We are consolidating and moving!!

Hi all,

In an effort to have stuff published on a daily basis, hubby and I are combining blogs over at http://darwinbookcats.wordpress.com/

I'll be moving posts from here to over there until there are no more posts to be moved. So, you'll see repeats from me until all the content is moved. However, he'll be updating with new stuff about science, books, and cats. 

Thanks!!

Canada by Richard Ford

So, I've read a few books between the last time I posted and now and have neglected to post reviews about them. I hope to go back and catch up.

Today I bring you a review of Richard Ford's newest book Canada. Richard Ford is a Pulitzer Prize winning author in fiction and is considered to be part of the dirty realism movement.

To give a simple summary of this book, it is the story of a boy named Dell who faces unfortunate circumstances in his life at no choosing of his own.

The story is broken up into three parts, which are delineated for you in the book. The first part focuses on Dell and his family, which includes his twin sister Berner, and his father Bev and mother Neeva. Dell and Berner have never felt a sense of place since they were constantly moving due to his father being in the military. Eventually, they settle in Great Falls, Montana. I don't want to give too much away, but his parents come wrapped up in something that lands them in jail. Neeva, knowing that she and Bev would eventually get caught, has made arrangements for her kids to be picked up by a friend and taken to safety. However, before this happens, Berner decides to run away. Dell, by himself, is picked up by his mother's friend and is driven to Canada to live with the friend's brother, Arthur Remlinger. His life is in upheaval because of his parent's poor decisions.

Part Two of the book focuses on Dell's time in the small town in Canada. Dell works for Arthur by helping cleaning the hotel that Arthur runs and eventually helps with the goose hunts that he organizes. Close to then end of the book, it is revealed that Arthur has a somewhat dark past, and ends up dragging Dell into yet another unfortunate situation.

Part Three of the book is short and brings you to a present time in Dell's life. We find out Dell stayed in Canada and established a life for himself there. We also learn about what happened to Berner.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable read.

And a side note. We actually got to see Richard Ford in person at Politics & Prose, a D.C. bookstore. He read from the book, did a Q&A, and then signed books. Richard Ford is my husband's favorite living author, and  he insisted that we go. He was great and was so kind when signing books. He even allowed my husband to take a picture with him. It made me happy that my husband had the opportunity to meet him.

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

On my quest to become better educated in American History, I recently read Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. The Founding Fathers and their quest to have an independent nation is something that greatly intrigues me. I've already read about Thomas Jefferson, and decided I would learn about Benjamin Franklin.

This biography is extremely well written and absolutely enjoyable. It covers Franklin's entire life, from his running away from home at 17, to his death at the age of 84, with everything in between. I really enjoyed reading about his life as a printer, as a scientist, and later as a statesman. The book is nicely divided up into sections based on years. You find out many interesting facts, like that he was the toast of Paris when he was in France, with ribbons and coins with his likeness put on them. He had an illegitimate son, who had an illegitimate son, who had an illegitimate son. That's quite the family legacy. Also, he often started flirtations with younger women, but then distanced himself by acting very much the father figure through letters he would write them.

Seriously, this was such an enjoyable read. Find out more about how your country was founded and the role that Benjamin Franklin played by reading this book. I think I'm going to have to make a trip to Philadelphia now!!

The Help

I recently had the great pleasure of reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. If you have not read this book, you should. I really, really enjoyed reading it every night.  

The book centers on and is told through the view point of three main characters: Aibileen, Minny, and Miss Skeeter. Miss Skeeter is a young, white woman living in Mississippi in the 1960's. She is a member of the local social scene, playing bridge once a week and writing the newsletter for the Jackson Junior League. Aibileen and Minny are both African Americans working as hired help in the homes of white women. Aibileen works for Miss Skeeter's friend Elizabeth. Minny recently got fired by Hilly, who also happens to be the antagonist in this story, and now works for Celia Foote.

Skeeter has dreams of being a writer. She sends off an application off to Harper and Row, but gets a rejection letter saying she has promise but needs experience. So, she applies to the local Jackson newspaper filling in for the writer of the housecleaning column. Off course, Skeeter has no experience and decides to ask for Aibileen's assistance. After working with Aibileen, Skeeter thinks that writing a book from the point of view from the help would be something that Harper and Row would be interested in, and they are, especially with the Civil Rights movement.

