Sometime in the middle of 2016, I lost motivation to write on my blog. It's not Drew Barrymore's fault. In fact, I read her book Wildflowerimmediately after finishing my last book review in August, and I finished it in about a week's time! Let's see what I remember about Wildflower, which has been sitting next to my computer for months, waiting to be reviewed.
When I got the e-mail from Sixth and I Synagogue telling me that Drew Barrymore was coming to town to promote her new book, I gasped and bought my ticket. When the day arrived, I got in line about an hour and half before the doors opened. (I wasn't completely crazy; a few people were ahead of me.) All the while, I wasn't sure why I was so excited about this.
By the end of the event, I had figured it out: I've always wanted to be friends with Drew Barrymore. Apparently, I'm not alone. Our Sixth and I host noted that we've known Drew Barrymore for her whole life, and we all have our favorite Drew Barrymore moments. She's the girl from ET who was born into Hollywood royalty, the free spirit who spontaneously danced on David Letterman's desk and gave him a birthday surprise, the business woman who runs Flower Films and Flower Beauty, and now a wife and mother of two.
It's true that I will watch Ever After and Fever Pitch whenever I find them on TV, but what I love most about Drew is Drew, for being so down to earth despite her famous relatives, for surviving growing up in the spotlight and through her rebellious years, for starting a production company focused on films that empower women, for branching out into business and building a brand, and with the start of her own family, finally finding the personal happiness for which she always seemed to be searching. (Granted, after I finished reading this book, she and her husband got divorced, but it was the friendliest no-fuss divorce I've ever seen. Who else could achieve that but Drew Barrymore?)
I read Wildflower so quickly because this book is just like Drew – warm, welcoming, honest, and funny. While the editor in me initially hated all the incomplete sentences on these pages, I soon realized that these purposeful phrases helped capture Drew's voice, which I could so clearly hear telling these stories.
This memoir is a collection of moments from Drew Barrymore's life that show where she came from, where she's going, and how she's evolved in between. She talks about her parents and deciding as a teen to live on her own without their help, teaching herself from scratch how to be a grown up. She revisits fun road trips and adventures with friends, remembers finding her perfect companion pups, and pays tribute to the many mentors in her life, including her business partner Nancy Juvonen and her ET director Stephen Spielberg. She recalls feeling real purpose after reading a New York Times article about African school children who have no school to go to and does something about it. My favorite chapters are dedicated to her daughters and about her family life because she shares the same uncertainties and joys everyone experiences in new relationships and motherhood.
What you get in Wildflower is a full portrait of a woman we all think we know. She doesn't disappoint in giving what is expected of Drew Barrymore, the bubbly movie star. But you also find a thoughtful, driven private citizen, who is always striving to be a better one and enjoying life as best she can while its happening – just like the rest of us.
Debbie Reynolds with Gene Kelly in
Singin' in the Rain
Last Christmas, my sister surprised me with the book, Make 'Em Laugh: Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends by Debbie Reynolds and Dorian Hannaway. Debbie Reynolds is probably best known for two things, costarring in the 1952 classic musical Singin' in the Rain and being the mother of Carrie Fisher (a.k.a. Princess Leia). I love her for both reasons, though I've never followed her career. In fact, I think Singin' in the Rain might be the only movie of hers that I've seen in full! Am I forgiven since I've seen Singin' in the Rain at least 785 times, know it by heart, and will keep on watching it? (That's what happens when you grow up as a fan of Gene Kelly.)
I know of Debbie Reynolds more from her daughter, who famously alluded to their relationship through the mother and daughter characters in her book (and film adaptation of) Postcards from the Edge. She also spoke of her mother's lovable quirks in her one-woman show Wishful Drinking.
I was a little disappointed that, in this book, Debbie Reynolds doesn't discuss Gene Kelly or Singin' in the Rain – which showcases her first major film role as ingenue Kathy Selden. I'm sure she's already done that in her other books and is probably tired of talking about it by now. On the other hand, I loved reading about someone I knew so little about from the start.
A bigger fan might get more out of this book, as I breezed past talk of her films that I didn't recognize. That didn't happen often, however, since this book focuses more on her personal experiences with short stories about her many adventures and friends. Though not told in any particular order, her stories range from first getting noticed after winning Miss Burbank at age 16 to receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actor's Guild at age 82.
In between, she weighs in on some fellow comedians of her time, like Jack Benny, Milton Berle, and Phyllis Diller. She recalls getting the royal treatment from various princes around the world as well as being seated next to Prince at the Oscars in 1985 (when he won one). Of course, she also weaves some great Hollywood tales.
One time, she packing a rowdy bus full of Hollywood's own royalty, including Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, David Niven, Gary Cooper, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Jimmy Stewart, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Donald O"Connor, to attend a Judy Garland concert. On The Tonight Show, instead of answering Jack Paar's unwanted question about her love life, she attacked him, pulled him under his desk, and tossed various articles of his clothing over the top as the audience roared. Another time, she demonstrated what Girl Scouts learn about fire safety by toppling on to guest Regis Philbin and rolling him around on the floor. While emceeing an event, she spontaneously jumped into the pool in front of her – ruining her handmade evening gown – just to liven up the party. It's true, Debbie Reynolds will do almost anything for a laugh.
Because I've always watched classic movies, I recognized most of the Golden Age film stars and entertainers mentioned in this book. I loved reading about her relationships with Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Lana Turner, and Elizabeth Taylor. I appreciated, though, how she helped put things into context for other readers who may be unfamiliar with all the names she drops. For example, she compared the Gabor sisters to the Kardashians and suggested checking out George Burns and Gracie Allen's TV shows on YouTube.
Most of all, I love that the voice and personality of Debbie Reynolds comes through in this book loud and clear. Maybe I have seen Singin' in the Rain too many times, but I can hear her on these pages. True to the title, she made me laugh out loud at times. After expressing her shock about receiving brash commentary on her chest from some Hollywood heavyweights, she reflects, "I guess it's flattering to have had Groucho Marx and others admire me that way, because now I live in Beverly Hills and my boobs are in San Diego." Speaking of her parents, she quips, "My parents were happily married for 57 years. They didn't speak for 42 of them, but that's all right."
