The Topography of Tears, by Rose-Lynn Fisher

Rose-Lynn Fisher's The Topography of Tears is one of the strangest, oddly beautiful coffee table books I've seen in a while.  The concept is simple: it is "a study of tears photographed through an optical microscope."  The simple, black-and-white extreme close-ups of tears are reminiscent of satellite landscape photos, microscopic photos of leaves or rocks, or ice crystals on a window pain.  Like snow, I guess you can conclude no two tear drops look alike.

She gives commentary or captions to some of the tears, like "Tears for those who yearn for liberation," or "Mom happy tears," or "Catharsis."  But I'm not sure there is any correlation between the look of tears and the kinds of emotions they evoke.

The pictures are oddly captivating, in an abstract art sort of way, but I'm not sure what inspiration or insight one might draw from them.  Maybe all Fisher is going for is to portray in an original way the universally shared experience of emotional tears.  Mission accomplished.  Grab a hanky.


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

General Relativity for Babies, by Chris Ferrie

Chris Ferrie has accomplished what, I feel sure, no one else has ever before accomplished.  He has written a baby book that presents a reasonably accurate description of relativity.  General Relativity for Babies introduces the concept of mass, the curvature of space, and black holes.  Using simple illustrations and even simpler sentences, he describes general relativity in a nutshell.

The back cover reads, "It only takes a small spark to ignite a child's mind."  Will this book inspire your newborn to be an astrophysicist?  Maybe not.  But there's not a thing wrong with introducing complex ideas at an early age.  Maybe if my parents had this book to read to me I would be a bit smarter. . . .


Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the complimentary electronic review copy!

The Little Book of Big Ideas for Dads and Daughters, by Jay Payleitner

Jay Payleitner, father of four boys, had to shift his mode of parenting when his daughter came along.  As any parent knows, daughters are different.  But the father-daughter bond is precious.  To help us dads cultivate that bond, Payleitner has written The Little Book of Big Ideas for Dads and Daughters.

Payleitner has lots of great ideas, some of which you probably can think of yourself.  Date your daughter, pray for her future husband, support her in her sports, art, and academic endeavors.  Participate in her tea parties.  Some of his advice might raise some dads' eyebrows.  Payleitner encourages dads to embrace all of their daughters' interests, taking them to terrible pop music concerts and financing their faddish toy or clothing desires.  I bristled at first to some of these ideas, but he provides convincing rationales.

Here are a couple of nuggets that I found to be especially worth remembering:

• Go ahead and treat her like a princess, telling her she's the most precious and beautiful girl in the world, "but in relationship to every other person on the planet, raise her as a pioneer woman" who takes responsibility for herself.
• Don't be afraid to spoil her a bit, but "in a way that has her best interest in mind."  Sure, some will say she's got you wrapped around her finger, but remember "another way to say, 'She has me wrapped around her little finger' is 'We're holding hands.'"
• "Make your home a comfortable and inviting place for all kids."  If your house is the hang out place, you will get to know her friends and be able to look out for her safety.
• As you pray for her future husband, and as you evaluate potential suitors, keep your expectations high, but "ask yourself if you are living up to those same high expectations right now in your marriage."

Obviously, much of The Little Book can apply to dads and sons and mothers and their children.  His focus, though, is on dads and daughters, and I was challenged, encouraged, and inspired to be a better parent and to take more time to spend with my daughter.  All parents, no matter who they are, can use these reminders and encouragement from time to time.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Giving It All Away . . . and Getting It All Back Again, by David Green

David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, is one of the richest men in America.  What separates him from most billionaires is the acknowledgement that everything he has belongs to God.  In Giving It All Away . . . and Getting It All Back Again, Green tells his story of giving, and encourages all of us to join him on a journey of generosity.

I love the fact that Green doesn't give because he's wealthy, but he gives because he loves to give.  His parents provided the example.  His father was a pastor, always in very small, rural churches.  When church members brought gifts in kind, such as a basket of produce, his mother would carefully estimate the monetary value of the basket and tithe accordingly.  David and his siblings discovered late in his father's life that he gave much of his salary right back to the church.

As Green's business found more and more success, he heard very clearly from God that the business belongs to God.  Green's goal, then, is to honor God in the way the business is run, and to use the profits to spread the gospel.  He writes, "If we don't use Hobby Lobby's earnings to touch people for the Lord, I really don't see the reason for me to be in business at all."

