Back to School with Alexandra Robbins
Yesterday was my son's first day back at school. He's entering third grade which means it is the start of his sixth year at the Montessori school. It's a school that I've been thrilled with for many reasons--one of which is their de-emphasis on academics and their sharp focus on helping children to be well-rounded members of their community.
I've been especially thrilled with the lack of standardized testing done at the school. Even the ones that they are mandated to take are given with minimal fuss. They don't devote class periods to test preparation and they don't talk about the scores afterward. The testing requirement is fulfilled and then the children get back to the business of learning.
So it is with this philosophy that I began reading Alexandra Robbins' The Overachievers: The Secret Life of Driven Kids. Released this month, Robbins explores the overachievement culture that has been fueled by college admissions frenzy. But this is not some dry text filled with academic analysis of one statistic after another. Robbins begins by following nine students (whom we later learn is only eight) through three semesters of school. They range in age from juniors in high school to a freshman at Harvard.
These are all highly articulate, interesting students who are very open with their experiences. In between anecdotes about their lives, Robbins explores various issues affecting kids across our society. It's a riveting story that weaves together many strands that have been in the news to show a tapestry with a rather alarming picture on it.
I was a fairly active high school student. I took college prep courses, got good grades, scored well on standardized tests, and was involved in a wealth of extracurricular activities through school, the community, and my church. I worked up to four jobs at any one time and tested out of a year of college. The kids in this book make me look like I was a slacker. They carry incredibly heavy loads of activities and classwork. The one student took 19 AP courses and never earned less than an unweighted 4.0. There are star athletes and students who devote a large amount of time to charity work. Their SAT scores are extremely high and when they're not, they retake them. Despite all this, one is told that she shouldn't even bother applying to Stanford and others find themselves waitlisted for the schools of their choice.
The Overachievers was a book that I couldn't get enough of. I found myself constantly reading passages aloud to my husband and other friends. I wanted everyone I knew who had a child or was involved in education to read it because there was simply too much stuff in it to be able to summarize in a single conversation--or even several.
It's a book that I'll be giving as gifts to several people I know, including the administrator at my son's school. Thankfully for my family, though, she isn't someone who "needs" the book. She already runs her school in a way that avoids many of the dangers found in this book. I think she'll find herself cheering Robbins on chapter after chapter. But I'm going to give it to her anyway because I think she meets lots of people for whom this book will be an eye-opener and perhaps even life-changing. I want her to be able to recommend it as well.
My interview with Alexandra Robbins was posted on Book Help Web yesterday. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did and that if you are a parent or an educator, that I might inspire you to take a look at this book.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
It's been interesting of late to watch the bestseller lists and what shows up on them.
Of course, there isn't a single bestseller list. Everyone seems to pull data from different places, so you get different results from The New York Times, USA Today, The Book Standard, etc. I also enjoy comparing those to the Amazon lists.
This has been an interesting summer as non-fiction books have dominated all the lists. There hasn't been a huge crop of summer blockbusters, though there have been a few. The Book Standard announced last week that Kim Edwards was back on top of the list with her The Memory Keeper's Daughter. That one doesn't surprise me much. It was perhaps the best read I had this summer and I read a lot of good books this summer.
I was also pleased to read that news this morning as I'd just completed an interview with Kim Edwards that will be up on Book Help Web in a couple weeks.
Another book that debuted on the lists last week was Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People. Pilkey is a favorite around our house with my 8-year-old son.
However, it's definitely been a summer for non-fiction. Coming up later this week, we have an interview with Alexandra Robbins, an investigative reporter who wrote one of this summer's non-fiction offerings.. I'll write more about that in the next day or so.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Mary Higgins Clark
Mary Higgins Clark is one of those writers that for the longest time I'd managed to miss. I knew the name, but hadn't read anything other than the occasional short story by her. I set out to rectify that earlier this year and started in on a pile of her books.
One of the first ones I read was quite good even though it was somewhat dated. A Cry in the Night was chilling and an enjoyable read. I also really enjoyed reading All Around the Town. Both were excellent examples of the suspense novel. The main character in both novels found herself in frightening situations in which there seemed no way out.
Mary Higgins Clark also seems to explore different themes or twists in each book. A Cry in the Night talks about a woman who gets cut off from help by a husband who has convinced everyone that she's dangerous and going mad. In All Around the Town, the main character is suffering from split personalities because of trauma she experienced as a child.
