Streamsong's nonfiction in 2011

Hi all:

I had to give up my other challenges last year, not because of the time it took to read, but because I could no longer keep up with all the posts in the groups.

About half the books I read are non-fiction. I'll list the ones I've read so far this year, but only start my comments and reviews with what I'm currently reading. I'd love to talk about any of them, though, so if you have comments on my list, fire away!

1. Return to Nisa by Marjorie Shostak
2. Complete Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
3. China Road by Rob Gifford
4. Churchill by Paul Johnson
5. After You, Marco Polo by Jean Bowie Shor
6. Hope for Your Heart by June Hunt--Reviewed for Early Reviewers--no touchstone
7. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
8. I Dare You: Embrace Life With Passion by Joyce Meyer
9. Peace Begins Here: Palestinians and Israelis Listening to Each Other by Thich Nhat Hanh
10. Massacred for Gold by R Gregory Nokes
11. Make Love to the Universe by Phoenix Desmond (Early Reviewer--reviewed)
12. Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin
13. Lost on Planet China by J Maarten Troost
14. Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
15. Our Last Best Chance by King Abdullah ll of Jordan 4 stars
16. Love Wins by Rob Bell 3.5 stars
17. Fasting For Ramadan by Kazim Ali-- Early Reviewer-- Reviewed. 4 stars.
18. The Innocent Man by John Grisham 3.5 stars
19. Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis 4 stars
20. Secrets of Transformation by Eva Dillner--Early Reviewer. Reviewed. First book I've ever given one star.
21. This is US:The New All-American Family by David Marin--Early Reviewer. 4 stars

I'm currently reading Karen Armstrong's Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World. This one is very interesting, but not a quick read. I've read several of Armstrong's books and feel her writing is very accessible.

Looking at my pile, I have another 4 nonfiction that I have started and seem to have set aside. These include: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Runaway Eating, Cromwell and Gulag Archipelago. Perhaps this challenge will mean that I will get back to at least a couple of these to finish; perhaps not.

1: Yeah, with the challenges, even though I've been ruthless about starring and xing, I have to be vigilant daily, and even then I skim and don't comment just so I'm not faced with all those unread posts.
3: I tend to start a bunch of books at once, then settle into one. By the time that's done, the others are all mixed up in my head, and it takes awhile to reorient.

>2 streamsong: China Road looks interesting. I studied China in college and still am very interested in it.
I think China is stuck in their history and political change will not come soon. What does the author think about political change in the future for China?

What did you think of the Churchill? I'm currently reading a lot of non-fiction about World War II.

Hi qebo and everyone--thanks for stopping by!

wildbill--I enjoyed China Road. The author, an NPR correspondent, had lived in China for several years before following Route 312 from Shanghai, across the Gobi to the westernmost edge of China. The stories were the stories of the people he met, and most of them were unwilling to discuss politics with a Westerner. So he lets the stories speak for themselves and people are people and are fascinating. But I'm a political light weight, so you might find more than I did along those lines.

My daugher is a Chinese/Asian studies major and this book was one that was required reading in one of her classes. She is planning to study in China next year--looks like she will be in Shanghai. I'm really hoping to be able to visit her in the spring of 2012 before she comes home. I took the advice of one of the reviewers here on LT, and used Google Earth as I read the book and it was wonderful way to travel.

Another book on my list, After You, Marco Polo, traced much of the same journey...but it was in the era of the Nationalists and through the beginning of the Communist regime--when the authors's travels had to end. A fascinating look at the same places as well as Afghanistan and Iran (they traveled part of the route west to East following Marco Polo's supposed route) through a different lens of history.

Hi aulsmith;

I read Paul Johnson's Churchill along with a book club. It's a slim volume and offers a good overview of the man, but I suspect if you've read anything else on Churchill, there will not be anything new. It's a quick readable account.

8: Thanks. Exactly what I wanted to know. If you want to dig a little deeper into the war aspect of Churchill, I'm currently reading Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945. It deals mainly with his fascination with war and strategy. It's a door stopper and a tad repetitious, but I'm listening to the audio while doing something else, so it's easy to get through.

Edited for typos

Hi, streamsong. I've gotten you starred now. Looking forward to following what you're reading.

Just finished Massacred for Gold: The Chinese in Hells Canyon by R. Gregory Nokes.

In 1887, more than thirty Chinese miners (exact number unknown) were murdered and perhaps tortured over a period of three days by a gang of local toughs and rustlers in the Hell's Canyon (Snake River Canyon) of Oregon. None of the murderers was held accountable by federal, state or local authorities, although three gang members were tried and acquitted. The crime and subsequent trial was covered up for over a hundred years. At least one of the murderers became a well respected pioneer citizen in the area.

Another ended up in prison for stealing horses.

This was a time when the theft of a horse was considered more important than the murder of the Chinese miners. Chinese miners tended to not speak English and remained isolated with other Chinese speakers. They were considered with deep suspicion and were held to be less than human by the white population. Only ten of the thirty massacred men were identified. Their remains were buried here and there. Some skeletons were known to be unburied along the river banks 50 years after their deaths and were even used as grisly trophies.

