sjmccreary reads the DDS

I've been watching this group for quite a few months. At first I was fascinated, but terribly intimidated by everyone who was so widely read. I always thought I read a lot of different things, but my reading list is third rate compared to some. Then I realized that no one was seriously going to finish all 1000 categories anytime soon, and that I may as well go along for the ride. I'm reading the books anyway, so I might as well keep track of what they are. I never kept any kind of reading journal or log or list before I joined LT last March. In my library here, I haven't made an effort to go back and reconstruct my earlier reading, and have mostly been adding books that I've read only since joining. Whenever I run across a book I read earlier, I add it, but have not made a concerted effort to remember anything.

Ok, here are the books I've read since March 1, 2008. I'll keep adding new ones as they go, and will fill in with previously read books as I re-discover them.

011 - Bibliographies. Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days by Jane Mallison. One of the best reading lists I've seen - only 120 titles - 10 each in 12 categories - so much more realistic for non-bionic readers like me.

102 - Miscellany of Philosphy. Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes by Thomas Cathcart. I reviewed this book - I didn't care much for it.

262 - Ecclesiology. Who Stole My Church? What to do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century by Gordon MacDonald. I am one of those old fogeys who don't like contemporary worship - this book was very thought provoking as it attempted to demonstrate to people like me that contemporary worship is, in fact, valid. Helpful, but not convincing. I still don't like it.

330 - Economics. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely. Nothing earth-shattering, but this was a fun, interesting book which talks about why we will predictably do things which make no logical sense, especially why we are susceptible to "crooked" marketing schemes and make stupid financial decisions when we are normally so intelligent.

363 - Other Social Problems and Services. The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale. A recommendation from an LT thread and much talked about here. Reads much like a novel. Interesting look at popular culture in the time of Dickens.

551 - Geology, hydrology, meteorology. Divine Wind: History and Science of Hurricanes by Kerry Emanuel. Big, colorful, glossy book that explains the science behind hurricanes alternately with stories of famous and awe-inspiring storm through out history.

599 - Mammalia. Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project by Spencer Wells. Just OK - evidently another, earlier book (that I must have read as this one was eerily familiar) was also published by the genographic project. The project is an interesting look at the history and migration of the decendents of "Adam" and "Eve".

611 - Human anatomy, cytology, histology. Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin. This was also interesting - the author identifies the origin of complex human structures as they are displayed in simpler, lower life forms. An attempt to focus on the "missing link"

612 - Human Physiology. Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys But Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life by Sandra Aamodt. Sounds better than it really was. I think I reviewed this one, too. Looks like one of the "You" books, but not as good.

613 - Promotion of Health. You Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty by Michael F Roizen. Much like all the earlier books in the series. Basically, beauty = healthy.

792 - Stage Presentations. I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! and Other Things that Strike me as Funny by Bob Newhart. An interesting look at the career of Bob Newhart (a personal favorite of mine) as told in his own words. The title is the punchline to a joke: A man is making love to his boss's wife, and at a critical moment she exclaims "kiss me, kiss me". He says...

910 - Geography and Travel. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodard. This was a fun look into the lives and careers of 4 of the best known pirates of the so-called "golden age of pirates". Many of the true life events served as the basis of the stereotypes that we still have about pirates and privateers. Less interestingly, it also discusses the events that led to the end of their heyday.

970 - General History of North America. A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz. The author discusses each of the European explorers that visited North America, then followed their footsteps by visiting the same locations and describing the legacies left behind. An interesting concept, but tiring in its execution. I only got 2/3 through the book - through the Spaniards, but not to the English.

973 - General History of North America United States. 1001 Events That Made America: A Patriot's Handbook by Alan Axelrod. Another book that I've reviewed. This is nothing more than a chronological list of things that have happened to make the USA what it is now. Fun and interesting, but a little heavily weighted on recent events, I think.

OK, so by my count, I have 8/10 top level categories (missing a 400 and an 800)
Also 11/100 mid level categories, and 14/1000 bottom level categories. Not too bad for one year, when I wasn't even really trying to accomplish anything. Looking forward to the new year - there's so many books in the library I haven't read yet!

Welcome to the group! I'm glad you decided to join. I enjoyed reading the descriptions you included of each book; I think I'll keep an eye out for The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher when it becomes available in paperback. Book Smart also sounds good.

Thanks for the welcome, Zoe. I think you'll enjoy both those books that you mentioned.