Green writes about his passion for the business, and it's clear that he delights in making Hobby Lobby profitable, in providing products that people want, and in providing jobs for thousands of people.  But his passion for the gospel is even greater.  He sees every ministry contribution as an investment in eternity.  Anticipating the impact that the works he supports will have, he says, "I think the most satisfied and joyful person in heaven will be Jesus as he looks around at all those who have been saved from a life of misery."

Clearly very few of his readers will ever be able to give like Green and his family can and do.  But whether you are blessed with a fortune or get by week to week, the principles he presents and models are worth emulating.  He gets inspiration from the British missionary C.T. Studd, who had great inherited wealth but gave his money and his life toward the spreading of the gospel.  Studd wrote a famous poem which says, in part, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."

I'm pretty sure I'll never share a spot with Green on Forbes's billionaire list.  But he and I can stand side by side as stewards of our resources for God's glory.  I appreciate his example and inspiration.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Opening Atlantis, by Harry Turtledove

Harry Turteldove is the master of the "what if" novel.  What if the South won the Civil War?  What if Hitler prevailed in WW2?  What if the Korean War developed into a full-fledged global nuclear war?  Turtledove's 2007 novel Opening Atlantis is built around the question, What if there were a continent called Atlantis between Europe and what we now know as North America?

An English fisherman follows his Breton counterpart and competitor to new fishing grounds, where the cod are larger than any he's ever seen.  The fishing is great, and the land is even greater, fertile and untouched by human habitation.  So begins his quest to settle this new, rich, and wondrous land.  I enjoyed the story of the early settlers as they established towns and adapted the land to suit their needs.  Their independent streak and quest for self-determination parallels our own nation's history.  Their revolt against the English nobleman who decides to make Atlantis a kingdom of his own, their defeat of the pirates who raided the sea trade, and their cooperation with the British navy to defeat the French, resembled U.S. history (with, of course, lots of key differences).

As is always the case with alternative history stories like this, the deeper the divergence from actual history, the more I tend to lose interest.  I enjoyed the early parts of the book more than the latter parts.  I would like to have heard more about what was going on in Terra Nova, the land the the west of Atlantis.  Turtledove alludes to the Spanish, but barely.  I would like to know what happened to Columbus.  The English came to Atlantis decades before Columbus came to the New World.  Did he end up as a trader?  An explorer?  What about the conquistadors?  Perhaps those are novels for another time.

I would also like to know why Atlantis has such unusual flora and fauna.  Turtledove spends a lot of time talking about the unusual animals that are unlike any the settlers have ever seen, and trees and plants that grow larger and look different than any others.  Terra Nova has the same sorts of animals and vegetation that the Europeans are accustomed to, so how did Atlantis develop so differently?  I kept thinking that Turtledove would come up with some explanation, but he leaves this piece of the puzzle hanging.

Turtledove develops memorable characters.  In Opening Atlantis, he follows a couple of families over many generations.  This makes it an enjoyable novel with an epic feel, but I didn't love it.

Natural Wonders of Assateague Island, by Mark Hendricks

If you're like me, you may have heard of this island on the east coast where wild horses run free, but that's about all you know  about it.  My curiosity was piqued when I saw Mark Hendricks's new book, Natural Wonders of Assateague Island.  I learned that there is much more to this little barrier island than I imagined.

Hendricks, a seasoned nature photographer, captures the wide array of flora and fauna on Assateague Island, especially the fauna.  The most well-known feature of the island, the horses, may have been washed up in a shipwreck, but probably are descended from horses brought to the island to graze.  Other non-native species are nevertheless highlights of a visit to the island, like the sika, a small East Asian elk.  As you might expect, the variety shore life and bird species is vast.  Hendricks's love for life on the island comes through in his pictures.  As his narrative explains, many of the photos represent hours or even days of patiently seeking out and waiting for the animals' elusive appearance.  To read about his encounters with a river otter and a snowy owl is to read the joy and passion Hendricks brings to his work.

I couldn't help wanting to pay Assateague Island a visit after reading this book and enjoying Hendricks's photographs.  Maybe the reality is that I wouldn't see many animals; he alludes to crowds and a huge number of visitors to the island.  Hendricks's work is a reminder to slow down, take time to get away from the madding crowd, and patiently find opportunities to look nature in the eye.


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Always with Us?, by Liz Theoharis

When Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you," did he mean that poverty will always be an issue no matter what?  According to many Christians from across the ideological and theological spectrum, the answer is yes.  According to Liz Theoharis, the answer is definitively no.  In Always with Us? What Jesus Really Said about the Poor, she argues that Jesus did not teach that poverty was inevitable, and that, in fact, the eradication of poverty is possible.