Reviews of both those books are now posted at Book Help Web.
Mary Higgins Clark is one of those writers that for the longest time I'd managed to miss. I knew the name, but hadn't read anything other than the occasional short story by her. I set out to rectify that earlier this year and started in on a pile of her books.
One of the first ones I read was quite good even though it was somewhat dated. A Cry in the Night was chilling and an enjoyable read. I also really enjoyed reading All Around the Town. Both were excellent examples of the suspense novel. The main character in both novels found herself in frightening situations in which there seemed no way out.
Mary Higgins Clark also seems to explore different themes or twists in each book. A Cry in the Night talks about a woman who gets cut off from help by a husband who has convinced everyone that she's dangerous and going mad. In All Around the Town, the main character is suffering from split personalities because of trauma she experienced as a child.
Reviews of both those books are now posted at Book Help Web.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Cultural literacy
I got into an interesting discussion with some friends over the weekend.
There are always those folks (such as Howard Bloom) who insist that in order to be culturally literate you have to have read all the books on a particular list.We determined that the relevance of cultural literacy is much more narrow than that. Cultural literacy is most relevant in the circles where you interact. Among friends, what provides the common language and common culture?
So we set out to try to come up with a list (or at least a few titles) of the books that all of us had read cover to cover. It was an amusing exercise and there were definitely books that would be irrelevant to people outside our cultural subgroup while others are probably pretty common.
For us, the list included:
I got into an interesting discussion with some friends over the weekend.
There are always those folks (such as Howard Bloom) who insist that in order to be culturally literate you have to have read all the books on a particular list.We determined that the relevance of cultural literacy is much more narrow than that. Cultural literacy is most relevant in the circles where you interact. Among friends, what provides the common language and common culture?
So we set out to try to come up with a list (or at least a few titles) of the books that all of us had read cover to cover. It was an amusing exercise and there were definitely books that would be irrelevant to people outside our cultural subgroup while others are probably pretty common.
For us, the list included:
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King
- C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman
- Arthur Miller, All My Sons
- Joseph Kesserling, Arsenic and Old Lace
- TSR, Player's Handbook, 2nd ed.
- Christopher Marlowe, Faustus
- Most of the Dr. Seuss canon
- Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn
- Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer
- Frederick Gipson, Old Yeller
- Joseph Heller, Catch-22
- The U.S. Constitution
Most of us had read The Canterbury Tales but two of us couldn't sworn we'd read it cover to cover, though we knew we'd read most of it. We couldn't claim the complete works of William Shakespeare, but all of us had read all the tragedies, romances, comedies, and sonnets. Some of us hadn't read all of the histories yet.
Then, of course, there were a lot of books where all but one of us had read it. There were also a couple of divisions that went along gender or age lines. Likewise, most couples had a far longer common reading list than those they shared with the rest in the group. Regionalisms didn't seem to matter a whole lot, though most of us in the group were from the upper Midwest.
What about you? Think about your group of friends. Do you think there are books that all of you have read? What happens when you take out books read in school? Are there books that are in your circle that are probably uncommon elsewhere?
Friday, August 18, 2006
Book Help Web updates
We've had all sorts of new content put up on Book Help Web over the past few days. Normally, I like to blog each one of them separately, but the list is starting to get a little lengthy.
Ron Suskind is the author of the current bestseller, The One Percent Doctrine. He's a Pulitizer Prize winner who is also a Dartmouth scholar.
Laurell K. Hamilton hardly needs any introduction by me, given her popularity and prolifity (is that a word?). She owns the horror genre and is constantly putting out books that are gobbled up by her fans. One of these days, we'll get some reviews up of her books to go with the new profile.
Lincoln Child and his writing partner, Douglas Preston, both have wonderfully droll sense of humor, a trait that has served them well in the book publishing arena. I was greatly amused by the Rogue's Gallery on their site where they responded to bad reviews.
Matt Ruff is a writer who ignores the "book a year" mantra that many of his fellow professionals chant. Nor is he one to stick with a single genre. Instead, he puts out books every couple years, each one in a different genre. In addition to his Book Help Web profile, you can also read a review of Fool on the Hill.
On a more literary note, there is Mario Vargas Llosa, a writer from Bolivia who has written numerous novels, essays, plays, and literary criticism.
We've had all sorts of new content put up on Book Help Web over the past few days. Normally, I like to blog each one of them separately, but the list is starting to get a little lengthy.