Who Stole My Church? looks interesting. I don't like contemporary worship either, but my parents do!

My parents don't like it, either, but my grandma does! I hope you can browse the book. I did like it - the premise is of a group of traditionalists (like us) who meet together regularly with the pastor to discuss what they like and don't like about both worship styles. The pastor arranges for them to meet with some of the younger folks and the 2 groups share together what is important to them and why in regards to worship. In the end (of course) the group is convinced and won over to the cause. As I said, very thought provoking. Maybe I, too, will be won over if someone ever takes the time to understand why I feel the way I do, as that pastor in the book did.

What really struck me - and now I don't recall if it is actually in this book or if the book reminded me of something I'd seen elsewhere - was that styles of worship have changed pretty regularly throughout church history. Church music used to be sung in unison. The move to 4-part harmony was seen as divisive. Now it is traditional and folks are trying to go back to unison singing. Our tradional hymns were new and strange, just like the current praise songs are. Each time the new style was met with reluctance and complaining. Each time the new style won out. I know the "traditional" worship style is on its way out, but I'm not being very graceful about letting it go and I am definitely not happy about it.

Here are the Dewey Decimal books I finished in January:

616 - Diseases. The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks and Talents by Nancy a Ratey. This book is written for ADHD adults who want help in learning to getting past the difficulties that ADHD creates and beginning to choose the way you want to live. Very good. Recommended.

791 - Public Performances. Have You Seen...?: A Personal Introducion to 1,000 Films by David Thompson. A list of 1,000 movies (including foreign, silent, and made-for-TV) that purport to answer the question, "What movie should I watch?" Each includes a short essay that describes the movie, its plot, actors, director, etc. There are no ratings or rankings, and (interestingly) the author didn't even like all of them. I didn't like it - I'll be keeping my Leonard Maltin movie guide instead.

827 - English Satire and Humor. 1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England by Walter Carruthers Sellar. Very short, irreverant, and funny. Tells the real history of England (defined as only what you can remember) from 55BC to the end of WWI, including illustrations, in 116 pages. I loved it.

So, now, I have 9/10 top categories (missing a 400, lined up for February), 12/100 mid level categories, and 17/1000.

I'm a little slow posting my February recap.

401 - (Languages) Philosphy and Theory. The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention by Guy Deutscher. A very readable and interesting discussion of the way languages change and develop through time. Lots of examples from many different languages.

829 - Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Literature. Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney. My first time with this ancient text. I loved it. This translation is easy to read and understand.

978 - General History of North America: Western United States. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan. A must-read that tells of the very human causes and effects of the dust bowl in the 1930's. This book does not preach, but does not mince words, either. We humans are entirely capable of causing tremendous ecological damage in an incredibly short time. Highly recommended.

This month saw my first milestone: 10/10 top level categories!

13/100, and 20/1000.

Congratulations on your milestone! You're making great progress--3 books in one month!

Yay on completing the first milestone! And I agree with you about the Heaney Beowulf.

Recap of March Dewey Decimal books:

326 - Slavery and Emancipation. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass. Short, easy-to-read first-hand account of slavery in the early 19th century. Highly recommended.

599 - Mammalia. The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science that Reveals out Genetic Ancestry by Bryan Sykes. (A duplicate in this category for me). I love this subject - Sykes offers evidence that the entire population of modern Europe is decended from only 7 pre-historic women.

915 - Geography & Travel, Asia. In the Footsteps of Marco Polo by Denis Belliveau. This is a PBS companion book, and is a beautifully photographed account of 2 men's attempt to recreate Marco Polo's famous journey. Provides an amazing glimpse of 20 different Asian countries, including Iran, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Recommended.

973 - General History of North America, United States. Battle Cry of Freedom by James M McPherson. (Another duplicate). Has been described as the best single-volume history of the civil war available. Covers all aspects of the war, politics, the economy, foreign policy, and public opinion from the early 1850's to reconstruction. Essential to anyone interested in the civil war. Highly recommended.

14/100, 22/1000

What did you think of Sykes's theory? I've been interested in reading that book.

I thought it was fascinating.

April recap almost isn't worth doing - evidently I only completed one non-fiction in the entire month:

300 - Social Sciences. A Handmade Life: In Search of Simplicity by William Coperthwaite. To be blunt, I didn't like this book. I wanted a book about HOW this man lives a "handmade life". This is a book about why he thinks the rest of us should live the way he does. Not recommended.

