BOOKS YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO READ

Watching the evening news or reading a newspaper is alarming enough. Why would anyone want to read MORE about our current seemingly dire circumstances—are you crazy? Well, I think well-researched , clearly written books really do books help the reader to understand much better the problems we’re all facing. In other words, rather than fueling anxiety, they are calming, restoring some sense of control over our circumstances by providing ideas for possible and probable solutions.

So, give some of these titles a try—particularly the ones about topics you’re not on top of, or those dealing with subjects you’d rather not contemplate at all. You just might finish one and feel a whole lot better!

Have you read one that I have missed, please feel free to post your suggestions, or send me an email, jkleven@sailsinc.org.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded

In HOT, FLAT AND CROWDED by Thomas Friedman, we read why we need a green revolution, and how it can renew America. >Order a copy through SAILS

Gusher of Lies

The dangerous delusions of "energy independence" by Robert Bryce in GUSHER OF LIES. >Order a copy through SAILS

Making War to Keep Peace

In MAKING WAR TO KEEP PEACE, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick asks is there ever a reliable when, where and how to use a military solution for world problems. >Order a copy through SAILS

Dumbest Generation

In the DUMBEST GENERATION Mark Bauerlein explains how the Digital Age stupefies young Americans and jeopardizes our future-don't trust anyone under 30. >Order a copy through SAILS

Bottlemania

BOTTLEMANIA, by Elizabeth Royte how water went on sale and how we bought it. >Order a copy through SAILS

What Happened

In Scott McClellans WHAT HAPPENED readers are taken inside the Bush White House and Washington's culture of deception.

Foreclosure of America

THE FORECLOSURE OF AMERICA by Adam Michaelson is the inside story of the rise and fall of Countrywide Home Loans and the default of the American dream. >Order this book through SAILS

Traffic

Tom Vanderbill, TRAFFIC, addresses why we drive the way we do and what it says about us. >Order a copy from SAILS

Dark Side

The DARK SIDE by Jane Mayer is the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals. >Order from Sails

Sleepers

The first installment "Sleepers", includes some now very familiar titles which were once undiscovered, yet recognized by Judie for their literary appeal combined along with a few new titles which Judie predicts are the next must reads.

The Godfather

The first title that I remember assigning to this category was THE GODFATHER. Yes, that amazingly popular book, movie series, etc. Back in the 1970's, however, few people had heard f Mario Puzo, the author. I remember ordering it for the Detroit Public Library as a novelized Mafia story, most probably very violent-perhaps a man's book. Well...After page one or two, I could not put it down, not matter if it had a convoluted plot with lots of characters-but what characters!!! >Order this book through SAILS

The Bridges of Madison County

Another book with a history similar to Puzo's was THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY by Robert Waller. I ordered that title here in Marion as a good beach read. Romance, a wandering photographer, lonely farm wife...Its wonderful plot and characters were soon talked about everywhere and we had to order more copes. This fascination was only enhanced later on by the casting of Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood as the leads in the movie. (I even had a call from a patron wondering if indeed the photographer did work for National Geographic). It was strictly fiction, but the characters were so life-like, one hoped they really had existed. >Order this book through SAILS

Still Alice

Recently, I have just finished reading another book which is definitely a "Sleeper". STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova. It was originally self-published by the author, a professor at Harvard. It was later picked up by a publisher, and also any library patron who has talked to friends or librarians who have read it. Can't put it down...Basically it is the story of a very bight woman who teaches at Harvard, but who begins to lose her memory in devastating ways, finally being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She chronicles this decline in heart-breaking detail.

One scene, early in the story, was quite riveting, and really summed u the under-lying terror she recounts. As an avid jogger, Alice continued with her routines in order to stay healthy as long as possible. One day, however, she ran into Cambridge, not far from her home, and stopped. As she describes it in detail, the reader freezes in horror, aware that any one of us could experience the same thing. She looks around and recognizes the shops and streets-can orient herself. However....She cannot remember how to get home from where she is. Should she turn right or left? The juxtaposition of the familiar with the Great Unknown is jarring beyond belief. >Order this book through SAILS

The Help

Another new title that I categorize as a "sleeper" is THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett. It's a first novel, but this Southern writer really understands what she's observing. It takes place in the Deep South-Mississippi in the early 60's. The Civil Rights movement is just beginning to penetrate rigid social norms. The narrative shifts from the various maids working in upper middle class households to the young white woman looking at the stratified society in which she lives, with sadness and disdain. The plot gimmick is that she wants to write a book from the perspective of the servants because she is becoming increasingly aware that it is the y indeed who are running the households. Most of the white women are portrayed as selfish and vapid. Housework and the raising of the children are almost totally done by the so-called maids who show a much greater understanding of human psychology that their employers. (Much like the NANNY DIARIES depicted New York's upper classes.) Tension runs through the narrative because once the book is published white society most likely would wreak severe revenge on these women whose work is their sole means of support. Their children would literally starve. Even though aliases are used and the author is termed "Anonymous" all involved with this enterprise have taken tremendous risks just as others, like Ros Parks, were doing on a national scale. This novel pro trays the grass roots underpinnings of the big Civil Rights battles. There is no question that courage was at the heart of it all. >Reserve a copy at the Elizabeth Taber Library