These men often left deep poverty in China. In exchange for their ocean passage, they became bonded servants to one of five Chinese labor companies who contracted them out for physical labor, including mining and railroad building in the American West. While many returned to China, others never earned enough money either to support their families in China or to pay their return passage and stayed in Western "Chinatowns" until their deaths. Mortality rates among Chinese workers was high.

I found this to be a very interesting chapter of Western history as well as part murder investigation. It also became a detective story as the author ferreted out the remaining documents about this tragic incident. I have a much better understanding of the blatant racism not often talked about in the American West.

Wow, what an interesting gem you've found here. I am always happy when people "studying" American history take the time and put in the work to uncover what happened to neglected people whether it be racial minorities, or women, or native populations. So much of American history is wasted on arguing over arcane issues which do not affect us today but some of these more obscure topics have quite a lot of relevancy to what we must decide today.

Thank you for posting an interesting review of this book.

#11 I agree that the review was interesting. Adding to my wishlist - can it get any longer!

Thanks! This book was one my book club chose to read. We had read a fictionalized version of the same account called Deep Creek by Dana Hand and decided to read the nonfiction version. Several of us plan to go to the annual remembrance of this event at Lewiston Idaho.

http://www.rgregorynokes.com/Chinese-Remembering/ChineseRemembering.html

I'm the moderator for our book club discussion the week after the Lewiston trip. Hope I can go--my parents are in their mid 80's and both having health problems right now. :-(

I just finished my early reviewer book, Make Love to the Unvierse by Phoenix Desmond. I've read accounts of many spiritual journeys so I thought this one from a New Age perspective might be interesting. Prompted by astral guides from Sirius, Desmond tramped around India as an ascetic. Basic thoughts on love and cherisihing Mother Earth. Nothing new, although an interesting storyteller about his physical journey. My full review is on the book page. Meh. 3 stars.

Haven't been back to the thread for a while, so I have 4 that I finished. 3 recommended, one guardely so.

12. Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin. This one was absolutely as good as I had heard it was. Highly recommended for anyone with animal friends or interested in autism. Temple Grandin made a name for herself by revolutionizing animal treatment in slaughteryards before autism was well known. This inspired me to get the movie, Temple Grandin, based on her life story from Netflix. The movie was also four stars.

13. Lost on Planet China by J Maarten Troost. Another in the travelling-in-China memoirs that I was reading in anticipation of my daughter spending a year studying in Shanghai. Troost was determined to see the China that Westerners don't see and places Westerners don't go. Consequently, I spent a lot of my time being grossed out by conditions or semi horrified by animal treatment he saw. I agree with a reviewer who said this is the first book about China that made them NOT want to go there. Is this the real China? Makes a nice balance to other travel memoirs I've read. Guardedly recommended.

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks. I enjoy Sacks' looks into the neuropsychology of the brain and how it functions. In his anecdotal style, he addresses how music affects both normal and abnormal brain function. Fascinating stuf. Recommended.

15. Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril by King Abdullah ll of Jordan. Most of this is memoir of the King's boyhood and young adulthood detailing the time he spent in Jordan, at a US boarding school, an English military academy, and the military before assuming his crown. It's fascinating stuff to see the West through another culture's eyes. The last few chapters address the breakdown of the Arab/Israeli peace talks, putting the blame squarely on Israel and questioning US political policy in standing behind them. I feel I have a better grasp of how the US and Israel are perceived by the Arab nations. The criticisms are disturbng as Jordan is one of the few Arab countries with friendly ties to the US. Recommended.

I really enjoyed Temple Grandin's books, too. She has a very unique perspective which I think all could benefit from reading about. Makes me think a lot about what I eat; and how that animal may or may not have been treated.

I think it takes a good deal of wealth before a culture begins to treat animals as the living beings they are. China may get there eventually.

I saw a TV program about Temple Grandin a while ago (or maybe part of the movie? I can't remember now). I hadn't realized she'd written any books.

And Musicophilia sounded interesting... turns out I've looked at before. I really do need to pick it up one day...

Temple Grandin has written several books, some of which would be helpful for someone with an autistic person in their family.

19: Heh. We haven't gotten there yet.
I read Thinking in Pictures years ago, late 1990s, went to a talk she gave shortly afterward; she's quite funny.

Thanks! I'll definitely look for more books by Temple Grandin. I have a friend with an autistic grandson; I'm going to ask if whe's ever read any of these.

16. Love Wins by Rob Bell 3.5 stars Given to me as a gift or I probably wouldn't have chosen this pop-Christianity book. This book is totally panned in reviews by Bible-believing fundamentalist Christians here on LT and elsewhere. Nevertheless, it had some very interesting thought-provoking material. For instance, Christ responded a different way to each supplicant who asked him "What should I do to be saved?" 3.5 stars

17. Fasting For Ramadan by Kazim Ali-- Early Reviewer-- Reviewed. 4 stars.
A very interesting, almost poetic look at the Muslim practice by a very non-traditional Muslim. (He's also gay, American and a practicing Yogi). I found his thoughts beautiful. This book was not recommended by several Early Reviewers who are practicing Muslims.