Her work and life have been built around this hope.  As a pastor and activist, she has worked with and on behalf of poor people, addressing structural poverty and developing solutions for poverty in the U.S.  The stories she tells and hope that she offers are encouraging, inspiring, and challenging.  Her focus is not so much on charity or redistribution of wealth, but on the unacceptability of poverty and the structures of society.  She writes that "God hates poverty and wills it upon no on.  We understand that it is not enough to affirm that God loves the poor, but it is the collective responsibility of Christians and all people of faith and conscience to eliminate poverty."  The elimination of poverty is Theoharis's driving theme.

I had to part ways with Theoharis for much of the book.  She is very clearly a liberation theologian, and embraces all that entails with her view of structural sin.  First of all, she asserts that poverty is a sin.  The existence of a poverty is a result of structural sin in society.  No doubt this is sometimes true, but this view rejects the fact that in a fallen world, poverty is arguably a normal state.  Without labor and organization, all of us would fall into poverty.  Throughout human history, most people have been what we would consider poor.  To Theoharis, the causes of poverty are structural.  She rejects a view of poverty that places its cause on personal volition (or lack thereof).  She spends lots of time with poor people.  Surely she can recognize that poverty in many cases results from the choices that individuals make.  I don't accept her all-in for structural poverty position.  To address the problem of poverty, societal structures and individual choices have to be addressed.

Part of the structure of society that she doesn't spend enough time developing is the market.  The most effective anti-poverty program is a job.  When people can get and keep a job, the way out of poverty is much clearer.  In any given geographical area, the availability of a wide variety of jobs is the best measure of the elimination of gravity.  Again, jobs and a thriving economy alone don't guarantee the elimination of poverty.  But not to focus on the job market is a blind spot in the fight against poverty.

I don't know if poverty can be eliminated.  I agree that when Jesus declared "the poor you will always have with you," he did not mean, in that context, that poverty is inevitable and ineradicable.  I especially admire Theoharis's work among the poor.  She is critical of charity--throwing money at the problem of poverty is no way to eliminate the larger issue--and advocates for people in poor communities banding together to address their communities' larger issues.  Theoharis and I would find plenty to disagree about theologically, politically, and economically, but I appreciated her portrayal of Jesus as one who has a preferential option for the poor, and I enjoyed reading about her work alongside the poor.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

The Most Misused Stories in the Bible, by Eric Bargerhuff

Much like he did in The Most Misused Verses in the Bible, pastor and professor Eric Bargerhuff brings clarity and interpretive assistance in The Most Misused Stories in the Bible: Surprising Ways Popular Bible Stories are Misunderstood.  Like a dedicated pastor, Dr. Bargerhuff writes what could be read as a sermon series on stories you probably know, if you have read the Bible or sat through church services and Sunday school.  But if you've been around long enough, you have probably heard some not-so-great teaching on these familiar stories.

Bargerhuff writes from a solidly evangelical, biblical perspective, as you might expect from someone with a Ph.D. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  If your perspective is different, e.g. if you are a Catholic or Pentecostal, you might have some differences with Dr. Bargerhuff, especially in his chapters on the Lord's supper and the Samaritan Pentecost.  For the most part, his take is non-controversial.  For instance, he points out that we don't have any idea how many wise man came to visit Jesus, and that however many came, their visit was closer to Jesus' toddlerhood than to his infancy.

The larger point that Bargerhoff makes throughout the book is that the focus of these stories should be on God, not on the human actors.  The story of David and Goliath is "not about overcoming fear and facing your giants as much as it is about the power and character of God to deliver."  The story of Jonah isn't about Jonah's rebellion as God's rescuing and redeeming Jonah.  The parable of the sower isn't about monetary contributions and financial rewards (as "health and wealth" preachers might teach) but about preaching the gospel and the fruit it bears or fails to bear in the hearers.  The story of Zacchaeus is not primarily about his seeking out Jesus, but about Jesus seeking out Zacchaeus.

Bargerhuff is refreshingly straightforward in his presentation.  He has the tone of an earnest pastor whose heart is for his flock to have a proper understanding of scripture.  He concludes, "Let us never miss the main point God wants us to get lest we make the Bible into a practical how-to guide instead of a book that highlights the glory and character of God and his saving plan for us. . . . Remember that the Bible is primarily a book about God."  I'll buy that.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Words from the Hill, by Stu Garrard

For many years, I have loved the worship music of Delerious!  So I figured if their guitar player and song writer Stu Garrard had written a book, I ought to check it out.  Stu has been working on The Beatitudes Project, which includes a film, some new music, and his book Words from the Hill: An Invitation to the Unexpected.