Minny, who is sassy, works for Celia Foote. Celia is an outcast of the social scene, mostly because she married Hilly's old flame. She desperately wants to fit in, but she is never given a chance. Minny ends up becoming her confidant.

This book is an interesting look at race relations in the deep south. There is a lot more to the story, including the interactions between Skeeter and her mother, Skeeter's search for the truth about what happened to her old maid, Constantine, and Skeeter's relationship with a certain senator's son, but I don't want to give too much away because it is such a good book that you should read. And the movie isn't bad either!!

A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

I apologize for the lapse of time between my last book review and this one. One reason for this was due to the Christmas holidays. I was running around quite a bit and didn't have much time to read. The second reason for this is the book itself, more in that in just a second.

First, my main motivation for reading this book was to be more informed. Many people have preconceived notions about religions other than Christianity, and this bugs the hell out of me. Most of what people know is second hand, and often incorrect knowledge, especially when it comes to Islam.

This book is written by Karen Armstrong, a former nun. She discusses the three major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. She explains such topics as the rise of Yaweh, the controversy over the trinity, the prophet Muhammad, God as understood by philosophers and mystics, and the future of God.

The chapter that I enjoyed the most was the chapter on Islam, mostly because I learned a lot. For example, the Koran was revealed to Muhammed over a period of twenty-three years. Also, the Koran teaches that God had sent messengers to every people on the earth, such as Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Jesus, who were the prophets of the Jews and Christians (Jesus is only a prophet, not the son of God). Also, the Koran frequently addresses women explicitly, something that rarely happens in the Jewish or Christian scriptures. However, as in other religions, it was hijacked by the men, who interpreted the texts in a way that was negative for women.

Overall, this book was very informative. However, it can be extremely dense, which is partly why it took so long for me to complete it. However, if you are interested in learning about these three religions, I definitely think it is worth the time and effort to read this book.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

My latest read is Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, a memoir by Rhoda Janzen. Rhoda Janzen was living her life as in English professor when her husband dropped a bomb on her: he was leaving her for a gay man named Bob. Within that same week, she was in a car accident. She decided to take her sabbatical and head back to California to her Mennonite family.

The book focuses on her time back at home, reconnecting with her Mennonite roots. She reflects on her life growing up Mennonite. She reminisces on such things as the food they used to have to bring to lunch at school, such as borscht, or her desire to dance while growing up. She also delves into her relationship with her ex-husband and how it came to end. Her visit home is a healing process, not only physically, but emotionally.

Overall, this is an OK read. The book starts out strong but sort of drags out towards the end. It was interesting to learn about the Mennonites, since I didn't know too much about them before reading the book. Also, it's an interesting going back home story. Though Mennonite culture was not central to her adult life, Janzen never forgot where she comes from, and speaks of her Mennonite life fondly.

So, if you are looking for a  pretty easy read, that will help teach you more about Mennonite culture, this would be a good book to read.

The Beaufort Diaries

Recently I read a nice short read, a graphic novel by T. Cooper, The Beaufort Diaries. The husband insisted I pick it up at the "going out of business Borders" since it had a bear on the cover and would provide me fodder for my bear blog.

The Beaufort Diaries centers around a polar bear named Beaufort. He got separated from his mother via an ice floe. He headed south and eventually made it to Hollywood. While waiting tables, he gets a part in a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio about global warming. The film wins critical acclaim and Beaufort is the new hot thing in Hollywood. Then things go down hill for Beaufort. He passes on a part in The Golden Compass 2, his movie Bear bombs at the box office, and he gets hooked on drugs and alcohol. But don't give up hope, Beaufort finds himself again in the theater.

Overall, a quick entertaining read dealing with some real grown up issues. A short film based on the book was shown at the Tribeca film festival. You can check that out at my bear blog (click here).

Up in the Air

About a year ago, I watched the movie "Up in the Air" starting George Clooney. I really enjoyed the movie, especially the story line.   I had heard the novel itself was very good, but didn't have a chance to read the novel by Walther Kirn until recently. Let me say this, if you have seen the movie, you have a different story coming at you in the novel. Needless to say, the movie was loosely based on the book.

The story focuses around Ryan Bingham, a man who lives his life constantly in the air, flying from destination to destination. Ryan works in the field of career transition counseling. That is, he is brought in by companies to fire people, but he makes it seem less traumatic by counseling on their strengths and weaknesses for them to use in their future endeavors. On the side, Ryan goes around as a sort of a motivational speaker for the business sector.

