The official title of this Thomas Nelson product is The word of promise : next generation - New Testament, which is quite a mouthful. This audio Bible is available on CD in regular audio format (20 discs) or MP3 format (4 discs) which is what I tried out.
MP3 format is handy for loading onto portable players. I played it on my computer and routed the sound through the stereo system so sound quality was excellent. It's also nice to have only a few discs to keep track of and not so many disc changes to break up the listening.
I have had no trouble understanding any of the readers. Their voices are different enough to make it easy to tell them apart. There's a reasonable variety of regional accents, and a good mix of high and low, male/female, soft/loud voices. I don't always agree with their pronunciation of proper names, but there is a lot of room for variation with some of those names. The background "music" does not overpower the speaking so it's easy to catch every word.
"Music" is in quotes because it's not what I would call music. There are instruments and they are playing notes but there's not much in terms of melody or lyricism. It reminds me of background sound tracks on low-action computer games. If I could turn it off, I would. It occasionally conveys a mood, but most of the time, it's just there.
Although the cast was chosen to appeal to a young teen audience, this production is certainly not only for teens. The relatively young age of the readers, however, does limit their interpretation of some of the characters. Jesus, for example, never raises his voice despite the fact that some of the situations clearly call for that. Paul is also overly earnest at times. On the whole, however, I enjoyed listening to the clear reading of the New King James text.
The word of promise next generation New Testament dramatic audio Bible. Issued in 2008 by Thomas Nelson and Falcon Picture Group. Product # 23755 40222.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Look-alikes
There's not much reading involved in the Look-alikes books but you'll still spend hours with them. Creator Joan Steiner uses thousands of household objects to make models/collages of homes and community scenes. Pretzels become chair backs, dress shoes turn into top-down cars, dry lasagna noodles hang as ruffled curtains, a ghetto blaster morphs into a school bus with chocolate glazed doughnut wheels. Don't ignore the background - there are surprises there too.
Photographer Thomas Lindley has captured every detail in his beautifully clear photos. (Unless, of course, there are structural details we're not supposed to see.) Although your first impression is that the glove is a hill, you don't have to strain to see that the hill is, in fact, a glove.
These books are wonderful for stimulating creativity in young (and older) minds. They are fabulous for entertaining a broad range of ages all at the same time. They make you look differently at your surroundings. (They are also dangerous for anyone with even slight packrat tendencies because now everything can be saved "for a craft.") Teachers, children's group leaders, caregivers, and creative types can use these books as springboards for projects. Just imagine what you can do with a digital camera, a simple storyline, a bit of glue, some working space, and a whole lot of formerly useless stuff! (Best of all, once you have the pictures, you can ditch the model.)
Look-alikes books are by Joan Steiner. Published by Little, Brown and Co., starting in 1998. There are now at least 7 titles in the series, some, unfortunately, out of print.
Photographer Thomas Lindley has captured every detail in his beautifully clear photos. (Unless, of course, there are structural details we're not supposed to see.) Although your first impression is that the glove is a hill, you don't have to strain to see that the hill is, in fact, a glove.
These books are wonderful for stimulating creativity in young (and older) minds. They are fabulous for entertaining a broad range of ages all at the same time. They make you look differently at your surroundings. (They are also dangerous for anyone with even slight packrat tendencies because now everything can be saved "for a craft.") Teachers, children's group leaders, caregivers, and creative types can use these books as springboards for projects. Just imagine what you can do with a digital camera, a simple storyline, a bit of glue, some working space, and a whole lot of formerly useless stuff! (Best of all, once you have the pictures, you can ditch the model.)
Look-alikes books are by Joan Steiner. Published by Little, Brown and Co., starting in 1998. There are now at least 7 titles in the series, some, unfortunately, out of print.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Shakespeare : the world as stage
If anyone were to describe an author or speaker as capable of delivering 200 pages of text on virtually nothing, it would not generally be interpreted as a compliment. Bill Bryson, however, has managed to do just that and it is interesting and informative to boot.
There is very scant information about William Shakespeare in the historical record. Of course, the less information there is, the more room there is for speculation and the theories about Shakespeare's life and works go a long way toward filling out this volume.
Bryson begins with background information about the time, place, and society of Shakespeare's day. We learn about food (only the very poor ate vegetables; tea and coffee were unknown), schooling (early morning to late at night, six days a week), landmarks (London Bridge could qualify as a city on its own), health (or, more accurately, the lack of it), and, of course, entertainment (bear-baiting and other blood-sports were the recreation of choice).
Contrast today's behaviour at St Paul's cathedral with what was standard in the 1600s:
"...the cathedral was an infinitely noisier and more public place than we find today. Carpenters, bookbinders, scriveners, lawyers, haulers, and others all plied their trades within its echoing vastness, even during services. Drunks and vagrants used it...as a place of repose; some relieved themselves in corners. Little boys played ball games in the aisles until chased away. Other people made small fires to keep warm." (pg. 52)
Or compare their badges of affluence to ours: "Such was the popularity of sugar that people's teeth often turned black, and those who failed to attain the condition naturally sometimes blackened their teeth artificially to show that they had had their share of sugar, too." (pg. 55)
Although there is scant information to provide details on exactly where Shakespeare lived or which school he attended, we do have a detailed picture painted of what life was like in his day.
As that picture is revealed, Bryson summarizes the major theories of how Shakespeare might have fit in that world, and then evaluates those theories based on whatever information he has been able to assemble. We are regularly reminded that this is mostly conjecture, rather than knowledge, but we are told why the author endorses some theories and dismisses others.
On the whole, I found this an entertaining book. Although it is packed with information, it is not dry. Bryson has done an admirable job of pulling out memorable details about the culture. The vivid cultural picture not only provides a background for suppositions on Shakespeare's life, but also frames a context for his plays and other works.
Shakespeare : the world as stage by Bill Bryson. Published in 2007 by Atlas Books (HarperCollins imprint) as part of their "Eminent lives" series. ISBN: 978-0-06-074022-1
There is very scant information about William Shakespeare in the historical record. Of course, the less information there is, the more room there is for speculation and the theories about Shakespeare's life and works go a long way toward filling out this volume.
Bryson begins with background information about the time, place, and society of Shakespeare's day. We learn about food (only the very poor ate vegetables; tea and coffee were unknown), schooling (early morning to late at night, six days a week), landmarks (London Bridge could qualify as a city on its own), health (or, more accurately, the lack of it), and, of course, entertainment (bear-baiting and other blood-sports were the recreation of choice).