Stu takes each of the Beatitudes and tells stories of his friends and others he has met whose lives reflect each one.  The Beatitudes, he writes, "are predominantly blessings of God's presence for people in bad situations, and not a list of spiritual virtues to attain. . . . they're about being, not doing."  He personalizes the Beatitudes in a way that leads you to see others with Jesus' eyes and to see your own life through God's eyes.  The message is that you are blessed, and God is on your side, no matter what you're going through.

Stu's work is less Bible study than life study.  He does have some illuminating thoughts about the meaning of each Beatitude.  More than that, he tells the stories of people for whom God's blessing and mercy have been vital and real.  His exposition is, frankly, a bit disjointed, and he seemed pretty loose theologically.  A good bit of the narrative involves his friendships with Jewish and Muslim friends.  All that to say the stories bring the Beatitudes to life and will call you to reflect on your own response to Jesus' teachings.

As he points out, we Christians have historically focused on our creeds, careful to get our beliefs right but sometimes neglecting application to life and relationships.  "What if," he asks, "like the earliest Jesus followers, we began to see the Beatitudes as the Jesus Creed?"  Words from the Hill can begin to give us a vision of what a Jesus Creed would look like.  I like Stu's music more than I like his book, but his book, like his music, points me to Jesus.  That's worth the price of admission.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Resurrection Perverts: Hunter's Point, by Danny Hellman

Danny Hellman's Resurrection Perverts: Hunter's Point tells the story of Harry Homburg, "America's last porn mogul," trying to resurrect his career by publishing compromising photographs of the president.  Things don't work out so well for him.  Hellman is making some commentary on fame, sex, politics, the media, but don't worry, it's nothing too profound.  Actually, not profound at all.

The art is pretty cool.  But the story didn't grab me, and the cliffhanger left me with a yawn, not a hankering for more.  I'll skip whatever the next installment is.


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers introduced the world of the Wayfarer, a long-haul spaceship, in The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.  The story of some of the characters from that novel continues in A Closed and Common Orbit.  We don't see or hear from the Wayfarer in this second installment.  Pepper, a friend of the Wayfarer's crew, returns, along with Lovey, the Wayfarer's ship AI who is embarking on a new life in a body.

The story jumps back and forth between Pepper's childhood and Lovey's acclimating to her body.  Pepper escaped from a labor camp and spent her formative years being taught and cared for by the AI in an abandoned ship.  I enjoyed the parallels of the two lives, a ship AI learning to live in a body, and another ship AI teaching a body how to live.

I kept wondering how these parallel threads would converge, and when they finally did, it made perfect sense.  As in The Long Way, Chambers spends a lot of time developing the alien species and cultures.  A Closed and Common Orbit has stronger emphasis on the story, as we see these two characters develop.  The scope of Common Orbit is smaller than that of The Long Way.  I think that helps Chambers tell a better story.  She also leaves me wanting to read more of her stories and to learn more about the Wayfarer and Pepper and Lovey's futures.  I hope Chambers continues this series.

Void Star, by Zachary Mason

I rarely start a book without finishing it.  Unfortunately, I didn't get all the way through Void Star by Zachary Mason.  I should have followed the clues on Amazon.  "The best and most beautiful book about computers since Neuromancer."  I really didn't like Neuromancer.  "Void Star utilizes a deliberate, predatory pace more common to the most exquisite horror novels."  I am no fan of horror novels.  "The hallucinatory beauty of the prose . . ."  Yeah, those hallucinatory sequences unmoored my mind from the book . . . and got me hallucinating about reading something else.  "His language delights . . ."  True, he does have some nice language and colorful prose (plus some vocabulary I had to look up).  I just didn't get into his style.  Or the story.

I know it may not be fair to review a book I didn't read all of.  I just felt like moving on to something else.  I'm giving this a middle-of-the-road 3 out of 5, recognizing that readers who like this genre will probably like the book.  It just wasn't for me.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

The Sex Effect, by Ross Benes

Similar to the way the authors of Freakonomics offer insights into life by looking at the world through an economic lens, Ross Benes looks through the lens of sex.  In The Sex Effect: Baring Our Complicated Relationship with Sex, Benes examines the relationships of sex with culture, economics, politics, religion, and life.  He writes that "many of the ideas our society holds to be self-evident about monogamy, affairs, divorce, rape, porn, abstinence, STDs, contraception, fertility rates, and reproductive technologies are often far from empirical truth."  In ten topical chapters, Benes draws from a wide array of sources to get to the truth and clarify misconceptions.  His writing is entertaining and informative.