18. The Innocent Man by John Grisham 3.5 stars. Justice gone astray in a death penalty case in Oklahoma. The only non-fiction Grisham has written. Especially chilling in light of the recent execution of the man who protested his innocence. Read for the real world book club.

19. Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis 4 stars
Lewis's memoir of boyhood, soldiering in WWI, young professor, the beginning of the Inklings and his conversion to Christianity. I have quite a few of Lewis's books in my TBR mountain, so I decided to work through them with The Teaching Company's course The Life and Writings of C S Lewis. The course actually covers 22 of his books (about half of them are non-fiction) and I'm guessing it will take me about a year to work slowly through them as I intend to work them in around other books.

20. Secrets of Transformation by Eva Dillner--Early Reviewer. Reviewed. First book I've ever given one star.
Enough said. Avoid this one.

21. This is US:The New All-American Family by David Marin--Early Reviewer. 4 stars

Interesting story of a single father's cross-cultural adoption of three Mexican American kids and the challenges he met. Review to be posted soon.

Streamsong, I am interested in your taking the C.S. Lewis course. Might you grace us with a thread dedicated to just that effort so we could piggyback along your reading and thinking? That would be so fun!

Hi Karen--I tried to get a group going with it on the Christianity Board, but it didn't really fly. Here's the link:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/123138

I bought the course on a great sale for $19.95--it's now back to over $130 for the CD's or $89 for a download. That would definitely knock it out of my price range!

27, 30: I'd be interested also.

Qebo and Karen--Anyone have an idea of how you'd like to do this?

I see good ole eBay has copies and I know some libraries have them, too.

I did not originally think of actually joining you, just reading your progress, etc. But now that you mentioned it... I am wondering if I might like to join you. Let me do some thinking.....

Ah, I see. I know it's hard to commit to that many books when MT TBR is already looming. The first half of the course is his non-fiction so I'll be posting about them here. I'm currently working through The Pilgrim's Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity, Reason and Romanticism. The course lecturer, Louis Markos. has it grouped with the nonfiction, even though it's allegory and I would tend to call it fiction.

I thought I'd add a quick summary for November.

Although The Pilgrim's Regress was allegory and not technically non-fiction, it was based on C. S. Lewis's spiritual journey. Because it was autobiographical it was included with the other autobiographical work in the non-fiction part of the Teaching Company course. I loved it! A good mixture of funny snarky that kept reading it a pleasure rather than a chore. It was slow going for me because I have zilch background in philosophy. I would have totally been lost except for a one sentence explanatory 'title' on the top of every page (at least in the edition I was reading)..... ie "Lewis meets the spirit of the age". I was on the other side of campus in college (math, science). 4 stars. In December I will read The Problem of Pain. I think one of his non-fiction a month will suffice--I'll probably go faster when I hit the fiction.

I also did a quick listen in the car to the other Teaching Company audio I bought The Apostle Paul with Professor Luke Timothy Johnson. Since I've never studied Paul's ministry in toto I found it very interesting. At another time I'll go back and relisten while reading Paul's letters.

And the Bible study group I go to finished The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. Meh. Nice to know what everyone was buzzing about a few years ago when this book was uber popular, but it didn't change my life. Happily, though, it wasn't the 'prosperity gospel' that I'd been led to believe it was, so my opinion of the book did rise slightly after reading it.

I decided to try and clean up the books that I added to LT in 2006 that are still unread. They either need to go or be read! MT TBR has expanded exponentially since I came to LT. So from those entered in 2006 I read:

Pioneer Preacher by Opal Leigh Berryman. This one was an undiscovered jewel. No wonder the copy I had picked up at the library sale was almost read to death. It's a memoir of the author's growing up in Texas in the early 1900's when her father was establishing seed churches. Far more about her childhood than about her preacher father. Wonderful. Reminded me of the Little House on the Prairie books. Opal was spirited and funny and real. 4 stars Reviewed here http://www.librarything.com/work/2611989

Heart Earth by Ivan Doig. Another memoir. This one of life during WWll based on undiscovered letters from his mother to his uncle who was serving aboard the USS Auel. Doig points out in this beautiful book that Heart and Earth are separated by only a single transposable 'H'. Lovely. Also 4 stars and reviewed more fully here: http://www.librarything.com/work/5134740

December's NF is looking very Buddhist. I'm currently reading one from the October ER, one that is from the entered-into-LT-in-2006 stack and the Dalai Lama's newest book hopefully on it's way as the latest ER read.

I really enjoy Doig's work. Reminds me a great deal of my youngster years. Have you read other of his books? He does so much based in Montana history I imagine you might like them. The Whistling Season is one I think you might particularly like.

You're right, Maggie. I do like Ivan Doig and I did enjoy the Whistling Season. I heard him read from it not long after it was published. I think the RL bookclub is going to read his newest novel, Work Song which continues Morrie's (from the Whistling Season) story.

Our RL book group read Work Song and we liked it, with some minor reservations. I hope you will, too.

Happy Holidays!