Contrast today's behaviour at St Paul's cathedral with what was standard in the 1600s:
"...the cathedral was an infinitely noisier and more public place than we find today. Carpenters, bookbinders, scriveners, lawyers, haulers, and others all plied their trades within its echoing vastness, even during services. Drunks and vagrants used it...as a place of repose; some relieved themselves in corners. Little boys played ball games in the aisles until chased away. Other people made small fires to keep warm." (pg. 52)
Or compare their badges of affluence to ours: "Such was the popularity of sugar that people's teeth often turned black, and those who failed to attain the condition naturally sometimes blackened their teeth artificially to show that they had had their share of sugar, too." (pg. 55)
Although there is scant information to provide details on exactly where Shakespeare lived or which school he attended, we do have a detailed picture painted of what life was like in his day.
As that picture is revealed, Bryson summarizes the major theories of how Shakespeare might have fit in that world, and then evaluates those theories based on whatever information he has been able to assemble. We are regularly reminded that this is mostly conjecture, rather than knowledge, but we are told why the author endorses some theories and dismisses others.
On the whole, I found this an entertaining book. Although it is packed with information, it is not dry. Bryson has done an admirable job of pulling out memorable details about the culture. The vivid cultural picture not only provides a background for suppositions on Shakespeare's life, but also frames a context for his plays and other works.
Shakespeare : the world as stage by Bill Bryson. Published in 2007 by Atlas Books (HarperCollins imprint) as part of their "Eminent lives" series. ISBN: 978-0-06-074022-1
Monday, February 23, 2009
The dead beat : lost souls, lucky stiffs, and the perverse pleasures of obituaries
Reading non-fiction is like a treasure hunt - books refer to other books which, when read, refer to even more titles to follow up on. In no time at all, you're in another subject area completely, and not entirely sure how you got there. I can't tell you how I ended up with The dead beat in my hands, but it has sent me in pursuit of two poetry books and a volume on newspaper history.
Author, Marilyn Johnson is an obituary reader. Let me clarify that. Johnson reads, collects, discusses, critiques, and writes about obituaries from newspapers published around the world, every day, for several hours each day. That's not a hobby - it's an obsession (which she freely admits). While traveling in London, Johnson was more interested in reading paper copies of her favourite British newspapers (usually read on-line), than she was in touring castles or seeing other sights. She attends an annual obituarists conference and participates in obituary newsgroups online. Marilyn Johnson is truly immersed in the world of obituaries.
In The dead beat, I expected a collection of strange tales from a rather morbid world but, while the strange tales are there in profusion, morbidity is not. Obituarists consistently describe their work as uplifting, refreshing, hopeful, regenerative, and purposeful. They see their jobs as avenues to help families through the grieving process, and build people up rather than tearing them down, which is what most of the rest of the newspaper world does. While the death of a person triggers the writing of an obituary, the focus in the writing is on the life, not on the death.
Librarians are often described as inveterate collectors of arcane knowledge but I now think obituarists could give them a run for their money. All kinds of people die and all kinds of information must be collected to write about them. The challenge then is to distill those facts into a brief portrait of a (formerly) living breathing person.
Generously interspersed with obituary excerpts, this book is an interesting look at a hobby I didn't even know existed and a career few aspire to. I'm not about to join them, but the book is a worthwhile and entertaining read.
The dead beat : lost souls, lucky stiffs, and the perverse pleasures of obituaries by Marilyn Johnson. Published in 2006 by HarperCollins. ISBN: 978-0-06-075875-2
Author, Marilyn Johnson is an obituary reader. Let me clarify that. Johnson reads, collects, discusses, critiques, and writes about obituaries from newspapers published around the world, every day, for several hours each day. That's not a hobby - it's an obsession (which she freely admits). While traveling in London, Johnson was more interested in reading paper copies of her favourite British newspapers (usually read on-line), than she was in touring castles or seeing other sights. She attends an annual obituarists conference and participates in obituary newsgroups online. Marilyn Johnson is truly immersed in the world of obituaries.
In The dead beat, I expected a collection of strange tales from a rather morbid world but, while the strange tales are there in profusion, morbidity is not. Obituarists consistently describe their work as uplifting, refreshing, hopeful, regenerative, and purposeful. They see their jobs as avenues to help families through the grieving process, and build people up rather than tearing them down, which is what most of the rest of the newspaper world does. While the death of a person triggers the writing of an obituary, the focus in the writing is on the life, not on the death.
Librarians are often described as inveterate collectors of arcane knowledge but I now think obituarists could give them a run for their money. All kinds of people die and all kinds of information must be collected to write about them. The challenge then is to distill those facts into a brief portrait of a (formerly) living breathing person.
Generously interspersed with obituary excerpts, this book is an interesting look at a hobby I didn't even know existed and a career few aspire to. I'm not about to join them, but the book is a worthwhile and entertaining read.
The dead beat : lost souls, lucky stiffs, and the perverse pleasures of obituaries by Marilyn Johnson. Published in 2006 by HarperCollins. ISBN: 978-0-06-075875-2
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The almost true story of Ryan Fisher
A novel that defies pigeon-holing - what a pleasant surprise, especially from the usually predictable "Inspirational" publishing industry! The almost true story of Ryan Fisher is a sarcastically funny look at churches as industry. It is not a story for Inspirational readers only. In fact, some Inspirational readers will find this book upsetting.
Ryan Fisher is a run-of-the-mill real estate salesman who desperately wants to boost his career. A scan through late-night TV offerings prompts him to try marketing to Christians who, in Ryan's eyes, appear wealthy, naive, and nice - any salesman's preferred customer group. While networking his new church contacts, Ryan decides that the real power position is that of pastor so he decides to start his own church. The fact that he has not gone to seminary or even read the Bible doesn't dissuade him. Ryan doesn't even believe in God, but he wants to lead a mega-church.
If you saw the movie "Catch me if you can," you probably remember Frank Abagnale Jr. watching TV to learn what he could about the professionals he was impersonating. That would be Ryan Fisher's strategy as he works to build his empire.
Author, Rob Stennett, raises many questions about church leadership and North American consumer-Christian culture. The cynics among us will welcome the story, saying, "I knew it - they're all frauds!" Traditionalists will see it as a warning against the dangers of confusing religion with entertainment and loosing theological underpinnings in the process. I found it made me think about what we do and why we do it, and in my books, any novel that makes me think is worth reading.
The almost true story of Ryan Fisher by Rob Stennett. Published in 2008 by Zondervan. ISBN: 978-0-310-27706-4.