Depending on your feelings and beliefs about sex and sexuality, you may not be comfortable with Benes's conclusions.  He does like to be a provocateur.  For example, he argues that monogamy was introduced for political and martial reasons; religious preferences toward monogamy are cultural responses.  He makes an interesting point, but Christians and Jews, who tend to think of monogamy as God's plan from the dawn of time, might want to add something to the argument.

Some other interesting conclusions he draws:

• We shouldn't give presidents grief about their sexual liaisons; they are powerful men, and men with the disposition to be in a powerful role want/need/deserve outlets for their desires.  
• The policy of prohibiting homosexuals from serving in the armed forces had the unintended consequences of solidifying gay identity, creating gay-friendly areas in port cities like San Francisco, and introducing young people to the concept of homosexuality.
• Struggling urban centers like Detroit should look to the success of other cities' gay neighborhoods and actively recruit homosexuals to move in and lead urban renewal.
• We may not want to admit it, but as porn has proliferated, rape has declined.  ("For every ten-percentage-point increase in Internet access, reported rape declined 7.3 percent.")

The most powerful chapter, in my estimation, dealt with the AIDS epidemic in Africa.  As you might have gathered, Benes does not harbor puritanical views about sex.  The tone of most of the book is "anything goes."  But in the AIDS chapter, he points out that biomedical solutions--condoms and drugs--have either worsened or at least not improved AIDS rates.  What solution does he recommend?  The tried and tested "ABC" method: Abstain, Be faithful, or use a Condom (in that order).  Education campaigns with this model were by far less expensive and more effective at reducing AIDS rates in African countries.  But when the U.S. groups came in, backed by pharmaceutical firms and condom manufacturers, the ABC campaigns were jettisoned.  So profit motives and ideology ("The condom coalition condemns anyone advocating for anything resembling a sexual restriction.") trumped what actually worked better, costing lives in the fight against AIDS. 

Benes's arguments are thoughtful and thought-provoking.  He leans toward a pragmatic sexual ethic.  Actually, he might balk at my even referring to a sexual ethic.  Benes's concern is what impact sexual behaviors have, what economic ties sexuality invokes, and what policy decisions impact sexual behavior and vice versa.  He's more of an observer than an ethicist.  He definitely gets some conversations started.

(On a technical note, I read The Sex Effect on my Kindle.  Benes uses tons of footnotes and endnotes, many of them quite lengthy.  Most are informative and/or entertaining, but the flow of the text on the Kindle was disrupted terribly.  I hope the publisher has fixed this for the final version.  One word: hyperlink.)




Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Brave New Girl, by Lou Hamilton

"Big dreams start in play."

Lou Hamilton has a message for girls and women everywhere: Be brave.  In her new book of inspiration, Brave New Girl: How to Be Fearless, she wants you to "start to imagine being anything you want to be."  With her simple pen-and-ink drawings and brief words of wisdom, encouragement, and inspiration, she spreads positivity and confidence.

Some of the quotes are tried and true ("Reach for the stars."  "Take the road less travelled.")  Others, if not original, are less commonly heard.  ("Step out from your hiding place."  "Embrace the loop-the-loop.")  By the way, I know many of the challenges girls and women face in the world are different from those that men and boys face, but there's not a thing in here that couldn't inspire a guy.

Brave New Girl is cute and inspiring.  Give it to a girl you know who could use a pick-me-up.

"Spread the love."

Robota, by Doug Chiang and Orson Scott Card

Doug Chiang has worked on some great movies as an artist and production designer, most notably some of the Star Wars movies.  His book Robota features his original art, paired with a story by Orson Scott Card.  The art ranges from stunning and beautiful to interesting.  Among the larger-format concept paintings, he included pen-and-ink sketches and concept art.

None of the art in Robota is from Chiang's Star Wars work.  The similarities in style are unmistakable; at times you might think, "Did I see that in The Phantom Menace?"  The story takes place on the planet Robota, which was developed by a robot race before conflict with the humans led society into disarray.  Now the robots hunt humans and animals, and enhanced, sentient animals work with the humans.

Card's story is decent, but is really second-rate, compared to his major works and compared to the first-rate illustrations.  My recommendation is to soak in the art, but don't worry about the story.









Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Big Agenda, by David Horowitz

If you know David Horowitz,  you know he is no fan of Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama.  It will also come as no surprise to you that in Big Agenda: President's Trump Plan to Save America, he touts President Donald Trump, and holds him out as a beacon of hope to right much that is awry in the United States.  To be clear, Horowitz is not writing as Trump's mouthpiece.  Rather, he is writing as one who hopes Trump will listen and will fulfill the promises that he made during his campaign.

