Book Reviews

The Daycare
Building Community

• An American Map     ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Anne-Marie Oomen
  

  This is the best yet of Anne-Marie's writing and, to me, it seems she has turned a corner in her voice and style that is neater, more succinct and more beautiful than ever.   The book itself is a travelogue; descriptions of places and the inner journey that accompanies each trip.   Some of the travels are for pleasure, some for business, all are in the United States or Puerto Rico, only three of the chapters are in Michigan.   But what makes this book unique among the countless books that reflect on place or journeys or discoveries is the repetitive thread that she weaves so skillfully, barely noticeable, in and out of each story, of how the greater world intrudes on each place until the last chapter, a place of greatest solitude and escape.   (Or is it?)   The second element that makes these stories unique is the complete humility, earnestness and self-consciousness of the author.   This voice is intimate, confiding and speaks with the kindness of the teacher that Anne-Marie will always be; not lecturing but with a wish to share with us a way that she has traveled, knowing that it's not the only way. We do not choose our spirit guides or our real ones.   They are given to us in return for some small, inadequate gesture or wish.   A gift.   Thank you for this gift, Anne-Marie.

• Blink     ★ ★ ★
  by Malcolm Gladwell
  

  It took me a while to write this review because, while the book was interesting and helpful in my work, it wasn't really exciting enough to propel me to the keyboard to share it.   Blink is one of those books that tries to pick apart how we think, label it and help us make sense of it.   After a lifetime of loving this process I've grown a bit cynical and tend to try to poke holes in these theories rather than embrace them.   Still, I'm glad this book was loaned to me and I found little to poke holes in as Malcolm Gladwell does a great job of second guessing everything he discusses and plays his own devil's advocate quite well.

  The topic of the book is those snap judgments we make; why are they right and why they go wrong.   In my business, where so much depends on intuition and instinct, this was a topic that drew me in.   From the moment I choose a client I've learned that a decision from my gut is usually more correct than one from my head.   And trying to move with the rhythms of the day rarely involves logic, but a sort of feel for how the day goes.   Gladwell dissects this process and lets us peek inside all kinds of research, interviews and conclusions about it, letting us draw our own conclusions in the end.   One little tidbit I found especially fascinating was that reliable research shows that facial expression alone is enough to create marked changes in the autonomic nervous system.   This means a gloomy expression can actually make your whole body feel ill and a happy expression can help heal your body.   Studies have shown for years our laughter really is good medicine, but this book tells us even just moving the muscles on your face without any emotion of joy or humor can still produce healthful results, and vice versa.   Intrigued?   Read more of the book!     Back to review index

• Body Rolling     ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Yamuna Zake and Stephanie Golden
  

  I was introduced to the concept of body rolling by my favorite masseuse who uses the theories behind it in her practice and teaches classes on how to use the balls.   Not only have I never had a better massage, but this practice of body rolling allows me to keep up the work at home.   The idea of using a ball to roll out your muscles is not new nor is it the exclusive property of Yamuna Zake; my doctor endorses it wholeheartedly as he says osteopaths have been using the idea for a long time.   But this book and its companion break down the concept into usable chunks, so that you can feel confident fumbling about with it in the privacy of your own home.   The book also stresses the dangers and I recommend that you take the time to read it before just jumping on and rolling away.   There are parts of your body that you need to take extra caution with.   I was also happy to learn that Yamuna Zake has a line of balls for sale that have the strength needed for body rolling; don't try it on your child's toy balls or on a soccer ball!   Besides my trusty rolling ball I have the "foot wakers" and they are a little miracle all in themselves.   The only down side to body rolling is that the book doesn't actually do the work for you; there's still the whole issue of making time and having the self-discipline to get down on the floor and do it.   But at least this is one more option to add variety and fun to keeping in shape.     Back to review index

• Booklover     ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Timothy James Bazzett
  

  I'm partial to my cousin's books, since they give me a sneak peek into the lives of family members that I've always felt a little too removed from.   But aside from that, I have to think that this one, like his other autobiographical works, are also interesting for other reasons.   His work for the government seems fascinating and unusual, while the problems and joys he encounters as a husband and father are so familiar.   Booklover continues the story of Tim's life and while it's a work that can stand on its own I'm sure that if you read the other books first, this one will be more meaningful.   As his family and career mature they encounter difficulties that will be more touching if you've gotten to know them a little ahead of time.

