Book Review: Plastic Fantastic

Plastic Fantastic: How the Biggest Fraud in Physics Shook the Scientific World by Eugenie Samuel Reich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I think this is the nerdiest book I have ever read. Ever. Mostly because it deals with a LOT of physics and the explanation of experiments and materials used. Organic crystals, sputtering machines, pentacene crystals and particles changing from p-type to n-type (just to name a few). And this book is about 45-50% physics explanations. But it has to be, because it's about the fraud that can be carried out in the scientific world. Especially when people don't understand what one scientist is doing and take him at face value when he makes certain claims. When he claims to be doing impossible things, the author wants to make sure you know why it would be impossible to do what he was claiming to have done.

The main point is this: Science is self-regulating. However, people need to be more on top of things and if things seem to good to be true, they just might be. Don't be afraid to call foul! Or Fraud for that matter. And the author makes a good point: Science is self-regulating. If someone makes a claim and it is false, that claim will eventually be proved so due to the inability of others to duplicate it. HOWEVER, the author also points out that until that happens, millions of dollars and years of time and energy can be wasted to prove these theories that are lies. And how do you give someone back a year of their life? (The author talks about some scientists that were turned off this kind of physics study solely based on their frustration, and chagrin at not being able to duplicate the false claims of the fraudster)

I think the author wants authority and others in position of power to not push so hard for papers and results to be printed. He thinks that the fraudster felt as though this was expected of him. And so he would print a paper as "fact" and then he hoped that others would prove his theories with their work. If he wasn't so pushed to print and publish, he might not have done what he did. Or maybe he would've no matter what. The author seems to think that he is not so much an EVIL scientist as a lazy and unimaginative one. No thoughts of his own, no way to make his own experiments work. So who knows, maybe he would been a fraudulent scientist no matter what.

Due to the fact that most people that read this book won't be physics geniuses, I think the author did a great job making the ideas and experiments easy for the layman to understand. That's why it gets 4 stars. Also because it talks about Los Alamos Labs, and UIUC where a friend is studying for her physics PhD right now as I type. I hope she's not trying to prove any of this guy's false claims!

But seriously, this is a geeky book. ENJOY, MY GEEK FRIENDS!

Curly Girl

At our family Reunion last week, my sister produced a book for myself and my niece to read and enjoy. It was called Curly Girl and it talks about the care and maintenance of curly hair, which all three of us have.

And while my hair is much MUCH less curlier than my sister's or my niece's, it's interesting to learn about the different things this woman suggests for those with curly hair who like to wear their hair curly.

First, she thinks that everyone with curly hair SHOULD wear their hair curly! So you should immediately throw out your flat iron, blow dryer (for straightening purposes, that is) and other like hair torture devices. She gives a few products to use, but she never comes out and gives NAMES. I wish she would just give a NAME! I mean "spray gel" what is that? Does leave in conditioner count as spray gel? What about a root booster? What about mousse? Can I put some in a spray bottle, fill it with water and call it "spray gel?" Also, she says your conditioner is very important (as you will see why in a minute) and so you need to make sure your conditioner is good quality and has all these things in it. Like emollients and humectants and the like. But she never says WHERE we can find these conditioners. Do I have to go to a salon? Does Pantene have these in them? Can you just give me a list of "acceptable" conditioners, PLEASE? (I understand, legally, why she can't do this. But it's still quite annoying for us in the real world who is trying to wrestle a 2 year old octopus-child in a shopping cart. Those people don't have 30 min to read the back of every bottle of shampoo to check if it contains the certain chemical formula she says to look for. Come on! Help a sister out!)

Moving on. She advocates throwing away ALL shampoo. She says shampoo is too rough on hair anyway, and is a disaster for curly hair which is much dryer than straight hair. So using your fingers, some conditioner and a little time in the shower is how your hair will get clean. And she says you can keep a little shampoo around for "spot cleaning" like you would spot clean a nice sweater. But never the whole head.

I don't know how I feel about all of her techniques. Like the certain way to cut the hair. I don't have hundreds of dollars to go and find the perfect hair stylist that will "talk" to each individual curl and find out where it wants to lay. Because to have everything PERFECT, I have to find the the Bob Ross of hair cutters. "Where does this tree want to be? How about right here. A happy little tree right here just coming out of the water." Nope, sorry. No time or money for that one.

However I would have to say that after about a week of doing what she says, I see a definite difference in my hair. I have less of a "halo" around my head because my hair tends to not be so dry. And I haven't had to use any dandruff shampoo for this whole time either! The moisturizing conditioner and my agitation while I scrub my head seems to be breaking up the loose skin cells and yet keeping things nice and moist. It really is making my curls cuter and more defined. I'm a believer. Until someone tells me my head smells from lack of shampoo, that is.

But seriously, what is spray gel? JUST ONE LITTLE NAME BRAND, PLEASE!?!?

Book Reviews

It's been a while since I did one of these. I thought I would put a few of my more recent books up here so you can see what I've been reading of late.


Enemies of the People: My Family's Journey to America by Kati Marton


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I need to stop reading all these cold-war books! I didn't mean to follow up Mountain of Crumbs with this book, but it just happened that way. But this book was just as interesting and informative. It tells the story of the Marton Family who grew up in Hungary and who were actively spied on by their own government. For nearly 10 years, they tried to find some dirt on this family and finally they "found" enough information to convict them of spying for the Americans. (The "trial" was really a sham. There were no witnesses, no evidence, and no jury. They were just presented with the charges, allowed to make a plea and then their sentence was given. Some kind of justice, right?)

The author of this book talks about how writing this and looking in the now available AVO (Hungarian Secret Police) files taught her many things about her parents and her family. Memories she had forgotten were spied on a written down for the files. Family ski trips, outings with her father, a favorite sweater. Good things she's glad she remembers. But also things she didn't know and maybe was better off not knowing. The infidelity of both her parents, the betrayal of those closest to her, and the broken promises of those who vowed to care for her and her sister.

