Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. Nonfiction.
Summary: Isaac Cline, who believed he knew all there was to know about weather, is one of many who witness the most deadly hurricane in our history in 1900 in Galveston, TX.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: This was a really well-written book about something we know little about. Weather forecasting was in its infancy in 1900, and Cline and those he worked with believed with conviction that Galveston would be able to withstand any hurricane. The tragedy that followed (the deaths of 6,000 people and the destruction of the entire city) was not only unpredictable, but entirely unthinkable.
It's not an easy read, but not really a hard read either. You just have to be in the mood for something nonfiction. I enjoyed it very much.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Female Brain
The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine. Nonfiction
Summary: A neuropsychiatrist shares the years of research she has done on women's brains, and what exactly make us different from men.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
Comments: We are reading this for our book club this month, which is why I picked it up. I found it very interesting and I learned a lot about what we have long expected--that men and women think differently. Anything about the brain is going to be very scientific and include a lot of lingo that the common person isn't used to, but for the most part, I didn't feel that this was too far over my head. In other words, there was enough to keep my attention, even when I wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about. The chapters about "the brain below the belt" and "the mommy brain" were especially interesting.
One thing that bothered me a little about this book was she seemed to condone, or at least explain away, bad behavior, especially in teenage girls. I had to remind myself that she is a scientist and explaining why women act the way they do was what she was trying to do. I did feel that she was excusing bad behavior in a way, though, and blaming a lot on the menstual cycle. Oh, and it's quite obvious that she isn't against women pleasuring themselves.
It's worth reading--it looks a lot longer than it is (really only about 160 pages of actual reading), and I think it probably will help me be more compassionate toward my daughters in the future. But I am still going to hold them to higher standards, knowing that we have been counseled to "put off the natural man" and not just use that as an excuse that "that's who I am."
Summary: A neuropsychiatrist shares the years of research she has done on women's brains, and what exactly make us different from men.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
Comments: We are reading this for our book club this month, which is why I picked it up. I found it very interesting and I learned a lot about what we have long expected--that men and women think differently. Anything about the brain is going to be very scientific and include a lot of lingo that the common person isn't used to, but for the most part, I didn't feel that this was too far over my head. In other words, there was enough to keep my attention, even when I wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about. The chapters about "the brain below the belt" and "the mommy brain" were especially interesting.
One thing that bothered me a little about this book was she seemed to condone, or at least explain away, bad behavior, especially in teenage girls. I had to remind myself that she is a scientist and explaining why women act the way they do was what she was trying to do. I did feel that she was excusing bad behavior in a way, though, and blaming a lot on the menstual cycle. Oh, and it's quite obvious that she isn't against women pleasuring themselves.
It's worth reading--it looks a lot longer than it is (really only about 160 pages of actual reading), and I think it probably will help me be more compassionate toward my daughters in the future. But I am still going to hold them to higher standards, knowing that we have been counseled to "put off the natural man" and not just use that as an excuse that "that's who I am."
Monday, April 7, 2008
Girl's Guide
Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks
Summary: Told in memoir style, Girls Guide is the story of a woman's quest for love and how she, ultimately, finds it.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Comments: I had heard a lot about this bestseller and really expected to like it. It was just okay. I must not appreciate a "real love story," and felt no real satisfaction in her choice of men. And then there was the language thing again...I don't understand why authors feel they have to include so many f-bombs. Again, maybe I am not comfortable with the world as it really is (I'd prefer to believe it's the way I see it).
Summary: Told in memoir style, Girls Guide is the story of a woman's quest for love and how she, ultimately, finds it.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Comments: I had heard a lot about this bestseller and really expected to like it. It was just okay. I must not appreciate a "real love story," and felt no real satisfaction in her choice of men. And then there was the language thing again...I don't understand why authors feel they have to include so many f-bombs. Again, maybe I am not comfortable with the world as it really is (I'd prefer to believe it's the way I see it).
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