Review: Lonely Planet China's Southwest by Damian Harper, Tienlon Ho, Tomas Huhti, Korina Miller, Ellis Quinn

Genre: Non-fiction
Series: Lonely Planet travel guide 
Pages: 536 
Copyright: 2007 
Publisher: lonely planet 
Buy: Amazon

Summary: from good reads
Discover China's Southwest

Follow your shadow floating over limestone peaks on a Guangxi ballooning voyage.
Hike Tiger Leaping Gorge to the snowcapped mountaintops of Haba Shan via the Jinsha River.
Savour the Yin and Yang of spicy, sizzling or soaked-in-soy Southwest delicacies.
Get caught up in the dancing at the vibrant Miao Lusheng Festival.

In This Guide

Five intrepid authors, 220 days of in-country research, 157 bus rides and one rotting yak's head.
Includes captivating new destinations not covered in any other English-language guidebook.
Chapters dedicated to gateway cities (Beijing, Honk Kong and Shanghai), minority cultures and adventure activities.

Feelings: 
This travel guide was very helpful when traveling in Yunnan Province in China. It was easy to use, and the tips were helpful. We spent most of our time in Kunming and the book helped us find many places to visit and eat. When we left Kunming and traveled to Guilin in Guangxi Provide, the book was again helpful. We ended our trip in Beijing and the book included a section for our time in Beijing.

If you are primarily visiting China's Southwest I highly recommend this book.

Review: Daughter of the Ganges by Asha Miro

Genre: Memoir
Series: No
Pages: 274
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Atria Books
Buy: Amazon

Summary: from Good Reads
Growing up in an Indian orphanage, Asha Miró dreamed that someday she would be adopted. At the age of six, her wish finally came true, but only at the misfortune of another. A Catalan family was in the process of adopting twins when one of the children suddenly fell ill and died -- a twist of fate that led the family to adopt Asha instead. Leaving a life of poverty behind, Asha was given a second chance.

Twenty-one years later, Asha takes a heart-wrenching trip back to India to uncover her native roots. Full of unexpected encounters, this adventure informs and touches Asha beyond her expectations. She visits her old orphanage, speaks with her former caretakers, explores the land that she might not have ever left, and comes to form a more solid identity. Yet one trip is not enough. Eight years later she returns, this time visiting the small rural village where she was born. While uncovering the details behind her adoption, Asha discovers the only living member of her immediate Indian family: a sister she never knew she had.

Feelings: 
This felt a lot like a journal to me. When I got to the end, I found out that it was take from a journal. The writing was very easy to read and didn't have the complexity of story that many memoirs have. I would have enjoyed this more if it had been written with more imagery. I felt like I was told everything and I didn't see the scenery of the story except on rare occasions. There were parts that were very detailed but for the most part it was simply written and didn't do a good job giving a feel for the places the author wrote about.

This book contains two shorter essays put together. The second added closure to the story that the first didn't have. It also showed how easy it is to get the story wrong when there are not good records. 

Margaret says that my father, Radhu Ghoderao, loved me a lot, so much so that he came to Mumbai to see me before I was adopted by my parents in Barcelona, but I did not recognize him. "Who is this man?" Mother Adelina asked me. "The Postman!" I apparently answered. p. 150

Asha does not find out about this on her first visit when she ask Mother Adelina about her past.

I find it difficult to understand how Mother Adelina managed to conceal such an incredible anecdote. I can't deny the anger that I feel. A father--my father--who traveled all the way to the city to see his daughter for the last time before she set off for a distant country to be adopted by a family, is an image from my story that is completely unknown to me and has a huge impact. p.151

She struggles with the fact that she wasn't given all the facts and that others kept what they knew from her. I'm glad that in the end she is able to meet her sister and they are able to talk about the past and it answers many of Asha's questions. However, the story didn't have the emotion that I was looking for.

This was written for families adopting a child from a foreign country or children who were adopted into a different country and are wanting to know what it was like for someone else. I recommend this to those readers. However, if you are looking for a good memoir this would not be one I would recommend.

 

Review: The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

Narrator: Anne Twomey
Genre: Nonfiction, Evoluntionary History
Series: No
Copyright: 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Buy: Amazon Audio or Amazon Book

Summary: from Good Reads
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
From the author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe, a powerful and important work about the future of the world, blending intellectual and natural history and field reporting into a compelling account of the mass extinction unfolding before our eyes.

Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us.

The Sixth Extinction draws on the work of scores of researchers in half a dozen disciplines–geologists who study deep ocean cores, botanists who follow the tree line as it climbs up the Andes, and marine biologists who dive off the Great Barrier Reef. Elizabeth Kolbert, two-time winner of the National Magazine Award and New Yorker writer, accompanies many of these researchers into the field, and introduces you to a dozen species–some already gone, others facing extinction–that are being affected by the sixth extinction.

