tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65276456224239838482024-02-07T06:20:52.688-05:00Buffalo Book BlogBook Reviews and CommentarySharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-33572256503951834992014-05-28T11:59:00.000-04:002014-08-22T13:33:35.819-04:00A Complex and Exciting Mystery<i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snow-white-must-die-nele-neuhaus/1111298341?ean=9780312604257" target="_blank">Snow White Must Die</a></i>, by Nele Neuhaus (Read by Robert Fass)<br />
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Wow! This is simply one of the best books I have read since I stumbled upon Stieg Larsson's <i>Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> series. While Larsson's story offered an intriguing plot that hinged on a single outstanding character, Neuhaus offers an incredibly complex plot that hinges on a cast of interesting characters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehfcJbSKDPBNwDycujiyqVbR-ACLOrUFmmYzFFADx2f3jytwfrvfisJW_4bXZmGK2k18eai0GG-hdR-dSzR68M4-ympoL7Iv9UEMhE3of9Gg2O-t3vfZnfg0DqY5DN-sSNTq30TE7ifjo/s1600/Snow+White.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehfcJbSKDPBNwDycujiyqVbR-ACLOrUFmmYzFFADx2f3jytwfrvfisJW_4bXZmGK2k18eai0GG-hdR-dSzR68M4-ympoL7Iv9UEMhE3of9Gg2O-t3vfZnfg0DqY5DN-sSNTq30TE7ifjo/s200/Snow+White.JPG" height="200" width="130" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">The story, which takes place in Germany, opens with Tobias Sartorius who is being released from prison after completing a ten year sentence for the murder of two young women. Tobias has no choice but to return to the village of Altenhain where he and the victims had grown up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">Then, a woman named Rita Cramer falls from a bridge into traffic below causing a a terrible traffic pile-up. Police officers Pia<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein become involved in the investigation when a witness claims that Cramer, who is Tobias's mother, was pushed off the bridge. Reluctantly, the police are dragged into a re-investigation of the earlier murders when another young woman connected to Tobias goes missing. And that's when the secrets of the village begin to unravel.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a complex story with many threads that tighten relentlessly and through surprising and interesting turns of the plot. Altogether, it makes Nele Neuhaus and her work an exciting discovery for English readers. If you love really good mysteries, this is a book you have to add to your list.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, I listened to the audio version of this book read by Robert Fass. I especially recommend the audio version for the German flavor the narration brings to the book.</span></span><br />
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<br />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-46230199562451893062014-05-28T11:56:00.002-04:002014-05-28T11:56:21.005-04:00Fathers and Their Sons Who Commit Crimes<br />
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<i>Defending Jacob</i> by William Landay<br />
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A murder mystery that unfolds as a court room drama, <i>Defending Jacob</i> is a story told by the distraught father of the accused as he gives testimony. It's an odd position for Andy Barber who has, himself, been an assistant district attorney for more than 20 years. When a classmate of his son, Jacob, is murdered, he is surprised to find that Jacob is the prime suspect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JQUyMFg_QSllhPO0Xbzb-CnyPPf_Wo3vtiIpY4s0sXnpxrDxucRA5-jr_uD0LNGz6pTyuV15fofuu5Qkj25bh_pPba3LvfkHoJMR6P2aFGULBYTgjZXcpsLGgxxsgLwtrHwkDVbcxeVL/s1600/Defending+Jacob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JQUyMFg_QSllhPO0Xbzb-CnyPPf_Wo3vtiIpY4s0sXnpxrDxucRA5-jr_uD0LNGz6pTyuV15fofuu5Qkj25bh_pPba3LvfkHoJMR6P2aFGULBYTgjZXcpsLGgxxsgLwtrHwkDVbcxeVL/s1600/Defending+Jacob.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a>Through grueling testimony, Barber reveals both the history of the case and in flashbacks, the twisted family history, and his own efforts to focus suspicion in a different direction.<br />
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The case destroys Barber's career, ruins his happy marriage, and reveals his deepest secrets.<br />
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Landay carefully and skillfully reveals Jacob, the case against him, Barber's determination to clear his son, the complete annihilation of everything in Barber's life, and the secrets at the core of everything. The conclusion is unexpected, shocking, and utterly satisfying.<br />
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<i>The Dinner</i> by Herman Koch<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkKNxgh-ASVRmM_IAHnfAYfTG1cNTihlMirQ-Req121DputQoN3Gl5NvylZmI_20nxpSEL0ykO3lPIhUmADJnaDllsRqgrgv1Jobo_9RIonyLmA5uIn6unYRglp5SHkwZGNAuZdWfMKzX/s1600/The+Dinner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkKNxgh-ASVRmM_IAHnfAYfTG1cNTihlMirQ-Req121DputQoN3Gl5NvylZmI_20nxpSEL0ykO3lPIhUmADJnaDllsRqgrgv1Jobo_9RIonyLmA5uIn6unYRglp5SHkwZGNAuZdWfMKzX/s1600/The+Dinner.JPG" height="200" width="131" /></a>This story begins with a dinner in an upscale restaurant in Amsterdam. The diners are two brothers and their wives. The younger brother and his wife arrive first and are seated. The older brother, a powerful politician, and his wife arrive with a flurry and the first hint that all is not as it appears.<br />
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As the dinner progresses, the friendly and courteous pretensions are chipped away and it is revealed that the diners must make a critical decision regarding their teen-aged sons.<br />
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The two cousins are involved in a horrifying incident that has resulted in police investigation. The two couples are determined to protect their children, but in serious conflict about how to do that.<br />
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The story is told through the musings and memories of the younger brother who has secrets of his own and shocking discoveries to make about his marriage and even the son he is trying to protect.<br />
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Both of these books focus on the two fathers and their desperate efforts to protect their sons. Both are well-written and suspenseful. Both are chilling because they leave you wondering, "What would I do if it were my child?"<br />
<br />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-63569419502900475142013-09-22T08:23:00.001-04:002013-09-23T14:08:33.276-04:00What to Keep and What to Let Go<i>Objects of My Affection</i>, by Jill Smolinski<br />
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What do you do when your 19-year old son has a serious drug problem? For Lucy Bloom, the answer is simple and clear: Whatever It Takes. For Lucy, getting her son into a rehab program literally takes everything she has, including her relationship with the love of her life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YCfGr6zYY34PdVEeYgP8TLQeJT481tk5dEsfxogZ_S5Z45jYyKb9h5i4lJGYizbrL4RuQeu_vleiNLY5h7l6Zx2aJcLZz4KCpP4mtwlfNC2nDNtATU97YB-nPaInfKs-bKDjeraoWFyx/s1600/Objects+of+My+Affection.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YCfGr6zYY34PdVEeYgP8TLQeJT481tk5dEsfxogZ_S5Z45jYyKb9h5i4lJGYizbrL4RuQeu_vleiNLY5h7l6Zx2aJcLZz4KCpP4mtwlfNC2nDNtATU97YB-nPaInfKs-bKDjeraoWFyx/s1600/Objects+of+My+Affection.JPG" /></a>After she sells her home to pay for the rehab and her relationship ends because her partner does not want his life turned upside down by a teenage drug user, she finds herself broke and living with a friend and her family. When she is offered the job of helping an eccentric and somewhat notorious artist clean up her house, the job looks like a lifeline. Unfortunately, Marva Meier Rios is as cantankerous as she is eccentric and she blocks progress on the project at every turn.<br />
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Lucy's efforts to clear out the clutter is resisted at every turn, but Lucy is determined to finish the project. For better or worse, the job throws her back into contact with her ex-lover and in conflict with secrets Marva herself is determined to preserve.<br />
<br />
And then Lucy's son leaves rehab and demands that she pay for treatment at Betty Ford and Lucy's plans for a rosy future for herself and her rehabilitated son collapse again.<br />
<br />
In a strange way, this is a kind of "coming of age" story. Lucy has to give up her fantasy future with her son and come to terms with the boundaries between her life and his. It is a deep challenge many parents have to face and, perhaps, especially wrenching for a single parent.<br />
<br />
