Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Drugs, Peter R. Breggin and David Cohen, Perseus Books, 1999
Psychiatric drugs are prescribed to millions of Americans for problems like anxiety, depression, panic disorder or insomnia. They are also an increasingly popular response to children who are hyperactive or otherwise "misbehaving".
This book lists the possible side effects of drugs from Prozac to Valium to Xanax, effects ranging from increased heart rate to psychosis and hallucinations. It also looks at things from the therapist's point of view, including why a therapist might prescribe a drug after spending as little as 15 minutes with a patient.
A popular claim is that psychiatric drugs simply correct a chemical imbalance in the brain. To the authors, this claim is nonsense. Current medical knowledge is not advanced enough to know that lack of a certain chemical is A cause of something like bipolar disorder, let alone THE cause.
If the decision is made to get off such drugs, the most important thing is not to quit cold turkey. Suddenly stopping these drugs can lead to withdrawal symptoms as bad, or worse, than whatever necessitated the drugs in the first place. The withdrawal should be done gradually, under the supervision of a clinician with experience at this sort of thing.
For anyone who is, or has a family member, on any psychiatric drug, this is very highly recommended. It is full of information never mentioned by the therapist, and is written in a very easy-to-read-style.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Mastering the Digital Marketplace
Mastering the Digital Marketplace, Douglas F. Aldrich, John Wiley & Sons, 1999
With the coming of the Internet, business practices have changed drastically. This book shows the reader, the corporate CEO more than the individual entrepreneur, how to survive, and even thrive, in the new electronic landscape.
Time is a very important commodity these days. Anything a corporation can do to save the time of their customers is a good thing. On the company web site, there should be a way to receive customer feedback. Even if it is negative, the company should act on that feedback immediately. (If a corporation that sells to the public doesn't have a web site, why not?)
One of the major factors fueling the new economy is the rise of the empowered consumer. There is now so much information available that companies can no longer get away with being less-than-truthful with the public.
Aldrich advocates the forming of a Digital Value Network (DVN), an always-changing group of businesses who use technology for the benefit of some end customer. Simply decreeing that your business now thinks, and works, at Internet speeds, is easier said than done; business inertia is a powerful thing. This book shows how to get from The Way It's Always Been Done to DVN.
The business rules have changed. This is a specialized book that does a very good job at illuminating the new digital marketplace.
With the coming of the Internet, business practices have changed drastically. This book shows the reader, the corporate CEO more than the individual entrepreneur, how to survive, and even thrive, in the new electronic landscape.
Time is a very important commodity these days. Anything a corporation can do to save the time of their customers is a good thing. On the company web site, there should be a way to receive customer feedback. Even if it is negative, the company should act on that feedback immediately. (If a corporation that sells to the public doesn't have a web site, why not?)
One of the major factors fueling the new economy is the rise of the empowered consumer. There is now so much information available that companies can no longer get away with being less-than-truthful with the public.
Aldrich advocates the forming of a Digital Value Network (DVN), an always-changing group of businesses who use technology for the benefit of some end customer. Simply decreeing that your business now thinks, and works, at Internet speeds, is easier said than done; business inertia is a powerful thing. This book shows how to get from The Way It's Always Been Done to DVN.
The business rules have changed. This is a specialized book that does a very good job at illuminating the new digital marketplace.
In the Shadow of the Gargoyle
In the Shadow of the Gargoyle, Nancy Kilpatrick and Thomas S. Roche (ed.), Ace Books, 1999
Here is a group of mostly newer dark fantasy and horror stories about those creatures perpetually perched on the sides or tops of stone buildings, also known as gargoyles.
Among the contributors to this volume are Neil Gaiman, Brian Lumley, Jane Yolen and Harlan Ellison. The gargoyles from all the churches in Dublin come alive once a month, on the full moon, and gather for a night of conversation. There they learn that a local church was vandalized, so one of the gargoyles, with help from a human, goes off to find the thieves. Having spent four hundred years perched on the same spot of a Scottish university building, a gargoyle named Gryx detaches himself from the building, and enrolls in the university. A story set on Mars concerns a rock that has the face of a monkey. Also included here are more modern stories about the various ways to be turned into a gargoyle, and tales of women, who, in various ways, fall in love with gargoyles.
Overall, this book is very good. Gargoyles are not exactly a staple of the fantasy/horror area, and the individual stories range from pretty good to excellent.
Here is a group of mostly newer dark fantasy and horror stories about those creatures perpetually perched on the sides or tops of stone buildings, also known as gargoyles.
Among the contributors to this volume are Neil Gaiman, Brian Lumley, Jane Yolen and Harlan Ellison. The gargoyles from all the churches in Dublin come alive once a month, on the full moon, and gather for a night of conversation. There they learn that a local church was vandalized, so one of the gargoyles, with help from a human, goes off to find the thieves. Having spent four hundred years perched on the same spot of a Scottish university building, a gargoyle named Gryx detaches himself from the building, and enrolls in the university. A story set on Mars concerns a rock that has the face of a monkey. Also included here are more modern stories about the various ways to be turned into a gargoyle, and tales of women, who, in various ways, fall in love with gargoyles.
Overall, this book is very good. Gargoyles are not exactly a staple of the fantasy/horror area, and the individual stories range from pretty good to excellent.
Ocean Court
Ocean Court, Arlaine Rockey, Xlibris Corporation, 1999
A homeless man is found dead in present-day Miami. It's no big thing, until the business card of Jonathan Britton, a rising young attorney at Miami Legal Assistance, is found in his possession. Jonathan asks around in Miami's homeless community about the man, a Cuban named Spider who came to Miami in the Mariel Boatlift of the early 80s. Jonathan is found dead a few days later.
Avery Guerin, another MLA attorney, and Jonathan's sometime lover, asks questions on her own. The story moves to Key West as Avery and Stuart, her law school intern with whom she has a rather torrid relationship, look for a homeless Nicaraguan who spoke to Jonathan soon before his death. The Nicaraguan is actually a writer researching a book on formerly successful people who fell through the cracks during the Reagan/Bush years.
Suspicion falls on Alex, another MLA attorney and Jonathan's mentor who is a former member of the Florida legislature. Without giving things away, the story then moves to the courtroom.
This is an excellent legal mystery. It's got murder, intrigue, sex, and Rockey, an attorney who practices in Miami, does a very good job at keeping the reader guessing until the end.
A homeless man is found dead in present-day Miami. It's no big thing, until the business card of Jonathan Britton, a rising young attorney at Miami Legal Assistance, is found in his possession. Jonathan asks around in Miami's homeless community about the man, a Cuban named Spider who came to Miami in the Mariel Boatlift of the early 80s. Jonathan is found dead a few days later.
Avery Guerin, another MLA attorney, and Jonathan's sometime lover, asks questions on her own. The story moves to Key West as Avery and Stuart, her law school intern with whom she has a rather torrid relationship, look for a homeless Nicaraguan who spoke to Jonathan soon before his death. The Nicaraguan is actually a writer researching a book on formerly successful people who fell through the cracks during the Reagan/Bush years.
Suspicion falls on Alex, another MLA attorney and Jonathan's mentor who is a former member of the Florida legislature. Without giving things away, the story then moves to the courtroom.
This is an excellent legal mystery. It's got murder, intrigue, sex, and Rockey, an attorney who practices in Miami, does a very good job at keeping the reader guessing until the end.
The Runts of the Litter
The Runts of the Litter, Austen Breaffa, Pale Blue Books, 1999
Ernest and Jon, an aspiring poet and aspiring actor (emphasis on "aspiring"), are your average broke youth who are summarily thrown out of their flat in present-day Dublin. Instead of putting their deposit toward another flat, they spend it all in a weekend of drunkenness and grandiose plans to remedy their dire situation. They plan to travel to Galway, on the other side of Ireland, go to their landlord's house, and rob him. The fact that they don't know just where in Galway he lives, and have no way to get there, are mere inconveniences.
Along the way, they run into a group of gypsies, whose leader they accidentally kill. In the "wrong" section of Dublin, they are grabbed by a group of anti-drug vigilantes who get too bogged down in parliamentary procedure. In the countryside, they have a conversation with a donkey, with the help of some psychedelic mushrooms. They run into a farmer who, through some scientific experiments on his own, has to deal with a herd of giant cows. They eventually reach the landlord's house in Galway, and find that things aren't always what they seem.
This is a black comedy story that rates pretty high on the "weird meter". Ernest and Jon's adventures get a little repetitive at times, but, for those who want something different in their reading, this is definitely worth a look.
Ernest and Jon, an aspiring poet and aspiring actor (emphasis on "aspiring"), are your average broke youth who are summarily thrown out of their flat in present-day Dublin. Instead of putting their deposit toward another flat, they spend it all in a weekend of drunkenness and grandiose plans to remedy their dire situation. They plan to travel to Galway, on the other side of Ireland, go to their landlord's house, and rob him. The fact that they don't know just where in Galway he lives, and have no way to get there, are mere inconveniences.
Along the way, they run into a group of gypsies, whose leader they accidentally kill. In the "wrong" section of Dublin, they are grabbed by a group of anti-drug vigilantes who get too bogged down in parliamentary procedure. In the countryside, they have a conversation with a donkey, with the help of some psychedelic mushrooms. They run into a farmer who, through some scientific experiments on his own, has to deal with a herd of giant cows. They eventually reach the landlord's house in Galway, and find that things aren't always what they seem.
This is a black comedy story that rates pretty high on the "weird meter". Ernest and Jon's adventures get a little repetitive at times, but, for those who want something different in their reading, this is definitely worth a look.
High-Tech Heretic
High-Tech Heretic: Why Computers Don't Belong in the Classroom and Other Reflections by a Computer Contrarian, Clifford Stoll, Doubleday, 1999
There seems to be a relentless drumbeat in America at present that technology is the answer to all of our problems, especially in education. After all, the Internet is this vast storehouse of information, and if schools were wired for Internet access, or if all students had their own laptops, then, the sky's the limit, right?
Stoll, who has been around computers and the Internet for many years, says Very Wrong.
A committed, dedicated teacher is still more important than the most up-to-date learning software. In a classroom full of computers, at least one of them will crash or otherwise have a major problem, wasting valuable class time while the problem is fixed. Which is more important to the learning process, actually doing science or art, for instance, or seeing a computer simulation? One of the major claims of software makers is that a specific program makes learning fun. Learning is supposed to take time and effort, and is not supposed to be fun. On the subject of donating old computers to schools, unless they are refurbished with new software, an obsolete computer is still obsolete.
This is a much needed counterpoint to the slogan Technology as Educational Savior, especially recommended for school officials and teachers.
There seems to be a relentless drumbeat in America at present that technology is the answer to all of our problems, especially in education. After all, the Internet is this vast storehouse of information, and if schools were wired for Internet access, or if all students had their own laptops, then, the sky's the limit, right?
Stoll, who has been around computers and the Internet for many years, says Very Wrong.
A committed, dedicated teacher is still more important than the most up-to-date learning software. In a classroom full of computers, at least one of them will crash or otherwise have a major problem, wasting valuable class time while the problem is fixed. Which is more important to the learning process, actually doing science or art, for instance, or seeing a computer simulation? One of the major claims of software makers is that a specific program makes learning fun. Learning is supposed to take time and effort, and is not supposed to be fun. On the subject of donating old computers to schools, unless they are refurbished with new software, an obsolete computer is still obsolete.
This is a much needed counterpoint to the slogan Technology as Educational Savior, especially recommended for school officials and teachers.
Mind Control, World Control: The Encyclopedia of Mind Control
Mind Control, World Control: The Encyclopedia of Mind Control, Jim Keith, Adventures Unlimited Press, 1997
Mind control is not a much-discussed topic in contemporary society. There are those who think, and have evidence to prove, that actual mind control has been practiced on unsuspecting civilians for years. This is a complete look at the "current state" of mind control, made easier by modern technology.