Here's hoping May is a better month!

15/100, 23/1000

May recap:

220 - Bible. The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible by Scot McKnight. I was very skeptical about this book, since I was expecting him to be one of the folks who read and interpret the Bible literally. He isn't, and I have to say that his ideas about Biblical interpretation were very acceptable to me, but still the book had no resonance for me. Others loved it, though.

364 - Criminology. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. The classic account of the Clutter family mass murder in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959 and its aftermath - including the flight of the killers, their subsequent arrest, trial and execution. Excellent - highly recommended.

823 - English fiction. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. The first gothic novel. Short, easy and fast to read, highly entertaining. Recommended.

16/100, 26/1000

I'm going to post my June recap a couple of days early - the chances of finishing another Dewey book in the next two days are slim.

338 - Economics-Production. The Great Crash 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith. This a short and easy-to-read explanation of the causes of the stock market crash in October 1929. This can be easily understood even without great knowledge of economics or the stock market. Highly recommended.

613 - Promotion of Health. This is a favorite subject of mine, and I read 2 books in this classification, both of which are duplicates since I'd already filled it. ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover's Road Map to Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Getting Really Healthy by John LaPuma. This is the same author who writes the food and diet sections in the popular "You" books. An interesting look at what in our food is good for us, what is bad, and providing lists of "superfoods" and chronic health conditions with foods to add or avoid for each one. Recommended. The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life by Ben Sherwood. Looks at several potentially deadly situations, including airplane crashes, terrorist attacks, injuries, illnesses, and chronic stress, and examines the question of why some people survive and others do not. I liked it.

818 - Miscellaneous Writings. Is it Me or is Everything Shit?: Insanely Annoying Modern Things by Steve Lowe, et al. I picked this up at the library thinking it might be a fun look at modern foibles. It wasn't. Actually, the title is a pretty good description of the content. Don't waste your time.

839 - Other Germanic Literature. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. I didn't actually read this in June - I read book 1 and half of book 2 (of 3 volumes) several months ago. I just can't get past the thought that novel = fiction, Dewey Decimal = nonfiction and only recently realized that this book has a place in Dewey. This is the classic story set in medieval Norway of a girl who is trying to decide what her life holds in store for her. Very good, and I hope to finish the series sometime soon. (I didn't realize that Norwegian was Germanic, though).

18/100, 29/1000

July recap - almost not worth the effort:

615 - Pharmacology and theraputics - The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook: Your Comprehensive Reference to the Best Herbs for Healing by James A Duke. This book is nothing more than a reference guide to nearly 200 plants from around the world which have medicinal properties - entries include information on the safety of the herb, effectiveness in relation to chemical pharmacueticals, and possible side effects and allergic reactions. Recommended to anyone with interest in herbal and alternative medicine.

973 - General History of North America/United States - Yankee Women: Gender Battles in the Civil War by Elizabeth D Leonard. Another duplicate in this classification for me (why does the entire history of the USA have to be in a single dewey code?). This book examines the ways that genders roles were changed for the middle class by the behavior of women during the civil war. Because of that one event, professional nursing became an acceptable occupation for respectable women. An interesting topic, but the book may not hold the interest of those who already have some knowledge of it.

18/100, 30/1000

Sandy, it's great that you're doing this. I'd call my "efforts" as "not worth the effort."

August recap. Have continued browsing my list of already-read books for Dewey's that I've overlooked and found a few which are included this month:

364 - Criminology. Nightmare in Wichita: The Hunt for the BTK Strangler by Robert Beattie. A duplicate in this category for me - this book tells the history of the 30-year investigation into the case of the BTK Strangler who was active off and on from the mid-1970's until just 5 years ago. I gave it a mixed review - not recommended unless you are already familiar with this case.

635 - Garden crops (horticulture). New Book of Herbs by Jekka McVicar. My favorite herbal of all that I own or have read. Beautiful color photos of plants, and excellent descriptions of household, medicinal and culinary uses.

746 - Textile arts. Quiltmaking by Hand: Simple Stitches, Exquisite Quilts by Jinny Beyer. Another beautifully photographed book. Just as the subtitle promises, gorgeous quilts can be produced using only the most basic tools and techniques. I've found it to be helpful on many occasions.

813 - American Fiction - Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Set in high society New York in the early 20th century, it was just OK.