  In this book Tim uses a technique that skips around in time which at first I found to be a huge distraction.   He explains that he read a book that used the same technique which he loved and wants to try himself, so at least he prepares us to be time travelers, but it's still a little hard to get used to.  However, once I did get used to it, I realized that it's a lot like a real conversation.   When we're just sitting around talking with folks we rarely recall events chronologically.   And we many also toss in what our influences were, like what books we were reading at the time or what music we loved.   In this book, Tim does this too (thus the title) which is remarkably interesting.   Not only did I hear about a lot of new (to me) books and authors, but I realized all over again how we are shaped and thus shape others around us in such different ways.   The books that fascinate Tim are often what I would call "guy books" and I'm sure that if I made a list of my favorites it would look like a list of "chick flics."   Yet there were some similarities and those shades of literature and music drew this autobiography a little closer to my heart and my own reality.

  One last note.   Tim has always exhibited admirable skill at choosing people to write the introductions to his books, and Booklover is no exception; his daughter, Suzie's honesty and humility in a handful of pages were impressive and touching.   She could easily follow in her father's footsteps as a writer.         Back to review index

• Creating a Home for Body, Soul and Spirit     ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Bernadette Raichle
  

  It took me a long time to write this review because my second and third impressions of the book were much better than my first, so I had to absorb, digest, rethink and then reread in order to report back.   The first part of the book seemed boring to me; I'm sorry there's no other way to say it.   I want these reviews to be honest with little or no tap dancing, so there it is.   Perhaps because the author is so careful to explain the fundamental aspects of her center with precise language and I tend to be impatient as a reader.   You will have to judge for yourself if my perception is true for you.   And yet, the second half of the book redeems the first well enough that I feel sorry for saying it.   So enough said of the first half and the rest of the review will be on the second half.

  The subtitle of this book is A New Approach to Childcare, but to those of us who operate daycare homes it seems like validation of the same old way we've been doing it for decades.  I love the section Overview of General Practices that states concisely how this gentle form of child care is so beneficial for all of us.   I am also captivated by the inclusion of the Maori culture, cultivating Te Whare Tapa Wha, the Four Cornerstones of Health: family, the physical realm, the soul realm and the spiritual realm.   This gives us inspiration and a model to incorporate our own indigenous culture in our childcare practices.   I love the way Raichle reminds me of the simple things I know:

  • Experience shows that the children are most content in their play when the adults around them are engaged in real work. ..
  • It is not our right to force our sympathy on the child....
  • Finger games for the very young child should try to call the whole body into play rather than just the fingertips.   This has a more rounded, whole quality and is less awakening...

  But the true gold of this book for me comes at the very end, Chapter 15, Research and Reflection.   Here the author discusses the creation of what she calls "pedagogical papers,"   This small section gives inspiration and guidance for those of us "in the trenches" to write up our observations and experiences, refine those writings and share them with others for further development.   Only then can we clarify our thoughts when we're with the children and bring our work to the world instead of allowing those in classrooms and offices to define this precious, spiritual space where we dwell.   Absolutely I'm glad this book is in my library and I'll be referring to it often as I work on this website.       Back to review index

• Dangerous Anthroposophy    
  by Joel Wendt
  

  Review forthcoming.   This book is packed, so it may take awhile.   Please feel free to email me if you'd like my impressions so far.     Back to review index

• The Diseasing of America's Children    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by John Rosemond and Dr. Bose Ravenel
  

  This book was not written to make anyone feel comfortable and for that reason it's the most valuable book I've read on children.   Never have I found so much powerful information in such a usable format.   But if you're not ready to question the status quo, hear the truth about childrearing practices you hold dear and make dramatic changes in how you think about your family, then don't bother picking this up.   Like all real treasure, it's not for wimps.