Make 'Em Laugh is a light, quick read. Even if you're not a fan, Debbie Reynolds will keep you entertained with her vivacious personality, admirable perseverance, and infectious enthusiasm. Give this book a try and it might warm your heart too.
The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles is one of my dad's favorite books. He gave me a hard-cover copy once that I've been carrying around with me for years. I have tried to read it several times but typically ran out of steam by page 5 because I couldn't follow the long sentences and was too lazy to look up the words I didn't understand. This time around, I picked it from my pile – determined to push past page 5 – and I actually enjoyed this book.
Written in 1969, the story takes place in the mid-19th century in Lyme Regis, England. Walking along the coast, Charles Smithson and his fiance Ernestina Freeman encounter a mysterious woman staring toward the sea by the cliffside. Ernestina tells Charles what she's heard about her: Her name is Sarah Woodruff. She was a governess who helped nurse a wounded French lieutenant back to health. They had a an affair but he left town, and she is still waiting for his return. Ms. Woodruff has lived with a scandalous reputation ever since and relies on the charity of others who will give her a place to stay and work to do. According to Ernestina, it's best to stay away from this outcast.
But, of course, Charles does not. Intrigued, he walks up to her, cautioning her away from the cliff's edge. This small gesture of kindness gets Sarah's attention, and eventually, she asks to meet with him in secret. She longs to share her story with someone who has an empathetic ear. As these meetings progress, their connection becomes undeniable for Charles. He becomes so obsessed with Sarah that it throws his life into full disarray, scandal, and uncertainty.
The French Lieutenant's Woman has many ambitious unique features. The author is present throughout the story. He injects his thoughts about the writing of it and its characters, describes scenes or locations, and explains points in characters' conversations. This novel has footnotes, some of which take up half of a page. It also has related excerpts from other books at the start of each chapter. The author even becomes an actual character in the story during two of the three endings he offers.
While these elements are inventive and refreshing, I found some of it hard to follow, which made me lose interest. I just wanted to get on with the story rather than learn the history of something a character casually mentions or find out the types of foliage that grows best in certain areas of town. I also didn't like having three endings from which to choose, the last of which seemed most unresolved. However, I'm sure these features are what make this book the classic, best-selling, award-winning piece of literature it is.
This book felt long to me (probably because I sometimes took long breaks between chapters), but the writing is impressive and intricate. The lengthy descriptions, detail, and explanations all serve a purpose, catapulting readers into the era and environment with fully developed characters. I could picture and hear all of them in my head because of the way the author described their appearance, gestures, attitudes, and speaking patterns.
The peripheral characters and their stories were more interesting to me than Charles's problems. After Charles's servant Sam begins courting Ernestina's servant Mary, for example, his own ambitions and frustrations come to light as he aims for a life beyond his current status. Charles's ignorance of Sam's needs reveal the faults of his character and the class system. Similarly, Sarah deals with Mrs. Poulteney, a mean, judgmental old woman who takes her in only to build up her lacking number of good deeds.
Finishing this book was an accomplishment, and I feel enriched by it. Since it was a struggle for me to read at times, though; I wasn't sure if I should recommend it to others....until I saw the movie version.
I rented the 1981 Oscar-nominated film adaptation, starring Meryl Streep as Sarah and Jeremy Irons as Charles, thinking it would help clear up any lingering confusion I had. On the contrary, director Karel Reisz seemed to take a cue from John Fowles and introduced multiple story lines. In addition to playing the characters of Sarah and Charles, Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons also played modern-day film actors and secret lovers. In this parallel story, they were adapting, researching, rehearsing, and filming The French Lieutenant's Woman, playing Sarah and Charles while their own personal relationship was similar to their characters' circumstances.
With its unique take on this story, the film version of The French Lieutenant's Woman is good on its own terms. More than anything, though, it made me appreciate the novel – with its immersive world and colorful characters – so much more. I watched it thinking of all things the director had to gloss over and missed those details. As usual, the book is better, so give it a try (past page 5). Better yet, test them both out as I did, and let me know what you think.
When I saw last year that Elvis Costello was on a book tour in support his new memoir Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, I bought my ticket for his D.C. stop immediately. I can't claim to be his biggest fan, but I love some of his music, and I always find him entertaining. Elvis Costello first got my attention in 1989 when he released Spike, an album that includes some songs co-written with Paul McCartney. One of its singles, "Veronica," became a big hit on the radio and MTV, which I thought was impressive considering it's a happy tune about someone with Alzheimer's disease. My other favorite song on Spike is called "Tramp the Dirt Down," an unfriendly commentary on Margaret Thatcher. I guess I was that kind of kid.
I saw Elvis Costello perform a live set once in person, when he opened for Sting, but I mostly catch him randomly on TV. I remember when he showed up on "Frasier" in the '90s, playing a musician who just got hired to perform daily at Cafe Nervosa, ruining the Crane Brothers' peaceful coffee-shop hangout. And, I tuned in that night in 2003 when he filled in for David Letterman as host of "The Late Show." (Why do I remember these things?) Also, over the years, Elvis Costello showed up on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," always game to do something fun.
My favorite thing that Elvis Costello has ever done, though, is "Spectacle," a music-filled talk show, which he hosted. He interviewed musicians and other famous faces about music and performed related songs with his guests. The show aired from 2008 to 2010, but I didn't see it until last year when I finally got around to renting the DVDs through Netflix. Elvis Costello is so knowledgeable about music, having played with so many different musicians of different genres. Through this show, I learned about artists I love as well as ones I'd never heard of before. This show was a perfect combination of friendly, informative conversation and wonderful performances in a relaxed setting in front of a small audience. It should still be on the air and required viewing in schools!
But I'll get off that soapbox and sum up my admiration for Elvis Costello by saying this: with his fantastic songwriting abilities already established – Listen to "Alison," "Beyond Belief," "God Give Me Strength" or the rowdier "Pump It Up" and "Oliver's Army," just to name a few. – Elvis Costello always tells interesting stories, whether he's singing or talking. So, I had a good feeling about him writing a book. When I picked this book up at Sixth & I Synagogue last October and realized that it was 672 pages, I may have questioned my logic a bit, but I still kept the faith.