853 - Italian Fiction - The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri. The first in the Inspector Montalbano series set in Sicily. I love these books.

863 - Spanish Fiction - Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand: A Novel of Adam and Eve by Gioconda Belli. A fictional telling of the Genesis creation story by a Nicaraguan author. Very nice.

22/100, 35/1000

Infinity in the Palm of her Hand looks really good. I agree with you about The Age of Innocence. I like other Wharton novels but could never get into this one.

#21 I've never read any other Wharton novels, and wasn't anxious to after Age of Innocence. But after your comment, I'll be more open to trying her again.

September recap:

901 (Geography & History) Philosophy & Theory - Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret MacMillan. A short, easy-to-read book that discusses several different ways that people use history. Recommended.

Well, that was fast - I thought I had at least a couple of book this month...

23/100, 36/1000

October recap:

158 Applied Psychology - This Year I Will...: How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True by M J Ryan. An inspiring little book that explains the psychological reasons why changing habits is such hard work and so rarely successful, and provides hints and practical suggestions for ways to overcome the natural tendency to fail. Recommended.

508 Natural History - Amazing Rare Things: The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery by David Attenborough. Spotlights 5 artists, generally from the 17th and 18th centuries, who are well-known for their art depicting the natural world. Short bio's of each describe how they did their research and published their art. Lots of examples. A beautiful book to gaze at, but pretty short on content.

940 General History of Europe - One Soldier's Story: A Memoir by Bob Dole. I thought this was an odd classification for this book. I guess the single chapter (or maybe 2) that dealt with Dole's experiences in Italy during WWII trump the entire balance of the book which tells the story of his life from his boyhood in Russell, Kansas in the 1920's and 1930's up until the time he entered politics by running for the state House of Representatives while a law student in 1950. Very inspirational story of an American patriot. Highly recommended.

26/100, 39/1000

November recap:

At first I thought I had nothing to report, since I didn't read a single non-fiction book in November. But, I keep forgetting that novels also have their place in the Dewey Decimal system. And I did read a novel that fills a new slot for me.

891 East Indo-European & Celtic Literature - Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour. This was an unusual book that tells, in a first person voice, the story of an Iranian author attempting to write a love story about 2 young Tehranian people - always keeping in mind that his work will have to pass the state censor before receiving permission for publication. The actual story he is writing appears, complete with strikeouts and re-writes, in between his thoughts about his characters, the censor, and Iranian life in general. Recommended.

27/100, 40/1000

That sounds fascinating....I'll definitely keep this in mind when I'm looking for 891! Thanks for the report.

That does sound interesting! I already have a 891, but I'm also doing the LC Challenge and this would count for PK, which I still need.

December recap:

973 General History of North America: United States - American Lion by Jon Meacham. Biography of President Andrew Jackson - focusing on his white house years. Interesting, but short on explanation of the issues of the day.

This is a repeat for me, so my totals are unchanged: 27/100, 40/1000

January recap:

158 Applied psychology - The Art of the Compliment: Using Kind Words With Grace and Style by Christie Matheson. Short little book that just reminds us to be nice to people - compliments should be given to anyone, but sincerely. Also sternly reminds us that all compliments are to be received with a smile and a "thank you". Nothing special, but not bad. A repeat in this category for me.

781 (Music) General principles and musical forms - This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin. Talks about the impact that listening to music has on our brains, and provides arguments that the development of music was even more fundemental to human evolution than spoken language. Very good.

895 Literature of East and Southeast Asia - Naoko by Keigo Higashino. Japanese novel about a man whose wife and daughter were injured in a bus crash. The wife died and the daughter was in a coma. When the daughter regains consciousness, it is the wife's spirit who living inside the girl's body. Also very good.

28/100, 42/1000

February recap:

133 Parapsychology and occultism - Ghosts, Apparitions and Poltergeists: An Exploration of the Supernatural Through History by Brian Righi. Reads like a Discovery Channel program about haunted houses, etc. Includes a how-to chapter on ghost hunting. So-so.

Oh, I guess that's all.

29/100, 43/1000

A how-to on ghost hunting? Do tell.

#31 Practical stuff - what to take, where to go, be sure to get permission, take a buddy - that sort of thing.

