Although not required, I decided to read this while taking a bookmaking class this semester. I'm glad I did, because it has given me plenty to think a...moreAlthough not required, I decided to read this while taking a bookmaking class this semester. I'm glad I did, because it has given me plenty to think about while I conceptualize and construct my final project. Smith lays out the possibilities of the "visual book" in such a clear and well-illustrated way. There are many pictures as well as diagrams and illustrations demonstrating Smith's concepts.
It does get a little tedious about 3/4 of the way in. I think Smith gets waaaay too caught up in defining series vs. sequence vs. group. It's something he actually touches on in a few chapters, and it gets to be really mind-numbing and drawn-out. However, that was the worst of it...most of what he had to say was very inspiring and eye-opening. I think the take-away from this book is that content and structure must be integrated completely when thinking about and creating a book. The two should feed into and support one another. The book format itself provides many unique opportunities for creating visual space that can't be created in other mediums; rather than trying to "fit" content into a book, the content should express itself using the book structure.
Anyway, I thought this was a great read for the most part and would highly recommend it to anyone hoping to gain a deeper understanding of artist's books. Do note, however, that this is NOT a how-to book in the sense of "how-to make/bind a book"...you'll be disappointed if that's what you're expecting. Although, Smith has published a few of that sort, too :)(less)
Published in 1997 so not completely up to date but this just so happens to be the only history book I can get my hands on at the moment. Written for s...morePublished in 1997 so not completely up to date but this just so happens to be the only history book I can get my hands on at the moment. Written for students, clearly (grades 7-12ish); quick, easy read but not too dumbed down. Extremely simplified early history with slightly more detailed information about the 20th century, as well as "current" (that is, 1997) information about government, culture, the arts, etc.
The "Further Reading" section in the back served only to disappoint me. The cover is pretty great though.(less)
I just couldn't finish it. Might pick it up again if I have time, but this is a very slow read--it's not engrossing or engaging really, but it is stil...moreI just couldn't finish it. Might pick it up again if I have time, but this is a very slow read--it's not engrossing or engaging really, but it is still interesting. Vaclav Havel has led an amazing life, but this book is strangely dull. I feel like it's intentionally so...it seems like Havel doesn't want to give anyone the illusion that he has lived a charmed life (the title is certainly tongue in cheek).
The book is fragmented and disjointed; it's separated into chapters (which seemed arbitrary), and within the chapters there are sections mixed among one another including q&a with a journalist, memos from his presidency, notes from his trip to Washington, etc. Some of the snippets are very interesting, and I found myself marking a few passages. As a whole, however, this book is pretty difficult to get into.(less)
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
5 stars
This is a really interesting book, mainly because the author doesn't try to simplif...moreI received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
5 stars
This is a really interesting book, mainly because the author doesn't try to simplify matters of farming, production, and consumption. Instead, she points out the complexities and explores how people are addressing the problems they perceive. It was refreshing to read something that doesn't try to explain or defend -THE ANSWER- (e.g. vegetarianism, local eating, eating organic, etc). There is not one simple answer to the economical and ecological (cultural, social, and on and on...) problems that we face in relation to our food. People see the problems, and they are coming up with innovative solutions that work within their communities; Gustafson presents their stories.
Definitely worth reading if you're interested in learning about the cultural aspects of food in the US, how food production is changing, and how we can be more mindful consumers. (less)
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, although it went in quite a different direction than...moreI received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, although it went in quite a different direction than I expected. I was expecting more of a linear scientific examination of...well...how stories make us human. However, I made that assumption based on a pretty narrow definition of what "story" is. Gottschall's definition of story is broad, ranging from novels, to religion, to the narratives inside our heads about our day to day lives--essentially anything that has "story structure". Gottschall argues that we have storytelling minds, and that this unique quality shouldn't be taken for granted as an evolutionary accident or by-product. Rather, story serves many purpose in our lives--it brings us together as a community, teaches us moral lessons, and educates us about the do's and don't's of acceptable social behavior (in addition to being entertaining).
Gottschall starts off many of the chapters with brief stories, which he then uses to illustrate a point. Although I thought this approach was interesting, it also bugged me a little because half the time I apparently didn't react to the stories in the "right" way--so the point he was making was not strengthened by having told the story. Assuming that people react to stories in the same (or even similar) ways seems a little ridiculous to me. I think there's probably a lot more nuance to many of Gottschall's arguments, nuances which aren't really fleshed out in this book.
Nonetheless, The Storytelling Animal is an interesting, quick read. It made me reconsider how story manifests itself in our lives, what it means, and how it will continue to influence us in the future.(less)
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
3 stars
I've sort of picked through this book and read various sections (most of the first...moreI received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
3 stars
I've sort of picked through this book and read various sections (most of the first half, and random parts of the second half). First of all, I just have to say that it's incredibly interesting to me that books about penis health are so...unavailable. If you search "penis health" on Amazon, the first two results are books titled "Big Penis: The Ultimate Guide for a Longer, Thicker, Stronger Penis" and "Exercising The Penis: How To Make Your Most Prized Organ Bigger, Harder & Healthier"; a little further down the page is this book, and...that's it (searching "male sexual health" doesn't yield many more results). The message is obvious...male sexual health (socially constructed) is about how men can make their penises bigger. As a woman, this doesn't surprise me (-insert eye-roll here-) but as a person who believes in the importance of sex education and body awareness, this realization was disturbing. Dr. Danhoff explains penis health (and "penis power") in a different light, and explains how it's mostly mind over matter when it comes to both male sexual health and penis size (sorry guys, apparently all those penis enlarging schemes are a hoax). He also discusses various physiological aspects of the male sexual organs, how they work, what can go wrong, and what kinds of treatments are available.