Before the author even appeared on stage, I noticed that Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink includes no index, and the photos are sprinkled throughout the text without any captions. The first thing Elvis Costello said to us about the book was that we might notice it includes no index and the photos aren't captioned or stuck in the middle on a cluster of special paper. He explained, "I'm telling a story. If you read the book, you'll know who that person is in the picture." I couldn't wait to get started.
This book is great! It reads really fast because, as we know, Elvis Costello weaves good tales. It was an interesting read because, since I'm not overly familiar with his vast body of work, I rolled right past the specific details and lyrics about various unfamiliar songs that I'm sure his superfans would study more fiercely. After reading the book, I learned that a companion CD exists, which probably includes many of the songs the author refers to in his story. I wish I had known about this helpful resource while I was reading.
I favored learning about Declan MacManus before he became Elvis Costello – the boy who went to work with his dad (Ross MacManus, a popular singer and musician in his own day), hanging around in the back rows of dance halls, watching him and the other musicians rehearse, fostering his growing love for music. This book covers a good amount of family history with wonderful details about his grand and great-grand relatives as well as his own upbringing. It was exciting to following his determined move from office jobs to rock-and-roller. Feeling the passion and drive he had to share his craft is inspiring.
I've known about Elvis Costello's rise on the new wave/punk music scene and his early reputation as an angry young man, but the one I've come to know better is the Elvis Costello of now – the proper British gentleman, who always wears a suit and hat and is quick to joke, explain music history, and play with varied musicians, like Emmylou Harris and Mavis Staples. For me, his exploits with his old bandmates, The Attractions, at the height of their fame are more side notes to the richer life he's led, learning and honing his musicianship – always moving forward to the next thing, sticking by his family, and eventually finding his own personal contentment.
In the book's acknowledgements, Elvis Costello thanks his wife, jazz musician Diana Krall, for making him take the time to write everything down for this memoir so that he and the family will have it. That's what this book reads like: a personal keepsake for future generations of the MacManus Clan to remember not only his extraordinary life, but also the lives of those distant working-class relatives who have already passed. The old black-and-white photos complement this effort, capturing the author at all ages as well as relatives, friends, scribbled song lyrics, and other mementos.
Unlike a typical memoir, this one is not a chronological life story. It's more like a box of memories. Chapters about Elvis Costello's parents and grandparents run alongside chapters about working with Paul McCartney, T Bone Burnett, Burt Bacharach, and Allen Toussaint. Within those, he recalls his encounters with Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, and even classic film director Frank Capra. You never know who or what he'll run into on the next page. Elvis Costello will keep you reading to find out.
Of the more than 30 books that former President Jimmy Carter has written since leaving office, I started with his 537-page White House Diary, which he promoted on a book tour in 2010. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet him at a book signing because I was afraid of tackling such a long book about politics. White House Diary remained in my pile of books to read until Jimmy Carter's announcement that he had cancer motivated me to tackle it: I wanted to finish this book before he died. (I know, morose!)
While cleaning out the attic, Jimmy Carter discovered 5,000 pages of transcripts covering every day he served as the 39th president of the United States (1977-1981). His secretary was tasked with typing out his recorded thoughts as he kept a daily diary. Jimmy Carter was the first full-term president I ever experienced, but I don't remember him from that time. I only know him as a philanthropist: the guy who builds houses for Habitat for Humanity and saves lives in Africa by ridding the world of the Guinea worm. I've always liked that Jimmy Carter.
No matter your party affiliation, this book is a fascinating and informative read. It's well organized, starting with a chronological list of important events and milestones achieved while in office and a list of the senior officials with whom he worked. I barely recognized any of the names on the list, but I forged ahead anyway. The thing that makes this book less intimidating is its format. It's split up by year and by day, just like any journal, so the information is easily digestible in short chunks. It helps that Mr. Carter is a clear speaker and writer. He distilled the full 5,000 pages (which you can view at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia) and provides his reflections on various topics and events. At times, he offers recent data or advances (and setbacks) made by subsequent administrations, giving the reader points of reference. If Jimmy Carter were my teacher, I'd probably have done better in history class.
White House Diary reveals the insanity and drama of being the president of the United States: spending your day in meetings about unrelated, complicated topics, receiving and reading massive briefings, and making quick decisions that at times determine the fate of the country or even the world. Jimmy Carter negotiated a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that still stands today, and the Iran hostage crisis that dogged his reelection campaign still haunts him. I don't want this job, but Jimmy Carter was pretty good at it.
White House Diary includes everything, from all-nighters spent negotiating legislation to time off enjoyed with family. These entries reflect Jimmy Carter's kindness and sense of humor along with the tenacity, determination, and decisiveness needed for a leader. I was exciting to learn how integral his wife Rosalynn was to her husband's campaigns and overall office administration while accomplishing her own initiatives to improve health care for people with mental illness and the elderly. Even his mother Lillian got some things done by charming country leaders, diplomats, and other stakeholders around the world. The book ends with an afterword, where Mr. Carter reflects on his time as president with objectivity and humility that made me wish he got four more years.
By the time I finished White House Diary, I concluded that Jimmy Carter is an admirable overachiever. On any typical day during his administration, he might jog for miles at the crack of dawn, process paperwork, endure meetings, read an entire book, catch some fish, negotiate peace and renewable energy, sign acceptable legislation into law, or see a show at the Kennedy Center. These days, when he's not traveling the world or building houses and furniture, he teaches Sunday School in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. Before a recent class, he added another accomplishment to his list of many, announcing that he got rid of his cancer. I didn't expect anything less.