Through these stories, Kolbert provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. The sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy; as Kolbert observes, it compels us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Feelings:
I really enjoyed The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert. At first I wondered if it would be mostly fact or conjecture. The author does venture into conjecture at points, but most of this is based on facts. Through an examination of past extinction events the author is able to make comparisons between current events, the sixth extinction event, and past extinctions. These comparisons show that this extinction is different in one way but has similarities. I was most familiar with the extinction at the end of the cretaceous period, the one that killed the dinosaurs. That extinction was caused by a catastrophic event. Catastrophic events, however, didn't cause all past extinctions nor are they causing the current extinction event.

I learned a lot about earth history from this book. Since I was a in school, there have been changes to the way we think about past extinction events. When you look at an extinction event caused by a catastrophe it is relatively quick, but an event caused by other factors takes a long time. Thus to the human perception, the current extinction event does not appear to be a quick event, thought it is much quicker than the base level of extinctions.

Looking at different animals as they move towards extinction, the author draws conclusions about our world today. I had heard briefly about much of what she wrote, but it was full of new information, and I found it fascinating. I wish textbooks were as interesting as this book. I think if students read books like this, where they saw what the research and conclusions were as well as the facts, they would be more likely to go into science. Books like this add to everyday knowledge while not being overly dry and boring.

I highly recommend this book. The audiobook was also very good, and  would recommend it if you don't have the time to sit down and read this book.

Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic

Title: Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo
Author: Zlata Filipovic
Type: Nonfiction
Genre: Diary
Series: No
Pages: 208
Copyright: 1994
Publisher:Viking Penguin
Rating: 3 out of 5


Summary: from Good Reads
In a voice both innocent and wise, touchingly reminiscent of Anne Frank's, Zlata Filipovic's diary has awoken the conscience of the world. Now thirteen years old, Zlata began her diary just before her eleventh birthday, when there was peace in Sarajevo and her life was that of a bright, intelligent, carefree young girl. Her early entries describe her friends, her new skis, her family, her grades at school, her interest in joining the Madonna Fan Club. And then, on television, she sees the bombs falling on Dubrovnik. Though repelled by the sight, Zlata cannot conceive of the same thing happening in Sarajevo. When it does, the whole tone of her diary changes. Early on, she starts an entry to "Dear Mimmy" (named after her dead goldfish): "SLAUGHTERHOUSE! MASSACRE! HORROR! CRIMES! BLOOD! SCREAMS! DESPAIR!" We see the world of a child increasingly circumscribed by the violence outside. Zlata is confined to her family's apartment, spending the nights, as the shells rain down mercilessly, in a neighbor's cellar. And the danger outside steadily invades her life. No more school. Living without water and electricity. Food in short supply. The onslaught destroys the pieces she loves, kills or injures her friends, visibly ages her parents. In one entry Zlata cries out, "War has nothing to do with humanity. War is something inhuman." In another, she thinks about killing herself. Yet, with indomitable courage and a clarity of mind well beyond her years, Zlata preserves what she can of her former existence, continuing to study piano, to find books to read, to celebrate special occasions - recording it all in the pages of this extraordinary diary.

Feelings:
Zlata starts keeping a diary before the war breaks out in Bosnia. When she starts her diary we see that she is a normal young girl who thinks about school, her friends, and popular culture. when the conflict starts in a near by city she does not think it will come to Sarajevo. Over the two years that Zlata kept her diary we see the changes that come over her city and her family.

I am using this book with a student who is learning English. I have found so far that the level of the writing is such that it is easy to understand and we are able to have conversations about the book and what is happening. Reading about this reminded me of hearing about the conflict when I was growing up. This book made it real for me when it hadn't been before.

I highly recommend this book. It is easy to read and Zlata is strong even when things are falling apart around her.

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Title: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story
Author: Diane Ackerman
Type: Audiobook
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Genre: Nonfiction history
Series: No
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Rating: 2 out of 5


Summary: from Good Reads
The New York Times bestseller: a true story in which the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands.

After their zoo was bombed, Polish zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski managed to save over three hundred people from the Nazis by hiding refugees in the empty animal cages. With animal names for these "guests," and human names for the animals, it's no wonder that the zoo's code name became "The House Under a Crazy Star." Best-selling naturalist and acclaimed storyteller Diane Ackerman combines extensive research and an exuberant writing style to re-create this fascinating, true-life story—sharing Antonina's life as "the zookeeper's wife," while examining the disturbing obsessions at the core of Nazism.