Again, much like Mountain of Crumbs this book does not focus on the atrocities of that time. We know that they were going on. People were starving, being killed and even tortured by their own government all because of the perceived threat of America far far away. But this book doesn't talk about that. It talks about how her family did everything right and still were found guilty by their own country.

This is a quote from the book talking about that very thing: "One common superstition of totalitarian governments is that people will be more contented if they don't know the unpleasant things that are going on and that a regime will be admired in the outside world if it conceals its sins and stupidities. . . Espionage in such a a country is what the Government says it is." So just the fact that her parents were journalists reporting the news about Hungary made them spies in her countries eyes. (The author's mother's charges included talking about the price of eggs and bread to foreigners. I'm not kidding about that) They didn't want the outside world knowing anything, for fear the people inside the country would realize how they were truly living.

The other part that hit me was this: "My initial 'How could they!' has been supplanted by another question. How would I survive under such a system? What price would I pay to preserve my own freedom and my children's future?"

I think that's something that we all have to think about, especially when we judge others that have gone through systems like this. Things that I would never think about doing before I would consider now because of my daughter. You just survive.

Ultimately, I think that the author does a great job of telling her amazing and almost unbelievable story.


The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, The Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals by Frank Partnoy


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I need to do these reviews as I'm reading. Because by the time I get to the end, I forget what struck me at the beginning. Anyway, this book touts itself as the story of Ivar Kreuger, the first Bernie Madoff of his time.

I can see how people would think that. Both men made crazy promises when it came to investments and returns. Both men got fabulously rich during a time of great prosperity in the United States. And both were terrific terrific liars to anyone who would listen.

However, there are definite differences too. Ivar was a very unique man with quirky tendencies. He was strictly regimented, and did everything with purpose. Not only that, but he really did make fortunes. It's just unfortunate that the crash of '29 happened. Because who knows where he would've gone.

Ivar is a very unique man. He likes to surround himself with other crooks. There is a great story about how when he was the manager of a bank, he found an employee who was making a "loan to himself." He of course had to fire the employee but then he immediately hired him as a member of his personal crew. The most redeeming thing about this crook? He looked exactly like Santa Claus. So Ivar thought that no one would suspect Santa carrying false documents!!

However, he also likes to surround himself with people that he can manipulate and woo. This is especially true of auditors and accountants who have to review his books. There is one particular character who he has trailing along after him like a lovesick puppy dog. It's quite sad to see the extend to which he can play him.

This book was rather slow in moments. An exciting part was right at the middle when they started talking about the Crash of '29. In your mind you are thinking "ohhhhh!! this is it!! it's all going to hit the fan now!! where is he going to get the money he promised? Ohhh!! here it goes!" And things kinda pick up. And then they slow down again. But there is a big finish!! It really pulls it out in the end.

Finally, this book reminded me of "Catch Me if you Can". The forgeries, the desperate need to always be admired, the persona that he wanted to carry around all the time. It all seemed to be the desperate actions of a man who never felt like he was good enough. In the end, we should be happy for him. Due to his actions the way Americans trade, acquire and report stocks all changed. Securities laws were passed with only him in mind.

All in all this book was written by a lawyer,and sometimes it reads like a law review book. Dry and not much story telling. But still a good read. And a compelling story. Very practical and easily likened to our times. Lots of problems that everyone wants to blame on someone else. "It's Enron's fault. . .It's Madoff's fault. . .It's the banks' fault" We want there to be one BIG BAD problem causer. But in the end we need to realize that we all have a little part in the financial demise of this country.


How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked how this book moved along. The pace was not at all grueling, even thought the author would start talking about pre-frontal cortexes and amygdalas. I think it's because he had such great stories to back up his ideas. And you were truly invested in the stories.

This book made me think about the decisions I make. Why do I make them? How am I feeling? And it told me that I should really trust my gut more.

I enjoyed every moment of reading this book and was sad to see it end. I would've liked to hear more stories about poker playing physicists and airplane pilots with nerves of steel. You should all definitely read this book.

H.O.U.S. and Other Assorted Details of my Life

You know in "The Princess Bride" where they talk about the ROUS's? The Rodents of Unusual Size? Well I'm that same way, but not with rodents. I'm that way with my head. It's a Head Of Unusual Size. I don't know if it's the size or the shape, but headbands that are supposed to fit everyone never work on me.

I actually think it is a combination of my hair being so thin and fine,and of my weird shaped head. For Christmas, Vidal Sasson left the following in my stocking:

They are called "stay put head wraps" but they do no such thing. They slip and slide around my head like they were made of vinyl. I try putting them just behind my ears and about an inch and a half from my hairline. They slide up the back of my neck, to the crown of my head and keep sliding back. The little rubber "grips" sewn in are mocking me the whole way back.

It's always been like this. When I would play sports in high school and before the invention of these headbands, the best option was "pre-wrap" (which was put on the skin before the athletic tape was put on there ensuring minimal hair rippage when removing) because it had a spongey yet tacky consistency. You could roll up a length of it and put in your hair and if you were normal, it would stay. Mine never did. I was always so jealous of those who could make it stay.

I guess I just have to accept that I have a weird shaped head. It have too many crags and bumps on it and whenever I move my eyes or neck my scalp also moves. So I need to give up the hope of ever being able to wear cute headbands. "JUST LET IT GO, ALICIA!!" You have a H.O.U.S.

Next item of business. My child is sick. Maybe from the gym play area. (we took her there for the first time ever on Saturday so we could work out together) or from the petrie dish that is Nursery. She's not horrifically sick. Just a runny nose and slight fever right now. But she keeps waking in the night. Like 4 times last night. OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Screaming (but not screaming my name. Remember, my child doesn't talk. Not even to call for me in the middle of the night)

And we, being the heartless wretches that we are, we let her cry it out most times. SHE DID NOT APPRECIATE THAT. As can be discerned from her slightly hoarse voice this morn. *Alicia is awarded mother of the year award. She accepts graciously* Yes, I let my child scream for upwards of 45 minutes. Please start a line of horrible comments after this post.

