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Andrea Kay's Bookshelf
You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder
Maureen Johnson, author
Jay Cooper, author/illustrator
Ten Speed Press
c/o Crown Publishing
https://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed
9780593836019, $19.99, HC, 128pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Detective-Creeping-Murder/dp/0593836014
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-are-the-detective-maureen-johnson/1146708400
Synopsis: November 1933. London. Seven people receive mysterious letters. Someone knows their terrible secrets. They are summoned to a posh townhouse where one is stabbed right in front of the others, but somehow no one saw a thing. Can you help Scotland Yard solve the mystery? Can you respond to the following communique asking for your help?
Dear Detective,
Surely you have seen the papers and read about the dreadful murder of the American novelist -- stabbed while in a room with six other people, and yet no one went near him or saw the murder occur. The crime is so devious, so logistically impossible, that it seems to have been committed not by a person but by a disembodied hand.
I must confess that we are at a loss. Who wrote the poison pen letters that lured these seven people to this deadly gathering? A poet, an earl, an actress, a cook, a telephone operator, and a lothario... What do they have in common? And how could a man be stabbed in a room full of suspects, even though no one went near him or saw a thing?
We have had our best people on the case, Detective, and we still can't make heads or tails of it. We are giving this case file to you. Can you decipher the clues, decode the witness statements, and identify the murderer? You are our last hope. Can you help us crack the Creeping Hand Murder?
Yours truly,
Detective Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, clever, and engaging,"You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder" by the team of co-authors Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper is a 'whodunnit' murder mystery DIY solver's delight. Instead of simply following the story of a sleuth protagonist, the reader must directly apply their own skills of deduction in this intricately crafted murder mystery! Profusely illustrated and fun from cover to cover, "You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder" is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for personal and community library Historical Mystery collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder" from Ten Speed Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Maureen Johnson (https://maureenjohnsonbooks.com) is also the author of Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village (illustrated by Jay Cooper) and many young adult novels, including the very murderous Shades of London series, the Stevie Bell mysteries (starting with Truly Devious), and Death at Morning House. She has also done collaborative works, such as Let It Snow with John Green and Lauren Myracle (now a movie on Netflix), and several books in the Shadowhunter universe with Cassandra Clare.
Editorial Note: Jay Cooper's books (https://www.jaycooperbooks.com) don't normally include grisly murders, nefarious deeds, or corpses of any kind. He has illustrated over twenty-five books for young people, including the graphic novel series The Last Comics On Earth. He is also a Clio award-winning creative director of theatrical advertising, and has worked on over 150 Broadway musicals and plays (which have heaps of deaths).
Andrea Kay
Reviewer
Andy Jordan's Bookshelf
The Politics of Fantasy
Eliot Borenstein
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299353506, $32.95, HC, 206pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Fantasy-Childrens-Literature-Fandom/dp/0299353508
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-politics-of-fantasy-eliot-borenstein/1146921856
Synopsis: What happened when J. K. Rowling's mega-blockbuster (born in the United Kingdom and launched to global heights by Hollywood and the full force of Western marketing) came knocking on President Putin's door?
The arrival of boy wizard and international star Harry Potter in a recently neoliberal Russia was enormously influential -- but not uncontested. The franchise quickly became a lens that focused Russian ambitions and fears during an era characterized by both the hegemony of globalized popular culture and a nationalized conservative backlash.
With crisp, engaging prose of "The Politics of Fantasy: Magic, Children's Literature, and Fandom in Putin's Russia", Professor Eliot Borenstein leaps from Harry Potter into an exploration of the culture wars and moral panics sparked in Russia by Western-inspired children's literature, extending back into the Soviet period and through the invasion of Ukraine.
As cultural products pitched ostensibly to children, the Harry Potter books and films became the perfect objects for criticism, translation, adaptation, parody, attack, mimicry, and meme-making, allowing Russians to carve out their own space in the worldwide market of magical multiverses.
Critique: Original, seminal, groundbreaking, and of immense value to readers with an interest in the intersection of Russian popular culture, literature, and politics, "The Politics of Fantasy: Magic, Children's Literature, and Fandom in Putin's Russia" is a unique work of meticulous scholarship and especially recommended for community and college/university library collections. Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a "Note on Translations and Transliterations", eight pages of Notes, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a ten page Index, this hardcover edition of "The Politics of Fantasy: Magic, Children's Literature, and Fandom in Putin's Russia" from the University of Wisconsin Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.30).
Editorial Note: Eliot Borenstein (https://www.eliotborenstein.net) is a professor of Russian at New York University and the author of several books, including, most recently, Unstuck in Time: On the Post-Soviet Uncanny and Soviet Self-Hatred: The Secret Identities of Postsocialism in Contemporary Russia.
Andy Jordan
Reviewer
BookLife
Own Your Own Divorce: Your Guide to Lower Fees, Less Conflict, and Improved Outcomes
Laurence Wilson, JD, author
Track 61 Publishing
9798992089912, $29.95, HC, 368pp
9798992089905, $19.95, PB, 368pp
B0FFXMJHNZ, $9.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Own-Your-Divorce-Conflict-Improved-ebook/dp/B0FFXMJHNZ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/own-your-own-divorce-laurence-wilson-jd/1147841776
Divorce lawyer Wilson offers readers a holistic guidebook on navigating divorce, from the early stages of deciding whether to contact an attorney to practical insights on the four most common divorce processes: DIY (Do It Yourself), mediation, collaboration, and litigation. He starts by reminding couples why they married each other, encouraging them to channel what worked well during their marriage into driving an amicable divorce.
"Cooperation generates greater harmony," he writes, leading to all-around more positive outcomes: less cost, more efficiency, and the ability to preserve part of the "Invisible Estate" couples build together - that "intricate tapestry of interwoven lives, memories, experiences, and treasured moments."
Wilson's divorce crash course offers several practical tips - considering the financial futures of all involved parties, interviewing potential attorneys, navigating court, exploring laws that differ across state lines - but much of his guide veers into the waters of personal growth and transformation. Underlying his advice is the admonition to "be your best self always," as he delves into relationship dynamics, marriage building blocks, the power of a memorable honeymoon, and even the neuroscience behind love.
"When couples conclude their journey together and make use of the core principles they created as their journey began, those couples truly own their own divorces," he writes.
Own Your Own Divorce gives couples the opportunity to plan, communicate, and map out proceedings while safeguarding their emotional and mental health. Wilson aims to empower and uplift, approaching a potentially sensitive subject in a way that feels genuine and compassionate. He encourages readers to make amends - both with their past and with their partner - to truly move forward after divorce, imploring them to maintain integrity, treat their former spouse with kindness, and work to preserve their Invisible Estate.
"There is no finer act of love or kindness divorcing couples can extend to one another," he writes, "than generosity of spirit." That parting advice rings true for readers from any background.
Takeaway: Thoughtful divorce resource guide encouraging fairness and compassion.
BookLife
https://booklife.com
Carl Logan's Bookshelf
Hirschfeld's Sondheim: A Poster Book
David Leopold, author
Al Hirschfeld, illustrator
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
www.abramsbooks.com
9781419784156, $29.99, PB, 58pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hirschfelds-Sondheim-Poster-David-Leopold/dp/1419784153
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hirschfelds-sondheim-david-leopold/1146960213
Synopsis: "Hirschfeld's Sondheim: A Poster Book" is first volume in a series of deluxe Hirschfeld poster books containing art by Al Hirschfeld as drawn from life before the opening night of each of Sondheim's productions. On the reverse side of the poster pages are rare, ancillary images from the archives, as well as an introduction by Bernadette Peters, an essay by Ben Brantley, and text by David Leopold, Hirschfeld's archivist and creative director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation.
Hirschfeld's distinctive images capture the essence of the performances even better than the photographs of the shows. All of Sondheim's best-known plays are included such as West Side Story, Follies, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, and Sunday in the Park with George.
Al Hirschfeld drew West Side Story -- his first Sondheim show in 1957. In his iconic, illustrative style, Hirschfeld captured almost all of Sondheim's Broadway shows and several films featuring the composer's songs and scripts.
Sondheim was a Hirschfeld collector, acquiring drawings directly from the artist and through his friends and collaborators like Hal Prince. In his last interview just five days before his death on November 26, 2021, the New York Times ran a photo of Sondheim in his home with an image of Hirschfeld's Putting it Together in the background.
All images for comprising "Hirschfeld's Sondheim: A Poster Book" have been scanned from the archives of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, thus ensuring the highest possible reproductive quality.
Critique: An impressive tribute the artist/caricaturist Al Hirschfeld (June 21, 1903 - January 20, 2003) and to musical theatre icon Stephen Sondheim (March 22, 1930 - November 26, 2021) this large format (11.05 x 0.65 x 14.4 inches, 2.11 pounds) paperback edition of David Leopold's "Hirschfeld's Sondheim: A Poster Book" from Harry N. Abrams publishing is a unique, impressive, and unreservedly recommended addition for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Broadway Musical and Art History collections. It should be noted for the legions of Hirschfeld and Sondheim fans that "Hirschfeld's Sondheim: A Poster Book" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.99).
Editorial Note: David Leopold is an author and curator based in New York City who has organized exhibitions for institutions worldwide including the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, among others. As creative director of the nonprofit Al Hirschfeld Foundation, his books on Hirschfeld include The Hirschfeld Century: A Portrait of the Artist and His Age (2015) and The American Theatre as Seen by Hirschfeld 1962 - 2002. Leopold also co-hosts the Hirschfeld Century Podcast. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/203776.David_Leopold)
Carl Logan
Reviewer
Clint Travis' Bookshelf
The Reckoning
Thomas Beckett Kane
Defiance Press & Publishing
https://defiancepress.com
9781966625384, $18.95, PB, 206pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-Definitive-COVID-19-Pandemic-Absurdities/dp/1966625383
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-reckoning-thomas-beckett-kane/1148066911
Synopsis: When a respiratory virus with a 0.2% fatality rate brought the world's most powerful democracy to its knees, something had gone terribly wrong.
With the publication of "The Reckoning: A Definitive History of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Absurdities", historian Thomas Beckett Kane delivers a withering analysis of how the COVID-19 pandemic became not a public health crisis, but a catastrophic failure of political leadership, science, and reason.
In "The Reckoning" Kane argues that the real virus wasn't SARS-CoV-2-it was the authoritarian impulse that seized control of American society. From the funding of dangerous gain-of-function research that created the virus, to devastating lockdowns that destroyed millions of lives and livelihoods, to a complicit media that amplified fear over facts, "The Reckoning" exposes how a "pandemic of experts" inflicted more damage than the disease itself.
Drawing on extensive research and historical precedent, Kane reveals how the same officials who funded the virus's creation became the architects of America's response, how basic constitutional rights evaporated overnight, and why the summer of 2020's riots were the inevitable result of lockdown-induced social collapse. Most importantly, Kane reveals the crisis representing a turning point in American democracy -- one that currently threatens the very foundations of individual liberty.
Bold, uncompromising, and meticulously documented, "The Reckoning" is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how fear conquered freedom, and what it means for America's future. "The Reckoning" is the definitive account of our modern madness -- and a warning for generations to come.
