Books read in 2002
"Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players" by Stephan Fatsis (Winter, 2002). The writing in this book is superior to its subject matter, which is true to the title. Always quirky, often amusing, this account of the world of competitive Scrabble alternates between capsule descriptions of the top players or the game's inventor (did this appear in the New Yorker?) or the companies that have owned the copyright and sell millions of copies a year and the author's own real world climb up the competitive ladder. The juxtaposition does not work as well as in "Blue Latitudes" below but is welcome. Alas, the top players just usually know what qualifies as an acceptable word, not what the word means. By the end, the eccentric and often antisocial personalities of the top players become wearisome; one is glad the book ends. Recommended.
"A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable" by John Steele Gordon (Winter, 2002). An excellent short read (one day max) about the laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable. Naturally, this proved much more difficult than envisioned. But the results were more profound as well. While still in Newfoundland, Cyrus Field, the motivating entrepreneur behind the effort, received within minutes of each other congratulatory cables from San Francisco and Egypt.) The author does an excellent job of expanding interesting sidebars to flush out the tenor of the times. (Ever heard of gutta-percha? It made the undersea cable possible.) Best of all, this book is no longer than needed. Recommended.
"Snobbery: The American Version" by Joseph Epstein (Winter, 2002). This is a short book; if aggressively edited it would make an amusing and insightful long piece in The New Yorker. As presented, the mediocrity of the author obscures the 10% or so that is fully on target. The author rarely opines on current objects or targets of snobbery. A good thing, that, because when he is wrong, the credibility of the work disappears. His best chapter (while divided into readable chunks, I could discern little reason for chapter divisions or titles) is on higher education; as a 30 year tenured professor, he clearly feels comfortable with this subject. It remains for someone worthy to treat this subject properly. My appreciation of Michael Pollan's ability to synthesize various aspects of a topic has increased even more. Not recommended.
"Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before" by Tony Horwitz (Fall, 2002). This is a book of juxtapositions. Relying primarily on Beaglehole's edition of Captain Cook's journals, the author tells of Cook's activities and impressions of a Pacific location. Then he and a friend travel there and recount their adventures. The condensed versions of Cook's activities are consistently interesting and good reading; not so the accounts of the modern adventures. Typically the modern cultures are economically depressed and unfriendly. Booze gets the two moderns through some long visits (a week) just as huge quantities of alcohol stoked Cook's crew. The author and reader owe much to the traveling companion, Roger, who provides humor and perspective (as did Bill Bryson's Appalachian Trail companion below). Overall, these juxtapositions work. One better understands Cook and the nature of his achievements. If western civilization could have hand-picked its chosen ambassador, it could not have done better than Cook. He learned from his travels and came to understand, as this book helps us to understand, the universality of man. Numerous times Cook was the first outside contact native cultures had with other worlds; Cook would disarm a hostile war party by playing music or tossing out trade goods. In the end, he became either too casual in dealing with indigenous peoples or he began losing his mind. Given the activities preceding it, his death on the Big Island of Hawaii is not surprising. Perhaps 50 to 100 pages of this book should have been eliminated; the author provides pages that match in length the duration of his modern visits, regardless of interest. Recommended.
The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World" by Bjorn Lumborg (Fall, 2002). If this textbook-like treatise had been written by other than a Danish statistics professor with Green Party leanings, it would be dismissed as Republican Party propaganda. It is the opposite. Using voluminous statistics, Lumborg proceeds to systematically, dispassionately and without bias examine and disprove the major claims of the environmentalist lobby. He repeatedly traces "accepted" facts to their origin, finding often that they have no support at all (floated as hypotheticals) or that there are fundamental flaws in the analysis used. What does he find instead? "We have more leisure time, greater security, fewer accidents, more education, more amenities, higher incomes, fewer starving, more food and a healthier and longer life. This is a fantastic story of mankind and to call such a civilization "dysfunctional" is quite simply immoral." (emphasis deleted, punctuation improved). Lumborg dismantles the arguments of Lester Brown of Worldwatch Institute and of Al Gore. His point is that the real state of the world is ever improving, environmental risks are universally overstated, and the costs of proposed environmental fixes often far exceed any reasonable benefit to be gained. An example is the Kyoto accords on reduction of CO2; the author demonstrates that the tiny reduction in global temperature to result from over half a trillion dollars in added costs does not begin to justify the negative impact on the world's economy. The same money would be far better spent providing food for the starving and increasing sanitation and drinking water worldwide. This is one of the most important books of this decade; it changed the way I view the environmental movement and environmental issues locally and globally.
