More Books
More Books
“Therese Raquin” by Emila Zola: For someone who has read quite a few books, it might surprise some that I have read fairly few “classics,” so do not misjudge my tastes just because I happened to read this book. Zola was a French writer rather ahead of his time, and this novel was denounced as pornography because it tries to show the mentality behind a couple whom has an extramarital affair that eventually negatively affects both of their lives. The author’s purpose actually was to promote his philosophy of the human condition, but does so with a pretty interesting and at times bizarre story with truly becomes more and more bizarre. It has shades of Alfred Hitchcock and even Stephen King, and was purposely written in a down to earth style for a broader audience. I read it because I saw an AOL profile of someone who was in a play version of the novel (Kate Winslet is due to be in a movie version), and it was a good find.
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger: This is the original book version of the movie based on a tragic fishing trip off the coast of Massachusetts, and was more enjoyable than the movie. The movie somehow had the inclination to change facts around a bit that need not have been changed around, and by necessity, cut down much of the backstory that makes the book so interesting. This is a perfect paperback read that I picked up at the book section of a major supermarket, and is a prime example how you can read something for the exciting story, but also learn something in the process.
”The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup” by Susan Orlean: I found this book while perusing the book page of the Sunday NY Daily News. It is a collection of various columns and articles covering a whole range of ordinary and famous people, including a female bullfighter, Tonya Harding, an obscure music group from the 1960s, a guy who sells fans, a ten year old boy, and many others that caught the fancy of the author. A nice variety of human stories done with a bemused but seriously interested point of view.
”The X-Rated Bible: An Irreverent Survey of Sex In The Scriptures” by Ben Edward Akerley: The title basically says it all. The book is written by someone (a homosexual) upset at how religion and the bible is used to demonize certain people and actions, and he felt the best way to answer such criticism is to show how people in the Bible truly were portrayed. The book shows that not only does the Bible have a rather twisted view of sex at times, parents might not be so crazy about their children reading certain stories in it. For instance, who hid Israelite spies that checked out the lay of the land for Moses? A prostitute, who was spared for her protection, and was listed in the gospels as an ancestor of Jesus Christ. Let’s not even go into stories in Genesis! An informative read in a nice paperback format.
”Cigarettes: Anatomy of an Industry From Seed to Smoke” by Tara Parker-Pope. Love them or hate them, cigarettes are an important part of our culture and economy. Therefore, this relatively small and easy reading book is quite useful in that it gives the reader a broad and mostly complete look at the history and production/distribution of cigarettes, as well as many of the controversies involved. For instance, not only does one learn about the various types of tobacco involved in making cigarettes, but also covered is the effort (aided by our government) to sell them to foreign markets. This book is a good start for someone wishing to truly understand the complexity of this area.
”Hair: Public, Political, Extremely Personal” by Diane Simon; “Breasts: The Women’s Perspective on an American Obsession” by Carolyn Latteier. These are two down to earth little books concerning issues that continue to fascinate and obsess us. The authors generally use the same technique of using the stories of various everyday people to show us the complexity and broad views of men and women on these topics. Since both are very important in defining how we are, these are valuable (as well as interesting) books to check out.
”Sex in the City” by Candace Bushnell: The original fictional look at sex in New York City that is the basis of the HBO series. An enjoyable read that opens us a special line of study of the social condition. And for you sports fans, “A Pitcher’s Story: Innings with David Cone” by Roger Angell is an well written look at one of the best and complex stars of the game.
“America Afire: Jefferson, Adams, and The Revolutionary Election of 1800” by Bernard Weisberger; “Going South: Jewish Women in the Civil Rights Movement” by Debra Schultz: A pair of books for those interested in American history, discussing the first twenty or so years of United States history and one segment of individuals involved in the Civil Rights movement. For those into the controversial presidential election of 2000, “America Afire” does a good job of discussing the events that led up and occurred during to a controversial election two hundred years before. Do not let the somewhat overblown title throw you. The second book is an interesting look at a largely forgotten segment of the Civil Rights movement, which looks at fifteen Jewish women involved as well as what motivated them to do so. Another interesting book to check out for fans of American history is “A Country With No Name: Tales From The Constitution” by Sebastian De Grazia, though unfortunately he gets a few facts wrong.
“Going Up the River: Travels in a Prison Nation” by Joseph Halliman: Our nation is basically unique in the world for the numbers of people we incarcerate, so it is quite important for us to learn a bit about the place we are sending so many of our citizens. This book briefly deals with a broad range of issues including the history of prisons, life inside, and the growth of private prisons. Halliman is especially concerned with the growth of a prison industry, especially of more and more extreme prisons, which ultimately tells us that we know no better way to deal with crime (and in some cases a bad economy) than locking people up. In a land of liberty and the promise of the right “to the pursuit of happiness” this is especially alarming, even if we ignore that prisons are disproportionately filled with people of color, often in jail for drug offenses.