Critique: Exceptionally well informed and informative, iconoclastic, thoughtful, extraordinarily well written, organized and presented, "The Reckoning: A Definitive History of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Absurdities" is a timely and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Social Issues and Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists -- and a 'high priority' read for governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subjects covered in "The Reckoning".
Clint Travis
Reviewer
Debra Gaynor's Bookshelf
Heart of the Amish #1: A Daughter's Choice
Kelly Irvin
Barbour Fiction
https://www.barbourbooks.com
9798891512214, $14.99 Paperback, $32.99 Large Print
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Daughters-Choice-Heart-Amish/dp/B0DW5GCZKS
Henrietta Miller is a young Amish woman; she is unmarried and goes against the norm. She loves animals about all else. Her father the bishop is frustrated by her; he doubts she will ever find a husband. Her father is so frustrated he has become harsh with her. She wants to start her own business making and selling products such as soap and snacks made from goat's milk. It takes money to start a business, so she applies for a job as a veterinarian assistant.
Nicholas Byler a Vet Tech gets the job. He is a young Amish man, in the area to care for her grandfather who has dementia. Nicholas is questioning his decision to become a Veterinary.
Henrietta thinks the job is stolen from her. She isn't happy that he is treating her animals; he acts as if he knows more about her animals than she does. She turns to her business of goat products: soap, snacks, goat's milk and wool. Her aunt sees the perfect couple in Nicholas and Henrietta and tries to do a little matchmaking.
I quickly fell in love with the characters in this tale. I found myself in tears. This is a beautifully written tale filled with feelings/emotions. The romance between Nicholas and Henrietta is sweet romance. A devastating event brought tears to my eyes. The Amish community offers great support. The main characters are interesting and likable. Henrietta never slowed down; she was full of energy. She and Nicholas were perfect for each other. I didn't like the way Henrietta's father reacted to her. I felt he was too harsh but she was going against the traditional ways of the Amish.
This is the first book in the Heart of the Amish series.
I received a digital copy of A Daughter's Choice from NetGalley for review purposes. My reviews are my unbiased opinions.
The Scary Book of Fairy Tales: The Real Endings to 50 of Your Favorite Stories
Tim Rayborn, author
Neil Evans, illustrator
Cider Mill Press
https://www.cidermillpress.com
9781400352289, $16.99 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Scary-Book-Fairy-Tales-Haunting/dp/1400352282
Mothers and Grandmothers used to tell their children what we now call fairytales. Most of the tales were violent and frightening; they told these tales as a warning, a teaching tool, and a way to open communication. This book is filled with 50 Fairy Tales/Folk Tales. I recognized several from the Brothers Grimm; there are also several from Japan. I've always loved fairy tales, but these are not the fairy tales I grew up with. I recognized Hansel and Gretal, Cinderella, Snow White, the Piped Piper, and Rumpelstiltskin. Among the topics demonstrated: domestic violence, incest, cannibalism, and women being totally dependent on men.
I found this book disappointing. It was difficult to continue listening to it.
I received a digital/audio copy of this book by NetGalley. My reviews are my unbiased opinion.
Kingfisher Seven
Shawn Klomparens
Thomas & Mercer
9781662532382, $17.99 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Kingfisher-Seven-Thriller-Shawn-Klomparens/dp/1662532385
Jake Morgan is a former intelligence officer. He and his team work at Cascadia Information Systems where they monitor weather satellites. Helena Nash is the owner of Kingfisher Aerospace; she hires Jake to investigate the explosion of Kingfisher Seven. What should have been a routine launch wasn't. The rocket exploded and Helena wants to know who, and why. Jake's team switch their focus to intelligence gathering. What they discover could end the private aerospace industry; the security of the nation is at risk. There is another launch set to go up in a few days; lives are at stake.
NASA and Kingfisher are working together to place satellites in orbit. Despite the pre-flight tests, simulations and safekeeping measures, the rocket blew up. Could Helena's adult son be involved? He is the co-chair of a nonprofit organization working against the private aerospace program.
Shawn Klomparens could not have chosen a better time to create this tale. Over the past few years, the public has become aware of the private aerospace industry thanks to Elon Musk's SpaceX and his heroic efforts to rescue and return to earth the two astronauts left in space.
Kingfisher Seven has an intriguing and unique plot. The author had enough facts to make this tale especially appealing without overwhelming the reader. The story is told through multiple points of view which makes it a little confusing at times. Unfortunately, Kingfisher Seven starts off a little slow making it difficult to stay focused but if you stick with it the action picks up about 1/3 of the way and doesn't stop. The world lost a talented author in 2024. Rest in peace author Shawn Klomparens,
I receive a digital audio copy of this tale from NetGalley. My reviews are unbiased.
Having People Over
Chelsea Fagan
Ten Speed Press
c/o Crown Publishing Group
https://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed
9780593836866, $30.00 Hardback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Having-People-Over-Planning-Attending/dp/0593836863
There is something very special about inviting people into your home. I truly enjoy having another couple for dinner or having several couples for dinner. Each December we invite several friends to dinner. Usually, I serve soup or chili. We sit around talking and just enjoy being together.
Author Chelsea Fagan offers ideas on creating a welcoming space and environment for entertaining guests. Whether it is a dinner party or a neighbor stopping in for an unexpected visit. MS Fagan shares information on planning a dinner party including inviting guests, setting the table, and developing a menu. She also shares tips on how to be a good guest when visiting others. Being a hostess should be fun but if you place stress and anxiety on yourself, you will avoid having friends over.
What a lovely book and chock full of helpful information. This is a book your will want to hang on to so you can refer to it over and over again.
I received a digital copy of this book for review purposes. My reviews are my unbiased opinions.
Alice With a Why: Return to Wonderland
Anna James
Flamingo Books
c/o Penguin Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593691991, $18.99 Hardback
Penguin Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746663/alice-with-a-why-by-anna-james-illustrated-by-matthew-land
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Why-Anna-James/dp/0593691997
The setting is March 1919.
Alyce was the granddaughter of the original Alice. Alyce's father, Rusty, graduated from Cambridge University where he received a degree in engineering, but he was much more an inventor. Alyce's mother told her he wasn't an official sailor, but he was so good with boats that the Navy asked him to come and help when the war started. Rusty studied fishing boats and realized the nets used for fishing could help to find the enemies' mines. Alyce's father was on one of the boats when it hit a mine.
Alyce's mother, Sylvie, was going to have a baby and Sylvie's mother was in bad health and needed Sylvie's help. She left Alyce to live with her grandmother Alice at Specula House. Specula House had been used as a hospital for injured soldiers. Alyce felt all alone, her father was gone, her mother was gone and now all the soldiers at the hospital were gone.
Alyce has heard her grandmother retelling her adventures in Wonderland, but Alyce doubted they were real. She thought her grandmother was just telling stories until she was smacked in the face by a wet invitation to a tea party. Alyce saw her father make paper boats; she tore pages from a book as she attempted to make a floating paper boat. She used the invitation to make a boat, and it floated. A wind caught the boat and pushed Iit toward the middle of the lake. As Alyce tried to retrieve it she slipped and fell into the water. As she sank down the water became clearer. She had no trouble breathing underwater. At the bottom of the ocean, she found a Tea Party. The Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, Mock Turtle and Cheshire Cat are all there along with new characters/friends. The Wise Fox stayed by her side as she makes her way through Wonderland. Alyce has a mission. She couldn't go home until she found the Time Being and help the Sun King and Queen of the Moon. They are at war over a missing hour. With Alyce's assistance perhaps they can find a way to stop their war.
What a delightful book. I love it. Author Anna James has stayed true to the original book but added a bit of a twist. This tale is incredible and amusing. It was written for 8 - 12-year-olds. This is the type of book you want to read to your children at bedtime.
I received a digital copy of this book for review purposes. My reviews are always unbiased and my own opinion.
The Last Ember
Lily Berlin Dodd
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
c/o Macmillan Publishers
https://us.macmillan.com/fsg
9780374393120, $19.99 Hardback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Ember-Aerimander-Chronicles-Book/dp/0374393125
Many years ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus dictated the eradication of the Aerimanders. They were similar to dragons; their flame was so hot, intense and reached so far they could burn everything in their path.
Eva Alexander was a chemistry student in Porttown. The twelve-year-old went shopping and accidentally walked out with the world's last aerimander egg. The Thieves' Union wanted the egg and were determined to steal it. Dusty St. Ichabod, their youngest member, (an orphaned dairy delivery boy) was ordered to steal the egg. One fall evening Dusty and Eva meet. Dusty was determined to steal the egg, and Eva was just as determined he would not. Eventually they realize they must work together to circumnavigate a network of ominous corrupt organizations, exclusive boarding schools, and an extremely slow pony called Gourd. The duo must keep the egg away from Eoin Parnassus, the Director of Kingdom Secrets. Their lives were at stake and so was the whole world for no one knew what would happen when the egg hatched.
This is a delightful fantasy read. There is one evil character in this book, and several characters are caring and shrewd, but they always manage to find mischief. The Last Ember was written for 11 - 13-year-olds, I'm a long way from a middle schooler but I enjoyed this tale immensely. Eva is an intriguing female lead. She is not someone you would think of as a hero but that is exactly who she is. She is intelligent, a bit irresponsible at times. She had a high standard morally. Dusty is a very interesting male lead. He's an orphan living in a workhouse; he has street smarts. He and the other boys are forced to live in dreary conditions and are forced to work hard for the director. They are beaten for little to no reason.
This book ends with a cliffhanger. You will have to wait for book 2 to find out what happens next.
Cleopatra
Saara El-Arifi
Ballantine Books
c/o Penguin Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593875643, $30.00 Hardback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cleopatra-Novel-Saara-El-Arifi/dp/0593875648
I believe author Saara El-Arifi introduces readers to the real Cleopatra. She portrays the great Cleopatra as an extremely intelligent woman living in a man's world. The real Cleopatra was complex, tactical, chaotic, and magnificently human. Cleopatra was also merciless; she had to be after all she was running an realm. And yet as a mother we see her tender side. She was smart enough to manipulate Caesar and Antony. Author Saara El-Arifi depicts Caesar as a man that struts like a rooster and Antony comes across as a conceited, arrogant fool.
Cleopatra refused to allow herself to be used as though she was nothing more than a piece of arm candy. The plan was to flaunt her by marching her through the streets of Rome. She was determined to decide her own fate and not allow herself to be used and manipulated. Her story doesn't really end with her death. For she will continue to live on through her story, throughout history.
Hollywood has tainted the member of Cleopatra by depicting her as a seductress when she was so much more. In 1963 Elizabeth Taylor, Richard burton, and Rex Harrison starred in the epic movie, "Cleopatra." While the movie was very good, I do not believe it truly depicted the real Cleopatra. We all know she did not look like the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor and yet that is what I see when I think of her.
Plutarch and Cassius Dio both declared her beautiful however neither man every laid eye on her. They wrote about her after her death. However, we do know a little about her basic facial structure from the many coins minted in her image that still survive today. There are also several Roman statues that have captured her likeness. Thay all show a woman with full lips, a strong sloping nose, large expressive eyes, and a small forehead. While there are Egyptian statues of Cleopatra, they are considered more symbolic that realistic.
While Cleopatra is fiction based on history, I believe it comes very close to showing readers who the real Cleopatra is!