Feelings:
This book was a bit hard for me to get into even as an audiobook. The narrator did a really good job. It was hard for me because while this was a story it often wandered off on tangents. While these were interesting, I often didn't see how they related to the story of the war and the zoo.  

I had originally gotten this as a paperback book, however, I am glad I didn't try and read it because I never would have made it through. I appreciated Suzanne Toren reading this because it added to the story and without it being something I was listening to on my drives to and from work I don't think this would have been a book I continued. I do admit that the ending didn't really work for me and I think the book could have been shorter and probably better for it. I do not recommend that anyone sit down to read this book because it is very slow passed and at times drifts from the story of the Nazi occupation of Warsaw and leaves you wondering why that was important to the book and story of Antonina, the zookeeper's wife.
 

Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunée

Title: Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search of Home a Memoir 
Author: Kim Sunée 
Type: Audiobook  
Narrator: Justine Eyre  
Genre: Non-Fiction Memoir 
Series: No   
Copyright: 2008
Publisher: Books on Tape 
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: from goodreads
Already hailed as "brave, emotional, and gorgeously written" by Frances Mayes and "like a piece of dark chocolate--bittersweet, satisfying, and finished all too soon" by Laura Fraser, author of An Italian Affair, this is a unique memoir about the search for identity through love, hunger, and food.

Jim Harrison says, "TRAIL OF CRUMBS reminds me of what heavily costumed and concealed waifs we all are. Kim Sunée tells us so much about the French that I never learned in 25 trips to Paris, but mostly about the terrors and pleasure of that infinite octopus, love. A fine book."

When Kim Sunée was three years old, her mother took her to a marketplace, deposited her on a bench with a fistful of food, and promised she'd be right back. Three days later a policeman took the little girl, clutching what was now only a fistful of crumbs, to a police station and told her that she'd been abandoned by her mother.

Fast-forward almost 20 years and Kim's life is unrecognizable. Adopted by a young New Orleans couple, she spends her youth as one of only two Asian children in her entire community. At the age of 21, she becomes involved with a famous French businessman and suddenly finds herself living in France, mistress over his houses in Provence and Paris, and stepmother to his eight year-old daughter.

Kim takes readers on a lyrical journey from Korea to New Orleans to Paris and Provence, along the way serving forth her favorite recipes. A love story at heart, this memoir is about the search for identity and a book that will appeal to anyone who is passionate about love, food, travel, and the ultimate search for self. 


Feelings:
I listened to the audiobook of this. At first I wondered if maybe it would have been better as a print book. At the end of chapters there would be recipes included. They sounded good but listening to it didn't really give me an idea of what the recipes really were like. I, however, originally got the audiobook because I was interested in the story. It took a little while for the story to really take off for me.

By the thrid disc of 11 I was really enjoying the story and was much less interested in the recipes that went with the story. By the time the audiobook finished 12 hours and 42 minutes of driving after I started I was wondering if Kim Sunée would write a follow up memoir, so far she hasn't. 

I really liked the audiobook and the story. I think we have all wondered about the past of our childhood that we don't fully remember but not to the extent that Kim does. She is haunted by what she doesn't remember and as the learns to trust others again on her search for a place to call home she looks at many topics that I think will be familiar even if our histories are different. 

I highly recommend this book. 

The Many Faces of Political Islam by Mohammed Ayoob

Title: The Many Faces of Political Islam: Religion and Politics in the Muslim World
Author: Mohammed Ayoob
Type: Non-Fiction
Genre: Politics
Series: No
Pages: 213
Copyright: 2008
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Rating:  3 out of 5

Summary: Summary from Good Reads

Analysts and pundits from across the American political spectrum describe Islamic fundamentalism as one of the greatest threats to modern, Western-style democracy. Yet very few non-Muslims would be able to venture an accurate definition of political Islam. Mohammed Ayoob's The Many Faces of Political Islam thoroughly describes the myriad manifestations of this rising ideology and analyzes its impact on global relations.

Feelings:
This is an academic book, don't be confused. That being said, it is an informative look at different political ideas in Islam. I liked that this book didn't see every group as the same but showed the differences. Many scholars look at Islamic groups as one and don't see that they can differ.

...interpretation of Islam as "civilization" (in the singular) rather than as a religion and code of ethics that affects and is, in turn, affected by multiple cultural and geographic milieus. Consequently, its popularization has augmented a unitary impression of Islam and Muslims in the West that conceals the enormous diversity not only among Muslim opinions in general but even among those groups characterized as fundamentalists or Islamists. (p. 23)

The book sets out to counter and show that political Islam is not the monolith that many scholars in the west lead us to believe.