  While this book's title tells you it's about ADHD, I'm recommending it for all parents, teachers, grandparents and social workers.   Even if your child hasn't been diagnosed I would wager that you know one who has.   Perhaps you've suspected that some child in your world is a little "too hyper" or heard that even adults can be ADHD and thought of someone close to you.   The first half of this book takes the ADHD bull by the horns and doesn't let go until every aspect of the disorder is dissected.   With a historical overview that puts everything into perspective and a no-holds-barred approach to research that points fingers, names names and calls a fraud a fraud, Ravenel and Rosemond systematically clear up misconceptions, highlight hidden truths and answer every question you could possibly have.   The style of writing is conversational but passionate, stern but with great humor.   I found myself alternatively laughing and crying my way through the chapters.

  The second half of the book offers sure-fire methods for raising children with (or without) ADHD.   In fact, the authors offer real life examples of children who never showed their symptoms again after the parents made recommended changes.   My years "in the trenches" with hundreds of children and families have shown me that the methods suggested here will make life immeasurably more sane for all families, with or without any imbalances.

  Of course there's no book I agree with 100% so I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a couple places where I take issue with the authors.   There's a small section on potty training that I feel reflects their lack of direct experience with the subject.   As someone who has gone through potty training with more children than I can remember, I would suggest the authors have placed the exact unrealistic expectations on mothers in this area that they criticize other professionals for doing in academic achievement.   There are some places where the wisdom of the grandmothers does not translate and this is one of them.   I've heard that in Rosemond's other books he gives advice more to my liking and I look forward to reviewing them in the future.

  The other topics I had a hard time swallowing were the review of how reading was taught and the recommendations for regulating television viewing.   While I agree these topics are problematic, I think the details may warrant discussion and personalization, since schools and families are so unique.   But these complaints refer to a handful of pages in a 250 page book that I cannot recommend too highly.       Back to review index

• Feed My Lambs Feed My Sheep     ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Nadine Begin
  

  A beautiful book that has captured my heart!   Inside this slim package are romance, passion, spirit, soul, life, death, poetry, music, laughter, tears and recipes!   Could you ask for anything more?   Nadine's story is a fairy tale that starts in the deep roots of a German Polish Russian family from Southern Michigan, Depression era.   (Full disclosure: Nadine's Mother was my Great Aunt.)   It weaves in and out of the convent, marriage, family, Europe and motherhood to arrive at the most gracious and beautiful bed and breakfast I've ever seen, right here in Traverse City.   Though it could be a full length novel, she has told her story modestly with plenty of photographs, a scattering of poetry and the recipes that defined each of the stages of her life.   With the simple dishes of her childhood (Dill Pickle Soup, Czarnina, Mystery Cake of 1932,) the food cooked in the convent (Babka, Golabki, Paczki,) the recipes she cooked for the assisted living home and the gourmet breakfasts that are famous at the Chateau, we wind our way along the path of someone who was called to feed people spiritually and deliciously.   Never have I read a cook book with a story so tearful as the good-bye to her father when she left for the convent, so touching as her French marriage proposal or so joyous as the description of their house exploding with music.   Never have I read an autobiography so down to earth and practical that I can't decide whether to keep it neat and clean in the living room library or in the kitchen with my cookbooks.         Back to review index

• Going Against the Grain     ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Melissa Diane Smith
  

  I would be able to write a more complete review of this book but I've already loaned it out to someone who I hope is taking it to heart, and you know if I've loaned a book as a recommendation then I really feel that it's got something important to say.   There are many books that talk about grains and gluten intolerance but this book is the best I've found so far.   Grains are more of a problem in our diet than the government food pyramid and the television commercials would have us believe.   Though the kernels of grass are full of nutrients and undoubtedly a beneficial food, I'm sure humans were never meant to eat them as a staple in our diet.   If we were they wouldn't be so small, so tough, so scarce in the wild and go rancid so easily.   This book explores in a very user friendly form all the issues that too much grain in our gut can cause.   In fact, it's so full of little quizzes and tests and basic information that for those who are more well-read on the topic it can seem a little tedious at times; thus only four stars.   However, it gets the point across and offers a way to live in a world full of pastey foods by providing recipes along with all the new knowledge you'll gain about that base of the pyramid that could be the cause of many of your health problems.   Hmmmmm, wonder who benefits from us staying sick?     Back to review index