This is a good story, well written and well told. I especially liked the parallel between the things -- and people -- we hang on to and the ones we finally have to let go.Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-47327327095020459772013-09-19T12:48:00.000-04:002013-09-23T11:41:45.260-04:00The Last Lion: A Three Volume Biography of Winston Churchill<i>Visions of Glory: 1874 to 1932</i> (992 pages)<br />
<i>Alone: 1932 to 1940</i> (800 pages)<br />
<i>Defender of the Realm:</i> 1940 to 1965 (1232 pages)<br />
<br />
If you're interested in history and politics, <i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-lion-box-set-william-manchester/1111528038?ean=9780316227780" target="_blank">The Last Lion</a></i>, a three volume biography of Winston Churchill is a must read. Can you imagine an author with the audacity to create a fictional character who was a member of Queen Victoria's Calvary in the Boer War, a major leader in the WWI and, finally, Prime Minister of England in WWII, standing alone against Hitler for two long years?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWa44DxWwVWsMmwzNXaXc28Y6jRFqs5Z_1sQiBW3g5GF1Zvoh9G5xzB4wXJewUimaSqC_2j2atq0fw9SjdDOd5fdvMiH8YgzQb7QFUKfx7jFMV2wvQ9Kzl5af7Z8XmhqwaxuWao3KMHfr/s1600/TheLastLion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWa44DxWwVWsMmwzNXaXc28Y6jRFqs5Z_1sQiBW3g5GF1Zvoh9G5xzB4wXJewUimaSqC_2j2atq0fw9SjdDOd5fdvMiH8YgzQb7QFUKfx7jFMV2wvQ9Kzl5af7Z8XmhqwaxuWao3KMHfr/s1600/TheLastLion.JPG" /></a>Sometimes, truth is grander than fiction because those are the barest bones of Winston Churchill's story, and still, author William Manchester has so much more to tell. Churchill was above all else, a wordsmith who left behind volumes of writing including a stints as a war correspondent, a columnist, and an author of books. In addition, he wrote out all of his speeches to parliament both as a member and as Prime Minister. And he wrote letters – tons of letters.<br />
<br />
The result is that we have a record of his thoughts, concerns, insights, ideas, flights of fancy and more, often in his own words and just as often in the words of others through diaries, letters, and commentary. Manchester seems to have sorted through it all and gives the reader a masterful picture of Churchill as a warrior, an artist, and a leader. The author shows us a giant of a man who was seriously flawed, frequently frustrated, and determined beyond belief.<br />
<br />
This is a great biography of a man who quite literally changed the course of the world at a critical time and one not to be missed. I confess, though, I did not read it. I listened to it from an audio version downloaded from the library and it's a strategy I highly recommend.<br />
<br />
For one thing, downloading books from the library is free and convenient. For another, I was able to enjoy the book while I walked my dog, did dishes, waited in line at the bank, and a thousand other things. Otherwise, I would still be plodding through the nearly three thousand pages. It's a daunting task.<br />
<br />
Finally, the first two volumes were written by Manchester who died before he completed the third volume. The final book was completed by Paul Reid. Manchester's volume two was published in 1989 and the last volume was published near the end of 2012. It is my hope that the availability of an audio version will make the book more assessible.<br />
<br />
<br />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-83058940190960762462013-07-19T09:30:00.000-04:002013-07-19T09:30:18.894-04:00Dodger -- A Reluctant Hero<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dodger</span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">, by Terry Pratchett<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Audio book
narrated by Stephen Briggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dodger is
a seventeen year old lad living in London in the early years of Queen
Victoria’s reign. He makes his living as a “tosher” (one who scavenges in the
sewers for anything of value that may be found there – usually coins and
jewelry) and occasionally as a thief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkmYXKTOzYtxwrjGME_VJludLAymTUZYpqQgpgBtcuTk6ecquYzfBN8qeSce0_qhqE1Abj6AF-6SMMr6sNxVuYUay9KkzFeGdS9uVW8XNFRB-tIO1kDNgZBGwtaCpuVIKUlBe1v9boqDt/s1600/Dodger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkmYXKTOzYtxwrjGME_VJludLAymTUZYpqQgpgBtcuTk6ecquYzfBN8qeSce0_qhqE1Abj6AF-6SMMr6sNxVuYUay9KkzFeGdS9uVW8XNFRB-tIO1kDNgZBGwtaCpuVIKUlBe1v9boqDt/s1600/Dodger.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dodger’s
generally satisfactory life is given an unexpected jolt when he impulsively
rescues a young woman who is being beaten in an alley by two men. The young
lady who calls herself Simplicity ironically turns Dodger’s life to unexpected
complications.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dodger’s
adventures take him from the underbelly of Victorian England and to the highest
levels of society as he tries to keep Simplicity safe from those who would harm
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Along the
way, he makes friends with Charles Dickens, apprehends the notoriously mad
Sweeney Todd, dines at the home of Angela Burdett-Coutts, the richest woman in
the world, and negotiates with Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of England.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Author
Terry Pratchett is an expert at creating eccentric characters, delightfully
flawed heroes and heroines, and wildly entertaining plots. For <i>Dodger</i>, he has delved into the history
of London and presents a picture of life there in the mid 1830s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">This book
is listed as appropriate for readers 13 and up, but adults should not overlook
this charming novel. If you have a ‘tweener who has not yet discovered the joy
of reading books for pleasure, consider downloading the audio version of this
book on your MP3 player. Narrator
Stephen Briggs artfully brings the book to life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">This book
is especially good for boys. Although girls will enjoy it, you might consider <i>The Wee Free Men</i> or <i>A Hatful of Sky</i> also by Terry Pratchett, also narrated by Stephen
Briggs, and featuring a young witch named Tiffany Aiken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-73537330361726783832013-04-30T07:19:00.001-04:002013-04-30T07:21:51.992-04:00In an Alternate Universe...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ever wonder what might have happened if Lincoln had not been assassinated? </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_L._Carter" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Stephen L. Carter</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> has. In his book, </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-impeachment-of-abraham-lincoln-stephen-l-carter/1106725555?ean=9780307958402" target="_blank">The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln</a></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, he has turned casual wondering into intriguing speculation and created a taut, gripping, and rather fantastic historical mystery story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ou4oiVYKxXSx8wHkIZJUKFJcuINR8HboLOx0ZBH4nqyCMkFK25yQlyI28xph2X4hAua01DqluiMvpMSzRbJwNRNRYCCM8MAEOGg1uZEz_KdvAbPFxgiobJWTSQ1lhoqLOx5rAG-oghKi/s1600/Impeachment.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ou4oiVYKxXSx8wHkIZJUKFJcuINR8HboLOx0ZBH4nqyCMkFK25yQlyI28xph2X4hAua01DqluiMvpMSzRbJwNRNRYCCM8MAEOGg1uZEz_KdvAbPFxgiobJWTSQ1lhoqLOx5rAG-oghKi/s200/Impeachment.JPG" width="130" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this story, Lincoln survived the assassination attempt at Ford's Theater. His Vice President, Andrew Johnson, did not. Instead of being viewed as a benevolent father leading the nation through a healing process, Lincoln is viewed as a tyrant selling out the Northern victory to accommodate the defeated South. Now, Lincoln is facing impeachment charges brought against him by the United States Senate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The central figure in this story is Abigail Canner, a well-educated young black woman. Determined to overcome the two strikes against her, Abigail's great ambition is to become a lawyer. She is hired as a clerk in a Washington law firm that just happens to be defending President Lincoln in his impeachment trial.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Lincoln's lead defense attorney is found murdered in the company of a black woman assumed to be a prostitute, Abigail is thrust into the heart of the mystery where she pursues threads of an ever deepening plot that seem to lead back to members of her own family.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the telling of his story, Carter provides insights into political tactics and the destructiveness of hardened political positions, the status of women, a different perspective on the struggles of African-Americans, and a different perspective of a critical time in our nation's history.