Pig Wife
Abbey Luck
Top Shelf Productions
https://www.topshelfcomix.com
c/o IDW
www.idwpublishing.com
9781603095723, $34.99 Paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pig-Wife-Abbey-Luck/dp/1603095721
This is a graphic horror novel. The artwork in this book is very well done; the minute details are amazing. The illustration of the dead pig with maggots is definitely detailed oriented even if it is gross. I must be honest; this is not the type of book I normally read.
Part one's focus is on Mary, a teenage girl who visits her stepdad's family estate after his aunt passes away; he is determined to find his aunt's will believing she left everything to him. Mary has a disagreement with her mother and stepdad. Mary runs away and takes shelter in an old barn where she blunders across an underground bunker. For some unknown reason she goes inside and is trapped. What begins as a suffocating survival tale quickly transforms into something weirder and more distressing. Mary realizes she isn't alone underground. Her Aunt Pearl was hiding secrets in the bunker. Author Abbey Luck mixes mental fear with ludicrous imaginings, developing a reading experience that is equal parts disquieting and gripping. Mary is a unique character. At first, she come across as a spoiled brat but as the novel progresses the reader comes to realize that there is a reason she is what she is.
Pearl isolated her son Ed from the world by keeping him underground. Sarah was also held captive for years, forcing her to live in darkness. Pearl was a harsh, sick monster. The first part of this book sets the groundwork of horror, demonstrating the way brutality and misunderstanding make fiends.
The second part of this book takes place after Pearl's death. Before Mary meets Ed and Tommy she stumbles upon the mine. The men manage to snare her in their perverse reality. Ed believes his mother provided him with another wife. When she refuses to cooperate, Ed forces her into captivity with Sarah. Tommy, Sarah, and Mary know that to survive means finding freedom.
I would be remiss if I did not once again mention the illustrations. They lend a feeling of terror to this tale. The illustrations create a tense, uncomfortable atmosphere. The author effectively uses time jumping to examine character history. There are a couple of things I suggest the author correct: 1. You should never have to tell a story; you should allow the story to play out, "show the story." 2. The author attempted to use humor, but it just fell short. This story will appeal to those interested in horror. There are themes of abandonment, neglect, mental illness, and familial relationships.
A Bedtime Story: Beauty Meets the Beast
L.C. Moon
https://www.fairytalesfromtheunderworld.com
Bookbaby
9798350916645, $19.99 pbk
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bedtime-Story-Beauty-Meets-Underworld/dp/B0CLXGBHDX
In A Bedtime Story: Beauty Meets the Beast we meet three main characters Laura, Peter and Kayne.
Laura was 23 years old. Her brother Peter had always taken care of her or tried to. Growing up their father was cruel. He would punish her by locking her in a dog cage for days. Her childhood obviously has left her traumatized. She lives alone in a small apartment. Books and movies are her way of escaping reality. A local deli hired her but she isn't good at her job, all the broken plates prove that as well as the lack of tips. Every two weeks she receives a postcard that she cherishes but she knows she must destroy it as soon as she reads it. When her brother's postcards came in she would treasure them until she read them and then burned them. She had very few friends. She tends to be naive and vulnerable.
Peter loves his sister and tries to protect her. He got mixed in with the Russian mob, but he couldn't handle the female trafficking; he walked away and took something with him. He went in to hiding. You can't walk away from the Russian mob. He sends postcards to his sister Laura every other week. She knew they had to be destroyed as soon as she read them. Peter knows he is being hunted.
Kayne is a handsome man and has no trouble attracting women. He never lies; he doesn't have to. His employers are the Quebec Russian Mafia. He is a hit man; they assign him a problem, and he eliminates it. Nothing stops him; he is cruel, vicious and brutal. His latest assignment is Peter. Kayne is not only targeting Peter, but Laura is in danger also. Kayne spends two weeks watching Laura; his plan is to take her captive and to bring her to the Russian Mafia for interrogation. Rarely does Kayne express feelings or even experience feelings but Laura stirs something in him. He wants her. He wants to control her. There is only one way he can satisfy his craving for her and that is to make her his prisoner and keep her in his home. The mob would use her for sex trafficking after interrogating her over Peter's location; Kayne didn't want that for her.
This is an interesting read. Kayne had redeeming qualities but not many. He truly seemed to care about Laura... in his own sick way. Laura was damaged by her father and then by Kayne. The one person she loved and trusted was Peter. This read is not for the faint of heart; it is graphic and will offend many. The ending was disappointing.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. My reviews are my own unbiased opinions.
Debra Gaynor, Reviewer
www.hancockclarion.com
Eva McManus' Bookshelf
Quarter-Acre of Heartache
Claude Clayton Smith, Emeritus English Professor, Ohio Northern University
Claudeclaytonsmith.wordpress.com
Shanti Arts Publishing
www.shantiarts.com
9781962082716, $19.95 USD
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Quarter-Acre-Heartache-Claude-Clayton-Smith/dp/1962082717
Can conflicts extending back 300+ years be resolved? Who really adjudicates Native American affairs and protects their rights? In Quarter-Acre of Heartache Wisconsin author Claude C. Smith, Emeritus English Professor, Ohio Northern University, illuminates the fight by the Golden Hill Paugussett tribe to save their reservation in Trumbull, Connecticut, and find answers to these questions.
In 1976 while the United States celebrated 200 years as a democracy, the Golden Hills tribe experienced an older, uglier American story. A white neighbor filed a lawsuit claiming ownership of their land and demanding Chief Big Eagle vacate it. The once-extensive reservation, created in 1659 and understood to be among the earliest, had been chiseled down to a quarter-acre. Now even it was threatened.
Chief Big Eagle (Aurelius Piper, Sr.) heard about the suit while researching the Delaware language at Wisconsin's Munsee Reservation and counter-sued. Such veterans of the 1973 Wounded Knee stand-off as AIM activist Russell Means and renowned civil rights attorney William Kunstler joined Munsee colleagues and other tribal representatives to turn the Golden Hills' protest into a national benchmark.
Hailing from Stratford near Trumbull, Smith met the chief when the protest made the news. Their interactions led to the 1985 publication of Quarter-Acre of Heartache (Pocahontas Press).
This summer in 2025, on the eve of the nation's 250th Anniversary, Shanti Arts Publishing has published a new edition. It has the edited original with updated Preface and Afterward, including information about subsequent international experiences the two men shared, along with additional photos and more recent documents and news accounts. This edition shows the chief's impact during his 92 years, including the 1994 publication of a Russian language Quarter-Acre.
Smith's decision to write in first-person in the chief's voice gives authenticity to the intertwined themes of survival and loss, laced with hope. After describing the abundant wildlife in thick forests sustaining their structured communities before Europeans arrived, the chief asserts, "My ancestors walked in beauty" (27). His yearning for that lifestyle defined him. He lived alone in the Maine woods for three years as a teen and later returned to Trumbull to help his elderly uncle, Chief Black Hawk, on the reservation. Later as Full Chief facing the lawsuit, he assessed their position: "Not very much room for an Indian nation" (34).
Yet with outside supporters, his people stood their ground, even facing violent attacks. Citing the chief's frustration over legal stalemates, the author details the staggering layers of legal oversight that often leave Native peoples in limbo. Smith's emphasis shows the leader's transformation into a knowledgeable activist and savvy chief learning the legal twists to enhance his tribe's future, to attain more land, a tribal center, and respect within Trumbull.
In his 2025 update, Smith discusses his and Chief Big Eagle's 1990-91 travels to Russia during the Soviet Union's dissolution. The Indianists who invited them admired Native Americans' refusal to conform and assimilate. The pair also joined a large Russian pow-wow, a recreation of a Native American event. Smith fully describes the surreal experience in Red Man in Red Square (Pocahontas Press, 1994) but offers fascinating background here.
Chief Big Eagle's enduring dedication parallels the United Nations' commitment in their "Decades of Indigenous Peoples" to ensure the dignity, respect, and lasting heritage for indigenous populations claiming space and rights in a modern world. Claude C. Smith's Quarter-Acre of Heartache (2025) provides inspiring history and valuable information for communities with similar goals.
Eva B. McManus
Reviewer
Fred Siegmund's Bookshelf
The Original Meaning of the 14th Amendment: Its Letter and Spirit
Randy E. Barnett and Evan D. Bernick
The Belknap Press
c/o Harvard University Press
https://www.hup.harvard.edu
9780674295537, $22.95 pbk, 382 pages
Harvard University Press
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674295537
The book's introduction begins "Nothing in the Constitution of the United States is more important to contemporary American law and politics than the Fourteenth Amendment. The book that follows gives a "comprehensive account of the original meaning and purposes" of its key components, which are Section 1 and Section 5. The authors organized the history around the three key clauses of the second sentence to Section 1. Part I has The Privileges or Immunities of Citizenship Clause, Part II has The Due Process of Law Clause and Part III has The Equal Protection of Laws Clause. A conclusion of 14 pages ends the book. Be sure to read the March 12, 1871 letter of Supreme Court Justice Joseph Bradley reproduced in the preface. It foreshadows what to expect from American courts.
The Introduction explains the origins of originalism and begins developing the original public meaning of the 14th Amendment from 1868. To do this the authors review historical writing of legal scholars that develops a distinction between the public meaning of the original text in contrast to how the text is applied later in constitutional disagreements. While the Constitution has some indeterminate words and phrases Barnett and Bernick argue it conveys an original spirit: "Where the letter of the Constitution is unclear, fidelity to the Constitution's design requires that judges, legislators, and other constitutional decision makers turn to the law's original spirit."
The Privileges or Immunities of Citizenship Clause discussion in Part I makes up the longest section of the book with 217 pages. The clause as written in the Fourteenth Amendment rephrases the original Article IV, Section 2 from the 1787 Constitution. As originally written it was "The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens of the several States." The Fourteenth Amendment adds the phrase "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the Privileges or Immunities of Citizens of the United States.
The original phrase suggests states are free to define rights for their citizens and apply them to residents and all others traveling into, or through, their state; citizenship varies by state. The Fourteenth Amendment applies to Citizens of the United States, hoping to establish some uniform rights to U.S. citizens. Neither phrase defines Privileges and Immunities, which remains open to interpretation.
Barnett and Bernick narrate and document the history of the chaotic contest to define the Privileges and Immunities of Citizens. From 1787 to 1868 the demands of southern slave holders to exclude black people - free blacks, slaves - from any rights of citizenship dominant the narrative. The federal courts took the southern side - Barren v. Baltimore, Dred Scott v. Sandford to wit - which helped generate the rise of the Republican Party.
Southern secession in 1860-61 left the federal government with northerners determined to redefine and guarantee a national citizenship for all. Chapter 4 and 5 provide a thorough discussion of the Congressional debate to define privileges and immunities of citizens and to embody them into the 13th Amendment in 1865 and 14th Amendment in 1868.
Ratifying the two amendments did not end the citizenship debate. Chapter 6, entitled Enforcing Citizenship, is the longest chapter in the book at 49 pages. It narrates the continuing debate that brought passage of the 15th Amendment to guarantee the right to vote and for the need to enforce the 14th Amendment. The 14th Amendment includes Section 5 that gives Congress the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of Article 1. Barnett and Bernick give a thorough account of the Congressional debate of enforcement efforts leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Enforcement Acts in 1870-71, legislation intended to quell the violence of southern groups such as the KKK.