March recap:

202 Miscellany of Christianity - Pocket Guide to the Afterlife: Heaven, Hell and Other Ultimate Destinations by Jason Boyett. Slightly misleading categorization, since it includes more than just Christian traditions, although the largest share of discussion WAS dealing with Christian teaching, simply because it is the largest religion and most influential. However, I think this one might be an acceptable choice for the non-religious, since it talks about where we got our different images of heaven and hell (like the pearly gates, angels with harps, lake of fire, etc), and does not espouse any particular tradition as truth.

398 Folklore - Adventures in Unhistory: Conjectures on the Factual Foundations of Several Ancient Legends by Avram Davidson. I'll admit right up front that I only finished half of this book, but not because it wasn't good. It was perfectly fine - taken in small bits. It contains 15 "adventures" - each one about a different tale or myth, like "Where did Sinbad go on his voyages?", or "What are Dragons?", or "...Phoenixes?", or "...Mermaids?". It is written in a casual, conversational style full of asides and sometimes snide remarks that grew tiresome. Better for looking up a particular topic of interest than for reading cover-to-cover.

812 American drama - The Crucible by Arthur Miller The famous play written in response to the McCarthyism of the 1950's about the Salem witch trials of the 1690's. Excellent - should be required reading.

978 General History of North America, Western United States - Bad Land: An American Romance by Jonathan Raban. Tells the story of 20th century settlement and development in the dry plains of eastern Montana. Very good. (a repeat in this section for me)

31/100, 46/1000

edit to add WHY I thought #202 might be acceptable to non-religious folks.

33>

Speaking as a non-religious sort, your 202 sounds interesting -- like a mythology or folklore-type book that happens to be classified as it is because many people happen to believe in the stories it discusses.

#34 Sort of like that, yes. I liked it because it included traditions from several religions, not just Christianity. And even as a Christian, I was interested to learn that many of our images do not come directly from the Bible.

@35 It wouldn't happen to say where the idea of guardian angels comes from would it? I'm pretty sure that wasn't in the Bible, at least not in the rather specific terms in which people define them today. I know that doesn't relate to the afterlife, I'm just curious about it.

#36 It might have said - I don't recall the details. Many of the descriptions we have of the spiritual realms of heaven and hell actually come from literature (esp. Dante).

35>

even as a Christian, I was interested to learn that many of our images do not come directly from the Bible.

Heck, even as a non-Christian I knew that! I'm not sure where the parts that don't come from Dante come from, though.

I think the lake of fire comes from the bible. It feels like something I read in a Bible verse at some point. Other than that I think they generally refer to hell as "the pit" in the Bible. It's been a while since I read that though.

Time for another recap.

304 Factors affecting social behavoir - Weather's Greatest Mysteries Solved! by Randy Cerveny. This book examines the weather or climatic conditions that might have caused, or been created by, different events. Presented as a series of staged vignettes, which I did not like, I enjoyed the content very much. I would have been happier if it had been written as a straight science book. But then, there would be no reason to classify it in this section - which I think is an odd place for it.

759 (Painting and paintings) Historical, areas, persons treatment - The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists by Gregory Curtis. Written by a layman, it looks at the cave paintings, their discovery in modern times, and the people who have been studying them for the last 100 years. The subtitle is a little misleading, as the book does not spend much time speculating about the meaning or purpose of the paintings to the original artists and their people. It does, however, talk a great deal about the artistic merit of the works. Lots of photos, many in color. Very good.

979 General History of North America - Great Basin and the Pacific Slope - The California Gold Rush and the Coming Civil War by Leonard L Richards. Beginning with the discovery of California gold and continuing through to the presidential election of 1860, the book looks at the role that the gold rush played in American politics in the ante-bellum years, and the impact that it had on the development of transportation and spread of slavery into the west. Recommended.

32/100, 49/1000

I would never have thought a book about weather would pop up in 304! I have Cave Painters too; glad to see a positive review.

June recap:

519 Probabilities and Applied Mathmatics - The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow. Very interesting explanation of what randomness really means and how it looks in real life. Recommended.

967 General History of Africa, Central Africa and Offshore Islands - Facing the Lion: Growing up Maasai on the African Savanna by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton. Published as a YA book, this is a memoir of a man who grew up in a nomadic tribe in northern Kenya, attended school in the city, and eventually went to the US for college. Excellent - and can be read in only about an hour.

977 General History of North America, North Central United States - When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes by Jay Feldman. This was chosen by the Missouri Readers group in the expectation that it would be full of interesting information about the New Madrid (MO) earthquakes of 1811-1812, but only 2 chapters dealt with the science and direct effects of the earthquakes. The rest of the book talked about several other events that were happening in the western US at the same time and were, in some way, impacted by the quakes. Interesting, but disappointing.