Overall I like the idea of this book and I think it has some good information in it. I think if you have a penis, you'll enjoy reading this book a lot more than someone who doesn't (like yours truly). I actually found the chapter written for women kind of annoying, and some of the other information redundant (the psychological/physical connection between a man's self esteem and his penis is repeated over, and over, and OVER again). I really didn't like the advice that women should talk to men like children and tiptoe around their delicate penis egos. I'm sorry, but men are adults. They can be spoken to like adults, I would hope especially when it comes to sex. Obviously, conversations with a penis-having partner (or ANY partner) shouldn't be demeaning or discouraging. That's kind of a given if you accept the fact that humans of all sexes have FEELINGS.
I also wish there had been more pictures. And I don't mean more pictures like the humorous penis cartoons strewn throughout the book (bravo to the illustrator who undertook that task). I mean, serious illustrations to demonstrate the issues being discussed in the book. Maybe they weren't included because the penis is such a...err...outwardly visible organ? But come on, there's lots of stuff that goes on behind the scenes too. And diagrams/illustrations are excellent educational tools. I just don't understand why there aren't any in this book.
The lack of information about circumcision/foreskin also struck me as strange. The penis naturally has foreskin--how is it that a book about penises covers the issue of foreskin only for a few paragraphs in the FAQ section?
Three stars for the concept and the (mostly) good information (although I honestly think this book could have been distilled in half as many pages--but don't read into that too much). I think Dr. Danhoff has undertaken a noble task in writing this book. There are definitely more (and...I have to say...better [but I'll admit I'm biased]) books written about female sexual health but it's good to see something out there for the guys. Although I don't agree with Dr. Danhoff that female sexual health is "better understood" or more socially acceptable as a topic. Sex education--for all parties involved--is something that many people shy away from and for which US education has certainly shown its distaste. Regardless of how much more literature is available, I don't think the general public is any more "educated" about female sexual health than male sexual health, and stereotypes/myths abound on all sides (he is probably correct, however, that medical professionals and the medical community in general are better prepared to deal with female sexual health than male sexual health). Nonetheless, this book is a step in the right direction, and a fairly good resource for anyone looking for information about their own (or their partner's) body and how it works.(less)
This book is really fun to look at and is full of interesting information and beautiful illustrations. I could see myself using some of the recipes, b...moreThis book is really fun to look at and is full of interesting information and beautiful illustrations. I could see myself using some of the recipes, but many of the more generalized how-to's are just not specific enough in their directions. For example, there's some information about canning but it doesn't mention anything about adding liquid to the veggies once they're in the jar. It does, however, mention pushing a spatula around to get rid of air bubbles so...there must be liquid in there, right? This is a small detail that I've probably obsessed about way too much. Moving on.
Basically, I found this book inspiring but not very practical (I don't think it was necessarily meant to be "practical" though). If you really wanted to try your hand at canning, you'd have to find an actual reference book or someone to teach you (likewise with just about all the "instructional" portions in Farm Anatomy). I was also a bit surprised by the abrupt ending. The book starts with a short but sweet introduction by the author. It would have been nice if there was also a short concluding chapter to tie everything together. As is, it ends very suddenly with illustrations of quilt patterns, followed by a few pages of resources. Nonetheless, this is a neat book full of interesting country life trivia and eye-candy.(less)
This is a pretty neat book. I love the hand-lettering and illustrations, and the small size of the book. It feels simultaneously intimate, like you're...moreThis is a pretty neat book. I love the hand-lettering and illustrations, and the small size of the book. It feels simultaneously intimate, like you're receiving tips from a good friend, and utilitarian.
Some of the information in here is really great. I like the info about tinctures, decoctions, and infusions. There are specific recipes as well as general information so you can tweak things to meet your needs. I honestly am not sure how many of these recipes I'll actually use, especially since a lot of the cleaning and body care stuff I already knew and currently use as part of my regular routine. Nonetheless, good stuff, and I like having it in book-form instead of spread out in dozens of internet bookmarks. It's kinda nice.
I was a little disappointed by the gardening section, and really wish the bit about indoor gardening had been more detailed. It seems like a bit of a stretch (...to me, at least) to assume that a majority of readers have a yard available to them. However, this seems to be the assumption since only 2 pages out of the entire gardening section are specifically about indoor/container gardening (although other pages throughout the section do relate to both indoor/outdoor gardening). There's some good practical advice about growing plants from seeds, choosing the best plants from the nursery, and planting. Although I won't be able to use much from the gardening section (to be honest, I think the internet will serve me better), it did encourage me to pursue my desire to grow a small indoor herb garden.
Overall, this book is fun and inspiring. Some of the recipes/skills are more practical than others, but all are interesting and can at the very least serve as a springboard for your own ideas.