The second half of Chapter 6 reviews the depressing and disruptive role that the federal courts took to redefine the privileges and immunities of citizenship to suit the racist South. In their preface the authors remind readers of the Supreme Court case of Barren v. Baltimore, which claimed the first eight amendments constrained only the federal government, but not state power. This ruling allowed the southern states to pursue their racist agenda with impunity. After winning the Civil War, northern politicians were determined to define and apply the Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship to everyone, everywhere. Again though, the Supreme Court went to work to neutralize these efforts. The most notorious of these came after the legislature of Louisiana granted a monopoly to a New Orleans slaughterhouse, denying the right of citizens to choose their occupation as a fundamental part of citizenship.
In the Slaughterhouse cases that ended in 1873 the District Court ruled against the monopoly, but a 5 to 4 majority of the Supreme Court reversed that ruling as a radical interference with states rights. Justice Samuel Miller writing for the majority, decided overruling a state grant of monopoly would "fetter and degrade the State governments by subjecting them to the control of Congress in the exercise of powers heretofore universally conceded to them of the most ordinary and fundamental character." ... "We are convinced that no such results were intended by the Congress which proposed these amendments, nor by the legislatures of the States which ratified them." The opinion by Justice Miller intends to repeal the Fourteenth Amendment by judicial decree and return to what Justice Bradley wrote in dissent as "that spirit of insubordination and disloyalty to the National government..."
After the judicial review Barnett and Bernick return to the evidence they argue defines citizenship and the original meaning of the 14th amendment. Chapter 7 reviews the debate and views of contemporary academics, which includes five separate theories of U.S. citizenship before moving onto Implementing the Privileges and Immunities Clause in Chapter 8. Barnett and Bernick argue historical evidence establish an operational definition of Privileges and Immunities of citizenship, which are "a set of rights that preexists the interpretation and application of the clause by a judge. We maintain that, in 1868, a preexisting set of privileges and immunities was locked into the Constitution by the original meaning of the 14th Amendment."
The authors list and summarize these rights as those enumerated in the Constitution of 1868, the enumerated rights in the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and those enumerated rights added to the constitution after 1868. In addition, they list other unenumerated rights. Here they suggest that if individual citizens have for at least a generation of thirty years been entitled to enjoy a right as a consequence of accepted practice it can become a privilege and immunity of citizenship. The authors give examples as part of a thorough discussion of how this should work in practice, arguing in sum that judges should "discover the law" rather than "make the law." Part I ends with "We can state with confidence that the original public meaning of the Privileges and Immunities Clause does "lock in" certain identifiable rights; that it does not lock in others; and that it does not delegate to Congress or the federal courts unbounded discretion to specify the rights that states cannot abridge."
From here the book moves to a 53 page historical discussion of Due Process of Law and 52 page Part III on the Equal Protection of the Law. Both phrases apply to persons in contrast to the Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship. The narrative here traces the long history of the Due Process of Law back to its British origins. Discussion defines and distinguishes procedural due process and substantive due process. The spirit of substantive due process "impose a duty on both state and federal judges to make good-faith determinations of whether legislation is calculated to achieve constitutionally proper ends." Historical discussion includes a review of legislative debate, legal cases and academic interpretations to bar arbitrary power and the proper ends of legislative power.
The Equal Protection of the Laws narrative also traces the meaning of equal protection through history. Again, Barnett and Bernick review the legislative debate, legal cases and academic writing. At a minimum equal protection guarantees a duty to protect against physical violence, but also entitles people to equal access to courts and nondiscriminatory enforcement of state and federal laws intended to protect life, liberty and property.
The Original Meaning of the 14th Amendment combines many elements of a textbook with a well-organized historical discussion used as evidence to support tightly focused argument. Barnett and Bernick appear to recognize the complexity of their effort and so use standard textbook devices to help readers. The introductory chapter includes a seventeen-page "Preview of Our Findings." Chapters begin with summaries of what will come and chapters end with summaries of major points. Part and Chapter titles and many sub headings resemble a textbook's emphasis on orderly presentation. Important legal and constitutional terms are explained. While the writing is clear and avoids academic terms, serious readers will feel a need to go back and reread sections as they move along in what is not light reading.
I looked for, but did not find, a discussion of the case of Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific R. Co. from May 10, 1886, in which Chief Justice Waite declared "corporations are persons within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States." This declaration was not made as part of the case opinion but declared as true by proclamation in a case head note. To my knowledge it has never been disputed by Congress or a federal court, but has justified many judicial favors for corporate America, along with the prostitution of the 14th Amendment.
Barnett and Bernick make a good case to justify their conclusions already cited above. The founding fathers accepted slavery as a condition of getting the constitution ratified. Even so Congress retained the power to abolish slavery in the territories and the District of Columbia while northern states could protect free blacks and escaped slaves. There was a begrudging acceptance of slavery for what was initially an immoral Constitution, but Barnett and Bernick establish the politicians that drafted and steered the 14th Amendment to ratification intended to correct that, but they wanted more than that. The record cited establishes they wanted to construct privileges and immunities of citizenship known and protected equally for all. Since 1868 many judges and justices in the courts seem to think their personal interpretation will be a good substitute for the confines of positive law. Barnett and Bernick sound as tired of that as the rest of us.
Fred Siegmund, Reviewer
www.Americanjobmarket.blogspot.com
Jack Mason's Bookshelf
The Omnivore's Deception
John Sanbonmatsu
New York University Press
https://nyupress.org
9781479825967, $30.00, HC, 360pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Deception-Wrong-Animals-Ourselves/dp/1479825964
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-omnivores-deception-john-sanbonmatsu/1146433909
Synopsis: Millions of Americans see themselves as "conflicted omnivores", worrying about the ethical and environmental implications of their choice to eat animals. Yet their attempts to justify their choices often only obscure the truth of the matter. With the publication of "The Omnivore's Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves", John Sanbonmatsu's view is that killing and eating animals is unethical, regardless of whether they are "free range" or factory farmed.
Shattering the conventional wisdom around the meat economy, "The Omnivore's Deception" reframes the question of animal agriculture from one of "sustainability" to one of existential and moral purpose, presenting a powerful case for the total abolition of the animal economy. "The Omnivore's Deception" is a response to Michael Pollan and other critics who have told us that we can have our meat and our consciences, too. "The Omnivore's Deception" shows why "humane meat" is always a contradiction in terms.
"The Omnivore's Deception" provides a deeply observed philosophical meditation on the nature of our relationship with animals. Peeling back the myriad layers of myth, falsehoods, and bad faith that keep us eating meat, "The Omnivore's Deception" offers a novel perspective on our troubled relations with animals in the food economy. The problem with raising and killing animals for food isn't just that it's "bad for the environment", but that it is the wrong way to live a human life.
A tour de force of moral philosophy and cultural critique, "The Omnivore's Deception" will change the way we think about meat, animals, and human purpose.
Critique: Articulate, informative, exceptional, iconoclastic, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Omnivore's Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves" by Professor John Sanbonmatsu is an extraordinary and timely contribution to the on-going discussion about the ethics of incorporating the eating of animals as part of human nutrition, diet and health. Of special and particular value to readers with an interest in animal rights, food science, veganism, vegetarianism, human health, "The Omnivore's Deception" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections and supplemental Philosophy/Ethics curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, animal rights activists, and non-specialist general readers that this hardcover edition of "The Omnivore's Deception" from NYU Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.50) as well.
Editorial Note: John Sanbonmatsu (https://www.johnsanbonmatsu.com) is Professor of Philosophy at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA. He is the editor of Critical Theory and Animal Liberation and author of The Postmodern Prince: Critical Theory, Left Strategy, and the Making of a New Political Subject.
Jack Mason
Reviewer
John Burroughs' Bookshelf
Sustainable Design from Vision to Action
Jeremy Faludi
Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032824758, $190.00, HC, 444pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sustainable-Design-Vision-Action-Jeremy/dp/1032824743
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sustainable-design-from-vision-to-action-jeremy-faludi/1146612648
Synopsis: Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Professor of Industrial Design Jeremy Faludi, "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" offers a comprehensive guide to the sustainable design of products, services, or related systems. The world is finally waking up to the necessity of sustainability, especially in the design and engineering of all the physical products that surround us every day.
The twenty-six erudite articles comprising "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" go beyond concept explanations to provide the reader with practical instructions on how to apply the tools and methods to the reader's own designs.
As a timely textbook on the subject, "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" not only provides a thorough understanding of the high-level values and goals of sustainable design, but also gives its readers actionable step-by-step guides for how to implement them on the ground, in daily practice.
This includes quick reference tables and other resources for practical design, with lists of resources for greater depth.
These learning activities can be used by designers and engineers, in classrooms, or in industry. While this innovative textbook focuses primarily on physical product development, it also applies to services, systems, and digital products.
Additionally, "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" includes a thorough range of quantitative and qualitative methods across the whole product life cycle, including material choice, energy use, systems thinking, design for recycling, user behavior change, business models, equity and inclusion, and more. "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" aims to change design practices in order to help build a world that is healthy, abundant, beautiful, and fulfilling for all species -- for all time.
The highly illustrated text presented in "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" will provide an excellent introduction to sustainable design in practice for industrial design and mechanical engineering students. It will also be useful for professional designers, engineers, and managers in industry.
Critique: Featuring a one page listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" is deftly edited by professor Jeremy Faludi. Informative, thought-provoking, exceptional, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and college/university library Industrial Manufacturing & Product Design collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and industrial designers that this hardcover edition of "Sustainable Design from Vision to Action" from Routledge is also readily available in paperback (9781032824741, $54.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $41.79).
Editorial Note: Jeremy Faludi (https://faludidesign.com) is Assistant Professor of Design for Sustainability at the faculty of industrial design engineering, TU Delft, the Netherlands.
John Burroughs
Reviewer
Julie Summers' Bookshelf
Anne Bradstreet in Context: The Life and Work of a Colonial American Poet
Ann Beebe
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476691732, $65.00, PB, 241pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Bradstreet-Context-Colonial-American/dp/1476691738
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anne-bradstreet-in-context-ann-beebe/1147273763
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/anne-bradstreet-in-context
Synopsis: "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America" by Anne Bradstreet was the first book of poetry published by a permanent resident of colonial America and appeared in 1650 thanks to the support of Bradstreet's brother-in-law.
By the time of its publication, Anne had immigrated to New England with her husband; given birth to seven of her eight children; settled on her fifth and final homestead; and gained access to a network of influential Puritan leaders via the various positions held by her father, husband, brothers, and brothers-in-law within the Massachusetts Bay Colony government.
"Anne Bradstreet in Context: The Life and Work of a Colonial American Poet" by Professor Ann Beebe is an original and groundbreaking study of Bradstreet that explores the literary, religious, political, social, and familial contexts of colonial America that shaped her life and work.
Bradstreet embraced her identity as a poet of her time, drawing inspiration from earlier writers as well as her contemporaries, who used a common set of stylistic conventions to explore themes of love, faith, loss, and mortality.
Given the scarcity of recent scholarship on Bradstreet, "Anne Bradstreet in Context: The Life and Work of a Colonial American Poet" is designed as a versatile resource (being a blend of biography, literary analysis, history, genealogy, reference, and textbook) that situates Bradstreet's poetry within the greater context of the seventeenth century.
