No Impact Man
Colin Beavan, © 2009
eco-memoir; 224 pages
This is a memoir written by Colin Beavan, an inhabitant of NYC, about deciding to try and live a year with no environmental impact. No electricity, no trash, no carbon emissions, etc. While retelling how he changes his and his family's life (wife and daughter) he reflects on our society and what has lead us to our current state of wasteful consumption and manufacturing of products.
He doesn't blame our society or preach that everyone should drastically change their lifestyles, but instead, tries to influence by pointing out positive aspects of living a simpler life with less consumption and better care for our environment. Reading about these positive impacts have convinced me to change some of my own habits.
I wholeheartedly believe that our culture has to make changes in how we live and what we value in order for our planet to continue to support us. This book does a great job of starting the conversation of how we can make this change happen and showing that this change doesn't mean a lower quality of life.
Check out the link above to see his website and...
read it
November 29, 2009
November 12, 2009
espionagical
The Unlikely Spy
Daniel Silva, © 1995
WWII spy thriller; 530 pages
This book was passed down to me by my Dad, a lover of all mystery, thriller trash novels. Silva won the Edgar Award (best new-comer in the mystery genre) for this debut novel, and it was well deserved.
He pits the German spy network vs. the British. Silva paints a great picture of the deceit surrounding the Allies invasion of Normandy.
If you are in the mood for a good spy novel. This one is definitely worth a read, and I have a beat up copy if you'd like to borrow it.
consider it
Daniel Silva, © 1995
WWII spy thriller; 530 pages
This book was passed down to me by my Dad, a lover of all mystery, thriller trash novels. Silva won the Edgar Award (best new-comer in the mystery genre) for this debut novel, and it was well deserved.
He pits the German spy network vs. the British. Silva paints a great picture of the deceit surrounding the Allies invasion of Normandy.
If you are in the mood for a good spy novel. This one is definitely worth a read, and I have a beat up copy if you'd like to borrow it.
consider it
October 23, 2009
Identity
The Orientalist
Tom Reiss; © 2005
Non-Fiction; 464pgs
This book is utterly fantastic in the original sense of the word. Upon scanning the book jacket, I was in disbelief that the array of events described could have happened. More so than that, I couldn't conceive that these things not only happened, but the protagonist, Lev Nussimbaum, was such an unknown quantity in the popular annals of history.
Born in Baku at the turn of the 20th century, Lev came of age in a time of upheaval, albeit one lined with oil riches. He lived through the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, escaped the deserts of Central Asia, doubled back through Azerbaijan and on to Turkey before emigrating to Europe.
Enamored with the allure of the dead Ottoman Empire, Lev transforms himself into a Muslim prince, Essad Bey, and eventually becomes a European literary sensation in mid-war Berlin. Author of best-selling non-fiction books, Lev's connection in this post-war era ran from Vladimir Nabakov to arms smugglers and Ezra Pound. As Nazism rise took hold, Lev's intricate facade crumbles around him.
This book is a tantalizing account of the first half of the 20th Century. More than that, however, it relates the compelling story of an enigmatic and appealing man struggling to find his place in a turbulent world after his own idyll was shattered in his youth.
READ IT
Tom Reiss; © 2005
Non-Fiction; 464pgs
This book is utterly fantastic in the original sense of the word. Upon scanning the book jacket, I was in disbelief that the array of events described could have happened. More so than that, I couldn't conceive that these things not only happened, but the protagonist, Lev Nussimbaum, was such an unknown quantity in the popular annals of history.
Born in Baku at the turn of the 20th century, Lev came of age in a time of upheaval, albeit one lined with oil riches. He lived through the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, escaped the deserts of Central Asia, doubled back through Azerbaijan and on to Turkey before emigrating to Europe.
Enamored with the allure of the dead Ottoman Empire, Lev transforms himself into a Muslim prince, Essad Bey, and eventually becomes a European literary sensation in mid-war Berlin. Author of best-selling non-fiction books, Lev's connection in this post-war era ran from Vladimir Nabakov to arms smugglers and Ezra Pound. As Nazism rise took hold, Lev's intricate facade crumbles around him.
This book is a tantalizing account of the first half of the 20th Century. More than that, however, it relates the compelling story of an enigmatic and appealing man struggling to find his place in a turbulent world after his own idyll was shattered in his youth.