Assassins like Sirhan Sirhan and Mark David Chapman may have been "programmed" to commit their murders. According to a 1968 FBI memorandum, a famous musician was employed "to channel youth dissent and rebellion into more benign and non-threatening directions"; that musician was Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead. The object of American education is "socialization" (conditioning to accept one's role in life), not the teaching of specific skills. Many people claim to be victims of mind control by means of implanted brain devices, electromagnetic radiation or other methods. Some UFO abduction stories are actually cover stories to hide the implanting of humans with mind control technology.
Included in this book are Charles Manson, Rev. Jim (Jonestown) Jones, Scientology, Patty Hearst, Project MKULTRA, and, of course, the central linchpin of all modern conspiracy theories, the JFK assassination.
This book is certainly not for everyone. "Different" doesn't even begin to describe it, but I enjoyed it, and consider it well worth reading.
Mind control is not a much-discussed topic in contemporary society. There are those who think, and have evidence to prove, that actual mind control has been practiced on unsuspecting civilians for years. This is a complete look at the "current state" of mind control, made easier by modern technology.
Assassins like Sirhan Sirhan and Mark David Chapman may have been "programmed" to commit their murders. According to a 1968 FBI memorandum, a famous musician was employed "to channel youth dissent and rebellion into more benign and non-threatening directions"; that musician was Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead. The object of American education is "socialization" (conditioning to accept one's role in life), not the teaching of specific skills. Many people claim to be victims of mind control by means of implanted brain devices, electromagnetic radiation or other methods. Some UFO abduction stories are actually cover stories to hide the implanting of humans with mind control technology.
Included in this book are Charles Manson, Rev. Jim (Jonestown) Jones, Scientology, Patty Hearst, Project MKULTRA, and, of course, the central linchpin of all modern conspiracy theories, the JFK assassination.
This book is certainly not for everyone. "Different" doesn't even begin to describe it, but I enjoyed it, and consider it well worth reading.
Eden in Limbo: A Three Act Play in Spirit
Eden in Limbo: A Three Act Play in Spirit, Jan Peregrine, toExcel, 1999
This is a spiritual novel about God's holy spirit in us temporarily taking human form and interacting with a very diverse group of people. He helps a Native American, a gay couple, a Hindi couple and a questioning Christian to find the answers on their own with a little guidance from Him.
God wants people to think for themselves, to be inspired by the spirit within them, and not to expect Him to tell them what to do. When praying, saying what a person wants to say is better than saying it the "right" way. It's up to people to do what they can with their lives created by His holy spirit. All religious books are full of stories to symbolize the truth of how people have related to God, themselves and others. Homosexuality isn't a condition or behavior that needs "adjusting" before that person is worthy of eternal life.
Those who consider religion/spirituality an important part of their lives would be well advised to read this book. It's short, but it says a lot, and is quite thought-provoking.
This is a spiritual novel about God's holy spirit in us temporarily taking human form and interacting with a very diverse group of people. He helps a Native American, a gay couple, a Hindi couple and a questioning Christian to find the answers on their own with a little guidance from Him.
God wants people to think for themselves, to be inspired by the spirit within them, and not to expect Him to tell them what to do. When praying, saying what a person wants to say is better than saying it the "right" way. It's up to people to do what they can with their lives created by His holy spirit. All religious books are full of stories to symbolize the truth of how people have related to God, themselves and others. Homosexuality isn't a condition or behavior that needs "adjusting" before that person is worthy of eternal life.
Those who consider religion/spirituality an important part of their lives would be well advised to read this book. It's short, but it says a lot, and is quite thought-provoking.
Mosaic Man
Mosaic Man, Ronald Sukenick, Fiction Collective 2, 1999
This book looks at the Jewish novel through the lens of cyberpunk and contemporary Pop culture. It's part history, memoir, daydream and acid trip.
Part of this book takes place in World War II era New York City, where Ron dreams of bombing missions over Nazi-occupied Europe with baseball commissioner Kennesaw Landis. As a tourist in Jerusalem, he walks through a huge water pipe, still in use, built over 2000 years ago. Included is a take-off on the movie The Maltese Falcon. Also here are tales of getting drunk in 1950s Paris, and hanging out with Solidarity protesters in Poland.
Using the structure of the Old Testament, Sukenick also explores the Golem story, the patterns of history, the differences among Jews, and the return of the Golden Calf, worshipped by the people of ancient Israel.
If one section of this book doesn't hold your interest, sit tight; Sukenick will suddenly take the story in a very different direction.
I really enjoyed this book. It keeps the reader engaged, it's very easy to read, and, for those who like modern, avant-garde fiction, it's especially good.
This book looks at the Jewish novel through the lens of cyberpunk and contemporary Pop culture. It's part history, memoir, daydream and acid trip.
Part of this book takes place in World War II era New York City, where Ron dreams of bombing missions over Nazi-occupied Europe with baseball commissioner Kennesaw Landis. As a tourist in Jerusalem, he walks through a huge water pipe, still in use, built over 2000 years ago. Included is a take-off on the movie The Maltese Falcon. Also here are tales of getting drunk in 1950s Paris, and hanging out with Solidarity protesters in Poland.
Using the structure of the Old Testament, Sukenick also explores the Golem story, the patterns of history, the differences among Jews, and the return of the Golden Calf, worshipped by the people of ancient Israel.
If one section of this book doesn't hold your interest, sit tight; Sukenick will suddenly take the story in a very different direction.
I really enjoyed this book. It keeps the reader engaged, it's very easy to read, and, for those who like modern, avant-garde fiction, it's especially good.
A Cab Called Reliable
A Cab Called Reliable, Patti Kim, St. Martin's Griffin, 1997
Ahn Joo Cho is a young girl whose family recently emigrated from Korea to suburban Washington DC, and the narrator of this look at growing up as a hyphenated American.
Her parents fight constantly, mostly complaints from her mother about being dragged to America, and about her father's tendency to stay out late and drink too much. In the beginning of the book, coming home from elementary school, she sees her mother and little brother getting into a cab with Reliable written on the side. Only later does she realize that they aren't coming back. She thinks that she can join them if only she can go to this place called Reliable, until she is set straight by her teacher.
She takes over the cooking for her and her demanding father. Later, he buys a lunch wagon and sets up shop on the Mall in Washington DC, with Ahn along to help. In school, she is quite the story writer, mostly Korean legends or stories about life in Korea.
This is an excellent growing-up story, that is also a really good first novel. Kim does a fine job from beginning to end.
Ahn Joo Cho is a young girl whose family recently emigrated from Korea to suburban Washington DC, and the narrator of this look at growing up as a hyphenated American.
Her parents fight constantly, mostly complaints from her mother about being dragged to America, and about her father's tendency to stay out late and drink too much. In the beginning of the book, coming home from elementary school, she sees her mother and little brother getting into a cab with Reliable written on the side. Only later does she realize that they aren't coming back. She thinks that she can join them if only she can go to this place called Reliable, until she is set straight by her teacher.
She takes over the cooking for her and her demanding father. Later, he buys a lunch wagon and sets up shop on the Mall in Washington DC, with Ahn along to help. In school, she is quite the story writer, mostly Korean legends or stories about life in Korea.
This is an excellent growing-up story, that is also a really good first novel. Kim does a fine job from beginning to end.
Legacy and Destiny
Legacy and Destiny, J. Michael Reidenbach and Dana Drenkowski, Corinthian Books, 1999
Elizabeth Armstrong is a former Governor of New Hampshire, now married to Peter Armstrong, fast-rising senator from Texas with his eye on the White House.
He is killed in a plane crash under mysterious circumstances, a crash which almost kills Elizabeth; she later becomes a sort of roving ambassador for the US Government. When political journalist Jack Bradshaw looks into the crash, he finds some Very Interesting Things, like the possibility that Peter was deliberately killed because he was getting too close in his investigation of the flow of drugs into America.
Around this time, Elizabeth agrees to run for President n the Democratic ticket. If They silenced Peter, will Elizabeth be next? Death threats against Elizabeth and Jack, by this time husband and wife, plus an assassination attempt against Elizabeth on the Mall in Washington, answer the question pretty clearly.
This one is really good. It's a fine campaign story with just enough political conspiracy included to keep it interesting. The fact that it's about a woman with a real chance to become President makes it that much more worth reading.
Elizabeth Armstrong is a former Governor of New Hampshire, now married to Peter Armstrong, fast-rising senator from Texas with his eye on the White House.
He is killed in a plane crash under mysterious circumstances, a crash which almost kills Elizabeth; she later becomes a sort of roving ambassador for the US Government. When political journalist Jack Bradshaw looks into the crash, he finds some Very Interesting Things, like the possibility that Peter was deliberately killed because he was getting too close in his investigation of the flow of drugs into America.
Around this time, Elizabeth agrees to run for President n the Democratic ticket. If They silenced Peter, will Elizabeth be next? Death threats against Elizabeth and Jack, by this time husband and wife, plus an assassination attempt against Elizabeth on the Mall in Washington, answer the question pretty clearly.
This one is really good. It's a fine campaign story with just enough political conspiracy included to keep it interesting. The fact that it's about a woman with a real chance to become President makes it that much more worth reading.
Vegetables Rock! A Complete Guide ofr Teenage Vegetarians
Vegetables Rock! A Complete Guide for Teenage Vegetarians, Stephanie Pierson, Bantam, 1999
Vegetarianism is an increasingly popular diet option, for adults as well as teens. Written by the mother of a 13-year-old vegetarian, this book tells what parents, and teenagers, need to know beforehand.
Going veggie can lower your weight, save money, save the rainforests, and change the world. Don't cut, or eliminate, meat or chicken from your diet just for the sake of doing so; make sure you are getting the appropriate vitamins and minerals elsewhere. If done correctly, you will not become anorexic or anemic without meat, and will be healthier than the average person. If you can't go all the way, there are several different categories of vegetarian.
This book also explores dealing with the school cafeteria lunch line, what to say to meat eaters who think that you have lost your mind, foods that contain hidden animal products, and junk food. Included is a list of pro-veggie websites, mail order sources, and restaurants, plus over 70 pages of recipes for everything from soup to pasta to dessert.
For anyone even thinking about going veggie, teen or adult, this is an excellent place to start. It is very easy to read, and is packed with useful information.
Vegetarianism is an increasingly popular diet option, for adults as well as teens. Written by the mother of a 13-year-old vegetarian, this book tells what parents, and teenagers, need to know beforehand.
Going veggie can lower your weight, save money, save the rainforests, and change the world. Don't cut, or eliminate, meat or chicken from your diet just for the sake of doing so; make sure you are getting the appropriate vitamins and minerals elsewhere. If done correctly, you will not become anorexic or anemic without meat, and will be healthier than the average person. If you can't go all the way, there are several different categories of vegetarian.
This book also explores dealing with the school cafeteria lunch line, what to say to meat eaters who think that you have lost your mind, foods that contain hidden animal products, and junk food. Included is a list of pro-veggie websites, mail order sources, and restaurants, plus over 70 pages of recipes for everything from soup to pasta to dessert.
For anyone even thinking about going veggie, teen or adult, this is an excellent place to start. It is very easy to read, and is packed with useful information.
Prayers of an Accidental Nature
Prayers of an Accidental Nature, Debra Di Blasi, Coffee House Press, 1999
This group of contemporary stories looks at people from different walks of life driven by a need or yearning; for sex, healing or even death. There is also a lot of dealing with cross-cultural differences.
A married couple become friends with a student from Bolivia with a real talent for telling lies. Young South American men drop their American girlfriends as soon as the romantic heat has cooled. In another story, an American woman juggles two boyfriends from Argentina. Using the charade of an interview with her husband, a woman deals with the dissolution of her marriage. In death, an eighth-grade geography teacher gets back at her obnoxious young tormentor; as a final tribute, her students stand around her grave reciting state capitals. The title story is about a blueblood young man and his unconventional (also South American) girlfriend, who meet his snooty, arrogant relatives, with plans to marry and live in a small village in the mountains.
Di Blasi does a very good job looking at the dark side of intimacy. This is not a perfect group of stories, but its look at lost love and obsession with sex make it well worth reading.
This group of contemporary stories looks at people from different walks of life driven by a need or yearning; for sex, healing or even death. There is also a lot of dealing with cross-cultural differences.