Ryan Fisher is a run-of-the-mill real estate salesman who desperately wants to boost his career. A scan through late-night TV offerings prompts him to try marketing to Christians who, in Ryan's eyes, appear wealthy, naive, and nice - any salesman's preferred customer group. While networking his new church contacts, Ryan decides that the real power position is that of pastor so he decides to start his own church. The fact that he has not gone to seminary or even read the Bible doesn't dissuade him. Ryan doesn't even believe in God, but he wants to lead a mega-church.
If you saw the movie "Catch me if you can," you probably remember Frank Abagnale Jr. watching TV to learn what he could about the professionals he was impersonating. That would be Ryan Fisher's strategy as he works to build his empire.
Author, Rob Stennett, raises many questions about church leadership and North American consumer-Christian culture. The cynics among us will welcome the story, saying, "I knew it - they're all frauds!" Traditionalists will see it as a warning against the dangers of confusing religion with entertainment and loosing theological underpinnings in the process. I found it made me think about what we do and why we do it, and in my books, any novel that makes me think is worth reading.
The almost true story of Ryan Fisher by Rob Stennett. Published in 2008 by Zondervan. ISBN: 978-0-310-27706-4.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Old Herbaceous : a novel of the garden
It's the time of year for reading and dreaming about being out in the gardens that are currently inaccessible. When the sleet flies across my window instead of falling down, I have very little ambition to be outside. This is perfect weather for curling up with a gardening story.
Old Herbaceous is a delightful little story about an English manor gardener who rises through the ranks to become head gardener at the manor and a well-recognized figure in horticultural circles. The time spanned runs from the tail-end of the 19th century through to mid-20th century.
Although the gardener's life span matches that of the author rather closely, we are told that the novel is not autobiographical. Author, Reginald Arkell, grew up on an English farm, trained as a journalist, and worked for many years in the magazine industry. He was recognized for his light-hearted plays and his garden poetry long before he started writing books. Arkell was in his late 70s when Old Herbaceous was published.
Having lived through the late Victorian era, two world wars, and the huge changes before and after those wars, Arkell was well-suited to write an old man's reminiscences of the same time period. The story is written as reminiscences but is not sentimental or heavily introspective. It is a crusty country gardener we're reading about, after all.
Classic in style (but not in length or wordiness), the book has recently been re-issued as part of "The Modern Library gardening series" and I'm glad they did that or I would have missed out. Michael Pollan is the series editor. Penelope Hobhouse has written an introduction with information about the author and his work.
If you're looking for a "gentle read", especially one that does not drag on forever, you might want to give this one a try.
Old Herbaceous : a novel of the garden by Reginald Arkell. This edition published in 2003 by The Modern Library. ISBN: 978-0-8129-6738-0.
Old Herbaceous is a delightful little story about an English manor gardener who rises through the ranks to become head gardener at the manor and a well-recognized figure in horticultural circles. The time spanned runs from the tail-end of the 19th century through to mid-20th century.
Although the gardener's life span matches that of the author rather closely, we are told that the novel is not autobiographical. Author, Reginald Arkell, grew up on an English farm, trained as a journalist, and worked for many years in the magazine industry. He was recognized for his light-hearted plays and his garden poetry long before he started writing books. Arkell was in his late 70s when Old Herbaceous was published.
Having lived through the late Victorian era, two world wars, and the huge changes before and after those wars, Arkell was well-suited to write an old man's reminiscences of the same time period. The story is written as reminiscences but is not sentimental or heavily introspective. It is a crusty country gardener we're reading about, after all.
Classic in style (but not in length or wordiness), the book has recently been re-issued as part of "The Modern Library gardening series" and I'm glad they did that or I would have missed out. Michael Pollan is the series editor. Penelope Hobhouse has written an introduction with information about the author and his work.
If you're looking for a "gentle read", especially one that does not drag on forever, you might want to give this one a try.
Old Herbaceous : a novel of the garden by Reginald Arkell. This edition published in 2003 by The Modern Library. ISBN: 978-0-8129-6738-0.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Miss Manners' guide to domestic tranquility
It's not a farce, this is a genuine etiquette guide to life in the messy lane, but it's easily one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. That's not to say that Judith Martin (aka Miss Manners) is ridiculous, or that her advice is unnecessary - quite the contrary.
With the messy relationships and intertwined families prevalent in our society, it takes a lot of wisdom, humour, and backbone to maneuver through many social situations. Knowing that Miss Manners has deemed your actions "proper" certainly helps in the "backbone" department. The situations described are appropriately convoluted for our culture and the solutions proposed are both proper and satisfying. Allow me to summarize a favourite example:
An engaged couple wants to include a family member at the wedding but doesn't want anything to do with that person's boorish, offensive, and still-married-to-someone-else long-time companion. The question is, can that be accomplished without being rude?
"Certainly," replies Miss Manners. There are two rules at the bride's disposal: the first is that established couples are customarily invited together to formal events such as weddings; and the second is that whether or not one likes the spouse, it is considered obligatory to invite married couples together to weddings. Therefore, when inviting the family member in question, the bride should state that while she would like to invite the companion, she wouldn't dream of doing so without inviting his wife.
I can see a full season sit-com based on this book, and the advice is useful to have tucked in your back pocket.
Miss Manners' guide to domestic tranquility the authoritative manual for every civilized household, however harried by Judith Martin. Published in 1999 by Crown. ISBN: 978-0517701652
With the messy relationships and intertwined families prevalent in our society, it takes a lot of wisdom, humour, and backbone to maneuver through many social situations. Knowing that Miss Manners has deemed your actions "proper" certainly helps in the "backbone" department. The situations described are appropriately convoluted for our culture and the solutions proposed are both proper and satisfying. Allow me to summarize a favourite example:
An engaged couple wants to include a family member at the wedding but doesn't want anything to do with that person's boorish, offensive, and still-married-to-someone-else long-time companion. The question is, can that be accomplished without being rude?
"Certainly," replies Miss Manners. There are two rules at the bride's disposal: the first is that established couples are customarily invited together to formal events such as weddings; and the second is that whether or not one likes the spouse, it is considered obligatory to invite married couples together to weddings. Therefore, when inviting the family member in question, the bride should state that while she would like to invite the companion, she wouldn't dream of doing so without inviting his wife.
I can see a full season sit-com based on this book, and the advice is useful to have tucked in your back pocket.
Miss Manners' guide to domestic tranquility the authoritative manual for every civilized household, however harried by Judith Martin. Published in 1999 by Crown. ISBN: 978-0517701652
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Feeding the future
There's been a lot of interest over the last little while in food security - knowing we all have enough to eat and that what we do have is safe to eat. The slow food and local food movements are growing worldwide, and questions about altered food (genetically or chemically) are getting louder and more frequent.