And the third totally unrelated topic: I am a non-fiction freak. The stinking non-fiction table at my library sucks me in every time I walk by. I go in to pick up a book I have on hold, and I walk out with 3 non-fiction books. What the WHAT? WHY DO YOU HAVE SUCH AWESOME COVERS AND INTERESTING TOPICS, YOU NON-FICTION TROLLOP!?!?

And I have found some of the greatest books there on the non-fiction table. I found this book there, and this one too. Both some of the greatest books I've read in a long while. So I can't say that I dislike the non-fiction table. I just like how everything looks so good!! Much like all the varieties at the Cheesecake Factory.

Hmmmm. Cheesecake.

And SCENE.

Book Review: Naked

Naked by David Sedaris


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dave Sedaris is hilarious. That's a given. However, this book has a lot more sex, (and specifically GAY sex) in it than his other books. Maybe more than all his others combined. There's just a lot about being gay, thinking gay, looking at other men, men coming on to him etc.

On the upside, I realized 2 Sedaris books ago that I can name all the 6 kids in his family: Lisa, Dave, Gretchen, Amy, Tiffany and The Rooster. Maybe I need to read something else.

Hmmm.

Book Review: Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater

Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater by Frank Bruni


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The author of this book is the current food critic for the NY Times. However, he has had a long and difficult relationship with food. I loved this book, because I feel like I too have had a long and difficult relationship with food.

I saw so much of myself in him, in his writing, and in his feelings towards self image. There's a part about how he meets someone and they ask him out, and then he puts off the date for weeks because he always wants to lose a "few pounds" or fit into those one pair of jeans. Even though his friends tell him, "um didn't they already see you? They know what you look like!" And he has all these excuses like "well, the lighting was good" and "he probably was distracted" or things like that. It's hilarious, but so true.

See, people with real body issues see things that others don't yet they are blind to other things. They see the worst in themselves, think that everyone is looking at their love handles, and thinks that every comment is a comment about their weight. They notice the skinny people in the room, and notice the chubby ones too, and they rank themselves to where they fall in line in the "fatter or skinner than" race.

However, they are also delusional about their real size. They don't want to know their weight, and they wear tight-ill fitting clothing so that they don't have to go to the store to try to fit on the size they THINK they wear, only to have to go up 2 sizes to find the size they really wear. Or if they Do go to those stores, they go to Ross or TJ Maxx (or DI) so they won't spend too much money on clothes that they will inevitably hate. And they know their real size now! Why would they want to buy clothes? Might as well wear that one pair of pants over and over again until they get holes in the crotch and have to be thrown out. . . not like I know that from experience or anything.

They also don't want to stand on a scale. There's a hilarious story about when the author reaches his highest weight right after he was on the 2000 campaign trail with Bush and he goes to the Dr. and says "I don't want to know what my weight is. Just don't tell me" (this is something he had done for years, since adolescence actually) And after he steps off, the Dr looks at him and says, "you weigh 268 pounds". Just like that. HA HA HA!! Hilarious. And just what he needed.

Anyway, I thought this book would be about his life as a food critic. And while it does eventually get there, it's much more of a personal memoir about his struggle with his weight. And I mean a real struggle. Not those 5-10 vanity pounds that most people want to lose, but the 25, 75 or 100 pounds that you fight against, the binging and purging cycles, the laxatives that you take, the crazy diets that rule your life, and the inevitable fall into that bucket of KFC chicken. This book is for you. It will make you laugh and smile and then make you want to go to the gym and get your exercise on.

Well, it did for me, anyway.

2 Book Reviews: Holidays on Ice AND We Two

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
David Sedaris is a genius. Favorite story from this book? The one about the woman in Macy's having a panic attack due to all the people and collapsing to the ground flailing her arms as if she were being attacked by bats. BY BATS?!?! I laughed so hard I started coughing and then almost threw up. NO JOKE!!

The first story (about the author's time as an elf in Macy's "SantaLand" in NYC)is by far my favorite. But all of them are very good. This book has half a dozen "vignettes" about the holidays, traditions and short fictional stories about how the season of giving really brings out the nasty in all of us. There is another great GREAT story about Halloween and Dave's reluctance to share candy. I howled at that story too. And I recounted it for Marcelo a few days later and he laughed too.

This is a short read-took me about an hour and a half. So you can get it and finish it quickly and then get back to the big historical non-fiction book about the English Monarchy in the 1850's that you are currently working on. What? Isn't everyone else doing that right now?

Be sure to read it in time for the holidays!! Now bring on the turkey!

We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was another book that I picked up 100% based on the cover. Something about the title in italics and being able to see it across the room. It was purely visual. But after reading the inside cover I was interested enough to check it out. And then after the first few pages I was hooked.

I totally thought this would be another "Seabiscuit" like "Woman and the Sea" was. Like full of drama and intrigue and royal politics. It was less Woman and the Sea and more "A&E Biography". But still it was sooo SOOO interesting.

This book is LOOOONG. And by long I mean that it took me more than 1 day to finish. It took me several. And it's complicated. It's not an easy skim read. And it's very difficult to keep all the people straight because they all name their kids the same things!! Leopold the 1st, 2nd. George III, George IV, Victoria (called Victoria) and Victoria (Called Vicky). So confusing.

But again, I was sucked in. It's so interesting. But maybe that's me. I find English history intriguing. Where the lineage comes from, and where it's going. How they all marry with one another. Albert and Victoria (the main subjects of the book) were first cousins. As in his father was her mother's brother. FULL ON BLOOD RELATED. And it didn't help the kids. Their youngest boy had "hemophilia" a blood disease, and almost all her daughters were carriers of the disease. And then they went out and married Prussians, Germans, Spaniards and Russians and then made THEIR kids sick. DON'T MARRY YOUR COUSINS ANYMORE, YOU CRAZY BRITISH.

But what I really liked was how this was a very good history lesson. A lesson in social aspects of the 1800's, lessons in disease, lessons in male/female/royalty relationships. The author gives a great background on all things. And like I said, you are sucked in.