• The Grasinski Girls     ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Mary Patrice Erdmans
  

  It's hard to write an objective review of this book when it touched my heart in so many places.   I truly expected it to be a dry, textbook description of my Mom's cousins and their lot in life.   Instead I was led by the hand through farmland I loved as a child and the neighboring cities.   My cousin Mary explained to me in images, conversations and historical references how these women were so different and so alike; from and with each other and me.   Being part of the extended family, I remembered my own stories about these Grasinski Girls as I read, and felt my heart ache for family members mentioned, my Grandparents among them, whose personalities shaped me so deftly.

  But I would be remiss if I let you believe this book is a sentimental portrait of these women in Mary's life.   Far from it, this is a stirring examination of their unique position in history and geography.   We are confronted with the realities of being a woman, a Catholic, working class and Polish in a time and place where all of those features put you at a disadvantage.   I find the easy, matter-of-fact spirituality of these women at once familiar and comforting in these times where religion seems more a political badge than a way of life.   Another compelling thread of this book was that of feminism and the richness of how it is expressed in these women and their generation.   The idea of staying home to care for children is discussed as a luxury as well as a burden and I think every reader will ruminate on the lots of all mothers, then and now, and the idea of "liberation" from the home as they enjoy the stories of the Grasinskis.     Back to review index

• The Heartmath Solution     ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Doc Childre and Howard Martin
  

  I have always loved self-help books, as I am one of those bullheaded people who hate to seek assistance from anyone else and firmly believe I can learn how to do almost anything from a book.   Ever since I was old enough to read I've preferred the practical, instructive book over fiction.   So I know whereof I speak when I say that this is one of the most valuable self-help books out there.

  I first learned about The Institute of Heartmath from a conference in Washington D.C. where Joseph Chilton Pearce was the keynote speaker.   His insight into how our brains and hearts are vitally connected struck a rich chord with me, so when he emphatically endorsed Heartmath and the work they do there, I had to check it out for myself.   The website has a lot of free material, encouraging tools, and information about work with schools, hospitals and businesses, all with the intent of creating more peace in our own hearts.   And though I found lots of products there to buy you don't need any more than the instruction in this book to practice the helpful, healing techniques.

  The Heartmath Solution is the basic manual that gives you practical, easy to employ tools to be able to think and live intelligently from your heart, rather than allowing lack of emotional management to cause dysfunctional chaos.   For me the style of writing is a bit too simplistic and anecdotal.   I like to just hurry up and get to the nuts and bolts of things but I realize for some people this type of over explanation is necessary to convince them that what they're reading is worthwhile.   I was already convinced, so I found myself flipping impatiently over some pages that might have been helpful, thinking this book could have been written with half the ink.   I wasn't disappointed though as my flipping brought me to step-by-step instructions for simple methods to tap into and work with the intelligence of heart.   For people who practice meditation, these techniques will seem familiar, but with a little more structure aimed at producing specific results.   There's nothing woo-woo or weird about this stuff, just breathing, focusing, cutting through the baggage and listening.   The techniques have no-nonsense, descriptive names like Freeze-Frame, Cut-Through and Lock-In.   So, you may ask, has it changed my life?   Just like yoga, deceptively simple exercises are often surprisingly hard to fit into the well-worn grooves on our path.   But I'm trying, and when I've been successful the results, yes, inspire me to keep it up and make this a way of life.     Back to review index

• Home Away from Home ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Cynthia Aldinger and Mary O'Connell
  