A married couple become friends with a student from Bolivia with a real talent for telling lies. Young South American men drop their American girlfriends as soon as the romantic heat has cooled. In another story, an American woman juggles two boyfriends from Argentina. Using the charade of an interview with her husband, a woman deals with the dissolution of her marriage. In death, an eighth-grade geography teacher gets back at her obnoxious young tormentor; as a final tribute, her students stand around her grave reciting state capitals. The title story is about a blueblood young man and his unconventional (also South American) girlfriend, who meet his snooty, arrogant relatives, with plans to marry and live in a small village in the mountains.
Di Blasi does a very good job looking at the dark side of intimacy. This is not a perfect group of stories, but its look at lost love and obsession with sex make it well worth reading.
Making a Killing: HMOs and the Threat to Your Health
Making a Killing: HMOs and the Threat to Your Health, Jamie Court and Francis Smith, Common Courage Press, 1999
HMOs are a much-discussed part of life in present-day America. This book shows how they, the only health care option for millions of people, are more interested in profit than in giving good medical care.
Included are plenty of examples of people with major medical problems who were forced to go to a non-HMO doctor for treatment and pay the entire expense themselves. They're the lucky ones; the unlucky ones died because an HMO bureaucrat decided the treatment wasn't "medically necessary" or would cost too much.
Doctors are paid a fixed budget for every patient under their care, an amount as little as $6.00 per patient per month. Any treatment the doctor orders comes out of that money, giving the doctor plenty of incentive to order the minimum amount of health care. If an HMO gets sued for negligence, even if it is obviously guilty, because of a loophole in federal law, it is almost never financially liable. This book also includes a patient self-defense kit that explains what to do in the world of HMO bureaucracy.
Whether or not you have ever had to deal with an HMO, this book tells things like they really are, and is very highly recommended.
HMOs are a much-discussed part of life in present-day America. This book shows how they, the only health care option for millions of people, are more interested in profit than in giving good medical care.
Included are plenty of examples of people with major medical problems who were forced to go to a non-HMO doctor for treatment and pay the entire expense themselves. They're the lucky ones; the unlucky ones died because an HMO bureaucrat decided the treatment wasn't "medically necessary" or would cost too much.
Doctors are paid a fixed budget for every patient under their care, an amount as little as $6.00 per patient per month. Any treatment the doctor orders comes out of that money, giving the doctor plenty of incentive to order the minimum amount of health care. If an HMO gets sued for negligence, even if it is obviously guilty, because of a loophole in federal law, it is almost never financially liable. This book also includes a patient self-defense kit that explains what to do in the world of HMO bureaucracy.
Whether or not you have ever had to deal with an HMO, this book tells things like they really are, and is very highly recommended.
The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Legend of Bagger Vance, Steven Pressfield, Spike Books, 1995
In the year 1931, the golf course at Krewe Island, outside Savannah, Georgia, is in danger of closing because of the Depression. The local city fathers come up with the idea of a holding a one-day 36-hole golf match for the then huge purse of $20,000. They invite Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, two of the Masters of the game. At the last minute, a local war hero named Rannulph Junnah is added to the match; his particpation is reluctant, at best. He brings along his caddy, and mentor, a black man named Bagger Vance, who spends the match teaching Junnah the meaning of life.
He tells Junnah the secret of the Authentic Swing. As Junnah is lining up a shot, all the possible shots flow out from him along lines of force. The golfer isn't looking for the perfect shot to hit, the perfect shot is looking for the golfer to be hit.
For Junnah, the first 9 holes are a disaster, with Vance constantly in his ear about all sorts of weird things. Around the 10th hole, it starts to click, and Junnah lets Jones and Hagen know that they are in for a major fight.
I didn't think it was possible for a couple of rounds of golf to read like a Battle that should be taking place on Mt. Olympus, but Pressfield really pulls it off. This is much more than just a sports novel, and is strongly recommended.
In the year 1931, the golf course at Krewe Island, outside Savannah, Georgia, is in danger of closing because of the Depression. The local city fathers come up with the idea of a holding a one-day 36-hole golf match for the then huge purse of $20,000. They invite Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, two of the Masters of the game. At the last minute, a local war hero named Rannulph Junnah is added to the match; his particpation is reluctant, at best. He brings along his caddy, and mentor, a black man named Bagger Vance, who spends the match teaching Junnah the meaning of life.
He tells Junnah the secret of the Authentic Swing. As Junnah is lining up a shot, all the possible shots flow out from him along lines of force. The golfer isn't looking for the perfect shot to hit, the perfect shot is looking for the golfer to be hit.
For Junnah, the first 9 holes are a disaster, with Vance constantly in his ear about all sorts of weird things. Around the 10th hole, it starts to click, and Junnah lets Jones and Hagen know that they are in for a major fight.
I didn't think it was possible for a couple of rounds of golf to read like a Battle that should be taking place on Mt. Olympus, but Pressfield really pulls it off. This is much more than just a sports novel, and is strongly recommended.
Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush
Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush, Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose, Random House, 2000
Bush flew F-102s in the Texas Air National Guard, in a unit whose unofficial function was to shield the sons of the rich and powerful of Texas from any chance of actually going to Vietnam, after calls were made to the commander of the unit from the office of the Speaker of the Texas Legislature. He jumped over a waiting list of 100,000 people and 150 pilots after scoring the absolute minimum on the pilot exam. Under Governor Bush, Texas has the worst air in America, leading the country in areas like cancer risk and overall toxic releases. He has a record of being friendly to business, who respond with checks containing lots of zeros. Valuable public policy, according to Bush, is that which is good for business.
While Bill Clinton and Al Gore love getting into the details of public policy, Bush is exactly the opposite, a self-described hater of meetings and briefings. Bush has been called hyperactive and lazy.
Ivins and Dubose do an excellent job at showing Bush's actual record as Governor of Texas. This book is highly recommended.The first rule in political journalism is to look at a politician's record. Ivins, the nationally syndicated columnist, and Dubose, editor of the Texas Observer, put George "Dubya" Bush under the microscope.
Bush flew F-102s in the Texas Air National Guard, in a unit whose unofficial function was to shield the sons of the rich and powerful of Texas from any chance of actually going to Vietnam, after calls were made to the commander of the unit from the office of the Speaker of the Texas Legislature. He jumped over a waiting list of 100,000 people and 150 pilots after scoring the absolute minimum on the pilot exam. Under Governor Bush, Texas has the worst air in America, leading the country in areas like cancer risk and overall toxic releases. He has a record of being friendly to business, who respond with checks containing lots of zeros. Valuable public policy, according to Bush, is that which is good for business.
While Bill Clinton and Al Gore love getting into the details of public policy, Bush is exactly the opposite, a self-described hater of meetings and briefings. Bush has been called hyperactive and lazy.
Ivins and Dubose do an excellent job at showing Bush's actual record as Governor of Texas. This book is highly recommended.The first rule in political journalism is to look at a politician's record. Ivins, the nationally syndicated columnist, and Dubose, editor of the Texas Observer, put George "Dubya" Bush under the microscope.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Red Wine for Breakfast
Red Wine for Breakfast, Robin C. Westmiller, Writers Club Books, 1999
Doris Cohen is a 34-year-old pure-blood New Yorker living in Los Angeles, who, as Jenny Reed, has the number one morning radio show in the city. Jenny is the sort of person who plays by her own rules; a nice, non-committal affair with Brian Allen, the station owner, certainly doesn't hurt.
The station is suddenly sold by Denise, Brian's wife, and the owner of the station, to Tony D'Amico, who knows nothing about radio and bought it only for tax purposes. Jenny also gets a co-host forced upon her, a man with a sexy voice named Johnny King, who happens to be Denise's big brother. In a profession where jobs are as stable as a house of cards, these are not good signs for Jenny.
One day, while on the air, Johnny "accidentally" leaves the mike on while he asks Jenny to go to bed with him. She comes up with a suitable way to get back at him, also on the air; meantime, the audience loves the idea. Life at the station gets complicated when Gayle, Jenny's best friend is found dead under mysterious circumstances, connected to a drug scandal that could cost the station its license.
This one is quite good. It's easy to read, the author certainly knows her way around the radio biz, and the romance part isn't too overwhelming for non-romance readers.
Doris Cohen is a 34-year-old pure-blood New Yorker living in Los Angeles, who, as Jenny Reed, has the number one morning radio show in the city. Jenny is the sort of person who plays by her own rules; a nice, non-committal affair with Brian Allen, the station owner, certainly doesn't hurt.
The station is suddenly sold by Denise, Brian's wife, and the owner of the station, to Tony D'Amico, who knows nothing about radio and bought it only for tax purposes. Jenny also gets a co-host forced upon her, a man with a sexy voice named Johnny King, who happens to be Denise's big brother. In a profession where jobs are as stable as a house of cards, these are not good signs for Jenny.
One day, while on the air, Johnny "accidentally" leaves the mike on while he asks Jenny to go to bed with him. She comes up with a suitable way to get back at him, also on the air; meantime, the audience loves the idea. Life at the station gets complicated when Gayle, Jenny's best friend is found dead under mysterious circumstances, connected to a drug scandal that could cost the station its license.
This one is quite good. It's easy to read, the author certainly knows her way around the radio biz, and the romance part isn't too overwhelming for non-romance readers.
Bad Jobs
Bad Jobs: My Last Shift at Albert Wong's Pagoda and Other Ugly Tales of the Workplace, Carellin Brooks (ed.), Arsenal Pulp Press, 1998
In the world of employment, there is a huge range from interesting and fulfilling jobs, to mind-numbingly boring, dangerous and otherwise stupid jobs. The stories collected here look at the latter type of job, for which "bottom of the barrel" is sometimes too generous.
One person delivered flyers for two years while dealing with obnoxious homeowners and guard dogs that supposedly love people. A night parking lot attendant, who spends most of his shift reading books, nearly gets robbed. An ice factory worker reveals what really goes into Crushed Party Ice. A female employee at a fabric wholesaler has a male co-worker who insists that he never raped a woman who didn't enjoy it. A phone sex worker tells of bringing men to orgasm while reading Ms. magazine. A caucasian delivers Chinese food to obnoxious white people. A golf course cabana girl sells liquor to golfers in the middle of a Phoenix summer.
Actually experiencing these jobs must have been hell, but reading about them borders on hilarious. Whenever your job gets too much to handle, get this book and read about people who have it even worse.
In the world of employment, there is a huge range from interesting and fulfilling jobs, to mind-numbingly boring, dangerous and otherwise stupid jobs. The stories collected here look at the latter type of job, for which "bottom of the barrel" is sometimes too generous.
One person delivered flyers for two years while dealing with obnoxious homeowners and guard dogs that supposedly love people. A night parking lot attendant, who spends most of his shift reading books, nearly gets robbed. An ice factory worker reveals what really goes into Crushed Party Ice. A female employee at a fabric wholesaler has a male co-worker who insists that he never raped a woman who didn't enjoy it. A phone sex worker tells of bringing men to orgasm while reading Ms. magazine. A caucasian delivers Chinese food to obnoxious white people. A golf course cabana girl sells liquor to golfers in the middle of a Phoenix summer.
Actually experiencing these jobs must have been hell, but reading about them borders on hilarious. Whenever your job gets too much to handle, get this book and read about people who have it even worse.
Spirit Fox
Spirit Fox, Mickey Zucker Reichert and Jennifer Wingert, DAW Books, 1998
Set in a land where a war among the Immortals has been settled, the "Joyous Reunion" has come about, bringing permanent peace to all; or so they thought. An army is coming from the south, led by powerful mages who practice the forbidden sixth magic of destruction. Their purpose is to commit genocide, if necessary, to rid the world of what they call the Abomination.
It actually is a process where some people, at birth, are spirit linked to an animal born at the same time. The two have something of a telepathic relationship and the human lives much longer than normal. Kiarda is a young woman who was supposed to be spirit linked to a fox at birth. The fox kit was killed, causing her link to turn in on itself. She acquires the ability to turn into a fox, one such episode of which leads to a major misunderstanding which causes an innocent man to be condemned to death. It sends Kiarda on a quest into the heart of the southern forces, who have adopted a scorched earth policy to rid the world of any hint of this type of magic.
