The Demon-Hanted World: Science As A Candle In The Dark

candle without wind
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"All our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike - and yet it is the most precious thing we have." - Albert Einstein

On a recommendation from mom, I picked up this book from the library (they didn't have the exact one she recommended.) The title sounded really interesting and she assured me that I would really like what Carl Sagan had to say. What a breath of fresh air!

Sagan goes about dispelling all kinds of hoaxes, from crop circles to alien abductions to horoscopes. He encourages critical thinking and approaches superstitions from a scientific point of view: open-minded and questioning. He then goes on to explain why critical thinking is so important to a free society. The reader is encouraged to question the status quo. One of my favorite quotes from the book is a bit long, but it reaffirms many of my own beliefs (and doesn't that always make you feel good?) Here it is:

"We are all flawed and creatures of our times. Is it fair to judge us by the unknown standards of the future? Some of the habits of our age will doubtless be considered barbaric by later generations - perhaps for insisting that small children and even infants sleep alone instead of with their parents; or exciting nationalist passions as a means of gaining popular approval and achieving high political office; or allowing bribery and corruption as a way of life; or keeping pets; or eating animals and jailing chimpanzees; or criminalizing the use of euphoriants by adults; or allowing our children to grow up ignorant."

This book is great. It is easy to understand even if you don't have a science background. And now I find myself looking at the world in a slightly different, questioning way. Carl Sagan is now one of my heroes (along with Thomas Jefferson...it's a small list.) Mom, dad, I'm sure you'd both love it. Becky, I think you might really like it to if you're in the mood for non-fiction. Read this book.

The Namesake

This has got to be one of the most satisfying books I've read. I first heard about it a few weeks ago on Charlie Rose (they have made it into a movie, which I hear is good but am wary to see since I enjoyed the book so much that I don't want to ruin it!).

It's a beautifully told story and I think Jhumpa Lahiri has to be one of the most eloquent, perfect writers of our generation. The book is exquisitely descriptive without going overboard (not like reading Hemmingway, where after awhile you think "enough already!"). It's all told in 3rd person, but the transitions between voices is seamless - you really become part of this family and can picture everything as it's happening.

The Namesake is the story of a Bengali family, beginning with an arranged marriage that leads the newlyweds to Boston. They eventually have two children, Gogol (the main character) and his younger sisiter, Sonia. It's the journey of the entire family and their struggles as immigrants, but it's more a story about family, love, secrets, and understanding. I cannot express to you all how much I loved this book. I finished it two nights ago and I still think about it as I'm walking to and from work or just doing something random. I really felt like I was living with this family for the last week. Definitely a recommendation for any of you - I promise you won't be disappointed (Amanda, give me another try - it's nothing like Running with Scissors!)

Why I'm a Vegetarian (again...)

pig bliss
Originally uploaded by deborah lattimore.

My most recent conversion to vegetarianism was spurred by mom's awesome recommendation of "The Family That Couldn't Sleep." The book was really eye-opening, discussing different kinds of prion diseases. Some are inherited, some come from unknown origins, and some come from infected animal meat. Fun! I never really knew what Mad Cow Disease was before reading that book, so I also didn't realize why I really needed to care about it. Well now I do. And now I don't eat meat. But then, after my eyes were opened a bit, I decided to tackle...

Jane Goodall's "Harvest for Hope: A Guide for Mindful Eating." Wow! I figured, if I'm going to eat healthier, avoid Mad Cow, stuff like that, I might as well know what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. Because, honestly, I don't think it's always wrong to eat meat. But the system we have now, i.e. factory farming, is so inhumane. However, I didn't realize the implications of so many of my personal food choices. This book tackles GMOs (genetically modified organisms), local food, organic labels, factory farming, egg labeling, the difference between cage free and free range eggs, etc. Basically, it covers all kinds of things I'd never even considered before and made me really think about my food choices...so then I was totally confused. Was it okay to eat anything? (apparently my vegetarian choices at the local grocery store are laden with pesticides and promote soil erosion and the destruction of small family farmers!) So, in a final attempt to find something I could feel good about eating, I checked out...

