Author: Marcia Millman
Title: The unkindest cut: Life in the backrooms of medicine
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Rating: 5
Summary: This is a fantastic book, giving an insider’s view of what it’s like to be in the medical field. The author describes what she saw as an observer of what she considers to be "typical" events in American hospitals (though this was published in 1976, so a bit dated). She write exceptionally well, and really makes the scenes come alive. Although these scenarios played out more than three decades ago, much still rings true and I think that readers will find this not only very entertaining, but informative and thought-provoking as well. Great book!
Author: David Sedaris
Title: When you are engulfed in flames
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Rating: 2
Summary: This book is a series of essays written about mundane, everyday topics, in a rambling style that is definitely funny at times. I’m giving it the low rating because it’s also very crude in spots and has a fair amount of vulgarity. Granted, I did laugh at some of the sketches and stories, but I also cringed (and not in a good way) at others. All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this book although it’s received good reviews elsewhere and was heartily recommended to me by a friend.
Author: Gregory Maguire
Title: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
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Rating: 5
Summary: This was a great book, partly because it’s pure fantasy and it’s nice to immerse oneself in a fairy-tale like story again as an adult. The thing that makes it really great though is its depth--it’s more than just a story, it’s pretty deep social commentary ranging from religion to racism to animal rights to war and power.
The book is rather complicated so I won’t try to do any real recap here, but suffice it to say that the book is a fun and entertaining read that will really leave you thinking.
Author: Paulo Coelho
Title: The Alchemist
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Rating: 3
Summary: This book, now celebrating the 20th anniversary of its original release in Brazil, had rave reviews and wasn’t too long so it seemed perfect for an airline flight. It’s definitely a quick read-- didn't even last from Newark to Denver! And it was good.
I enjoyed the book, but didn’t feel that it lived up to its hype. The message, about following your dreams and paying attention to what life has to teach you (and being willing to sacrifice and take risks to get what you want) is a good one. The story is touching and well-written. If you’ve never thought much about these issues before it might be something of a revelation. But I imagine most of us have spent time contemplating these kinds of issues and have come to our own understandings and views... so if that is the case you won’t get as much out of it.
This isn’t to say that it’s not worth reading! I think it really is worth a read, particularly since you can do it in just a couple of hours. And if you just relax and open your mind, you’ll probably gain something. There were several phrases in the book that really resonated and I folded over the pages so I could come back to read them again. But if you’re looking for something really deep, I’m afraid this isn’t it.
Author: Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, Benjamini Ajak with Judy Bernstein
Title: They poured fire on us from the sky: The true story of three Lost Boys from Sudan
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Rating: 5
Summary: This book is a compilation--three firsthand accounts from three boys (two brothers and one of their cousins) who left Sudan, fleeing to Ethiopia and Kenya and finally making their way to the US just before the September 11 terrorist attacks here.
It’s interesting to hear the different perspectives that these boys have on their experiences--there are many overlaps, yet also unique aspects. They truly went through hell and this book serves to highlight not only how very very lucky we are, but also the strength that people can exhibit when pushed to the limit. As a psychologist I found myself wondering how objectively accurate their memories are and how much has been altered by time and trauma.
Author: Roland Merullo
Title: Breakfast with Buddha
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Rating: 4
Summary: This is the story of a successful, happy editor with a nice life who takes a road trip from New York to North Dakota, with a Rinpoche as a travelling companion (he does this as a favor to his sister, who "believes").
It’s a fun, quick read (short chapters) and is semi-inspiring in that it makes you feel that you can make small changes to your life that really will make a difference. The prose is humorous and the "lessons" understated. The Rinpoche’s quotes were created by the author after three decades of reading relevant works (many of which are listed in the author notes at the end of the book).
Author: Mohja Kahf
Title: The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf
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Rating: 4
Summary: This is the story of a Syrian girl growing up in a very conservative 1970s Muslim family... in the middle of Indiana. Although it is a novel, the author is Syrian (and came to the US as a child) and many of the experiences are reflective of what she’s seen and experienced. The book describes her struggle to maintain her ideals, her journey into a more fundamentalist form of Islam for a time, her withdrawal from the religious world, and her eventual blending of her worlds into a spirituality and world view that makes sense for her. It's not a life-changing book, but gives some interesting insights into the immigrant experience, as well as an intriguing perspective on finding oneself.
Author: Anne Lamott
Title: Bird by Bird
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Rating: 3
Summary: This is a book about how to write-- how to get started, stay motivated, take criticism, and so on. Lamott’s writing style is funny and engaging, although in some sections I felt like she was going overboard (either being repetitive or using too many examples to illustrate the same point). What I appreciated more than the "writing tips" were the ways in which these tips were really like tips on life. She writes about writing but the symbolism is quite clear. In particular I liked the chapter on perfectionism (how it can really damage you and how to get over it) and finding someone to critique your work (you need to find someone who is encouraging and respectful of you). Each chapter is quite short, so it's the kind of book you could read in 5-to 10-minute bursts as you have a few minutes to spare.
Author: Ben Mezrich
Title: Bringing Down the House
Rating: 5
Summary: This book is just plain fun. It's the story of six MIT math and engineering students who got into card-counting in a really big way, made a lot of money, and got caught. It can be read in just a few hours, and it's very entertaining. Despite the fact that I don't feel like I gained anything from reading the book, I'm giving it a 5 because it's just so exciting and interesting to read.
Author: Barbar Kingsolver
Title: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
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Rating: 4
Summary: This book outlines the experiences of a family taking a year off from processed and transported food to eat locally, and mostly organically, grown foods. The book is filled with additional commentaries on various environmental, sustainability, and public health issues, but is written in a very engaging and entertaining style. Throughout the chapters, insets written by Kingsolver's oldest daughter and husband flesh out the more political themes and the teenager's perspective.
I found that the book inspired me to be more supportive of local farmers and other food producers (bee keepers, bakers, etc.) and it made me feel proud of my own little garden. There are many useful recipes in the book and great ideas-- she makes things sound so simple and do-able (yes, I'm actually going to try making my own cheese).
I didn't give the book a "5" only because it became a little repetitive in spots; these can, of course, be skimmed, and overall it's a great and informative read.