Reichert is a veteran writer who certainly knows her way around a novel, and, if this book is any indication, Wingert is a name to watch for in the future. Together they have done a very good job from start to finish.
Set in a land where a war among the Immortals has been settled, the "Joyous Reunion" has come about, bringing permanent peace to all; or so they thought. An army is coming from the south, led by powerful mages who practice the forbidden sixth magic of destruction. Their purpose is to commit genocide, if necessary, to rid the world of what they call the Abomination.
It actually is a process where some people, at birth, are spirit linked to an animal born at the same time. The two have something of a telepathic relationship and the human lives much longer than normal. Kiarda is a young woman who was supposed to be spirit linked to a fox at birth. The fox kit was killed, causing her link to turn in on itself. She acquires the ability to turn into a fox, one such episode of which leads to a major misunderstanding which causes an innocent man to be condemned to death. It sends Kiarda on a quest into the heart of the southern forces, who have adopted a scorched earth policy to rid the world of any hint of this type of magic.
Reichert is a veteran writer who certainly knows her way around a novel, and, if this book is any indication, Wingert is a name to watch for in the future. Together they have done a very good job from start to finish.
Coercion: Why We Listen to What "They" Say
Coercion: Why We Listen to What "They" Say, Douglas Rushkoff, Riverhead Books, 1999
This book explores the ways that "they", the coercers in society, have of shaping our lives and our futures, generally without our consent. They are the ones who say, for instance, that human beings use only ten percent of their brains; that you can earn $15,000 weekly in your spare time; that Prozac alleviates depression, etc. Everyone has heard such things many times in the past.
Currently, the "science" of coercion has reached almost spooky levels. Shopping malls are designed so that the shopper gets lost in a place where the exits are intentionally far apart and there are no clocks or windows or other ways to judge the passage of time. Sporting events, like pro football games, have turned into one marketing opportunity or corporate sponsorship after another. Under the skin, multi-level marketing schemes (also called pyramid schemes) are hard to distinguish from religious cults. Around the turn of the century, America's first retail art director believed that the retail environment could help lift taboos and give consumers the chance to express themselves through the art of consumption. That person was L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. Rushkoff also has a lot to say about the World Wide Web and the infamous "cookies".
To quote from the end of this book, "For without our complicity, they [the marketers and advertisers] are powerless. Without us, they don't exist". The first step in stopping these people is to read this fascinating and vital book.
This book explores the ways that "they", the coercers in society, have of shaping our lives and our futures, generally without our consent. They are the ones who say, for instance, that human beings use only ten percent of their brains; that you can earn $15,000 weekly in your spare time; that Prozac alleviates depression, etc. Everyone has heard such things many times in the past.
Currently, the "science" of coercion has reached almost spooky levels. Shopping malls are designed so that the shopper gets lost in a place where the exits are intentionally far apart and there are no clocks or windows or other ways to judge the passage of time. Sporting events, like pro football games, have turned into one marketing opportunity or corporate sponsorship after another. Under the skin, multi-level marketing schemes (also called pyramid schemes) are hard to distinguish from religious cults. Around the turn of the century, America's first retail art director believed that the retail environment could help lift taboos and give consumers the chance to express themselves through the art of consumption. That person was L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. Rushkoff also has a lot to say about the World Wide Web and the infamous "cookies".
To quote from the end of this book, "For without our complicity, they [the marketers and advertisers] are powerless. Without us, they don't exist". The first step in stopping these people is to read this fascinating and vital book.
The Edge of Marriage
The Edge of Marriage, Hester Kaplan, University of Georgia Press, 1999
This group of stories looks at seemingly solid marriages that get pushed to the limit because of betrayal, illness, conflict or tragedy.
For example, a wife and mother deals with feelings about her marriage and her husband when he comes home from the hospital after being maimed in an accident. In another story, a man confesses to sympathy for his dying wife's former lover. An older man dying of AIDS goes to a small southern resort to die, and wants the help of the resort owner to hasten the outcome. A woman's best friend dies of cancer, not suddenly, and the woman pretty much emotionally collapses. A couple who run their own catering business have trouble dealing with their son, in his mid-20s, who is something of an emotional screwup. A woman reminisces about her dead mother while cleaning out her mother's closet.
These stories are very quiet, but also very good. Kaplan does a fine job looking at the "in sickness" and "for poorer" parts of the marriage vow. There is lots of insight and somber hope here, but lots of sorrow, too. It is well worth the reader's time.
This group of stories looks at seemingly solid marriages that get pushed to the limit because of betrayal, illness, conflict or tragedy.
For example, a wife and mother deals with feelings about her marriage and her husband when he comes home from the hospital after being maimed in an accident. In another story, a man confesses to sympathy for his dying wife's former lover. An older man dying of AIDS goes to a small southern resort to die, and wants the help of the resort owner to hasten the outcome. A woman's best friend dies of cancer, not suddenly, and the woman pretty much emotionally collapses. A couple who run their own catering business have trouble dealing with their son, in his mid-20s, who is something of an emotional screwup. A woman reminisces about her dead mother while cleaning out her mother's closet.
These stories are very quiet, but also very good. Kaplan does a fine job looking at the "in sickness" and "for poorer" parts of the marriage vow. There is lots of insight and somber hope here, but lots of sorrow, too. It is well worth the reader's time.
Starfarers
Starfarers, Poul Anderson, Tor Books, 1998
This near-future science fiction story begins when SETI astronomers discover "trails" among the stars, thought to be signs of an advanced civilization.
Man has started to spread out among the stars, but has yet to find any other earthlike planets, so there is great interest in exploring the trails. An advanced starship, called Envoy, is outfitted with an eclectic ten-person crew. The ship can pretty much run itself, so the humans are there for when they reach their destination. The very interesting part is that the trails were discovered in an area approximately 60,000 light years away, so over 120,000 years will pass on earth until they return (through time dilation, about 10 years will pass aboard Envoy).
As they get closer to their destination, the trails become fewer and fewer, then stop altogether, leading to speculation among the crew that the civilization either destroyed itself or, for some reason, gave up on space travel. The humans encounter an intelligent race that has, indeed, turned its back on the stars. Envoy's arrival is not totally welcome, because it leads to unwelcome interest in returning to space among some of the aliens.
This is a vivid, well done story of courage and exploration on a grand scale. It just misses the level of Anderson's Best Work, with the science getting a little overwhelming, but it is still far better than most of what is in the Science Fiction section of the local chain bookstore.
This near-future science fiction story begins when SETI astronomers discover "trails" among the stars, thought to be signs of an advanced civilization.
Man has started to spread out among the stars, but has yet to find any other earthlike planets, so there is great interest in exploring the trails. An advanced starship, called Envoy, is outfitted with an eclectic ten-person crew. The ship can pretty much run itself, so the humans are there for when they reach their destination. The very interesting part is that the trails were discovered in an area approximately 60,000 light years away, so over 120,000 years will pass on earth until they return (through time dilation, about 10 years will pass aboard Envoy).
As they get closer to their destination, the trails become fewer and fewer, then stop altogether, leading to speculation among the crew that the civilization either destroyed itself or, for some reason, gave up on space travel. The humans encounter an intelligent race that has, indeed, turned its back on the stars. Envoy's arrival is not totally welcome, because it leads to unwelcome interest in returning to space among some of the aliens.
This is a vivid, well done story of courage and exploration on a grand scale. It just misses the level of Anderson's Best Work, with the science getting a little overwhelming, but it is still far better than most of what is in the Science Fiction section of the local chain bookstore.
Black Butterflies: A Flock on the Dark Side
Black Butterflies: A Flock on the Dark Side, John Shirley, Mark Ziesing Books, 1998
Here is a group of very dark and very weird edgy horror stories that start in the present-day world, but don't always stay there.
One story is about a man who kidnaps famous people, brings them to his remote house, and turns them into living gargoyles. Also included is a story about people who have died from drug abuse rising from the dead. Another tale is about sex, and drugs, and a device called a head iron, which is supposed to give a person the ultimate high. A San Francisco subway train derails, and a couple of bike messengers have to crawl their way over and under dead bodies. A religious confrontation of a sort, including human spontaneous combustion, occurs in the middle of a speed metal nightclub. Other stories involve things like growing body parts in unique places, and very different types of sex.
"Strange" doesn't even begin to describe these stories. John Shirley travels to places that few, if any, other writers are willing to visit. This book is very much Not for the faint of heart, but it is also very much recommended.
Here is a group of very dark and very weird edgy horror stories that start in the present-day world, but don't always stay there.
One story is about a man who kidnaps famous people, brings them to his remote house, and turns them into living gargoyles. Also included is a story about people who have died from drug abuse rising from the dead. Another tale is about sex, and drugs, and a device called a head iron, which is supposed to give a person the ultimate high. A San Francisco subway train derails, and a couple of bike messengers have to crawl their way over and under dead bodies. A religious confrontation of a sort, including human spontaneous combustion, occurs in the middle of a speed metal nightclub. Other stories involve things like growing body parts in unique places, and very different types of sex.
"Strange" doesn't even begin to describe these stories. John Shirley travels to places that few, if any, other writers are willing to visit. This book is very much Not for the faint of heart, but it is also very much recommended.
Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture
Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture, Simon Reynolds, Routledge, 1998
This book looks at a category of electronic music charcterized by a very fast beat, which started in the mid-1980s, collectively called techno. It also looks at rave culture, where groups of young people would gather, anywhere from basements to abandoned warehouses to open fields. listen to techno, and dance all night.
Techno started in Detroit at the end of the disco era, when disco and hip-hop tracks would be mixed with tracks from the 70s German band Kraftwerk and music from Roland 303 bass machines. From there, it traveled to Chicago, to London (where rave culture really took off), to Manchester, England, all over Europe, to Los Angeles, and back again. Along the way, a seemingly infinite number of variants were born, with names like progressive house, speed garage, acid house, ambient techno, Chicago house, and a northern European working-class variant called gabba.
Reynolds also explores the drug called Ecstasy, seemingly as important a part of the rave experience as the music. It seemed to enhance the effects of the music, but like any drug, take it long enough and the effects are less and less each time, forcing the user into harder drugs to regain that original feeling. A couple of well-publicized deaths, plus the public backlash against stoned teenagers, combined to severely damage, if not destroy, rave culture.
For anyone who has ever been to a rave, or bought a techno CD, this book is an excellent complement. Reynolds does a great job throughout, even making this book very readable for those who know little or nothing about techno and rave culture.
This book looks at a category of electronic music charcterized by a very fast beat, which started in the mid-1980s, collectively called techno. It also looks at rave culture, where groups of young people would gather, anywhere from basements to abandoned warehouses to open fields. listen to techno, and dance all night.
Techno started in Detroit at the end of the disco era, when disco and hip-hop tracks would be mixed with tracks from the 70s German band Kraftwerk and music from Roland 303 bass machines. From there, it traveled to Chicago, to London (where rave culture really took off), to Manchester, England, all over Europe, to Los Angeles, and back again. Along the way, a seemingly infinite number of variants were born, with names like progressive house, speed garage, acid house, ambient techno, Chicago house, and a northern European working-class variant called gabba.
Reynolds also explores the drug called Ecstasy, seemingly as important a part of the rave experience as the music. It seemed to enhance the effects of the music, but like any drug, take it long enough and the effects are less and less each time, forcing the user into harder drugs to regain that original feeling. A couple of well-publicized deaths, plus the public backlash against stoned teenagers, combined to severely damage, if not destroy, rave culture.
For anyone who has ever been to a rave, or bought a techno CD, this book is an excellent complement. Reynolds does a great job throughout, even making this book very readable for those who know little or nothing about techno and rave culture.
Toolbox
Toolbox, Fabio Morabito, Bloomsbury USA, 1999
This is a group of twelve short essays that take as their subject things like hammers, oil, string, sandpaper, screws, sponges; some of the inhabitants of the average toolbox. It has been said that one day, tools will become our masters; Morabito aims to divert that threat by giving the tools human characteristics.