Ron Suskind is the author of the current bestseller, The One Percent Doctrine. He's a Pulitizer Prize winner who is also a Dartmouth scholar.
Laurell K. Hamilton hardly needs any introduction by me, given her popularity and prolifity (is that a word?). She owns the horror genre and is constantly putting out books that are gobbled up by her fans. One of these days, we'll get some reviews up of her books to go with the new profile.
Lincoln Child and his writing partner, Douglas Preston, both have wonderfully droll sense of humor, a trait that has served them well in the book publishing arena. I was greatly amused by the Rogue's Gallery on their site where they responded to bad reviews.
Matt Ruff is a writer who ignores the "book a year" mantra that many of his fellow professionals chant. Nor is he one to stick with a single genre. Instead, he puts out books every couple years, each one in a different genre. In addition to his Book Help Web profile, you can also read a review of Fool on the Hill.
On a more literary note, there is Mario Vargas Llosa, a writer from Bolivia who has written numerous novels, essays, plays, and literary criticism.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again
Several years ago, I was the judge for a book contest that recognized the efforts of small and self-publishers. There were two large boxes of books that had to be read and they covered a whole spectrum of quality.
One of the books that I particularly enjoyed and ended up recommending to several other people was a book called You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen. She was a nanny who had a negative nannying experience with a big-time Hollywood producer, followed by some pleasant ones with such actors as the DeVitos.
I didn't really see much of the book again until today. Turns out it was picked up by Crown Publisher in December 2005. Today, The Book Standard announced that Fox Network bought the rights for it and plan to turn it into a sitcom with Marty Adelstein as the producer.
Hansen won't be getting rich on the deal, though it certainly is a nice bonus. Reports are that she was paid somewhere between $50,000 and $90,000, according to Publisher's Marketplace.
Several years ago, I was the judge for a book contest that recognized the efforts of small and self-publishers. There were two large boxes of books that had to be read and they covered a whole spectrum of quality.
One of the books that I particularly enjoyed and ended up recommending to several other people was a book called You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen. She was a nanny who had a negative nannying experience with a big-time Hollywood producer, followed by some pleasant ones with such actors as the DeVitos.
I didn't really see much of the book again until today. Turns out it was picked up by Crown Publisher in December 2005. Today, The Book Standard announced that Fox Network bought the rights for it and plan to turn it into a sitcom with Marty Adelstein as the producer.
Hansen won't be getting rich on the deal, though it certainly is a nice bonus. Reports are that she was paid somewhere between $50,000 and $90,000, according to Publisher's Marketplace.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
New Interview: Cornelia Read & A Field of Darkness
Back in early 2000, I stumbled across a site called Epinions.com. They were a site that was looking for reviews on a huge range of products. After writing a couple of toy reviews, I settled quite contentedly into the
books category and have rarely strayed from there in the ensuing six years.
Part of the attraction to the books category--aside from the fact that there are book reviews there--was the people whom you met while writing and reading reviews. There were a huge diversity of people from all walks of life, many of whom were outstanding writers.
One of those erudite and personable writers spent a few years there and then moved on. I didn't hear of her again until earlier this year when she published a book through Mysterious Press called A Field of Darkness, a book that met with immediate critical acclaim. Author Lee Child declared it one of the best debut novels he'd read and invited its author, Cornelia Read, to go on a book tour with him. Kirkus Reviews called it one of the top ten mysteries of the season. It was favorably reviewed in the New York Times. Not bad for a first novel.
After reading the book myself and being duly impressed, I asked Cornelia whether she'd be interviewed for Book Help Web. She agreed and we've put her comments up on our home page and the interview page. I hope you enjoy them both!
Back in early 2000, I stumbled across a site called Epinions.com. They were a site that was looking for reviews on a huge range of products. After writing a couple of toy reviews, I settled quite contentedly into the
books category and have rarely strayed from there in the ensuing six years.Part of the attraction to the books category--aside from the fact that there are book reviews there--was the people whom you met while writing and reading reviews. There were a huge diversity of people from all walks of life, many of whom were outstanding writers.
One of those erudite and personable writers spent a few years there and then moved on. I didn't hear of her again until earlier this year when she published a book through Mysterious Press called A Field of Darkness, a book that met with immediate critical acclaim. Author Lee Child declared it one of the best debut novels he'd read and invited its author, Cornelia Read, to go on a book tour with him. Kirkus Reviews called it one of the top ten mysteries of the season. It was favorably reviewed in the New York Times. Not bad for a first novel.