  Families have gone through huge changes in the last few generations.   One of those changes is in how we care for our children during the day.   From time out of mind most mothers except for the privileged classes have had to labor all day.   But until just recently they either kept their children with them or left them in the care of a relative or friend.   Now a mother rarely finds either of these options available to her and so must hire a caregiver.   Commercial child care can be roughly classified as either home care or center care.   Precious little valid and reliable research has been done on pre-school child care and many of them just look like kindergarten.   Likewise, in the Waldorf tradition, Rudolf Steiner had a lot to say about schools, but not so much about caring for children of the pre-school age.   He gave us information about human development and lots of advice about how infants and small children should be clothed and fed, but it was expected that they would be cared for at home by their families so no formal instruction is written about creating a place to commercially care for small, unrelated children.   The Waldorf schools for years held to the belief that families should make the greater effort to keep children at home until kindergarten thus avoiding the issue of how younger children would be cared for in a group setting.

  But, in the cold northern land of Wisconsin, Cynthia Aldinger kept making noises about the families who were putting their children in daycare.   She researched child care providers who were already applying Steiner's recommendations and philosophies to the infants and toddlers in their care.   She realized that she was in the right place and the right time to address the need for formal training and standardization of early childhood caregivers in a Waldorf tradition and so Lifeways was born!   Years ago I responded to her query in a Waldorf newsletter asking for input into this project and since then have enjoyed a long distance, warm and enlivening relationship with this inspiring woman.   A handful of times we've had the joy of being at the same conference and exchanging real life hugs and conversation and the feeling is as if I was greeting an old friend.   She is warm, perky and wise and the perfect person to start a quiet, important movement.   This book describes her work.

  From beginning to end, Home Away from Home answers every question you could possibly have about what Lifeways child care is all about.   The format is lively and interesting with questions, answers, quizzes and lots of photographs.   Philosophy, practices, licensing and advocacy are all thoroughly explored as well as the training she has created and offers.   For anyone caring for children this book is a necessary addition to your library for all the insight it offers.   All of us who create a space for children must think hard and carefully and often about how that space will reflect our highest ideals in a way that we can practically implement without burning out.   Indeed, the true spirit of Anthroposphy is that we all must be free thinkers and determine our own best way in the world.   In that light, there is no one source that can be a template to lay down and copy exactly.   This book is not that, but rather a well to draw ideas and encouragement from.   You may, after reading this, feel compelled to take the trainings and embrace LifeWays completely.   You may, after reading this, take one small crumb and find a way to make it fit into your current practices.   What matters is that you educate yourself about it and open your mind to these comforting, gentle practices.   Children need to be cared for from the heart and LifeWays has created the model for that kind of care.     Back to review index

• I Remember Alice ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Palma Richardson
  

  I'll be honest; I picked up this book only because the author, Palma, is my friend, neighbor and piano tuner and I want to support all my friends when they publish a book in hopes that some day they'll do the same for me if I ever get around to it.   Not the most admirable reason, but I really want my reviews to be straight from the heart and that's just the truth.   However, once I started reading it I was completely enchanted; each time I had to put it down I couldn't wait to pick it up again as the story just got richer and more beautiful.   I found myself telling people about it at parties, trying to find someone else who had read it so I could discuss it with them.

  Palma herself is a really fun, admirable person whose humble, centered conversation brings a quiet intimacy to the book yet never intrudes on her Mother's fascinating story as it unfolds from beginning to end.   A lively stew of photographs, diagrams, journal entries, letters, interviews and poetry (which reminds me of Emily Dickinson 's) make the book more like a symphony than a serenade and keeps the reader on their toes as we go back to a time where children routinely left home at thirteen and a place that was still very wild and unsettled; Michigan's Upper Peninsula.   Palma's father, Owen Tredway, was one of the founding fathers of Munising, a rugged city on the rocky shore of Lake Superior in a cradle of steep, forested hills.   Owen was much older than Alice and their May/December romance is a poignant and stirring component of this book, especially since he was so well respected in the town.   Of course, Alice was widowed at a younger age than most women and left to raise two daughters on her own in a time when society did not support single parents like it does now.   Her spirituality called her to search, struggle, study, pray and work with her whole heart to find what she felt God wanted of her.   Her quest took her away from Michigan and brought her back wiser, perhaps more jaded, but with goodness, sincerity and a keen, psychic insight that earned her a respect and notoriety of her own as a healer, guide and teacher.   Truly fascinating!