A few quotes from the book: "Oil is water that has lost its get up and go, its cheeky forward drive." "The point of a knife is radically void of memory and of bonds, it knows nothing at all, it is indebted to no one for anything, it casts no shadow." "String is a dot elongated to the point of obsession, or to put it more precisely, it is a long succession of victims." "A bag stops objects from falling, but unlike a table or shelf, which halts things once and for all, a bag keeps halting them at every instant, since it can't fix them in place, can't offer any guarantees."
Morabito looks at normal things in a slightly off-center way. He finds poetry in places that no one else thinks of looking. He has written a very interesting, but unique, book that will make the reader look at a toolbox in a different way.
This is a group of twelve short essays that take as their subject things like hammers, oil, string, sandpaper, screws, sponges; some of the inhabitants of the average toolbox. It has been said that one day, tools will become our masters; Morabito aims to divert that threat by giving the tools human characteristics.
A few quotes from the book: "Oil is water that has lost its get up and go, its cheeky forward drive." "The point of a knife is radically void of memory and of bonds, it knows nothing at all, it is indebted to no one for anything, it casts no shadow." "String is a dot elongated to the point of obsession, or to put it more precisely, it is a long succession of victims." "A bag stops objects from falling, but unlike a table or shelf, which halts things once and for all, a bag keeps halting them at every instant, since it can't fix them in place, can't offer any guarantees."
Morabito looks at normal things in a slightly off-center way. He finds poetry in places that no one else thinks of looking. He has written a very interesting, but unique, book that will make the reader look at a toolbox in a different way.
The Unexpected Salami
The Unexpected Salami, Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Algonquin Books, 1999
Rachel Ganelli, a neurotic Italian-Jewish New Yorker, is tired of the Big Apple, so she moves to Australia, and hooks up with a middle-level rock band called The Tall Poppies, becoming the semi-girlfriend of Colin, the bass player. One day, while shooting their latest video, Stuart, the drummer, is shot and killed, and it's all caught on tape. Rachel decides that maybe now is a good time to return to New York, especially after her mother, who saw it on CNN, calls and demands her immediate return.
About a month later, Rachel runs into Stuart in a Manhattan coffee shop. It was all a scam, the intention being that the band would ride the resulting wave of publicity up the charts. It worked, to the point where the band is chosen as a last-minute opening act fill in for a couple of dates on an INXS American tour, including one at Madison Square Garden.
Along the way, Rachel and a couple of friends help Stuart get off heroin cold turkey; Rachel gets put on the jury for a murder case right at the time that Colin is in New York, but they do get a conjugal visit; for a time, Rachel's "price" for not blowing the whistle to the Australian authorities is a wedding ring from Colin.
This story is marvelous. Shapiro actually lived in Australia for a year, so she knows how to do the Australian point of view. It's a good rock and roll novel, with a little Woody Allen neurosis included, and is well worth reading.
Rachel Ganelli, a neurotic Italian-Jewish New Yorker, is tired of the Big Apple, so she moves to Australia, and hooks up with a middle-level rock band called The Tall Poppies, becoming the semi-girlfriend of Colin, the bass player. One day, while shooting their latest video, Stuart, the drummer, is shot and killed, and it's all caught on tape. Rachel decides that maybe now is a good time to return to New York, especially after her mother, who saw it on CNN, calls and demands her immediate return.
About a month later, Rachel runs into Stuart in a Manhattan coffee shop. It was all a scam, the intention being that the band would ride the resulting wave of publicity up the charts. It worked, to the point where the band is chosen as a last-minute opening act fill in for a couple of dates on an INXS American tour, including one at Madison Square Garden.
Along the way, Rachel and a couple of friends help Stuart get off heroin cold turkey; Rachel gets put on the jury for a murder case right at the time that Colin is in New York, but they do get a conjugal visit; for a time, Rachel's "price" for not blowing the whistle to the Australian authorities is a wedding ring from Colin.
This story is marvelous. Shapiro actually lived in Australia for a year, so she knows how to do the Australian point of view. It's a good rock and roll novel, with a little Woody Allen neurosis included, and is well worth reading.
Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui
Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, Karen Kingston, Broadway Books, 1999
Feng Shui is the oriental art of harmonizing the flow of natural energy around us to create beneficial effects in our lives. This book concerns one aspect of it, getting rid of clutter in our lives.
The author, an international lecturer on Feng Shui, spends most of the book talking about physical clutter, also called junk. Once the decision has been made that only certain items are staying behind, and everything else is going out the door, wonderful things can happen. The person can suddenly discover new reserves of energy or a better outlook on life; the money made from selling the items doesn't hurt. She also touches on such areas as: what to do with things you swear you will fix someday, inherited clutter, cleaning out your computer hard drive, and completist collectors.
Kingston also looks at mental and spiritual clutter. Don't be so quick to criticize or judge other people. Let go of grievances against others. Catch up on overdue correspondence. While you're at it, give your internal organs a good cleaning. Help your colon get rid of all that unhealthy food you've been eating.
Even if you can't do all of the things mentioned here, doing some of them can only help. This book is short, very easy to read, and, for packrats like me, much needed.
Feng Shui is the oriental art of harmonizing the flow of natural energy around us to create beneficial effects in our lives. This book concerns one aspect of it, getting rid of clutter in our lives.
The author, an international lecturer on Feng Shui, spends most of the book talking about physical clutter, also called junk. Once the decision has been made that only certain items are staying behind, and everything else is going out the door, wonderful things can happen. The person can suddenly discover new reserves of energy or a better outlook on life; the money made from selling the items doesn't hurt. She also touches on such areas as: what to do with things you swear you will fix someday, inherited clutter, cleaning out your computer hard drive, and completist collectors.
Kingston also looks at mental and spiritual clutter. Don't be so quick to criticize or judge other people. Let go of grievances against others. Catch up on overdue correspondence. While you're at it, give your internal organs a good cleaning. Help your colon get rid of all that unhealthy food you've been eating.
Even if you can't do all of the things mentioned here, doing some of them can only help. This book is short, very easy to read, and, for packrats like me, much needed.
Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America
Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America, Kalle Lasn, Eagle Brook (William Morrow and Co.), 1999
The author, founder of Adbusters magazine, asserts that American principles of freedom and democracy have been overwhelmed by saturation marketing from the likes of Nike and Philip Morris. These products, fashions and celebrities have become the new American culture. In other words, America is no longer a republic and has become a brand name.
The main battle weapon against the marketers and advertisers is the "meme", which is a piece of information, like a tune, catchphrase, or notion of fashion, passed from brain to brain. The dominant memes in America seem to be "Buy! Spend! Consume!". Against that, boycotts, letter writing and sit-ins will be, at best, marginally helpful. Real change will not occur until alternative memes make their way into the American psyche through areas like zines, public access video and community radio, loosely known as culture jamming.
For anyone concerned about the corporate stranglehold on America, this is an essential survival manual. It is very thought-provoking, and I very highly recommend it.
The author, founder of Adbusters magazine, asserts that American principles of freedom and democracy have been overwhelmed by saturation marketing from the likes of Nike and Philip Morris. These products, fashions and celebrities have become the new American culture. In other words, America is no longer a republic and has become a brand name.
The main battle weapon against the marketers and advertisers is the "meme", which is a piece of information, like a tune, catchphrase, or notion of fashion, passed from brain to brain. The dominant memes in America seem to be "Buy! Spend! Consume!". Against that, boycotts, letter writing and sit-ins will be, at best, marginally helpful. Real change will not occur until alternative memes make their way into the American psyche through areas like zines, public access video and community radio, loosely known as culture jamming.
For anyone concerned about the corporate stranglehold on America, this is an essential survival manual. It is very thought-provoking, and I very highly recommend it.
Framing Youth: Ten Myths About the Next Generation
Framing Youth: Ten Myths About the Next Generation, Mike Males, Common Courage Press, 1999
To read the mainstream media, a person would think that America's teenagers are reckless maniacs, getting drunk, stoned, pregnant or murdered by the thousands. Males, who has spent years writing about, and actually talking to, youth, gives a very different answer.
A teen's home situation is a much more reliable indicator of whether or not they will smoke, drink or abuse drugs than peer pressure or pop culture. In 1996, when teens were supposed to be abusing drugs in record numbers, about 100,000 adults were taken to hospital emergency rooms for heroin or cocaine emergencies; in the same year, only 1,000 teens made such a trip. Little-discussed aspects of the teen pregnancy "epidemic" are past sexual abuse of the girl, usually by a family member, and the large number of fathers that are over 20 years old. The media would seemingly rather reprint law enforcement press releases than actually analyze crime statistics. They also tend to lie about crime trends, even when they are going in the proper direction; not stretching the truth, or differing interpretations, but it is closer to saying that black is white and up is down.
This is an eloquent and fascinating look at how badly young people are treated by their elders, filled to overflowing with numbers, graphs and statistics. It is highly recommended.
To read the mainstream media, a person would think that America's teenagers are reckless maniacs, getting drunk, stoned, pregnant or murdered by the thousands. Males, who has spent years writing about, and actually talking to, youth, gives a very different answer.
A teen's home situation is a much more reliable indicator of whether or not they will smoke, drink or abuse drugs than peer pressure or pop culture. In 1996, when teens were supposed to be abusing drugs in record numbers, about 100,000 adults were taken to hospital emergency rooms for heroin or cocaine emergencies; in the same year, only 1,000 teens made such a trip. Little-discussed aspects of the teen pregnancy "epidemic" are past sexual abuse of the girl, usually by a family member, and the large number of fathers that are over 20 years old. The media would seemingly rather reprint law enforcement press releases than actually analyze crime statistics. They also tend to lie about crime trends, even when they are going in the proper direction; not stretching the truth, or differing interpretations, but it is closer to saying that black is white and up is down.
This is an eloquent and fascinating look at how badly young people are treated by their elders, filled to overflowing with numbers, graphs and statistics. It is highly recommended.
Profit Over People: Neoliberalism and Global Order
Profit Over People: Neoliberalism and Global Order, Noam Chomsky, Seven Stories Press, 1999
Neoliberalism, a much used term these days, is a set of economic principles designed by the US and imposed on the rest of the world through the various international financial agencies that the US dominates. The intention is to make it as easy as possible for the big transnational corporations, usually based in America, to maximize their profits, no matter what, and deal with any country that doesn't go along (Chile under Salvador Allende). In the US, after years of corporate PR, neoliberalism has acquired the aura of a Sacred Thing which must not be questioned.
In this latest collection, Chomsky doesn't stop there. While the media and the Clinton Administration proclaim the US as a model for the world, according to UNICEF, the US has the worst record among the major industrial countries in areas like mortality of children under 5 years old. While the Reagan Administration extolled the glories of the free market, it boasted about having given US business more import relief than all its predecessors combined; market discipline for you, but not for me.
This is another fascinating and very well done look at the way the world really works. Don't miss it.
Neoliberalism, a much used term these days, is a set of economic principles designed by the US and imposed on the rest of the world through the various international financial agencies that the US dominates. The intention is to make it as easy as possible for the big transnational corporations, usually based in America, to maximize their profits, no matter what, and deal with any country that doesn't go along (Chile under Salvador Allende). In the US, after years of corporate PR, neoliberalism has acquired the aura of a Sacred Thing which must not be questioned.
In this latest collection, Chomsky doesn't stop there. While the media and the Clinton Administration proclaim the US as a model for the world, according to UNICEF, the US has the worst record among the major industrial countries in areas like mortality of children under 5 years old. While the Reagan Administration extolled the glories of the free market, it boasted about having given US business more import relief than all its predecessors combined; market discipline for you, but not for me.
This is another fascinating and very well done look at the way the world really works. Don't miss it.
The Spy Who Spoke Porpoise
The Spy Who Spoke Porpoise, Philip Wylie, Pyramid Books, 1969
One day, the President of the United States is shocked to learn that there is a category of CIA files, code named Zed, to which he is not allowed access. They were supposedly authorized by a predecessor to build a wall between the Presidency and the occasional messy, but needed, political assassination. The president is unsuccessful in getting to the bottom of this through regular channels. On an official trip to Buffalo, he personally recruits Grove, and ex-OSS man who was something of a legend in the field, to do some digging for him.