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As it turns out, Carter has a lot to teach us, but his saving grace is that he never forgets his story. The little lessons along the way always support the story and stay in the background </span>–<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> there for you if you care to see them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a thoroughly enjoyable book and a compelling mystery. The history and the cultural lessons are a nice bonus offered without being intrusive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-83303002764586983052013-04-11T15:54:00.000-04:002013-04-11T15:54:12.488-04:00Do You Believe Everyone Has One Special "Other"?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thanks-for-the-memories-cecelia-ahern/1102669436?ean=9780061868023" target="_blank">Thanks for the Memories</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecelia_Ahern" target="_blank">Cecelia Ahern</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If it is true that we each have some perfect partner "out there" waiting to be found, I suppose we must also believe in a benevolent Universe somehow conspiring to bring us together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJbaYFTgpoCk4AfOhdavCUOPTnLluUdUpc-2jBatP0vtvKLsYlQGpzNl9VMrkYgdMk7Cutcb92eZpxMZVHM6QUFxf3a1u6ZpnN-Zc9C-lpALduqJmKedb8BWp7VgvYxUcO5S2k5bugMQT/s1600/Thanks+for+the+Memories.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJbaYFTgpoCk4AfOhdavCUOPTnLluUdUpc-2jBatP0vtvKLsYlQGpzNl9VMrkYgdMk7Cutcb92eZpxMZVHM6QUFxf3a1u6ZpnN-Zc9C-lpALduqJmKedb8BWp7VgvYxUcO5S2k5bugMQT/s1600/Thanks+for+the+Memories.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That is, sort of, the premise of this book by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecelia_Ahern" target="_blank">Cecelia Ahern</a>. Justin Hitchcock is a recently divorced father who has moved from Chicago to London to be closer to his young adult daughter. As a guest lecturer in Dublin, he meets Sara, a doctor who is recruiting blood donors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In an effort to continue their relationship, he agrees to donate even though he really hates needles and generally all things medical.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joyce Conroy is a Dublin real estate agent whose life is falling apart. In an effort to save their marriage, she and her husband have become pregnant, but she falls down the stairs in her home. She loses the baby and nearly loses her life. She also loses a lot of blood and requires a massive transfusion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's the set-up. After the incident, Joyce is plagued by strange memories, unusual knowledge, and bizarre dreams about people she does not know. Circumstances throw the couple together, but misunderstanding, ego, insecurities, and stubbornness keep them from connecting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Getting to the inevitable conclusion is a long and drawn out affair. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank goodness, the story is told with plenty of humor and amusing situations! They are the salvation of this book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, <i>Thanks for the Memories</i> is a light and enjoyable book with interesting characters and a satisfying resolution. This is the kind of book to take on a long trip. It will keep you pleasantly entertained between flights.</span>Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-63255137050686126392013-03-25T13:11:00.000-04:002013-03-25T13:11:32.994-04:00Everybody Really Does Have a Story<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>A Week in Winter</i> </b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">by Maeve Binchy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the rugged west coast of Ireland, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, a large, old stone house is given new life when Irish ex-patriot Chicky Starr and the aging Miss Queenie collaborate to turn the old house into a restful holiday retreat. As is Binchy's trademark, the book brings together a delightful cast of characters -- each one with a story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With each character, the reader gets a glimpse into an ordinary life with all its ups and downs, frustrations and victories, sorrows and joys. All too often, the thing we think will bring joy brings defeat and more than we realize,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> our defeats can often bring our greatest joys. Binchy's great gift was that she knew this truth and she knew how to share it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In her later books, Binchy used re-used many characters and locations. Each book stood alone but minor characters from one book reappeared as main characters in a later book. With great skill, she wove characters and plot lines in and out from one book to the next. For a reader, it was great fun. (</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My favorite was </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/evening-class-maeve-binchy/1100298926?ean=9780440334149" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Evening Class</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and I think that was my introduction to this writer.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the grand scheme of things, <i>A Week in Winter</i> is probably not as strong as her other works. Binchy died in July, 2012, and this book was published posthumously. She can be forgiven if it lacks some of the cohesion and careful plotting that made her previous work sparkle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is, nevertheless, a very good book and I enjoyed reading it. If you are a Maeve Binchy fan, you will enjoy it. If you are not a fan, you can become one. The great thing about writers is that they leave their legacy for us to enjoy when they are gone. Just begin with one of her other books.</span>Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-50407502131998578802013-03-15T11:49:00.000-04:002013-03-15T11:49:22.585-04:00Life Is Like a Bottle of Vodka!<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-100-year-old-man-who-climbed-out-the-window-and-disappeared-jonas-jonasson/1108620386?ean=9781401324643" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared</a><br />
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<li id="yui_3_8_1_1_1362671872845_1497" style="border: 0px none; display: inline; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Jonas Jonasson</span></li>
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<li style="border: 0px none; display: inline; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">This book is an international best seller and I put off reading it because I expected some cross between <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-man-who-mistook-his-wife-for-a----?keyword=the+man+who+mistook+his+wife+for+a+...&store=ebook" target="_blank">The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat</a> (Oliver Sachs) and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/tuesdays-with-morrie-an-old-man-a-young-?csrfToken=jqzZNerZJZnFzVJ0ve4YnKgiOdgMFaMw&store=book&keyword=tuesdays+with+morrie+an+old+man+a+young+..." target="_blank">Tuesdays with Morrie</a> (Mitch Albom). It was neither.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvqiQNn866PSwmLD-vW8jPQDn31p3mBCs0K_xYMLvSA6StVTs2MdBfCBwQbRn2O3ys0JeOKoKxI5UukHkjjrNtFpDMZmM5xyspZfoajgsHlES3uC6AZ9mXEyitggdCfsBQB1JN2o-ZAV2/s1600/100+year+old+man.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvqiQNn866PSwmLD-vW8jPQDn31p3mBCs0K_xYMLvSA6StVTs2MdBfCBwQbRn2O3ys0JeOKoKxI5UukHkjjrNtFpDMZmM5xyspZfoajgsHlES3uC6AZ9mXEyitggdCfsBQB1JN2o-ZAV2/s200/100+year+old+man.JPG" width="129" /></a><br />
<li style="border: 0px none; display: inline; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Allan Karlsson, the 100 year old man, is the ultimate opportunist in the very best sense of the word. He is a simple man, open to everything life puts in front of him. Like other reviewers, I could not help thinking of Forrest Gump as I read of his encounters with virtually every leader of the late 20th century including Truman, Stalin, Mao, Nixon, and others.</span></li>
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<li style="border: 0px none; display: inline; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Told in flashbacks, his adventures take him around the globe from Paris to Tibet to the Philippines. Intertwined with all that, his current adventure begins with his leap out the window followed by the theft of a gangster's suitcase full of money. He hooks up with a hot dog vendor, makes friends with an elephant and...well, you have to read the book.</span></li>
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<li style="border: 0px none; display: inline; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">This is a witty, funny romp that is a joy to read. Once you start, you really can't put it down. Do yourself a favor and start today!</span></li>