After reading the book myself and being duly impressed, I asked Cornelia whether she'd be interviewed for Book Help Web. She agreed and we've put her comments up on our home page and the interview page. I hope you enjoy them both!
Friday, August 11, 2006
Daniel Silva & The Messenger
Last night I went to a discussion and book signing featuring Daniel Silva. He was promoting his latest book, The Messenger, a book that debuted this week in the #3 spot on the New York Times bestseller list.
It was the first time I'd ever been to a book signing for as much as I love books, I'm not a collector and tend to be pretty hard on the books that I do own.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and plan to make it to more book discussions/signings in the future.
Also, though I've not yet ever read a book by Silva (though I now have The Messenger tucked away in my car for reading this weekend), I was fascinated by the talk and the things he had to say. It helps, of course, that what he's writing about has extreme relevance to current events. He writes about counter-terrorism intelligence, specifically in Israel. He spoke with great affection about his main protagonist and it was obvious that those who had come to the signing shared that affection.
As a former journalist and international correspondent, he is also well-versed in what is happening in the Middle East. He shared many stories about his experiences while stationed there, including one time being roughed up by Islam extremists who threw him and his companion down the stairs before deciding they weren't spies and agreeing to be interviewed.
I took copious notes and will probably write more about him in this space in the future. But first, I'll read The Messenger.
Last night I went to a discussion and book signing featuring Daniel Silva. He was promoting his latest book, The Messenger, a book that debuted this week in the #3 spot on the New York Times bestseller list.
It was the first time I'd ever been to a book signing for as much as I love books, I'm not a collector and tend to be pretty hard on the books that I do own.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and plan to make it to more book discussions/signings in the future.
Also, though I've not yet ever read a book by Silva (though I now have The Messenger tucked away in my car for reading this weekend), I was fascinated by the talk and the things he had to say. It helps, of course, that what he's writing about has extreme relevance to current events. He writes about counter-terrorism intelligence, specifically in Israel. He spoke with great affection about his main protagonist and it was obvious that those who had come to the signing shared that affection.
As a former journalist and international correspondent, he is also well-versed in what is happening in the Middle East. He shared many stories about his experiences while stationed there, including one time being roughed up by Islam extremists who threw him and his companion down the stairs before deciding they weren't spies and agreeing to be interviewed.
I took copious notes and will probably write more about him in this space in the future. But first, I'll read The Messenger.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Chris Anderson's Long Tail
Chris Anderson has penned a book that everyone is talking about.
Understandably so, because if his theories are correct, it will change the way businesses operate. If he's wrong and people operate based on his theory, they stand to lose a lot of money and a lot of business.
In his book, The Long Tail: Why The Future of Business is Selling Less of More, he says that our flattened world and increased technology are diluting the effect of bestsellers and big names. Rather, businesses are making more money for niche markets--in other words, that businesses are going to start making more by selling 5,000 of 12 different kinds of widgets than they would selling 20,000 of one kind of widget.
He's met with a lot of skepticism ever since he first proposed the idea in Wired magazine, of which he is editor-in-chief. However, there are as many devotees as there are skeptics and Anderson has recently found himself in high demand as a speaker and consultant.
For those of us not given to reading or purchasing only the bestselling product, his theory bodes well. It might become easier to purchase those niche items. We'll have to wait and see.
Chris Anderson has penned a book that everyone is talking about.
Understandably so, because if his theories are correct, it will change the way businesses operate. If he's wrong and people operate based on his theory, they stand to lose a lot of money and a lot of business.
In his book, The Long Tail: Why The Future of Business is Selling Less of More, he says that our flattened world and increased technology are diluting the effect of bestsellers and big names. Rather, businesses are making more money for niche markets--in other words, that businesses are going to start making more by selling 5,000 of 12 different kinds of widgets than they would selling 20,000 of one kind of widget.
He's met with a lot of skepticism ever since he first proposed the idea in Wired magazine, of which he is editor-in-chief. However, there are as many devotees as there are skeptics and Anderson has recently found himself in high demand as a speaker and consultant.
For those of us not given to reading or purchasing only the bestselling product, his theory bodes well. It might become easier to purchase those niche items. We'll have to wait and see.