House of Earth is a long-lost novel written by Woody Guthrie in 1947. While preparing to celebrate for the folk singer's 100th birthday, someone found the manuscript tucked away in a box. I don't know how Johnny Depp got involved, but he's magic like that sometimes. He and his friend author/historian Douglas Brinkley edited and got the book published through Johnny's new publishing imprint, called Infinitum Nihil, under a division of HarperCollins. While I intended to only flip through the book in person at my local Barnes & Noble, I got so excited seeing Johnny's name on the cover that I ended up buying it. (I also felt obligated since the person who helped me to find the book, which should have been out on display somewhere, dug it out of storage for me.)
House of Earth tells the story of Tike and Ella May, a poor couple living in a run-down wooden shack on a farm in the Texas Panhandle. Encouraged by a government pamphlet, Tike dreams about building an adobe home, one that would protect them from the elements of the Dust Bowl region, but this goal appears endlessly out of reach. Though they love the land they live on, they do not own it, and they are hindered by their status in life, big business, and inevitable changes that are beyond their control.
Even though I bought this book when it was first published in 2013, I just got up the courage to read it now. I'd seen the Ken Burns documentary about The Dust Bowl, and I didn't want to be further depressed by that subject. I'd seen Bound for Glory, the movie about Woody Guthrie, and I couldn't get excited about him either. (Aside from his most famous songs, I don't know much about Woody Guthrie. I told my friend a few weeks ago that I know him most for being Arlo Guthrie's dad.) It wasn't until I recently finished watching the Foo Fighters' series Sonic Highways, which featured the New York music scene and included interviews with one of Woody Guthrie's daughters about his life and influence there that I decided to open the book.
House of Earth is a good, quick read. I'm not going to lie: my favorite part of this book is its introduction, not only because Johnny Depp helped to write it, but because it taught me more about the author, his life, and the context in which House of Earth was written. It also highlights and explains passages and plot points, which helped me understand the history and reasons behind them. What I like best about the novel itself is the writing. The story is a slice of life about proud people in unfortunate circumstances. The characters are fully developed and realized right down to the way they talk. House of Earth reminded me of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God (see my review here) because it captures a specific pocket of time and people so accurately. At times, I could tell the book was written by a songwriter; some of the passages were poetic, set with their own rhythm. I also loved that the book included artwork by Woody Guthrie on the cover and throughout its pages, fully immersing readers into Woody Guthrie's world. While House of Earth is more of an introduction for me to Woody Guthrie's artistry, fans will welcome it as an authentic piece of his vast body of work.
When my sister saw Cary Elwes's memoir, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, on display as soon as she stepped into Barnes & Noble, she snatched it up for me for Christmas. I finished this book in about a week's time because The Princess Bride is one of my all-time favorite movies. After I finished it, I watched my 20th Anniversary Buttercup Edition of The Princess Bride on DVD. Now, I'm searching for my old beat-up copy of the original book by William Goldman to read it again.
I had no idea that The Princess Bride was not a huge hit when it first came out in 1987, but that's the kind of thing you'll learn in this memoir. I was waiting for this movie. It was Robin Wright's first starring role in a feature film, and she was one of my favorite actresses on the soap opera "Santa Barbara," which was very important to me at the time. (I knew she was bound for greatness well before "House of Cards.") So, I saw this movie in the theater at Carnation Mall in Alliance, Ohio. I loved it so much that I walked down the hall to Waldenbooks afterward and bought the novel on which the film is based. I loved that too! (Written by request for his daughters, William Goldman's original novel is even his own favorite. You'll get a taste of it from the film because he also wrote the screenplay.)
If you haven't seen The Princess Bride, it's a wonderful movie that is suitable for the whole family. It starts as a storybook fairytale being told to a sick grandson (Fred Savage). Poor farm boy Westley (Cary Elwes) loves Buttercup (Robin Wright) and leaves their home in Florin to seek his fortune so that they can be married. Soon after, though, Buttercup hears that Westley had been captured and killed by pirates. Five years later, Florin's Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) chooses Buttercup as his bride. But, before the wedding, she's kidnapped by a Sicilian (Wallace Shawn) and his helpers, who intend to start a war with neighboring country Guilder. I'd explain more of this adventure, but there is too much. The grandfather (Peter Falk) offers a good list of what's involved: "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!"
Directed by Rob Reiner, The Princess Bride has a fantastic cast, including not-yet-mentioned Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Mel Smith, Peter Cook, and Andre the Giant, with a great cameo by Billy Crystal and Carol Kane. Not just a fairytale adventure, it's also a perfect mix of satire, drama, and comedy with so many classic lines and memorable moments. It will never go out of style, and I'm sure that anyone at any age would find it heartwarming and entertaining.
In this book, Cary Elwes (who I still refer to as Westley) recounts his experience in making The Princess Bride with great detail and fondness. You get a sense of the fate and camaraderie that, after several other attempts over the years, finally brought this film to be in 1987. You'll read similar reflections from other cast and crew members, all of whom felt lucky to be involved – even though, worried about his performance, Wallace Shawn (Vizzini) assumed he'd be fired at any second. (Can you believe it? Inconceivable!) Speaking of casting, they considered Arnold Schwartzenegger to portray Fezzik. (Can you imagine?) Even more shocking, Sting was contacted about playing Prince Humperdinck! (What are the odds of this being a fun fact for me to discover?) Want to learn more, read this joyful tale about the making of a classic film based on a classic novel. You'll want to experience it all again.
A few weeks ago, I finished The Buried Giantby Kazuo Ishiguro, which I had picked up at a book signing event in March at the Sixth and I Synagogue. Before this, I had only read Mr. Ishiguro's first novel, The Remains of the Day, which was a big hit and turned into an equally fantastic movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. (See the movie; read the book!) He's written six other book, including another popular one called Never Let Me Go, which was also turned into a movie starring Keira Knightly. (I didn't read that one because the movie was disturbing enough for me.) I went to that movie not knowing about the book from which it came and left the theater amazed that the same guy who wrote The Remains of the Day wrote this completely different kind of story.
The Buried Giant is Mr. Ishiguro's first novel in 10 years and, again, I'm surprised by his range and imagination. The story takes place after the reign of King Arthur. The Saxons and the Britons are enemies, though not actively at war. Elderly couple Axl and Beatrice have muddled memories, but seem to recall having a son and decide to embark on a journey to his village, where they are pretty sure he is waiting for them. Along the way, they befriend a Saxon warrior named Wistan, an old knight of King Arthur's Court named Gawain, and a Saxon boy named Edwin, who is on the run after the people in his village turn against him, believing that he suffered an ogre bite and is therefore doomed to be possessed.