READ IT
September 28, 2009
Up in Smoke
Adrift on the Nile
Naguib Mahfouz; © 1994
Fiction; 174pgs
This book is from the Nobel Prize winning author, Naguib Mahfouz. I have long desired to read his lauded Cairo Trilogy, but could only find the third installment at Half-Price Books. I figured this book would at the least be a adequate introduction to his award-winning prose.
Not entirely certain what to expect, I was delighted with the book. It is a quick read, both for its length and for the ease with which one can read the delicately structured sentences of the author. The plot revolves around a group of somewhat disenchanted middle-aged Egyptians inclined both towards the arts and the water pipe. Each is successful in their own path, but this success is marred by the overriding suspicions they hold for the absurdity of life. Nightly, they meet the protagonist ("the master of ceremonies") on his houseboat to partake in the illicit kif.
Much of the novel revolves solely around these nightly meetings, replete with conversations, hallucinations, and love triangles. Their mildly peaceable existence is thrown in disarray with an insertion of a new member who rebels against their absurdist leanings and argues for seriousness in life. Though both the absurd and the serious are buoys buffering the despair of life, they are diametrically opposed. It is these insoluble differences that drive the story forward and forever alter the makeup of these morally adrift citizens of Cairo.
CONSIDER IT.
Naguib Mahfouz; © 1994
Fiction; 174pgs
This book is from the Nobel Prize winning author, Naguib Mahfouz. I have long desired to read his lauded Cairo Trilogy, but could only find the third installment at Half-Price Books. I figured this book would at the least be a adequate introduction to his award-winning prose.
Not entirely certain what to expect, I was delighted with the book. It is a quick read, both for its length and for the ease with which one can read the delicately structured sentences of the author. The plot revolves around a group of somewhat disenchanted middle-aged Egyptians inclined both towards the arts and the water pipe. Each is successful in their own path, but this success is marred by the overriding suspicions they hold for the absurdity of life. Nightly, they meet the protagonist ("the master of ceremonies") on his houseboat to partake in the illicit kif.
Much of the novel revolves solely around these nightly meetings, replete with conversations, hallucinations, and love triangles. Their mildly peaceable existence is thrown in disarray with an insertion of a new member who rebels against their absurdist leanings and argues for seriousness in life. Though both the absurd and the serious are buoys buffering the despair of life, they are diametrically opposed. It is these insoluble differences that drive the story forward and forever alter the makeup of these morally adrift citizens of Cairo.
CONSIDER IT.
September 25, 2009
Connect
No One Belongs Here More Than You
Miranda July; ©2007
Fiction; 224pgs
This set of short stories was recommended to me by a new found friend. There was a slight amount of trepidation experienced about the prospect of reading this book. My familiarity with Miranda July was slight. I had seen Miranda July's award winning film, You, Me and Everyone We Know. Though it didn't exactly knock me flat, I enjoyed it. It was a unique perspective to be certain. So, while I thought I would most likely enjoy the book, the amount of praise heaped atop the collection was slightly unsettling.
Upon reading the first story, I was hooked. July's voice, though somewhat constant and similar throughout the series, was devastatingly effective. Though I've never seen her art showcases, the theme of the book as well as her film, is one of loneliness and disconnectedness. For all the personal isolation, these stories are simple tales with strong undercurrents of optimism. With bouts of savage hilarity and cutting depth, this is great set of stories.
READ IT
Miranda July; ©2007
Fiction; 224pgs
This set of short stories was recommended to me by a new found friend. There was a slight amount of trepidation experienced about the prospect of reading this book. My familiarity with Miranda July was slight. I had seen Miranda July's award winning film, You, Me and Everyone We Know. Though it didn't exactly knock me flat, I enjoyed it. It was a unique perspective to be certain. So, while I thought I would most likely enjoy the book, the amount of praise heaped atop the collection was slightly unsettling.
Upon reading the first story, I was hooked. July's voice, though somewhat constant and similar throughout the series, was devastatingly effective. Though I've never seen her art showcases, the theme of the book as well as her film, is one of loneliness and disconnectedness. For all the personal isolation, these stories are simple tales with strong undercurrents of optimism. With bouts of savage hilarity and cutting depth, this is great set of stories.
READ IT
September 17, 2009
Introspection
Night Train to Lisbon
Pascal Mercier; ©2007
Fiction; 496pgs
This book received remarkable praise across the European continent. Given a dearth of US praise, I feared something might have gotten lost in translation. I began with minor expectations and was initially quite pleased with the book.