I haven't talked much about the main story of Albert and Victoria. And that's because I still don't know how I feel about it. Albert was a HUGE misogynist. He was 100% assured that the fact that he was a man made him superior to all women, especially his wife. And yet, he married a woman with ALL the power, and who for the first few years of their marriage wouldn't even let him listen in when she talked to her prime minister or read letters that she wrote to parliament. But then she would defer to him and say he was her husband and leader and he was always right and beg his forgiveness when they fought.

I'm telling you, their relationship was so weird. Just weird. I don't know how to describe it. But there was love. Always love. I will say that. They loved each other passionately, completely and till the end. While the "Victorian" era gets its name from the Queen this book is about, in truth, Albert has lots to do with instituting and implementing the values that Victorians prized. i.e. frugality, chastity, morality, family. He was the one that cleaned up the castles from the stink and grime in the people and in the atmosphere.
Did you know he came to his wedding bed a virgin (UNHEARD OF for a prince in the 1840's)) and hence made sure that his wife didn't get a venereal disease and became barren. She thanked him for his virtue by giving him 9 kids (4 of them boys, which you know are WAY better than girls. Boys are like flesh and blood gold to monarchs) And those 9 kids came in like 17 years. In her first year of marriage she gave birth TWICE! [Blog owner's note!! Actually, she gave birth twice in the same YEAR. Sorry, I had that wrong. Her marriage was in Feb of 1840 and she gave birth 9 months later-Nov 1840. And then 1 year later, she gave birth again- Nov 1840. Sorry for the confusion. On my part]That woman was a factory. Poor girl.

Ok, this is a long review. I wanted you all to know that I really REALLY liked this book. Make sure you dedicate several days to it. It's so interesting. But I'm still not sure how I feel about Victoria and Albert. . .I'll let you know if I make up my mind.

Book Review:The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
SPOILER ALERT! Thank heavens no one died! I hate stories about the south/civil rights/race relations because you KNOW there will be injustice and most likely an innocent black man/boy/girl/child will die. And I really can't handle any more of those stories.

Luckily this didn't have that. It didn't really have much of anything else, either. I mean, for the fact that it was on the best-seller's list and then got made into a movie, I thought it was going to be outstanding. I give it a one-shouldered shrug.

However, reading this I've discovered that I'm destined to live in the south. Reasons? #1)I love cornbread. I know this is a huge stereotype. But I do love it. #2) I love things made with and cooked in fat/lard. And that's where all the flavor is. Am I right or am I right, Lynn? And #3) I like saying "Sir" and "ma'am". I'm not consistent, but I do like saying it. And I want my daughter to say it.

Anyway, the book was a snooze, but the cornbread I'm currently eating is delicious!!

Book Review: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was like 2 or 3 stories put into one. I don't think the title was very descriptive. A better title would've been "Chicago's White City: The World's Fair that was Almost a Disaster, and the Men Who Made a Miracle Happen. . . Oh Yeah and There was a Psycho who Killed People Right Around the Same Time who Lived Right Next Door."

Yes, I like my title better.

I did like the talk about the world's fair. It's amazing that back in 1891 they would tell Chicago that they could have a world's fair and that it should be up and ready to go in 26 months. It's like the Olympics!! they needed years to plan and build. The story of how these men came together and fought through red tape to make it happen is crazy. The story of the Ferris Wheel is mind-boggling. Just trying to imagine how big it really was that each car could hold 100 people and there were 36 cars each! And how they fired it up the first time bolts and screw were popping off and falling down to the ground. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!? It's awesome

The parts about the "Devil" are heartbreaking. How was it possible that women could just disappear? I mean, he was like the CENTER POINT for all these women leaving, the last to see them alive, and yet he could convince their fathers, brothers, wives, etc that the women had just traveled away and would come back. Talk about less effective police work!

I gave this book 4 stars because it kept me interested. Even though it felt like there were 3 stories meshed into 1, each one of the stories was interesting, captivating and could've stood on it's own.

Book Review: The Teeth May Smile, but the Heart Does Not Forget

The Teeth May Smile but the Heart Does Not Forget by Andrew Rice



I started reading this book because I thought it would be interesting. A Son going back to Uganda to avenge his father's murder that took place in 1972. I must admit, I knew only a little about Uganda and what went on there under the rule of Idi Amin.

In the history aspect, this book was very VERY good. It talked about not just the history of the family of the murder victim, but also about the family and history of the murderers themselves and Uganda as a whole. How it was "discovered" by the English and under their rule until the late 1960's. Then how coup after coup took place ultimately leading to the horrific 8 year rule of Amin.

I was very happy that this book was not a gory expose about the horrific nature of Amin. From all accounts he was a BAD GUY, but this book didn't go into detail about all those murders (estimates are between 100,000 and 300,000 killed under his rule). Granted there was some talk about *some* people that were murdered, but it was not gory and quickly passed over. This book is not about the atrocities of war.

This book is about Uganda. Yes, it focuses on one man's struggle to find his father's killers, but ultimately it is more about the country of Uganda as a whole. After all the things that they had done to them by their presidents and rulers(the greed, money filtering, warmongering, etc) the everyday Ugandan just wants to move on. They are willing to forgive (if not forget) and hence the title. Many look at their actions as apathy, but others realize that they are just tired. They just want to move on a hope those things never happen again.

I said that this book was mostly about Uganda and not about Duncan Laki's search for justice. GOOD THING because if this were a "stick it to the murderers" story, we all would leave very depressed. Which I did sorta leave anyway. Because the ultimate fate of the murderess is (of course) a twisted trial and ultimate acquittal by a corrupt police force, investigators lawyers and even judge.

That put aside, I really liked this book. It was very informative and I can say that I learned a lot about a place I hereto previously only knew a little about. In the end, of course, I was sad. I was sad for all the injustices in the world. Especially the injustices that a leader does to his own people in the name of "the good." Let's hope Uganda stays away from that type of "good" for a long while.

