Amy's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 17 Sep 2024 19:37:38 -0700 60 Amy's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess]]> 21534350 " This elegantly written and useful book . . . describes how, for millennia, human beings have struggled to rein in desire." -USA Today At a time when the fallout from reckless spending and unrestrained consumption is fueling a national malaise, Daniel Akst delivers a witty and comprehensive investigation of the central problem of our how to save ourselves from what we want. Temptation reminds us that while more calories, sex, and intoxicants are readily available than ever before, crucial social constraints have eroded, creating a world that sorely tests the limits of human willpower. Referencing history, literature, psychology, philosophy, and economics, Akst draws a vivid picture of the many-sided problem of desire-and delivers a blueprint for how we can steer shrewdly away from a campaign of self-destruction.]]> 323 Daniel Akst 1101475439 Amy 0 to-read 3.70 2011 Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess
author: Daniel Akst
name: Amy
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/17
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]]> <![CDATA[The Inner World of the Immigrant Child]]> 19361817
Particularly relevant for courses dealing with multicultural and bilingual education, foundations of education, and literacy curriculum and instruction, this text is essential reading for all teachers who will -- or currently do -- work in today's school environment.]]> 299 Cristina Igoa Amy 0 to-read 4.14 1995 The Inner World of the Immigrant Child
author: Cristina Igoa
name: Amy
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1995
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/11/21
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]]> The Help 10966007
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.]]> 522 Kathryn Stockett 0425245136 Amy 0 to-read 4.42 2009 The Help
author: Kathryn Stockett
name: Amy
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/08/28
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]]> <![CDATA[How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character]]> 13435889
The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: Success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs.

But in "How Children Succeed," Paul Tough argues for a very different understanding of what makes a successful child. Drawing on groundbreaking research in neuroscience, economics, and psychology, Tough shows that the qualities that matter most have less to do with IQ and more to do with character: skills like grit, curiosity, conscientiousness, and optimism.

"How Children Succeed" introduces us to a new generation of scientists and educators who are radically changing our understanding of how children develop character, how they learn to think, and how they overcome adversity. It tells the personal stories of young people struggling to stay on the right side of the line between success and failure. And it argues for a new way of thinking about how best to steer an individual child � or a whole generation of children � toward a successful future.

This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers; it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.]]> 231 Paul Tough 0547564651 Amy 0 to-read 3.87 2012 How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
author: Paul Tough
name: Amy
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2016/06/04
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]]> <![CDATA[Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World]]> 24331373 Victory tells the fascinating story of the intertwined lives of Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first and second women to serve as Supreme Court justices.

The relationship between Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg—Republican and Democrat, Christian and Jew, western rancher’s daughter and Brooklyn girl—transcends party, religion, region, and culture. Strengthened by each other’s presence, these groundbreaking judges, the first and second to serve on the highest court in the land, have transformed the Constitution and America itself, making it a more equal place for all women.

Linda Hirshman’s dual biography includes revealing stories of how these trailblazers fought for their own recognition in a male-dominated profession—battles that would ultimately benefit every American woman. She also makes clear how these two justices have shaped the legal framework of modern feminism, including employment discrimination, abortion, affirmative action, sexual harassment, and many other issues crucial to women’s lives.

Sisters-in-Law combines legal detail with warm personal anecdotes that bring these very different women into focus as never before. Meticulously researched and compellingly told, it is an authoritative account of our changing law and culture, and a moving story of a remarkable friendship.]]> 390 Linda R. Hirshman 0062238469 Amy 0 to-read 3.82 2015 Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World
author: Linda R. Hirshman
name: Amy
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2015/09/06
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]]> <![CDATA[The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal]]> 23463183 From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning history The Dead Hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the Soviet military research establishment and aĚýpenetrating portrait of the CIA’s Moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the Cold War

While driving out of the American embassy in Moscow on the evening of February 16, 1978, the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station heard a knock on his car window. A man on the curb handed him an envelope whose contents stunned U.S. intelligence: details of top-secret Soviet research and developments in military technology that were totally unknown to the United States. In the years that followed, the man, Adolf Tolkachev, an engineer in a Soviet military design bureau, used his high-level access to hand over tens of thousands of pages of technical secrets. His revelations allowed America to reshape its weapons systems to defeat Soviet radar on the ground and in the air, giving the United States near total superiority in the skies over Europe.

One of the most valuable spies to work for the United States in the four decades of global confrontation with the Soviet Union, Tolkachev took enormous personal risks—but so did the Americans. The CIA had long struggled to recruit and run agents in Moscow, and Tolkachev was a singular breakthrough. Using spy cameras and secret codes as well as face-to-face meetings in parks and on street corners, Tolkachev and his handlers succeeded for years in eluding the feared KGB in its own backyard, until the day came when a shocking betrayal put them all at risk.

Drawing on previously secret documents obtained from the CIA and on interviews with participants, David Hoffman has created an unprecedented and poignant portrait of Tolkachev, a man motivated by the depredations of the Soviet state to master the craft of spying against his own country. Stirring, unpredictable, and at times unbearably tense, The Billion Dollar Spy is a brilliant feat of reporting that unfolds like an espionage thriller.]]> 336 David E. Hoffman 0385537603 Amy 0 to-read 4.19 2015 The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal
author: David E. Hoffman
name: Amy
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2015/09/06
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]]> <![CDATA[Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect]]> 20600453 313 Reese Erlich 1616149485 Amy 0 to-read 3.64 2014 Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect
author: Reese Erlich
name: Amy
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2015/08/26
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]]> <![CDATA[Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom (The Norton Series on the Social Neuroscience of Education)]]> 22253786 288 Tish Jennings 0393708071 Amy 0 to-read, education 4.00 2015 Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom (The Norton Series on the Social Neuroscience of Education)
author: Tish Jennings
name: Amy
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2015/06/14
shelves: to-read, education
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]]> The Homework Myth 111210 256 Alfie Kohn 0738210854 Amy 5 education 3.96 2006 The Homework Myth
author: Alfie Kohn
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2009/03/01
date added: 2015/06/14
shelves: education
review:
This book really made me think about my teaching. I don't have children of my own yet, but almost any mom or dad I talk to with kids in elementary school will tell me that the homework their child comes home with is more work for the parent than the kid, and not fun for anyone. This book examines the research that has been used to justify the mountains of homework kids are given, and finds that most homework isn't that beneficial.
]]> <![CDATA[Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet]]> 8268599 One of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year

For more than four hundred years, the art of ballet has stood at the center of Western civilization. Its traditions serve as a record of our past. A ballerina dancing The Sleeping Beauty today is a link in a long chain of dancers stretching back to sixteenth-century Italy and France: Her graceful movements recall a lost world of courts, kings, and aristocracy, but her steps and gestures are also marked by the dramatic changes in dance and culture that followed. Ballet has been shaped by the Renaissance and Classicism, the Enlightenment and Romanticism, Bolshevism, Modernism, and the Cold War. Apollo’s Angels is a groundbreaking work—the first cultural history of ballet ever written, lavishly illustrated and beautifully told.

Ballet is unique: It has no written texts or standardized notation. It is a storytelling art passed on from teacher to student. The steps are never just the steps—they are a living, breathing document of a culture and a tradition. And while ballet’s language is shared by dancers everywhere, its artists have developed distinct national styles. French, Italian, Danish, Russian, English, and American traditions each have their own expression, often formed in response to political and societal upheavals.

From ballet’s origins in the Renaissance and the codification of its basic steps and positions under France’s Louis XIV (himself an avid dancer), the art form wound its way through the courts of Europe, from Paris and Milan to Vienna and St. Petersburg. It was in Russia that dance developed into the form most familiar to American audiences: The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker originated at the Imperial court. In the twentieth century, émigré dancers taught their art to a generation in the United States and in Western Europe, setting off a new and radical transformation of dance.

Jennifer Homans is a historian and critic who was also a professional dancer: She brings to Apollo’s Angels a knowledge of dance born of dedicated practice. She traces the evolution of technique, choreography, and performance in clean, clear prose, drawing readers into the intricacies of the art with vivid descriptions of dances and the artists who made them. Her admiration and love for the ballet shines through on every page. Apollo’s Angels is an authoritative work, written with a grace and elegance befitting its subject.]]> 643 Jennifer Homans 1400060605 Amy 3 4.00 2010 Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet
author: Jennifer Homans
name: Amy
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2015/06/14
date added: 2015/06/14
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]]> <![CDATA[Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind]]> 23516938 One woman’s journey to find the lost love her grandfather left behind when he fled pre-World War II Europe, and an exploration into family identity, myth, and memory.Years after her grandfather’s death, journalist Sarah Wildman stumbled upon a cache of his letters in a file labeled â€� Patients A–G.â€� What she found inside weren’t dry medical histories; instead what was written opened a path into the destroyed world that was her family’s prewar Vienna. One woman’s letters stood those from Valy—Valerie Scheftel.ĚýĚý Her grandfather’s lover who had remained behind when he fled Europe six months after the Nazis annexed Austria.Valy’s name wasn’t unknown to her—Wildman had once asked her grandmother about a dark-haired young woman whose images she found in an old photo album. “She wasĚýyour grandfather’s true love,â€� her grandmother said at the time, and refused any other questions. But now, with the help of the letters, Wildman started to piece together Valy’s story. They revealed a woman desperate to escape andĚý clinging to the memory of a love that defined her years of freedom.Obsessed with Valy’s story, Wildman began a quest that lasted years and spanned continents. She discovered, to her shock, an entireĚýworld of other people searching for the same woman. On in the course ofĚý discoveringĚý Valy’s ultimate fate, she was forced to reexamine the story of her grandfather’s triumphant escape and how this history fit within her own life and in the process, she rescues a life seemingly lost to history.]]> 387 Sarah Wildman 1101616164 Amy 0 to-read 3.99 2014 Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind
author: Sarah Wildman
name: Amy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/11/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance]]> 213233 Salon). Gawande's investigation into medical professionals and how they progress from merely good to great provides rare insight into the elements of success, illuminating every area of human endeavor.]]> 288 Atul Gawande 0805082115 Amy 0 to-read 4.24 2007 Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
author: Atul Gawande
name: Amy
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/26
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Wait: The Art and Science of Delay]]> 13237713
In this counterintuitive and insightful work, author Frank Partnoy weaves together findings from hundreds of scientific studies and interviews with wide-ranging experts to craft a picture of effective decision-making that runs counter to our brutally fast-paced world. Even as technology exerts new pressures to speed up our lives, it turns out that the choices we make -- unconsciously and consciously, in time frames varying from milliseconds to years -- benefit profoundly from delay. As this winning and provocative book reveals, taking control of time and slowing down our responses yields better results in almost every arena of life -- even when time seems to be of the essence.