Monday, August 07, 2006
John Kennedy Toole
I first heard about John Kennedy Toole from a friend of mine. More specifically, I heard about his one successful novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. She hailed it as the funniest book she had ever read. My husband soon read it and similarly praised it.
For myself, I never started it. They both said it could be incredibly cruel and that is was the mocking that made it so funny. That's not a humor that I typically enjoy much, so I chose to pass on it.
After reading a bit about Toole's life, it's a little easier to understand why he might write in the absurdist cruel style. He's not someone whom life treated very kindly. He had a smothering mother who wouldn't let him play with other children because she didn't want them to taint his genius. When he couldn't get his book published, he eventually committed suicide.
I do pity the man, but I think I shall still pass on A Confederacy of Dunces.
I first heard about John Kennedy Toole from a friend of mine. More specifically, I heard about his one successful novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. She hailed it as the funniest book she had ever read. My husband soon read it and similarly praised it.
For myself, I never started it. They both said it could be incredibly cruel and that is was the mocking that made it so funny. That's not a humor that I typically enjoy much, so I chose to pass on it.
After reading a bit about Toole's life, it's a little easier to understand why he might write in the absurdist cruel style. He's not someone whom life treated very kindly. He had a smothering mother who wouldn't let him play with other children because she didn't want them to taint his genius. When he couldn't get his book published, he eventually committed suicide.
I do pity the man, but I think I shall still pass on A Confederacy of Dunces.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Anne Holt
While I'm a fan of mysteries and thrillers, they've been rather sparse on my reading list of late. So it was a pleasure to receive and read two thrillers last month. One, Cornelia Read's Field of Darkness, I'll talk about more in a week or so as Book Help Web is going to be running an interview with her.
The other was a thick tome titled What is Mine by an author I'd not heard of before, Anne Holt. Turns out that Anne Holt is a highly popular, bestselling author of thrillers--in Norway and Europe. What is Mine, published by Hatchette International, is the first of her novels to be translated into English and released in the United States.
It's a wonderfully suspenseful tale with some deeply drawn characters. It takes place in Norway where two children have disappeared and the second is delivered to the parent with a note "Now you've got what you deserved" pinned to the child's chest. Then more children disappear.
The crimes would be heart-wrenching anywhere, but in this small country that lacks experience with serial murders, it is especially panic-inducing.
Despite it being a serial killer novel, it could almost classify as a cozy as Holt manages to avoid gore and many of the more hard core passages found in much of the modern thriller genre.
It's easy to see why she is popular overseas. She'll now have the opportunity to gain similar popularity on this side of the pond.
While I'm a fan of mysteries and thrillers, they've been rather sparse on my reading list of late. So it was a pleasure to receive and read two thrillers last month. One, Cornelia Read's Field of Darkness, I'll talk about more in a week or so as Book Help Web is going to be running an interview with her.
The other was a thick tome titled What is Mine by an author I'd not heard of before, Anne Holt. Turns out that Anne Holt is a highly popular, bestselling author of thrillers--in Norway and Europe. What is Mine, published by Hatchette International, is the first of her novels to be translated into English and released in the United States.
It's a wonderfully suspenseful tale with some deeply drawn characters. It takes place in Norway where two children have disappeared and the second is delivered to the parent with a note "Now you've got what you deserved" pinned to the child's chest. Then more children disappear.
The crimes would be heart-wrenching anywhere, but in this small country that lacks experience with serial murders, it is especially panic-inducing.
Despite it being a serial killer novel, it could almost classify as a cozy as Holt manages to avoid gore and many of the more hard core passages found in much of the modern thriller genre.
It's easy to see why she is popular overseas. She'll now have the opportunity to gain similar popularity on this side of the pond.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
New interview: Adrienne Brodeur
One of the things I most enjoy about publishing Book Help Web is the opportunity to interview a wide variety of authors. This is especially true when the authors have delightful things to say. They really are willing to open a window into their personalities and share fascinating tidbits with us, their readers.
Our latest interview posted at Book Help Web is one with Adrienne Brodeur, an author I've talked about in a few previous entries in this blog. I found myself smiling throughout the interview, enjoying her words as much as I enjoyed her novel. Her sense of humor shines through as she shares with us her experiences with writing Man Camp, the responses she's gotten, the joys and challenges of starting a literary magazine, and other literary moments in her life.
I hope you enjoy reading the interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it!