In looking at the difference between countries and groups Ayoob demonstrates the diversity of political Islam and even makes a pretty convincing argument that Islam and Democracy are compatible. I recommend this book to anyone looking to gain a better understanding of political Islam.

Quiet by Susan Cain

Title: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking 
Author: Susan Cain 
Type: Audiobook 
Narrator: Kathe Mazur 
Genre: Non-Fiction 
Series: No 
Copyright: 2012 
Publisher: Random House Audio 
Rating: 3.5 out of 5


Summary: from Goodreads
At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts.

Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert."

This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.

Feelings:
I found this a very interesting audiobook. It was 10 hours and 3 minutes long which can be long. There were times when I did think maybe something had gone a little longer than it should have and the point was really being hammered home. In a book about the gentle nature of introverts this seemed a bit much to me. However, I did find the topic very interesting and it made me really think about what I like and why I might like it. For instance reading a book at home instead of going out.

I did find that there were some things that made me feel more extroverted. However, I think we are all contradictions and little of both.

I recommend the book it was a well researched and engaging listen.

The Kindness Diaries by Leon Logothetis

Title: The Kindness Diaries: One Man's Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around The World
Author: Leon Legothetis
Type: Non-Fiction
Genre: Travel Memoir
Series: No
Pages: 288
Copyright: 2014
Publisher: Readers Digest
Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary: from Goodreads
The incredible journey of one man who sets out to circumnavigate the globe on a vintage motorbike fueled by kindness.

Follow the inspirational journey of a former stockbroker who leaves his unfulfilling desk job in search of a meaningful life. He sets out from Los Angeles on a vintage motorbike, determined to circumnavigate the globe surviving only on the kindness of strangers. Incredibly, he makes his way across the U.S., through Europe, India, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and finally to Canada and back to the Hollywood sign, by asking strangers for shelter, food, and gas. Again and again, he’s won over by the generosity of humanity, from the homeless man who shares his blanket to the poor farmer who helps him with his broken down bike, and the HIV-positive mother who takes him in and feeds him. At each stop, he finds a way to give back to these unsuspecting Good Samaritans in life-changing ways, by rebuilding their homes, paying for their schooling, and leaving behind gifts big and small. The Kindness Diaries will introduce you to a world of adventure, renew your faith in the bonds that connect people, and inspire you to accept and generate kindness in your own life.

Feelings:
This book wasn't exactly what I expected. I thought it looked interesting from the summary I read. However, I found out he took a camera crew with him to document his trip. I think the idea of traveling on the kindness of others is a very interesting one. Taking a camera crew with him felt a little like he was cheating. I know he said he only brought the crew in at certain times but I still felt like their very existence would have influenced those he meet on his trip and changed the way he acted. I'm not say that what he didn't wasn't admirable and the gifts he gave back didn't make a huge difference but I wonder how different his experience would have been if he hadn't had the camera crew with him.

There are many lessons that can be learned from this book although I think maybe one of the most important ones is that adventure doesn't mean leaving home. And helping others doesn't mean going to the third world.

I enjoyed reading the book. I was again reminded of a book I have wanted to read. Shantarama by Gregory David Roberts. I first saw the book when I was on a flight to Thailand and the guy next to me was reading it. I admit I read a little over his shoulder and found it intriguing. The book was quoted in here and it peaks my interest again. The quote, "It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and choices we make . . . freedom is a universe of possibility", fit well with the story. It is also very close to what Leon learns. 

I recommend the book. However, I do feel like it didn't give the entire picture of his trip because it left out the camera crew. I know he felt like it was best to leave the out in the telling but they were there and it is strange to have them be entirely absent from the story when they played a part in it. 

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

Title: Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
Author: Dan Ariely
Type: Audiobook
Narrator: Simon Jones
Genre: Economics
Series: No
Copyright: 2008
Publisher: HarperAudio
Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Summary: from good reads
Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin? Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup? Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are already full? And how did we ever start spending $4.15 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to pay less than a dollar?

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're in control. We think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?

In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities. Not only do we make astonishingly simple mistakes every day, but we make the same types of mistakes, Ariely discovers. We consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. We fail to understand the profound effects of our emotions on what we want, and we overvalue what we already own. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable — making us predictably irrational.

From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, Ariely explains how to break through these systematic patterns of thought to make better decisions. Predictably Irrational will change the way we interact with the world — one small decision at a time.

Feelings:
I never thought I would enjoy learning about how we make irrational decisions in predictable ways. One of the clear take aways from the book for me was that having relationships that are social with corporations or business doesn't make since because we will be hurt when they turn from using social norms to market norms. This may be whey banks are having such a hard time right now.