  I am so grateful to Palma for taking up the task of telling her mother's story.   She told me at her book signing that she never in her life thought that she would write a book; she's a musician, not an author!   But just like her mother, Life gave her gifts that she couldn't ignore and she's done a marvelous job.   She says that she felt very guided by Alice's spirit in the writing of this book.   I was lucky enough to also be able to purchase from her limited source, Alice's actual writings, entitled Man Can; An Invitation to Mankind.   I'm so excited to begin it, and then I'm sure I'll re-read I Remember Alice, for I'm not quite ready to shelve her yet.     Back to review index

• The Laws of Money, the Lessons of Life ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Suze Orman
  

  I know that Suze Orman takes a lot of criticism, but I love her.   Some people are just born with an understanding of how to handle money and make it work for them, like some people can just handle dogs or horses or children.   The rest of us need someone who can walk us through it, help us out of the mistakes we've made and not make us feel like complete idiots.   For me, Suze Orman is that gal.

  I've read several of Suze's books but I found this one at a yard sale and it's a winner.   There are clear, concise chapters that take you, step by step through her Laws of money so that you can understand them and make them relevant (lessons) to your life.   This book is, like so many of her books, a workbook with lots of spaces to write in so by the time you're done with it there's no excuse for not being able to internalize the message.

  Since publishing this book, Suze has come out with several more.   She has to be a prolific writer to keep on top of the economic scene in this country.   You would think that her books would, like computers, become obsolete the minute they hit the shelves, but it's not the case.   That's because in each of her books she weaves her wisdom about human nature and her precious philosophy about our sustenance and our livlihood.   In each book she does this a little differently.   So the Laws of Money are the unique feature of this one and how she teaches you to write them on your heart and commit them to memory.   I'm keeping this book on my shelf, since I don't trust my memory.   Those Laws of hers work for me.     Back to review index

• Love, War and Polio★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Timothy James Bazzett
  

  Here is another one of my cousin Tim's books, written in the warm, honest style that has earned him his own following.   This book differs from his others as it's not autobiographical, but instead about "the Life and Times of Young Bill Porteous."   Bill Porteous was a banker in Reed City, Michigan, the town where Tim grew up.   Like many other people at that time, young Bill was afflicted with polio, a disease we hear very little of these days.   Tim skillfully weaves army records, photographs, letters and his own investigative reporting into a beautiful story of love, life, devotion, determination and faith.   Inspiration mixed with insight; a tender hearted tribute to a man I never would have known about.   As with all of Tim's writing I laughed, I cried and I came away feeling a little warmer about the ordinary folks around me and seeing how we're all connected.     Back to review index

• Making The "Terrible" Twos Terrific!    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by John Rosemond
  

  I'm a big fan of John Rosemond and his techniques in teaching parents to do their job well.   This book is no exception and I enjoyed it thoroughly, just as I enjoyed the first one I read, The Diseasing of America's Children.   This book is especially for the parents of very young children, but if you have a three or four-year-old who seems incorrigible, I suggest you start here to give you a foundation of what should have happened a couple of years ago between you and your short housemate.   (Yes, I said the word should, and I don't use that term lightly.)   After each chapter Rosemond has a series of questions and answers.   This format helps to break up the huge amount of information and advice in the book and keep the conversational tone which makes him so easy to read and recommend.   His great sense of humor also boosts him to the top of my list because if you can't laugh about your children you're doomed.   As in his other book, he and I have different ideas about toilet training and probably always will.   Perhaps if we sat down over coffee one day I would find that we were really more on the same page than I thought, but until then I have to believe we're not.   However, in every other aspect I stand firmly by his advice.   I'm especially grateful that he devotes a chapter to child care.   This is a complicated subject many authors just gloss over by repeating the politically correct and industry approved viewpoints of the day.   But Rosemond is never one to bow to convention and he makes no exception here.   Not only is he brave and wise, but in doing so he sets an example for us to be heroes to our children.     Back to review index