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Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-66972757664569437912013-03-01T13:17:00.000-05:002013-03-01T13:17:35.311-05:00The Big Exit: An Excellent Second Novel<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Big Exit</i> by David Carnoy</span><br />
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David Carnoy has done two extraordinary things. The first extraordinary thing he did was write a very good, complex, and entertaining mystery called <i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/knife-music-david-carnoy/1015915497?ean=9781590203255" target="_blank">Knife Music</a></i>. The second extraordinary thing he did was follow up that novel with an even better one called <i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-big-exit-david-carnoy/1110593857?ean=9781590205150" target="_blank">The Big Exit</a></i>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbwZcWL8Z5L3rBowwMvFB_s5P1BN-haG8euPLkwlND1xxsBQeQakoYcZexWIDtWaCSB1_KgvCpgMuxiAMPccMxBjYSRvRft8JX1wvndVGCpJV759tooDMoZjXG_-ryM-PpoSmo8H-YAhZ/s1600/The+Big+Exit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbwZcWL8Z5L3rBowwMvFB_s5P1BN-haG8euPLkwlND1xxsBQeQakoYcZexWIDtWaCSB1_KgvCpgMuxiAMPccMxBjYSRvRft8JX1wvndVGCpJV759tooDMoZjXG_-ryM-PpoSmo8H-YAhZ/s1600/The+Big+Exit.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Too many good first novels are followed by disappointing second novels that read like "first tries" hauled out of some dusty file and spruced up to meet some new demand. In <i>The Big Exit</i>, all the things that made <i>Knife Music</i> a good read are back and Carnoy does a better job with each element.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The characters are well-drawn and interesting. Richie Forman is a recently released parolee who earns a living of sorts by impersonating Frank Sinatra. Beth Hill, his former fiancee, is now married to Richie's ex-friend, a man Richie believes framed him for the crime that sent him to prison. Carolyn Dupuy, the prosecutor at Richie's trial, is now Beth's attorney, and Hank Madden is back as the investigating officer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr5QSpiitZxuJhorNHuUxBF0mgrhD7hw-OLIOVOy3l1yBNyIN0AiULnDvxrwQNAv8QQGbm6NtSdzFpZi0q3Ruj9qTnDDEOlUVHNvhk0M2mpZNBo5Ki44DajdAf1VDFehQXRjYU4AYDeIn/s1600/Knife+Music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr5QSpiitZxuJhorNHuUxBF0mgrhD7hw-OLIOVOy3l1yBNyIN0AiULnDvxrwQNAv8QQGbm6NtSdzFpZi0q3Ruj9qTnDDEOlUVHNvhk0M2mpZNBo5Ki44DajdAf1VDFehQXRjYU4AYDeIn/s1600/Knife+Music.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the story opens, Mark, the ex-friend, is found in his garage horribly hacked to death and Richie quickly becomes the prime suspect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What follows is a plot full of surprises and terrific twists. Twice, I thought I had cleverly spotted the hidden clue to the real killer's identity only to be sent scuttling in an entirely different direction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you missed <i>Knife Music</i>, I suggest you read that one first because this is a series that could become seriously addicting. And, remember to come back and read <i>The Big Exit</i>. It is an excellent second novel.</span><br />
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Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-47755106062408953512013-01-28T10:43:00.001-05:002013-01-28T10:53:03.554-05:00What Would You Do If...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/defending-jacob-william-landay/1100572462?ean=9780440246138" target="_blank">Defending Jacob</a></em> by William Landay</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imagine this. You are a successful prosecuter, happily married, and the father of a smart, handsome, 14 year old son. And then, one day, you go out on a call that turns out to be the murder of a student at your son's school. It's tragic and as both a father and a prosecuter, you want to handle this case. And then, it turns out that the only real suspect is your son.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEbxVN2TxXJc_Hokz7kyify_qjyoHJAhUH3YAtsyHWdTfV2QmRjMDZ44jQcqWnbMgka6Zc17VDvBlZk7YJ-6LcJGOtJhC-x8ZTF8lJvH8-rggySxlu4CSIUDz5iBscWRLtq4bpqs7P3T3/s1600/Defending+Jacob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEbxVN2TxXJc_Hokz7kyify_qjyoHJAhUH3YAtsyHWdTfV2QmRjMDZ44jQcqWnbMgka6Zc17VDvBlZk7YJ-6LcJGOtJhC-x8ZTF8lJvH8-rggySxlu4CSIUDz5iBscWRLtq4bpqs7P3T3/s1600/Defending+Jacob.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In this book, author William Landay has taken a step beyond just telling a great story. Half the fun of this book is <em>how</em> the story is told. Landay masterfully develops the story in a way that makes the reader feel the pain of the main character, Andy Barber, as his career crashes, his marriage disintegrates, his finances are ravaged, and his deepest secrets are revealed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is a difficult book to review because I do not want to give away any of the good stuff. For me, an important part of the "good stuff" is in the telling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here is one thing I can tell you. I read a lot of mysteries and if you are a mystery lover, this is a book you simply must read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Have you read it already? Leave a comment telling us what you thought of it!</span><br />
<br />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-29617661867718548552013-01-18T14:05:00.000-05:002013-01-18T14:05:47.336-05:00<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Malice of Fortune</i> by Michael Ennis</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are a fan of historical mysteries, you will love <i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-malice-of-fortune-michael-ennis/1107957872?ean=9780385536325" target="_blank">Malice of Fortune</a></i>. It is set in 16th century Italy against a backdrop of political intrigue and war.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoTgzmj1gXfpdl-ccOlZaR0dGqL6nUkbfE6Spw-jUTGaoaQoGcWiLWxD9X1hdJIGtqW-rD7IIIAvDmlHX1bzvB9JkS4RvQscRHSWe9cRdKEB-YwUMVFCTsp-e0yjGT21wKrOQFFA1d5Sk/s1600/Malice+of+Fortune.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoTgzmj1gXfpdl-ccOlZaR0dGqL6nUkbfE6Spw-jUTGaoaQoGcWiLWxD9X1hdJIGtqW-rD7IIIAvDmlHX1bzvB9JkS4RvQscRHSWe9cRdKEB-YwUMVFCTsp-e0yjGT21wKrOQFFA1d5Sk/s200/Malice+of+Fortune.JPG" width="130" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pope Alexander's son, Juan has been assassinated and the pope, one of the infamous Borgias, is holding the son of Damiata hostage. To get him back, Damiata must solve the mystery of Juan's murder. For assistance, she has none other than Niccolo Machiavelli who is in the process of pondering why men do what they do and Leonardo Da Vinci who is taking detailed observation to dizzying new heights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the things that makes this book so intriguing is that it is based on historical fact. The records show that the main characters were where the book puts them and doing the things the book shows. Machiavelli was a minor diplomat involve peripherally in sensitive negotiations and Da Vinci was a military engineer working for the charismatic Duke Valentino, Cesare Borgia who is the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a complex and well written book rich in both historical background and strong character development. On top of that, it puts a new spin on <i>The Prince</i>, written later by Machavelli.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a great book for a cold winter's evening!</span>Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-30137204730336989212013-01-11T10:30:00.002-05:002013-01-11T10:36:25.817-05:00<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What happens when passions run so high that common sense and civil discourse are impossible?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15urXzicRMZ2Yr96CyHaeW0gUhJ_EFAlKd_uxb8bqZ-3a1V05Ep1GMEOWpNoTKOAfCrmahKYAPlso7ZtU24O6oF7qD8WPkCzYip1IT1QJ8r_C032vIiNb50f3MnT_gaJnzji0ZYQLKLpo/s1600/The+Submission.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15urXzicRMZ2Yr96CyHaeW0gUhJ_EFAlKd_uxb8bqZ-3a1V05Ep1GMEOWpNoTKOAfCrmahKYAPlso7ZtU24O6oF7qD8WPkCzYip1IT1QJ8r_C032vIiNb50f3MnT_gaJnzji0ZYQLKLpo/s1600/The+Submission.JPG" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In <i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/submission-amy-waldman/1101092129?ean=9781250007575" target="_blank">The Submission</a></i>, author Amy Waldman takes on that question. A memorial to the victims of a terrorist attack in New York is being planned 10 years after the incident. A jury reviews anonymous submissions for the design and chooses a winner. When it is revealed that the winning designer is a Muslim American, passions erupt fueled by an aggressive press.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the hullabaloo that follows, civility and common sense are lost, vision wavers, positions change, intentions are swamped in chaos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Waldman tells her story through specific characters including members jury, representatives of the victim families, reporters, political leaders, political activists, and the designer. Everyone has an agenda and everyone weighs in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end...well, you have to read it for yourself to see how it ends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I read this book, the tragedy of Sandy Hook happened and quickly propelled us into a discussion of guns and gun control and that discussion has become wildly overheated. This book tells a good story and offers a valuable warning. We all need to pay attention to how we are manipulated, to who is pulling the strings, and to what we have to gain or lose. Most of all, we all need to dial it down a notch.</span><br />