P.S. Please, for the love of god, do not just rub a few teaspoons of baking soda into your hair and expect it to clean like shampoo. Do some additional research about no-poo if you want to eliminate commercial shampoo from your routine without making your hair very unhappy. And yes, an acidic rinse is necessary, at least if you are going to use baking soda. In cases like this, I wish the instructions had been more specific. Prior to reading this book, I had washed my hair with baking soda and vinegar for over a year, with pretty decent results...but with the vague instructions in this book, you're likely to be disappointed. Also, coconut oil is your friend--I was surprised not to see it mentioned. Basically, use the ideas in this book along with your own independent research....and find what works for you.(less)
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
First of all, this book is a quick, engaging read. I finished it in a single afternoon. It...moreI received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
First of all, this book is a quick, engaging read. I finished it in a single afternoon. It is not academic in tone or content, and the intended audience appears to be parents of adolescent girls or soon-to-be adolescent girls (not quite what I was expecting). I found it incredibly difficult to relate to this book on all but a few points, as it is rife with stereotypes. I don't mean that the book merely describes stereotypes, I mean that Flanagan's entire analysis seems to rely on them. The focus is on the stereotypical girlhood/adolescence transformation of middle-class American white girls, with a heavily (let me repeat, HEAVILY) hetero-normative approach. For reference, I am an American white cis-female in my 20's from a middle-class family and for the majority of the time I had no idea where Flanagan was coming from (the "prom" chapter was especially ridiculous). Since I found fault in so many of Flanagan's arguments relating to my own teen years, I found it difficult to believe her analyses about decades past. The information presented was interesting, to be sure, but the view seems so narrow and generalized (an odd juxtaposition, but somehow possible in this book) that I'm not even sure what to make of it.
I think the stereotypes and hetero-normative assumptions are really the downfall of this book. Flanagan claims that girls are more sensitive than boys, that they must be sheltered and protected, that a male figure is necessary in order for girls to have a successful (safe) dating life, and actually claims that girls do not "get" anything out of sex acts like oral sex ("a girl may derive a variety of consequences, intended and otherwise, from servicing boys in this manner [performing oral sex], but her own sexual gratification is not one of them" (pg 179)). This quote disturbed me primarily because it places such ridiculous boundaries on what "can" (or "should") be pleasurable for girls. How can Flanagan seriously attempt to dictate what sex acts result in "sexual gratification" for either person involved? Things like "petting" are discussed but in general, penis-in-vagina sex is pretty much the end-all-be-all of sex acts in this book, and the view of sex and sexuality presented here is incredibly narrow minded. Rather than analyzing or challenging the hetero-normative socialization of girls (historically and even currently), Flanagan seems to accept it as a given.
Overall, I was expecting a book more scholarly in tone, with more critical analysis of society itself and how it shapes the lives of female teens. I guess I was expecting more of a hybrid anthropological/critical feminist approach, but the author seems to have formed most of the book around her own experiences and seminal pop-culture from her own girlhood. A lot of Girl Land makes assumptions about the "inner lives" of girls and teens in general, which comes across as naive and somewhat offensive and exclusive. I felt that Flanagan's voice was far too prominent throughout the book, blending research with opinion in such a way that it just seemed sloppy. Harsh, maybe, but I think this book would have been much more successful in its arguments if Flanagan had better separated her own narration and personal views from her research/critical analysis. This book is hardly a chronicle of "Girl Land", but rather a chronicle of "American-white-heterosexual-middle-class-suburban Girl Land"--and even within that niche, focuses on the stereotypes. In general, a very disappointing read. I was expecting a lot more from this book.(less)
This is a pretty amazing book. Even if you think every recipe in it sounds disgusting (I'll admit, some of them sound disgusting--to me), I guarantee...moreThis is a pretty amazing book. Even if you think every recipe in it sounds disgusting (I'll admit, some of them sound disgusting--to me), I guarantee you'll get something out of it anyway, because this book is as much about cooking as it is about philosophy--a philosophy of cooking? The ingredients and the recipes don't matter much (although there are many recipes throughout this book), what matters is the process and how you perceive food/cooking. Throughout the book Adler challenges you to reconsider how you relate to food and how you can look at in new ways to make cooking natural, easy, and economical.
I really enjoyed this book, and could see myself reading it again (and again). Adler is a great writer--poetic, humorous, and practical. Some of her advice becomes a bit redundant, though. Not necessarily in a bad way--I actually found it kind of humorous because she seems well-aware of her culinary obsessions. Her cure-all seems to be to add olive oil to everything. If you're not a fan of olive oil or vinegar, you're likely to be repulsed by the majority of recipes described in this book. Adler also really likes toast (another common cure--put it on toast) and anchovies. However, as I said above, there is plenty to be gained from An Everlasting Meal even if you don't share Adler's taste in food.
Something about it prevents me from giving it 5 stars. I feel like I might have a hard time actually using this book as a reference in the kitchen, but since I got it from the library I guess I don't have time to find out. It was a joy to read, and I can imagine re-reading it and having a spark of inspiration and running to the kitchen to experiment with one of Adler's ideas. However, I can't really imagine looking to this book for concrete meal ideas/recipes (some, but not many, of the actual recipes in this book appealed to me). Although...I might have to bake those brownies in the last chapter...(less)
I'm not quite done with this book yet but I feel like I have to write something about it lest everything dribbles out of my head before I'm able to ge...moreI'm not quite done with this book yet but I feel like I have to write something about it lest everything dribbles out of my head before I'm able to get it down.