Horowitz paints a bleak picture of the impact that Obama's administration had on the U.S.  He reminds us that, in spite of the heroic efforts by the mainstream media to get Clinton elected, the American people, at least enough of them in key states, showed that they were fed up with the direction Obama and Clinton wanted to take our country and they were ready for someone to take our country back.

Just when you think Horowitz is hard on the Democrats, he jumps onto the Republicans.  This is really the core of Horowitz's argument.  Republicans need to show that they are sick of Democrats setting the agenda, show some fortitude, and bring the fight to the Democrats.  During the Obama administration, the Republicans capitulated and played nice, failing to stop his liberal agenda, even when they had a majority in the legislature.  And do Democrats care?  As we can see now, no.  Capitulation by the Republicans under Obama is met with obstructionism by the Democrats under Trump.

I don't mean to make Horowitz sound like nothing more than a loudmouth.  He has substantive chapters and specific talking points that Trump and Republicans in the legislature should consider.  Don't let Democrats have the upper hand on race.  How about pointing out that under Obama, the economic status of black Americans declined?  How about pointing out that under half a century or more of black leadership in some of our largest cities, those cities have been crumbling?  How about pointing out ways, as Trump did during the campaign, that a Republican agenda produces more hope and change for minorities and the poor than Obama ever could?

Don't let Democrats continue to drive a liberal agenda in universities and local schools around the country.  Don't let them limit school choice, barring poor Americans in failing school districts from educational success.  Republicans control the federal legislature and most state legislatures around the country.  How about they systematically reverse the exclusion of conservative ideas from campuses?  How about they expand school choice so more kids will have opportunities to learn?

Democrats have a greater tendency to march in lockstep than Republicans.  I don't recall Democratic congressmen blocking Obama's agenda during his first 100 days in office.  Yet some Republicans are doing their best to oppose everything Trump proposes.  Republicans need to bring the fight to the Democrats, not to each other.  Horowitz's agenda should be read by Trump's aids and put into practice.  Republicans have the White House and both houses of congress (and soon, probably, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court).  Now DON'T SQUANDER THIS OPPORTUNITY!

Unwanted Advances, by Laura Kipnis

If you follow college news, you might think that there is a rape epidemic on American college campuses.  Large gangs of men, mostly athletes and frat boys, are stalking young women, willfully forcing them to have sex with them.  Northwestern University professor Laura Kipnis is no fan of rape, but in her book Unwanted Advances: Sexual Paranoia Comes to Campus she exposes the anti-feminist, police-state attitudes and tactics that reveal what she sees as backwards progress for feminism and academic freedom.

Kipnis was drawn into this issue when a philosophy professor on her campus came under Title IX investigation due to an allegedly inappropriate relationship with an undergraduate student.  Note that the allegations surrounded a night on the town; the pair did not have sex.  Kipnis responded with an article for the Chronicle of Higher Education in which she argued that adult students should be treated like adults.  She subsequently came under a new Title IX investigation because she offended some of the women alluded to in the article.  Most of the book details the case against the philosophy professor and Kipnis's subsequent case.  It left me in disbelief that a campus bureaucracy could be so . . . for lack of a better word, stupid!

She writes, "rampant accusation is the new norm on today's campus; the place is a secret cornucopia of accusation, especially when it comes to sex."  Kipnis is especially offended by the anti-feminist attitudes behind campus sex codes and the ineffectiveness in preventing violence against women.  "Policies and codes that bolster traditional femininity . . . are the last thing in the world that's going to reduce sexual assault."  Title IX is being used by women to "remedy sexual ambivalences or awkward sexual experiences, and to adjudicate relationship disputes post-breakup."

Since Kipnis's offense was writing an essay, her case was a bit different from others.  But she studied the philosopher's case extensively.  After the essay was published, she became an outlet for people all over the country who sent her stories of their own Title IX investigations.  In the course of these interactions, she became an expert on Title IX procedures--or the lack of them--and in the many ways Title IX is abused.  The process is heavily weighted against the accusee.  "Typically the accusee doesn't know the precise charges, doesn't know what the evidence is, and can't confront witnesses."  Accusations are encouraged for encounters that happened months before, and that, at the time, seemed to be consensual.  Kipnis states that Title IX has created "an accusation machinery so vast and indiscriminate that it becomes a magnet for neurotic schemes, emotional knife play, and monstrously self-exonerating agendas."