For many of us, it's hard to know who to believe when we hear food safety and food supply discussions. Some of those discussions are quite heated and few of us have the training necessary to follow all the arguments. At times we're not even sure we know what all the questions are, let alone who's got the (believable/reliable/responsible/realistic) answers.
Feeding the future is a collection of expert opinions on a variety of food security issues including tainted beef, over-fishing, genetically modified foods, the obesity epidemic, and worldwide food distribution. Each author gets one chapter and the various authors don't necessarily agree with one another, but that makes the book more useful for the reader. Footnotes provide references to continue research on subjects that catch your interest or verify points you find hard to accept.
Editors Andrew Heintzman and Evan Solomon have done a good job of pulling such disparate voices together into a cohesive whole. They begin each chapter with a brief author/subject introduction that I found tremendously useful. They are also responsible for additional content added as sidebars to the main text.
Although the subtitle of this book (from fat to famine, how to solve the world's food crises) promises solutions, I would liken this book to a survey course. Solutions are certainly proposed but if resolving the issues were that simple, we would already be there. Instead, I would call this an excellent starting point for a self-directed study, or, at the very least, enough information to get you through a number of earnest conversations.
Feeding the future : from fat to famine, how to solve the world's food crises edited by Andrew Heintzman and Evan Solomon. Published in 2004 by Anansi. ISBN: 978-0-88784-744-8
For many of us, it's hard to know who to believe when we hear food safety and food supply discussions. Some of those discussions are quite heated and few of us have the training necessary to follow all the arguments. At times we're not even sure we know what all the questions are, let alone who's got the (believable/reliable/responsible/realistic) answers.
Feeding the future is a collection of expert opinions on a variety of food security issues including tainted beef, over-fishing, genetically modified foods, the obesity epidemic, and worldwide food distribution. Each author gets one chapter and the various authors don't necessarily agree with one another, but that makes the book more useful for the reader. Footnotes provide references to continue research on subjects that catch your interest or verify points you find hard to accept.
Editors Andrew Heintzman and Evan Solomon have done a good job of pulling such disparate voices together into a cohesive whole. They begin each chapter with a brief author/subject introduction that I found tremendously useful. They are also responsible for additional content added as sidebars to the main text.
Although the subtitle of this book (from fat to famine, how to solve the world's food crises) promises solutions, I would liken this book to a survey course. Solutions are certainly proposed but if resolving the issues were that simple, we would already be there. Instead, I would call this an excellent starting point for a self-directed study, or, at the very least, enough information to get you through a number of earnest conversations.
Feeding the future : from fat to famine, how to solve the world's food crises edited by Andrew Heintzman and Evan Solomon. Published in 2004 by Anansi. ISBN: 978-0-88784-744-8
Monday, February 2, 2009
Diary of a compost hotline operator
After 10 days of very run-of-the-mill books, I finally have something to write about. The sun is shining and the seed catalogues have been showing up in the mail so it's time to read books with a gardening theme.
Diary of a compost hotline operator is a quick introduction to the world of urban horticulture. Spring Gillard (not a pen name) wears several hats on the job at the Vancouver-based City Farmer's garden where their aim is world change through education. The demonstration garden teaches visitors about composting, companion planting, organic pest and disease control, water conservation, vermiculture, and a host of other small space garden practices. Visitors come from all over the world for a hands-on look (and feel).
The book is an easy to read combination of newspaper article excerpts, journal musings, humourous anecdotes, how-to notes, and lots of contact information - websites, organizations, more books to read, people to consult, etc. Gillard is not afraid to write about failures or near-failures along with successes. She's also not afraid to reveal that much of their knowledge comes from other experts. The philosophy at City Farmer appears to be "learn with me as we explore" rather than "learn from me as I show you how it must be done."
I've been composting as long as I can remember. I've been gardening almost as long, and I've read a lot of gardening books over the years. I expected to read this book for the stories and amusement factor but I ended up learning a few new tricks to try as well. Vancouver weather is very different from south-western Ontario weather so some of the problems are different and some of the solutions for common problems may not work in the cooler, dryer climate, but I do have some new ideas to play with and that's always fun.
Many of the contacts are local to Vancouver, or at least BC, but there's still a lot of valuable information packed into this small book, even for those of us who live far away from the Pacific coast.
If you have written off the possibility of gardening or composting because you live in the city, or, worse yet, live in an apartment, think again. There are still options to explore and Spring Gillard is happy to point you in the right direction. Even if, like me, you consider yourself a veteran, give this book a try. The stories are amusing, it will get your brain thinking "spring," and you might end up with a new technique to try.
Diary of a compost hotline operator : edible essays on city farming by Spring Gillard. Published in 2003 by New Society Publishers. ISBN: 978-0-86571-492-4
Diary of a compost hotline operator is a quick introduction to the world of urban horticulture. Spring Gillard (not a pen name) wears several hats on the job at the Vancouver-based City Farmer's garden where their aim is world change through education. The demonstration garden teaches visitors about composting, companion planting, organic pest and disease control, water conservation, vermiculture, and a host of other small space garden practices. Visitors come from all over the world for a hands-on look (and feel).
The book is an easy to read combination of newspaper article excerpts, journal musings, humourous anecdotes, how-to notes, and lots of contact information - websites, organizations, more books to read, people to consult, etc. Gillard is not afraid to write about failures or near-failures along with successes. She's also not afraid to reveal that much of their knowledge comes from other experts. The philosophy at City Farmer appears to be "learn with me as we explore" rather than "learn from me as I show you how it must be done."
I've been composting as long as I can remember. I've been gardening almost as long, and I've read a lot of gardening books over the years. I expected to read this book for the stories and amusement factor but I ended up learning a few new tricks to try as well. Vancouver weather is very different from south-western Ontario weather so some of the problems are different and some of the solutions for common problems may not work in the cooler, dryer climate, but I do have some new ideas to play with and that's always fun.
Many of the contacts are local to Vancouver, or at least BC, but there's still a lot of valuable information packed into this small book, even for those of us who live far away from the Pacific coast.
If you have written off the possibility of gardening or composting because you live in the city, or, worse yet, live in an apartment, think again. There are still options to explore and Spring Gillard is happy to point you in the right direction. Even if, like me, you consider yourself a veteran, give this book a try. The stories are amusing, it will get your brain thinking "spring," and you might end up with a new technique to try.
Diary of a compost hotline operator : edible essays on city farming by Spring Gillard. Published in 2003 by New Society Publishers. ISBN: 978-0-86571-492-4
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The attack
Raw, powerful, emotional, bare, hard-hitting...certainly the anti-thesis to "Austenland." The attack by Yasmina Khadra has been on my "to read" list for months but it took the right frame of mind to start the book. Once I started, I was drawn in right away, but it certainly wasn't a pretty world to be drawn into.