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, the result of meticulous and comprehensive scholarship, "Anne Bradstreet in Context: The Life and Work of a Colonial American Poet" is an extraordinary contribution to the history of American Poetry in general, and American Women Poets in particular. Extraordinary and fascinating, "Anne Bradstreet in Context: The Life and Work of a Colonial American Poet" is a singularly unique and recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Literary & Poetry collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this trade paperback edition (7 x 0.49 x 10 inches, 15 ounces) of "Anne Bradstreet in Context: The Life and Work of a Colonial American Poet" is also readily available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $39.99).
Editorial Note: Ann Beebe is a professor and chair of the Department of Literature and Languages at the University of Texas at Tyler. She specializes in pre-1870 American literature at the undergraduate and graduate level and has published articles on the works of Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, E. D. E. N Southworth, and Phillis Wheatley.
Julie Summers
Reviewer
Keira Grant's Bookshelf
Beggar Bee Nameless
Stephen K. Easterbrook
Palavro Publishing
c/o Arkbound Foundation
https://www.arkbound.com
9781912092451, $14.99, Paperback, 241 pages
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Beggar-Bee-Nameless-Stephen-Easterbrook/dp/191209245X
Beggar Bee Nameless by Stephen K Easterbrook is heartwarming, heartbreaking, informative tale of two intertwining stories which explore the realities of the homeless population in modern-day Manchester city centre.
Opening on Shane Ellis, a deceased affairs officer working for the council, we are thrown into the intriguing case Shane is working on: the identification of a deceased homeless man found passed away from exposure and missing a thumb. Shane is a grounded woman, focused on her work and the best at her job, but something about this case rattles her, and she becomes more determined than ever to place a name to the Nameless.
Intertwined with Shane's investigation, we explore the story of the Nameless, who does indeed have a name, Red, and discover how he came to be a rough sleeper. Red meets a cast of two complex and troubled characters, the eccentric and hot-headed Gracie and her gentle old-boy companion Bartholomew. With a newfound, unlikely family, Red's story begins to show how The Street can be a better home than four walls for many, despite her unforgiving nature.
Beggar Be Nameless explores a number of overlapping themes throughout its commentary on the homeless crisis. Perhaps the backbone of the story, the theme of identity runs through the pages of both Shane and Red's tales. Shane's desperation to discover the identity of the deceased and the life and circumstances which surrounded him build to a level of near-obsession, with Shane coming close to losing her own identity through her desire to escape the issues in her own life. Red's need to reinvent himself and start anew on the streets, a sentiment backed and encouraged by Gracie, puts you in the shoes of a young man with nothing left and nothing to lose. Easterbrook's repeated revisiting of the Shakespeare quote "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." serves as a continued reminder that a name does not equal an identity. Shane may not know the name of her deceased, but Red's life was real and important nonetheless.
Easterbrook's cautious yet unapologetic handling of some of the grief experienced by all three of the main characters presents a raw exploration of the emotion. Shane's grief over her ectopic pregnancy is reflected as a grief over a life which could have been, a life which Red could have had but circumstances did not permit. While Shane throws herself into work, Red's grief over the life he left behind is dissuaded by Gracie, who's 'Beggar's Code' attempts to help people make the most of the homeless lifestyle, even encouraging them to appreciate The Street, something which helps Red adjust to his new life. However, Gracie's attempts to overcome the grief of losing someone close to her in her previous life bleed into her relationship with Red, and Easterbrook's presentation of the emotion is so varied in all three that a wonderful, real and believable presentation of grief is created.
Beggar Bee Nameless feels like a love letter to Manchester, and to the homeless population, whether that be the previously homeless, the currently homeless, or the potentially homeless. It is a tasteful, informative discussion on identity, grief and circumstance, with fleshed out characters and a simple yet lyrical writing style appropriate for all readers. The alternating perspectives makes you crave the next step in the story, and the aspect of mystery surrounding Shane's case eventually take a backseat to the characters' intriguing personalities.
Arkbound Publishing's edition of this novel is beautifully crafted, with thick, smooth pages and an anti-breakage design to prevent spine cracking. The cover's simple design is highlighted by the beautiful print, with the yellows and blacks of the Manchester worker bee creating a lovely aesthetic reminiscent of the feelings within the pages.
Keira Grant
Reviewer
Margaret Lane's Bookshelf
Start Your Second Act
Shannon Russell
Pivot Press
https://www.pivot-press.com
9798992075434, $28.99, HC, 234pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Start-Your-Second-Act-Business/dp/B0F3NQY2ZX
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/start-your-second-act-shannon-russell/1147069719
Synopsis: When the career that once inspired you no longer fits your life, and a nagging voice inside tells you there's something more. When your mind, heart, and dreams no longer align with your current path -- it is time to start your second act as you change careers, launch a business, and begin to create your best life.
Shannon Russell, a former TV producer turned entrepreneur and career/business coach, understands the fears and challenges of disrupting your carefully planned career and taking the leap into something more. Drawing on her personal experiences and the success stories of other women, she shares her proven three-step Second Act Strategy (reflect, research, realize) to guide you from where you are now to where you want to be.
Drawing upon her years of experience and expertise in authoring "Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life", Russell has created a strategic, actionable, DIY guide to taking your past experience and using it to build a career or a business that fulfills you. With practical exercises, the powerful YouMap assessment, and self-empowerment insights, "Start Your Second Act" will help you reimagine your career and build a second act that works for both you and your family.
"Start Your Second Act" includes:
How to clarify your why and use it as a foundation for your next chapter.
Strategies to rebrand yourself for success, whether changing careers or launching a business.
Methods to overcome fear, plan strategically, and align your career change with your values and goals.
Tools to prepare for transitions while minimizing financial and personal disruption.
Inspirational success stories from real women who've built their own second acts.
"Start Your Second Act" is not about taking blind risks -- it is about making thoughtful, strategic decisions that align with your life priorities. More than just another career guide, "Start Your Second Act" actively challenges you to rethink what's possible and start on a professional growth journey that's as fulfilling as it is purposeful.
Whether you dream of starting a business, changing industries, or finding a role that fits your life today, "Start Your Second Act" gives you the tools to design your next chapter and create a career (and life) you will love.
Critique: Exceptional, practical, effective, inspiring, and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life" by Shannon Russell is an extraordinary DIY resource for anyone seeking to reestablish themselves personal and/or professionally, to live the kind of life and/or engage in the kind work that will fully engage and reward them. While this hardcover edition of "Start Your Second Act" from Pivot Press is highly recommended for community library Jobs/Careers and Entrepreneurship collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also readily available in paperback (9798992075403, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Shannon Russell (www.secondactsuccess.co) is a certified career transition and business coach, founder of Second Act Success, and host of Second Act Success Career Podcast and How to Quit Your Job and Start a Business podcast. As a keynote speaker and a corporate workshop leader, Shannon empowers women to leave unfulfilling careers and build joyful, purpose-driven businesses that allow them to live their best lives.
Margaret Lane
Reviewer
Michael Carson's Bookshelf
Upholstery School
Sonnaz Nooranvary
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804191682, $29.99, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Upholstery-School-Practical-Furniture-Furnishings/dp/180419168X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/upholstery-school-sonnaz-nooranvary/1146020102
Synopsis: Upholstery is one of the most accessible ways to refresh your home and with the publication of "Upholstery School: Practical Projects for Updating Furniture and Furnishings in Your Home", The Repair Shop's resident upholsterer Sonnaz Nooranvary will show her readers exactly how to refresh their furnishings, with clear step-by-step instructions and photography, using her years of expertise and characteristic tasteful style that has cemented her as a fan favorite.
There is a growing counter movement that urges us to 'make do and mend'. Reusing and upcycling has never been more popular, relevant or necessary, as people are becoming more aware of the grave implications of fast fashion/furniture on landfills and the environment - and with the cost-of-living crisis tightening everyone's purse strings, people are even more likely to turn to DIY methods to refresh their homes and furniture.
A resident of fan-favorite 'The Repair Shop', available on BBC, Amazon and previously Netflix, Sonnaz will first outline all the basic techniques involved, from the tools and materials required, to explaining various fabrics and fixings and the difference between modern vs traditional.
The 20 step-by-step projects comprising "Upholstery School" include:
1. Drop-in seat
2. Scatter cushion
3. 'Fabulising' and elevating your curtains
4. Plumping up cushions
5. Voile double-pinch-pleat curtains
6. Dining chair
7. Carver chair
8. Outdoor furniture
9. Box seat cushion
10. Bedroom chair
11. Mid-century modern chair
12. Padded leg rest/table
Critique: A practical, step-by-step, DIY beginner's guide to upholstery ranging from fabrics to fixings, "Upholstery School: Practical Projects for Updating Furniture and Furnishings in Your Home" by Sonnaz Nooranvary (one of the experts from The Repair Shop television series), will prove to be an invaluable, comprehensive, profusely illustrated, DIY instructional 'how to' manual for readers with an interest in furniture design and home based upholstery repair. While highly recommended for community library and college/university Crafts/Hobbies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Upholstery School: Practical Projects for Updating Furniture and Furnishings in Your Home" from Kyle Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Sonnaz Nooranvary is a British-Iranian upholsterer based in Dorset, and best known for being the resident upholstery expert on The Repair Shop. Starting her upholstery career at 17 years old as the first female apprentice at Sunseeker Yachts, Sonnaz developed her eye for detail and exacting craftsmanship standards. Her brand 'House of Sonnaz' launched in 2022. @sonnaz_ 30k (https://primalinformation.com/sonnaz-nooranvary)
Michael J. Carson
Reviewer
Robin Friedman's Bookshelf
Dances from Vienna
Franz Schubert, composer
Johann Strauss II, composer
Otto Schulhof, arranger
Paul Badura-Skoda, performer
Gramola
https://www.gramola.at
B01B8TLB7C, $21.99 CD
Paul Badura-Skoda Plays Schubert Dances And More
Paul Badura-Skoda (1927 -2019) exemplified the Viennese style of pianism in his performances of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, among many other composers. Over his long career, he recorded prolifically, frequently on historic, period pianos, with over 200 LPs and 100 CDs to his credit.
Badura-Skoda loved Schubert and recorded his complete sonatas and his shorter piano music many times. In this CD, "Dances from Vienna", from late in Badura-Skoda's life (2016) he offered a selection of Schubert's waltzes and other dance music. Schubert wrote hundreds of these little pieces during his short life. Many were performed at the "Schubertiades" the composer gave for his friends. These endearing dances display a variety of emotional moods, distinctly Schubertian and distinctly Viennese. It is music that makes the listener want to dance, sing, and be happy.
I have heard other recordings of Schubert's dances over the years and have played some of them myself on the piano. But it was special to hear Badura-Skoda's way with this music after a lifetime he devoted to the piano music of Vienna. These performances of his old age have a reflective quality, graciousness, and lilt all their own.
The recording includes a mix of dances in tracks of varying lengths. The first track is a "Waltz Chain" which consists of various Schubert waltzes selected and seamlessly played by Badura-Skoda in a sequence of about ten minutes. It is a little suite and is intoxicating in its gaiety. The other lengthy selection is a performance of the 12 "Valse Nobles" op. 77, D. 969. This is a set that Schubert put together and Badura-Skoda brings unity and lightness to this collection. Other Schubert works are presented in selections as short as a minute or two, or in little groups of from two to five dances. The differing lengths of the selections help bring variety to the recital.