Through some eavesdropping on the head of the CIA, Grove learns about something called Project Neptune which will happen near Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He buys a house nearby, and sets up shop, not knowing what or when it is. He makes himself known to the locals, including Jerry, the night watchman at a local sea park. An ex-Honolulu cop who is no dummy in the secrecy and investigating departments, Jerry is recruited into the Project Neptune quest. Slowly and painstakingly, the pieces start to come together.
This book is much quieter, and, in many ways more realistic than, say, a James Bond novel. Spying isn't all adventure and daring escapes. Philip Wylie is a veteran writer who certainly knows his way around a novel. For a good old, Cold War, spy novel, check this out.
One day, the President of the United States is shocked to learn that there is a category of CIA files, code named Zed, to which he is not allowed access. They were supposedly authorized by a predecessor to build a wall between the Presidency and the occasional messy, but needed, political assassination. The president is unsuccessful in getting to the bottom of this through regular channels. On an official trip to Buffalo, he personally recruits Grove, and ex-OSS man who was something of a legend in the field, to do some digging for him.
Through some eavesdropping on the head of the CIA, Grove learns about something called Project Neptune which will happen near Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He buys a house nearby, and sets up shop, not knowing what or when it is. He makes himself known to the locals, including Jerry, the night watchman at a local sea park. An ex-Honolulu cop who is no dummy in the secrecy and investigating departments, Jerry is recruited into the Project Neptune quest. Slowly and painstakingly, the pieces start to come together.
This book is much quieter, and, in many ways more realistic than, say, a James Bond novel. Spying isn't all adventure and daring escapes. Philip Wylie is a veteran writer who certainly knows his way around a novel. For a good old, Cold War, spy novel, check this out.
Greatness in a Nutshell
Greatness in a Nutshell: Core Ideas of Logo Design for Print Media and Web Page, Doreyl Ammons Cain, Seat of Your Pants Visual Media, 1999
One of the reasons people start their own business, aside from making money, is to realize a dream, to make a difference in the world. Among the first steps is to create a logo, a graphic representation of your business that will catch a person's eye. The right logo can really help a business; the wrong logo will handicap the owner before they even get started. This book takes the reader through the whole logo-creating process. It doesn't just talk about it, it gives the reader plenty of space to find out for themselves.
With twenty years experience in the design and advertising fields, Cain first asks the reader about the purpose of the business. Then comes the creating of a mission statement, a way to reach the vision. Later comes deciding who your customers are, and dealing with differences in perception between the right and left brains. Now it's time to concentrate on shapes and colors and types of pencil strokes. Will the logo be in color or black and white? Will it consist of images or just letters? After the logo is finalized, then comes dealing with designers and printers. Their suggestions can help, and may just save the business owner some money.
This is a very specialized book, but also a very good one. Small, or big, business owners would be well advised to read it.
One of the reasons people start their own business, aside from making money, is to realize a dream, to make a difference in the world. Among the first steps is to create a logo, a graphic representation of your business that will catch a person's eye. The right logo can really help a business; the wrong logo will handicap the owner before they even get started. This book takes the reader through the whole logo-creating process. It doesn't just talk about it, it gives the reader plenty of space to find out for themselves.
With twenty years experience in the design and advertising fields, Cain first asks the reader about the purpose of the business. Then comes the creating of a mission statement, a way to reach the vision. Later comes deciding who your customers are, and dealing with differences in perception between the right and left brains. Now it's time to concentrate on shapes and colors and types of pencil strokes. Will the logo be in color or black and white? Will it consist of images or just letters? After the logo is finalized, then comes dealing with designers and printers. Their suggestions can help, and may just save the business owner some money.
This is a very specialized book, but also a very good one. Small, or big, business owners would be well advised to read it.
Pioneers of Wonder: Converstaions With the Founders of Science Fiction
Pioneers of Wonder: Conversations With the Founders of Science Fiction, Eric Leif Davin, Prometheus Books, 1999
Most science fiction fans are familiar with names like Asimov and Bradbury. How many are familiar with names like Lasser, Weinbaum and Eshbach?
This book of interviews concentrates on the early days of science fiction, during the depression, when a person's imagination was allowed to soar while speculating about the future. Hugo Gernsback, a Luxembourgian immigrant who became a magazine tycoon, founded, in 1926, the first all science fiction magazine called Amazing Stories. David Lasser was one of his editors, whose 1931 book, The Conquest of Space, was the first serious English-language look at travel to the moon. Stanley Weinbaum's classic story, "A Martian Odyssey", was the first sympathetic portrayal of aliens. Lloyd Eshbach started one of the first specialty book publishers, Fantasy Press, in the late 1940s. Up until then, even the best science fiction story had a life of about one month in a magazine.
This book is wonderful. Not only do the interviews with the actual people involved do a great job of bringing back the days of ray guns and alien monsters, this is a much-needed addition to the bookshelf of every science fiction fan. I give it two strong thumbs up.
Most science fiction fans are familiar with names like Asimov and Bradbury. How many are familiar with names like Lasser, Weinbaum and Eshbach?
This book of interviews concentrates on the early days of science fiction, during the depression, when a person's imagination was allowed to soar while speculating about the future. Hugo Gernsback, a Luxembourgian immigrant who became a magazine tycoon, founded, in 1926, the first all science fiction magazine called Amazing Stories. David Lasser was one of his editors, whose 1931 book, The Conquest of Space, was the first serious English-language look at travel to the moon. Stanley Weinbaum's classic story, "A Martian Odyssey", was the first sympathetic portrayal of aliens. Lloyd Eshbach started one of the first specialty book publishers, Fantasy Press, in the late 1940s. Up until then, even the best science fiction story had a life of about one month in a magazine.
This book is wonderful. Not only do the interviews with the actual people involved do a great job of bringing back the days of ray guns and alien monsters, this is a much-needed addition to the bookshelf of every science fiction fan. I give it two strong thumbs up.
Dark Detectives: Adventures of the Supernatural Sleuths
Dark Detectives: Adventures of the Supernatural Sleuths, Stephen Jones (ed.), Fedogan and Bremer, 1999
This is a group of all-British, mostly newer, detective stories. But these are not average private eyes; these investigators deal with supernatural happenings.
Among the authors represented are Clive Barker, William Hope Hodgson, Manly Wade Wellman, Neil Gaiman, Brian Lumley and Basil Copper. In seventh century Ireland, a rural innkeeper and his wife are being terrorized by strange noises. A story set in rural England early in the 1900s has a wonderful title, "The Adventure of the Crawling Horror." What looks like a grandfather clock with four hands, and strange symbols where the numbers should be, actually has a much more hellish purpose. Another story has to do with John Wayne supposedly being buried in a pink dress. Kim Newman contributes a multi-part short novel about a fist-sized ruby with the power to destroy mankind.
I am not much of a mystery or supernatural reader, but I really enjoyed these stories. They work as detective stories, and the occult part is just strange enough without being too strange. This is well worth reading.
This is a group of all-British, mostly newer, detective stories. But these are not average private eyes; these investigators deal with supernatural happenings.
Among the authors represented are Clive Barker, William Hope Hodgson, Manly Wade Wellman, Neil Gaiman, Brian Lumley and Basil Copper. In seventh century Ireland, a rural innkeeper and his wife are being terrorized by strange noises. A story set in rural England early in the 1900s has a wonderful title, "The Adventure of the Crawling Horror." What looks like a grandfather clock with four hands, and strange symbols where the numbers should be, actually has a much more hellish purpose. Another story has to do with John Wayne supposedly being buried in a pink dress. Kim Newman contributes a multi-part short novel about a fist-sized ruby with the power to destroy mankind.
I am not much of a mystery or supernatural reader, but I really enjoyed these stories. They work as detective stories, and the occult part is just strange enough without being too strange. This is well worth reading.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Famous for 15 Minutes: My Years With Andy Warhol
Famous For 15 Minutes: My Years With Andy Warhol, Ultra Violet, Avon Books, 1988
This is a chronicle of life with Andy Warhol, pop artist and early media personality, written by one of his "inner circle". Violet, born Isabelle Dufresne, was the rebellious daughter of a rich French family.
Because her family didn't know what else to do with her, as a teenager, she was sent to New York City, where she met the artist Salvador Dali. She was his lover for a time before she met Warhol, a shy, gay albino from Pittsburgh.
Soon was created "the Factory", a place where an ever-changing cast of characters came to hang out, do art of various types, indulge in narcotics, and participate in, and watch, art films directed by Warhol. These were the sort of films that were shot in one take and shown through colored filters to enhance the psychedelic effects. One film showed a man's naked rear end. . .for 75 minutes.
Everything changed in 1968, when Warhol was shot, and almost killed, by Valerie Solanas, one of his followers. He survived, but the freedom and living on the edge that characterized Warhol's art and life in the Factory is gone. Warhol becomes a "safer", more commercial artist, and the Factory gains a security guard and locked door.
Violet drifts away from Warhol, and falls madly in love with the painter Edward Ruscha, but he is already married. She eventually breaks off the relationship. Around this time, she begins to physically fall apart, to the point of spending a year in bed. Violet heals herself through alternative medicine and eastern philosophy.
This book does a very good job showing the physical and moral excesses of the World of Warhol. It's rather funny and rather sick, and is a very candid journey through life on the edge, 1950s and 1960s style.
This is a chronicle of life with Andy Warhol, pop artist and early media personality, written by one of his "inner circle". Violet, born Isabelle Dufresne, was the rebellious daughter of a rich French family.
Because her family didn't know what else to do with her, as a teenager, she was sent to New York City, where she met the artist Salvador Dali. She was his lover for a time before she met Warhol, a shy, gay albino from Pittsburgh.
Soon was created "the Factory", a place where an ever-changing cast of characters came to hang out, do art of various types, indulge in narcotics, and participate in, and watch, art films directed by Warhol. These were the sort of films that were shot in one take and shown through colored filters to enhance the psychedelic effects. One film showed a man's naked rear end. . .for 75 minutes.
Everything changed in 1968, when Warhol was shot, and almost killed, by Valerie Solanas, one of his followers. He survived, but the freedom and living on the edge that characterized Warhol's art and life in the Factory is gone. Warhol becomes a "safer", more commercial artist, and the Factory gains a security guard and locked door.
Violet drifts away from Warhol, and falls madly in love with the painter Edward Ruscha, but he is already married. She eventually breaks off the relationship. Around this time, she begins to physically fall apart, to the point of spending a year in bed. Violet heals herself through alternative medicine and eastern philosophy.
This book does a very good job showing the physical and moral excesses of the World of Warhol. It's rather funny and rather sick, and is a very candid journey through life on the edge, 1950s and 1960s style.
Chump Change
Chump Change, Dan Fante, Sun Dog Press, 1998
The life of Bruno Dante, one-time poet, is heading downhill, fast. He drifts from job to job, that is, when he isn't in detox. Married, and living in New York City, he gets a call from Los Angeles, saying that his famous screenwriter father is dying. They fly west, and after his father takes longer than expected to die, Bruno takes off, with Rocco, his father's bull terrier, and lives on the streets.
He spends some time in a cheap motel with a teenage hooker who has a severe stuttering problem that only goes away when she's drunk. He indulges in seemingly mass quantities of less expensive alcohol. He gets a job with a video dating service that involves going to people's homes and getting them to sign up for full, and expensive, membership. He gets his fill of Hollywood stories from friends of his father.
This story is not without heart and tenderness, but it is quite a raw novel, too. Fante certainly pulls no punches here. He also knows how to write an interesting story that doesn't stop moving from start to finish. One can almost smell the cigarettes and cheap wine all over this novel.
The life of Bruno Dante, one-time poet, is heading downhill, fast. He drifts from job to job, that is, when he isn't in detox. Married, and living in New York City, he gets a call from Los Angeles, saying that his famous screenwriter father is dying. They fly west, and after his father takes longer than expected to die, Bruno takes off, with Rocco, his father's bull terrier, and lives on the streets.