Peter Singer and Jim Mason's "The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter." Peter Singer wrote "Animal Liberation" back in the 70's. Although I've never read it myself, I know it was one of the first "animal rights" books on the market and revealed the truth about factory farming. So, of course, I knew this book would be a bit slanted. However, I felt like he gave a really fair review of three different dietary choices: the traditional American diet (meat and potatoes), the conscientious omnivore diet (organic meat and veggies,) and a vegan diet (no animal products, not necessarily organic.) I like the way he compares the diets and follows some food from each diet back to the farmer who raised or grew it. You get to see how different foods are packaged, and he explores the ethical dimensions of each choice. Basically, he made me feel better about shopping at Wal-Mart for organic food (vegetarian in my case.) I will go to local farmers markets for fresh veggies and fruits when they are in season and eat organic for as much of the rest of the food as I can. And if Nathan needs the occasional free-range, organic chicken, I won't feel like a major hypocrite if I eat some too.

I'm not sure if the rest of you are ready to tackle any of these food issues, but if you are, I'd recommend either of these books. And really, though this may seem boring to you, your daily choices DO matter and reflect your ethics. What do you care about? As Albert Einstein said: "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

Are you guys for real?

Um, are you guys for real? I was so excited to start reading this book. I have been on a roll with good books lately ("Running with Scissors" - though some don't agree - , "My Sister's Keeper," "Lovely Bones," and "Memoirs of a Geisha" - which, by the way, I loved.) So when all three of you raved about this book, I picked it up right away and it anxiously awaited me on the bookshelf for the last month and a half. So I started reading. And reading. And I slowly started to wonder what it would be like if I got the plague, and if my life would be better because then at least I'd be too weak and feverish to have to keep reading this God awful book. Maybe 1666 isn't my year. Maybe I'm just not in the right headspace, as dad suggested. Whatever it is, you guys are a whole lotta' crazy - this is like torture! I'm actually forcing myself (Amanda, you can relate) to finish this book so I can finally rid it from my life.
Ok, I'm being dramatic. But seriously, this book has not spoken to me on any level. I'm on the quest for the next great book to give me something to look forward to...but don't give me any suggestions, people - your suggestions lead me to this! (just kidding).
Anyway, I'll let you know when I finish it. Supposedly the ending may be worth this suffering...I sure hope so.

The Good German by Joseph Kanon

A good read...it's a love story, a war story and a thrilling murder/adventure story all in one. The setting is post-war (WWII)Berlin, where an American journalist, who had been stationed there before the war, returns hoping to find his former lover and gets caught up in a web of intrigue along the way. Kanon seems to capture the sense of devastation the war inflicted on, not only the buildings and other infrastructure of the city, but also its people. The back cover describes it as "a thriller that asks the most profound ethical questions in its exploration of the nature of justice and what we mean by good and evil in times of peace and of war." Now, I'd like to see the movie version.

This I Believe

This book was a Christmas gift from Amanda and it's one that I'll go back to time and time again. It is a compilation of short essays by well-known people as well as ordinary, everyday people. Some essays are profound, some seem pretentious but most will inspire you to think about what it is that you believe. What is your personal credo?

Some of my favorites were:
1.) There Is No Job More Important Than Parenting by Benjamin Carson. A prominent pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Carson's essay is an inspiring story about how his mother, who was single parent, illiterate, and worked as a domestic, "used her position as a parent to change the lives of many people around the globe."

2.) Natural Links In A Long Chain of Being by Victor Hanson. This man lives and works on a farm that has been in his family for six generations. He writes about the need for "grounding in our modern world..." and how working on the farm helps him find constancy by observing the natural rhythms of the physical world. He's reminded of his ancestors who did many of the same chores and dealt with many of the same human emotions and problems. "I believe there is an old answer for every new problem-that wise whispers of the past are with us to assure us that if we just listen and remember, we are not alone; we have been here before."

3.) There Is More To Life Than My Life by Jamaica Richter. This is a beautiful essay about explaining death to young child. "And it's okay if there is nothing beyond this, because there is this: life, everlasting, in the bloom of every flower." [Amanda, you will love this one].

