Anna Karinina" and "Memoirs of a Geisha." Well, maybe not proudly, but it's there. And I am going to stick by this purchase because it was funny. And light. And a quick read. And it didn't make me curl up into the fetal position and contemplate the best ways to take your life. And I'm a firm believer that not every book has to change my life. Sure, it'd help if I learned something from it, but does it count that I learned that Tori Spelling only had one nose job as opposed to the several it's always reported she has gotten? Yeah, didn't think so.
Sure, it's fluffy and ridiculous and I'm sure you all have your opinions of Tori Spelling and her life so I won't bother trying to explain any of it away. I stand by it. I own it. It's a toss up between what was fluffier this summer, Stori Telling or Valley of the Dolls. But both have lots of pink on the cover, so that counts for something, right? Ok, you may proceed to mock me now.

No Ordinary Time

Okay, I know...another biography. I admit I'm hooked. I actually started reading this book about 10 years ago but it just didn't grab me. So, after all this time I decided to give it another try and I'm glad I did. It was well worth the investment of time and effort (all 635 pages). Doris Kearns Goodwin (Team of Rivals) is a clear and concise writer and, in this case has written a compelling and informative story, subtitled, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II.

As a child growing up in post- WWII America, the nation was still basking in the afterglow of the FDR presidency. It was a time of great national pride and growing prosperity after winning "the war". Although FDR had died in 1945 during his fourth term in office (can you imagine if we had GWB around that long?!!), his legacy was (and is) legion. Eleanor Roosevelt also remained a popular and much admired public figure, often appearing on television (a new media source in the 50s) to make public service announcements. After reading this book I have a much greater understanding of what it must have been like to have lived during "the war" and some of this nations darkest hours. I also gained a deeper appreciation for the contributions and sacrifices made by both Franklin and Eleanor during this critical and historic time. Franklin, an eternal optimist and Eleanor, a poster-child for civil rights and social justice, formed an unlikely, yet powerful partnership.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about America's role in WWII. In summary, Doris Kearns Goodwin writes, "the Roosevelt years had witnessed the most profound social revolution in the country since the Civil War- nothing less than the creation of modern America.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

Apparently, Mom was not that impressed by this book, but I really enjoyed it. I read "Omnivore's Dilema" last year and found it compelling, so I was excited about this one. This book is more concise and doesn't go into as much detail as his first book, but that was okay with me. I enjoyed his down-to-earth eating recommendation: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." That sums it up right there, but he explains each of those statements further and gives some guidance about how to choose the food you eat.

Every time I read one of these books (about food, health, or the environment), I get more and more frustrated with the way I eat and always want to improve myself and my habits. You would think it easy to eat food, not too much, mostly plants...but Pollan explains why so much of Western food culture conspires against people trying to do just that.

I found this book inspiring and hopeful and would recommend it to anyone who is curious about why the Western diet is slowly (or quickly) killing most people who adopt it.