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Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-35330473061746953512012-12-07T09:44:00.000-05:002012-12-07T09:50:36.109-05:00Give Yourself This Gift!'Tis, after all, the season for giving and from all appearances, we are in a perfect giving frenzy. So, it may seem odd to suggest that a good gift to give yourself right now might be something called "the 29-day gift challenge." On one hand, we are utterly obsessed with gift giving so where's the challenge? On the other hand, we are totally overwhelmed with gift giving so why do we need more of a challenge just now?<br />
<br />
Here is the answer to both questions. Just now, particularly just now, when we are consumed with giving gifts, we are probably doing both the giving and receiving unconsciously. We have our lists and we are power shopping to get as much as we can at the lowest price possible.<br />
<br />
This challenge is to give one gift each day and to do it consciously, just because. Like the police officer in New York City who gave the homeless guy boots and shoes. He saw a need and stepped up.<br />
<br />
Oh, put away your credit cards. This giving is not about money, although it could be. This is very, very simple. You just consciously give something each day for 29 consecutive days. And, write something about what you gave and who you gave to.<br />
<br />
None of this needs to be complicated. You just make a commitment to be mindful and look for giving opportunities throughout the day. It can be as simple as a smile or as expansive as you choose. Then you just make a note of it on your calendar or in a notebook or on you smart phone. "Gave smile and thanks to the sales clerk who checked me out today."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckUZbuON26uCDc4iMZLFBWzaFD7SxbRaOlQUg1CeXRFt0JN30YgUOkRVf6le_ECQrMH435JEitEViAPGm60xzC-DRcKUktmVoxwPhz6xSmUYdKyDXSrwporx7IOTXCuKKehPPrknDasvD/s1600/29Gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckUZbuON26uCDc4iMZLFBWzaFD7SxbRaOlQUg1CeXRFt0JN30YgUOkRVf6le_ECQrMH435JEitEViAPGm60xzC-DRcKUktmVoxwPhz6xSmUYdKyDXSrwporx7IOTXCuKKehPPrknDasvD/s1600/29Gifts.jpg" /></a>It's that simple. And, you can up the ante just a little, if you are so inclined. You can actually sign up for the <a href="http://www.29gifts.org/" target="_blank">29-day Giving Challenge</a>. It's quick and easy and you can read stories of other people who have taken the challenge. You can even download a free calendar page to track your progress. You can enhance your experience by writing just a little more about your giving experience.<br />
<br />
You can even get a copy of the book, <i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/29-gifts-cami-walker/1019701245?ean=9780738214306" target="_blank">29 Gifts - How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life</a></i>, by Cami Walker. Walker has multiple sclerosis and embarked on this challenge herself as part of her healing. She was not healed in the traditional sense, but her life was transformed. The 29-day Giving Challenge evolved from her experience.<br />
<br />
I signed up because I want to open myself to some fundamental changes in my life. I hope you will, too. The worst that can happen is that you will make the world a little better place for 29 days. That is not a bad downside.<br />
<br />
If you decide to take the challenge, I hope you will stop back here and let us know. You could consider your comments on this blog as one of your gifts. I would deeply appreciate hearing from you!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-60152679455764350652012-11-02T13:36:00.000-04:002012-11-02T13:36:59.500-04:00Why I Want Big Government<br />
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If you are under 50 years old, you may not remember a time
when government functioned pretty well and people went into government service
as a calling. In fact, these days it is
a radical act just to suggest that such a time ever existed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdCbSzdQnxhyphenhyphenTJ_kKcMJBULTx2P_pQpec2tOo40-n_wuPNqWgKKEY_ZGKvzxsFKm-DnI-_7YLiKNqvU9Lq2ip4mk7-kM653PvDJ6r73zrC7qulRJh363Fn49uTZVG6odscNnIQst66CYy/s1600/Wrecking+Crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdCbSzdQnxhyphenhyphenTJ_kKcMJBULTx2P_pQpec2tOo40-n_wuPNqWgKKEY_ZGKvzxsFKm-DnI-_7YLiKNqvU9Lq2ip4mk7-kM653PvDJ6r73zrC7qulRJh363Fn49uTZVG6odscNnIQst66CYy/s1600/Wrecking+Crew.jpg" /></a>But, Government is <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/24/1123678/-Why-I-Support-Big-Government#comments">what
stands between you and the rascals </a>who would happily fleece you at every
turn. Whether it is big industry dumping
waste into public waters or big banks making off with your pensions, government
is the only protection the mass of average citizens have and it should be big
enough and strong enough to do the job.</div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]-->In the ‘80s, Ronald
Regan began the process of making government the cause of whatever was not
working. In <i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wrecking-crew-thomas-frank/1101904961?ean=9780805090901">The
Wrecking Crew</a></i>, <a href="http://buffalobookblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-we-got-where-we-are-and-what-now.html">Thomas
Frank</a> explains how <span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Conservatives have systematically destroyed vital government
services by putting them in the hands of utter incompetents and then
complaining bitterly that they don't work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">As a result, Frank says, we
expect little of government service providers and less of elected
representatives. By positioning
themselves as perpetual "outsiders" (even when they have a conservative
president and control of the Congress), Conservatives are never accountable for
failures. They simply don’t bother
attempting to solve problems. Whatever
does not work is always the fault of someone else. Failure is just a problem of not taking Conservative
</span>laissez faire<span style="background: white;"> principles far enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
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It has been a good strategy and it has worked up to
now. But, Thomas Frank and others are
pulling away the curtain revealing the dirty tricks hiding in the dark. Once you see it, you can never go back.</div>
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(<b>Author’s Note:</b> I wrote this a couple of weeks ago, well
before we started hearing predictions for Hurricane Sandy. I remember that after the destruction of
Irene last year, Republicans (notably Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor) wanted to
“negotiate” for FEMA funding to provide aid to victims by trading other
services for disaster relief. Immediately
after Sandy, I heard one little blip of that suggestion and then nothing. Apparently, they decided that holding
disaster victims hostage for political gain just before the election was not a
good idea! Negotiating relief in the
face of disaster, however, is not longer unthinkable. It is an idea that will be back.)</div>
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So now, how do you feel about the role of government in your
life? Do you believe government can work
better for all of us? What would it take
to make that happen?</div>
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<br /></div>
Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-25589570911755937142012-10-23T14:32:00.000-04:002012-10-23T14:33:36.784-04:00Thomas Frank Is One Angry Liberal<br />
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<b><i>Pity the Billionaire</i>, by <a href="http://www.tcfrank.com/">Thomas
Frank</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you ever wondered why the Conservatives are so angry even
when everything seems to be going their way?
And where are the angry Liberals?