Dr. Amin Jaafari is an Arab-Israeli surgeon at a Tel Aviv hospital. Right away, that tells you that his priorities are for life and health and certainly not for continued racial/religious conflict. Jaafari spends his days putting people back together. He has friends and relatives on both sides of the conflict but, for the most part, they aren't active participants.
In chapter one, Jaafari and colleagues work long and hard to save those wounded in a nearby suicide bombing. By the end of chapter two, he finds out that his wife is among the dead. Three pages into chapter three, he's told that authorities suspect his wife was the bomber. What follows in the remaining 220 pages is Dr. Jaafari's struggle to make sense of the accusation.
Jaafari thought his wife was happy. He thought she, like him, was religiously lapsed. He thought she enjoyed their life together. He loved her more than life itself and thought she felt the same way about him...so how could this have happened? How could there be any truth in what they were saying? Could he be that ignorant of the inner struggles and desires of someone he had lived with for so long?
As I said at the outset, this novel is raw and hard-hitting but it's also illuminating, thought-provoking, compelling, personal, real, and strong. What does it take to make a suicide bomber? Who pays the toll? How do you break the cycle of conflict? Those are only a very few of the questions that flood this novel, and some of them get answers.
Not for the faint-of-heart, but very highly recommended for all others, if you like this one, you should also try "The cellist of Sarajevo" by Steven Galloway as well as Khadra's earlier book, "The swallows of Kabul."
The attack by Yasmina Khadra (translated from the French by John Cullen). Published in 2005 by Doubleday. ISBN: 978-0-385-51748-3.
Dr. Amin Jaafari is an Arab-Israeli surgeon at a Tel Aviv hospital. Right away, that tells you that his priorities are for life and health and certainly not for continued racial/religious conflict. Jaafari spends his days putting people back together. He has friends and relatives on both sides of the conflict but, for the most part, they aren't active participants.
In chapter one, Jaafari and colleagues work long and hard to save those wounded in a nearby suicide bombing. By the end of chapter two, he finds out that his wife is among the dead. Three pages into chapter three, he's told that authorities suspect his wife was the bomber. What follows in the remaining 220 pages is Dr. Jaafari's struggle to make sense of the accusation.
Jaafari thought his wife was happy. He thought she, like him, was religiously lapsed. He thought she enjoyed their life together. He loved her more than life itself and thought she felt the same way about him...so how could this have happened? How could there be any truth in what they were saying? Could he be that ignorant of the inner struggles and desires of someone he had lived with for so long?
As I said at the outset, this novel is raw and hard-hitting but it's also illuminating, thought-provoking, compelling, personal, real, and strong. What does it take to make a suicide bomber? Who pays the toll? How do you break the cycle of conflict? Those are only a very few of the questions that flood this novel, and some of them get answers.
Not for the faint-of-heart, but very highly recommended for all others, if you like this one, you should also try "The cellist of Sarajevo" by Steven Galloway as well as Khadra's earlier book, "The swallows of Kabul."
The attack by Yasmina Khadra (translated from the French by John Cullen). Published in 2005 by Doubleday. ISBN: 978-0-385-51748-3.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Austenland
Definitely a light read, Austenland by Shannon Hale is a perfect feel-good novel for the Jane Austen fans among us.
Fictional New Yorker Jane Hayes is obsessed with Mr. Darcy of "Pride and prejudice" fame and has a string of failed relationships to prove it. In an effort to help Jane kick the obsession, a distant relative sends her to the ultimate role playing game - three solid weeks (504 continuous hours) of constantly-in-character Regency re-enactment at an isolated estate in England. Against her better judgment, Jane goes.
While the characters in the re-enactment are based on Austen characters, the novels themselves are not played out exactly. It is up to the participants to interact with each other, always within the boundaries of Austen-style propriety, and establish their own story lines. Paid staff, however, do fill in the basic personalities, albeit with different names.
It doesn't take Jane long to realize the benefits of her own time period, but she makes the best of her three weeks.
This anti-escapist bit of escapism is light and fun. Author, Hale, has written previously for the young adult market including her New York Times bestseller "Princess academy" [worth reading]. Given the current popularity of all things Austen, and Hale's previous successes, this first novel for adults should do well also.
Austenland by Shannon Hale. Published in 2007 by Bloomsbury. ISBN: 978-1-59691-285-4
Fictional New Yorker Jane Hayes is obsessed with Mr. Darcy of "Pride and prejudice" fame and has a string of failed relationships to prove it. In an effort to help Jane kick the obsession, a distant relative sends her to the ultimate role playing game - three solid weeks (504 continuous hours) of constantly-in-character Regency re-enactment at an isolated estate in England. Against her better judgment, Jane goes.
While the characters in the re-enactment are based on Austen characters, the novels themselves are not played out exactly. It is up to the participants to interact with each other, always within the boundaries of Austen-style propriety, and establish their own story lines. Paid staff, however, do fill in the basic personalities, albeit with different names.
It doesn't take Jane long to realize the benefits of her own time period, but she makes the best of her three weeks.
This anti-escapist bit of escapism is light and fun. Author, Hale, has written previously for the young adult market including her New York Times bestseller "Princess academy" [worth reading]. Given the current popularity of all things Austen, and Hale's previous successes, this first novel for adults should do well also.
Austenland by Shannon Hale. Published in 2007 by Bloomsbury. ISBN: 978-1-59691-285-4
Friday, January 16, 2009
Peter Pan in scarlet
When I saw Peter Pan in scarlet touted as the "official sequel" I wondered what that presumption was based on. What makes any post-humous sequel official? J.M. Barrie clearly didn't select Geraldine McCaughrean to write this book. Just inside the book, all was made clear in a brief explanation.
In 1929, J.M. Barrie gave all rights to "Peter Pan" to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. Every royalty penny earned from every copy or production of "Peter Pan" went to the hospital. In 2004, the hospital decided it was time for a sequel to this well-loved classic so they launched a contest soliciting plot outlines and sample chapters from authors around the world. McCaughrean was the winner and Peter Pan in scarlet is the resulting book. That made it one I had to read.
Peter Pan in scarlet is a playful book and very visual in its descriptions. The descriptions are not long and drawn out so young readers are not likely to skip over them, but the language is clear and evocative. The plot is new with the return of many familiar characters and the introduction of new ones. (Be warned, some "new" characters turn out to be familiar ones in disguise.) There's a lovely mix of magic, imagination, and dreaming and the lines between them are blurred leaving you wondering what is truly real. There are references to the first book but they are not so dependent that I felt I should have re-read the first book just before reading this one.