She never denies the reality of rape, but bemoans a system in which virtually any sexual act can be considered rape.  The definition of rape, under Title IX, has become broader and broader.  A Title IX case doesn't even have to include physical contact.  It could include gestures, words, or, as in her case, an essay.  And universities are often happy to settle with the accusers.  In a passage that is sure to make her even less popular among Title IX activists, she writes, "the premise that accusers don't lie turns out to be mythical.  By sentimentalizing women in such preposterous ways, aren't Title IX officials setting schools up as cash cows for some of our more creatively inclined women students?"  I've seen this happen at my own alma mater, which has been writing some big checks and, as a result, attracting lawyers like ants to honey.

In another more extended discussion that will make Title IX activists apoplectic, she addresses drinking by college students.  College women want to show their equality with men by drinking like them and partying with them.  She tells stories of frat parties (that make me want to be sure my kids never get near one) that inevitably lead to, in fact are designed to lead to, women passed out drunk and readily available for sex.  But "anyone who suggests that women should drink less to avoid sexual assault will be 'disemboweled upon arrival into the gladiator arena of public discourse.'"  Title IX training programs steer clear of addressing this important element of women's safety.  She again reflects on the anti-feminist attitudes that Title IX espouses, which says that "Women don't drink; men get them drunk.  Women don't have sex; sex is done to them."  She argues, "This isn't feminism, it's a return to the most traditional conceptions of female sexuality."

Don't misunderstand.  In case you haven't figured it out, Kipnis is no male chauvinist right-winger.  She's a liberal feminist whose sexual morals are far from Puritanical.  ("I don't have anything against escapism and irresponsibility, and you certainly won't hear me arguing against drunken hookups.  'F--- all the guys you want' would be my motto.  Just don't f--- the ones you don't want . . .")  What Kipnis does have something against is kangaroo courts, people being accused of things and not being permitted to defend themselves, accusees suffering consequences without even an opportunity to respond to accusations, the rights of some people being sacrificed for an illusory, deceitful goal of women's safety.

Unwanted Advances should be required reading for any faculty member or administrator who is responsible for Title IX implementation.  Of course we want students on campus to be safe, and we want a means for them to seek justice if they are victims of a crime.  But before college administrations double down on Title IX, as my alma mater has done, they should take Kipnis's perspective and concerns into consideration.


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

How to Lose a Marathon, by Joel Cohen

Joel Cohen was an out of shape, lazy guy who got winded climbing the stairs.  In How to Lose a Marathon: A Starter's Guide to Finishing in 26.2 Chapters, he tells the story of becoming an out of shape, lazy guy who successfully finished a marathon.  Cohen, a writer for The Simpsons, fills every chapter with lots of laughs, but he actually gives a pretty decent guide to training for and running a marathon.

I relate to him on so many levels.  He's a guy who couldn't imagine getting up at five something to run.  ("Wait there's actually a 5 in the morning?")  He loves his junk food.  He doesn't have much patience for pretentious runners and their pretentious gear.  He'd rather run alone.  Knowing how hard it would be to find "the perfect match in pace, distance, and disposition," he (like me) chose to "run on my own, lonely and ignorant."

He says he wrote this book because he couldn't find any books for the "beginner grinder runner."  I'm pretty sure if he'd spent ten minutes at Amazon.com he would have found a few dozen.  Nevertheless, Cohen's book is unique.  It's hilarious to read, yet provides actual informative content.  Short of giving a detailed daily running plan and meal plan, Cohen's book is a great starting point for training for a marathon.

The humor is solid and wide-spread.  It's even clean; I wouldn't have problem with kids reading it.  Some pages had as many as three laugh-out-loud lines.  Some just had a chuckle or two.  On average, there were about two chuckles or one laugh-out-loud per page.  But the important measure is the one I use for any running book I read: Does How to Lose a Marathon inspire me to get out and run?  Yes, it does.  Let's go!


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

The Energy Bus, by Jon Gordon

A coworker of mine asked me the other day if I had read Jon Gordon's The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy.  I had never heard of it.  Turns out my local public library has the audio book, so on his recommendation, I decided to check it out.

Gordon tells the story of a businessman whose career is on the ropes.  His marriage is unhappy, and he has run out of fixes.  His car is out of commission for a couple weeks, so he has to take the bus to work.  The bus driver, Joy, recognizes his despair and, along with the other passengers, introduces him to their 10 rules.

Gordon's main point is that we should have a positive attitude and convey that to the people around us.  Managers set the tone for people who work under them, and should insist that no one stay "on the bus" if they won't buy into the positivity.  As Gordon tells the story, the reluctant bus rider implements changes at his workplace with outstanding results.