Book Review: Young Woman and the Sea

Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World by Glenn Stout


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was amazing. Interesting history, woman's lib, robbed childhoods, this book has it all. Did you know that Trudy Ederle invented the bikini 20 years before French engineer Louis Réard did it in 1946? She actually swam the Channel in one because she found that it had less drag than any other suits she tried.

Also, did you know that Native Americans invented the crawl, or freestyle stroke? For years the breaststroke or sidestroke was thought to be superior to any other swim stroke until the Americans showed up at the Olympics and blew everyone out of the water. But this book talks about how it was discovered by an artist and displayed to the world at the world's fair (If I'm remembering correctly)

And while all that is awesome and interesting, this book is about Trudy. A New York native of German descent who fell in love with the water on the Jersey shore. About the struggle of women to be treated as equals. About this history of swimming. About the fear of water. About the geological makeup of the Channel itself. About the rights of athletes. This book honestly is so amazing and will suck you in within the first few pages. I'm not kidding. If that story about the fire in the ship off Long Island doesn't get you, I don't know what will.

I really want some of you read this so we can talk about it! You will not believe what happens at the Olympics in 1924. And you will NOT believe what happened the first time she tried to swim the channel. But ultimately this is a story about one woman's triumph and how she succeeded when everyone tried to tell her to get out of the water. LITERALLY. Oh, not only did she succeed, she SMASHED the record. A woman. An American Woman. Oh, and did I mention she was 19? Yeah, she was a teenager.

This is the Seabiscuit of 2009. I'll go on record as stating that right now. Makes me happy to be a swimmer. And by the way, it's ok to be chubby if you are a channel swimmer. Maybe I should look into it?

View all my reviews >>

Currently Reading

So I'm currently reading this book that you see appearing to the right of my words. I'm going to admit that I TOTALLY pick books based on their cover. And this one grabbed me.

I'm only on page 45, but I am SUCKED IN. It's about the first woman who swam the English Channel and how she did it hours faster than any man had ever done it. (At that time, that is)

Anyway, I'm not done yet but I found the funniest story on page 34. Apparently, there was a very "Pro-American" push around the time of the first world war. And many of the immigrants (especially those of German descent) were feeling the pressure to prove their loyalty to America whilst it was fighting against the Motherland.

Anyway, here is a quote:

"Foods such as sauerkraut temporarily became know as 'liberty cabbage,' German measles was referred to as 'liberty measles,' and even the most ubiquitous of American foods with a German heritage-the hamburger-temporarily became know as the 'liberty sandwich.'

Ha!! Does that remind you of the "freedom fries" debacle that was going around a while ago? Anyway, this book is awesome!! I'm not even 15% through it and I'm dying to get back to it right now. So I will leave you so I can go back to reading.

And for dinner tonight? I think I'll have a liberty sandwich with a side of freedom fries. And of course I'll hold on the Benedict Arnold mayonnaise. "

Book Review-Apples are from Kazakhstan

I don't know about you, but books with cool covers pull me in. This one definitely pulled me in. It kind of looks like the Twilight cover!! Except it talks about Kazakhstan. Also, it was kind of a small book (I thought. I didn't look at the script size) and so I thought it would be a good read.

Then I open the cover and the summary talks about how Kazakhstan is a great hidden country and it has all these cool things that no one knows about. And on the back it says a quote from the UK's Daily Telegraph: "A fascinating read. . Extremely entertaining and informative. . .Hilarious."

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

THIS BOOK WAS NOT HILARIOUS!!

*****SPOILER OVER*****

I think that the author started writing this book and started telling funny stories about his time in the country that were entertaining, for sure. You know, the surly woman at the hotel counter who doesn't understand English. The badly translated menu that offers "Water Melons of Mother-in-law" and "Close your eyes and open your mouth" (I'm tastefully avoiding a sexual joke on that last one). Super funny for sure!! But that's NOT what this book is about. Not by a long shot.

This book is about the tragedy that IS Russia. What it did to it's own people, and what it did to this very VERY resource-rich country of Kazakhstan. It's about how the country has had to fight and claw and thrash just to be able to have it's people not freeze to death on the steppes. Yes, it's mostly about the people. The good Kazakh man and woman just living their lives. . . .amid hundreds of years of occupation, torture, socialism, backstabbing, tyranny . . .well, you get it.

I will agree that this book is 150% informative. . .INFORMING ME THAT RUSSIA WAS ONCE THE DEVIL NATION ITSELF! I don't know how anyone survived those years. And I mean, we are talking like less than 20 years ago. I remember seeing the wall fall. It's crazy the stuff that they had to go through before that. Having the police show up at your house and imprison you just because you are different. There is a horrible story about a boy and his father that moved from South Africa (Basically a "Little England" in Africa) because they were told that Russia was so great!! And Socialism is so great!! And we all share!! Isn't that great??

But when father and son got there, they made him wait like a YEAR to GET INTO the country because they didn't trust them thinking they were spies. You know, they advertise for people to come and then get all upset when people DO come. . .because who would want to come to Russia? And then they just show up at his house 2 years later and basically arrest the father for being an outsider and put him in a prison camp where he dies in 2 years. The son was told that he would never be anything because he wasn't really really Russian. AND THIS IS HOW THEY TREAT THE PEOPLE THEY JUST BEGGED TO BE THERE!! Baffling.

So let's talk about the horrible tragedies this book covers: Work camps where the number of dead is unknown? Check. Nuclear bomb tests and the horrible repercussions of that? Check. Freezing cold winters were people routinely lose limbs (not digits, but LIMBS)? Check. Shrinking bodies of water due to poor land management resulting in loss of life, vegetation and food supply? Check. Biggest stockpile of Nuclear weapons outside of USA, Russia and Ukraine? CHECK!

This book is harsh. It made me feel like I was back in college. And not the cool times, like when I was watching movies that whole semester in prep for going into the film department (consequently the ONLY semester I ever got a 4.0!). No, it reminds me of that crappy part of college when I never got asked out, and instead of going on a date on Friday night I went to the library and read a book about the tragedies in Kazakhstan. Yeah, those kinds of college memories.