Looking at economics from this point of view we see that we don't always make the best decisions and it is hard to change once we have created a habit.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn about behavioral economics and decision making.

12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Title: 12 Years a Slave
Author: Solomon Northup
Type: Audiobook
Narrator: Louis Gossett Jr.
Genre: Memoir
Series: No
Copyright: 2013(original copyright 1853)
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Rating: 4 out of 5


Summary: from good reads
In this riveting true story, Academy Award winner Louis Gossett, Jr., masterfully transports us to 1840s New York, Louisiana,and Washington, DC, to experience the kidnapping and twelve-year bondage of Solomon Northup, a free man of color. Published in 1853, this account was a bombshell in the national debate over slavery leading up to the Civil War and helped tilt public opinion in favor of abolition. Solomon captures the reality of slavery in stunning detail as we learn about the characters that populate plantation society and the intrigues of the bayou. Eventually a friend attempts a courageous rescue that could either result in Solomon's death or get him back to the arms of his family.

Feelings:
I thought this would be a harder book to listen to than it was. A free man sold into slavery would surly have a story that would be heart wrenching. However, the way this was told did not dwell on the pain and suffering but tried to deliver facts.

I did find the delivery of the story of Solomon to be a bit dry at times. We went from fact to fact and didn't get bogged down in the emotions. When emotions were involved we didn't get caught up in them but seemed to observe from a distance of time. I think that having written the story in this way was good as it did give some distance from the horror that was slavery. However, it did make the story a little bit difficult to get into.

I have not seen the movie that was made from the book. The visuals of film would add to the story and emphasis the emotion and pain more than the book did in my opinion. I recommend the audiobook the narrator did an excellent job making what was at times a dry narrative interesting.

The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne

Title: The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family
Author: Josh Hanagarne
Type:  Audiobook
Narrator: Stephen R. Thorne
Genre: Memoir
Series: No
Copyright: 2014
Publisher: AudioGo
Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Summary: from good reads

An inspiring story of how a Mormon kid with Tourette's found salvation in books and weight-lifting.

Josh Hanagarne couldn't be invisible if he tried. Although he wouldn't officially be diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome until his freshman year of high school, Josh was six years old and onstage in a school Thanksgiving play when he first began exhibiting symptoms. By the time he was twenty, the young Mormon had reached his towering adult height of 6'7" when — while serving on a mission for the Church of Latter Day Saints — his Tourette's tics escalated to nightmarish levels.

Determined to conquer his affliction, Josh underwent everything from quack remedies to lethargy-inducing drug regimes to Botox injections that paralyzed his vocal cords and left him voiceless for three years. Undeterred, Josh persevered to marry and earn a degree in Library Science. At last, an eccentric, autistic strongman — and former Air Force Tech Sergeant and guard at an Iraqi prison — taught Josh how to "throttle" his tics into submission through strength-training.

Today, Josh is a librarian in the main branch of Salt Lake City's public library and founder of a popular blog about books and weight lifting—and the proud father of four-year-old Max, who has already started to show his own symptoms of Tourette's.

The World's Strongest Librarian illuminates the mysteries of this little-understood disorder, as well as the very different worlds of strongman training and modern libraries. With humor and candor, this unlikely hero traces his journey to overcome his disability — and navigate his wavering Mormon faith — to find love and create a life worth living.

Feelings:
I loved this audiobook. Josh Hanagarne is a librarian and he has tourette's. This is an unlikely combination but as we get to know josh as he moves through childhood into adolescence and finally adulthood we realize there isn't anything else he could be.

I liked that each chapter started with facts about the library. It was a nice way of showing that our narrator might be a weight lifting librarian but the people in the library are just as strange. I had seen this book mentioned a couple of times recently and was very excited to listen to it. I was not disappointed.

I highly recommend this book.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

Title: The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon 
Author: David Grann 
Type: Audiobook 
Narrator:Mark Deakins 
Genre: Non-Fiction 
Series: No 
Time: 10 hours 4 minutes 
Copyright: 2009 
Publisher: Random House Audio 
Rating: 4 out of 5


Summary: from good reads
A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon.

After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z?

In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. For centuries Europeans believed the world’s largest jungle concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. But Fawcett, whose daring expeditions helped inspire Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, had spent years building his scientific case. Captivating the imagination of millions around the globe, Fawcett embarked with his twenty-one-year-old son, determined to prove that this ancient civilization—which he dubbed “Z”—existed. Then he and his expedition vanished.