4.) Always Go To The Funeral by Deirdre Sullivan. This is about "doing the right thing when I really, really don't feel like it." Since I grew up around people who made up excuses to justify not "doing the right thing" this essay really struck a chord with me.

Augusten Burroughs Running with Scissors

Augusten Burroughs Running with Scissors
Originally uploaded by kmjividen3.

Ummm...I'm not really sure what to say about this book. I felt kind of violated the whole time I read it. I mean, these people are REALLY disturbing. Granted, Burroughs is a wonderful writer, witty, engaging. But the subject matter made my skin crawl. And the idea that this was a memoir...how horrible for someone to live through that life. I've been a little too close to crazy, myself. This was an unpleasant reminder of where I have been, and an encouraging reassurance that I was never THAT crazy (never scooped my own poop on a picnic table, thank you very much!) I felt myself reading on despite myself. I really wanted to see how things ended. How did he become a writer? Whatever happened to his mother? Was the doctor ever committed to a loony bin? So, I feel satisfied that I've finished it. Satisfied that he was able to be successful in spite of such a messed up childhood. But, wow. What a way to grow up.

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

It's probably been a decade since reading this book but it's worth posting for anyone who has not read it yet. The subtitle is "A novel of love and war" which hits the mark.

The war in this question is WWI and the central characters move between England and France. Before the war, there is love discovered, love gained and lost. After the war there is more love gained. These gains and losses aren't always with the same people. Sounds pretty trite. However, like others of its class, the result is anything but trite. The characters are believable, complex and interesting. The second part of the book, that mostly takes place in the trenches is very well done. You get a sense of the horror and boredom involved with that existance and the scenes near the end are gripping. A beautifully written story about different types of love and life in a horrendous war. A great story and great literature.

If you like this form of story, try "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier. It's basically the Iliad set in Civil War North Carolina. Although a bit less complex of a story, it's a good read. For stories about WWI at a level with "Birdsong", try "The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse" by Vincente Blasco Ibanez. It's a translation of a 1918 Spanish novel that is similar in scope to "Birdsong." An equally well written and engrossing novel about WWI, without the love story but with a very good twist at the end, is "A Fable" by William Faulkner. It won a 1955 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award and is a distinct change from his southern-based stories. I think it's one of his best and equal to "Birdsong" and "The Four Horsement Of The Apocalypse." Enjoy.

Team Of Rivals

Here's my first try at a posting. I was given this book by Mark (good choice!) on my last work day at Ford. I've read other books about Lincoln and thought the view of the times through the lives of his cabinet members would make for a good read. Wow, what an understatement!

Doris Kearns Goodwin weaves the life stories of the major political figures that came to form the Republican Party into a culminating event at the party convention preceding the 1860 presidential election. By the time Lincoln selects his cabinet from all those disperate men in the midst of the disintigrating union, the book is about half done. The remainder of the 754 pages moves through the war and the aftermath of Lincoln's death.

As is the case with all good histories, you get to know enough about the people and the times to make comparisons to today. There are major differences from today in how policy was publically discussed, since political debates were a major source of entertainment and important speeches were printed in partisan papers throughout the country. However, the parocial bickering and nasty personal attacks of the day appear to be more mean spirited and inaccurate than anything Rush Limbaugh or Fox News doles out today.

The author gives a sense that you've discovered the essense of each important figure, at least as it relates to their political actions before and after the election and the war. Most important for me was how Lincoln handled these men and everyone else with whom he came into contact. He had about 1 1/2 years of "in class" education with everything else coming from a continual reading of books on every subject imaginable. For an example, he taught himself geometry by working out difficult proofs while practicing law in Springfield. For almost everyone who came into contact with him, except for those blinded by their own egos, the initial impression was of an affable country bumpkin and ended with the thought that he was perhaps one of the most able, complex and decent men to ever have held that, or any other, office.

Goodwin has a very clear, logical and engaging writing style. If you have the time, it will draw you into the story for large periods of time. Even if you read like I do sometimes, with the TV on and doing a puzzle, you still can make steady progress and enjoy the process a great deal.