Badura-Skoda also performs three polkas by the Viennese waltz king, Johann Strauss II in arrangements for the piano by Otto Schulhof. Like the Schubert dances, these arrangements were written as hausmusik rather than for the concert stage. I enjoyed hearing these pieces, but my heart is with Schubert.
I was fortunate to hear Paul Badura-Skoda play in concert on two occasions. I knew of this 2016 CD when it was released but for a variety of reasons missed it at the time. I was grateful for the opportunity to hear this CD at last, to remember Paul Badura-Skoda, and to revist Schubert dance music which I have long loved.
Total Time: 46 minutes
Pragmatism and Idealism: Rorty and Hegel on Representation and Reality (The Spinoza Lectures)
Robert Brandom, author
Oxford University Press
https://global.oup.com
9780192870216, $16.99 paperback / $8.39 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatism-Idealism-Representation-Reality-Lectures/dp/0192870211
Robert Brandom On Rorty And Hegel
I read Robert Brandom's "Pragmatism and Idealism: Rorty and Hegel on Reason and Representation" because I am interested in pragmatism and idealism and their relationship. The book consists of the text, expanded slightly, of the Spinoza Lectures Brandom delivered at the invitation of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Amsterdam in 2021. Brandom was a student of Richard Rorty and then his long-time friend. His thought shows a great deal of Rorty's influence but moves in part in a different direction. In an Afterword to the book, Brandom discusses his long relationship with Rorty.
The book is short and difficult,with technical discussions of pragmatics, inferentialism and semantics; but its main goals are relatively clear. It consists of two lectures/chapters. The first chapter, "Pragmatism as Completing the Enlightmenment: Reason against Representation" deals primarily with the thought of the American neo-pragmatist Richard Rorty (1931 - 2007) while the second chapter, "Recognition and Recollection: the Social and Historical Dimensions of Reason" deals with the philosophy of the German idealist Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770 - 1831) and tries to show how Hegel's thought anticipates and adresses issues raised by Rorty.
The first chapter explains Rorty's view that American pragmatism, lead by the philosophy of Charles Peirce, William James, and John Dewey constituted a Second Enlightenment and explains why this is the case. The Seventeenth Century Enlightenment, for Rorty, showed how God, transcendental revealed religion, and the like were not the sources of human morality. The norms of morality were instead human creations. The Second, pragmatic, Enlightenment showed, for Rorty that knowledge was a human creation or practice rather than a representation of some mysterious outside reality. Rorty developed his position in a series of books beginning with "Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature" and concluding with a series of lectures published after his death, "Pragmatism as anti-authoritarianism." With literary skill and considerable vehemence, Rorty argued that their were no fixed non-human standards for knowledge or normativity but that these standards were social in nature. Rorty's position continues to be highly controversial. Rorty was committed to democracy and anti-authoritarianism but on the basis of human reason, discussion and solidarity. He found no warrant outside social agreement for these positions, resulting in what Rorty termed a sense of "irony" in the individual who supported and who reflected on these positions.
Brandom shares much of Rorty's position on the social character of knowledge and of norms. After developing Rorty's position, Brandom turns to Hegel and his 1807 book, "Phenomenology des Geistes" "Geistes" is notoriously difficult to translate. Brandom has written a lengthy study of Hegel's Phenomenology, "A Spirit of Trust: A Reading of Hegel's Phenomenology". Brandom argues that for Hegel norms were human and social in character, agreeing with Rorty. But Hegel was also a reconciler. He tried to reconcile the human character of norms with giving these norms a basis in reason, thus avoiding the need for Rorty's irony or for what Hegel himself termed "alienation". Hegel does so through a difficult analysis based on historicity and the development of reason through history. This development, explored sympathetically by Brandom, is intended to show how normativity can be societally based, and yet have a grounding and development in reason and history. It thus is intended to answer Rorty in part and what Hegel termed alienation.
For all its roots in analytic philosophy, Brandom has written a fascinating book and a reappraisal of Hegel. It is in accord with my own philosophical disposition. I am not sure whether, for Rorty, this account from Brandom/Hegel would be viewed more as pushing the issue back in time rather than as an answer. I think too the book may circumscribe what Hegel is trying to do into a narrower, Rortian framework which eschews metaphysics. Also, it is unclear in my reading how Brandom's account of Hegel is idealistic.
This is still a fascinating book. It increased my interest in Hegel and in Brandom and in thinking about a philosophy of pragmatic idealism as a way to address what still are important, fundamental philosophical questions.
Humans of New York
Brandon Stanton, author
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/stmartinspress
9781250038821, $12.99 hardcover
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Humans-New-York-Brandon-Stanton/dp/1250038820
New York Tendaberry
Brandon Stanton's "Humans of New York" (2013) captures the joy, diversity, and promise of American and New York City life in a book of 400 glossy color photographs. Taken over a three-year period, the photographs show people of all ages, races, economic classes, religions, and conditions of life. There are photographs of people alone, with their pets, with lovers, or with friends and family. Some of the subjects are homeless street people while others clearly live a life of opulence. People are shown at work and play, dreaming, talking fighting, extroverted and meditative. The photographs in the volume are all taken with the knowledge of the subjects and thus, to a greater or lesser degree, posed rather than candid.
The variety of New York City, with its busy downtown streets, residential areas, apartments, bridges, buildings, parks, and some surprisingly quiet places serve as the background. The focus of the book is on people - on their faces, clothes, hands, and jewelry. The city locations, however, constitute an integral part of each photo. A short caption accompanies most of the photographs. In many cases, the photos are accompanied by a short anecdote or story about the subject.
Many readers came to this book through an extensive blog of an even larger collection of photos that the author took and maintains. I did not know of the blog until I found the book. I was glad of the opportunity to enjoy and respond to the book fresh in seeing it for the first time rather than to come to it with expectations of its content from viewing the blog. I found effective the arrangement of the photos, the use of captions, and the relatively spare use of stories to accompany the pictures. The photographs speak for themselves.
Brandon Stanton the author, developed his talent for photography in an unusual and pressured way. He had been working in the financial markets of Chicago as a bond salesman and received a camera a gift. The gift allowed Stanton to begin taking pictures of buildings and places in Chicago as a hobby and then to branch gradually into photographing people.. When he lost his job, Stanton decided to make a career change. He began to move from city to city, including Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, taking photos with his interest moving to photographing people. Stanton became fascinated with New York City and its opportunities, moved to the City, and began to photograph in earnest. He soon received widespread recognition on media which translated into this book. Thus, Stanton's photos of a city and its people reinventing themselves parallels his own reinvention of himself and his path in life.
Many artists, poets, novelists, and photographers have been fascinated by the speed and diversity of America's greatest city. With all its predecessors, Stanton's book is poignant and alive. The book speaks of optimism, diversity, and hope for the city and its people.
Of the many allusions this book could suggest, the one that came to mind was "New York Tendaberry" a 1969 album by singer, composer, and pianist Laura Nyro (1947-- 1997). Nyro's album with its eleven songs is essentially an ode to New York City. In particular, in the title track, Nyro writes of New York:
"Sidewalk and pigeon
You look like a city,
But you feel like a religion to me."
Nyro's song concludes in a paean to the city:
"Where quakers and revolutionaries
Join for life, for precious years
Join for life through silver tears
New York tendaberry."
Stanton's photos have the intimate feel of Laura Nyro's song. The book and the song convey messages of hope about the ideals of American urban life and of the American experience.
The Warriors: Reflections on Men in Battle
J. Glenn Gray, author, Hannah Arendt, Introduction
Bison Books
https://www.bisonbooks.ca
9780803270763, $14,60 paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Reflections-Men-Battle/dp/0803270763
A Philosopher's Memoirs Of WW II
J. Glenn Gray (1913 --1977) received notification that he had earned his PhD in philosophy from Columbia University and his draft notice on the same day, May 8, 1941. Gray was inducted into the army in January, 1942 and rose from the rank of private to that of second lieutenant. He saw combat but much of his army time was spent in the counterintelligence unit. After his military service, Gray went on to a career as an academic philosopher. He became a friend and translator of Martin Heidegger, and a friend of Hannah Arendt. He was a scholar of the philosophy of education and taught at Colorado College and elsewhere for many years.
I was fascinated when I learned about Gray and about this book, "The Warriors: Reflections on Men in Battle" with its combination of philosophy and war. Published in 1959. the book was reissued in 1970 with an Introduction by Hannah Arendt. Arendt wrote a book, "The Origins of Totalitarianism" and totalitariansim and war get considerable attention in Gray's book. Gray also wrote a new Foreword in 1970, which includes his reflections of the Vietnam War. The Library of America has recently published a volume "World War II Memoirs" edited by Elizabeth D. Samet, which includes Gray's memoir, together with four other memoirs.
"The Warriors" is an unusual military memoir. It was not published for 15 years after Gray had left the army. During his time in the service, Gray had kept a journal. He made extensive use of his journal and other notes in writing the memoir. The memoir discusses incidents and events during Gray's military life, but it does much more. The larger part of the book, as the title indicates, constitutes Gray's "reflections" on war and its participants and on how Gray, as a philosopher, came to view his time in combat. The book includes many short excerpts from Gray's journal. Typically, he will quote a paragraph and explain to the reader the circumstances under which it was written. The passage, and other material, including philosophy, novels, poems, letters, religious texts, then become the basis for sustained reflection on Gray's experiences.
The book develops slowly and thoughtfully, and its scope is not immediately apparent. Gray is a religiously oriented thinker but not in a sectarian way and he appears not to share most forms of Jewish or Christian monotheism. He says that people will have to relearn how to think about religion in a new way, rather than as the Faith of their Fathers. He discusses a religion of love and of an attempt to integrate self with nature and the universe as a way by which humanity might try to end the scourge of war.
Gray also spends considerable time discussing war and "abstractions". By this he means that in warfare, soldiers see their opponents only in a limited, superficial way as "the enemy" rather than as individuals, each with a multitude of human traits and each trying to live as a human rather than as a demon or sub-human. He is deeply concerned with the total warfare that took hold during WW II and therafter with the large casualties and with the obliteration of the distinction between soldiers and civilians. The attacks on civilians reached their apex with the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, but they were a pervasive part of the entire war. Gray discusses the threat of total warfare, bringing his concerns current, at the time, through the Vietnam War. Taking war to the civilian population is, unfortunately, still a live issue.
The book is particular as Gray discusses many individual people and incidents followed by reflections. One person that influence Gray deeply was an old hermit in rural Italy who apparently just lived his life and had no awareness of the chaos and death raging around him. The book consists of six chapters and a conclusion. Gray describes his project in the opening chapter "Remembering War and Forgetfulness". His second chapter offers several plausible reasons on why soldiers continue to fight wars in face of all the death and suffering. The third chapter discusses war and soldiers, love, sexuality and friendship. Gray's offers a profound discussion of all these in a context that is rooted in but goes beyond combat. The fourth chapter discusses death and the different ways different soldiers respond to the reality of death in combat.