The Supergirls is an interesting read. Madrid sometimes handles the "feminism" aspect of the book awkwardly, but generally I think this is an excellent feminist history of comic book super heroines. The book definitely suffers from a lack of illustrations, however. As someone who has basically never read a superhero comic in my life (despite being a comic nerd), I found myself hard-pressed to conjure up an image of most of these characters while reading, and had to hastily resort to google image searches to clarify what/who was being discussed. I imagine this book would make an awesome full color oversize book...but I guess that was beyond the means of this project (revised deluxe edition in the future...?)
I've got about two chapters left to read, and one thing that has really struck me is that Madrid seems to brush aside issues of race in comics. He's mentioned it maybe two or three times--but only in passing while describing a character (for example, he mentions Storm's race but after the initial description of her back-story it is completely left out of all analyses of her character). The book essentially presents "white-washed" feminism at the core of its analysis, which I'm finding increasingly annoying as I continue reading (class is also generally ignored--"career women" seem to be the dominant archetype). Maybe Madrid felt that covering both race and gender in one book was just too much, but that clearly is a naive view of feminism and ignores a significant part of what feminism is.
Although Madrid's analysis isn't without fault, some interesting trends emerge throughout the history traced in this book. One point that was particularly interesting to me is how the female body and fertility are more often than not cast as weaknesses. This isn't particularly surprising, but I didn't even realize how such "female problems" were woven into the superhero universe. Madrid discusses how superhero comics became infused with "real life" problems--interestingly, the women suffer from myriad issues directly linked to their sex (either biologically or socially), including rape, infertility, pregnancy, abuse, etc. I find it interesting that female superheroes are left to deal with issues of rape, infertility, and pregnancy, while their male counterparts seem to live in a world of perfect virility and healthy sex. The virgin/whore double standard is also brought up throughout the book, and it's interesting how female sexuality was (is?) always cast as evil (Catwoman), bestial (Sheena), or simply embarrassing or silly (She-Hulk).
I know this book is more of a pop-culture thing and less of a critical analysis thing, but I would have appreciated some reference to specific feminist theory throughout the book. Also, Madrid mentions the elusive female comics-reader multiple times, but there aren't any statistics about how many female readers there were. To me, this would have been a really interesting piece of information in order to better understand the original audience of these comics.
Anyway, I'm off to finish those last two chapters now.
--------
Update after finishing the book: During the later chapters, race is mentioned a bit more, but still it's not given much attention. Although the book is mostly chronological, there are a few "themed" chapters, and I really think that race would have been a perfect topic for a chapter of its own. The last chapter was definitely the weakest of the entire book. It's poorly written and edited (like it was written in a hurry so the book could be sent to the publisher on time or something...really, it's pretty bad).
Another thing that bugs me about the way this book is written is how the superheroes are almost always referred to as "real" people, as though they are living real lives, have real motivations, and face real problems. I noticed this throughout the book, but for some reason it became more apparent toward the end. To me, that way of writing about the characters minimizes the fact that they are fictional creations of artists, writers, and publishers. Obviously the fact that they are fabricated (and, therefore, that every part of them is quite deliberate) is important. Madrid does refer to artists and writers, but he just as often refers to characters as if they're independent beings with their own free-will. We all know they're not real, but I generally felt that the artifice of the whole enterprise was played down quite a bit.
Anyway, I still thought this was a very interesting read. It made me want to pick up some superhero comics and maybe give them a try.(less)
This was an enjoyable read for sure--so why 3 stars? Although I love the concept of this book, and some of the stories are truly amazing, the layout a...moreThis was an enjoyable read for sure--so why 3 stars? Although I love the concept of this book, and some of the stories are truly amazing, the layout and some of the writing got on my nerves.
The layout and design are very coffee-table-book-esque (not a bad thing in and of itself). Phrases on each page are printed in red instead of black; there are plenty of pictures; and each chapter is broken into parts (there's a main story that's the focus of each chapter, then some recipes, followed by a section called "kitchen visionary" and/or transcriptions of stories that were called in to the show). The different colored fonts kind of irritated me, especially since a lot of highlighted phrases sounded so gimmicky and silly when isolated on the page.
I really liked how each chapter had sections, which highlighted multiple stories aside from the primary story. Although sometimes I couldn't help but think that the shorter messages from callers sounded so much more interesting than the longer stories in the book, for the most part I got into all the stories in some way. Except the NASCAR one, maybe. Interesting, sure, but I think there are other food-related tales more "deserving" of a full chapter in this book. And it's one of the few chapters with recipes that actually sounded downright repulsive to me. Story #10 ("Milk Cow Blues: The Apple Family Farm and the Indiana Cow Share Association") was really interesting to read, but seemed to deviate from the unifying theme of "hidden kitchens", at least as I understood it.
As for the writing: overall this book is well-written and captures the emotional, social, and cultural importance of food throughout the country. However, at times it made me roll my eyes with lines like "Mark Apple, beard and glasses, the kind of guy you might expect to meet in the band room at school rather than a milk barn...". Sorry, that's just a little too cheesy for me.
One chapter that just made me feel uncomfortable throughout was Story #3 ("The Chili Queens of San Antonio"). This was actually one of my favorite chapters in the book simply because of the story but the writing particularly irked me. The descriptions of the chili queens are horribly romanticized. It comes across as patronizing and the fact that these women were, ultimately, taking on these roles to make money for themselves and their families is minimized (it comes up a little near the end of the chapter). Instead, their fiery, mysterious personalities are emphasized in nearly every description, reinforcing a stereotype that seems to permeate the story rather than revealing any sort of "truth" regarding the real women involved in the chili queen legacy. Less than one page is dedicated to an actual interview with someone directly involved (Isabel Sanchez, granddaughter of a chili queen). I just wish more of this chapter had been constructed from first-hand accounts (the shorter story at the end, for example--"The Lark of the Border"--is excellent). But overall, this chapter came across as the least "honest" in its writing, as much as I enjoyed the story.