34/100, 52/1000

edit because 49 + 3 does not equal 54.

Time for another recap:

303 Social processes - Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and Other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children by David Harsanyi. Picked up on a whim at the library and read in one sitting, this book looks into the results that come about as a result of "micromanagement" legislation imposed on us by all levels of government. Was enough to get me riled up. Recommended.

551 Geology, hydrology and meteorology - The Earthquake that never went away: The Shaking Stopped in 1812 but the Impact Goes On AND The Earthquake America Forgot: Two Thousand Tremblors in Five Months and it Will Happen Again, both by David Stewart. Both are repeats in the category for me, but I wanted to read them as a follow up to When the Mississippi Ran Backwards (#42, above) for more detailed information about the New Madrid earthquakes. The first is more technical and really focuses on the still remaining damage and effects of the quakes. The other is aimed at a general audience and is less well focused. It does provide some very interesting insights into the causes and immediate effects of the quake, which mostly quenched my thirst for information on this topic. Both books could use some serious editing.

617 Surgery and related medical specialities - The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons to Kick off your shoes by Daniel Howell. An ER book and another quick read, containing nothing unexpected. Lots of benefits to going barefoot, lots of bad things caused by wearing shoes (especially those that don't fit well). It doesn't hurt to go barefoot outside once your feet are toughened up. It's not illegal to go into a restaurant without shoes, despite the sign on the door. Kind of interesting.

971 General History of North America - Canada - The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede. Fascinating and heartwarming account of how a community of 10,000 hosted nearly 6,000 travelers who were stranded when American air space was closed on 9/11. Recommended.

978 General History of North America - Western United States (another repeat in this category) - Cripple Creek Days by Mabel Barbee Lee. Memoir of a girl who grew up in the boom times of the gold mines in Cripple Creek, Colorado (1890's - 1910's). Lots of photos. Recommended.

34/100, 55/1000

43>

I've never seen a restaurant sign suggesting that it's illegal to go barefoot -- just that, as a private business, they can choose who to do business with (within laws regarding discrimination), and since "people who aren't wearing shoes at the moment" have not to my knowledge ever been recognized as a protected class, a restaurant can choose not to serve you food if you're barefoot. So saying "It's legal to go barefoot" is correct but seems to rather spectacularly miss the point. No?

#44 You're absolutely right - as a private business, a restaurant can refuse to serve anyone who is not legally protected from discrimination. But, in this part of the country at least, it is common to see signs on restaurant doors claiming that "shoes and shirts required by order of health department" or something similar - giving the impression that it is mandated by some law when, in fact, it is not. He offers advice on how to deal with notices like these if your heart is set on going in without shoes. My opinion? I think the author was just trying to convince people that wearing shoes is something we've allowed society to force upon us and that there is no real reason to comply. As I said, kind of interesting - it made me more aware of the shoes I'm wearing, but I'm not running around town in barefeet!

>43 sjmccreary:
Nanny State sounds interesting. Not so much from the government policy angle, but I'd be curious to see what it has to say about people's (presumably unconscious) response. My job seems to be undertaking a concerted effort to infantilize its employees and I frequently find myself wondering what it's going to lead to.

I read your review which says it's critical of recent administrations from both sides of the political divide - but I'm wondering if it comes across as strong push for libertarianism or does it just stick focusing on the policies and what the results are?

#46 Well, as hinted at in his too-long subtitle, we mostly just accept it and go on. Which, I think, makes it easier for us to accept - and even expect - the next intervention.

There were no overt political messages given. I don't recall that he gave any sort of a "call to arms" to fight back. Just hints that if we don't speak up when we object to something our voice can't be heard. And, that if we allow someone else's liberties to be curtailed now, then it will be easier for our own to be curtailed later. Mostly, he just focused on the efforts by special interests to get protective legislation passed and the resulting consequences.

Wow Nanny State looks like one I would love to read. As Stasia would say---into the black hole it goes. From your review, I gather that it is fairly objective and that appeals to me, although the title would seem to indicate otherwise!

It's been a long time since I've posted a recap. Luckily, I haven't been reading very many Dewey books lately.

255 Religious Congregations and Orders - The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris. A very nice contemplative work by a protestant woman who spends time in monastic communities. Best if not rushed, definitely not for the non-religious, but I enjoyed it.