<i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pity-the-billionaire-thomas-frank/1103614705?ean=9781429973083">In
Pity the Billionaire</a></i>, Thomas Frank finds enough righteous Liberal anger
to satisfy everyone and serves it up with a healthy dollop of withering humor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4EaEn89dArnHNAfa6lVkUjuEYqKdaBXbPplf_6BxiGnyvERQCVxqzhD7Hpn2KQFRWsQODasoJsJOUyrltXP4fAV0O5rKs0oNkpyJ56hRIorzunQFl72zf4nVFjnJwpImkLSKQ-DEOpX_/s1600/Pity+the+Billionaire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4EaEn89dArnHNAfa6lVkUjuEYqKdaBXbPplf_6BxiGnyvERQCVxqzhD7Hpn2KQFRWsQODasoJsJOUyrltXP4fAV0O5rKs0oNkpyJ56hRIorzunQFl72zf4nVFjnJwpImkLSKQ-DEOpX_/s320/Pity+the+Billionaire.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, why is Thomas Frank so angry? Because crushing economic circumstances have
brought tremendous power to <a href="http://buffalobookblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-we-got-where-we-are-and-what-now.html">the
very ideas, beliefs, and people who created those circumstances</a>. And while Conservatives scream and yell and
boo-hoo over their victimization, Liberals stand mumbling ineffectively in the
background.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Right has been very
busy usurping all the Left’s arguments, turning them on their heads and
demanding even harsher punishment for victims of the economic crash and even greater
rewards for the perpetrators. Too many
of us are now thinking of the traders who made out like bandits before
everything crashed and then cashed in at our expense afterwards as “the little
guys” struggling bravely against big government.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paul Ryan became the darling of big business by ranting for
small business and entrepreneurs and blaming all our woes on government
interference in free markets. We have
become a nation where “your mortgage is not MY problem” as one tea party rally
sign expressed it. We have a situation
in which the guy in the breadline is worried about the guy lounging on his
yacht!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Public discourse has gone all topsy-turvy and Thomas Frank
explains how it happened with wit, humor, and righteous anger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, do you pity the billionaire? Does government have a role in our
recovery? Can the policies that got us
in this mess get us out of it? And most
importantly, who do you think should lead us through economic recovery? Are you angry yet? At this critical time, share your thoughts!</span></div>
Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-21441944940731085972012-10-11T13:24:00.000-04:002012-10-12T11:31:30.714-04:00Why I LOVE Paul Krugman<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Economics -- Just shoot me now, right? It's dry, boring, and (worst of all) complicated. Right? The best thing ordinary folks can do is leave decisions about the economy to the big boys who know what they are doing. Right? Enter, <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/paulkrugman/index.html" target="_blank">Paul Krugman</a>.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdA8GIPt9Boh4i9vURVGHgoql4vyv7sUCT_46u1I4KyWXKAfOIi81zQ9yZ5vA8SGnwB2bcmPQ79PrL6G-6RwrODk7TPpjqHqCfRy03LqRhmz_GNb-j4dfIGoDIFWZ18NtiSRKgfmBsgjg/s1600/krugman_main.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdA8GIPt9Boh4i9vURVGHgoql4vyv7sUCT_46u1I4KyWXKAfOIi81zQ9yZ5vA8SGnwB2bcmPQ79PrL6G-6RwrODk7TPpjqHqCfRy03LqRhmz_GNb-j4dfIGoDIFWZ18NtiSRKgfmBsgjg/s1600/krugman_main.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paul Krugman</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am tired of people telling me economics is just too complicated. It really isn't. I love Paul Krugman because he offers </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">clear, concise, compelling explanations of economic issues without the bombast of name calling and the self-righteous rantings of unsubstantiated nonsense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want the whole picture, you can read his book, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/end-this-depression-now-paul-krugman/1111571134?ean=9780393088878" target="_blank">End this Depression Now</a> (or you can start with <a href="http://buffalobookblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/one-book-you-must-read-before-you-vote.html" target="_blank">my review</a> of it) and then you can decide for yourself. I have read a number of books about how we got where we are, but not so many about what we need to do about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Krugman presents a map for cleaning up the mess and ending the pain. He backs it up with facts, with analysis, and with sound reasoning. It is easy to understand and important to try.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want daily updates, you can read his blog, <a href="http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/" target="_blank">The Conscience of a Liberal</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the meantime, here is what you need to know. First, the things we are told "we all know" are most likely dead wrong. For example, "we all know that government cannot create jobs." Government can, has, and should be involved in a major jobs creation programs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Second, the information Krugman uses is available to everyone yet, for various reasons, the experts we rely on are lying to us. If we continue to act as if they are telling the truth, we are choosing to be mislead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Third, the deficit is not nearly as important as job creation. For one thing, because the deficit is tied to GDP (gross domestic product), when GDP increases, the deficit is automatically reduced. See how easy it is to understand?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, the only thing really holding our economy in stagnation is lack of clarity coupled with lack of political will. Krugman makes a good case for the clarity. We are responsible for the political will.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's why this election is so important. More clearly than ever, we are choosing between continuing the path outlined by economic ideologues who have a major stake in ignoring actual verifiable facts and a path that is at least willing to look at the facts and try something different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, where do you stand on current economic issues? Is the trickle down (or as Archie Bunker called it, "tinkle down") economic strategy helping you? Do you think more tax breaks for the wealthy will create more jobs or do you want the government to take action and create jobs now? How would you get the economy moving again?</span>Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-53677138587121671432012-09-27T10:32:00.000-04:002012-09-27T10:35:49.933-04:00Can You Improve Your Odds of Surviving a Disaster?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The answer in<b> </b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unthinkable-amanda-ripley/1103266805?ean=9780307352903" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">The Unthinkable: </a></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><b><i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unthinkable-amanda-ripley/1103266805?ean=9780307352903" target="_blank">Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why</a></i></b>, by Amanda Ripley,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">is a resounding “Yes.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/102630000/102631978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why" border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/102630000/102631978.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">Ripley weaves survivor tales, scientific study, government policy, and more into a powerful narrative that provides amazing insight and life saving perspective into our understanding of disaster and how we respond to it. She also tells us that we can improve our responses. Something so simple as actually reading those emergency cards on all airplanes and choosing an exit to use if needed can make the difference between surviving a crash and not.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">From survivor stories and scientific research, we are learning how our brains function in a disaster. When something unexpected and threatening happens, most of us </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">either do the wrong thing or do nothing at all. Restaurant patrons finish dinner while the room they are dining in fills with smoke. Airli</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">ne passengers laugh when a flight
attendant calls, "brace, brace."
People who should be evacuating their offices take time to turn off
computers, search for the book they are reading, or make a phone call.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some people even make up stories about what is
happening – and believe them.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In a large
scale disaster, victims often think it is happening only to them.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">People exiting the Twin Towers expected to
find activity on the street going on as usual.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">They were shocked by what they actually confronted.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And, little things can make a big
difference. For example, more women were
injured escaping from the Twin Towers than men because their shoes were a
serious hindrance and had to be discarded.
Several survivors reported that they had to skirt piles of women's shoes
in the stair wells as they descended from upper floors. In a disaster, something relatively insignificant
can become an enormous obstacle.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For all that, this is a surprisingly hopeful
book.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Any of us can be caught in a
disaster at any time and those of us involved are the true first responders. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">With a little luck, a little information, and
a little planning, we can save ourselves and possibly others.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We can't do much about the luck, but we can do
a good deal about the information.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Something so simple as actually reading those emergency cards on all
airplanes and choosing an exit to use if needed can make the difference between
surviving a crash and not.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ripley outlines some basic steps we can all
take to improve our chances of surviving and some web sites we can visit for
more information.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some of the steps are
basic and easy.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Others are more far
reaching and complex.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">She even offers a few good suggestions to help
you decide what you should be worrying about.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So, what disasters worry you?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Have you made any preparations?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Let us know!</span></div>
Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-71636131493137987822012-09-12T11:58:00.000-04:002012-09-12T11:58:49.782-04:00What You See Is Not Necessarily What You Get<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/until-its-over-nicci-french/1100355627?ean=9781429924085&itm=1&usri=until+it%27s+over">Until It's Over</a></i>, by Nicci French</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Astrid Bell is a bicycle messenger living in a house with six housemates who are all pretty </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">much life stragglers -- those Peter Pan people who should have started a career, but are </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">still languishing in that gray area between young adult and full-blown grown-up. They have </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a history together that includes friendship, romance, and an array of interdependencies.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-BzFAYpmtkWLTx1DGDtmM9r7Ne3VSp86u_SoyIN-KtN8Ay6dt3wJ9afI3Fq4wKm-oC6erq4DAm70cPPDM0nfTMlgIu5iIFGIcIr5D9WWipncje5l_bEuVMCAWcWbnb-AzZ3nJyTZOz5R/s1600/UntilOver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-BzFAYpmtkWLTx1DGDtmM9r7Ne3VSp86u_SoyIN-KtN8Ay6dt3wJ9afI3Fq4wKm-oC6erq4DAm70cPPDM0nfTMlgIu5iIFGIcIr5D9WWipncje5l_bEuVMCAWcWbnb-AzZ3nJyTZOz5R/s200/UntilOver.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But all good things come to an end. The housemate who owns the house wants to live </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">there alone with his new girlfriend. The house is breaking up and everyone has to find new </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">living arrangements. Of course, this comes at the worst possible time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Astrid has just been accidently knocked off of her bicycle by a neighbor who is then found </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">murdered near the house. In fairly short order, two other women are murdered and it is </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the hapless Astrid who finds the bodies. It becomes clear that she is somehow connected </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to the murders and, to some extend, she and the housemates are all suspects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That stress and the stress of breaking up the household lead to arguements as the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">housemates turn on one another. Eventually, the killer among them is identified and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">arrested to the astonishment of all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's the first part of the story. It basically shows what is happening, follows </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the breakdown of long-standing relationships, and possibly shows how little we really know </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">about those closest to us. What you think you know at this point, though, is mostly </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">just enough off to be entirely wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second part is from the point of view of someone else, a sort of ghost in the machine. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Incidents that earlier seemed just the product of the group's disintegration begin to take </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">on a new, more sinister meaning. One of the housemates has been gathering information </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and then using it to push just a little at a weak point and watch the havoc that develops.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I enjoyed this book. The first part did a good job of revealing the characters, their </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">interrelationships, their little cliques and grudges, and the peculiarities of their housing </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">arrangements. The second part did a good job of getting into the head of the killer and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">revealing both shrewdness and madness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The author, Nicci French, by the way, is actually the husband and wife writing team of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nicci Gerrard and Sean French.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-6879314845599659262012-09-02T13:23:00.000-04:002012-09-04T14:16:22.149-04:00One Book You Must Read Before You Vote<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/end-this-depression-now-paul-krugman/1111571134?ean=9780393088779" target="_blank">End This Depression NOW</a></i></b> by Paul Krugman</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have read a number of books about how we got into the financial crisis of 2007 and I have a fair understanding of what happened. That's all well and good, but that little bit of understanding left me feeling a little hopeless, as if it was all just too complex to really manage. Even worse, it left me feeling that the most common solutions being offered were not likely to be very helpful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In <i>End This Depression NOW</i>, Paul Krugman takes a different approach. He considers what needs to be done right now to get our economy moving again and he offers a number of very specific suggestions. Better still, his suggestions make sense because he supports them with analysis, metaphors, and examples -- all based on facts and "real world" observations. These are things we can follow for ourselves, things we can consider from our own experience, things we can actually verify.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It makes you realize how much fluff is puffing up discussions of economic crisis and what needs to be done to deal with it. I don't want to hear that "we all know government can't create jobs, but..." I, for one, do not "know" that at all. I believe government <b>can</b> create jobs and I <b>know</b> it can save jobs. It just does not make sense not to do that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, one of the things I like so much about this book is that it does make sense. Not everything may be "right," but at least Krugman is reasoning from facts in the form of actual data. He is drawing conclusions from past similar situations in a "this was the situation; here is what was done; here was the result" process that lets the reader see the reasoning. Then you actually have something of substance to agree or disagree with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Krugman points out that we have the same workforce, the same knowledge base, and the same resources today that we had just before the bubble burst back in 2007. The solutions we need to get those things moving again are really not all that difficult nor, really, all that painful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is my favorite story from the book. A husband does not take good care of the family car and especially the electrical system. One day, it will not start. The wife wants to try a new battery, but the husband scoffs at the idea that a $30,000 car could be laid low by something so simple as a $100 battery. He says the trouble is clearly something more dramatic, more complicated, and far more expensive. The family, he says, must learn to walk and take buses until the real problem can be identified and resolved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wife has a problem, Krugman says, but not with the car. Point taken.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love this book -- so much that I read it straight through not just once, but twice. The reasoning is sound, well thought out, and well documented. The suggested fixes are doable and seem more likely to succeed than anything I have heard so far. And if they are tried and fail? Krugman says simply try something else until the solution is found.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Best of all, this is a hopeful book. Before you drift off into painful hopelessness and dig in to the long haul of sacrifice, read this book!</span><br />
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Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-64257484651747836582012-08-29T14:59:00.000-04:002012-08-29T15:07:15.576-04:00Exploring Some Very Fine Lines in Leadership<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/first-rate-madness-nassir-ghaemi/1101564796?ean=9781594202957&itm=1&usri=first+rate+madness">A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links between Leadership and Mental Illness</a>, </i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">by Nassir Ghaemi</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First, I have to tell you that the author of this book is a well-credentialed professor </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">of psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and the director of the Mood </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Disorders program at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next thing I have to tell you is that the thesis of this book is that the best </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">leader in a time of crisis may very well be a person who has suffered some sort of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">mental illness. On top of that, the very worst leader in a crisis may be one who </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">suffers from normality.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym4gKqIbqXpnx2R1gZRL2tP5BY4OwV0P8MdeZmeXdQXgeCw47lpAj-QpBCsIxeBpdvmd8pNho4VskVKG85yrsvHqS2hHxFWT85ev_XlBCUpL_-Bpgx6xxcW6sJAnWwyqZqURg6AyCriqP/s1600/madness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym4gKqIbqXpnx2R1gZRL2tP5BY4OwV0P8MdeZmeXdQXgeCw47lpAj-QpBCsIxeBpdvmd8pNho4VskVKG85yrsvHqS2hHxFWT85ev_XlBCUpL_-Bpgx6xxcW6sJAnWwyqZqURg6AyCriqP/s200/madness.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The thesis is built on a re-examination of history with examples including Lincoln, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Churchill, Kennedy, Roosevelt, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Ted Turner as examples </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">of leaders who managed crisis well despite evidence of some mental health issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In fairness, not just any mental health issue enhances leadership outcomes. Schizophrenia, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for example, is not helpful. On the other hand, many leaders suffered from depressions, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bipolar disorder, and hyperthymia which is, apparently, a sort of slightly manic temperament.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For examples of more or less normal leaders who were fairly successful until they were called </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">upon to manage a crisis, his examples include Nixon, Bush (the second), and Tony Blair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ghaemi also provides a lengthy examination of Hitler and considers how he fits </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the thesis. Initially, Hitler may have had a bit of the right kind of madness, but it was tragically </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">mishandled by a doctor injecting him daily with early versions of methamphetamines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While Hitler's madness ballooned past any kind of madness that could be useful, the more </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">chilling disclosure is that most of his closest subordinates fell firmly into the normal group. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Madness in any form, it appears, is not required of followers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a fascinating book full of interpretation of little known historical facts. For all </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">of that, it seems to be well researched and it is certainly well presented. More </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">importantly, it challenges our understanding of both normality and mental illness and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the biases we all hold for and against each.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I read this book, I was inundated with the struggle of the Republican party </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to identify a viable candidate for the next election and I am none too happy with the outcome. As we move into the party conventions, we seem to be more clearly at a crisis point. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, the madness of the Conservative Right is a much less than first-rate and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obama, like Carter before him, may be just entirely too "normal." I am more anxious </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">every day.</span><br />
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<br />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-5101691651448921452012-01-31T14:09:00.001-05:002012-01-31T14:09:38.575-05:00An Engaging Story Well Told<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>I Still Dream About You</em>, by Fannie Flagg</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It surely must be one of those universal experiences to look in the mirror one day and realize that you probably are not going to have the life you imagined for yourself. That is what has happened to Maggie Fortenberrry. Because she grew up above a movie theater her father managed, she expected generally happy endings. Because she is a former Miss Alabama, she expected great great opportunities for herself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ue6Wu7PfcJAdJEC0gxR8dkt1tDHPWTlNGmA03Db3un1UAkkLzeLrPJbVkePKs3W0sLitvu8GyrK4VNoClsuRUtMLfs2JClUFRo1bz1d3jw0G5v_vV-Sd7DRYa8uGVuk_Id49lxQ1Nhwg/s1600/I+Still+Dream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ue6Wu7PfcJAdJEC0gxR8dkt1tDHPWTlNGmA03Db3un1UAkkLzeLrPJbVkePKs3W0sLitvu8GyrK4VNoClsuRUtMLfs2JClUFRo1bz1d3jw0G5v_vV-Sd7DRYa8uGVuk_Id49lxQ1Nhwg/s200/I+Still+Dream.jpg" width="133" /></a>At 60 something, she has come to terms with the simple fact that most of what she wanted from life was lost because of her own poor decisions. With not much to look forward to except more loss and the inevitable physical decline, Maggie decides to exit this world in her own way at her own time. And how to do the deed turns out to be more complicated that she expected.<br />