The procrastinator in all of us will delight in Partnoy's accounts of celebrity "delay specialists," from Warren Buffett to Chris Evert to Steve Kroft, underscoring the myriad ways in which delaying our reactions to everyday choices -- large and small -- can improve the quality of our lives.]]> 304 Frank Partnoy 1610390040 Amy 0 to-read 3.60 2012 Wait: The Art and Science of Delay
author: Frank Partnoy
name: Amy
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains]]> 9778945 Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also crystallized one of the most important debates of our time: As we enjoy the Net’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply?

Now, Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration of the Internet’s intellectual and cultural consequences yet published. As he describes how human thought has been shaped through the centuries by “tools of the mind”—from the alphabet to maps, to the printing press, the clock, and the computer—Carr interweaves a fascinating account of recent discoveries in neuroscience by such pioneers as Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel. Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. The technologies we use to find, store, and share information can literally reroute our neural pathways.

Building on the insights of thinkers from Plato to McLuhan, Carr makes a convincing case that every information technology carries an intellectual ethic—a set of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and intelligence. He explains how the printed book served to focus our attention, promoting deep and creative thought. In stark contrast, the Internet encourages the rapid, distracted sampling of small bits of information from many sources. Its ethic is that of the industrialist, an ethic of speed and efficiency, of optimized production and consumption—and now the Net is remaking us in its own image. We are becoming ever more adept at scanning and skimming, but what we are losing is our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection.

Part intellectual history, part popular science, and part cultural criticism, The Shallows sparkles with memorable vignettes—Friedrich Nietzsche wrestling with a typewriter, Sigmund Freud dissecting the brains of sea creatures, Nathaniel Hawthorne contemplating the thunderous approach of a steam locomotive—even as it plumbs profound questions about the state of our modern psyche. This is a book that will forever alter the way we think about media and our minds.]]> 280 Nicholas Carr 0393339750 Amy 0 to-read 3.90 2010 The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
author: Nicholas Carr
name: Amy
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See]]> 140053
Erik Weihenmayer was born with retinoscheses, a degenerative eye disorder that would leave him blind by the age of thirteen. But Erik was determined to rise above this devastating disability and lead a fulfilling and exciting life.

In this poignant and inspiring memoir, he shares his struggle to push past the limits imposed on him by his visual impairment-and by a seeing world. He speaks movingly of the role his family played in his battle to break through the barriers of blindness: the mother who prayed for the miracle that would restore her son's sight and the father who encouraged him to strive for that distant mountaintop. And he tells the story of his dream to climb the world's Seven Summits, and how he is turning that dream into astonishing reality (something fewer than a hundred mountaineers have done).

From the snow-capped summit of McKinley to the towering peaks of Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro to the ultimate challenge, Mount Everest, this is a story about daring to dream in the face of impossible odds. It is about finding the courage to reach for that ultimate summit, and transforming your life into something truly miraculous.

"An inspiration to other blind people and plenty of us folks who can see just fine."â€� Jon Krakauer,Ěý New York Times Ěýbestselling author ofĚý Into Thin Air]]> 342 Erik Weihenmayer 0452282942 Amy 0 to-read 4.13 2001 Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See
author: Erik Weihenmayer
name: Amy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2001
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> Mao's Last Dancer 298137
Until, that is, Madame Mao's cultural delegates came in search of young peasants to study ballet at the academy in Beijing and he was thrust into a completely unfamiliar world.

When a trip to Texas as part of a rare cultural exchange opened his eyes to life and love beyond China's borders, he defected to the United States in an extraordinary and dramatic tale of Cold War intrigue.

Told in his own distinctive voice, this is Li's inspirational story of how he came to be Mao's last dancer, and one of the world's greatest ballet dancers.]]> 480 Li Cunxin 0425201333 Amy 0 to-read 4.13 2003 Mao's Last Dancer
author: Li Cunxin
name: Amy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Russians: The People Behind the Power]]> 15791128
Russians explores the seeming paradoxes of life in Russia by unraveling the nature of its what is it in their history, their desires, and their conception of themselves that makes them baffling to the West? Using the insights of his decade as a journalist in Russia, Feifer corrects pervasive misconceptions by showing that much of what appears inexplicable about the country is logical when seen from the inside. He gets to the heart of why the world's leading energy producer continues to exasperate many in the international community. And he makes clear why President Vladimir Putin remains popular even as the gap widens between the super-rich and the great majority of poor.

Traversing the world's largest country from the violent North Caucasus to Arctic Siberia, Feifer conducted hundreds of intimate conversations about everything from sex and vodka to Russia's complex relationship with the world. From fabulously wealthy oligarchs to the destitute elderly babushki who beg in Moscow's streets, he tells the story of a society bursting with vitality under a leadership rooted in tradition and often on the edge of collapse despite its authoritarian power.

Feifer also draws on formative experiences in Russia's past and illustrative workings of its culture to shed much-needed light on the purposely hidden functioning of its society before, during, and after communism. Woven throughout is an intimate, first-person account of his family history, from his Russian mother's coming of age among Moscow's bohemian artistic elite to his American father's harrowing vodka-fueled run-ins with the KGB.

What emerges is a rare portrait of a unique land of extremes whose forbidding geography, merciless climate, and crushing corruption has nevertheless produced some of the world's greatest art and some of its most remarkable scientific advances. Russians is an expertly observed, gripping profile of a people who will continue challenging the West for the foreseeable future.]]> 384 Gregory Feifer 1455509647 Amy 0 to-read 3.80 2013 Russians: The People Behind the Power
author: Gregory Feifer
name: Amy
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks]]> 13642999 The definitive political biography of Rosa Parks examines her six decades of activism, challenging perceptions of her as an accidental actor in the civil rights movement

Presenting a corrective to the popular notion of Rosa Parks as the quiet seamstress who, with a single act, birthed the modern civil rights movement, Theoharis provides a revealing window into Parks’s politics and years of activism. She shows readers how this civil rights movement radical sought—for more than a half a century—to expose and eradicate the American racial-caste system in jobs, schools, public services, and criminal justice.]]> 320 Jeanne Theoharis 0807050474 Amy 0 to-read 4.02 2013 The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
author: Jeanne Theoharis
name: Amy
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> The Influencers 12427984 120 T.R. Johnson 0615500188 Amy 0 to-read 3.00 2011 The Influencers
author: T.R. Johnson
name: Amy
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets]]> 17287021 While recounting memorable episodes such as “Bart the Genius� and “Homer3,� Singh weaves in mathematical stories that explore everything from p to Mersenne primes, Euler's equation to the unsolved riddle of P v. NP; from perfect numbers to narcissistic numbers, infinity to even bigger infinities, and much more. Along the way, Singh meets members of The Simpsons ' brilliant writing team-among them David X. Cohen, Al Jean, Jeff Westbrook, and Mike Reiss-whose love of arcane mathematics becomes clear as they reveal the stories behind the episodes.
With wit and clarity, displaying a true fan's zeal, and replete with images from the shows, photographs of the writers, and diagrams and proofs, The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets offers an entirely new insight into the most successful show in television history.]]> 253 Simon Singh 1620402777 Amy 0 to-read 3.89 2013 The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets
author: Simon Singh
name: Amy
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest]]> 236856 512 Craig Childs 0316608173 Amy 0 to-read 4.17 2007 House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest
author: Craig Childs
name: Amy
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> Little Red in the City 11712120 264 Ysolda Teague 0956525822 Amy 0 to-read 4.45 2011 Little Red in the City
author: Ysolda Teague
name: Amy
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Once and Future King 43545 639 T.H. White 0441627404 Amy 0 to-read 4.07 1958 The Once and Future King
author: T.H. White
name: Amy
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1958
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief]]> 16142053 the Looming Tower. Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with both current and former Scientologists--both famous and less well known--and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative skills to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology: its origins in the imagination of science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard; its struggles to find acceptance as a legitimate (and legally acknowledged) religion; its vast, secret campaign to infiltrate the U.S. government; and its dramatic efforts to grow and prevail after the death of Hubbard.

At the book's center, two men whom Wright brings vividly to life, showing how they have made Scientology what it is today: The darkly brilliant L. Ron Hubbard--whose restless, expansive mind invented a new religion tailor-made to prosper in the spiritually troubled post-World War II era. And his successor, David Miscavige--tough and driven, with the unenviable task of preserving the church in the face of ongoing scandals and continual legal assaults.

We learn about Scientology's esoteric cosmology; about the auditing process that determines an inductee's state of being; about the Bridge to Total Freedom, through which members gain eternal life. We see the ways in which the church pursues celebrities, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, and how young idealists who joined the Sea Org, the church's clergy, whose members often enter as children, signing up with a billion-year contract and working with little pay in poor conditions. We meet men and women "disconnected" from friends and family by the church's policy of shunning critical voices. And we discover, through many firsthand stories, the violence that has long permeated the inner sanctum of the church.

In Going Clear, Wright examines what fundamentally makes a religion a religion, and whether Scientology is, in fact, deserving of the constitutional protections achieved in its victory over the IRS. Employing all his exceptional journalistic skills of observations, understanding, and synthesis, and his ability to shape a story into a compelling narrative, Lawrence Wright has given us an evenhanded yet keenly incisive book that goes far beyond an immediate exposé and uncovers the very essence of what makes Scientology the institution it is.]]> 430 Lawrence Wright 0307700666 Amy 0 to-read 4.02 2013 Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
author: Lawrence Wright
name: Amy
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> The Last Days of Richard III 8161874 192 John Ashdown-Hill 0752454048 Amy 0 to-read 3.92 2010 The Last Days of Richard III
author: John Ashdown-Hill
name: Amy
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Painted Girls 16138688
Marie throws herself into dance and is soon modeling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her image will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. There she meets a wealthy male patron of the ballet, but might the assistance he offers come with strings attached? Meanwhile Antoinette, derailed by her love for the dangerous Émile Abadie, must choose between honest labor and the more profitable avenues open to a young woman of the Parisian demimonde.

Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change, The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of "civilized society." In the end, each will come to realize that her salvation, if not survival, lies with the other.]]> 357 Cathy Marie Buchanan 1594486247 Amy 0 to-read 3.60 2012 The Painted Girls
author: Cathy Marie Buchanan
name: Amy
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[The Passage of Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, #4)]]> 13049569 The Passage of PowerĚýfollows Lyndon Johnson through both the most frustrating and the most triumphant periods of his careerâ€�1958 to1964. It is a time that would see him trade the extraordinary power he had created for himself as Senate Majority Leader for what became the wretched powerlessness of a Vice President in an administration that disdained and distrusted him. Yet it was, as well, the time in which the presidency, the goal he had always pursued, would be thrust upon him in the moment it took an assassin’s bullet to reach its mark.

By 1958, as Johnson began to maneuver for the presidency, he was known as one of the most brilliant politicians of his time, the greatest Senate Leader in our history. But the 1960 nomination would go to the young senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. Caro gives us an unparalleled account of the machinations behind both the nomination and Kennedy’s decision to offer Johnson the vice presidency, revealing the extent of Robert Kennedy’s efforts to force Johnson off the ticket. With the consummate skill of a master storyteller, he exposes the savage animosity between Johnson and Kennedy’s younger brother, portraying one of America’s great political feuds. Yet Robert Kennedy’s overt contempt for Johnson was only part of the burden of humiliation and isolation he bore as Vice President. With a singular understanding of Johnson’s heart and mind, Caro describes what it was like for this mighty politician to find himself altogether powerless in a world in which power is the crucial commodity.Ěý

For the first time, in Caro’s breathtakingly vivid narrative, we see the Kennedy assassination through Lyndon Johnson’s eyes. We watch Johnson step into the presidency, inheriting a staff fiercely loyal to his slain predecessor; a Congress determined to retain its power over the executive branch; and a nation in shock and mourning. We see how within weeks—grasping the reins of the presidency with supreme mastery—he propels through Congress essential legislation that at the time of Kennedy’s death seemed hopelessly logjammed and seizes on a dormant Kennedy program to create the revolutionary War on Poverty. Caro makes clear how the political genius with which Johnson had ruled the Senate now enabled him to make the presidency wholly his own. This was without doubt Johnson’s finest hour, before his aspirations and accomplishments were overshadowed and eroded by the trap of Vietnam.

In its exploration of this pivotal period in Johnson’s life—and in the life of the nationâ€�The Passage of PowerĚýis not only the story of how he surmounted unprecedented obstacles in order to fulfill the highest purpose of the presidency but is, as well, a revelation of both the pragmatic potential in the presidency and what can be accomplished when the chief executive has the vision and determination to move beyond the pragmatic and initiate programs designed to transform a nation.]]> 712 Robert A. Caro 0679405070 Amy 0 to-read 4.36 2012 The Passage of Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, #4)
author: Robert A. Caro
name: Amy
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> Healing and the Mind 697065 Healing And The Mind has become aĚýĚýtouchstone, shaping the debate over alternative medicalĚýĚýtreatments and the role of the mind in illness andĚýĚýrecovery in a way that few books have in recentĚýĚýmemory. With almost half a million copies in print,ĚýĚýit is already a classic -- the most widely readĚýĚýand influential book of its kind.

In a series ofĚýĚýfascinating interviews with world-renowned expertsĚýĚýand laypeople alike, Bill Moyers explores the newĚýĚýmind/body medicine. Healing And TheĚýĚýMind shows how it is being practiced in theĚýĚýtreatment of stress, chronic disease, and neonatalĚýĚýproblems in several American hospitals; examines theĚýĚýchemical basis of emotions, and their potentialĚýĚýfor making us sick (and making us well); exploresĚýĚýthe fusion of traditional Chinese medicine withĚýĚýmodern Western practices in contemporary China; andĚýĚýtakes an up-close, personal look at alternativeĚýĚýhealing therapies, including a Massachusetts centerĚýĚýthat combines Eastern meditation and Western groupĚýĚýtherapy, and a California retreat for cancerĚýĚýpatients who help each other even when a cure isĚýĚýimpossible. Topics include:

The Healing Roles of Doctor and Patient
The Healing Environment
Healing and the Community
Self-Regulation and Conditioning
Changing Life Habits
Meditation
Stress Reduction
Therapeutic Support Groups
The Chemical Communicators
Emotions and the Immune System
Conditioned Responses
Medicine in a Mind/Body Culture
Another Way of Seeing
Healing and Wholeness

Combining the incisive yet personal interviewĚýĚýapproach that made A World Of IdeasĚýĚýa feast for the mind and the provocative interplayĚýĚýof text and art that made The Power OfĚýĚýMyth a feast for the imagination,ĚýĚýHealing And The Mind is a landmark work.]]> 370 Bill Moyers 0385476876 Amy 0 to-read 4.18 1993 Healing and the Mind
author: Bill Moyers
name: Amy
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1993
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Dud Avocado 1059856 The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking.

Charming, sexy, and hilarious, The Dud Avocado gained instant cult status when it was first published and it remains a timeless portrait of a woman hell-bent on living.

“I had to tell someone how much I enjoyed The Dud Avocado. It made me laugh, scream, and guffaw (which, incidentally, is a great name for a law firm).� —Groucho Marx

“A cheerfully uninhibited...variation on the theme of the Innocents Abroad...Miss Dundy comes up with fresh and spirited comedy....Her novel is enormous fun—sparklingly written, genuinely youthful in spirit.� �The Atlantic]]> 260 Elaine Dundy 1590172329 Amy 0 to-read 3.66 1958 The Dud Avocado
author: Elaine Dundy
name: Amy
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1958
rating: 0
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shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Disquiet, Please!: More Humor Writing from The New Yorker]]> 4537005
S. J. Perelman unearths the furious letters of a foreign correspondent in India to the laundry he insists on using in Paris (“Who charges six francs to wash a cummerbund?!�). Woody Allen recalls the “Whore of Mensa,� who excites her customers by reading Proust (or, if you want, two girls will explain Noam Chomsky). Steve Martin’s pill bottle warns us of side effects ranging from hair that smells of burning tires to teeth receiving radio broadcasts. Andy Borowitz provides his version of theater-lobby notices (“In Act III, there is full frontal nudity, but not involving the actor you would like to see naked�). David Owen’s rules for dating his ex-wife start out magnanimous and swiftly disintegrate into sarcasm, self-loathing, and rage, and Noah Baumbach unfolds a history of his last relationship in the form of Zagat reviews.

Meanwhile, off in a remote “willage� in Normandy, David Sedaris is drowning a mouse (“This was for the best, whether the mouse realized it or not�).

Plus asides, fancies, rebukes, and musings from Patty Marx, Calvin Trillin, Bruce McCall, Garrison Keillor, Veronica Geng, Ian Frazier, Roy Blount, Jr., and many others.

If laughter is the best medicine, Disquiet, Please is truly a wonder drug.]]> 544 David Remnick 1400068010 Amy 0 to-read 3.69 2008 Disquiet, Please!: More Humor Writing from The New Yorker
author: David Remnick
name: Amy
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2008
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Fierce Pajamas: An Anthology of Humor Writing from The New Yorker]]> 121657 528 David Remnick 0375761276 Amy 0 to-read 3.77 2001 Fierce Pajamas: An Anthology of Humor Writing from The New Yorker
author: David Remnick
name: Amy
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Art of Racing in the Rain 3153910
Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life ... as only a dog could tell it.]]> 336 Garth Stein 1554681723 Amy 0 to-read 4.22 2008 The Art of Racing in the Rain
author: Garth Stein
name: Amy
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2008
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void]]> 7237456 The best-selling author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity.

Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour?

To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.]]> 334 Mary Roach 0393068471 Amy 0 to-read 3.93 2010 Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
author: Mary Roach
name: Amy
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> Born to Run 1948120
For Best Mate, being rescued from drowning as a young puppy is only the start of his adventures. From unwanted burden to favourite companion, and from pet to champion race dog, this remarkable greyhound proves that it's not just cats who have more than one life. Cast aside, kidnapped, adopted or living rough on the streets, Best Mate can always find a way to survive. But will he ever find a real home?]]> 240 Michael Morpurgo 0007230575 Amy 0 to-read 4.16 2007 Born to Run
author: Michael Morpurgo
name: Amy
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and our Health—and a Vision for Change]]> 6936019 An Inconvenient Truth and Silent Spring, The Story of Stuff expands on the celebrated documentary exploring the threat of overconsumption on the environment, economy, and our health. Leonard examines the “stuff� we use everyday, offering a galvanizing critique and steps for a changed planet.

The Story of Stuff was received with widespread enthusiasm in hardcover, by everyone from Stephen Colbert to Tavis Smiley to George Stephanopolous on Good Morning America, as well as far-reaching print and blog coverage. Uncovering and communicating a critically important idea—that there is an intentional system behind our patterns of consumption and disposal—Annie Leonard transforms how we think about our lives and our relationship to the planet.

From sneaking into factories and dumps around the world to visiting textile workers in Haiti and children mining coltan for cell phones in the Congo, Leonard, named one of Time magazine’s 100 environmental heroes of 2009, highlights each step of the materials economy and its actual effect on the earth and the people who live near sites like these.

With curiosity, compassion, and humor, Leonard shares concrete steps for taking action at the individual and political level that will bring about sustainability, community health, and economic justice. Embraced by teachers, parents, churches, community centers, activists, and everyday readers, The Story of Stuff will be a long-lived classic.]]> 352 Annie Leonard 143912566X Amy 0 to-read 4.08 2010 The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and our Health—and a Vision for Change
author: Annie Leonard
name: Amy
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> Grendel 676737 Beowulf, tells his side of the story in a book William Gass called "one of the finest of our contemporary fictions."]]> 174 John Gardner 0679723110 Amy 0 to-read 3.68 1971 Grendel
author: John Gardner
name: Amy
average rating: 3.68
book published: 1971
rating: 0
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]]> You Grow Girl 256660 You Grow Girl is a hip, humorous how-to for crafty gals everywhere who are discovering a passion for gardening but lack the know-how to turn their dreams of homegrown tomatoes and fresh-cut flowers into a reality.
Gayla Trail, creator of YouGrowGirl.com, provides guidance for both beginning and intermediate gardeners with engaging tips, projects, and recipes -- whether you have access to a small backyard or merely to a fire escape. You Grow Girl eliminates the intimidation factor and reveals how easy and enjoyable it can be to cultivate plants and flowers even when resources and space are limited. Divided into accessible sections like Plan, Plant, and Grow, You Grow Girl takes readers through the entire gardening experience:

Preparing soil


Nurturing seedlings


Fending off critters



Reaping the bounty


Readying plants for winter


Preparing for the seasons ahead


Gayla also includes a wealth of ingenious and creative projects, such as:

Transforming your garden's harvest into lush bath and beauty products


Converting household junk into canny containers


Growing and bagging herbal tea


Concocting homemade pest repellents

...and much, much more.
Witty, wise, and as practical as it is stylish, You Grow Girl is guaranteed to show you how to get your garden on. All you need is a windowsill and a dream!]]> 208 Gayla Trail 0743270142 Amy 0 to-read 4.11 2005 You Grow Girl
author: Gayla Trail
name: Amy
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light]]> 16131044 A deeply panoramic tour of the night, from its brightest spots to the darkest skies we have left.