301 Sociology and Anthropology - Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin. A white journalist chemically darkens his skin and tours the deep south as a black man in 1959. Excellent - highly recommended.

363 Other Social Problems and Services - The Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea by Mike Tougias. A repeat of this section for me - this tells the story of fishing boats off the Atlantic coast that were caught in an unusually severe late season storm because of faulty weather forecasting. Much like a made-for-TV movie - sensational but entertaining.

613 Promotion of Health - The Food Rules: an Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan. Another repeated section. Very short and easy to read - includes simple "rules" for healthy eating which are summarized by the author into 3 main points: Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much. Recommended.

640 Home Economics and Family Living - Thrifty: Living the Frugal Life With Style by Marjorie Harris. Nothing new - not even an interesting restatement of the same old good advice. Not recommended.

650 Management and Auxillary Services - The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential - in Business and in Life by Leo Babauta. This guy preaches a minimalististic lifestyle. Fine, if that is your thing, but I LIKE having stuff. He did offer a few good points about organizing the day's work, though. But still not recommended.

843 French Fiction - The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. After watching probably a half dozen different film versions of the story, this was my first time actually reading the book. I feel like I just crawled out from under a rock. Highly recommended.

930 History of the Ancient World: Time Detectives: How Archaeologists Use Technology to Recapture the Past by Brian Fagan. First recommended by Lorax, this book describes how modern archaeologists are able to use scientists in other fields and technological advances to determine surprising details about the lives of people in the past. Recommended.

39/100, 61/1000

Good list Sandy....I too keep forgetting to post to this challenge and then having to do a gang catchup.

I really enjoy some of Kathleen Norris' work (Amazing Grace) is a particular favorite, but I just wasn't able to get into The Cloister Walk when I tried it a few years ago. Might make a good one to put on the Lent list (like I don't have enough already!)

Never thought of Dumas for the 843 section. How silly....I need to read that book some day before I die, so I'm making a note when I get to an empty 843 to fill it in.

Thanks, Tina. I also keep forgetting that many novels fit into the Dewey Decimal system. I'm glad that I had a chance to post the Dumas book someplace - it really is a great book.

51>

I also keep forgetting that many novels fit into the Dewey Decimal system.

All of them do; it's just that everything originally in English is either 813 or 823, so you don't easily get very many categories from novels.

sjmmcreary, what translation of Dumas did you read?

#52 Yes, of course, you're right that technically ALL novels have a place in the Dewey system. But we all tend to ignore 813 and 823 once we list something there, don't we? Since I don't bother listing every novel written in English, I often forget that other novels may fit in other places that I haven't already filled up.

I read the Barnes & Noble Classics paperback edition, and I'm not seeing a translator credited. Much fuss is made about a Barbara T Cooper, but she is the one who wrote the introduction and notes, and no suggestion is made that she also did the translation.

Oh, wait - here it is, from the page with all the copyright information: "Alexandre Dumas published The Three Musketeers in 1844. The present translation, like so many editions which first introduced English readers to Dumas's work, remains anonymous." Huh. There you go.

hmm, I guess it's an old translation then. I keep wondering if I should put that one on my re-read list since I'm very different reader than I was ten years ago...but the Man in the Iron Mask rather soured Dumas for me. We'll see.

Well, I knew I'd been absent from here for a long time, but I hadn't realized it'd been more than 3 years!

OK, then. To catch up, as near as I can tell, here are the new Dewey books I've read since I posted last:

153 - Mental processes and intelligence - The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuition Deceives Us by Christopher Chabris. I enjoyed this book immensely, and still think about it from time to time.

155 - Differential and developmental psychology - 2 books read in close proximity following the unexpected death of a member of our family - The Truth About Grief: The Myth of its Five Stages and the New Science of Loss by Ruth Davis Konigsberg and About Grief: Insights, Setbacks, Grace Notes, Taboos by Ron Marasco. The first book looks at grief as a general concept and how people in general experience it. The second looks at different ways that individual people react to the loss of a loved one. Both were very good, but the second touched me on a personal level.

172 - Political ethics - Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael Sandel. Looks at many real life examples of why the "right thing" is not always easy to determine. It's been a while, but one specific topic I remember being used as an illustration was affirmative action in hiring and in college admissions. I was cool on it.