Despite all those wonderful qualities, I found this a rather dark and foreboding book. Much of the drama is psychological rather than swashbuckling. Neverland has been poisoned and the effects pervade the land, its inhabitants, and people outside its borders. The weight of that destruction coupled with the personal struggles of several characters clashes with the light and friendly writing style. We see bullying, social ostracism, poor leadership, and harsh, irrational decision-making all coming from a childhood hero. The resolution at the end doesn't erase those memories and I found myself feeling betrayed even after the book was finished.
If you're looking for a launchpad to initiate some difficult discussions with a child, this would be an excellent place to start. If you're looking for a light-hearted sequel to a treasured favourite, I would look elsewhere.
Peter Pan in scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean. Published in 2006 by Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-272620-9.
In 1929, J.M. Barrie gave all rights to "Peter Pan" to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. Every royalty penny earned from every copy or production of "Peter Pan" went to the hospital. In 2004, the hospital decided it was time for a sequel to this well-loved classic so they launched a contest soliciting plot outlines and sample chapters from authors around the world. McCaughrean was the winner and Peter Pan in scarlet is the resulting book. That made it one I had to read.
Peter Pan in scarlet is a playful book and very visual in its descriptions. The descriptions are not long and drawn out so young readers are not likely to skip over them, but the language is clear and evocative. The plot is new with the return of many familiar characters and the introduction of new ones. (Be warned, some "new" characters turn out to be familiar ones in disguise.) There's a lovely mix of magic, imagination, and dreaming and the lines between them are blurred leaving you wondering what is truly real. There are references to the first book but they are not so dependent that I felt I should have re-read the first book just before reading this one.
Despite all those wonderful qualities, I found this a rather dark and foreboding book. Much of the drama is psychological rather than swashbuckling. Neverland has been poisoned and the effects pervade the land, its inhabitants, and people outside its borders. The weight of that destruction coupled with the personal struggles of several characters clashes with the light and friendly writing style. We see bullying, social ostracism, poor leadership, and harsh, irrational decision-making all coming from a childhood hero. The resolution at the end doesn't erase those memories and I found myself feeling betrayed even after the book was finished.
If you're looking for a launchpad to initiate some difficult discussions with a child, this would be an excellent place to start. If you're looking for a light-hearted sequel to a treasured favourite, I would look elsewhere.
Peter Pan in scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean. Published in 2006 by Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-272620-9.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The post-American world
Halfway through this audio-book, I decided that I was going to want to listen to it a second time before it went back to the library. The post-American world is a look at major world powers in the past, present, and future. Author, Fareed Zakaria, examines history, culture, religion, language, commerce, politics, economics, warfare, technology, and government in an effort to understand the past and predict the future of our world.
Although the presentation is not academic in tone, there is so much information packed in here, that I know I didn't get it all the first time through. As editor of Newsweek International, best-selling author, and international affairs columnist, one expects Zakaria to communicate well and he does. He is thorough and methodical with a good measure of anecdotes to balance out the theory.
Zakaria is well-positioned to provide analysis of non-Western culture and history. Born and raised in India, he moved to the United States for post-secondary studies and stayed put. He has experienced two vastly different cultures from both inside and out. I think that goes a long way toward explaining his facility for explaining the basics of widely differing foreign mindsets. Instead of just reporting what China did or how India voted, he explains how those actions were logical outcomes of the Chinese or Indian (or some other country's) way of thinking. Those patterns are then projected into the future for a look at where things will be if change does not occur.
There is no crystal ball here. The post-American world was written before the U.S. mortgage crisis hit and that collapse was not expected by Zakaria. He wasn't the only one to miss it though, and I don't think the value of this work is negated by that omission. That's because the primary benefit I gained from "reading" this book was a vastly improved understanding of other cultures and their histories.
The post-American world by Fareed Zakaria. Published in 2008 by Simon and Schuster. Audiobook ISBN: 978-0-7435-7685-7.
Although the presentation is not academic in tone, there is so much information packed in here, that I know I didn't get it all the first time through. As editor of Newsweek International, best-selling author, and international affairs columnist, one expects Zakaria to communicate well and he does. He is thorough and methodical with a good measure of anecdotes to balance out the theory.
Zakaria is well-positioned to provide analysis of non-Western culture and history. Born and raised in India, he moved to the United States for post-secondary studies and stayed put. He has experienced two vastly different cultures from both inside and out. I think that goes a long way toward explaining his facility for explaining the basics of widely differing foreign mindsets. Instead of just reporting what China did or how India voted, he explains how those actions were logical outcomes of the Chinese or Indian (or some other country's) way of thinking. Those patterns are then projected into the future for a look at where things will be if change does not occur.
There is no crystal ball here. The post-American world was written before the U.S. mortgage crisis hit and that collapse was not expected by Zakaria. He wasn't the only one to miss it though, and I don't think the value of this work is negated by that omission. That's because the primary benefit I gained from "reading" this book was a vastly improved understanding of other cultures and their histories.
The post-American world by Fareed Zakaria. Published in 2008 by Simon and Schuster. Audiobook ISBN: 978-0-7435-7685-7.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The subversive stitch
This is definitely not a general interest book. One must be a follower of needlework and/or women in history to make it through an academic book like this but it is a fascinating chronicle.
Author Rozsika Parker has studied European art history with an interest in women's art and feminism. In The subversive stitch : embroidery and the making of the feminine, Parker brings her art history knowledge, and research skills into an examination of work that has for a long time been regarded as feminine. Centuries ago, men were very involved in embroidery but that changed. Parker asks why and how that happened. She studies how embroidery and the "essence of femininity" shaped each other. She looks at how young girls and women quietly rebelled against the strictures of that feminine ideal by their selection of images and texts for their embroideries and how those selections were influenced by their social culture. As women grew stronger, their rebellion became more blatant. Parker also examines assumptions made by early embroidery historians and, in several cases, tries to set the record straight.
The book is generously illustrated and the photo captions explain why each photo was included. I do wish, however, that the photos were in colour and that some of them were larger. Colour is such an integral part of needlework that it's a real shame to leave it out completely in a book like this. That was likely a budget decision but I would dearly love to see some of those illustrations in blazing full colour. This book has already been reprinted twice so maybe that will happen in a later edition.