A starry night is one of nature's most magical wonders, yet in our artificially lit world, three-quarters of Americans' eyes never switch to night vision, and most no longer experience true darkness. In The End of Night, Paul Bogard restores awareness of the spectacularly primal, wildly dark night sky and how it has influenced the human experience across everything from science to art.

From Las Vegas's Luxor Beam (the brightest single spot on this planet) to nights so starlit the sky looks like snow, Bogard blends personal narrative, natural history, science, and history to shed light on the importance of darkness--what we've lost, what we still have, and what we might regain--and the simple ways we can reduce the brightness of our nights tonight.]]> 336 Paul Bogard 0316182907 Amy 0 to-read 4.02 2013 The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light
author: Paul Bogard
name: Amy
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Tools of the Mind: The Vygotskian Approach to Early Childhood Education (2nd Edition)]]> 617888 264 Elena Bodrova 0130278041 Amy 0 to-read 4.07 1995 Tools of the Mind: The Vygotskian Approach to Early Childhood Education (2nd Edition)
author: Elena Bodrova
name: Amy
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1995
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Synectics: The Development of Creative Capacity]]> 1884872 180 William J.J. Gordon Amy 0 to-read 4.45 1961 Synectics: The Development of Creative Capacity
author: William J.J. Gordon
name: Amy
average rating: 4.45
book published: 1961
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Engaging Readers & Writers with Inquiry (Theory and Practice)]]> 70331 176 Jeffrey D. Wilhelm 0439574137 Amy 0 to-read 4.07 2007 Engaging Readers & Writers with Inquiry (Theory and Practice)
author: Jeffrey D. Wilhelm
name: Amy
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream]]> 4836780
What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape -- any checklist would include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age.]]> 134 Tanya Lee Stone 0763636118 Amy 0 to-read 3.99 2009 Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream
author: Tanya Lee Stone
name: Amy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Reading Between the Signs: Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters 2nd Edition]]> 218832 312 Anna Mindess 1931930260 Amy 0 to-read 4.18 2006 Reading Between the Signs: Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters 2nd Edition
author: Anna Mindess
name: Amy
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Reading Between the Signs Workbook: A Cultural Guide for Sign Language Students and Interpreters]]> 22743060 144 Anna Mindess Amy 0 to-read 3.73 2003 Reading Between the Signs Workbook: A Cultural Guide for Sign Language Students and Interpreters
author: Anna Mindess
name: Amy
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Schools Our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and "Tougher Standards"]]> 111213
Here at last is a book that challenges the two dominant forces in American education: an aggressive nostalgia for traditional teaching (“If it was bad enough for me, it’s bad enough for my kids�) and a heavy-handed push for Tougher Standards.]]> 352 Alfie Kohn 0618083456 Amy 0 to-read 4.23 1999 The Schools Our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and "Tougher Standards"
author: Alfie Kohn
name: Amy
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1999
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> The Thing Around Your Neck 5587960
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie burst onto the literary scene with her remarkable debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, which critics hailed as "one of the best novels to come out of Africa in years" (Baltimore Sun), with "prose as lush as the Nigerian landscape that it powerfully evokes" (The Boston Globe); The Washington Post called her "the twenty-first-century daughter of Chinua Achebe." Her award-winning Half of a Yellow Sun became an instant classic upon its publication three years later, once again putting her tremendous gifts - graceful storytelling, knowing compassion, and fierce insight into her characters' hearts - on display. Now, in her most intimate and seamlessly crafted work to date, Adichie turns her penetrating eye on not only Nigeria but America, in twelve dazzling stories that explore the ties that bind men and women, parents and children, Africa and the United States.

In "A Private Experience," a medical student hides from a violent riot with a poor Muslim woman whose dignity and faith force her to confront the realities and fears she's been pushing away. In "Tomorrow is Too Far," a woman unlocks the devastating secret that surrounds her brother's death. The young mother at the center of "Imitation" finds her comfortable life in Philadelphia threatened when she learns that her husband has moved his mistress into their Lagos home. And the title story depicts the choking loneliness of a Nigerian girl who moves to an America that turns out to be nothing like the country she expected; though falling in love brings her desires nearly within reach, a death in her homeland forces her to reexamine them.

Searing and profound, suffused with beauty, sorrow, and longing, these stories map, with Adichie's signature emotional wisdom, the collision of two cultures and the deeply human struggle to reconcile them. The Thing Around Your Neck is a resounding confirmation of the prodigious literary powers of one of our most essential writers.]]> 218 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 0307271072 Amy 0 to-read 4.24 2008 The Thing Around Your Neck
author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
name: Amy
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2008
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise and Other Bribes]]> 541132 Punished By Rewards presents an argument unsettling to hear but impossible to dismiss.]]> 398 Alfie Kohn 0395710901 Amy 0 to-read 4.17 1993 Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise and Other Bribes
author: Alfie Kohn
name: Amy
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1993
rating: 0
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date added: 2014/09/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued their Bosses and Changed the Workplace]]> 13587226
In "The Good Girls Revolt," Povich evocatively tells the story of this dramatic turning point through the lives of several participants, showing how personal experiences and cultural shifts led a group of well-mannered, largely apolitical women, raised in the 1940s and 1950s, to stand up for their rights--and what happened after they did. For many, filing the suit was a radicalizing act that empowered them to "find themselves" and stake a claim. Others lost their way in a landscape of opportunities, pressures, discouragements, and hostilities they weren't prepared to navigate.

With warmth, humor, and perspective, the book also explores why changes in the law did not change everything for today's young women.]]> 288 Lynn Povich 161039173X Amy 5 3.61 2012 The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued their Bosses and Changed the Workplace
author: Lynn Povich
name: Amy
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2013/01/01
date added: 2013/06/14
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This is a must-read. Several years ago, I had a conversation with a teacher who was preparing to retire. I was stunned when she told me that after her husband passed away early in her teaching career, she had to apply for special permission to be paid the equivalent salary men were being paid because she was now head of her household. The fight for equality in the workplace is not over, and the story in this book tells how it began.
]]> <![CDATA[The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy]]> 998 CAN YOU SPOT THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR?

Who are the rich in this country?

What do they do?

Where do they shop?

What do they drive?

How do they invest?

Where did their ancestors come from?

How did they get rich?

Can I ever become one of them?

Get the answers in The Millionaire Next Door, the never-before-told story about wealth in America. You'll be surprised at what you find out....

]]> 258 Thomas J. Stanley 0671015206 Amy 4 4.05 1995 The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy
author: Thomas J. Stanley
name: Amy
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/08/12
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]]> To Kill a Mockingbird 2657
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, "To Kill A Mockingbird" takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.]]> 323 Harper Lee 0060935464 Amy 5 4.25 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird
author: Harper Lee
name: Amy
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1960
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/08/12
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review:
This falls in to the large category of books that I was required to read in school, and kind of skimmed over. I read this book in junior high. I re-read it recently, and I have to say it was an entirely different experience. Love, love, love this book.
]]> <![CDATA[At Day's Close: Night in Times Past]]> 722892 488 A. Roger Ekirch 0393329011 Amy 3 3.68 2005 At Day's Close: Night in Times Past
author: A. Roger Ekirch
name: Amy
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/08/12
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review:
I learned about this book from an article I read about pre-modern sleep patterns. The book is very thoroughly researched. At points it felt like it was an endurance test to make it through. Interesting book, but not exactly a page-turner.
]]> Imagine: How Creativity Works 12987640
From the New York Times best-selling author of How We Decide comes a sparkling and revelatory look at the new science of creativity. Shattering the myth of muses, higher powers, even creative “types,� Jonah Lehrer demonstrates that creativity is not a single gift possessed by the lucky few. It’s a variety of distinct thought processes that we can all learn to use more effectively.

Lehrer reveals the importance of embracing the rut, thinking like a child, daydreaming productively, and adopting an outsider’s perspective (travel helps). He unveils the optimal mix of old and new partners in any creative collaboration, and explains why criticism is essential to the process. Then he zooms out to show how we can make our neighborhoods more vibrant, our companies more productive, and our schools more effective.

You’ll learn about Bob Dylan’s writing habits and the drug addictions of poets. You’ll meet a Manhattan bartender who thinks like a chemist, and an autistic surfer who invented an entirely new surfing move. You’ll see why Elizabethan England experienced a creative explosion, and how Pixar’s office space is designed to spark the next big leap in animation.

Collapsing the layers separating the neuron from the finished symphony, Imagine reveals the deep inventiveness of the human mind, and its essential role in our increasingly complex world.


ĚýĚý]]> 279 Jonah Lehrer 0547386079 Amy 3 3.97 2012 Imagine: How Creativity Works
author: Jonah Lehrer
name: Amy
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/08/12
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]]> <![CDATA[The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry]]> 9378733
The Psychopath Test is a fascinating journey through the minds of madness. Jon Ronson's exploration of a potential hoax being played on the world's top neurologists takes him, unexpectedly, into the heart of the madness industry. An influential psychologist who is convinced that many important CEOs and politicians are, in fact, psychopaths teaches Ronson how to spot these high-flying individuals by looking out for little telltale verbal and nonverbal clues. And so Ronson, armed with his new psychopath-spotting abilities, enters the corridors of power. He spends time with a death-squad leader institutionalized for mortgage fraud in Coxsackie, New York; a legendary CEO whose psychopathy has been speculated about in the press; and a patient in an asylum for the criminally insane who insists he's sane and certainly not a psychopath.