• Pagoda Dreamer    
  by JudithMarch Davis
  

  Still reading; review to follow.     Back to review index

• Pinhead: A Love Story     ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Timothy James Bazzett
  

  Well, this book is just downright precious.   Number three in an autobiographical trilogy, Pinhead is the tale of the lonely college boy, looking for love in eventually the one right place.   Since I happen to have first hand knowledge of Mrs. Pinhead, I can tell you that everything he says about her in this book is absolutely true and that all the parts she made him leave out would have just helped to prove that he undoubtedly made the right choice.   However, the real story isn't about the choice, but the quest and, as usual, Tim holds back nothing in relating all the aches and pains of a young college man who is looking, looking, looking.   The descriptions of longings, shyness, dates and, ahem, urges are so vivid that the old humiliation and awkwardness of young adulthood all came rushing back at me in every page.   Even once the two love birds finally fulfill destiny and find each other, their story of events tumbling over each other in a snowball fashion is one that will make many readers laugh and cringe with familiarity at the same time.   As with all of Tim's books we are faced with how much society can change in a couple of generations, and yet, how much never changes.     Back to review index

• Pulling Down the Barn     ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Anne-Marie Oomen
  

  The chapters in this book are a cohesive whole that hand us life on a farm in Northern Michigan, yet each chapter stands on its own as a rich vignette of that life.   I bought this book after I went to a reading by Anne-Marie and heard the chapter titled Interruptions which talks mostly about a conversation between family members, but also about the Sunday dinner where that conversation took place.   When Anne-Marie sets the scene by saying a murmur like old rain, "Bless us, old Lord, and these thy gifts," I heaved a huge sigh.   When she continued Among the hands that pass over my head, there are no beauties, not one unmarked by overwork, I knew she was talking about the people I grew up loving.   This book is about the holiest people in our society, the ones who bring that which keeps us alive.   They are not romanticized or tidied up for our viewing, nor does she lie about the misgivings they hold about the job they do.   The sweat, the humor, the danger and the boredom are all here.   The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because I loved An American Map more, so I needed some wiggle room here.   A beautiful book by a beautiful woman.       Back to review index

• Scientology: A New Slant on Life
  by L. Ron Hubbard
  

  I have a few friends who love Scientology and they are some of the kindest, nicest people I know, so when one of them gave us this book I was grateful for the peek into their belief system.   Unfortunately, after reading it I don't feel like I've been given a very good peek and I wouldn't recommend it for someone who's trying to figure out Scientology.   This little book is a collection of short chapters, each one reading like a brief essay.   It gave me a feel for how Hubbard views the world and more than anything gave me the impression that Scientology has some of the same pillars that other philosophies have.

  From my understanding, Scientology holds to these beliefs:   As in Buddhism and Anthroposophy, Hubbard encourages people not to believe anything they hear at face value but to test everything for themselves and make up their own minds.   Hubbard does not believe in evolution, just as many fundamental, deity-based religions.   Just as in Christianity and most other great world religions, love thy neighbor no matter how he treats you is fundamental to Scientology.   And as in some religions like Christian Science and Latter Day Saints, there is a healthy mistrust among Scientologists of the medical community and modern medicine, especially psychiatry and the drugs that they use to control the mind.   I gathered from reading just this small book that in this practice a sharp, clear mind is a precious treasure to be cultivated and guarded.