The Family That Couldn't Sleep by D.T. Max

Okay, here's another one that will make you think twice before biting into that burger! This was a Christmas gift from Mark and I "devoured" it (no pun intended) within a week.

The author traces the story of fatal familial insomnia (FFI) back to a Venetian family in the 1700s. The family suffered from a inherited disease, which strikes in middle age, eats holes in the brain and causes death within a matter of months. The condition is remarkably similar (is it one and the same disease?) to scrapie, which kills sheep and mad cow disease (Creutzfeld-Jakob disease in humans).

These diseases share a common link-they are all "prion" diseases. Prions are proteins, the basic building blocks of life. When healthy, they form ribbon-like structures and fold into specific shapes depending on their specific bodily function. Yet, if only one of them misfolds, it causes all the rest in the ribbon to misfold. At that point they begin to act as infectious agents. Yet, unlike bacteria and viruses, misfolded prions cannot be killed by antibiotics, sterile environments, boiling, radiation, bleach, or formaldehyde. They bond to metal, stay in the soil....

Max traces the history of FFI from Europe to New Guinea to the United States and explains how human greed and ambition have played a role in spreading it across species barriers. For me, the scariest part of the story is that, so far, research has made little progress in understanding this condition and there is still no treatment once "infected".

This is an important book if you want to understand more about prion "diseases". And, the more you know about it, the more you will be tempted to become a vegetarian! This book will spook you.............

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Okay, it's taken me awhile to post something, but this is a book I read over a year ago and I think you will enjoy it. Although it's 600+ pages, it is a gripping story and you will be hard pressed to put it down. I'm thinking about reading it again just to pick up all the clues I missed the first time.

It's a story about Vlad the Impaler and his evil reign of terror upon which the Dracula myth is based. The narrator is a young woman who comes across some mysterious letters hidden in an old book in her father's library. The story takes you on a trek through Eastern Europe, Istanbul, and Budapest. The book jacket summarizes it this way: What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed-and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends?

This book will intrigue you, frighten you and most of all entertain you. It's an amazing and thrilling adventure story!

Water for Elephants

December update from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Originally uploaded by thelastminute.

This story about a traveling circus veterinarian in the 20's was captivating! I heard about this book on a book club website and thought it sounded interesting. It hooked me from the first page. The author takes you on a wild ride through the strange and terrifying life of a circus worker traveling from town to town on a train. Workers get thrown off in the middle of the night if the boss can't pay them. Female performers put on a special "men's only" shows while wives and children are buying cotton candy and waiting in line. And the beautiful animals that help draw in the crowds are treated less than kindly by the man in charge of training them.
I found myself thrown into this world, sympathizing with so many of the worker and animals. I'll admit, my heart felt like it would break on a few occasions. But you find out in the first chapter that the man who rains down abuse on so many of the people and creatures around him will get what he deserves in the end. So I had to keep reading to find out how it happened. And it was great! I enjoyed it the whole way. I think I finished this book in 3 days, picking it up in any spare moment I had. It's definitely worth a read.

Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

Ok, so I know this is like beating a dead horse, but Amanda, I really do think that you would love "Running With Scissors" by Augesten Burroughs. I've told everyone about this book already, but not only is it a quick read (I finished it in two days, so in the dark, for a half hour a night, you'll be done in a week tops, I bet), it's also really funny. There are some crazy moments - mostly because everyone in the book, more or less, is nuts - but it was something I really enjoyed. It made me want to read his other memoirs, too, though I haven't had a chance to pick those up yet. Definitely something I think you will like, Amanda.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

I made it...finally. Let me just say, this one took me a while to read. Please remember, I'm reading about 30 minutes a day in a darkened nursery while my daughter falls asleep. So it took me a few weeks to get through this one. And that's what I felt like I was doing, some of the time...getting through it. Not that it wasn't an interesting story - it was. But I guess it just never gripped me emotionally. I felt more like I was reading an interesting history book or something. So, not bad. But not the best book if you're pressed for time and want something to carry you into another world. You'll go to another world, with this one, but it kind of feels like my grandparents old basement. You know what I mean?