Ronson not only solves the mystery of the hoax but also discovers, disturbingly, that sometimes the personalities at the helm of the madness industry are, with their drives and obsessions, as mad in their own way as those they study. And that relatively ordinary people are, more and more, defined by their maddest edges.]]> 288 Jon Ronson 1594488010 Amy 0 to-read 3.87 2011 The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
author: Jon Ronson
name: Amy
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2012/06/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America]]> 165464 The authors take us inside the house and the family to observe a century of building and rebuilding--the ebb and flow of events and family feelings, the architecture and furnishings, the art and the gardens. A complex saga, The House the Rockefellers Built is alive with surprising twists and turns that reveal the tastes of a large family often sharply at odds with one another about the fortune the house symbolized.]]> 352 Robert F. Dalzell Jr. 0805075445 Amy 0 to-read 3.44 2007 The House the Rockefellers Built: A Tale of Money, Taste, and Power in Twentieth-Century America
author: Robert F. Dalzell Jr.
name: Amy
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/05/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Making of the Atomic Bomb 16884
Few great discoveries have evolved so swiftly -- or have been so misunderstood. From the theoretical discussions of nuclear energy to the bright glare of Trinity there was a span of hardly more than twenty-five years. What began as merely an interesting speculative problem in physics grew into the Manhattan Project, and then into the Bomb with frightening rapidity, while scientists known only to their peers -- Szilard, Teller, Oppenheimer, Bohr, Meitner, Fermi, Lawrence, and yon Neumann -- stepped from their ivory towers into the limelight.

Richard Rhodes takes us on that journey step by step, minute by minute, and gives us the definitive story of man's most awesome discovery and invention.]]> 886 Richard Rhodes 0684813785 Amy 0 to-read 4.38 1986 The Making of the Atomic Bomb
author: Richard Rhodes
name: Amy
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1986
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/05/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Folly (Folly Island, #1) 10305
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR WORST FEARS AREN’T ALL IN YOUR MIND?

Rae Newborn is a woman on the on the edge of sanity, on the edge of tragedy, and now on the edge of the world. She has moved to an island at the far reaches of the continent to restore the house of an equally haunted figure, her mysterious great-uncle; but as her life begins to rebuild itself along with the house, his story starts to wrap around hers. Powerful forces are stirring, but Rae cannot see where her reality leaves off and his fate begins.

Fifty-two years old, Rae must battle the feelings that have long tormented her--panic, melancholy, and a skin-crawling sense of watchers behind the trees. Before she came here, she believed that most of the things she feared existed only in her mind. And who can say, as disturbing incidents multiply, if any of the watchers on Folly Island might be real? Is Rae paranoid, as her family and the police believe, or is the threat real? Is the island alive with promise--or with dangers?

With Folly, award-winning author Laurie R. King once again powerfully redefines psychological suspense on a sophisticated and harrowing new level, and proves why legions of readers and reviewers have named her a master of the genre.]]> 523 Laurie R. King 0007111347 Amy 4 4.00 2001 Folly (Folly Island, #1)
author: Laurie R. King
name: Amy
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2008/01/01
date added: 2012/05/24
shelves:
review:
I checked this book out when the next Mary Russell book wasn't available at the library for a few weeks. It is written by the same author, Laurie King. I almost turned it back in after reading the first chapter or two, because I didn't think I was going to like it. I got hooked, and ended up being glued to the book until I finished it several days later. This book tells the story about a woman who decides to go to an island her uncle left to her, and rebuild his cabin that had been destroyed decades earlier. She has struggled with the loss of her husband and daughter, and a few bouts of manic depression. This book is not only a fascinating story about her life, but also helps shed light on an illness that is often misunderstood and misrepresented.
]]> <![CDATA[Evening's Empire: A History of the Night in Early Modern Europe (New Studies in European History)]]> 12000895 448 Craig Koslofsky 0521896436 Amy 0 to-read 3.52 2011 Evening's Empire: A History of the Night in Early Modern Europe (New Studies in European History)
author: Craig Koslofsky
name: Amy
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/03/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Favored Daughter: One Woman's Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future]]> 11816100 272 Fawzia Koofi 0230120679 Amy 0 to-read 4.11 2011 The Favored Daughter: One Woman's Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future
author: Fawzia Koofi
name: Amy
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Woman in White 5890 Librarian note: Alternate covers can be found here and here.

'In one moment, every drop of blood in my body was brought to a stop... There, as if it had that moment sprung out of the earth, stood the figure of a solitary Woman, dressed from head to foot in white'

The Woman in White famously opens with Walter Hartright's eerie encounter on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie, Walter becomes embroiled in the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his 'charming' friend Count Fosco, who has a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons, and poison. Pursuing questions of identity and insanity along the paths and corridors of English country houses and the madhouse, The Woman in White is the first and most influential of the Victorian genre that combined Gothic horror with psychological realism.

Matthew Sweet's introduction explores the phenomenon of Victorian 'sensation' fiction, and discusses Wilkie Collins's biographical and societal influences. Included in this edition are appendices on theatrical adaptations of the novel and its serialisation history.]]> 672 Wilkie Collins Amy 3 4.00 1859 The Woman in White
author: Wilkie Collins
name: Amy
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1859
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/01/22
shelves:
review:
An enjoyable bit of Victorian pulp fiction.
]]> A Man of Means 2700609
- The Episode of the Landlady's Daughter / The Landlady's Daughter
- The Episode of the Financial Napoleon / The Bolt from the Blue
- The Episode of the Theatrical Venture
- The Episode of the Live Weekly
- The Episode of the Exiled Monarch / The Diverting Episode of the Exiled Monarch
- The Episode of the Hired Past"]]> 112 P.G. Wodehouse 0809592738 Amy 3 3.75 1914 A Man of Means
author: P.G. Wodehouse
name: Amy
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1914
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2011/12/07
shelves:
review:
I love Wodehouse, but this was not my favorite.
]]> <![CDATA[Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman]]> 11333960
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure German princess who became one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history. Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into empress of Russia by sheer determination. For thirty-four years, the government, foreign policy, cultural development, and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, foreign wars, and the tidal wave of political change and violence churned up by the French Revolution. Catherine’s family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers, and enemies—all are here, vividly brought to life. History offers few stories richer than that of Catherine the Great. In this book, an eternally fascinating woman is returned to life.]]> 574 Robert K. Massie Amy 0 to-read 4.22 2011 Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
author: Robert K. Massie
name: Amy
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/11/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sage Cottage: Herb Garden Cookbook : Celebrations, Recipes, and Herb Gardening Tips for Every Month of the Year]]> 2145438 310 Dorry Baird Norris 0871062399 Amy 0 to-read 4.08 1991 The Sage Cottage: Herb Garden Cookbook : Celebrations, Recipes, and Herb Gardening Tips for Every Month of the Year
author: Dorry Baird Norris
name: Amy
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/10/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[OPTIMIZE the Magic of Your Mind]]> 5410842 196 Sidney Jay Parnes 094345641X Amy 0 to-read 4.50 1997 OPTIMIZE the Magic of Your Mind
author: Sidney Jay Parnes
name: Amy
average rating: 4.50
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/09/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting]]> 10689501
Rachel Shteir's The Steal is the first serious study of shoplifting, tracking the fascinating history of this ancient crime. Dismissed by academia and the mainstream media and largely misunderstood, shoplifting has become the territory of moralists, mischievous teenagers, tabloid television, and self-help gurus. But shoplifting incurs remarkable real-life costs for retailers and consumers. The "crime tax"-the amount every American family loses to shoplifting-related price inflation-is more than $400 a year. Shoplifting cost American retailers $11.7 billion in 2009. The theft of one $5.00 item from Whole Foods can require sales of hundreds of dollars to break even.

The Steal begins when shoplifting entered the modern record as urbanization and consumerism made London into Europe's busiest mercantile capital. Crossing the channel to nineteenth-century Paris, Shteir tracks the rise of the department store and the pathologizing of shoplifting as kleptomania. In 1960s America, shoplifting becomes a symbol of resistance when the publication of Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book popularizes shoplifting as an antiestablishment act. Some contemporary analysts see our current epidemic as a response to a culture of hyper-consumerism; others question whether its upticks can be tied to economic downturns at all. Few provide convincing theories about why it goes up or down.

Just as experts can't agree on why people shoplift, they can't agree on how to stop it. Shoplifting has been punished by death, discouraged by shame tactics, and protected against by high-tech surveillance. Shoplifters have been treated by psychoanalysis, medicated with pharmaceuticals, and enforced by law to attend rehabilitation groups. While a few individuals have abandoned their sticky-fingered habits, shoplifting shows no signs of slowing.

In The Steal , Shteir guides us through a remarkable tour of all things shoplifting-we visit the Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall, where boosters run rampant, watch the surveillance footage from Winona Ryder's famed shopping trip, and learn the history of antitheft technology. A groundbreaking study, The Steal shows us that shoplifting in its many guises-crime, disease, protest-is best understood as a reflection of our society, ourselves.]]> 272 Rachel Shteir 1594202974 Amy 3 3.00 2011 The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting
author: Rachel Shteir
name: Amy
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2011/08/19
shelves:
review:
If you have ever wondered why people shoplift, this gives some insight into what goes on and why. It got a little redundant in places, so I ended up skimming over parts of it. It was fascinating in a morbid sort of way to read the chapter on celebrity shoplifters. It is clearly something that goes way beyond something people do because they are in need.
]]> <![CDATA[Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It]]> 8727466 An eye-opening, myth-shattering examination of what makes us fat, from acclaimed science writer Gary Taubes.

In his New York Times best seller, Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes argued that our diet’s overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates�not fats and not simply excess calories—has led directly to the obesity epidemic we face today. The result of thorough research, keen insight, and unassailable common sense, Good Calories, Bad Calories immediately stirred controversy and acclaim among academics, journalists, and writers alike. Michael Pollan heralded it as “a vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food.�

Building upon this critical work in Good Calories, Bad Calories and presenting fresh evidence for his claim, Taubes now revisits the urgent question of what’s making us fat—and how we can change—in this exciting new book. Persuasive, straightforward, and practical, Why We Get Fat makes Taubes’s crucial argument newly accessible to a wider audience.

Taubes reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging or misguided than the “calories-in, calories-out� model of why we get fat, and the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin’s regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers the most persistent questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat, and what foods should we avoid?