Despite a few shortcomings, this is a good book and very much worth reading. I doubt I'll try any of the recipes (except maybe the Czechoslovakian Moon Cookies)--it kind of seems like they're in the book more for show than anything. I mean, I probably won't be making 3 gallons of Moonlite Bar-B-Q Burgoo anytime soon...or ever...if you catch my drift. But the actual stories in these pages are truly amazing and make you consider how powerful food really can be, for both our bodies and our spirits.(less)
I really, really enjoyed this book. Took me a while to get to it--I took it out from the library, and had to renew it because I hadn't even had a chan...moreI really, really enjoyed this book. Took me a while to get to it--I took it out from the library, and had to renew it because I hadn't even had a chance to start reading it yet. But once I did start, it was only a matter of days before I was finished.
If I could give this 4 1/2 stars, I would. It wasn't quite a 5 for me, mainly because I didn't like how July insistently tries to insert the characters from her screenplay into the narrative. I thought many of her musings related to writing and life in general were certainly relevant. And to a degree, including bits and pieces about the specific screenplay was relevant too, since in a bizarre turn of events, her Penny Saver interviews become entwined with the fiction she's created quite literally. But really...I couldn't bring myself to care about her characters, and didn't want to. As she points out herself, they are so incredibly fake in comparison to the real people she interviews.
And what an interesting bunch they are. The photographs are excellent and the interviews are funny, sad, awkward, and revealing. I liked how July included her own narrative interwoven between bits of interview, although sometimes I wish she would have written less about herself and instead included more from the interviews.
Definitely worth reading--it makes me wish I could work up the courage to start conversations with strangers more often. Who knows what kinds of interesting things I would learn, what kinds of extremely personal and amazing things people might just blurt out? For now I guess I just have to live vicariously through Miranda July, who does have the guts to call up strangers and ask if she can interview them (oh, and maybe look at that thing they listed in the Penny Saver).(less)
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
4 stars
I think this is a great book for just about anyone to read--whether you suffer from...moreI received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
4 stars
I think this is a great book for just about anyone to read--whether you suffer from depression or anxiety, or know someone who does. My favorite part about this book is that Dr. Weil mentions very early on that negative emotions are a normal part of life. It seems obvious, but how acceptable is it, really, to express negative emotions in public? Not very--you're supposed to keep those things to yourself. Sometimes it's completely appropriate to be depressed--it doesn't mean there's something wrong with you! However, he does acknowledge that more and more people are suffering from depression and anxiety. He describes the many circumstances of our modern lives that may be contributing to this epidemic. I agree with him on a lot of counts, and he gives good advice about how to minimize the effects of those environmental (and internal, emotional) factors.
Although Dr. Weil outlines an 8-week plan at the end of the book, I don't think his approach is prescriptive or pushy. He provides many options and alternatives, and encourages readers to choose lifestyle changes that will most impact their own personal struggles. Even if you don't think you need an "emotional makeover" I think this book is well worth reading. You'll probably be surprised by a lot of what you learn, and Dr. Weil provides ample research study citations and personal anecdotes from himself and patients.(less)
This is an interesting read, although it's a bit strange. Kind of like a patchwork quilt of content: part essay, part book review, part short fiction....moreThis is an interesting read, although it's a bit strange. Kind of like a patchwork quilt of content: part essay, part book review, part short fiction. I feel like if anyone other than Atwood tried to get away with this, we'd all be booing them off the figurative stage. Atwood manages to pull it off, though, and if you're a fan of her fiction you'll likely enjoy this as there are many little windows looking into Atwood's inspiration and background. I don't feel like I have any better idea of what science fiction "is" (admittedly, I didn't come to this book looking for that)--she seems to split hairs in the intro, but throughout the book her "definition" of sci fi is broad and varied.
I think what I most liked about this book was the middle section, which has provided me with a tidy list of books that I should read at some point. It seems that the sci fi in which Atwood has steeped herself is of a slightly different breed from what I'm normally drawn to, and I'm interested in exploring just what exactly that is. I've never read She for example, but Atwood mentions it so many times that I almost feel like I must be a nerd-failure if I don't read it.
Overall, I think this book is primarily of interest to Atwood fans and only secondarily of interest to sci-fi fans...I really can't imagine reading this if I didn't also enjoy Atwood's fiction.(less)
It literally took me months to finish this book. I renewed it the max number of times and eventually had to return it and take it back out from the li...moreIt literally took me months to finish this book. I renewed it the max number of times and eventually had to return it and take it back out from the library (I mean, come on, I just had to finish those last 50 pages). So, this isn't really the kind of book that sucks you in and before you know it you've reached the end. But it's also not a "difficult" read, or an excessively scholarly read either. I just found it...slow--interesting, but slow.
My perception of what virginity is and what it means is definitely altered having read this book. I always viewed virginity as a purely religious concept that had wheedled its way into western culture as a whole. That's true--kind of. But Blank demonstrates how virginity and religion did not necessary stem one from the other, and even without any religious meaning whatsoever, virginity has historically been an important part of western culture, socially and economically (and medically).