I guess the whole hermaphrodite thing isn't too scandalous to me either. That's one thing I don't have many of...sexual identity hang-ups. So I kind of kept asking, "what's the big deal?" But it was good. Glad I read it. Anyone have some other suggestions that are a quicker read?

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

I'm on! Ok, so as I think all of you already know, I loved "The Lovely Bones," thanks to Amanda. But a book that you may not have read yet is called "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. It's about a 13-year-old girl, Anna, and her struggle for her own identity - most importantly because she was the product of a very carefully genetically engineered project by her parents. Her older sister, Kate, has leukemia, and so her parents decide to have another child, created to be a perfect genetic match to help keep their daughter alive. But now that Anna is becoming a teenager and finding her way, she's realizing that her entire identity is wrapped-up in her sister's illness; everytime Kate is sick, Anna is sick, donating different parts of herself in order to help keep her sister alive. But she has now decided to sue her parents for rights over her own body, and the story is told through several different viewpoints - that of every family member, as well as the attorney who chooses to take Anna's case. It's incredibly well-written, easy to read, and poses a lot of compelling ethical questions woven within the very complicated lives of this family. I highly recommend it......and let me know what you think!

Bonewits's Essential Guide to Witchcraft and Wicca by Philip Emmons Isaac Bonewits

Okay, okay. Let me explain myself a little bit. After reading "Year of Wonders" I became really fascinated with the local healing women who were called witches by the plague ridden community. And I've always been interested in things psychic and/or spooky. So I checked out this book from the library. Yes, the librarian looked at me a little funny, then looked at poor Katie...Living in the South and checking out books about witchcraft don't bode well for the looks you'll get from people. They've probably already called Child Protective Services...but whatever.

This book was REALLY interesting. It's not about how to cast spells or dance in the light of the moon or anything (I got another book for that! (-:) This is a really sane, historical guide to the roots of modern witchcraft. Basically, he makes the argument that there was NOT some ancienct society of witches, there was NOT some goddess worshiping culture that went underground during the spread of Christianity through Europe. There were "cunning folk" who had some knowledge of herbs, midwifery, etc. But they were not persecuted as witches...they usually called out others as being witches.

He makes the argument that the modern Wiccan religion was basically created in the mid 1800s. He doesn't discredit the religion, as he is a member. But he argues that modern "witches" need to accept the fact that this is basically a new religion based on sometimes wishful (and wistful) thinking about some sort of "ancient way" that never really existed.

I'm not sure if any of you would be interested in reading this book, but it really is very good if you're looking for something a bit offbeat. Enjoy!

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Okay, I actually read this one two books ago, but I wanted to include it in the blog because I was so impressed by it. This is a story of a small town that quarantines itself during the plague. It's based on a real town and revolves around the fictionalized story of a young mother who befriends a traveling seamster. Inevitably, people become infected and the town's unorthodox minister manages to convince the townspeople to make the ultimate sacrifice and not run from the disease but instead quarantine themselves so no other towns become infected. This one was a real nailbiter and just kept moving. I found myself most drawn to the medicine women in the book. The way they are both revered for their knowledge and also thought of as witches was fascinating and horrifying. If you like amazing fiction mixed with heartwrenching history, please read this book.

Memoirs Of A Geisha by Arthur Golden

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is fantastic! I can't believe it took me so long to read it. The story begins with a little girl named Chiyo who is taken from her home to work in an okiya where she learns to be a geisha. While reading, I really thought this was a true story. When I found out later that it wasn't, I was so impressed with the author's attention to detail. He must have done soooo much research to include such beautiful details in the story. Though it didn't make me cry, this book really took hold of me and made me care about this geisha's story. I was full of so much hope for her. A real page-turner. Becky, you HAVE to read this.

Welcome to Amos Family Reviews!

Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas gifts. I thought I'd create this blog so we can stay up to date on what everyone is reading. When you read a book, why not post it up here so everyone can see what you thought. Should someone else read it too, or is it the kind of book only Amanda would like? (-: Let's try to keep this up. It might be fun! Oh, and I'm really not great at this whole blogging thing, so Becky, you're gonna' have to help the rest of us out for a while, okay? Love you all!

Amanda