Snippets of the past are revealed as characters think they remember certain things. A mysterious mist – a spell drawn by Merlin to end the ravages of war – is causing the memory loss inflicted among them, and Wistan is charged with the task of slaying the dragon whose breath is the source. Along the way, Wistan becomes a father figure to Edwin, grooming him to become a warrior like himself. Meanwhile, Gawain finds Axl vaguely familiar, remembering him as a fellow fighter during the fog of war. These days, however, Axl and his wife Beatrice are determined to help Wistan on his mission because they think that restoring their memories will only strengthen their bond. Yet, both sense unclear bad memories and worry that recalling them in full when the mist subsides will be too much to bear.
During the book signing's interview, Mr. Ishiguro shared his curiosity about memory, which motivated the idea behind this book: "How can I move from writing about individual memory to memory of a society, or shared memories, as in a marriage? That's what I've been sort of wondering about for a long time." While waiting in line to get my book signed, I overheard someone who had already read it: "It's very good," she said. "It's very strange but very good." I agree! Some days, though, I couldn't get into reading this book because the setting and language felt too foreign. On other days, I was fully engaged for hours, curious about what would happen next.
The Buried Giant offers an exciting journey, but the best thing about it is the writing. As he did with The Remains of the Day (and I'm sure his other books), Mr. Ishiguro paints a convincing portrait of a time and place in which readers settle. He writes poetically, setting a measured pace and revealing plot twists and turns in unexpected ways. He focuses so much on relationships and emotions that the setting becomes timeless. With all of his book, he confirmed, "I'm trying to share emotions. I think there's something very valuable in people sharing emotions in music, books, and movies." What became most interesting to me while reading this story was seeing how the characters think, react to situations, and interact with each other. The setting of this book may be ancient and fantastical, but the characters are very real and universally familiar. I love how the mysteries of the past are revealed in this book to offer a full picture of who everyone is. While its ending is open to interpretation, The Buried Giant is a beautifully written, satisfying thinker. Read it and let's discuss! (If interested, visit The Library to find this and my other book reviews. A link to the new page is located in the menu bar below the Melissa's Kitties banner.)
I'd never heard of Ron Carter before I saw him at Bohemian Caverns a few years ago, but I could tell by just watching him walk up to the stage that this guy meant business. This guy was classy. Distinguished and statuesque in a suit with his upright bass, his Golden Striker band members, guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Mulgrew Miller, followed in similarly formal attire with matching ties and pocket squares. As soon as they started playing, we all knew we were in for a treat from master musicians.
Ron Carter often plays the bass with his eyes closed. It's no surprise how well he knows the instrument, being the most recorded bassist of all time. That's what makes his new biography, Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes by Dan Ouellette, so engaging. I picked up my copy last May, when I last saw Ron Carter at Bohemian Caverns. During that set, he plugged the book, recommending we buy it so that he doesn't have to carry them around anymore. When I got home, I added my autographed copy to the pile of Books To Read on my bedroom floor. I picked it up again one night soon after and was surprised how quickly I was hooked.
Aside from learning about this impressive musician, I loved how author Dan Ouellette wrote and organized his story. A regular contributor to DownBeat magazine, it makes sense that Mr. Ouellette would write this book with magazine-like style. It's chronological, of course, but is also broken down by project or career turn. The chapters are divided into topical section and include surprising elements, like Ron Carter interview excerpts and event transcripts or first-hand accounts from fellow musicians about working with the bassist. For this life story, so many sources and perspectives are mixed in with the subject's own. If you're unfamiliar with Ron Carter or jazz history, this book is a well researched, comprehensive resource on the man, his work, and the times in which he's played. This book will bring you up to speed.
You can't help but marvel at Ron Carter's dedication, work ethic, and expertise when it comes to his craft. At 78, it's estimated that he's worked on up to 4,000 recordings. (No one has a full discography, not even Ron Carter.) Including his own work as a band leader and solo artist, he's played with everyone from Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock to A Tribe Called Quest and Bette Midler. He's performed commercial jingles and film scores, all while raising a family, earning multiple music degrees, teaching countless students, and playing gigs around the world. While reading this book, I suddenly recognized more names on local jazz schedules because of their association with Ron Carter. He gets around. Right now, he's gearing up for a European tour.
More than anything, I admire Ron Carter's passion for his life's work, which is evident on every page of this book. Even though I know nothing about playing the bass, his authoritative insight on how to play and care for the instrument intrigued me because everything he does stems back to his love for the music. Although a teacher and mentor to so many other musicians, Ron Carter is still exploring, learning, and looking for the right notes.
Live jazz is best experienced in person, so catch Ron Carter the next time he's in your town. In the meantime, here's a taste of The Golden Striker Trio, playing a Russell Malone composition called "Cedar Tree."
P.S. If you are interested in reading more of my book reviews, visit The Library page. You can also find a link to this page in the menu bar below the Melissa's Kitties blog banner.
Thanks to my Monty-Python-viewing upbringing, John Cleese is one of my favorite comedians. (Thanks, Dad and PBS!) He can walk into a room and make me laugh without saying anything.
Scott Simon and John Cleese
It was thrilling to see John Cleese in person last November in a live interview event, organized by Smithsonian Associates and conducted by NPR's Scott Simon, in support of his new memoir, So Anyway.... As the Smithsonian representatives struggled with audio and visual issues before the start of the program, John Cleese and Scott Simon stood around watching them test microphones and move furniture. John Cleese quipped, "Why don't we make all the arrangements now, and then you [the audience] can come back tomorrow night." Then he muttered, "I left New York for this..." The biggest problem was that the clip-on microphones they planned to use didn't carry the speakers' voices: "Jokes don't work if people can't hear them," he observed. At one point he clipped the microphone to a nostril and excitedly asked us if this improved things. We were all disappointed that it didn't help.