He spends some time in a cheap motel with a teenage hooker who has a severe stuttering problem that only goes away when she's drunk. He indulges in seemingly mass quantities of less expensive alcohol. He gets a job with a video dating service that involves going to people's homes and getting them to sign up for full, and expensive, membership. He gets his fill of Hollywood stories from friends of his father.
This story is not without heart and tenderness, but it is quite a raw novel, too. Fante certainly pulls no punches here. He also knows how to write an interesting story that doesn't stop moving from start to finish. One can almost smell the cigarettes and cheap wine all over this novel.
Health Care for Beginners
Health Care for Beginners, David Brizer, Writers and Readers Publishing Inc, 1994
Health care can be a confusing and mysterious thing. This book does a very good job at cutting through the fog and shedding some much needed light.
One estimate says that environmental pollution contributes to approximately 25% of today's medical problems. There are not enough primary care doctors, and too many specialists, especially in rural areas and the inner city. Many health care provider networks and insurance companies try to discourage those with major (expensive) medical problems from joining. In countries with national health insurance, like Canada, Britain, and France, the amount of GNP spent on health care stays the same from year to year.
In the US, the percentage of GNP going to health care rises by 20% per year. Between 1970 and 1982, the number of health care providers rose by 57%, while the number of administrators rose by 171%. Less than one-half of one percent of the national health budget is spent on preventive measures like prenatal care and reducing environmental toxins from industry.
This is a short book, but it really shows the current state of American health care. This subject affects everyone at one time or another, so this book is highly recommended for everyone.
Health care can be a confusing and mysterious thing. This book does a very good job at cutting through the fog and shedding some much needed light.
One estimate says that environmental pollution contributes to approximately 25% of today's medical problems. There are not enough primary care doctors, and too many specialists, especially in rural areas and the inner city. Many health care provider networks and insurance companies try to discourage those with major (expensive) medical problems from joining. In countries with national health insurance, like Canada, Britain, and France, the amount of GNP spent on health care stays the same from year to year.
In the US, the percentage of GNP going to health care rises by 20% per year. Between 1970 and 1982, the number of health care providers rose by 57%, while the number of administrators rose by 171%. Less than one-half of one percent of the national health budget is spent on preventive measures like prenatal care and reducing environmental toxins from industry.
This is a short book, but it really shows the current state of American health care. This subject affects everyone at one time or another, so this book is highly recommended for everyone.
Memory and Dream
Memory and Dream, Charles de Lint, Tor, 1994
Set in the Canadian seacoast town of Newford, this contemporary fantasy is about Isabelle Copley, a young artist studying at the local university. One day, while idly sketching in the park, she is accosted by this ugly, unkempt troll of a man, and told to report to his studio the next morning. He really is Vincent Rushkin, a world-famous, and very solitary, artist. He takes Isabelle under his wing, and she learns a lot from him; that is, when she isn't suffering through one of his towering rages.
As time goes on, Isabelle finds that she has the ability to put a person in a painting, and have that person come to life. For a while, she falls in love with one of her creations, called numena, a Native American named John Sweetgrass. Isabelle also discovers that, not only is Rushkin a world-class SOB, he also feeds off the life force of the numena. One time, he forces her to set her own house on fire, where hundreds of numena paintings are stored, thereby killing all of them. Another time, he kidnaps Isabelle and forces her to bring more numena to life.
Is "classic" too strong a word? Not in this case. De Lint does a wonderful job hinting at weird things happening, instead of plastering them all over the page. This is a long novel, but very much worth it.
Set in the Canadian seacoast town of Newford, this contemporary fantasy is about Isabelle Copley, a young artist studying at the local university. One day, while idly sketching in the park, she is accosted by this ugly, unkempt troll of a man, and told to report to his studio the next morning. He really is Vincent Rushkin, a world-famous, and very solitary, artist. He takes Isabelle under his wing, and she learns a lot from him; that is, when she isn't suffering through one of his towering rages.
As time goes on, Isabelle finds that she has the ability to put a person in a painting, and have that person come to life. For a while, she falls in love with one of her creations, called numena, a Native American named John Sweetgrass. Isabelle also discovers that, not only is Rushkin a world-class SOB, he also feeds off the life force of the numena. One time, he forces her to set her own house on fire, where hundreds of numena paintings are stored, thereby killing all of them. Another time, he kidnaps Isabelle and forces her to bring more numena to life.
Is "classic" too strong a word? Not in this case. De Lint does a wonderful job hinting at weird things happening, instead of plastering them all over the page. This is a long novel, but very much worth it.
Close to the Machine: Technophilia and Its Discontents
Close to the Machine: Technophilia and Its Discontents, Ellen Ullman, City Lights Books, 1997
Here is a look at the life of a freelance software engineer running her own computer consulting business in present-day San Francisco's Multimedia Gulch. The temptation to give herself up to the world of machine logic sometimes gets hard to resist, but she knows that things like love, hate and human contact don't easily fit into lines of code.
She talks of teams of software engineers forming for a specific job, maybe, or maybe not, to form again in the future. She talks of a small business owner whose secretary has been working for him for 25 years, a woman he trusts to pick up his children from school. He wants to start counting her keystrokes, not because she has suddenly become less trustworthy, but simply because he now has the capability to do it with new software. An AIDS nonprofit group, for whom Ullman is helping to build a database program, suddenly wants to add more and more capabilities to the software.
Ullman does an excellent job at bringing heart, humanity and a female perspective to what can be a very technical and very male subject. This is very much worth reading, for techies and non-techies alike.
Here is a look at the life of a freelance software engineer running her own computer consulting business in present-day San Francisco's Multimedia Gulch. The temptation to give herself up to the world of machine logic sometimes gets hard to resist, but she knows that things like love, hate and human contact don't easily fit into lines of code.
She talks of teams of software engineers forming for a specific job, maybe, or maybe not, to form again in the future. She talks of a small business owner whose secretary has been working for him for 25 years, a woman he trusts to pick up his children from school. He wants to start counting her keystrokes, not because she has suddenly become less trustworthy, but simply because he now has the capability to do it with new software. An AIDS nonprofit group, for whom Ullman is helping to build a database program, suddenly wants to add more and more capabilities to the software.
Ullman does an excellent job at bringing heart, humanity and a female perspective to what can be a very technical and very male subject. This is very much worth reading, for techies and non-techies alike.
Duck Egg Blue
Duck Egg Blue, Derrick Neill, Prometheus Books, 1999
Cameron Wright is a young man who has completed all but one of the requirements for his Eagle Scout badge. During an interview with the Eagle Scout board, he says he doesn't know whether or not he believes in God. His badge is held up until he "reconsiders" his answer. His ultrareligious father had more than something to do with it. His father also says that Cameron's scale model of the Grand Canyon for his high school science class is all wrong. (He used the color Duck Egg Blue to paint the river.)
Meantime, Mark Edwards, Cameron's science teacher, who is also dating his divorced mother, is being pressured by the principal to give "creation science" equal time in the classroom. It not only threatens his cherished position at the school, but also threatens the separation between church and state. The school's Christian Club, sponsored and run by a teacher, is no help.
Cameron spends the school year trying to decide if he should tell the Eagle Scout board what they want to hear and get his badge, or stand up for his beliefs.
When writing about creationism, it's easy to take an attitude of I'm Right, You're Wrong. Neill doesn't do that. Some people will like it, and some will hate it, but everyone should read Duck Egg Blue.
Cameron Wright is a young man who has completed all but one of the requirements for his Eagle Scout badge. During an interview with the Eagle Scout board, he says he doesn't know whether or not he believes in God. His badge is held up until he "reconsiders" his answer. His ultrareligious father had more than something to do with it. His father also says that Cameron's scale model of the Grand Canyon for his high school science class is all wrong. (He used the color Duck Egg Blue to paint the river.)
Meantime, Mark Edwards, Cameron's science teacher, who is also dating his divorced mother, is being pressured by the principal to give "creation science" equal time in the classroom. It not only threatens his cherished position at the school, but also threatens the separation between church and state. The school's Christian Club, sponsored and run by a teacher, is no help.
Cameron spends the school year trying to decide if he should tell the Eagle Scout board what they want to hear and get his badge, or stand up for his beliefs.
When writing about creationism, it's easy to take an attitude of I'm Right, You're Wrong. Neill doesn't do that. Some people will like it, and some will hate it, but everyone should read Duck Egg Blue.
Grand Central Winter
Grand Central Winter, Lee Stringer, Seven Stories Press, 1998
This is the self-written story of how a person can go from having a successful design studio in 1980s Manhattan to spending the next eleven years as a homeless crack addict.
Stringer paints an uncompromising picture of life on the streets. While collecting cans and bottles for the nickel deposits, he runs into his old boss from his time in advertising. He explains what goes through an addict's mind while they're looking to score, and stay one step ahead of police drug sweeps. The police frequently go through Grand Central Station, rousting the homeless for criminal trespass, but save it for the end of their shift in order to collect overtime. A streetwise Romeo wants to make the prostitute mother of his child an honest woman.
Stringer also talks about getting off the streets with the help of Street News, the newspaper of the homeless. He rises from selling the paper on street corners, to writing for it, to becoming senior editor, sleeping on a couch in the office.
Lee Stringer has been, justifiably, in my opinion, compared with Jack London. Both are great writers, and both show the humanity in those at the bottom of society, because they have been there.
This is the self-written story of how a person can go from having a successful design studio in 1980s Manhattan to spending the next eleven years as a homeless crack addict.
Stringer paints an uncompromising picture of life on the streets. While collecting cans and bottles for the nickel deposits, he runs into his old boss from his time in advertising. He explains what goes through an addict's mind while they're looking to score, and stay one step ahead of police drug sweeps. The police frequently go through Grand Central Station, rousting the homeless for criminal trespass, but save it for the end of their shift in order to collect overtime. A streetwise Romeo wants to make the prostitute mother of his child an honest woman.
Stringer also talks about getting off the streets with the help of Street News, the newspaper of the homeless. He rises from selling the paper on street corners, to writing for it, to becoming senior editor, sleeping on a couch in the office.
Lee Stringer has been, justifiably, in my opinion, compared with Jack London. Both are great writers, and both show the humanity in those at the bottom of society, because they have been there.
Pretzel Logic
Pretzel Logic, Lisa Rogak, Williams Hill Publishing, 1999
A little-discussed aspect of coming out as a gay person is: what if it happens while the person is married? What happens to the relationship with the spouse?
Emily and Michael Spencer were, by all accounts, happily married and publishing a small-town weekly newspaper. Gradually, Michael becomes bitter, sullen and withdrawn. Emily's first thought was "midlife crisis". Eventually, she learns that Michael is gay.
In the beginning, Emily tries to sympathize with Michael's need to be gay, thinking that it's just a phase in his life. She finds a support group of other straight spouses, and learns that things with Michael will never return to the way they were. Through all this, Emily tries to understand Michael's feelings, including, for instance, what makes a person want to be intimate with someone of the same gender.
This book does a very good job looking at the institution of marriage, and what makes a marriage worth fighting for. It has humor and fairness, and some quite explicit pieces, too. This isn't just a very good, well-written gay novel, it's a very good, well-written novel.
A little-discussed aspect of coming out as a gay person is: what if it happens while the person is married? What happens to the relationship with the spouse?
Emily and Michael Spencer were, by all accounts, happily married and publishing a small-town weekly newspaper. Gradually, Michael becomes bitter, sullen and withdrawn. Emily's first thought was "midlife crisis". Eventually, she learns that Michael is gay.
In the beginning, Emily tries to sympathize with Michael's need to be gay, thinking that it's just a phase in his life. She finds a support group of other straight spouses, and learns that things with Michael will never return to the way they were. Through all this, Emily tries to understand Michael's feelings, including, for instance, what makes a person want to be intimate with someone of the same gender.
This book does a very good job looking at the institution of marriage, and what makes a marriage worth fighting for. It has humor and fairness, and some quite explicit pieces, too. This isn't just a very good, well-written gay novel, it's a very good, well-written novel.