The subversive stitch : embroidery and the making of the feminine by Rozsika Parker. Originally published in 1984 by Routledge. ISBN: 0-415-90206-1
Author Rozsika Parker has studied European art history with an interest in women's art and feminism. In The subversive stitch : embroidery and the making of the feminine, Parker brings her art history knowledge, and research skills into an examination of work that has for a long time been regarded as feminine. Centuries ago, men were very involved in embroidery but that changed. Parker asks why and how that happened. She studies how embroidery and the "essence of femininity" shaped each other. She looks at how young girls and women quietly rebelled against the strictures of that feminine ideal by their selection of images and texts for their embroideries and how those selections were influenced by their social culture. As women grew stronger, their rebellion became more blatant. Parker also examines assumptions made by early embroidery historians and, in several cases, tries to set the record straight.
The book is generously illustrated and the photo captions explain why each photo was included. I do wish, however, that the photos were in colour and that some of them were larger. Colour is such an integral part of needlework that it's a real shame to leave it out completely in a book like this. That was likely a budget decision but I would dearly love to see some of those illustrations in blazing full colour. This book has already been reprinted twice so maybe that will happen in a later edition.
The subversive stitch : embroidery and the making of the feminine by Rozsika Parker. Originally published in 1984 by Routledge. ISBN: 0-415-90206-1
Friday, January 9, 2009
The tale of Despereaux
Kate DiCamillo, the author of "Because of Winn-Dixie" has another book soon to hit the silver screen and this one has a Newbery medal for children's fiction. "The tale of Despereaux" is told in an oral narrative style with the narrator speaking directly to the reader and adding her own commentary on events as they unfold. Although the phrase is over-used, "contemporary fairytale" certainly fits this book.
The title character is a free-thinking mouse who falls in love with a princess and ends up defending her against the schemes of a rat and an ambitious yet dim-witted servant girl. It's all set in a castle with the requisite dungeon full of moaning prisoners. The king is feeble-brained enough to ban soup throughout his land but he loves his daughter as only a doting father could.
Despite the stock characters and setting, DiCamillo comes up with a fresh light story with a lovely moral at the end. The charm is in the writing itself. The freshness comes from examining the internal battles that each of the major characters fights. We get a brief exploration of motivation and feelings behind the actions of good guys and bad guys. As a result, the line dividing the good guys from the bad guys gets blurred and we learn that mean actions don't necessarily indicate a wholeheartedly mean person. What a revelation!
Despite the moralizing, this book is primarily a story, not a sugar-coated lesson. It's definitely written for the younger set but it works as a bedtime story for adults as well. If you are a Roald Dahl fan, you should give this one a try.
"The tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamilla. Published in 2003 by Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-0-7636-1722-6.
The title character is a free-thinking mouse who falls in love with a princess and ends up defending her against the schemes of a rat and an ambitious yet dim-witted servant girl. It's all set in a castle with the requisite dungeon full of moaning prisoners. The king is feeble-brained enough to ban soup throughout his land but he loves his daughter as only a doting father could.
Despite the stock characters and setting, DiCamillo comes up with a fresh light story with a lovely moral at the end. The charm is in the writing itself. The freshness comes from examining the internal battles that each of the major characters fights. We get a brief exploration of motivation and feelings behind the actions of good guys and bad guys. As a result, the line dividing the good guys from the bad guys gets blurred and we learn that mean actions don't necessarily indicate a wholeheartedly mean person. What a revelation!
Despite the moralizing, this book is primarily a story, not a sugar-coated lesson. It's definitely written for the younger set but it works as a bedtime story for adults as well. If you are a Roald Dahl fan, you should give this one a try.
"The tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamilla. Published in 2003 by Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-0-7636-1722-6.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The book of negroes
If you read or watched and enjoyed Alex Hailey's epic "Roots," you won't want to miss Lawrence Hill's equally ambitious book, The book of negroes. While "Roots" tracked an enslaved family through generations, The book of negroes is the story of just one woman, Aminata Diallo, from her earlier years in Africa, through her capture, enslavement, and the many journeys and experiences that follow from there.
Aminata is a very strong woman who refused to be cowed by slavery. Extreme losses put her in despair at times, but she always came back to fight against injustice, cruelty, and bondage. She fought for literacy and woman's rights, long before those were popular public discussions. Her fighting spirit made her a target, but she also earned the respect of many around her. It's too bad she's entirely fictional.
Author Lawrence Hill has poured huge amounts of research into this book. As well as reading and travelling widely to gain background information, Hill grew up with parents who helped pioneer Canada's human rights movement and who were themselves descended from Africans enslaved in the United States. I suspect Hill ate, breathed, and lived this story long before he even had ambitions to become a writer. The book certainly reads that way. It's over 400 pages long but still feels like it barely contains the story - it's bursting at the seams with more untold details - all those many events that you know make up a person's life but can't be told in a mere 400 pages. That's not to say this story is lacking. It's just that its main character is so real and interesting that you know there's got to be more to learn about her, if only you could sit down and talk to her.
The slave trade was (and in places still is) a harsh and cruel way of treating people and doing business. In looking back, we often focus on the horrible things that happened - the brutality, the deprivation, the family and community destruction - and temper that with reassurances that not everyone was that cruel to their "workers." We perpetuate the myth of "good" slave owners. One of the things that is made clear in this book is that there is no such thing. Literacy, education, health care, commerce, and travel were all touted as benefits to those who were forcibly removed from "the dark and savage continent," but none of them count for anything without freedom and the people you love. Just ask Aminata.
"The book of negroes" by Lawrence Hill. Published in 2007 by HarperCollins. ISBN: 978-0-00-22507-3.
Aminata is a very strong woman who refused to be cowed by slavery. Extreme losses put her in despair at times, but she always came back to fight against injustice, cruelty, and bondage. She fought for literacy and woman's rights, long before those were popular public discussions. Her fighting spirit made her a target, but she also earned the respect of many around her. It's too bad she's entirely fictional.
Author Lawrence Hill has poured huge amounts of research into this book. As well as reading and travelling widely to gain background information, Hill grew up with parents who helped pioneer Canada's human rights movement and who were themselves descended from Africans enslaved in the United States. I suspect Hill ate, breathed, and lived this story long before he even had ambitions to become a writer. The book certainly reads that way. It's over 400 pages long but still feels like it barely contains the story - it's bursting at the seams with more untold details - all those many events that you know make up a person's life but can't be told in a mere 400 pages. That's not to say this story is lacking. It's just that its main character is so real and interesting that you know there's got to be more to learn about her, if only you could sit down and talk to her.