One of the things I most enjoy about publishing Book Help Web is the opportunity to interview a wide variety of authors. This is especially true when the authors have delightful things to say. They really are willing to open a window into their personalities and share fascinating tidbits with us, their readers.
Our latest interview posted at Book Help Web is one with Adrienne Brodeur, an author I've talked about in a few previous entries in this blog. I found myself smiling throughout the interview, enjoying her words as much as I enjoyed her novel. Her sense of humor shines through as she shares with us her experiences with writing Man Camp, the responses she's gotten, the joys and challenges of starting a literary magazine, and other literary moments in her life.
I hope you enjoy reading the interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it!
Irving, Rowling, and King
Now that must have been a fund-raiser to attend! In the same room you have John Irving, Steven King, and J.K. Rowling. They held a joint news conference before doing a charity reading at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
There, according to the CNN story, Irving and King begged Rowling not to kill off Harry Potter in her final novel.
Speaking of which, I've really got to start avoiding articles like this. I don't want spoilers and hate that she keeps getting asked about them. In this article, she's revealed yet another spoiler--though she doesn't name names or indicate who it is that the fate she mentions befalls.
Rowling joked back to the other two authors that she feels she's just "toughening" her readers up to go on and read Irving and King's works. "It's a cruel literary world out there," she said.
Oh, and she made no promises about whether Harry would survive.
Now that must have been a fund-raiser to attend! In the same room you have John Irving, Steven King, and J.K. Rowling. They held a joint news conference before doing a charity reading at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
There, according to the CNN story, Irving and King begged Rowling not to kill off Harry Potter in her final novel.
Speaking of which, I've really got to start avoiding articles like this. I don't want spoilers and hate that she keeps getting asked about them. In this article, she's revealed yet another spoiler--though she doesn't name names or indicate who it is that the fate she mentions befalls.
Rowling joked back to the other two authors that she feels she's just "toughening" her readers up to go on and read Irving and King's works. "It's a cruel literary world out there," she said.
Oh, and she made no promises about whether Harry would survive.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Thomas Friedman
Thomas Friedman is another one of those authors who has seen a resurgance in the popularity of a book he wrote years ago. Of course, that's primarily because his most recent publication, The World is Flat, has quickly become a bestseller with its ideas about the new world being created around us.
He talks about how technology is flattening the world, bringing it closer together while changing our basic culture.
A Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter for The New York Times, Friedman specializes in international economics. He spent many years stationed in Lebanon and Israel. Those experiences prompted him to write the book that is now joining The World is Flat on the bestseller lists: From Beirut to Jerusalem.
It's a book that is especially timely given all that is occurring in that region right now.
Thomas Friedman is another one of those authors who has seen a resurgance in the popularity of a book he wrote years ago. Of course, that's primarily because his most recent publication, The World is Flat, has quickly become a bestseller with its ideas about the new world being created around us.
He talks about how technology is flattening the world, bringing it closer together while changing our basic culture.
A Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter for The New York Times, Friedman specializes in international economics. He spent many years stationed in Lebanon and Israel. Those experiences prompted him to write the book that is now joining The World is Flat on the bestseller lists: From Beirut to Jerusalem.
It's a book that is especially timely given all that is occurring in that region right now.
The Memory-Keeper's Daughter
Yesterday I wrote about Kim Edwards and her sleeper hit, The Memory-Keeper's Daughter. Then, yesterday afternoon, that very book arrived at my house.
Despite all of the press it had been getting, I was unprepared for what a stunning book it was. All my plans for going to bed early faded away as I found myself turning page after page, unwilling to close the book as I traveled the emotional and spiritual journey through the years with the amazing characters Edwards had created.
It was one of the more incredible reading experiences I've had in recent years--well worth the cost of being tired today.
I'll write the review and post it at Book Help Web, but in the mean time, let me highly, highly recommend the book to anyone who is looking for some great reading.
Yesterday I wrote about Kim Edwards and her sleeper hit, The Memory-Keeper's Daughter. Then, yesterday afternoon, that very book arrived at my house.
Despite all of the press it had been getting, I was unprepared for what a stunning book it was. All my plans for going to bed early faded away as I found myself turning page after page, unwilling to close the book as I traveled the emotional and spiritual journey through the years with the amazing characters Edwards had created.
It was one of the more incredible reading experiences I've had in recent years--well worth the cost of being tired today.
I'll write the review and post it at Book Help Web, but in the mean time, let me highly, highly recommend the book to anyone who is looking for some great reading.