"The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World" by Michael Pollan (Fall, 2002). This is the third book by Pollan I have read recently and it is not as good as the first two (gardening, building). Still, it is a good read. The author focuses on four plants, apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes, and one's understanding and perception of each is forever changed. Apples were highly valued on the frontier because they could be made into cider, the alcoholic kind. Tulips fostered an investing mania in a staid society. Pollan's treatment of marijuana is most original; the combination of science (the body has marijuana receptors just as it has serotonin receptors) and history (prophets and visionaries are rare now that fewer people are starving) is fascinating to read. The treatment of the potato is most compelling from its impact on the political order in Ireland (and the foreseeable famine when the crops failed) to modern attempts to bioengineer potatoes to serve McDonald's needs. Recommended even if you have to take a break while reading it, as I did.
"Worth the Fighting For: A Memoir" by John McCain (Fall, 2002). Volume 2 of McCain's autobiography starts up where "Faith of Our Fathers" stops at his release as a POW in Vietnam. This volume is not as compelling but it is still worth reading for its unique view of American politics in the last two decades. McCain comes across as genuine, temperamental, honest, and capable of learning from his mistakes and those of others. His first book caused me to vote for him in the primary election in 2000; nothing in this book makes me think that was a mistake.
"Credit Card Nation: The Consequences of America's Addiction to Credit" by Robert D. Manning (Summer, 2002). This book is misnamed. "Debtor Nation" would be a more fitting title. In an early chapter, the author describes the enormous increases in government debt beginning with the Reagan presidency, corporate debt in the 80s and 90s, and personal debt. Most of this meaty volume focuses on the role of credit cards in increasing personal debt by an order of magnitude in the last two decades. (As a nation, we have had a negative savings rate for the past three years.) The author's scholarly approach recognizes the positive role credit cards can play in smoothing over personal crises (unemployment, illness, divorce) and well as the negative results (personal bankruptcy). Credit cards grew as debt instruments because banks consciously decided to offer them to lower earning workers. Witness unsolicited offers of credit cards to children and animals. Interest rates charged have increased past traditional usury limits (say 25% per year) to much higher rates. Credit card APYs can reach 36% a year. Worse, second tier financial businesses (check cashing, pawnshops, rent-to-own) charge interest rates of up to 360 to 720% per year; almost all second-tier outlets have connections to first-tier banking institutions. Of the many conclusions drawn by the author, the most important is that credit cards have played a huge role in disguising the increasing disparity in wealth in America. Why else has personal (credit card) debt increased enormously during a nine year economic expansion instead of decreasing during prosperous times as in the past? Students (who use credit cards both to make up for unavailable funds for books and tuition and for frivolous expenditures) often obtain federally guaranteed loans (non-dischargeable in bankruptcy) to pay off credit card debt. Middle income earners use second mortgages and home equity loans for the same purpose (48% of proceeds go to pay off credit card debt). With the personal debt levels of American workers reaching unprecedented levels and residential housing prices peaking (or already in a bubble), it is doubtful that America's credit card economy can function this decade as it did in the 90s. This book is not poorly written and the content is exceptional, but it is tough going.
"A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder" by Michael Pollan (Summer, 2002). Instead of creating and learning about a garden (see "Second Nature" below), the author recounts the design and construction of a 13' x 8' writing house from architectural plans to completion of construction two and a half years later. As with gardening, he intersperses historical background and perspective with the task at hand (he did half the work during construction). This book is delightful to read; it is even better than "House" by Tracy Kidder for understanding the inherent conflict between architect and builder. Very highly recommended for anyone contemplating building something or having it built or who wants to better understand modern architecture and building techniques.
"A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail" by Bill Bryson (Summer, 2002). Very pleasant, light reading. The author and an improbable companion hike large parts of the AT from Georgia to Maine which provides opportunities to skewer the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, and, memorably, yuppie hikers. The author is not a true outdoorsman which adds to attraction. Recommended.
"The Ultimate Safe Money Guide: How Everyone 50 & Over Can Protect, Save and Grow Their Money" by Martin D. Weiss (Summer, 2002). The author is the proprietor of the Weiss Rating Service, aspects of which rate insurance companies, banks, health organizations, etc. as to financial soundness. Although he uses disconcertingly large numbers of "best seller" phrases like "The Great Stock Market Scam of the 90s," his content is valid and important. Weiss wrote that up to 1/3 of all publicly traded stocks have exaggerated earnings statements months before the 2002 bear market. His rating work is completely unbiased and well-respected nationally. Not recommended unless you are age 50 or thereabouts; otherwise, highly useful.