But you should totally read it!! It was HILARIOUS!!!

P.S. There is some talk about apples coming from Kazakhstan, but I didn't really care. Mostly because I was trying to get the image of a Russian death camp out of my mind. SOCIALISM ROCKS!!

Non-Book Review: Blech

I'm not going to do it. I don't want to read this. I thought I "had to" based on the fact that it was a classic and everyone says that you "have to read the classics." I don't want to.

I read lots of reviews online and they all seem to say the same thing: This book's main point is that war is bad. However, it tries to convince the reader of this using a lot of sex, violence, profanity and apathy for human suffering.

Sorry, I just don't want to read it!! I think that by reading Catch-22 in high school I filled my quota of "War is bad. War is senseless. But someone can write about it in a humorous way" books. (Seriously, Catch-22 is really funny. And it doesn't use the phrase "So it goes" 163 times, which apparently is what happens in Slaughterhouse-five)

Anyway, did you read it? Can you tell me what I'm missing out on?

Book Review-My Sister's Keeper & Tipping Point

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked this book. I thought it was going to be "Meh" but it was amazing. Without giving too much away, this is the gist of the story: A husband and wife have a little 5 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. They are "done" having kids. They notice that the 2 year old has some bruises and eventually find that it's leukemia. They decide that they will have another baby and use science to ensure that this baby is a perfect donor match for their first child. That way she will have a "live donor" at all times.

It's a sad story: anything involving the sickness of a child is horrible. But it gets sadder when Anna (the "live donor") decides that she doesn't want to be forced to do anything else medical for her sister. Her sister's kidney shut down, and now there is talk of her giving one for transplant. She gets a lawyer and sues her parents for rights to make her own medical decisions. See? Sad book.

But I really liked how it was written. From the points of view of the Mother, Father, Son,Anna, Anna's lawyer, and the court appointed "Guardian Ad Lidem" (kind of like a fancy social worker) assigned to look at the case objectively and give her opinion to the court.

I'm not going to tell you the end. But it did make me cry. This quote in particular did it. It's Anna's mom realizing that she probably won't be able to keep both of her daughters. And then she says this:

"We don't so much have kids as we do receive them. Sometimes it's for a much shorter time then we thought. But even that short time is better than never having them at all."

I don't know what I would do. I think like this mother I would do everything to save one of my children. Would I do it at the expense of one of my other kids? I don't know!! It's really a troubling question.

Anyway, I really liked this book. I thought the 400+ pages would be tedious, but before I knew it it was over. I think the different viewpoints and narrators does this.

Hug your kids tonight, people!!


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The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was very informative and a quick read. At the beginning it reminded me of "Freakonomics" because it starts to look at the hidden stories and meanings behind certain things. However, Freakonomics just points things out, while "The Tipping Point" talks about why certain things tip and others don't. It's kind of more saying, "If you want to tip your idea, this is what you need to know, and what you need to do."

I don't plan on ever trying to tip something, but it was really fun to read about it nevertheless. Part about Mavens, Connectors, Stickiness, Sesame Street and Blues Clues all had me riveted. Again, a quick read and totally worth the time.


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Book Review-Which Brings Me to You

Which Brings Me to You: A Novel in Confessions by Steve Almond

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was so funny. In that PG-13 Steve Almond sort of way. It's a series of letters between 2 people who meet at a wedding. They almost jump in the sack with one another at the wedding, but at the last moment they decide to stop and get to know one another first. But because one lives in Philadelphia and one lives in NY they decide to do this by letters. They are "confessional" letters, and they have promised each other they will tell each other the whole truth.

And tell they do. About past loves, their families and their most impacting relationships. It's a very honest book. It's inspired me to be more honest with myself and with what I expect out of life and my marriage. The book is written for people who don't mind total upfront in your face graphic truth about nasty (and great) relationships and what makes them so.

What I really liked about this book was that it was written by 2 different people. So you really got the two voices of the individuals. I've become accustomed to the words and writing styles of Steve A. but the other author, this JENNIFER person is great. I really like her writing.

This book made me laugh out loud at times and I wished the characters tons of happiness. My wishes were mostly granted.


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Book Review-Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction by David Sheff

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book connected with me on so many levels. It's about a father living in the Bay Area of California who's son has a very strong addiction to Meth. I've never been addicted to meth personally, but I still connected with this book. I think it's because my brother Jacob has has such a rough time for the past 4-5 years with drugs and alcohol.

One thing that really REALLY upsets me is when they call drug abuse or alcoholism a "disease." To me, a disease is something that you got through no fault of your own. Like a cold or cancer. But then the author makes a good point. Lots of the diseases we get ARE due to our own faults. Like cancer of the lung from smoking. Or syphilis from. . .well. . . you know. If you look at it that way, yeah, I guess many of my diseases are due to mistakes I personally have made. The author goes on to say that LIKE these other diseases you do all you can to fight it, but the ironic and twisted thing about drug abuse is that one of the symptoms of it is that you deny you have it and won't seek treatment.

The book is really a very good in depth look into the actual drug of meth. Why it was created, who makes it now, who uses it now, and how they use it. It also talks about what it does to your brain. One very scary thing it said is that it destroys the neural pathways in your brain and at a MINIMUM those take 2 years to repair. Until that happens, you are literally brain damaged and your desire and craving for meth is super strong. That is why meth has such a high relapse rate. Another factor is that there are no drugs like methadone (used to fight the cravings and withdrawals of heroin) that are for meth. And it has taken lawmakers WAAAY too long to accept that meth really is the demon drug everyone has been saying it is.

Finally, (wow, this is a long review, but I obviously really liked the book) the point of the book is that there are no easy answers. There is no magic wand that will make your kids impervious to drugs. There is no quick fix. It's just every day, every moment, fighting. I can really REALLY understand that as I work hard to lose weight right now. There is no fast answer, just me not eating crap and exercising. It seems simple right? The same way that it seems simple to everyone who isn't a drug addict: if you don't want to be an addict, then DON'T DO DRUGS!! Simple right? This book has really knocked me off my high horse when it comes to my feeling we are all untouchable by drugs. No one is out of it's grasp.