The Climate of the Country
The Climate of the Country, Marnie Mueller, Curbstone Press, 1999
Set in the Tule Lake Japanese Segregation Camp during World War II, it tells the story of Denton Jordan and his wife Esther, staff members struggling to do their best for the Japanese prisoners. Denton is a conscientious objector at a time when the manly thing to do is join the military. Esther is the daughter of Jewish intellectuals most concerned with what's going on in Europe.
The director of the camp, Ted Andross, has imposed harsh and restrictive measures on the Japanese. The only way out of the camp for the Japanese is to renounce their emperor, whom they revere as a god. Some of the Japanese are willing to work with the Americans, while others have become radicalized and begin to push back just as hard.
This isn't just a Japanese vs Americans novel. Denton and Esther's marriage is sinking, fast. The situation also pits Andross against his staff and friend against friend.
In a way, this is not an easy book to read. It tells the story of people struggling with their consciences in the midst of a demoralizing situation. Having been born at the Tule Lake Camp, Mueller does an excellent job at putting the reader right in the middle of everything. This one is highly recommended.
Set in the Tule Lake Japanese Segregation Camp during World War II, it tells the story of Denton Jordan and his wife Esther, staff members struggling to do their best for the Japanese prisoners. Denton is a conscientious objector at a time when the manly thing to do is join the military. Esther is the daughter of Jewish intellectuals most concerned with what's going on in Europe.
The director of the camp, Ted Andross, has imposed harsh and restrictive measures on the Japanese. The only way out of the camp for the Japanese is to renounce their emperor, whom they revere as a god. Some of the Japanese are willing to work with the Americans, while others have become radicalized and begin to push back just as hard.
This isn't just a Japanese vs Americans novel. Denton and Esther's marriage is sinking, fast. The situation also pits Andross against his staff and friend against friend.
In a way, this is not an easy book to read. It tells the story of people struggling with their consciences in the midst of a demoralizing situation. Having been born at the Tule Lake Camp, Mueller does an excellent job at putting the reader right in the middle of everything. This one is highly recommended.
The Terrorists of Irustan
The Terrorists of Irustan, Louise Marley, Ace Books, 1999
For women, life on the planet of Irustan is very restricted. They must remain veiled at all times and have no place in public life. Their only role is as a healer and mendicant. Zahra IbSada, in addition to being wife of the Chief Director of the planet, sees the joy in the women she treats, but she sees plenty of pain, too. Zahra has no choice but to send a wife back to the husband who brutally beat her, until he succeeds in killing her. She sees a prostitute suffering at the hands of her employer.
The twelve-year-old daughter of Zahra's best friend, Kalen, is to be married to a man whose two previous wives died under mysterious circumstances. Kalen begs Zahra for help until she reluctantly agrees to do something medical, and untraceable, about it. Later, a man known to be very rough with prostitutes gets the same treatment.
Zahra's small act of rebellion threatens to change the lives of not just everyone around her, but all the women on the planet.
Marley does a very good job with the characters in this book. It's an interesting, thought-provoking story, and far above average.
For women, life on the planet of Irustan is very restricted. They must remain veiled at all times and have no place in public life. Their only role is as a healer and mendicant. Zahra IbSada, in addition to being wife of the Chief Director of the planet, sees the joy in the women she treats, but she sees plenty of pain, too. Zahra has no choice but to send a wife back to the husband who brutally beat her, until he succeeds in killing her. She sees a prostitute suffering at the hands of her employer.
The twelve-year-old daughter of Zahra's best friend, Kalen, is to be married to a man whose two previous wives died under mysterious circumstances. Kalen begs Zahra for help until she reluctantly agrees to do something medical, and untraceable, about it. Later, a man known to be very rough with prostitutes gets the same treatment.
Zahra's small act of rebellion threatens to change the lives of not just everyone around her, but all the women on the planet.
Marley does a very good job with the characters in this book. It's an interesting, thought-provoking story, and far above average.
Something to Declare
Something to Declare, Julia Alvarez, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1998
This group of previously published essays forms something of an autobiography. The first half talks about having to leave her homeland of the Dominican Republic, along with the rest of her family, when she was only ten years old, because of her father's participation in a failed coup attempt against the dictator Trujillo. While her father set up a medical practice in New York City, the rest of the family set about the task of living as hyphenated Americans. She talks about surviving the New York City public school system, watching the Miss America Pageant to get ideas about beauty, concern about the reaction back home from her writing.
The second half talks about the life of a writer. After spending several years as a traveling writing teacher, she settles down in Vermont, marrying the son of German immigrant farmers from Nebraska. She is given tenure at a local college, only to give it up several years later to become a full-time writer. She talks about the day-to-day process of writing. Alvarez takes the reader along on a research trip for a possible novel that never sees the light of day.
As an experienced writing teacher, Alvarez does a very good job of keeping the reader interested. Prospective writers, and writing teachers, would be well advised to read and absorb this book.
This group of previously published essays forms something of an autobiography. The first half talks about having to leave her homeland of the Dominican Republic, along with the rest of her family, when she was only ten years old, because of her father's participation in a failed coup attempt against the dictator Trujillo. While her father set up a medical practice in New York City, the rest of the family set about the task of living as hyphenated Americans. She talks about surviving the New York City public school system, watching the Miss America Pageant to get ideas about beauty, concern about the reaction back home from her writing.
The second half talks about the life of a writer. After spending several years as a traveling writing teacher, she settles down in Vermont, marrying the son of German immigrant farmers from Nebraska. She is given tenure at a local college, only to give it up several years later to become a full-time writer. She talks about the day-to-day process of writing. Alvarez takes the reader along on a research trip for a possible novel that never sees the light of day.
As an experienced writing teacher, Alvarez does a very good job of keeping the reader interested. Prospective writers, and writing teachers, would be well advised to read and absorb this book.
Designing Babies: The Brave New World of reproductive technology
Designing Babies: The Brave New World of Reproductive Technology, Roger Gosden MD, W.H. Freeman and Company, 1999
This book ranges from the history of child-bearing to present technology, where egg and sperm can be frozen for later use and some genetic diseases can be fixed before birth.
In the past, poor hygiene meant that women needed to have lots of children, because some of them wouldn't survive. In some cultures, girls are prized because they have a chance to marry someone of a higher social class. Whereas, in other cultures, ultrasound is used for sex selection. If the fetus is female, the mother walks out of the clinic and into the abortion clinic, usually right next door.
In the womb, sometimes the initial chromosome division goes wrong, and the person gets an extra chromosome, which leads to Down's Syndrome. Sometimes, either or both parents are carriers for some genetic disease, like cystic fibrosis. What should the parents do? This book also explores topics like in vitro fertilization, cloning, making a perfect baby through eugenics, birth practices of other animals, and pregnancy outside the womb.
Gosden does a very good job at making this book painless reading. It's an interesting book, and the science doesn't get too overwhelming. It's recommended for everyone.
The Wounded Cormorant and Other Stories
The Wounded Cormorant and Other Stories, Liam O'Flaherty, W.W. Norton and Company, 1973
Rural Ireland in the earlier part of the 20th Century is the setting for this group of very short stories.
A goose is born, and because it doesn't develop like a normal goose; its keeper, an old woman, and the rest of the village think that it is some sort of fairy goose, gifted with supernatural powers. This goes on until the village priest does something about it. Getting a fishing canoe back to land becomes a race against time with a major storm on the way. A brother and sister are emigrating to America in the morning, but tonight the village, and their parents, try to put a brave face on it. A cow gives birth, and needs a little extra encouragement to take care of the calf. Another story looks at the effect of the Irish Civil War on the people caught in the middle.
This is a fine group of stories told with real style and grace, with the reader feeling like they are in the story. My only complaint is that some of these stories feel like vignettes, or parts of stories, rather than complete stories. Other than that, this is a very good example of Irish literature.
Hidden Amazon: The Greatest Voyage in Natural History
Hidden Amazon: The Greatest Voyage in Natural History, Dick Lutz, Dimi Press, 1999
This book is half ecological introduction to the Peruvian Amazon and half travelogue of two different trips through the area, by river and through the jungle, available to anyone. (It's also part advertisement for the company that provides these expeditions.)
The upper parts of the Amazon are in much better condition than the lower, Brazilian, part of the river. People are encouraged to see the Amazon, up close and personal; they will aid in the study of the river. The income generated for the indigenous peoples of the area certainly won't hurt.
This book goes into a lot of detail about the various plants and animals found on the Amazon, both from a traveller's diary and a scientist's point of view. The topics range from piranhas (there has never been a verified report of anyone being killed by piranhas) to capuchin monkeys to the history of the rubber trade to which river is longer, the Amazon or the Nile.
For armchair travelers who like to read about exotic places, and for those with the resources to go and see for themselves, this book is well worth reading. It's easy to read, and packs a lot of information.
The Sinful Ones
The Sinful Ones, Fritz Leiber, Pocket Books, 1980
Carr McKay is a clerk at General Employment. One day, a frightened young woman comes in, asking if he's one of "them", and if he's been "awakened". Carr has no idea what she's talking about. A few minutes later, a man sits at Carr's desk, pretending to smoke a cigarette, and answering employment-type questions like he's talking to an invisible person. One of Carr's colleagues suddenly starts ignoring him. Carr's original thought is that this is some sort of strange joke. He soon learns differently.
The woman, Jane, tries to keep him out of it, but Carr soon learns that everyone has a "pattern" that they're expected to follow through life. As long as a person stays in their pattern, everything is fine. When anyone does something unexpected, or goes out of their pattern, they aren't just invisible, they suddenly don't exist to the rest of the world, until they return to their pattern. In other words, the universe is a giant machine.
I really enjoyed this book. It's very thought-provoking, and Leiber is a great author, so this is also very well done. For something short and different, this is the book.
Talking Back to Ritalin
Talking Back to Ritalin, Peter R. Breggin MD, Common Courage Press, 1998
Several million children are being treated with Ritalin and other stimulants because they have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, the symptoms of which include hyperactivity or inattention. Such drugs are simply mild stimulants that correct a chemical imbalance in the brain. Sounds safe and reasonable for children, right?
Very wrong, according to Breggin. There is no solid evidence that ADD is a genuine disease or disorder of any kind. A large percentage of children on stimulants become robotic, depressed or withdrawn. Ritalin is addictive and is a common drug of abuse among children and adults. Short and long term, Ritalin has no positive effect on a child's psychology, or on any other aspect of their lives. Ritalin can cause permanent neurological tics like Tourette's Syndrome. There is a lot of scientific confirmation that ADD-like symptoms are caused by environmental problems.
If Ritalin is so harmful, why is it prescribed so often? Parents who are terrified that their children are not exactly normal listen too readily to doctors and psychiatrists who may or may not know any better. Parents also listen to teachers and school administrators who seem to think that Students = Robots. There are also the drug companies who also seem to put profit ahead of anything else, and federal agencies more interested in easing the way for the drug companies than in doing any actual regulating.
For parents of any child who has been diagnosed with ADD, or children who seem to be a candidate for such a diagnosis, this book is Very Highly Recommended.
Several million children are being treated with Ritalin and other stimulants because they have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, the symptoms of which include hyperactivity or inattention. Such drugs are simply mild stimulants that correct a chemical imbalance in the brain. Sounds safe and reasonable for children, right?
Very wrong, according to Breggin. There is no solid evidence that ADD is a genuine disease or disorder of any kind. A large percentage of children on stimulants become robotic, depressed or withdrawn. Ritalin is addictive and is a common drug of abuse among children and adults. Short and long term, Ritalin has no positive effect on a child's psychology, or on any other aspect of their lives. Ritalin can cause permanent neurological tics like Tourette's Syndrome. There is a lot of scientific confirmation that ADD-like symptoms are caused by environmental problems.
If Ritalin is so harmful, why is it prescribed so often? Parents who are terrified that their children are not exactly normal listen too readily to doctors and psychiatrists who may or may not know any better. Parents also listen to teachers and school administrators who seem to think that Students = Robots. There are also the drug companies who also seem to put profit ahead of anything else, and federal agencies more interested in easing the way for the drug companies than in doing any actual regulating.
For parents of any child who has been diagnosed with ADD, or children who seem to be a candidate for such a diagnosis, this book is Very Highly Recommended.
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