Fawcett’s fate—and the tantalizing clues he left behind about “Z”—became an obsession for hundreds who followed him into the uncharted wilderness. For decades scientists and adventurers have searched for evidence of Fawcett’s party and the lost City of Z. Countless have perished, been captured by tribes, or gone mad. As David Grann delved ever deeper into the mystery surrounding Fawcett’s quest, and the greater mystery of what lies within the Amazon, he found himself, like the generations who preceded him, being irresistibly drawn into the jungle’s “green hell.” His quest for the truth and his stunning discoveries about Fawcett’s fate and “Z” form the heart of this complex, enthralling narrative.

Feelings:
This story held my attention the entire time I was listening to it. It follows Fawcett on his quests in the Amazon as his obsession grows and he looks for Z. As with history we know that Fawcett disappears and thus as we follow him and the reporter as they search for the City of Z we wonder if we can find the city Fawcett was searching for and if the Amazon can keep secrets that held hundreds of people captivated "what happened to Cornal Fawcett, his son Jack, and Jack's best friend Raleigh Rimmell?"

The story also gives a glimpse of what life is like in the Amazon and what it might have been like for explorers. I enjoyed the history and archeological findings that went into the telling of the story.

I'm not surprised that there is a movies in the works based off this book. It was absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend it.

Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century by Carole Boston Weatherford

Title: Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrator: Raul Colon

Type: Children's book
Genre: Non-Fiction

Series: No

Pages: 40
Copyright: 2014
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Rating: 3 out of 5


Summary: from good reads
A stunning picture-book biography of iconic African American opera star Leontyne Price.

Born in a small town in Mississippi in 1927, the daughter of a midwife and a sawmill worker, Leontyne Price might have grown up singing the blues. But Leontyne had big dreams—and plenty to be thankful for—as she surrounded herself with church hymns and hallelujahs, soaked up opera arias on the radio, and watched the great Marian Anderson grace the stage. 
           
While racism made it unlikely that a poor black girl from the South would pursue an opera career, Leontyne’s wondrous voice and unconquerable spirit prevailed. Bursting through the door Marian had cracked open, Leontyne was soon recognized and celebrated for her leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera and around the world—most notably as the majestic Ethiopian princess in Aida, the part she felt she was born to sing.

From award-winners Carole Boston Weatherford and Raul Colón comes the story of a little girl from Mississippi who became a beloved star—one whose song soared on the breath of her ancestors and paved the way for those who followed.

Feelings:
I thought I would be able to use this book for a student but upon reading it I found that while I enjoyed the book it was written to show the language of the time and the language of the South and that doesn't really work for someone that is trying to learn English.

The images in the book fit well with the time that the book was written about. Leontyne Price's story is that of the civil rights movement as well as that of a woman trying to make her own way int he world. She was an inspiring woman. I didn't feel like the story was quite on par with the individual though. 

The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Anselm Grun

Title: The Legend of Saint Nicholas 
Author: Anselm Grun

Illustrator: Giuliano Ferri   
Type: Children's book 
Genre: Non-Fiction 
Series: No 
Pages: 26 
Copyright: 2014 
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers 
Rating: 2.5 out of 5


Summary: from good reads
Many stories are told about Saint Nicholas -- stories about his generosity and his miracles, stories about the concern he showed for those in poverty. This warm, inviting books tells many of these stories, both familiar and lesser-known. It recounts how he ended a famine by multiplying grain from a merchant ship and how he walked on water to rescue sailors from a terrible storm. And, of course, it tells the story of how Nicholas gave his inheritance to prevent a desperate man from selling his daughters into slavery.Anselm Grun's simple, graceful text and Giuliano Ferri's beautiful paintings combine to provide the perfect way to introduce young readers to the rich life of this beloved saint.
 
Feelings:
This was a different story of Saint Nicholas than what I had been previously familiar with. I liked that it shows him as an individual that gave what he could to help others. The art work fit the story well in my opinion. I did like the story but it seemed to be lacking something that made it shine and stick out among other books about Saint Nicholas.

China Road by Rob Gifford

Title: China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power 
Author: Rob Gifford 
Type: Audiobook
Narrator: Simon Vance
Genre: Non-Fiction 
Series: No 
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc
Rating: 3.5 out of 5


Summary: from good reads

Route 312 is the Chinese Route 66. It flows three thousand miles from east to west, passing through the factory towns of the coastal areas, through the rural heart of China, then up into the Gobi Desert, where it merges with the Old Silk Road. The highway witnesses every part of the social and economic revolution that is turning China upside down.

In this utterly surprising and deeply personal book, acclaimed National Public Radio reporter Rob Gifford, a fluent Mandarin speaker, takes the dramatic journey along Route 312 from its start in the boomtown of Shanghai to its end on the border with Kazakhstan. Gifford reveals the rich mosaic of modern Chinese life in all its contradictions, as he poses the crucial questions that all of us are asking about China: Will it really be the next global superpower? Is it as solid and as powerful as it looks from the outside? And who are the ordinary Chinese people, to whom the twenty-first century is supposed to belong?