Basically, this book scared the S#*T out of me.


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Reading Roundup

As I previously told ya'll, I've been reading a lot these days. Here are the reviews of the books I've read recently:

Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Do you ever watch "Unwrapped" on Food Network? This book is like a mini version of that show. The author takes you through several candy factories throughout America all the while talking about his own love of candy and what it means to him on a personal level. He's one of my favorite authors, so I really like his writing style and he continues it on here.

I like how he talks about how small candy producers are dying and the "big three" are taking over. (Hershey's, Nestle and Mars) And how he wishes that everyone loved candy as much as he does so that he can always be assured that his favorite candy bars are around forever.

If you (like me) are a candy FREAK, you will see WAAAAY too much of yourself in his writings.And that's what the purpose of this book was: for the author to discover if he was alone in his candy freaky-ness or if others were just as crazy as he. Turns out, lots are.

This book was fun, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know a little about the history of candy and candy making in America. Or if they just love candy.


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The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow. That's all I can say. I don't know if you know anything about this book, but it's the memoir of Jeannette Walls and her family as they lived and learned about life growing up penniless and homeless most of the time. The book kind of angered me, because it seemed like no one ever called their parent on their crap. They never said, "Hey, you are horrible people, you need to get it together or you will lose your kids." They eventually do lose their kids, but not in the way you are thinking.

Some of the things that happen in this book are horrific. Jeannette being on fire, the father's alcoholism, their home in West Virginia and the fact that abuse is all around them waiting to pounce. However, the kids in this book are brilliant and it's easy to see why they are gong to "make it" in the world. For such a horrible person, their father really did teach them what they would need to survive. By doing it he both exposed them to danger at every turn, and also gave them the resources they needed to save themselves.

And the kid love their parents. STILL!! They are easily duped by them, and they put up with them so they must love them. And they do put up with a lot. I think this book was a way for Jeannette and her siblings to release their demons. And she does in a matter of fact way that is so amazing. Like she just puts it out there and is like "This is what happened. It is what it is." I don't think I could be that reserved and calm when going back and reliving all the things that had happened to me in a horrible childhood like hers.

This was a quick read. 1 day for me. I would recommend it to anyone.


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The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I actually liked this book more then I thought I would. I thought I would be dragging through it hating the fact that I picked it up because now I have to finish it. But I really did like it.

I liked how there was lots of talk about us as humans and what we do to each other and are we better off being FORCED to live a certain way. In that way, it seems like the author was exploring the idea of what would've happened if Lucifer had his way. Yes everything would've been "great" but we would've just been shells of ourselves, never achieving the potential we are capable of.

Did I like the way it ended? I'm not sure yet. I think I did, but then again sometimes when I think back on it, it was a little too "happily ever after" for me. Very Disney ending. Sort of.

I was very surprised at how much I liked this book. I think that Stephanie Meyer gets a lot of crap for writing "fluff" books, but I really admire her ability to have a story and then translate that story into a great book. She really is talented at what she does.

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The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was really good. And REALLY sad at the same time. My mom had her first baby right around the time this book starts, and she's told me a lot about that experience. So I can understand the mentality of the doctor to try to get rid of his second baby as soon as she's born. My mom was not a fan of 1960's medicine and baby practices, and so when she had her second, she swore it would be different. And it was.

But this book was so happy and sad at the same time. And I think what it was trying to tell us is that your life and the lives of people around you can be altered and changed forever in just one second, with just one decision. So what I got from it was that I need to slow down and make my decisions be better.

But I really noticed how the little girl in this book was loved by so many. Once thought to be put away, shoved aside to make room for the "better good" of everyone, in the end she gets the most love from all.


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The Shack by William P. Young

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars
I stopped reading about page 100. I figure if I'm going to read about God, I would rather read something from my own religion, or at least something that's true. Rather then some fictionalized experience dreamed up by an author.

If you did read through it all and think I should finish, please let me know why.


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So that's it. I'm still reading other things and I'll let you know how they go too. . . as if you even cared.

Book Review-Lolita

I wish that I were on better terms with the people from my office. Well, not all of them. Mostly just Matt. See, Dan never made any secret about the fact that the assistants were "less" then him. We were there to do his bidding, and he was upset when we didn't jump when he called. I remember one instance where I was doing something for Jean on another office computer because my computer was not working. She had a client there and was shouting things at me to put on an addendum that I was creating.

All of a sudden, Dan walks in with a client and is like "you need to move. I need to write an offer with my client." And I flat out said NO. I said I'm sorry, but no, I'm doing something for Jean and I'll be done in a minute. He was baffled. His client was standing right there. HOW DARE I!? He said to me, "I have a client right here, and I need to write and offer NOW. You need to give me the computer." And I said, "I'm sorry, but Jean is in the other room with a client as well. She is shouting things at me. Can you hear her? I'll be done in just a minute"

Well, he later complained to Jean that I was RUDE to him in front of a client. Jean actually brought it up to me to tell me how I was a bad person. And I told her that I would do it again if given the chance. Because I would rather have Dan mad at me then Jean. Basically, he was upset that I said no to him AND in front of a client. He thought that he would walk in and boss me around and show his client what a big wang he has. He was wrong. I cock blocked him and he was pissed. That's just a little example of how he didn't respect me and how he thought I was there to be bossed around.

So that's how Dan thinks of us assistants. And you all know how Jean feels about assistants: Disposable. Once she gets tired/upset with you over some imagined wrong you have done to her you are on her s*** list and on your way out. But Matt was never like that. Matt was usually very respectful to the assistants. He would thank us for things that we did. He wouldn't assume we were there to serve him. He was pretty nice.

I actually considered him a friend. I should've realized that his ties were much stronger to Jean then to me. Even though she talks about him behind his back and tells people private things about his life, he still feels tied to her. Maybe he doesn't know she does this, but I'm sure he suspects it. I mean, she does it to everyone else, why would he be any different?