The slave trade was (and in places still is) a harsh and cruel way of treating people and doing business. In looking back, we often focus on the horrible things that happened - the brutality, the deprivation, the family and community destruction - and temper that with reassurances that not everyone was that cruel to their "workers." We perpetuate the myth of "good" slave owners. One of the things that is made clear in this book is that there is no such thing. Literacy, education, health care, commerce, and travel were all touted as benefits to those who were forcibly removed from "the dark and savage continent," but none of them count for anything without freedom and the people you love. Just ask Aminata.
"The book of negroes" by Lawrence Hill. Published in 2007 by HarperCollins. ISBN: 978-0-00-22507-3.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
No time to wave goodbye
Ben Wicks, beloved cartoonist and journalist, grew up in England. He was from one of the poorer districts of London but did much of his growing up in rural England. Wick and thousands of children like him were evacuated from the city just before England formally entered World War II.
No time to wave goodbye is an assemblage of commentary and letters from former evacuees, collected by Wicks from Britain, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Canada. Some of the correspondents had never told their stories before - not to parents, spouses, descendants, or counsellors. Some were grateful for the evacuation and the way it shaped them as people. Others think it should never have happened. All agreed they would never send their children away.
This was a very difficult time for children, parents, and foster parents and, as a result, the book could have been an emotionally harrowing one to read. Wicks manages to avoid that by filling the text with brief excerpts from many letters. The stories and still poignant and the struggles clear but it's not nearly as overwhelming as an uninterrupted narrative would be. For that I am thankful.
I wanted to know more about the evacuations. I knew there would be both good and bad experiences, but I didn't want to carry the weight of a 70-year-old trauma with me for days afterwards. After all, there was nothing I could do to change it now. This book was exactly the format I was looking for - personal and direct but limited to brief glimpses of the long ordeal.
I'm glad these stories haven't been lost. They don't all have happy endings but some of them do and that's encouraging. It's hard to believe some of what passed as "normal" behaviour then. Unfortunately, I know people haven't changed much since then. That makes me wonder how I would behave under similar pressures. I'm not sure I want to know just yet.
I would recommend this to history buffs, social students, and brave child welfare advocates.
No time to wave goodbye by Ben Wicks. Published in 1988 by Stoddart. ISBN: 0-7737-2215.
No time to wave goodbye is an assemblage of commentary and letters from former evacuees, collected by Wicks from Britain, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Canada. Some of the correspondents had never told their stories before - not to parents, spouses, descendants, or counsellors. Some were grateful for the evacuation and the way it shaped them as people. Others think it should never have happened. All agreed they would never send their children away.
This was a very difficult time for children, parents, and foster parents and, as a result, the book could have been an emotionally harrowing one to read. Wicks manages to avoid that by filling the text with brief excerpts from many letters. The stories and still poignant and the struggles clear but it's not nearly as overwhelming as an uninterrupted narrative would be. For that I am thankful.
I wanted to know more about the evacuations. I knew there would be both good and bad experiences, but I didn't want to carry the weight of a 70-year-old trauma with me for days afterwards. After all, there was nothing I could do to change it now. This book was exactly the format I was looking for - personal and direct but limited to brief glimpses of the long ordeal.
I'm glad these stories haven't been lost. They don't all have happy endings but some of them do and that's encouraging. It's hard to believe some of what passed as "normal" behaviour then. Unfortunately, I know people haven't changed much since then. That makes me wonder how I would behave under similar pressures. I'm not sure I want to know just yet.
I would recommend this to history buffs, social students, and brave child welfare advocates.
No time to wave goodbye by Ben Wicks. Published in 1988 by Stoddart. ISBN: 0-7737-2215.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Same kind of different as me
Big black homeless man meets major league art dealer and helps him change for the better.
Sounds like a feel-good Hollywood production, doesn't it? This is actually a combined biography of two men and the woman who brought them together. Denver Moore, formerly homeless and illiterate co-author, tells a story we don't want to believe could be true - especially not in our "enlightened" times. Ron Hall, the other major player in this book, makes it clear that if Moore is guilty of anything, it is understatement.
We're not talking about the down and out scruffy guy with a heart of gold or a high flyer who just needed a little nudge to fine-tune his focus. We're talking about an ex-con (armed robbery) who hated everyone around him, and an ambitious social-climbing money-hound who sold out or betrayed everyone who mattered to him. Add Hall's wife, Deborah, to the mix and you have a fabulous story of change, love, redemption, forgiveness, caring, growth, healing, trust, and interconnectedness.
The story alternates between Denver's and Ron's viewpoints. I particularly liked that format because it made it easy to compare their early years, and later in the narrative, it was interesting to get the two descriptions of one situation. At times it was hard to believe I was reading about the same event.
Lynn Vincent has done a wonderful job of pulling two vastly different narrative styles together into one cohesive story. Instead of smoothing out the differences, she plays on them and uses them to distinguish between narrators. These men don't have easy stories to tell. It took a whole lot of fortitude to go back through their pasts and lay everything bare for others to gape at, but these men are survivors and their story is inspiring and gut-wrenching all at the same time. Same kind of different as me should definitely be on your reading list for 2009.
Same kind of different as me : a modern-day slave, an international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together by Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent. Published in 2006 by Thomas Nelson. ISBN: 978-0-8499-1910-7.
Sounds like a feel-good Hollywood production, doesn't it? This is actually a combined biography of two men and the woman who brought them together. Denver Moore, formerly homeless and illiterate co-author, tells a story we don't want to believe could be true - especially not in our "enlightened" times. Ron Hall, the other major player in this book, makes it clear that if Moore is guilty of anything, it is understatement.
We're not talking about the down and out scruffy guy with a heart of gold or a high flyer who just needed a little nudge to fine-tune his focus. We're talking about an ex-con (armed robbery) who hated everyone around him, and an ambitious social-climbing money-hound who sold out or betrayed everyone who mattered to him. Add Hall's wife, Deborah, to the mix and you have a fabulous story of change, love, redemption, forgiveness, caring, growth, healing, trust, and interconnectedness.
The story alternates between Denver's and Ron's viewpoints. I particularly liked that format because it made it easy to compare their early years, and later in the narrative, it was interesting to get the two descriptions of one situation. At times it was hard to believe I was reading about the same event.
Lynn Vincent has done a wonderful job of pulling two vastly different narrative styles together into one cohesive story. Instead of smoothing out the differences, she plays on them and uses them to distinguish between narrators. These men don't have easy stories to tell. It took a whole lot of fortitude to go back through their pasts and lay everything bare for others to gape at, but these men are survivors and their story is inspiring and gut-wrenching all at the same time. Same kind of different as me should definitely be on your reading list for 2009.
Same kind of different as me : a modern-day slave, an international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together by Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent. Published in 2006 by Thomas Nelson. ISBN: 978-0-8499-1910-7.
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