The final two chapters and the conclusion are more general. In the fifth chapter, as discussed above, Gray discusses the combatants "Images of the Enemy" which involve various forms of abstractions and dehumanizations. The sixth chapter "The Ache of Guilt" discusses living with the excesses, killings and horrors of warfare upon returning to civilian life. And the conclusion "The Future of War" offers a deeply pessimistic view of the world situation and of social life following WW II and continuing. It suggests a broad spiritual/metaphysical view of life and of love as a way that humanity may try to right itself. And earlier in the book, when thinking about how he will describe his philosophical views when looking for a philosophy position after the war, Gray describes himself as a "brokenhearted idealist".
This book is slightly off the beaten path, but its inclusion in the Library of America volume will make it accessible. It is a difficult work but will reward reading by philosophically inclined readers interested in reflections on war and on soldiers in combat.
The Promise of Wisdom: A Philosophy of Education
J. Glenn Gray, author
Monument Creek Books
9780996581929, $9.95, paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Wisdom-J-Glenn-Gray/dp/0996581901
Where Is Wisdom To Be Found?
J. Glenn Gray (1913 - 1977) received his PhD in Philosophy from Columbia University in 1941 on the very day he received his draft notice. He entered the army as a private, showed distinction and bravery in battle and rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant working in counter-espionage. Gray kept a journal during his time in the service and made extensive notes. Years after his discharge, he revisited his journal and notes and wrote a memoir on his military experience, "The Warriors: Reflections on Men in Battle." (1959). His memoir has become famous and was re-issued with an introduction by philosopher Hannah Arendt. The Library of America has recently included Gray's memoir in an anthology, "World War II Memoirs: The European Theater" (2024) edited by Elizabeth Samet, Professor of English at West Point. Samet appeared on a LOA podcast discussing her anthology, and I learned of Gray, his memoir, and his philosophical background and was fascinated. I haven't yet read "The Warriors" but looked into Gray's later philosophical career and found and read this book "The Promise of Wisdom: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education" (1968).
Gray taught philosophy and philosophy of education for many years at Colorado College. His dissertation was about Hegel and his relationship to ancient Greek philosophy. The philosophers influencing Gray included Aristotle, Hegel, Heidegger, Arendt, and John Dewey. all reflected in various ways in "The Promise of Wisdom". The book went out-of-print shortly after publication but was reissued in 1984 under the title "Rethinking American Education: A Philosophy of Teaching and Learning" with an introduction by Elizabeth Young-Bruehl. Gray intended his book for educators from the primary and secondary school levels through college to encourage thought on education and its purpose. Unlike his military memoir, "The Promise of Wisdom" has not enjoyed wide readership, by educators, philosophers, or a broad audience. That is a pity.
The book consists of an Introduction and five chapters. It moves slowly from highly broad philosophical questions about the nature and purpose of philosophy and education through some more particularized issues of philosophy in practice in the classroom. He has a broad, holistic conception of education derived from Hegel and, to a degree, from Dewey. Gray sees education as involving the entire person. The person, in turn, is not an isolated individual but must be considered in a totality as part of a series of relationships with other people and with the world. Education cannot be radically individual or collective but must see and honor the interrelationship of the person and the world. Gray distinguishes among information, knowledge, and wisdom. A glut of information, which Gray found in 1968 and even more so today, does not give knowledge which required an understanding of principles and of organization. And knowledge alone does not bring wisdom, which requires a special kind of insight into the relationship of person, knowledge, and whole and a sense of proportion. The goal of education should be to encourage the lifelong pursuit of wisdom, not merely to collect information or even specialized knowledge.
This is the message of the book brought home most in the opening two parts. In the second part, Gray explores at some length the relationship of the individual and the group, the search for happiness, and what he terms artistry in conduct, suggesting the educated person learns to live with a moral style. This reference to moral style reminded me of my reading of the American philosopher Walter Kaufmann many years ago and his teaching of living with style. Gray sees the contemporary world as secular without the religious, sectarian certainties of past times. He sees education as crucial to formulating the ability to live well and happily in a secular world.
The remaining three chapters of the book also are broadly written but consider some more specific issues of the classroom. He explores in Part 3, questions such as tracking -- education for the "equal and for the able". He has two chapters on the teacher-student relationship, the first concerning the teacher as an authority figure and the second discussing the difference between indoctrination of, say the teacher's view of a matter, and education in classroom practice. Part IV of the book considers the age old problem of curriculum with Gray, unsurprisingly, strongly in favor of a liberal education more so than specialized training. In Part V, the final section of the book, Gray discusses the need for continued gender equality in education and also for the need to make American students aware of social and economic issues in the United States and throughout the world.
I read a couple of academic reviews of Gray's book. The reviews pointed to the modest, even-tempered flow of the writing as both a strong point and a detriment of the work. Philosopher Victor Kestenbaum reviewed the book in "The School Review" vol 83, pp 163-170 (Nov. 1974). He finds the book philosophically understated and approaches it from the standpoint of phenomenology. Kestenbaum finds the book tends to be bland because it isn't specific enough in developing its philosophical sources. The lack of technical philosophical detail, for Kestenbaum, tends to prevent the reader from seeing the book for what it is as "a major contribution to philosophy of education and to educational thought generally." I agree with Kestenbaum that the book has limitations in its manner of presentation. I also found, and agree with Kestenbaum, that the book in its quiet way has a great deal to teach about philosophy, wisdom, and educational theory.
Gray writes with a love and commitment for the United States that derives at least in part, I would assume from his military career and from what he learned in writing his memoir "The Warriors". I enjoyed reading Gray as a philosopher and also enjoyed my subsequent reading of his memoir.
Robin Friedman
Reviewer
S.K. Bane's Bookshelf
1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South
John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed
Main Street Books/Doubleday
9780385474429, $15.95, paperback
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Things-Everyone-Should-About-South/dp/0385474423
"Vicksburg fell on the Fourth of July 1863, the day Lee began his retreat from Gettysburg. After several attempts to capture the Gibraltar of the Confederacy, Grant had besieged the town and its 20,000 defenders with 71,000 men and a fleet of gunships. After seven weeks, with the civilian population living in caves and facing starvation, General Pemberton surrendered. This gave the Union control of the Mississippi, effectively cutting the Confederacy in two. The Fourth of July was not observed in Vicksburg until after World War II." So assert the Reeds in this enlightening and entertaining encyclopedia of Southern history and culture.
The authors divide their book into twelve chapters: Geography and Environment; Origins and Folkways; Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry; The Confederacy and Its Legacy; Race and Politics; Writers and Literature; Music and Dance; Southern Cuisine; Architecture and Art; Religion and Higher Education; Sports and Tourism; and The South of the Mind. From Colonel Sanders to Huey P. Long, Jelly Roll Morton to Jesse Jackson, Okra to Sweet Potato Pie, Harper Lee to Bessie Smith, Appomattox to Bourbon Street, and Nat Turner to Billy Graham, it's all here, everything a reader would want to know about this intriguing region.
Students fascinated by the American South will relish this well illustrated, solidly researched study. Enjoy a mint julep (or a Coca-Cola if you're Southern Baptist) while thumbing through the pages of this engaging volume!
S.K. Bane
Reviewer
Suanne Schafer's Bookshelf
The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder
Stephen Cox
Stephen Cox Books
https://stephencox.co.uk/books
9781068164415, $2.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Crooked-Mediums-Guide-Murder-Victorian-ebook/dp/B0FLK68742
The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder is a complete change of pace from author Stephen Cox's earlier works, Our Child of the Stars and Our Child of Two Worlds, a sci-fi duology about an alien child who lands on earth and is rescued by a human family. Though the subject matters are worlds and times apart, they share a dry humor.
The Crooked Medium's Guide is set in Victorian England during the 1880s at the height of the spiritualist movement. The heroine, Mrs. Honoraria Ashton, has a bona fide gift: she can "read" the emotions of people she touches, but she nonetheless cons her followers using false voices, etc. Despite her flaws, she is generous and has a deep Christian faith. She lives rather above her income, believing "that if you ignored the accounts, they lost their power over you." Her schemes are only partially held in check by her beloved sapphic love interest, Braddie. When Mrs. Ashton gets involved with Lady Barrington-Stewart, a posh young woman married to a member of Parliament, things get complicated quickly. Lord Barrington-Stewart is adverse to his wife seeking the spiritualist's help in contacting the ghost of her deceased mother and does his best to oppose Mrs. Ashton at every step.
The setting and time are well-researched, and the voice is wholly Victorian and delightfully understated and wry. The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder is a great ghost story with multiple twists and turns along the way, the investigation of multiple murders old and new. A fun read.
Song of the Wooden Sparrow
Isabel Tutaine
Golden Bridges Publishing
https://www.goldenbridgespublishing.com
9798990735644, $17.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Song-Wooden-Sparrow-Isabel-Tutaine/dp/B0DCYBSB3W
After a tropical disease kills her infant son and husband in Ghana in 1894, Dr. Leah Maays returns to her hometown. In Edith's Bay, Maine, Leah moves in with her aunt and uncle, Martha and Utterance, owners of a local apple orchard. Martha is as uptight as they come, though Utterance is more easy going. Their attitudes toward their niece as a female physician fully reflect those of the village.
In Edith's Bay, Leah meets Duncan Shay, a cabinet maker who is shunned because of his sordid past. He is her first patient, appearing the moment she arrives in town, with a gouge to his hand, which she successfully treats. Later, she tries to establish a medical practice but is obstructed both by the mores of the town and the objections of the local quack.
The prose in Song of the Wooden Sparrow is spare and in keeping with the late 19th century as are the descriptions of customs that seem far too strait-laced in this day and age. The sexual tension between Leah and Duncan is restrained yet blazing. As a physician, I can attest that Tutaine does a great job capturing the treatment of women physicians that persists to this day. This book is a lovely look at prejudice on many levels, yet is also about goodness and redemption. Loved reading it.
Dear Dotty
Jaclyn Westlake
Avon
c/o HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com
9780063340725, $9.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Dotty-Novel-Jaclyn-Westlake-ebook/dp/B0CH3GVX9T
Rosie Benson, at age twenty-four, can't figure out her life. She's stuck in a job she doesn't like and isn't particularly good at, but she's afraid to disappoint her parents if she quits. She has a great aunt, Dotty, who is a free spirit who offers guidance without interfering. Rosie has a series of life changes which alone would be enough to knock anyone for a loop: she's fired from her tech job, her parents divorce after thirty years of marriage, and her best friend falls in love with the man who fired her. On top of all that, Dotty dies unexpectedly, leaving Rosie devastated, having lost her primary anchor in her family. In this state of angst, Rosie reviews all her emails from Dotty, and decides to write everyone in her aunt's email contacts to advise them of Dotty's death and asks that they share their memories of her aunt. The replies fill in blanks in Dotty's life that Rosie had never known and allow her to rethink her own lift and priorities and give her the strength to follow her heart.
Dear Dotty revolves around themes of self-acceptance, grief, healing, family, and friendship. The characters are well-thought out and have good character arcs. I admit I sniffled a time or two towards the end.