"Lightning Field" by Dana Spiotta (Summer, 2002). A first novel, this L.A. story is set in the world of high falutin' restaurants and shows flashes of insight into I'm not sure what. But insight nonetheless. It has a surplus of sexual content. While not recommended, I am not sorry I read it. This author may have more to offer in the future.
"The New Imperialists: How Five Restless Kids Grew to Virtually Rule the World" by Mark Leibovich. (Summer, 2002). I bought this book because of the five mini-biographies included, I was knowledgeable about Bill Gates but not Larry Ellison (Oracle), John Chambers (Cisco), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), or Steve Case (AOL Time Warner). While the book seems slight when read, I admit I learned a lot about each of the subjects, even Gates. The author, now the technology correspondent for the Washington Post, was a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News. He researched the childhood and early career of his five subjects and was granted extensive access to each (with PR persons present). He had the most access and cooperation from Bezos, the least from Case. Wisely, he draws no universal conclusions from his five portraits. Recommended.
"True History of the Kelly Gang" by Peter Carey. (Summer, 2002). Written as a first person narrative in the words of illiterate gang leader, Ned Kelly, this novel recounts his life in New South Wales Australia in the 1860s and 70s until his death at age 26. Initially the Huck Finn like narrative was annoying and hard to settle into. Eventually, it was a pleasant read, instructive about the plight of Irish immigrants (especially descendants of criminal immigrants) in early Australia. I do not regret sticking with it. Optional.
"Family Estrangements: How They Begin, How to Mend Them, How to Cope with Them" by Barbara LeBey. (Spring, 2002). The author is a retired lawyer and judge who has been involved in a family estrangement. She wrote this book because she was unable to find any literature, anywhere, which dealt with this issue. With the assistance of professional advisors, she presents an entirely anecdotal book filled with perhaps 100 examples of family estrangements. Simply reading the fact patterns is of interest. One pattern emerges strongly; 90% of the time, to an outside observer, one side is right and one side is wrong. Yet when estrangement results, it is almost always the side that acted correctly who reaches out to the side that was wrong; the side that acted badly only rarely can bring itself to admit error. Mending the estrangement typically depends on the side that was wronged deciding to forgive the other side; this is most successfully done without discussion of the merits of the dispute. (An attraction of this approach is that each side can view the other as the side that acted badly and proceed to try to forgive them.) Family relations never go back to "normal" but they can resume. Some special circumstances are ripe for very serious family disputes. Succession or ownership of a family business after the founder's death is an example. The situation with the highest potential for serious dispute and estrangement is joint inheritance or use of a "beach house." The author writes "the sad reality is that, in many cases, such disputes are inevitable" (p. 180); she believes that mediation (non-binding) or arbitration (binding) usually is necessary to resolve a "beach house" situation. Highly recommended to anyone involved in a family estrangement.
"The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression" by Andrew Solomon. (Spring, 2002). Winner of this year's National Book Award for nonfiction; earlier I had read the fiction winner (scroll down to "The Corrections" below). See, I just made an excuse for reading a book about depression. And what a book it is. Through a remarkable combination of scholarship, personal experience and unwavering honesty, Solomon shines bright light on the nature and mystery of depression. I do not suffer from depression; I had no inkling of the number of people who do, the extent of their pain, and the very low percentage who receive the correct medical treatment. Solomon covers many aspects of the issues presented; often the discussion yields immediate insight into previously unfathomable behavior witnessed in others. For example, his one paragraph description of the symptoms and behavior of elderly depressives perfectly fits several people I have been unable to comprehend. It had never occurred to me that they are depressed. This still leaves the question of who or what is responsible for bad behavior--depression or the underlying personality of the depressive. (Solomon opines that depression "exaggerates" the underlying personality.) The author points out that a larger percentage of the population now suffers from depression but little is being done about it. (Depressives are particularly unlikely to lead political movements or to lobby for change). He makes the point often and well that the drug industry's advances of the last 20 years would have helped long deceased relatives. My maternal grandmother was depressed my entire childhood (bathrobe and slippers at home); had modern drugs been available, I would have had a chance to know what she was really like. I cannot do this book justice. Recommended for any reader.