Toward the end of the book, Blank traces the history of abstinence education in the US and how it relates to virginity and religion. I actually didn't know much about the specifics of abstinence education in the US--kind of always viewed it as a religious mandate rather than a governmental one. However, as Blank describes, the US government has dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to these programs--most of which are religious. She also mentions that the US is unique in this regard; that is, being a "first world" western country that promotes virginity as sex education, although the word "virginity" is never used (oh what a backward country we are). Additionally, she points out that the majority of American citizens have indicated that they would prefer comprehensive sex education over abstinence education--so the truly absurd part of it is that millions of dollars are being put into an ineffective sex education mandate that most citizens do not want to begin with. This discussion takes up a relatively minor portion of the book, but having read the previous 200 pages or so I found it the most infuriating. I suppose it just further illustrates Blank's point that virginity is far from being an archaic concept left to gather dust; it is still very much a part of our culture and not merely a religious matter.
Anyway, there is a lot of interesting information in this book, although it primarily focuses on European and North American countries, with quite a bit of attention paid to the Middle Ages and thereabouts. I'd love to read more about virginity in other parts of the world, in order to get a better idea of how the concept of virginity functions (if at all) in other cultures.(less)
This book is awesome. I've looked through it before, and it goes without saying that the illustrations are amazing. But this time I decided to actuall...moreThis book is awesome. I've looked through it before, and it goes without saying that the illustrations are amazing. But this time I decided to actually read all the text, too. It's a good primer on anatomical illustration and describes some of the key historical texts and why they were important. Post-1900 isn't very well represented, and I didn't care for most of the "digital age" imges. I know there has to be better stuff out there, and while the 3D diagrams and the story behind how they were created are pretty cool, the images themselves aren't quite as aesthetically pleasing as the older illustrations and already seem dated (although I did really like the color cryosection images from the Visible Human Project). I definitely recommend reading the introductory text for that section because it is so interesting, even though many of the images are underwhelming. The "digital age" section only takes up about 30 pages of this 330 page book.
Many of the images reproduced in this book are also freely available on the web. There are citations at the end. I highly suggest checking them out if you like what you see in this book.(less)
This book is really interesting, although I sometimes found it difficult to figure out exactly what Hustvedt was arguing. She seems to waiver between...moreThis book is really interesting, although I sometimes found it difficult to figure out exactly what Hustvedt was arguing. She seems to waiver between arguing that hysteria was indeed a "real" illness while also arguing that it was a manifestation of socially constructed/suggested symptoms. I guess in the end she really is arguing for both points--that is, that these women were suffering from a real illness, which was manifested in symptoms that were medically acceptable. Ultimately, there is still a lot of mystery around what exactly was going on, but we're given a glimpse within the pages of this book.
I found all the chapters of Medical Muses intriguing but I think Genevieve's story was the most fascinating to me. While discussing Genevieve's story, Hustvedt weaves in information about saints, demonic possession, and the intersection of art and hysteria (also mentioned in other chapters, but I found the section in Genevieve's chapter particularly interesting). It's amazing how medicine and religion were intertwined, even while scientists attempted to discredit religion (ironically, as Hustvedt points out, shifting the power dynamic from one patriarchal institution to another).
There's no doubt that these women were treated horrifically, usually as medical experiments rather than human beings. Yet, despite their treatment, the hospital undeniably provided them some sort of "safe haven". In reference to Genevieve, Hustvedt notes that she almost certainly would have been burned at the stake if she had lived a century earlier. Comforting. Hustvedt attempts to demonstrate how Charcot and his medical staff took a more "enlightened" approach to their practice (although she does, of course, note how inappropriate much of their conduct was) but they often undid their own "progressive" views. For example, Charcot attempted to dismantle the previously held belief that hysteria was a disease afflicting only women, claiming that while women were more likely to suffer from it, men could as well. Nonetheless, he identified hysterogenic zones specific to the female body (such as the ovaries). How is one to use an ovarian compressor on a male? I think it would have been beneficial if Hustvedt could have dug up a case study of a male hysteric--it would have been interesting to note the differences in treatment (or even diagnosis).
Before reading this book I read a number of reviews on Amazon, about half of which are 1-star. Most of them share the same criticisms and most refer to the final chapter of the book in which Hustvedt describes how hysteria fits in to contemporary medicine. I'm no medical expert, so I can't comment on whether the literature to which she refers is really cutting edge, or if she was referencing out-dated material (if the critics are correct, her research for this section of the book could have been better). Nonetheless, I thought this final, short chapter was quite interesting and even if Hustvedt's facts weren't quite right the general idea holds strong. How should the medical community handle illnesses that seem to be without biological cause? And why should such illnesses be considered any less real, just because they can't be treated with a pill?(less)
I really enjoyed this book, although I wish it had included more mythology and fairy tale type stories. The writing collected here is nonetheless inte...moreI really enjoyed this book, although I wish it had included more mythology and fairy tale type stories. The writing collected here is nonetheless interesting; I just enjoy mythology, and it seems like there should be plenty of beast-related mythological tales from which Gibson could have selected.
There are lovely illustrations sprinkled throughout, which made this book a fun read.