Ryan has spent so much time flying, he is well recognized by several of the employees of Great West airlines, with which he is trying to earn one million frequent-flyer miles. Additionally, he knows the layout of the rooms in Homewood Suites, and is a loyal customer of Maestro car rentals. He secretly hopes he is being pursued by head hunters from a company called Myth Tech. However, he has a great disconnect from his own family back home in Minnesota, who are dealing with the planning of his sister Julie's wedding.

If you enjoyed the movie, I think you will enjoy the book, even though the two are nothing alike. I'm serious, they share the name of the main character, what his job is, the fact that he is trying to earn one million frequent-flyer miles, and that there is a sister getting married, but that is about it. Still, the book kept me captivated and it was quite an enjoyable read. 

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

Alright, so today I bring you yet another David Sedaris book of short stories, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. Think of this set of stories as a modern day, bad ass Aesop's Fables. What I really like about this set of stories is that Sedaris assigns both likable and unlikable human qualities to animals. My favorite stories include The Toad, the Turtle and the Duck, where the cast of characters are waiting in line for something in the swamp, The Mouse and the Snake, where a mouse cares for a baby corn snake, and The Grieving Owl, where an owl befriends a hippopotamus at the zoo. The stories are funny and you can easily knock this book out in a couple of hours. Another thing also enjoyable about this book are the illustrations by Ian Falconer, who is known as the author and illustrator of the Olivia the Pig books. Each story has at least one illustration associated with it, which is just as amusing as the story. Over all, this is a fun, quick read that I would recommend.

Barrel Fever by David Sedaris

Alright, today I bring you the second book I've read by David Sedaris, Barrel Fever, a collection of short stories and essays. This set of stories is not autobiographical like they were in Me Talk Pretty One Day. There are several amusing stories, like The Last You'll Hear From Me, a letter being read at the funeral of girl who committed suicide. Another one I like, though it had a slightly disturbing ending, was Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family. Santaland Diaries is an autobiographical essay about David's time working as an elf at Macy's during Christmas time. There are several stories in which homosexuality is either an underlying or active theme. If you are uncomfortable with that concept, then you probably won't enjoy the book. However, if you don't care, like I do, you should find all the stories amusing on some level.

American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson

My most recent read is something I don't normally read about, history. I've never been a big history fan. I think it stems from my history class in high school. The teacher really didn't care, and therefore didn't make it something that interested me. However, living right outside of Washington D.C., you can't help but be inundated by history. I've become interested more and more by the founding fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson. The Jefferson Memorial is one of my favorites to visit. Recently, the hubby and I made a trip to Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello. You can read about it and see  pictures of our visit at my other blog (click here). We loved our visit and learning more about our 3rd president. With our local Border's going out of business, we finally decided to pick up a biography about Jefferson.

We chose American Sphinx:  The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph Ellis since it was a well known biography of Jefferson and was a National Book Award Winner. This book examines several different time periods in Jefferson's life, starting with his time in Philadelphia, examining his life in France, his tenure as president, and ending with time in Monticello.

There are so many interesting tidbits in this book. We learn about his views on slavery. He was torn about ending slavery because he wasn't sure if the slaves would be able to properly incorporate themselves into American life. We learn about the establishment of his beloved University of Virginia, where he was adamant that it have no religious affiliation. We learn about his views on government. He preferred state rights and despised the Supreme Court. We learn about his love/hate relationship with John Adams and the letters they exchanged later in life.

This book was truly interesting and I learned a lot. It can be dense at times, especially when it comes to political dealings, but then it breaks into these wonderful sections about Jefferson's personal views on different topics, and that is what I really enjoyed. So, if you want to learn more about this founding father, I think this is a good place to start.

The Handmaid's Tale

I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood at the suggestion of my dear hubby. He really likes this book, and now I can see why.

Imagine a world where the religious right are in power. There are few women able to bear children, and those that are able to are rounded up and are sent to a school to become a Handmaid.

Handmaid's are assigned to families, each lead by a Commander. Handmaids are expected to take part in a "ceremony" each month in an effort to produce a child for the family she is assigned to.

The story centers around the main character of Offred, a handmaid. This story moves back and forth from Offred telling of her experiences as a handmaid, her time at the school where she learned to become a handmaid, and the time before the religious Gileads took over the country.

I envisioned the main character living a normal life during something like the 80's, and then being forced into this servitude and living in a world that is a weird mix of the middle ages and modern times.