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Maggie is a very proper Southern woman, so she concocts a complex plan that guarantees success without mess or fuss, without leaving a body to be found, and without loose ends for someone else to untangle. Just when she is ready to execute the plan, her life interupts. <br />
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First, it's the whirling diverishes and accommodating a friend who wants to see them. Then, it's a hair appointment she forgot to cancel and she doesn't wnat to stiff the hair dresser. Then, it's too much goat cheese (don't ask!). Finally, it's Crestview, a lovely old mansion just up for sale and about to fall into the clutches of Babs Bingington, her archrival in the real estate business who scoops up the elegant old homes and sells them to developers.<br />
<br />That draws her into a mystery that must be resolved.<br />
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Along the way, Maggie saves the house and herself. Although it does require a bit of unexpected good luck to bring some of the old dreams into her life, it is good luck Maggie has earned and along the way, she learns to let go of some of her perfectionism and enjoy her life a bit more.<br />
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As always with Fannie Flagg's books, the plot is moved by unique characters in bizarre situations responding in interesting ways. <em>I Still Dream About You</em> was released in 2011 and it was very popular with book groups. If you missed it, go back and check it out. It is not <em>Fried Green Tomatoes</em>, but it is an engaging story well told.<br /> <br />
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</span><br />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-14981345371642760342012-01-13T12:20:00.000-05:002012-01-13T12:20:15.079-05:00Love, Murder, Intrigue, and Penicillin<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>A Fierce Radiance</em>, by Lauren Belfer</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This story opens in New York City just after the bombing
of Pearl Harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main character is
Claire Shipley, a photographer for <em>Life</em> magazine and a single mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is doing a story about a young man who is
dying from an infection and the attempt to save his life with penicillin.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvi5VnGmAscl0ekMx7h3OXGP6G5nfaHU2WYUygNxKGqn5uHKCwlERNt0308hQBFkrYHHOYPiFocCavJskm11v0zTVq8e1Xn_ZH9rB7SfmLiBy2T3g_BD6cooTEZl6pBK-Yh_B1cx7MPxEc/s1600/AFierceRadiance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvi5VnGmAscl0ekMx7h3OXGP6G5nfaHU2WYUygNxKGqn5uHKCwlERNt0308hQBFkrYHHOYPiFocCavJskm11v0zTVq8e1Xn_ZH9rB7SfmLiBy2T3g_BD6cooTEZl6pBK-Yh_B1cx7MPxEc/s200/AFierceRadiance.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is one of the first times penicillin is being tried on
a person and the process is fraught with perils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doctors do not know how much penicillin
should be used or how it should be administered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, they are not even sure how the
medication should be produced.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Claire does not realize that this project will become a
major turning point of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
meets and eventually falls in love with James Stanton, a young doctor working
on penicillin research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a promising
young researcher is murdered, Claire is drawn into the investigations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When penicillin becomes a major focus of the
war effort, Claire is drawn into the politics and intrigues of war.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the same time, Claire is building a new relationship
with her estranged father who is a self-made millionaire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is eager to establish a relationship with
her and his grandson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also recognizes
the potential value of the penicillin research and that brings him into
surprising conflict with his daughter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a satisfyingly complex story full for unexpected
twists, danger, and resolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top
of all that, it is more or less historically accurate with the history presented
in a way that is well integrated into the story and generally unobtrusive.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Fierce Radiance, published in March, 2011, is Belfer’s
first book since <em>City of Light</em>, published in August, 2003.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new story shows that Belfer’s command of
her craft is growing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story line is
seamless and she more skillfully encompasses the history within the context of the story in this second novel.</span></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a good read and I highly recommend it.</span></span></div>
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</span>Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-45919365119345332102011-11-06T12:51:00.002-05:002012-01-03T11:09:14.406-05:001491 and 1493 -- The World Before and After Columbus<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does anyone remember Paul Harvey? He used to do radio pieces called "The Rest of the Story" that revealed the hidden parts of things most of us think we know about. If you like that kind of back story, these two books are a great find. Together, they </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">tell the rest of the story about the Americas before and after Columbus's trips to the Americas.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujgkjXd-ulA/TwMnmmC6l9I/AAAAAAAAADE/pD-OSIJtIuw/s1600/1491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujgkjXd-ulA/TwMnmmC6l9I/AAAAAAAAADE/pD-OSIJtIuw/s200/1491.jpg" width="123" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In <em>1491</em>, Charles C. Mann reviews the Americas before European contact. Whatever you may have learned in school, whatever you may have thought you knew, Mann presents a vastly different picture. For one thing, the populations of native Americans was probably much larger. Vast sophisticated civilizations existed. The land we think of as pristine was carefully and systematically managed by the people who occupied it. The Amazon apparently shows signs of terra forming.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So dramatic -- and devastating -- was the initial contact between Europeans and native people, that by the time the first Europeans encountered some native populations, they were encountering only the surviving remnants of once thriving cultures already seriously diminished by diseases introduced by the Europeans and spread ahead of their advance. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0Qi0U4_FdY/TwMn5I-zxuI/AAAAAAAAADQ/8crcb7alIKs/s1600/1493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0Qi0U4_FdY/TwMn5I-zxuI/AAAAAAAAADQ/8crcb7alIKs/s200/1493.jpg" width="135" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In <em>1493</em>, explores what researchers call "the Colombian Exchange" which may well be the most momentous ecological revolution since the passing of the dinosaurs. Colonists spread around the world and with them moved hundreds of different animals and plants including earthworms, fungi, mosquitoes, dandelions, rats, pigs, and horses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Most of the foods we eat are part of the Colombian Exchange. The potato famine that brought thousands of Irish immigrants to the United States originated in the Colombian Exchange. Silver mined in South America brought economic crisis to China and led to the first paper money -- and the first abuses of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The global links, the environmental changes, emergence of interdependent economies, immigration and political issues, and hundreds of other factors emerging from the Colombian Exchange have shaped our world in ways seldom explored. This book begins that exploration and may well change how you look at important issues of our day forever.</span><br />
<br />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6527645622423983848.post-40165362878733292202011-10-14T15:46:00.000-04:002011-10-14T15:46:42.601-04:00Comedy at Its Best!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">A Confederacy of Dunces</span></em></strong> <br /> by John Kennedy Toole</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"When a true </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius" title="Genius"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">genius</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> appears in the world, you may know him by this </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">sign, that the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunce" title="Dunce"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">dunces</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> are all in confederacy against him."</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-- Johathan Swift</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">From that beginning, John Kennedy Toole takes the reader on </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">one </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">of the most outrageous adventures in literature. The <em><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/confederacy-of-dunces-john-kennedy-toole/1100313908?ean=9780802130204&itm=1&usri=john%2bkennedy%2btoole">A Confederacy of Dunces</a></em> is set in New </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Orleans in the early 1960s and follows the trials and tribulations of one Ignatius J. Reilly as he struggles to enter the world.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzmtgMFJz95YLwZnBwexVLWs83VrdQ6vvXT4qI2HyJSv4donbJdEN7jdcPh_jTA6nNqe5qwoGsntOo98ezwqyWE2eyOVm7jmpTLNBfos0yWYiSb-tY701axZsKNSnq9aL06z-5dSGXaXN/s1600/Confederacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzmtgMFJz95YLwZnBwexVLWs83VrdQ6vvXT4qI2HyJSv4donbJdEN7jdcPh_jTA6nNqe5qwoGsntOo98ezwqyWE2eyOVm7jmpTLNBfos0yWYiSb-tY701axZsKNSnq9aL06z-5dSGXaXN/s320/Confederacy.jpg" width="201" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">At around 30, Ignatius is still living at home. He has a good education, but suffers from arrested development or failure to launch or whatever it is that besets young people who don't quite make the transition from child to adult in a timely fashion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But, nature seems to push such fledglings to the edge of the nest despite their resistance. For Ignatius, an accident at the beginning of the book sends him out into the world in search of a job. He does, in fact, find work first in a dysfunctional clothing factory and then as a hot dog vendor in the French Quarter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">At the same time, Ignatius is involved in a long distance relationship of sorts with a New York City beatnik who begins all her letters to him with the salutation, "Sirs:" as a result of her habit of writing so many protest letters. Myna is convinced that all the ills Ignatius suffers stem from his unexpressed sexuality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Many of his most outrageous adventures stem from the fact that Ignatius -- and all the people around him -- view the world each from their own peculialy idiosyncratic perspectives. The meshing and grinding of all those perspectives creates a delicious and touching comedy that culminates in a thuroughly satisfying ending.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I love this book. I especially love listening to it. The audio version is exceptionally well done and adds to the overall enjoyment of an excellent stroy.</span><br />
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<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzmtgMFJz95YLwZnBwexVLWs83VrdQ6vvXT4qI2HyJSv4donbJdEN7jdcPh_jTA6nNqe5qwoGsntOo98ezwqyWE2eyOVm7jmpTLNBfos0yWYiSb-tY701axZsKNSnq9aL06z-5dSGXaXN/s320/Confederacy.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 123px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 539px;" width="60" />Sharon I. Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04419001714089893362noreply@blogger.com0