On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service
Anthony Fauci, MD
Viking
https://www.penguin.com/overview-vikingbooks
9780593657485, $8.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Call-Doctors-Journey-Public-Service/dp/0593657470
Having been a physician in the trenches of urgent care, I didn't see the more severe cases of Covid, but I saw enough to realize what dire circumstances that pandemic caused around the world. Long an admirer of Dr. Fauci, I truly enjoyed his memoir, On Call, with its insights into the pandemic, its causes and treatments. I liked the look at his early life. Both parents with their service to others informed his decision to go into medicine. He rose from a humble New York Italian family to become one of the preeminent physicians in the modern world who served seven American presidents and remained unswervingly committed to his ideals despite death threats.
Though heavy on the sciences, On Call is still an enjoyable read. Fauci has an innate ability to simplify complex medical terms, issues, and the process for developing vaccines. At a time when homosexuals were falling victim to HIV/AIDS, he pushed for the development of treatments and hoped for a vaccine. He then handled Ebola, Zika, and most recently, Covid. Though Congressional Republicans often refused to grant money for investigation and treatment of these various illnesses, he continued to work to make the world a healthier place. His unwavering caring about the world's people and fighting the illnesses that plague us all is a testimony to what a human being can and should be. It is unfortunate that those who most need education and empathy will be unlikely to read this book.
Ghost Dancer
Robert Westbrook
Speaking Volumes
https://speakingvolumes.us
9781628157260, $4.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Dancer-Howard-Moon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0742PG3QQ
I heard that Robert Westbrook's Howard Moon Deer mysteries were the next big series for fans of the Leaphorn/Chee/Manuelito Native American mysteries written by the father-daughter duo of Tony and Anne Hillerman. With that in mind, I embarked on this series, beginning with the first, Ghost Dancer.
There is a dual hero set-up here with Howard Moon Deer and his friend/boss Jack Wilder. Howard is a late twenties Lakota who fled the reservation to attend Ivy League schools and travel in Europe. He's half-heartedly working on his dissertation in culinary psycho-sociology, titled "Philosophical Divisions at the Top of the Food Chain." Jack is a San Francisco cop who was blinded in an automobile accident and forced to retire. They both settle into a little town in New Mexico, San Geronimo, and open a detective agency.
Howard and Jack are hired by a disgraced ex-politician who now owns a ski resort. At their first meeting, the detectives find their client dead on the slopes. There are multiple suspects ranging from right-wing militant anti-abortion Christians and San Geronimo's New Wave population. As Howard is a typical lusty young man, there are some explicit sex scenes which might bother some readers.
Overall, the story lines are not as tight nor the characters as endearing as those in the Hillerman series. As Howard is estranged from reservation life and doesn't seem to fit in anywhere, the book lacks the deep sense of culture, history, and belonging that permeates the Hillermans' books. Simply because a series has a Native American protagonist does not mean it is as good as a Hillerman.
Cavalry Scout: A Novel
Dee Brown
Open Road Media
https://openroadmedia.com
9781453275238, $17.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cavalry-Scout-Novel-Dee-Brown-ebook/dp/B009KY5NOU
From 1948 through 1996, Dee Brown wrote thirty-four books, fiction, non-fiction, and memoir. I am slowly working my way through his oeuvre. He is an acclaimed chronicler of the American West, particularly the conflicts between white men and aboriginal tribes, with his Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee being widely lauded for exposing the systematic destruction of American Indian tribes to a world audience.
Brown's novel, Cavalry Scout, has the historical accuracy of his histories blended with a romance between John Singleterry, (a former Confederate army officer now serving as an army scout) and Marisa (a mixed-race woman living with the Cheyenne). As he falls in love with her, John becomes conflicted for two reasons: he's about to become engaged to his colonel's daughter and, as he spends more time with the Cheyenne, he begins to understand how poorly treated they have been by Sardis Pender, the unscrupulous Indian agent. The tribe, led by Red Eagle, is marched from place to place in the winter, underfed and poorly clothed, victims of broken treaty after broken treaty, having been removed from their reservation because of the discovery of gold. There are several twists along the way that add interest and conflict to this book.
This is a short novel at 296 pages and a good introduction to Dee Brown's works.
How to Align the Stars
Amy Dressler
Egret Lake Books
https://egretlakebooks.com
9781956498103, $18.95
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/How-Align-Stars-Shakespeare-Project/dp/1956498109
How to Align the Stars purports to be a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, though I didn't recognize the latter story except in retrospect - and Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorite of Shakespeare plays. In How to Align the Stars, an astronomer, Beatrice, tells herself that she is happy with her professorship, her chosen family, her home, and her cat. Her nemesis, Ben, returns to her college campus, and she immediately tangles with him, reigniting a leftover feud from their college days. Through the machinations of Heron and several other people, Bea and Ben come to terms with their anger and - perhaps - something else is developing.
Bea's chosen family includes Heron, a college senior who is engaged to Charlie and seems to have the perfect relationship, and a couple (Heron's father and his new wife) who own a vineyard. Bea, though, wants Heron to consider what she wants to do besides get married. As Ben and Bea get involved, cracks appear in Charlie's love for Heron, with devastating results.
This is romantic women's fiction, though both Bea and Heron have some growth in their psyches. I was more impressed with Heron's than Bea's, however, as she navigates emotional and psychological trauma from Charlie and his fraternity house in a scenario many young people these days must deal with.
Warrior Circle
Robert Westbrook
Speaking Volumes
https://speakingvolumes.us
9781628157345, $4.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Circle-Howard-Moon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0762VX5YH
I heard that Robert Westbrook's Howard Moon Deer mysteries were the next big series for fans of the Leaphorn/Chee/Manuelito Native American mysteries written by the father-daughter duo of Tony and Anne Hillerman. Though disappointed in the first Moon Deer book, Ghost Dancer, I ventured on to the second Moon Deer mystery, Warrior Circle, partly hoping the series improved and partly because I'd already bought the book.
There is a dual hero set-up here with Howard Moon Deer and his friend/boss Jack Wilder. Howard is a late twenties Lakota who fled the reservation to attend Ivy League schools and travel in Europe. He's half-heartedly working on his dissertation in culinary psycho-sociology, titled "Philosophical Divisions at the Top of the Food Chain." Jack is a San Francisco cop who was blinded in an automobile accident and forced to retire. They both settle into a little town in New Mexico, San Geronimo, and open a detective agency.
Howard and Jack are asked to investigate the disappearance of a member of a local "warrior circle," a group of white men who have co-opted a Native American tradition. This man disappeared during a camping trip in the mountains while all members were high on peyote. There are multiple suspects, mostly the other members of the warrior circle but a few red herrings thrown in, and a complicated story of city corruption. Complicating the situation, Howard's girlfriend, Aria, has disappeared, leaving her vehicle running and the sound system blasting opera, only 100 yards from his home. As Howard is a typical lusty young man, there are some explicit sex scenes with Aria and later with a more casual relationship which might bother some readers.
Overall, the story lines are not as tight nor the characters as endearing as those in the Hillerman series. As Howard is estranged from reservation life and doesn't seem to fit in anywhere, the book lacks the deep sense of culture, history, and belonging that permeates the Hillerman books. Simply because a series has a Native American protagonist does not mean it is as good as a Hillerman. I won't be reading further in this series.
Suanne Schafer, Reviewer
www.SuanneSchaferAuthor.com
Susan Bethany's Bookshelf
No Cure, No Problem: The Art of Healing
Jason Ott
Empowered Prevention, LLC
https://empoweredprevention.com
9798992174205, $18.99, PB, 324pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/No-Cure-Problem-Art-Healing/dp/B0F1HL4ZD9
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-cure-no-problem-jason-ott/1147057519
Synopsis: Battling chronic illness can mean a lifetime of medications and unanswered questions. Between your constant pain, physical limitations, and the mental and emotional toll, navigating the restraints of traditional medicine can be an overwhelming uphill climb.
With the publication of "No Cure, No Problem: The Art of Healing" by holistic health expert Jason Ott presents a simply life-changing framework that offers a hopeful path forward for chronic illness sufferers.
Drawing from his personal battle with colitis and his professional expertise as an integrative health consultant, in "No Cure, No Problem", Jason Ott has combined evidence-based insights with real-world stories to guide you toward meaningful healing.
Introducing the practical Lifestyle Menu framework, "No Cure, No Problem" also gives you the tools to organize your health journey step-by-step, focusing on bio-individuality -- what works for you, not a one-size-fits-all solution. Additionally, and with real-life testimonials and clear, actionable advice, "No Cure, No Problem" makes even complex healing techniques approachable and inspiring. Simplify the overwhelming maze of health options and gain actionable steps to regain your health, one choice at a time.
"No Cure, No Problem" addresses:
How to map your personal disease timeline to uncover the root causes of illness and set expectations for healing.
How integrative, herbal, and Western traditional medicine can work together to create a personalized, holistic plan with better results.
Why aligning your mind, body, and spirit with the Being Triad framework is the key to lasting wellness and self-healing.
The tools to think critically about healing and to balance evidence-based science with intuition so you can navigate the healthcare system from an informed perspective.
Real-life healing testimonials that demonstrate what's possible even in seemingly dire situations, offering empowerment, hope, and inspiration.
Whether you are struggling with chronic illness, caring for a loved one, or simply seeking holistic wellness, "No Cure, No Problem offers a practical way to take control of your health by integrating diverse modalities into a personalized and sustainable plan. With compassion, heartfelt stories, and a wealth of tools, "No Cure, No Problem" an ideal guide to whole-person health and healing.
Critique: Comprehensively informative, exceptionally well written, and impressively accessible for the general reader seeking a practical and effective DIY approach to a chronic illness through an holistic medicine approach, "No Cure, No Problem: The Art of Healing" is an ideal and strongly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Alternative Medicine collections and supplemental Holistic Health curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for medical students, academia, members of the medical community, and non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject of Chronic Pain, Naturopathic Medicine, and Pain Management that this paperback edition of "No Cure, No Problem: The Art of Healing" from Empowered Prevention, LLC is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Jason Ott is the founder of Empowered Prevention LLC, and a certified herbal nutrition health consultant with over 15 years of experience and 20,000+ hours helping clients regain wellness. He specializes in holistic, personalized strategies that integrate mind, body, and spirit. With certifications in exercise science, herbalism, and integrative health, Jason provides expert guidance to those navigating chronic illness.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Willis Buhle's Bookshelf
At the Millennium: Paradise Crossed
T. Awdry Winks
T. Awdry Winks Press
9798989127504, $36.99, HC, 444pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/At-Millennium-Paradise-Awdry-Winks/dp/B0DMF73S21
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/at-the-millennium-t-awdry-winks/1146522037
Synopsis: "At the Millennium: Paradise Crossed" by T. Awdry Winks is a contemporary interpretation and rewording of traditional, recognizable mythology with its allegorical characters served up to the reader as an ancient, social critique, tragedy, and comedy. It is a story of Eden, of lust and reckoning in the millennial American experience of racial, immigrant, sexual, and gender identity oppression, of capitalistic warmongering epoch -- and yet celebrating man's infinite potential.
Critique: Original, unique, iconoclastic, deftly crafted, and an inherently fascinating, memorable, thought-provoking read from start to finish, with "At the Millennium: Paradise Crossed", author T. Awdry Winks's narrative driven storytelling style raises his novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "At the Millennium: Paradise Crossed" is also readily available in paperback (9798989127511, $26.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: T. Awdry Winks is also the author of "The Garden of Earthly Delights: Poems" (9798989127559, $19.99 HC, $9.99 PB, $4.99 Kindle).
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
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