The best part of this event was not a John Cleese gag, but a teenage girl who sat next to me and attentively studied John Cleese's every word through the whole interview. She arrived wearing a tie dye t-shirt, jeans, and UGGs, carrying a large Barnes and Noble bag full of books, a backpack, and a rubber chicken, which – for the entire length of the interview – she held up erectly at just as much attention as she was.
When she stood up to ask the last question of the night, I think John Cleese was as impressed as I was that such a young person was so interested in this 75-year-old British comedian. He motioned for her to come up to him to ask the question since he's a bit hard of hearing these days. She told him she was here courtesy of a kind lady she'd met in line who had a spare ticket. The woman's friend couldn't attend because she couldn't find a babysitter. John Cleese ended up borrowing the woman's cell phone to call her friend, who didn't pick up. He left her a message complaining about that. He asked to see the girl's rubber chicken and began to bite its head off while she told him its name and that she has five others at home. Eventually, she asked her question: Her #1 favorite comedy film is a tie between John Cleese's A Fish Called Wanda and Robin Williams's Mrs. Doubtfire, so she asked if he had any fond memories of Robin Williams that he could share. After a thoughtful response about Robin's apparent defense mechanisms, constant joking, and innate kindness, he gave her a long hug that we all envied. She came back to her seat in tears, having shared a monumental moment with one of her heroes. It was the best moment for all of us!
While I knew that So Anyway... was a memoir that leads up to the start of Monty Python's Flying Circus, it wasn't until I was more than 100 pages into it that I heard two more books were to follow that cover the rest of John Cleese's life. I lost some motivation, thinking that his next book – which will cover the Monty Python and Fawlty Towers years – is the better one to read. So Anyway... had peaks and valleys for me: learning about his upbringing and relationship with his parents was very intriguing to me, but I couldn't relate to his British school studies, professorship, and love for cricket. I got through some tediously described, over-analyzed sections by looking forward to what was coming in the next chapters. It seemed sudden, too, that he began writing and performing comedy. On one page, he was studying for law exams and, on the next, he had a new job at BBC developing skits for a local comedy show.
What I like about this book is that it's written very distinctly in John Cleese's voice. The audio version would be perfect because so much of John Cleese's comedy comes from his tone, inflections, and facial expressions. I tried to hear his voice in my head as I read this book, but that's hard to do for 375 pages. Videos of the sketches he discusses in this book would have had more impact on me too. I'd rather see a sketch for the first time than read through it with someone telling me how funny it is.
Until this magic electronic version of So Anyway... that I've developed in my head is released, fans will still enjoy this book. It occurred to me how useful it'd be to up-and-coming comedians who are trying to learn the history and business of comedy. John Cleese is very serious about comedy, as all good comedians are, and this book is instructional at times about how jokes work best and how to achieve the greatest audience response. It mentions many comic legends, such as Peter Sellers and Marty Feldman, and others who, despite their key contributions to comedy, were less well known and completely unfamiliar to me.
Monty Python in 1968: clockwise - John Cleese,
Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry
Gilliam, and Michael Palin
The formation of Monty Python doesn't occur until page 356. Before that happens, the best thing about this book for me is learning about John Cleese's relationship with Graham Chapman, whom he first met and worked with at Cambridge. It was interesting to see how the other Monty Python members trickled into their lives and came together with the idea for a new TV show – one that became essential, iconic, and synonymous for British comedy.
I love John Cleese, but there are some grumpy old man moments in this book that I don't really understand – his disdain for taking photos with fans and remark that we readers don't really care about him and are just waiting for a laugh and Monty Python trivia. (Is this sarcasm that's just not translating for me?) I wouldn't blame him for being sick of talking about Monty Python's parrot sketch and all the other classic jokes that made him famous, but it's kind of a downer to end the book saying that, while waiting to do a live sketch during the recent Monty Python reunion tour, he wondered, "How is it possible that I'm not feeling the slightest bit excited?"
But I am excited. I was going to include the Ministry of Silly Walks sketch to give you a taste of what we have to look forward to in John Cleese's next volume, but you all know him from that one, right? I got lost on YouTube watching all the old Monty Python skits and trying to pick one. It's difficult, so I encourage you to check out their YouTube channel for a healthy, consistent dose of laughter. Picked at random, here's a good one that he did with Graham Chapman:
I bought John Waters's latest book, Carsick, this summer while he was book touring and stopped in D.C. for a conversation with Washington Post reviewer Louis Bayard at the Sixth and I Synagogue. He wore fire engine red pants and a black jacket. (Sometimes, he's worth seeing just for his fashion sense.)
Carsick recounts his adventure hitchhiking from his home in Baltimore, Maryland, to his timeshare apartment in San Francisco, California. Before telling readers what really happened on his trip, he offers two novellas that imagine the best- and worst-case scenarios. Each chapter is new ride. Only John Waters, a 63-year-old cult film director, writer, actor, and performer – who can easily afford faster, safer ways to travel – would consider making this trip in real life. The rest of us conventional types wondered Louis Bayard's very first question: What were you thinking, hitchhiking on your own these days? Noting that his "criminal friends" were the ones who were most against his idea and that made him nervous, he responds, "It's dangerous. But so is driving, and so is staying home. That's very dangerous. Nothing will ever happen to you again in your life!"
John Waters always says interesting things like this, statements that make me think and see things differently. I've been a fan since seeing Hairspray in the '80s and, of course, since he cast Johnny Depp in 1990's Cry-Baby, happy to help steer his film career in the right direction. (You can find my Johnny Kitties tribute to that movie here.) I met him once before at a book signing for his previous (fantastic) book, Role Models. When I met him this time, I told him how much I liked that book and that I was excited to read this one. He thanked me twice for both compliments. He's nice too! Can I consider us friends now?