"Poker Nation: A High-Stakes, Low-Life Adventure into the Heart of a Gambling Country" by Andy Bellin. (Spring, 2002). A combination mini-autobiography and instruction manual, it is tempting to label this slight book as simply an extended magazine piece. That would be wrong. The author is brutally honest about some of his personal experiences. He describes the humiliation of being caught cheating at cards, gives away the tells of his mentor and his brother, and offers up his most treasured poker lessons. He also explains why so many poker professionals become drug addicts--the boredom of grinding out a living on the $10-$20 tables drives them wacky. Recommended if you really like poker. A light alternative is to see the movie "Rounders."
"Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic" by John DeGraaf, David Wann, and Thomas H. Naylor. (Spring, 2002). Compared to the post WW II 1940's and 50's, America as a whole is now a much richer nation. Has this increase in wealth led to shorter working hours, more vacations, or a higher standard of leisure life? To the contrary, Americans now work longer hours and take fewer vacations than ever before; we work more hours than people in any other nation, including Japan. This book explores why this has happened. The short answer: a never ending, insatiable desire to acquire more stuff fed by advertising run amok. 34% of Americans list their favorite activity as "shopping" compared with 17% who list "being with nature." (93% of teenage girls list shopping as their favority activity.) The first subdivisions after WW II featured houses averaging 750 sq. ft. This increased to 950 sq. ft. in the 50s, 1,100 in the 60s, and 1,350 in the 70s. Now the average new house size is 2,300 sq. ft? Do we need the extra space (or the new car or SUV) so badly that we must work longer hours and shoulder more debt? Most people never contemplate the question. Despite the title (and continual reference to "affluenza" as a disease) and short, choppy chapters, there is admirable content here. Some statistics are memorable. For example, since 1996, in an era of unprecedented prosperity, each year more people declare bankruptcy than graduate from college. Another? If you buy a $2000 t.v. on a credit card and make only the minimum payments at the typical interest rate, it will take 11 years to pay off the balance. Recommended.
"Second Nature: A Gardener's Education" by Michael Pollan. (Spring, 2002). An enjoyable and thought-provoking rumination on man's relationship to nature as personified by the author's gardening efforts at an old 5 acre farm in New England. Pollan has much to say about the current "all or nothing" approach to nature represented by the Wilderness Society, on the one hand, and developers, on the other. He argues that a better relationship is one in which man and nature coexist with man exerting some control over nature. The book starts slowly, which almost caused me to abandon it, but hits its stride when he enters his garden. His recounting of the history of gardening and landscaping in America explains the ubiquitous "lawn" which covers suburbia. This book makes one want to read garden and seed catalogues.
"Dog and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan" by Alex Kerr. (Spring, 2002). This book completely changed my understanding and perception of Japan. Its thesis, persuasively argued, is that Japan adapted a pro-industrial development approach in the late 1950s and early 1960s and has never changed direction. The outcome is horrendous and provides a nightmarish glimpse of what America would be like without the environmental movement and similar restraints. The quality of Japanese life is looked down upon by other, poorer Asian countries; one can see why. A minor part of the book is an explanation of the artificial and rigged nature of the Japanese stock market; my response has been to sell all of my holdings in Japan mutual funds. Parts of this book are overstated and hard to believe but I thank the author for convincing me to take Japan off my list of places to visit or possibly work.
"Sam Hill:The Prince of Castle Nowhere" by John E. Tuhy. (Spring, 2002). Written by a retired physician, this very decent biography of Sam Hill, son-in-law of J.J. Hill of Great Northern R.R. fame, describes the eccentricities of its subject. After making a good living as a lawyer, Hill married into the R.R. Hill family and was subjected to an unbalanced wife, from whom he was estranged, an insane daughter, and a worthless and lazy son. Perhaps out of frustration, he championed good roads at the turn of the century, lobbied for the Columbia River Highways, built the Peace Arch at Blaine, founded Semi-ah-moo, created a miniature Stonehenge near Maryhill (which he founded) and build the chalet which now houses the Maryhill Museum. His son, James, correctly called the Museum "the big fake." Of interest mostly to northwesterners, this book may be available only at the Maryhill Museum.
"Sinclair Lewis: Rebel from Main Street" by Richard Lingeman. (Winter, 2002). Well done biography of author of Main Street, Babbit, and Elmer Gantry. The first half is instructive and educational; the power and continued relevance of Lewis' satires of American culture and society are forgotten by most and unknown to the younger generation. The second half of the book, after he has won the Nobel Prize for Literature, is painful because of his rootless and friendless wanderings. Eventually Lewis turns on all his wives and editors and ends up deservedly alone. The second half can be safely skipped. On that condition, recommended.
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