  Also, just like quite a few other religions, philosophies and exclusive clubs, Hubbard gives me the impression that Scientology has a fast track to success in life and that's kind of where he, and the rest of them, lose me.   I'm pretty much a "many paths can lead to the same goal" gal so I'm sure that Scientology is a viable path to the people who find an affinity for it but I'm also sure that there are an infinite number of viable paths to success, thus, no stars for L.R..     Back to review index

• The Sneaky Chef     ★ ★
  by Missy Chase Lapine
  

  I will admit right away that I have not tried any of the recipes in this book so, when I do if they are wonderful and delicious, there will be more stars added to my rating.   Right now Missy only gets two because she wrote a tediously long introduction explaining that the whole reason she had to resort to turning everything into puree and hiding it in foods that resemble the small list of stuff her kids would actually eat was because she completely pandered to their whining and complaining and her husband was absolutely no support at all.   I was so disgusted by the time I was finally done with her saga that I almost ditched the book right then and there.   But I forged on and became intrigued.   (Also she does have a pretty nifty looking website that is worth checking out.)  Her whole method of making food healthier is to cook and liquify lots of good stuff and then hide it according to color in dishes that will actually get into her family.   I am 'old school' when it comes to feeding kids.   A starving child will eat dirt and your child will not starve themselves.   If their choice is to eat what's put in front of them or go hungry I promise that they won't go hungry for long and I really believe that the first step in creating a horribly spoiled child often happens at the dinner table.   But if you don't think like I do and you are constantly trying to please your child's picky palate, then I have heard from parents like you that this book is very valuable as far as getting a little variety down the gullet of your prima dona, because it is true that nothing is 'health food' if they don't eat it.   I would caution you, however, that every step of processing that you put a food through causes it to lose some nutrients and enzymes, so don't think that your green puree is as nourishing as those fruits and vegetables would be if your child learned to eat them fresh from the garden.     Back to review index

• Soldier Boy     ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Timothy James Bazzett
  

  I love reading Tim's books not only because I recognize many of the characters in them but because his humble, conversational style of writing makes me feel like we're just sitting around the living room spinning stories of our past.   This book is the second of his autobiographical series that started out to be memoirs for his children but have surprised him by being entertaining and heartwarming to a wider audience.   While his first book, Reed City Boy, was about his childhood in sort of a News from Lake Woebegone kind of way, this sequel encompasses the years that follow when he decided to escape the drudgery of college and join the army.   Since my experience with the armed forces is practically nil, I was genuinely surprised at how many of my preconceived notions were debunked.

  Tim was in the ASA, Army Security Agency, stationed in Turkey and Germany and describes the experience in frank and sometimes shocking images.   His work was mostly classified and he's prohibited from talking or writing about it, so what's left to discuss is the real life part of his experience; the friends, the girls, the surroundings and the emotions.   I suspect that many of those are timeless which is why this book is fun for those who have been there, or are there now, as well as the curious, like me.   Nice work Tim!     Back to review index

• Somewhere Towards the End     ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Diana Athill
  

  I was gifted with this book by some dear friends at a time in our lives where we're both helping our parents age as gracefully as possible while staring the last half of our own lives squarely in the eye.   So in this sometimes confounding time the honest words of spunky Diana Athill set my feet squarely on the ground and pointed my nose in the forward position.   With the wisdom and candor of an old friend she speaks of her joys and regrets in a style that feels conversational instead of contrived; advising instead of lecturing.   This woman's life was quite different from my own and yet with the common threads that run through all our lives I took away from her work the inspiration to stay a juicy, engaged woman.   Thank you Peter and Dena!    Back to review index

• Spiritual Insights     ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  by Rudolf Steiner, compiled by Helmut von Kügelgen
  

  WECAN is publishing a wonderful Little Series: small booklets of cherry-picked excerpts from Anthroposophic writings, mostly Rudolf Steiner's works.   This is the first that I've read and it seems like a good place to start as it has a bare bones explanation of the basic six excercises, meditations for the days of the week, the monthly virtues and quite a few more of the Anthroposophical classics.   This is really nice size for the desk or the nightstand and invaluable as a quick reference, daily inspiration, or review.   What a gem of a little book!     Back to review index

• Still Life in Milford
  by Thomas Lynch
  

  Though I feel that poetry is the life blood of human speech, write poetry myself and read it daily, there are few poets that I really love and will spend money for a whole book of their work.   Thomas Lynch is one of those poets.   I had the good fortune to be able to hear him speak in person at our National Writers Series here in Traverse City.   Now I am the proud owner of a book inscribed: "Chris--Well met/ Write on/ or else, TL." Following orders.