Carsick is an entertaining, funny, quick read. The novellas offer a glimpse into John Waters's warped, wonderful imagination and introduce readers to all those people the rest of us are afraid to approach. (I always learn new things from John Waters, who in his nonjudgmental way of life, flirts with the fringe of society.) In the best-case scenario, he receives $5 million to finance his next film, experiences magic from outer space, runs into a long-lost friend, meets one of his movie-star idols, and falls in love by the time he reaches San Francisco. On his worst rides, he encounters a drunk driver, torturers, kidnappers, overzealous fans, and death. The pleasant surprise of the real rides is that everyone who picks him up is content and kind.
I finished this book feeling good about the world and the people in it, though I agree with John Waters's personal assistant, who acknowledges how his recognizable face helped move him across the country. Upon his arrival in San Francisco, she said, "if it were my unknown ass, I'd still be [hitchhiking] in West Virginia waiting for a ride." So, you may decide against trying this kind of road trip yourself and, instead, read this book to imagine what would happen if you ever dared it. With John Waters as your guide (complete with a 30-song playlist provided on the last page), I think you're safe.
Buckle up,
P.S. For more of my book reviews, click the new Keep Reading tab below the banner on my blog. This page will be updated as new book reviews are posted.
A few weeks ago, I caught Cyndi Lauper on "Front and Center" on PBS. This hour-long concert (which you can watch here) celebrates the 30th anniversary of her debut album, She's So Unusual, which she performs from start to finish. And there I was, in the middle of the night, remembering all the lyrics, singing and dancing along like no time had passed.
The last time I saw her in concert was with my dad and sister in Boston Common when she was touring in support of this album. It was my first concert ever. The two things that I remember from it are 1) Cyndi belting out "Money Changes Everything" while fearlessly climbing high above the stage on sound equipment and running along back-wall scaffolding, and 2) the photos I took of her from atop my dad's shoulders, above a sea of bouncing fans. The only thing visible in those photos was the shock of Cyndi's orange hair, a fiery dot from our distance.
I've lost track of her music over the years, but the same Cyndi-infused delight resurfaces in me whenever she shows up. Were you as excited as I was about her recurring role on "Mad About You" in the '90s? Did you catch her surprise appearance on "The Voice" a few years ago? Didn't the Tonys telecast become instantly cooler with Cyndi there in support of Kinky Boots? I guess I shouldn't have been surprised this year when my mom described an outfit I had just received for my birthday as "very Cyndi Lauper" and that the next gift I opened was her recent memoir. (Thanks, Dad!)
Cyndi Lauper's memoir is a quick read, maybe because I read it every day since opening the cover. During the first half of the book, I was shocked to learn about this young girl in Queens, who grew up poor in an unstable family situation, struggled in school and with various jobs, and had to run away from home for her own safety. She suffered from illnesses and depression while fighting off hunger and barely paying rent. I stopped reading every once in a while to inspect the front cover: This is Cyndi Lauper – amazing singer, songwriter, and performer, Grammy and Tony winner, and all-around cool, confident artist – right?
What kept Cyndi going were her singular vision of the artist she wanted to become and her deep connection to music and singing. Just as I felt while watching her climb far above the concert stage all those years ago, reading her story, I was taken aback by her fearless drive to move forward in life to reach her creative goals and her matter-of-fact acceptance of whatever hurdles are thrown in her path.
The second half of the book caught me up on the music I've missed since Cyndi's second album, True Colors. The number and variety – from rock and dance to jazz and blues – are surprising. Cyndi's still doing whatever she can to grow as an artist and offer something new. She lets you into her unique, all-encompassing creative process; the look, sound, and feel of everything she does has artful meaning behind it. She talks honestly about her shortcomings and struggles to grow and be heard in a male-dominated, sales-driven industry. She offers empowering advice about how to lead your life as you want it and inspires with every triumph, including her work, her sense of humor in the face of darkness, and her dedicated efforts toward equal rights for women and the gay community. Throw some wrestlers and drag queens in there, and you've got an entertaining story about the unpredictable, rewarding life of a special lady.
My favorite thing about this book is Cyndi's one-of-a-kind voice and approach. It's as if she is sitting next to you, personally telling her story. As if we were catching up like old girlfriends, she ends some anecdotes with "(Can you believe it?)" or "C'est la vie... (That's French for 'whatever!')" Taking her time when working on an album is for the best, she explains, "I mean, I could have done it really quick, but what was I going to put out – some piece of poop? (You feeling the alliteration?)" And, though she puts herself down for having no filter when speaking her mind and doing things her own way, she takes it in stride, always with her eye on improving: "I'm learning more and more how to do this without ruffling feathers, but I must confess that I don't know how to do it as well as I'd like to. I've plucked a few chickens in my time. I have never been a delicate flower. Hopefully I am getting better. Or, as Yoda would say, 'Better I'm getting.'"
Can you hear her? While reading this book, your internal voice will absorb Cyndi's infectious enthusiasm and boldness and develop a heavy Queens accent. What else can a fan ask for? This memoir is "very Cyndi Lauper." Awesome she is.
Set in Florida in the early 1900s, Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God shares Janie Crawford's story so far – from her starry-eyed teenage years to wiser womanhood. Through years of ups and downs, she marries a few times, finds love, survives a hurricane, and is tried for murder. She needs a therapist, in my opinion, but just telling her story to her close friend Phoebe is more her style.
Janie is an amazing character who is always growing and striving for what she wants in life, an admirable heroine in whatever circumstance that is thrown at her. I found myself sad and angry whenever bad things happened to her, but with these experiences behind her, she gains earned confidence in her own independence.
I liked this book (and love the cover image), but I admired the writing more than the story. What sets this book apart from others is its authenticity. What I thought would be a quick, easy read felt more like Shakespeare at times. The narration is poetic, sparking imagery that perfectly captures Janie's state of mind. The dialogue is written phonetically to match the African-American characters' dialect, reminding the reader of the reality of Janie's place and time. Like Shakespeare, you get used to the vernacular and appreciate the writer's impressive accomplishment.
This story isn't a particularly happy one, but it's real and timeless. You experience Janie's emotional growth – fearlessness and fear, desire and courage, love and loss, acceptance and wisdom – and you feel richer having gone through it all with her.