I think the main reason I like this book so much is because it reminds me a lot of 1984 by George Orwell. It's a world where people are being constantly monitored and whisked away to never be seen again if they did something displeasing to the regime.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you haven't read Margaret Atwood before. It is an interesting depiction of what our world could be like if our country was run as a Christian theocracy.

Me Talk Pretty One Day

For today's book review I bring you Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I know, I know, I'm a little late jumping on the David Sedaris train, please forgive me.

Me Talk Pretty One Day is a collection of short stories about David Sedaris' life. It is divided into two parts. The first part includes several stories about his childhood growing up near the Research Triangle in North Carolina, from when he was older and in college, and post college. The second half of the book is focused on his time in Paris, France living with his boyfriend, Hugh.

I love short stories, and I was really entertained by the stories within this collection. Some of my favorite stories include "Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities", which is about David taking guitar lessons at the bequest of his father, and "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and "Jesus Shaves", which are both about David talking French lessons while in France.

I think the thing I like most about this book is that it is so candid. He's honest about his drug use and his homosexuality. He is willing to share the awkward moments in his life in an honest and funny light. I'm now hooked. Our local Borders is going out of business, and I swiped up every David Sedaris book I could find. I look forward to reading his other collections and I highly recommend this book of short stories, especially if you want to laugh to yourself or out loud.

Genesis: The Scientific Quest for Life's Origins

Today I bring to you Genesis: The Scientific Quest for Life’s Origins by Robert M. Hazen. 

Creationists always think they can stick it to evolutionary biologists by going “haha, you can’t explain how life came into existence”.  Well, quite frankly, that is not the business we are in. Evolutionary biologists think about how life has changed over time. But, that doesn’t mean an evolutionary biologist should remain uneducated about the origins of life, which is why I decided to read this book.

Hazen is an astrobiologist in the middle of the current research investigating how life arose on earth. This book is in some ways a personal account about Hazen’s life and his personal quest, along with his colleagues, to figure out how life came to exist. He touches on several different aspects of origins research. He mentions the early work of Urey and Miller, the two scientists who really pioneered origins research. He talks about the competing theories of where life began, at the ocean’s surface with waves crashing against rocks in the presence of violent early atmosphere, or in the depths of the ocean, under extreme pressures at hydrothermal vents.  He ends with talking about how self-replication might have arisen, with plenty other topics in between.

Overall, this book was O.K. I certainly leave feeling more informed about origins research. I also like how he made this book personal to his experiences. A couple things I didn’t like. One was the technicality of the book. While I could understand it pretty readily due to my background in science, I have concerns that someone from the general public might have a hard time with it. The second, he seems to be an apologist to the religious. Even though he seems against intelligent design, on page 80 of the book he states “Isn’t it more satisfying to believe in a God who created the whole shebang from the outset—a God of natural laws who stepped back and doesn’t meddle in our affairs?” Why even evoke God if there are natural laws that explain the observations? Just stick to the science, man!!

Overall, this is a good read to start with if you want to begin to understand origins research. I just wish the author had kept the science and religion separate. 

Welcome to my new blog!!

Well, this is the second blog I'm starting.  This new blog came about because I got jealous of the hubby blogging about all the books he is reading at darwinbookcats. Plus, I'm reading a lot of good books and I wanted to share!!

What types of books will I review here? Well, I read a lot of popular science books. As a scientist, I love reading about what other scientists are doing and how they present that information to the general public. I try to read fiction when I can. This is something I did all the time when I was younger, but sort of fell out of as I got older and became busy with school and work. I'm trying to get back into it now that I have the time. Also, I love short story collections, and I've been reading more of those lately.

I plan to post as soon as I get done reading a book, which normally takes anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks, depending on my level of busy-ness. Luckily, I take the bus to and from work, so I have designated reading time everyday!!

This blog is called The Science of Reading. One reason for this is because, well, I'm a scientist writing about books. But secondly, reading in general has become a science for me. I have to read a lot of scientific papers for work, and that in itself is a science. Being able to read, comprehend, and retain information for that kind of work takes time and practice. Something that I learned over time. Secondly, fitting reading for pleasure into our everyday lives can be a science. Everyone has to juggle something, work, kids, commuting, and fitting reading in can be quite a challenge.

I hope everyone enjoys this new blog. You can check out my other blog about National Parks and other natural places at iheartnationalparks.blogspot.com.