Anyway, this little trip down nausea lane was with the point of saying this: I'm sad I'm still not friends with Matt. Matt and I would talk about books all the time. One of his wife's favorite authors was Marquez, who is my favorite author. And for the longest time he kept trying to get me to read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I wanted to read it, but I never got around to it. (And I wasn't going to read it until I finished 100 Years of Solitude). But then at the library I stumbled upon it and decided now was the time to read it.

I SHOULD'VE READ IT YEARS AGO!!!! This book is amazing. Breathtaking even. See Nabokov (as you might have guessed) is Russian. And English is his third language, after Russian and French, but he wrote this book all in English. And it's AMAZING. I can't gush enough about how much I loved this book.

Let me tell you right off, the book is not for casual readers. You must be invested. And you should know what it's about: a pedophile. See the narrator is a man in his late 30's (nearly 40) who falls in love with and has a relationship with a 12 year old girl. Yeah, like I said, it's not for casual readers. H.H. (the narrator calls himself. Short for Humbert Humbert) has always had a thing for little girls. He calls them "nymphets" and he seeks them out. Usually it was just to look at them, dream about them, imagine what they would look like up close. But then he becomes a border at a house where a woman has this daughter. Her name is Dolores. Or Dolly. Or Lo. Or Lolita.

And he's obsessed with her. He dreams about her and spending his life with her and how she would make him so happy. But her mom is always around (GOOD FOR YOU, MOM!!!) and so he can hardly ever talk to her. After a series of strange/tragic/funny/impractical and yet shocking events happen, her mom is out of the picture and they are all alone in the world. That's where it gets bad.

You should know this book is not vulgar in the general sense of the word. There are no graphic words, no horrible language depicting lurid acts. But the acts are there, and the way he alludes to them makes it clear what he's trying to tell you. And then you realize what has just happened, and you are appalled. They are horrible things, but Nabokov just puts it so dang beautifully! Dang him and his genius of prose. Anyway, back to H.H. The fact that he rationalizes his actions and thinks that they have a RELATIONSHIP shows just how delusional he really is.

But this book is BEAUTIFUL. I cannot gush enough about how much I loved it. How much I loved the language, the style, the humor. It really is a funny book. I laughed out loud several times especially at the end. The end is especially funny. But I keep coming back to the language. It's so amazing. And again, knowing that he wrote it in his THIRD language is so crazy. I mean, I don't think half of the writers these days could write a sentence HALF as beautiful as him, and they have lived here all their lives.

I think that this is a great American novel. Which is funny because back in the mid 1950's when it was written one publisher wouldn't publish it because he said it was "anti-American." Uh, are you crazy? Almost 50% of the book talks about the different sites and scenes of the America few people know. It is brilliant in every way.

Let me just give you a little example of the style of Nabokov's writing: "A thunderstorm accompanied me most of the way back to Grimm Road, but when I reached Pavor Manor, the sun was visible again, burning like a man, and the birds screamed in the drenched and steaming trees."

HOLY CRAP!! HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THAT STUFF??? Just gorgeous. I think everyone needs to read this book. Especially if you love writing, and you want to learn how to be a better writer. This book is the Mecca of writing.

So anyway, I loved this book. Go read it. It's for everyone. As a matter of fact, as I was in the car coming back from our cabin, my mom asked me about it, and I told her the premise. I was about 75 pages from the end, and she wanted to read it with me. We read it out loud all the way home and then she HID it from me so I couldn't find it and read the end without her. Now THAT is dedication to a book. And you know what? My mom is a total prude. If she loved it that much, then I'm sure you will too.

It's just too bad Matt and I can't talk about it.

Book Review-In Her Shoes

This book was like a chick flick in 500 pages. Actually I guess they DID make a move out of it. I'm sure it was a chick flick. (I didn't see it. But now I'm kinda tempted to. I want to know if it's better then the book) Let's see if it contains all the necessary elements of a chick flick:

* Lots of talk about ridiculously expensive shoes? Check
* An estranged grandmother who sends birthday cards that a parent hides because they think it will be "best" for the kids. And then one of the kids find them hidden in a shoe box in the closet (of course) and then she confronts the parent about how he hid them from her and there is a sappy crying scene. Check
* Someone has a boyfriend that cheats on her. Check
* The protagonist dumps the cheating boyfriend and then finds her "prince charming" who she knew all along, but overlooked him because she was all caught up with the sleazy cheating boyfriend: Check
* There is a wedding. Check

Now as you read those details about this book, couldn't you have replaced the title "In Her Shoes" with any other generic chick flick book. (I know that the work FLICK means movie, but you know what I mean)

I found the book enjoyable enough. I went through it in 2 days, it was like cotton candy. I didn't like how things were all tidied up in the end. Like a girl has had a learning disability for 28 years and then all of a sudden she sneaks into a few classes at Princeton and now she can read and recited poems like a freaking master.

And one sister steals another sister's boyfriend and that sister walks in on them . . um. . doing stuff and then in a few months all is resolved, and they are happy with each other again. Tra-la-larita-la.

And they are all happy at the end, one big happy family with a big white wedding dress that somehow amazingly makes her size 14 body look like a size 6. It was just to NEAT and clean for me. Not enough angst. Not enough tragedy.

Maybe I have been reading too much Ian McEwan and too much Marquez, but this one just felt so contrived and just too fluffy. It didn't make me want to change my life and it didn't make any smarter after I finished it. It almost felt like it was insulting my intelligence. Like it thought that I couldn't understand more complex or deeper issues to it had to spell them out for me really slow like and keep it simple. I wanted to say, "I can take it, you can delve a little deeper. I swear, I'll follow you."

There were some enjoyable parts. Rose is a lawyer and someone tries to tell her a dumb lawyer joke and she plays dumb. She says, "What? I don't get it. Say it again. Are you sure you have the joke right?" and the guy feels dumb and starts to talk away and she shouts after him "wait, you can't go yet!! you have to finish explaining the joke to me!!" Hilarious.

So if you want some fluffy reading that won't stay with you after you close the book, definitely pick this one up.