225 - The New Testament - The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels by Janet Soskice. I think non-religious people would find this an acceptable selection - it really focuses far more on the search and discovery of lost manuscripts, which happen to be biblical texts, than of the content of the texts themselves. I enjoyed it.

231 - God - Among the Creationists: Dispatches From the Anti-Evolution Front Line by Jason Rosenhouse. Another book that might be acceptable to non-religious folks. Written by an atheistic Jew who attends anti-evolution conferences put on by pro-creationist Christian groups. He is very fair and open to their arguments and then proceeds to explain very logically why he thinks they are wrong, and why the pro-evolutionary Christians are even more wrong.

232 - Jesus Christ and His family - Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration by Pope Benedict XVI. A very nicely written biography of the Christian Savior from a Catholic perspective. Scholarly but accessible.

248 - Christian experience, practice, life - Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam McHugh. Bleh. Essentially Quiet: The Power of Introverts goes to Sunday School. Quiet is the far better book.

277 - Christian church in North America - Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller. I don't remember much about this book other than I wasn't as enamored of it as some people were, and I had no desire to see the movie.

292 - Classical (Greek & Roman) religion - The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles by Padraic Colum. The Newbery honor book from 1922, written for children but definitely not childish. I enjoyed it.

294 - Religions of Indic origin - Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life's Difficulties by Ajahn Brahm. Written by a British-born Buddhist monk, it is exactly what the subtitle promises.

305 - Social groups - Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King. Future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, acting as NCAAP defense counsel, devoted his life to seeking an end to segregation in schools and equal rights in court for blacks in the 1930s and 1940s and 1950s, as highlighted in the case of the Groveland (Fla) "boys" - 4 young black men accused of raping a white woman. Excellent - recommended.

306 - Culture and institutions - I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali. A young Yemeni girl was forced into an arranged marriage where she suffered sexual and emotional abuse from her 30-year old husband and his family before escaping and obtaining a divorce. Eye opening.

362 - Social welfare problems & services - The Tender Land: A Family Love Story by Kathleen Finneran. Years after a St Louis family lost a 15-year old son to suicide, his surviving sister wrote this memoir reflecting on his life, her life and the entire family.

386 - Inland waterway and ferry transportation - The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal by David McCullough. A substantial book that tells the history of the idea of a canal across Central America and its planning and financing and construction and, finally, completion. I read it while on a LA to Miami cruise through the Panama Canal. Excellent.

394 - General customs - Being Santa Claus: What I Learned About the True Meaning of Christmas by Sal Lizard. The memoirs of a professional Santa Claus - short and easy to read - very nice.

614 - Incidence and prevention of disease - The Ghost Map: the Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How it Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson. The part about the cholera epidemic in the 1850's was interesting, and how its cause was discovered, and even how that information was used to make other cities safer. The last chapter or two about other novel uses for mapping in modern communities was not.

641 - Food and drink - Winter Harvest Cookbook: How to Select and Prepare Fresh Seasonal Produce all Winter Long by Lane Morgan. I've got so many recipes flagged to try that my book looks like it has fringe. The potato and kale and sausage soup is delicious.

649 - Child rearing and home care of sick - Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. Anyone who has ever struggled to get stubborn children to go to bed and to stay there will appreciate this adults-only bedtime story. Hilarious.

664 - Food technology - Canning for a New Generation: Bold Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry by Liana Krissoff. Definitely not your grandmother's cookbook.

775 - Digital photography - The Basic Book of Digital Photography: How to Shoot, Enhance, and Share Your Digital Pictures by Tom Grimm. Just what it promises. A handy reference book for my new DSLR camera a couple of years ago - my first digital camera, and my first SLR.

809 - Literary history and criticism - Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads by David Morrell. Added dozens of new books to my wishlist.

833 - German fiction - All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque. Classic novel of life in the trenches of WWI.

869 - Portuguese literature - Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago. Several real-life characters and events show up in this wonderful novel about 18th century Portugal.

918 - South America (geography and travel) - The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann. Story of Percy Fawcett's determination to find a lost civilization, complete with riches, in the Amazon rainforest.

920 - Biography, geneaology, insignia - Nobody Said Not to Go: The Life, Loves, and Adventures of Emily Hahn by Ken Cuthbertson. The title is my favorite quote of the book, Emily's response to the question of why a young single American woman ended up traveling the world alone and living in China in the early 20th century.

So that brings me to 49/100 divisions and 86/1000 sections