Overall, I liked how Gibson took various sources from around the world to create a loose "thesis" about humans and their relationship to wild beasts (and vice versa). Gibson chose many selections that highlight our common traits or show man for the beast that he truly is (sometimes more beastly even than the beasts!) Likewise he includes pieces that highlight the almost "human" qualities of beasts, or those that we just may never understand--the mystery, the allure, of those "large, fascinating eyes."
I particularly liked quite a few selections from this book, but this one seemed especially quote-worthy to me when I read it:
A Magnificent Hairy Fellow 1910
"How I hate the man who talks about the 'brute creation', with an ugly emphasis on brute. Only Christians are capable of it. As for me, I am proud of my close kinship with other animals. I take a jealous pride in my Simian ancestry. I like to think that I was once a magnificent hairy fellow living in the trees and that my frame has come down through geological time via sea jelly and worms and Amphioxus, Fish, Dinosaurs, and Apes. Who would exchange these for the pallid couple in the Garden of Eden?"
This was really more of a 2.5 for me (mainly because of the disjointed writing). The images themselves tell a far clearer story than Adams does. I'd g...moreThis was really more of a 2.5 for me (mainly because of the disjointed writing). The images themselves tell a far clearer story than Adams does. I'd give her "slideshow" of images 3.5ish stars, although I really wish some of the image reproductions were better. I couldn't even read some of them, which seems to defeat the purpose.
I think Carol Adams brings up many provocative, valid points. However, it seems like this book was basically compiled from slide-show notes. I realize the book is based on her slide-show, but that doesn't mean it can't be a polished, well-written piece of work. It definitely is not, and I found it frustrating to read sometimes. Nonetheless, Adams' passion and knowledge about the topic shine through the occasionally muddled writing.
Even as a recently converted vegetarian, I had never considered animals (particularly the ones we eat) as being gendered. I had never considered how advertising for meat reflects gender stereotypes or enforces binary gender roles. Her argument is intriguing and disturbing. After finishing this book, I began seeing examples of "the pornography of meat" all over the place. It really is scary how such disturbing ideas and images are so deeply ingrained in our cultural imagery.
I'll be looking into Adams' book "The Sexual Politics of Meat." It sounds like a more "academic" version of this book, and will hopefully be more structured and provide an in-depth discussion of the ideas presented in "The Pornography of Meat." (less)
I kind of want to give this book 3 stars, but when I try to think about what I learned from it...the title pretty much sums it up. If a book can't go...moreI kind of want to give this book 3 stars, but when I try to think about what I learned from it...the title pretty much sums it up. If a book can't go beyond its 9-word title, that's a problem for me. Ultimately, Herzog's only certain conclusion seems to be that our relationship with other species is complicated. No kidding! I was hoping for more than that.
It seemed like there was a lot of emphasis on the "Some we love" aspect of the book. Lots of information about pets, including Herzog's speculations about why we have them and why they aren't consistent across cultures. As a dog owner and someone who works with dogs on a daily basis, I found these chapters interesting but the information was sometimes disjointed and didn't seem to contribute to a larger argument. I often felt like the author was presenting information (lots of reference to various studies and books) solely for the sake of saying "Look at all this cool stuff anthrozoologists have discovered!" That's not to say that the information isn't interesting--it is!--but I couldn't see how most of it contributed to explaining the paradoxes and hypocrisy that the author is investigating here.
I thought the most informative part was Chapter 9, in which Herzog discusses the philosophies of Peter Singer and Tom Regan, whose theories have laid the ground work for animal rights activists today. In this chapter he really gets down to the nitty gritty and I wish more of the book had been like this chapter. Herzog's discussion about experimenting on animals (and how the public views such practices) is also interesting.
Overall, I found this book compelling. It was a quick read, full of intriguing facts and interesting anecdotes. I think my rating might be a bit harsh but this book really didn't live up to my expectations (lots of information, few conclusions), and there was an emphasis on the more pleasant human-animal relationships (pets) rather than the more morally troubling relationship between, say, humans and factory farmed animals.(less)
While I wouldn't consider myself one of Gaga's "Little Monsters", I do find her work intriguing...in a I-would-love-to-write-an-art-history-paper-abou...moreWhile I wouldn't consider myself one of Gaga's "Little Monsters", I do find her work intriguing...in a I-would-love-to-write-an-art-history-paper-about-her sort of way. That is, in a critical sense...she is really interesting to pick apart as a living piece of art, a true spectacle.
That said, her formation as an artist and the creation of Lady Gaga is a bit disappointing at best. Ultimately it seems that her success--the part of it that she personally has had control over--is due to her unrelenting drive and calculating nature (I do mean calculating in the best way possible), with a bit of raw talent thrown in. Aside from that, it seems to have been a matter of money and connections.
While this does tend to shatter the epic "myth" of Lady Gaga, it is a reminder of one very important fact: she is human. And behind all the make-up and fashion, she is a 24 year old celebrity whose position was secured through a process that involved much more than her own personal vision and determination. As attractive as the idea is of her emerging, fully formed, as a self-created masterpiece of art, fashion, and music, the truth is that Lady Gaga is the work of many different people.
The idea of a board-meeting being held to come up with the name "Lady Gaga" is particularly uninspiring, but it sums up the effect of this biography. It's a reality check. It takes you behind the spectacle to see the man behind the curtain, so to speak, but in this instance the "man" is an entourage compiled of record company execs, family members, personal friends, professional acquaintances, etc. That's not to say that Gaga hasn't had anything to do with her fame. The author makes it clear, through her own descriptions and quotes from interviews, that Gaga is an exacting artist who demands perfection and is constantly tuned in to the importance of detail. Nonetheless, Callahan calls attention to the many others who have helped create Lady Gaga.