The nominal protagonist is a professor of languages, specifically Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. He works in a secondary school in Switzerland. A man bound by letters and an unfailing memory, his somewhat catatonic scholarly state is severely shaken by a somewhat crazed Portuguese woman. Inspired, he begins browsing in a book shop where he inadvertently stumbles across an enchanting book by a Portuguese doctor. Dropping everything, he leaves Switzerland for Portugal, determined to find this man. What progresses from this point forward is as much the story of Raimund the Professor as it is Amadeu the doctor/posthumous author.
While there are many pratfalls throughout the text, my biggest problems were with the endless quotations from Amadeu's writings. Initially, I found them rather engaging, but they soon traveled down hill and I began to detest these interludes to the story itself. Paradoxically, I was alternately more interested in Amadeu's life as a doctor, resistance fighter, brother, husband, and lover than in Raimund's staid life. There was no driving force in Raimund. No tense moments, nothing over which he might prevail. He was simply there, delving into his own mind, searching for answers to his life.
The work is no doubt intellectual, the work of a true and learned man. It is, however, something I would recommend skipping unless you are in a particularly confusing point of life and uncertain of the future. In that instance, some of what is discussed could be quite beneficial to those in need of some soul-searching.
Consider It
Pascal Mercier; ©2007
Fiction; 496pgs
This book received remarkable praise across the European continent. Given a dearth of US praise, I feared something might have gotten lost in translation. I began with minor expectations and was initially quite pleased with the book.
The nominal protagonist is a professor of languages, specifically Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. He works in a secondary school in Switzerland. A man bound by letters and an unfailing memory, his somewhat catatonic scholarly state is severely shaken by a somewhat crazed Portuguese woman. Inspired, he begins browsing in a book shop where he inadvertently stumbles across an enchanting book by a Portuguese doctor. Dropping everything, he leaves Switzerland for Portugal, determined to find this man. What progresses from this point forward is as much the story of Raimund the Professor as it is Amadeu the doctor/posthumous author.
While there are many pratfalls throughout the text, my biggest problems were with the endless quotations from Amadeu's writings. Initially, I found them rather engaging, but they soon traveled down hill and I began to detest these interludes to the story itself. Paradoxically, I was alternately more interested in Amadeu's life as a doctor, resistance fighter, brother, husband, and lover than in Raimund's staid life. There was no driving force in Raimund. No tense moments, nothing over which he might prevail. He was simply there, delving into his own mind, searching for answers to his life.
The work is no doubt intellectual, the work of a true and learned man. It is, however, something I would recommend skipping unless you are in a particularly confusing point of life and uncertain of the future. In that instance, some of what is discussed could be quite beneficial to those in need of some soul-searching.
Consider It
September 13, 2009
Realization
Of Love & Other Demons
Gabriel Garcia Marquez; ©1994
Fiction; 160pgs
As part of my continuing education in all things Marquez, I read this book directly after finishing A Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Though similar in length and setting, Of Love... is a wholly separate beast. Among other threads, it revolves mainly around a young girl and the affecting power she has on the world around her.
The prose in Of Love & Other Demons has a rather methodical gait. It plods forward, like an unassuming moose. As one reads, the book patiently leads the reader, lulling one into a sort of malaise. While one is vitally interested, one is never enraptured. In the last fourth of the book, the work blossoms into something unmistakably powerful and beautiful. It is a profound marvel, like walking out of a dark theater into a dazzlingly sunny afternoon...disorienting, yet wonderful. This book, of all I've read, illustrates Marquez's unique finishing power. I'm not certain I've ever found an author so adept with endings.
READ IT
Gabriel Garcia Marquez; ©1994
Fiction; 160pgs
As part of my continuing education in all things Marquez, I read this book directly after finishing A Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Though similar in length and setting, Of Love... is a wholly separate beast. Among other threads, it revolves mainly around a young girl and the affecting power she has on the world around her.
The prose in Of Love & Other Demons has a rather methodical gait. It plods forward, like an unassuming moose. As one reads, the book patiently leads the reader, lulling one into a sort of malaise. While one is vitally interested, one is never enraptured. In the last fourth of the book, the work blossoms into something unmistakably powerful and beautiful. It is a profound marvel, like walking out of a dark theater into a dazzlingly sunny afternoon...disorienting, yet wonderful. This book, of all I've read, illustrates Marquez's unique finishing power. I'm not certain I've ever found an author so adept with endings.
READ IT
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