The Energy Bus is an overly simplistic business fable, just as you would expect from this sort of book.  But the broad points are important and are presented clearly and effectively.  Attitude is so important, and the tone set by a manager or director is inevitably passed to the team.  "Energy vampires" impact team productivity and unity.  Gordon is so positive and encouraging it's contagious.  The Energy Bus can give you a boost as you think about being more positive at work, working with more purpose and enjoyment, and passing those attitudes along to your coworkers.

30 Days a Black Man, by Bill Steigerwald

In 1948, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ray Sprigle went undercover.  He pretended to be black and traveled through the South, in order to get a first-hand look at life under Jim Crow.  His serialized reporting made a splash, exposing readers in the North to the horrors and injustices of Jim Crow.  Bill Steigerwald revisits Sprigle's audacious project in 30 Days a Black Man: The Forgotten Story That Exposed the Jim Crow South

In a very short time, even with the knowledge that he could go home to his white family in Pittsburgh at any time, he embraced his temporary identity as a black man.  It didn't take him long start feeling alienation from whites and hatred for the South.  "He had just taken his first steps on pure Jim Crow soil.  But already he found himself feeling contempt for the white race and starting to think like a black man."  The longer he stayed in the South, and the more he saw of Jim Crow in action, the more he became "used to thinking of himself as black--and resenting the white race."

As an outsider, "the many absurdities--idiocies might be a better word" of Jim Crow were glaring to him.  White people wouldn't eat or drink after a black person, even after the dishes were washed.  Yet who prepared all the food?  Black people.  They couldn't sit next to a black person on the bus.  Yet black dentists and doctors treated white patients.  White parents would not allow their children to play with black children.  Yet many white children were raised by black domestics.

Sprigle acknowledged that racism was alive and well in all parts of the country.  But Jim Crow was entirely difference; it's "the important difference between de jure and de facto segregation. . . . In short, discrimination against the Negro in the North is usually in defiance of the law.  In the South it is enforced and maintained by the law."

Sprigle's series of stories sparked a national conversation, including commendations and rebuttals from North and South.  He was way ahead of his time, maybe too much so.  Steigerwald writes, "There's no evidence Sprigle's series dramatically changed history or radically influenced the people who where shaping it in 1948."  But his exposure of the sick and dying system of Jim Crow, "he'll go down in history as the first journalist--white or black--to strike a serious blow against segregation in the mainstream media."

Steigerwald's account is readable and enjoyable, placing Sprigle's project in historical context and giving him well-deserved credit for his work.  30 Days a Black Man is not a comprehensive history of the Jim Crow South in the post-World-War-2 era, but Steigerwald's account of Sprigle's experiences give us a unique perspective on a period of history many would like to forget.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I Love You with All My Butt, by Martin Bruckner

Here's a sure-fire hit: take the super-cute things little kids say, illustrate them imaginatively and colorfully, and viola, you have a fun book that will make your kids laugh out loud.  I say this from experience, because I heard my son laughing himself silly, and when I came to investigate he was flipping through Martin Bruckner's I Love You with All My Butt: An Illustrated Book of Big Thoughts from Little Kids.

Bruckner started with his own kids' funny quotes, then solicited others.  They said cute things like this:

"Volcanoes are the earth's butt.  That's how the earth gets the gas out!"
"I'm sorry.  Will you please respect my apology?"
"If you see a snake in a fruit tree, don't believe him!"
"I need a tissue to wipe my feelings."

Now imagine how you might illustrate the above.  Even better, pick up I Love You with All My Butt! and see Bruckner's illustrations.  I guarantee you'll get some smiles out of it, and, if you're anything like my son, some belly laughs, too.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I would be remiss not to include some examples:

Lunarbaboon, by Christopher Grady

Schoolteacher and dad Christopher Grady writes poignant and hilarious cartoons about life as a parent.  He has collected some of the best in Lunarbaboon: The Daily Life of Parenthood.  If you're a dad, you will totally relate to his everyday dad stories.

Like many dads, Grady sometimes gets annoyed with his family.  But those moments are quickly and regularly outweighed by the delight he enjoys by simply being together.  I know I have been there.

For a young guy (Grady is in his 30s), he conveys a high degree of angst at seeing his family time fly by.  Kids grow up fast, and those memories fade.  He reminds us to cherish every day and experience life together with relish.

Families are weird.  They laugh when we fart.  (OK, I'm including myself and Grady in that 'we' but I strongly suspect you are right there with us!)

Check out Grady's cartoons, and you might see yourself, your dad, and your family here.  His cartoons are funny and moving at the same time.

More cartoons at http://www.lunarbaboon.com/

PSA for parents: kids are listening to everything.  And they remember.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!