Packed with essential information and concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, Why We Get Fat is an invaluable key in our understanding of an international epidemic and a guide to what each of us can do about it.]]> 272 Gary Taubes Amy 4 3.99 2010 Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
author: Gary Taubes
name: Amy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/08/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto]]> 7873989
This riveting correspondence chronicles the blossoming of a unique and lifelong friendship between the two women and the turbulent process of Julia's creation of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, one of the most influential cookbooks ever written. Bawdy, funny, exuberant, and occasionally agonized, these letters show Julia, first as a new bride in Paris, then becoming increasingly worldly and adventuresome as she follows her diplomat husband in his postings to Nice, Germany, and Norway. With commentary by food historian Joan Reardon, and covering topics as diverse as the lack of good wine in the United States, McCarthyism, and sexual mores, these letters show America on the verge of political, social, and gastronomic transformation.

"An absorbing portrait of an unexpected friendship."--Entertainment Weekly

"Two housewives, each in her 40s ... let rip about all kinds of things, from shallots, beurre blanc and the misery of dried herbs to politics, aging and sex ... Funny and forthright opinions about food and life."--The New York Times]]> 432 Joan Reardon 0547417713 Amy 4
I now feel a compulsive urge to buy Julia's book, her work that was the topic of much of her correspondence with Avis. The cookbook sounds amazing, and one that was a labor of love. ]]> 4.14 2010 As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto
author: Joan Reardon
name: Amy
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/08/04
shelves:
review:
I loved reading this book. It took me a while (had to renew it three times) in part because I think the nature of reading correspondence is different from reading a narrative. It gave a glimpse into what life was like in an era when it was still commonplace for people to have hired help, frozen foods and dishwashers were a novelty, and people wrote lengthy letters to each other instead of just popping online to view a person's profile on Facebook.

I now feel a compulsive urge to buy Julia's book, her work that was the topic of much of her correspondence with Avis. The cookbook sounds amazing, and one that was a labor of love.
]]> <![CDATA[Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy or How Love Conquered Marriage]]> 270008 448 Stephanie Coontz 067003407X Amy 0 to-read 3.96 2005 Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy or How Love Conquered Marriage
author: Stephanie Coontz
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/07/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Many Ways to Be Deaf: International Variation in Deaf Communities]]> 643512 320 Leila Monaghan 1563681358 Amy 0 to-read 4.50 2003 Many Ways to Be Deaf: International Variation in Deaf Communities
author: Leila Monaghan
name: Amy
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/07/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Envisioning Information 17745 Envisioning Information a "passionate, elegant revelation."]]> 126 Edward R. Tufte 0961392118 Amy 0 to-read 4.22 1990 Envisioning Information
author: Edward R. Tufte
name: Amy
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/07/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Arrival 920607
Shaun Tan evokes universal aspects of an immigrant's experience through a singular work of the imagination. He does so using brilliantly clear and mesmerizing images. Because the main character can't communicate in words, the book forgoes them too. But while the reader experiences the main character's isolation, he also shares his ultimate joy.]]> 132 Shaun Tan Amy 5 4.33 2007 The Arrival
author: Shaun Tan
name: Amy
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/06/22
shelves:
review:
Loved this book. It's amazing how much can be told visually without words. A picture really is worth a thousand words.
]]> The Picture of Dorian Gray 5297
In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.]]> 272 Oscar Wilde Amy 4 Thoroughly disturbing. 4.13 1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Amy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1890
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/06/21
shelves:
review:
Thoroughly disturbing.
]]> <![CDATA[Barchester Towers (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #2)]]> 125321
Barchester Towers is one of the best-loved novels in Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire series, which captured nineteenth-century provincial England with wit, worldly wisdom and an unparalleled gift for characterization. It is the second book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire.]]> 418 Anthony Trollope 1406923044 Amy 4 4.03 1857 Barchester Towers (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #2)
author: Anthony Trollope
name: Amy
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1857
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/06/04
shelves:
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]]> A Damsel in Distress 18057 216 P.G. Wodehouse 1406953210 Amy 5 4.08 1919 A Damsel in Distress
author: P.G. Wodehouse
name: Amy
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1919
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/06/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Warden (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #1)]]> 267123 The Warden centers on Mr. Harding, a clergyman of great personal integrity who is nevertheless in possession of an income from a charity far in excess of the sum devoted to the purposes of the foundation. On discovering this, young John Bold turns his reforming zeal to exposing what he regards as an abuse of privilege, despite the fact that he is in love with Mr. Harding's daughter Eleanor. It was a highly topical novel (a case regarding the misapplication of church funds was the scandalous subject of contemporary debate), but like other great Victorian novelists, Trollope uses the specific case to explore and illuminate the universal complexities of human motivation and social morality]]> 336 Anthony Trollope 0192834088 Amy 3 3.75 1855 The Warden (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #1)
author: Anthony Trollope
name: Amy
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1855
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2011/02/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World]]> 36086 The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner about a real-life historical hero, Dr. John Snow. It's the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure—garbage removal, clean water, sewers—necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local curate are spurred to action—and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time. In a triumph of multidisciplinary thinking, Johnson illuminates the intertwined histories and inter-connectedness of the spread of disease, contagion theory, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, offering both a riveting history and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in.]]> 299 Steven Johnson 1594489254 Amy 4 3.89 2006 The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
author: Steven Johnson
name: Amy
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2011/02/01
date added: 2011/02/21
shelves:
review:
My knowledge of cholera was limited to what I learned from reading The Secret Garden years ago, which is to say not very much. This book is the story of a couple of people who bucked the trend and suggested that cholera was a waterborne disease, and wasn't spread by miasma (bad air). They did the research to back it up, and were rewarded with fame, glory and honor... Actually, nobody believed them for at least another ten years. I'm on my second renewal from the library. It's all yours now.
]]> Uneasy Money 764726 247 P.G. Wodehouse 1841591327 Amy 5 3.99 1916 Uneasy Money
author: P.G. Wodehouse
name: Amy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1916
rating: 5
read at: 2010/10/01
date added: 2010/10/25
shelves:
review:
Delightful, intelligent brain candy. Also the reason I did not get all of my papers graded during Fall Break. Well worth it, though.
]]> <![CDATA[Ah-Choo!: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold]]> 7824024 A quarter of the people infected with a cold virus don't get sick. What's so different about these folks?

When it comes to colds, being young is no advantage: Teenagers catch twice as many as people over fifty.

It's strange but true: If you want to tamp down cold symptoms, "boosting" your immune system is actually the last thing you want to do!

The ways colds spread may surprise you. You're probably less likely to get a cold from kissing or getting sneezed on, than you are from a simple handshake.

Some cold viruses may be capable of triggering not just colds but corpulence-not just fevers but fat!

Social butterflies get off easy: People with big, diverse social networks actually get fewer colds than those with limited social circles.

Believe it or not, colds can kill.

You're right: Children do have runnier noses-and for good reason.

When you have a cold, TLC may be the best medicine. Studies show simple empathy may be as effective as potent drugs in treating colds, cutting short their duration by a whole day. That's more than over-the-counter medications can claim!

]]> 245 Jennifer Ackerman 044654115X Amy 4 3.50 2010 Ah-Choo!: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold
author: Jennifer Ackerman
name: Amy
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2010/10/25
date added: 2010/10/25
shelves:
review:
An interesting history of and practical advise for dealing with the common cold. If you have a favorite remedy for the cold, you may not want to burst your placebo bubble. This book also debunks many of the myths that abound about how to not get sick and how to cure yourself. The only scientifically proven treatment for shortening the cold? Empathy.
]]> <![CDATA[Tea with Hezbollah: Sitting at the Enemies' Table Our Journey Through the Middle East]]> 6729834
That’s the question that sparked a fascinating and, at times, terrifying journey into the heart of the Middle East during the summer of 2008. It was a trip that began in Egypt, passed beneath the steel and glass high rises of Saudi Arabia, then wound through the bullet- pocked alleyways of Beirut and dusty streets of Damascus, before ending at the cradle of the world’s three major Jerusalem.

Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.

Through powerful narrative Tea With Hezbollah will draw the West into a completely fresh understanding of those we call our enemies and the teaching that dares us to love them. A must read for all who see the looming threat rising in the Middle East.]]> 245 Ted Dekker 0307588270 Amy 5 3.85 2010 Tea with Hezbollah: Sitting at the Enemies' Table Our Journey Through the Middle East
author: Ted Dekker
name: Amy
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2010/02/01
date added: 2010/09/19
shelves:
review:
This was an eye-opening book. Point of the book: we have much more in common with those we consider our enemy than one would think. Very thought-provoking, especially in light of the anti-Islamic paranoia going on right now.
]]> The Middle of Things 9092647
Nevertheless, author J. S. Fletcher accomplishes it in a story that keeps the reader in suspense until the very last word! Fletcher still has no rival today in ingenuity.]]> 238 J.S. Fletcher Amy 2 2.00 1922 The Middle of Things
author: J.S. Fletcher
name: Amy
average rating: 2.00
book published: 1922
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2010/09/18
shelves:
review:
This book read like a Nancy Drew novel, except that if possible, the Nancy Drew books were better written. The entire thing was exposition. The ending was predictable and corny beyond belief. It did serve as mildly entertaining brain candy for a few days.
]]> Right Ho, Jeeves (Jeeves, #6) 18035 224 P.G. Wodehouse 140690483X Amy 4 4.31 1934 Right Ho, Jeeves (Jeeves, #6)
author: P.G. Wodehouse
name: Amy
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1934
rating: 4
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/09/04
shelves:
review:
This book totally cracked me up. It helps to have seen an episode or two from the TV series--as I read it, I could hear Steven Fry's voice as Jeeves.
]]> <![CDATA[The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments]]> 261821
With an emphasis on intense and sophisticated flavors and a bountiful helping of the author’s expert techniques, this collection of frozen treats ranges from classic (Chocolate Sorbet) to comforting (Tin Roof Ice Cream), contemporary (Mojito Granita) to cutting edge (Pear-Pecorino Ice Cream), and features an arsenal of sauces, toppings, mix-ins, and accompaniments (such as Lemon Caramel Sauce, Peanut Brittle, and Profiteroles) capable of turning simple ice cream into perfect scoops of pure delight.]]> 256 David Lebovitz 1580088082 Amy 5 4.17 2007 The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
author: David Lebovitz
name: Amy
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2010/09/04
shelves:
review:
I checked this book out from the library, and have decided that I must buy it. Absolutely luscious ice cream!
]]> <![CDATA[Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions]]> 1713426
Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught?

Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are already full?

And how did we ever start spending $4.15 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to pay less than a dollar?

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're in control. We think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?

In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

Not only do we make astonishingly simple mistakes every day, but we make the same "types" of mistakes, Ariely discovers. We consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. We fail to understand the profound effects of our emotions on what we want, and we overvalue what we already own. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable--making us "predictably" irrational.

From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, Ariely explains how to break through these systematic patterns of thought to make better decisions. "Predictably Irrational" will change the way we interact with the world--one small decision at a time.]]> 247 Dan Ariely Amy 5 4.12 2008 Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
author: Dan Ariely
name: Amy
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2010/01/04
date added: 2010/09/04
shelves:
review:
Who knew that all the quirky things we do are so predictable? If you've ever been suckered into buying something on sale that you didn't really need, this book will tell you why, among other things.
]]> In the Sanctuary of Outcasts 6217732
White bought into the modern American Dream, hook, line, and sinker. By the time he was in his early 30s, he had it all: a successful business, a mansion, luxury cars, designer clothing, fancy meals, a beautiful wife and children. The problem was he didn't have the money to pay for it. So he began kiting checks, a strategy not lost on the FBI. White soon found himself sentenced to a year and a half in prison, and all evidence of the good life vanished.

Justice, it turned out, would be more than skin deep. White, who had worshipped the superficial manifestations of wealth and prided himself on dating the most beautiful women in school, was assigned to Carville, a prison that doubled as a leper colony. Everything about Carville was tailor-made to make White rethink his priorities, but he didn't change overnight. He merely counted his sentence as a minor setback in his rise to fame and fortune. Then he met Ella, an 80-year-old double amputee who was ripped from her family as a child and lived her entire life at Carville. In the victims of leprosy he met at Carville, White found dignity, the kind of wisdom money can't buy, and friendship without strings attached. As White turned his incarceration into a crusade to end the stigma of leprosy, he learned lessons in humility, generosity, and the simple transcendent beauty of the human spirit. His story is well worth reading.]]> 336 Neil W. White III 0061351601 Amy 4 3.81 2009 In the Sanctuary of Outcasts
author: Neil W. White III
name: Amy
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2010/02/04
date added: 2010/09/04
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Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, is a disease that is very stigmatized and misunderstood. Neil White spent time in a leprosy colony-turned detention center as part of a prison sentence for fraud. While he was there, he learned a lot about Hansen's disease, and the people whose lives it has touched. A very interesting read.
]]> <![CDATA[Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche]]> 6402564 320 Ethan Watters 141658708X Amy 4 4.08 2009 Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche
author: Ethan Watters
name: Amy
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2010/09/04
date added: 2010/09/04
shelves:
review:
Western influence has taken over the world in most aspects of life, including taking over how people experience mental illness. I didn't realize until I read this that different cultures have their own varieties of mental illness, and their own ways of treating them--often much more effectively than Western medicine does. This was an interesting history of the evolution of mental health care, and a disturbing look at how Western definitions of and remedies for mental illness are steamrolling out the native variations and cures in other cultures and spreading our own way of doing things.
]]> <![CDATA[The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread]]> 39910
Ěý
Co-founder of the legendary Brother Juniper’s Bakery, author of ten landmark bread books, and distinguished instructor at the world’s largest culinary academy, Peter Reinhart has been a leader in America’s artisanal bread movement for more than thirty years. Never one to be content with yesterday’s baking triumph, however, Peter continues to refine his recipes and techniques in his never-ending quest for extraordinary bread.
Ěý
In this updated edition of the bestselling , Peter shares bread breakthroughs arising from his study in France’s famed boulangeries and the always-enlightening time spent in the culinary college kitchen with his students. Peer over Peter’s shoulder as he learns from Paris’s most esteemed bakers, like Lionel Poilâne and Phillippe Gosselin, whose has revolutionized the art of baguette making. Then stand alongside his students in the kitchen as Peter teaches the classic twelve stages of building bread, his clear instructions accompanied by more than 100 step-by-step photographs.
Ěý
You’ll put newfound knowledge into practice with fifty master formulas for such classic breads as rustic ciabatta, hearty , old-school New York bagels, and the book’s Holy Grail—Peter’s version of the famed ,Ěý as well as three all-new formulas. En route, Peter distills hard science, advanced techniques, and food history into a remarkably accessible and engaging resource that is as rich and multitextured as the loaves you’ll turn out. In this revised edition, he adds metrics and temperature conversion charts, incorporates comprehensive baker’s percentages into the recipes, and updates methods throughout. This is original food writing at its most captivating, teaching at its most inspired and inspiring—and the rewards are some of the best breads under the sun.]]> 320 Peter Reinhart 1580082688 Amy 5 4.28 2001 The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
author: Peter Reinhart
name: Amy
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2010/01/17
date added: 2010/01/17
shelves:
review:
Who knew you could write 100 pages about the art and science behind making bread? Reinhart carefully spells out step by step instructions for making bread that are accessible to even the novice bread maker. The introduction was very helpful, and the recipes have all turned out wonderfully so far.
]]> The Thirteenth Tale 40440
The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish life histories for herself -- all of them inventions that have brought her fame and fortune but have kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she at last wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth, hidden by those who loved her most, remains an ever-present pain. Struck by a curious parallel between Miss Winter's story and her own, Margaret takes on the commission.

As Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good, Margaret is mesmerized. It is a tale of gothic strangeness featuring the Angelfield family, including the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.

Margaret succumbs to the power of Vida's storytelling but remains suspicious of the author's sincerity. She demands the truth from Vida, and together they confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us, a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and that we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter and, in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life.]]> 406 Diane Setterfield 0743298020 Amy 1 3.96 2006 The Thirteenth Tale
author: Diane Setterfield
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2006
rating: 1
read at: 2009/07/01
date added: 2009/12/29
shelves:
review:
I did not like this book at all. The plot was so sappy and twisted. The best writer in the whole wide world who never grants an interview gives and interview. And guess what? She has a secret twin sister. Etc, etc, etc. As I was reading the last chunk of the book and complaining loudly about it, my husband asked me, "So why are you reading it still?" I guess I was hoping that the ending would redeem itself and make the many hours I spent reading it worth it. No luck.
]]> <![CDATA[Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life]]> 25460
"As the U.S. population made an unprecedented mad dash for the Sun Belt, one carload of us paddled against the tide, heading for the Promised Land where water falls from the sky and green stuff grows all around. We were about to begin the adventure of realigning our lives with our food chain.

"Naturally, our first stop was to buy junk food and fossil fuel..."

Hang on for the ride: With characteristic poetry and pluck, Barbara Kingsolver and her family sweep readers along on their journey away from the industrial-food pipeline to a rural life in which they vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Their good-humored search yields surprising discoveries about turkey sex life and overly zealous zucchini plants, en route to a food culture that's better for the neighborhood and also better on the table. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle makes a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life and diversified farms at the center of the American diet.

"This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew . . . and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."]]> 370 Barbara Kingsolver 0060852550 Amy 5 4.03 2007 Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Amy
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2009/06/01
date added: 2009/12/29
shelves:
review:
This was an fascinating read! Kingsolver and her family decide to try an experiment. For a year, they will only eat food they have either grown themselves, or bought from local farmers. At first glance, I thought it might be mildly interesting, but not the substance of a riveting plot. I was wrong. I couldn't put the book down. In addition to her family's story, Kingsolver includes recipes and suggestions to make eating locally something that anyone can do. True, she has a large plot of land at her disposal, but she demonstrates in her story that eating locally doesn't require one to give up a career and become a gentlewoman-farmer.
]]> <![CDATA[Mindset: The New Psychology of Success]]> 40745 A newer edition of this book can be found here.

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset � those who believe that abilities are fixed � are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset � those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.

In this edition, Dweck offers new insights into her now famous and broadly embraced concept. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. She also expands the mindset concept beyond the individual, applying it to the cultures of groups and organizations. With the right mindset, you can motivate those you lead, teach, and love � to transform their lives and your own.]]> 276 Carol S. Dweck Amy 5 4.09 2006 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
author: Carol S. Dweck
name: Amy
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2007/09/01
date added: 2009/12/17
shelves:
review:
This is one of the most important books I have read recently. Anyone who works with kids--as a teacher or a parent should read this. Very interesting book!
]]> <![CDATA[In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto]]> 315425 The Omnivore's Dilemma, launched a national conversation about the American way of eating; now In Defense of Food shows us how to change it, one meal at a time. Pollan proposes a new answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Pollan's bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating.,,,]]> 205 Michael Pollan 1594201455 Amy 5
It's funny that most of the stuff in the book are things that my mom has strongly believed, even though for a time it was not considered in vogue to be health-conscious. I remember one time when I was young, a man who was a chemist of sorts spent some time telling me that science has now found a way to get all of the nutrients you need and put them in a chocolate cake--or any other form you want. He thought this was great, because now you can give kids chocolate cake, and they will get the same nutrition you would get from eating something boring for breakfast. I was fascinated by this concept, and being a sugar-deprived child, thought I'd run that one pass the boss. I told my mom about it, and she said that was the biggest load of nonsense she had ever heard. She also pointed out that if I took a look at the physical well being of this chemist, he was not a prime example of good health and probably not the best source to believe on the topic of nutrition. She was right.

Two thumbs up! A must read, although afterwards your trips to the grocery store will never be the same.
]]> 4.07 2008 In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
author: Michael Pollan
name: Amy
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2008/07/01
date added: 2009/02/02
shelves:
review:
This book was so interesting! Michael Pollan turns the whole concept of reading nutrition labels on its head, as well as what he calls" The Lipid Hypothesis". His philosophy for eating better is simply put: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

It's funny that most of the stuff in the book are things that my mom has strongly believed, even though for a time it was not considered in vogue to be health-conscious. I remember one time when I was young, a man who was a chemist of sorts spent some time telling me that science has now found a way to get all of the nutrients you need and put them in a chocolate cake--or any other form you want. He thought this was great, because now you can give kids chocolate cake, and they will get the same nutrition you would get from eating something boring for breakfast. I was fascinated by this concept, and being a sugar-deprived child, thought I'd run that one pass the boss. I told my mom about it, and she said that was the biggest load of nonsense she had ever heard. She also pointed out that if I took a look at the physical well being of this chemist, he was not a prime example of good health and probably not the best source to believe on the topic of nutrition. She was right.