Gifford is not alone on his journey. The largest migration in human history is taking place along highways such as Route 312, as tens of millions of people leave their homes in search of work. He sees signs of the booming urban economy everywhere, but he also uncovers many of the country’s frailties, and some of the deep-seated problems that could derail China’s rise.

The whole compelling adventure is told through the cast of colorful characters Gifford meets: garrulous talk-show hosts and ambitious yuppies, impoverished peasants and tragic prostitutes, cell-phone salesmen, AIDS patients, and Tibetan monks. He rides with members of a Shanghai jeep club, hitchhikes across the Gobi desert, and sings karaoke with migrant workers at truck stops along the way.

As he recounts his travels along Route 312, Rob Gifford gives a face to what has historically, for Westerners, been a faceless country and breathes life into a nation that is so often reduced to economic statistics. Finally, he sounds a warning that all is not well in the Chinese heartlands, that serious problems lie ahead, and that the future of the West has become inextricably linked with the fate of 1.3 billion Chinese people.

“Informative, delightful, and powerfully moving . . . Rob Gifford’s acute powers of observation, his sense of humor and adventure, and his determination to explore the wrenching dilemmas of China’s explosive development open readers’ eyes and reward their minds.”
–Robert A. Kapp, president, U.S.-China Business Council, 1994-2004

Feelings: 
I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. There were many interesting incites about China and the culture, people, and government throughout the story. Since I listened to the audiobook rather than reading the book I don't remember the interesting bits as much as I might if I had read the book. I do like to listen to non-fiction when I'm driving though.

While this is an older book when it comes to a country that is changing as fast as China is I think there is still a lot of truth that can be gleaned from the book. Having traveled in China myself, however not the locations the author was in, I found the book fascinating. I recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about China's history and it's potential. 

I Speak English by Ruth Johnson Colvin

Title: I Speak English: A Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages--Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Author: Ruth Johnson Colvin
Type: Teaching Aid
Genre: Nonfiction
Series: No
Pages: 224
Copyright: 1997
Publisher: Literacy Volunteers of Amer; 4th edition
Rating: 3 out of 5


Summary:
This book is a guide for those learning to teach English for the first time. It goes through the steps of what you need to know, such as cultural differences, planning a lesson, and having activities included in the lesson to help the learner recall what they learn in the future.

Feelings: 
I read this book for an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class I took for my current job.

The book had a lot of examples of how someone could teach English at different levels.

depending on the goals or level of the student and both will be more or less helpful for you. With a higher level student it will be harder to use this book.

As a starting place for learning about teaching ESOL students it has a lot of good information. However I felt like there was a lot that I still didn't know and it is really only a starting place. Based on the first meeting with the student I have to say that this book didn't give me the tools for higher level student. I think it was a better starting place for beginner students are intermediate students who speaks very little English. 

A good place to start but more information in teaching is required. This book will not get you to teaching somebody how to speak English without some other instructions.

The World is a Carpet by Anna Badkhen

Title: The World is a Carpet: Four Seasons in an Afghan Village
Author: Anna Badkhen

Type: Non-Fiction
Genre: Non-Fiction

Series: No

Pages: 288
Copyright: 2013

Publisher: Riverhead Books

Rating: 2 out of 5


Summary: from Good Reads

An unforgettable portrait of a place and a people shaped by centuries of art, trade, and war.
In the middle of the salt-frosted Afghan desert, in a village so remote that Google can’t find it, a woman squats on top of a loom, making flowers bloom in the thousand threads she knots by hand. Here, where heroin is cheaper than rice, every day is a fast day. B-52s pass overhead—a sign of America’s omnipotence or its vulnerability, the villagers are unsure. They know, though, that the earth is flat—like a carpet.

Anna Badkhen first traveled to this country in 2001, as a war correspondent. She has returned many times since, drawn by a land that geography has made a perpetual battleground, and by a people who sustain an exquisite tradition there. Through the four seasons in which a new carpet is woven by the women and children of Oqa, she immortalizes their way of life much as the carpet does—from the petal half-finished where a hungry infant needs care to the interruptions when the women trade sex jokes or go fill in for wedding musicians scared away by the Taliban. As Badkhen follows the carpet out into the world beyond, she leaves the reader with an indelible portrait of fates woven by centuries of art, war, and an ancient trade that ultimately binds the invaded to the invader.

Feelings: 
I expected a lot more from this book than what it gave. I ended up feeling a little like the author didn't really have enough content for a full book and thus ended up with a hodgepodge of stories put together as a book. I didn't really think it worked.