This story is incredibly well crafted. I started the book obviously knowing what was coming to some extent: lots of destruction and certainly some emo...moreThis story is incredibly well crafted. I started the book obviously knowing what was coming to some extent: lots of destruction and certainly some emotional hardship. But as the story progresses (from predictable...a straight-forward memory of a horrific event etched in all our memories) it becomes increasingly surreal and absurd, revealing the even more horrific side of an already terrible event.
For me, the first half the book deserves 3 stars; it's well written and well balanced between building up the characters (I enjoyed the many little side-stories about Zeitoun and his family) and advancing the plot. However, the second half of the book really takes it over the top, and I could barely bring myself to put the book down between reads.
Through Zeitoun's experiences, Eggers highlights the many failings of authority when a sense of order is most needed. If I had to sum up this book in two words, they would be "tragicomic" and "infuriating".(less)
I thought Shanker's views and experiences about what it means to be "Fat" were funny and insightful. I had a hard time relating to her on a lot of lev...moreI thought Shanker's views and experiences about what it means to be "Fat" were funny and insightful. I had a hard time relating to her on a lot of levels, however, particularly when it came to her many rants about dieting. It often seemed to me that she was stating the obvious (i.e. diets will not make you skinny, or healthy). I did weight watchers once in high school and that was my first and last experience with "dieting." Overall I can't say I've ever felt any sort of connection to this supposedly universal (for women, at least) obsession with dieting. As a result, the bits about fad diets, pills, and medical procedures were horrifying but didn't strike a particularly personal chord with me.
The most interesting parts of this book to me were the parts that examined the psychological and emotional implications of being (or worrying about being) Fat. Her reflections on the word itself are bold, funny, and incredibly true. Why are we so afraid of this word? And how does such a simple word (a mere physical description, right?) end up with such far reaching implications and connotations?
As other reviewers have noted (perhaps not so much here on Goodreads, but on Amazon), Shanker occasionally fluctuates between self-acceptance and a lingering sense of self-reproach. Others have pointed to this as a major flaw, but I found her honesty refreshing. Anyone with serious body image issues isn't going to wake up one morning and shed those negative perceptions. It was nice to read Shanker's insights as part of a work in progress--a sort of in media res look at her personal journey toward self-acceptance, and a growing sense of pride and courage to not adhere to ridiculous commercialized standards of beauty.
Overall I thought this was an encouraging read, and would absolutely recommend it to any woman who is horrified by the prospect (or reality) of being Fat. I'm pretty sure that's about 99% of us. So go ahead and read this book.(less)
I found some of the general advice in this book helpful. However, it wasn't quite what I expected. The idea of following actual dogs through their pup...moreI found some of the general advice in this book helpful. However, it wasn't quite what I expected. The idea of following actual dogs through their puppyhood is a great idea and seems promising--until you find out that all the puppies are from top-notch breeders and perfectly fit Millan's "calm-submissive" ideal. I know MY puppy certainly does not meet that ideal, nor is she from any sort of top-notch breeder, so it made a lot of the puppy-specific stories kind of useless. This book would be more helpful to read if you're in the process of getting a puppy and want to know what you should take into consideration.
Millan's advice about how to communicate with puppies was somewhat useful--he places a lot of emphasis on understanding that your dog isn't going to respond to normal human communication and that attempting to humanize your dog is a big mistake. The concept of using "calm-assertive energy" is more like a general thing to keep in mind while interacting with your dog...certainly useful, but I guess I was hoping for more concrete advice.
Overall, I think this book provides some useful GENERAL information about raising the "perfect dog." Probably better to read this book well before you've brought your puppy home, however.(less)
This book is incredibly interesting. Even though I already knew a good portion of what the authors were discussing, there were plenty of things I didn...moreThis book is incredibly interesting. Even though I already knew a good portion of what the authors were discussing, there were plenty of things I didn't know. Overall, I thought the content of this book at least appeared well researched (there's a sizable bibliography which I'll be exploring) and was also nicely presented and well-designed.
The one thing that really irritated me about this book, however, was the tone. I wish I had kept a tally of how many times the words/phrases "hapless(ly)" (to describe girls/women, usually in a historical context, or their uteruses or other sexual organs) and "funnily enough" (usually to introduce an ironic statement) were used. Seriously annoying, and unnecessary. I realize the book is often tongue-in-cheek and tries to bring humor to a subject that probably seems kind of gross or unapproachable to most American women. I appreciate the occasional ironic remark or sarcastic observation. I just wish the authors hadn't felt the need to make every sentence a punch-line. It got old pretty fast.
Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to any woman who is curious about the more recent history of menstruation (the past 200 years or so are the focus, although other periods of history are mentioned along the way). I do wish there had been a bit more in the way of encouraging words about reusable products. After many many pages covering the risks of commercial femcare products, only about two pages are devoted to healthier alternatives. I highly recommend researching more about menstrual cups for those who are curious :)
I'm beginning to ramble. In short: this book is approachable, informative, and fun. The vintage advertisements sprinkled throughout are both funny and at times horrifying. I think I was hoping for a slightly more academic tone, but this book still succeeds in both educating and inspiring.(less)
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