Two thumbs up! A must read, although afterwards your trips to the grocery store will never be the same.

]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)]]> 83369 "ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?"



When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.



As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all? �

WELCOME TO THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY.]]> 486 Trenton Lee Stewart 0316057770 Amy 4 4.15 2007 The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)
author: Trenton Lee Stewart
name: Amy
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2009/01/01
date added: 2009/02/02
shelves:
review:
I have a weakness for Young Adult literature, and I'm always looking for a fun read, and something I can recommend to a kid. This book was an entertaining read. This book is about a young orphan boy who sees an add in the paper for "gifted kids looking for special opportunities". It's an invitation to take a test, and Reynie (our hero) decides to try it out. He happens to be exceptionally clever, honest and good, and ends up joining a team of kids to save the world. (Side note--I thought it was kind of funny that the world was being threatened by secret messages being sent through radio, TV and cell phones. I've always known TV can turn your brain to mush. Now I can prove it!) I think young readers would enjoy this book for a number of reasons--first on the list is that the challenge facing the world is one that only children can solve. Just don't be surprised if, upon finishing the book, your kid asks for a red bucket to cart around.
]]> Metzger's Dog 234335 The Butcher's Boy is now, by popular demand, back in print, featuring a new Introduction by bestselling author Carl Hiaasen.

When Leroy "Chinese" Gordon breaks into a professor's lab at the University of Los Angeles, he's after some pharmaceutical cocaine, worth plenty of money. Instead, he finds the papers the professor has compiled for the CIA, which include a blueprint for throwing a large city into chaos. But how is the CIA to be persuaded to pay a suitable ransom, unless of course someone actually uses the plan to throw a large city into chaos—Los Angeles, for instance? Assigned to cope with the crisis and restore the peace, veteran agent Ben Porterfield steps onto the scene to remind us that the CIA's middle name is, after all, Intelligence. Enlivening the mix are Gordon's beautiful girlfriend, Margaret, his temperamental cat, Dr. Henry Metzger, and Metzger's friend, an enormous half-wild dog with huge teeth.]]> 314 Thomas Perry 0812967747 Amy 3
I enjoyed the book. It required some brain power to think about what was going on, but wasn't so intense that it was impossible to follow. There is some language and violence that makes it something you wouldn't want to give to your 3rd grader to read. The ending was a little pat, but that's okay.]]> 3.90 1983 Metzger's Dog
author: Thomas Perry
name: Amy
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1983
rating: 3
read at: 2008/08/01
date added: 2008/08/14
shelves:
review:
I heard about this book on NPR. It was an entertaining read--an action book involving the CIA, a professor whose research on psywar is being funded by the CIA until they realize he's a liability and a bit of a lunatic, a cat named Dr. Henry Metzger--a dog that would just as soon rip your arm off, and a guy who builds a cannon into the back of his van.

I enjoyed the book. It required some brain power to think about what was going on, but wasn't so intense that it was impossible to follow. There is some language and violence that makes it something you wouldn't want to give to your 3rd grader to read. The ending was a little pat, but that's okay.
]]> The Book Thief 19063 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

(Note: this title was not published as YA fiction)]]> 592 Markus Zusak Amy 5
I think I went through half a box of kleenex by the time I got to the end. Loved the book, have a love-hate relationship with how it ends.]]> 4.38 2005 The Book Thief
author: Markus Zusak
name: Amy
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2008/09/01
date added: 2008/07/14
shelves:
review:
This book was amazing! It's a story of WWII, as narrated by Death. It took me about 10 pages to get used to what the author was doing, but once I got through that, I loved it. The writing style alone was just plain fun to read--words are used in metaphors in ways I never would have thought to craft them. The plot is captivating. It follows the life of a little girl who is adopted by a couple living in Germany. She steals books, for various reasons.

I think I went through half a box of kleenex by the time I got to the end. Loved the book, have a love-hate relationship with how it ends.
]]> <![CDATA[The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, #1)]]> 91661 384 Laurie R. King 0553381520 Amy 4 4.06 1994 The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, #1)
author: Laurie R. King
name: Amy
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2007/08/01
date added: 2008/07/14
shelves:
review:
Mary Russell is a young, intelligent girl who happens to cross paths with the retired Sherlock Holmes. The two are kindred spirits, and soon they are both involved in the business of solving mysteries and saving people from kidnappers, murders and terrorists. If you felt bitterly disappointed after finishing the last Sherlock Holmes mystery written by Doyle knowing that there would be no more mysteries to solve, read this book. And the best part is, there are several books about Mary Russell by the same author.
]]> <![CDATA[Princess Academy (Princess Academy, #1)]]> 85990
Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates.]]> 314 Shannon Hale 1599900734 Amy 4 4.03 2005 Princess Academy (Princess Academy, #1)
author: Shannon Hale
name: Amy
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2008/04/01
date added: 2008/07/14
shelves:
review:
I enjoyed this book. The main character is a very likable, resourceful girl who makes the best of her situation, (a repeating theme in Shannon Hale's books) and earns the respect of her peers through hard work and striving to build unity in a situation that could have proven very divisive.
]]> <![CDATA[River Secrets (The Books of Bayern, #3)]]> 248470 Razo has no idea why he was chosen to be a soldier.

He can barely swing a sword, and his brothers are forever wrestling him to the ground. Razo is sure it's out of pity that his captain asks him to join an elite mission—escorting the ambassador into Tira, Bayern's great enemy.

But when the Bayern arrive in the strange southern country, Razo discovers the first dead body. He’s the only Bayern able to befriend both the high and low born, people who can provide information about the ever-increasing murders. And he’s the one who must embrace his own talents in order to get the Bayern soldiers home again—alive.]]> 290 Shannon Hale 1582349010 Amy 4 4.05 2006 River Secrets (The Books of Bayern, #3)
author: Shannon Hale
name: Amy
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2008/06/01
date added: 2008/07/14
shelves:
review:
The Goose Girl story continues, although this time from a different character's perspective. Another addictive page-turner, and a quick read. Two thumbs up!
]]> <![CDATA[Enna Burning (The Books of Bayern, #2)]]> 248482 Enna's life was not meant to be simple.

When her brother, Leifer, brings home a mysterious piece of vellum that teaches him how to set fires—without a spark, without flint—Enna cannot decide if this power is one she wants for herself, or something that should be extinguished forever. And when Bayern, their country, goes to war, the choice becomes nearly unbearable.

Enna never imagined that the warm, life-giving energy of a fire could destroy everything she loves, but she must now save herself and Bayern before fire consumes her entirely.]]> 317 Shannon Hale 1582349061 Amy 4 4.00 2004 Enna Burning (The Books of Bayern, #2)
author: Shannon Hale
name: Amy
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2008/05/01
date added: 2008/07/14
shelves:
review:
The Goose Girl story continues, although told from the perspective of Isi's best friend, Enna. Once again, a very engaging page-turner. I thought it was well written, and fun to read.
]]> <![CDATA[The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1)]]> 179064 She was born with her eyes closed and a word on her tongue, a word she could not taste.

Her name was Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s stories and learning the language of the birds, especially the swans. And when she was older, she watched as a colt was born, and she heard the first word on his tongue, his name, Falada.

From the Grimm’s fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen, Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original, and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can lead the people she has made her own.]]> 383 Shannon Hale 1582349908 Amy 4 4.14 2003 The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1)
author: Shannon Hale
name: Amy
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2008/05/01
date added: 2008/07/14
shelves:
review:
This was a fun read. The story line was captivating, the heroine smart and resourceful, and aside from the predictability of the identity of the prince, was a very cleverly written book. A lovely bit of brain candy to kick the summer off!
]]> <![CDATA[The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals]]> 3109 What should we have for dinner? For omnivore like ourselves, this simple question has always posed a dilemma. When you can eat just about anything nature (or the supermarket) has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety, especially when some of the foods on offer might shorten your life. Today, buffered by one food fad after another, America is suffering from what can only be described as a national eating disorder. The omnivore’s dilemma has returned with a vengeance, as the cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet confronts us with a bewildering and treacherous food landscape. What’s at stake in our eating choices is not only our own and our children’s health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth.
The Omnivore's Dilemma is groundbreaking book, in which one of America’s most fascinating, original, and elegant writers turns his own omnivorous mind to the seemingly straightforward question of what we should have for dinner. The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire, how we answer it today, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, may well determine our very survival as a species. Should we eat a fast-food hamburger? Something organic? Or perhaps something we hunt, gather, or grow ourselves?
To find out, Pollan follows each of the food chains that sustain us—industrial food, organic or alternative food, and food we forage ourselves—from the source to a final meal, and in the process develops a definitive account of the American way of eating. His absorbing narrative takes us from Iowa cornfields to food-science laboratories, from feedlots and fast-food restaurants to organic farms and hunting grounds, always emphasizing our dynamic coevolutionary relationship with the handful of plant and animal species we depend on. Each time Pollan sits down to a meal, he deploys his unique blend of personal and investigative journalism to trace the origins of everything consumed, revealing what we unwittingly ingest and explaining how our taste for particular foods and flavors reflects our evolutionary inheritance.
The surprising answers Pollan offers to the simple question posed by this book have profound political, economic, psychological, and even moral implications for all of us. Ultimately, this is a book as much about visionary solutions as it is about problems, and Pollan contends that, when it comes to food, doing the right thing often turns out to be the tastiest thing an eater can do. Beautifully written and thrillingly argued, The Omnivore’s Dilemma promises to change the way we think about the politics and pleasure of eating. For anyone who reads it, dinner will never again look, or taste, quite the same.]]> 450 Michael Pollan 1594200823 Amy 5
In addition to being a very through researcher, the author also has a captivating writing style that makes this book an enjoyable read. Even the bibliography was interesting!]]> 4.18 2006 The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
author: Michael Pollan
name: Amy
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2008/06/01
date added: 2008/07/13
shelves:
review:
I like to reserve a five-star rating for books that have changed me in some way. This fits into that category. This has totally changed my perspective on what I eat, and the choices I make it where I buy. If you have ever wondered where the food comes from that is in the grocery store, what is in all of the processed food we eat, or if organic is all it's cracked up to be, you will find this book a fascinating read.

In addition to being a very through researcher, the author also has a captivating writing style that makes this book an enjoyable read. Even the bibliography was interesting!
]]>