Another thing that bothered me about the book was the author's use of language. I felt like words weren't always used properly or she would use really obscure words to describe something. That being said this book should be read with a dictionary handy. When I found out that English was likely not the author's first language this explained a lot.

I should note that some of the book was really good.

Once upon a time the moon was white, and the sun and the moon had a fight over who was more beautiful. The sun said it was more beautiful because its beauty illuminated the entire world. The moon said it was more beautiful because its face was completely white. Then the sun got angry and collected desert sand, dust, and ashes from its bukhari and threw them at the moon. The dirt soiled the moon's face forever. The moon became embarrassed and stopped coming out during the day. That's why the moon comes only at night and its face is blemished (p. 176)

This was one of the treasures held within this book. I wouldn't say you should read the book for just that though. I wanted to see more of the carpet and a lot less conjecture about what happens to the carpet after it leaves the loom.

Parts of this book were good but overall it just didn't hold up. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are going to skim it for the little jewels it does hold.

Clean Gut by Alejandro Junger

Title: Clean Gut

Author: Alejandro Junger

Type: Non-Fiction
Genre: Health

Series: No but there is Clean and Clean Eats that are companions

Pages: 256
Copyright: 2013
Publisher: HarperOne

Rating: 3.5 out of 5


Summary: from Good Reads
In Clean Gut, Alejandro Junger, M.D, New York Times bestselling author of Clean and creator of the world-famous Clean Program, delivers a complete toolkit for reversing disease and sustaining life-long health. Inside these pages, Junger offers a groundbreaking new program that attacks the root causes of illness and helps us to restore our own amazing healing capabilities.

With a few simple steps, you can repair and restore your gut health, and watch symptoms both minor and major disappear. This groundbreaking new protocol grew out of Dr. Junger's experience helping many people jump-start their way back to wellness. Dr. Junger also presents a set of guiding principles to keep you healthy for the long term. True health is about more than just what you put into your mouth: it's also about community and the people and things you surround yourself with; it's about how to know what your body loves, craves, and needs versus what assaults it. In Clean Gut, Dr. Junger gives us everything we need to discover what it means to be truly healthy.

Feelings: 
This book didn't feel like it was quite as well put together as Clean to me. I thought it would be more helpful for me that it was. I have been eating almost the diet that Clean Gut puts forward for over a month and it hasn't had the affects that he says it should. I don't the the smoothy for breakfast but it does seem like I should be seeing more benefit for the amount of time that I have put in. This book agrees with many of the other books I have read as far as the digestive system being the root of our health.

I am finding that it is a very important part of our well being but that there isn't all that much agreement on how to get there. I think that one thing Dr. Junger has going for his approach is a very large support system. The support system alone is enough to have me consider it a good program. The book is full of important information however I wish it would have gone into a little more detail about how the program deals with different issues of the gut and how it heals them.

The information is good but could have used more scientific backing. However, it seems like Dr. Junger has his own evidence to back up his findings. I would recommended the book for individuals looking for more information on digestion help.

Clean by Alejandro Junger

Title: Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body's Natural Ability to Heal Itself

Author: Alejandro Junger

Type: Non-Fiction
Genre: Health

Series: Clean Gut and Clean Eats are of the same program

Pages: 352
Copyright: 2012
Publisher: HarperOne
Rating: 4 out of 5


Summary: from Good Reads

A Life-Changing Medical BreakthroughClean is an M.D.'s program designed to be easily incorporated into our busy schedule while providing all the practical tools necessary to support and rejuvenate our bodies. The effect is transformative: nagging health problems will suddenly disappear, extra weight will drop away, and for the first time in our lives, we will experience what it truly means to feel healthy.

Expanded Edition Includes:
New Introduction • New Recipes • How to Become Clean for Life

Feelings:
I thought this book had a lot to offer. I'm not sure that it is the solution for my current health problems but it did really bring home something that has become more and more clear as I have been reading about health, that the digestive system is what keeps us healthy. When we have a digestive system that isn't working we aren't healthy.Whether it is depression or actual problems in our gut there is so much we don't know about the workings of the gut and so much to learn in regards to it.

I will be taking some of the advise from the book and incorporating it into what I do. I already take probiotics but I think this is something that is really important in our modern world. I'm leaving 12 hours between meals so that my body has a chance to rest and I'm more conscious of what I come into contact with as far as my skin, hair, and breathing.

I don't know if I am ready for a detox like clean offers, but I think this is something I will be looking into more. I'm defiantly going to read Clean Gut and see if it has anything to offer me.

I recommend this book to those looking to learn more about how our current lifestyle affects our bodies.