It's been hard for me to get into another book since finishing Quiet. Spring weather has snapped me out of the winter doldrums and set my brain on overdrive. Unable to sit still to read for any length of time lately, I picked up Humans of New York by Brian Stanton, a book of photographs that my friend Anastasia gave me for Christmas.
This beautiful book celebrates Mr. Stanton's fantastic and hugely popular blog of the same name. For years, he's been exploring one of the world's greatest cities and taking amazing portraits, catching moments in the everyday lives of New Yorkers. This book reminds me of the unparalleled diversity you'll find in New York, which is home to people of all ages, nationalities, and personalities. While other cities may share similarities, you see things on the streets of New York that you won't find anywhere else. Better yet, native New Yorkers typically pay the unusual no mind; after a quick glance and shrug, they just go on their way.
Luckily, Mr. Stanton is on the job with his keen eye, sharing what he finds with the rest of us. He brilliantly captures the energy of the city through the eyes of its inhabitants. Each photo is typically paired with a short caption about his encounter – a sliver of a story that effortlessly prompts the viewer to imagine the life beyond the image. Who needs fashion models when the people next door are so ordinarily beautiful and intriguing? From a book that took me only a couple of hours to flip through, I heard hundreds of emotional tales from all walks of life.
This book celebrates human connection and the variety that life has to offer with all its wonderful eccentricities. Pick up Humans of New York to be inspired with every turn of the page. You may never look at passersby the same way again.
When I was home for Thanksgiving, I found Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain on the bedside table of my sister's room, where I was sleeping. She gave the book to my dad last Father's Day. Scanning the Table of Contents, I chose to start with middle chapters, "When Should You Act More Extroverted Than You Really Are?" and "The Communication Gap: How to Talk to Members of the Opposite Type." That's the advice I needed. Over the weekend, Dad noticed that I was reading his book and lent it to me to read cover to cover. Here I am nearly 6 months later....
This book isn't long; I'd planned to read its 11 chapters in 11 days. But, at one point, after reading how extroverts are taking over the world these days, a bunch of childhood (and recent) memories popped up of teachers, students, and coworkers telling me to "come out of your shell" and "speak up" or even joking within earshot that I "never talk" because maybe I was abused as a child. I put the book down and got distracted by more pleasant things for months before continuing.
Whenever I picked this book up to read a bit more, though, I loved it! Susan Cain, an introvert herself, shares the journey of fighting the bad wrap that introverts get. "There's a bias against introverts," she says. "Our schools, workplaces, and religious institutions are designed for extroverts, and many introverts believe that there is something wrong with them and that they should try to 'pass' as extroverts. This bias leads to a colossal waste of talent, energy and, ultimately, happiness." Exhaustively researched and wonderfully written, Quiet explains the origins of introversion and extroversion, how extroversion became the American ideal, and how introverts can cope with the change and continue to flourish.
The great thing about this engaging book is that it doesn't try to dictate that one personality trait is better than the other. Instead, the author demonstrates how both are necessary and should coexist and collaborate to be most effective. Both introverts and extroverts can learn a lot from Quiet about how to communicate better with each other. Also, this book provides so many examples of successful introverts and how they handle common situations that fellow introverts will finish reading it feeling satisfied, validated, and–above all–not so alone.
Everyone should read Quiet. Maybe, then, extroverts and introverts will come to a mutual understanding that having a variety of approaches to social, work, and other situations is a good thing. This book can start that conversation so we can learn to appreciate and complement each other. If that happened, I think the world could be a more peaceful place. No pressure, but read this book. It's good!
My friend lent me She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb's debut novel, months ago when we planned to see the author at a book-signing event for his latest effort. Of all his books, this one is her favorite, and she's read it several times. Years ago, my sister and dad also read and recommended this book to me. Even Oprah endorsed it. (Since Oprah has spoken, maybe this review isn't necessary, as I may be one of the last people to read this book.)
When I started reading She's Come Undone, my dad warned me to block off chunks of time because I won't want to put it down. I'm passing that advice on to you in case you don't belong to Oprah's Book Club and haven't yet read it. Although my friend and I never made it to Wally Lamb's book-signing event, I finished She's Come Undone just before Thanksgiving - after a few hermit-like days and very late nights.
To refresh my sister's memory of the plot of this story a few weeks ago, I said something like this: "It's about this girl whose parents split up when she's a kid, and then she gets raped by a neighbor when she's 13, and her mother's got her own problems and goes in and out of mental hospitals. So she gets depressed and eats and eats and eats and gains all this weight, and--" Before I finished my laundry list of drama, my sister sarcastically responded, "That sounds....great."
But it is! Yes, the main character Dolores Price suffers hardship that no one deserves and builds a concrete defensive wall because of it, but she defiantly makes it through to the other side, never losing her biting sense of humor. Now at peace with her past, she recalls the events of her life - parental divorce, sexual assault, bullying, secrets, lies, deaths, and rebirths - with a clarity that places you right there next to her.
Dolores's story spans nearly four decades, starting in the 1950s, as she grows from grade school to adulthood. You stick with her though her darkest times, put up with her understandable cynicism, and witness her rewarding resilience. Wally Lamb amazing storytelling captures the times with precision, from the introduction of television in the '50s to the AIDS epidemic in the '80s. He introduces a cast of unforgettable characters that are at the same time unique and recognizable no matter your background. His vivid writing places you in the moment - through the voice of a young girl who grows into a womanhood. Through Dolores's eyes, you visualize these realistic portrayals and feel their experiences: the tension of the shouting matches with her mother, the uncertainty of her grandmother on how to handle the two younger generations sharing her home, the sliminess of the neighbor who steals her innocence, the meanness of the cliquey college girls behind their sweet smiles, the convoluted complications of her relationships, and the genuine care of the mentors and therapists searching for ways to help her rise above it all.
The way she succeeds reminds me of Conrad in one of my favorite movies, Ordinary People (though I never read that book). In it, Conrad (Timothy Hutton) suffers similarly through trauma but eventually makes it through those experiences and learns how to accept himself. Rather than wallow in the sadness of these kinds of stories, I feel relieved and happy when the protagonists find ways to move their lives forward with a positive outlook. The same happened as I read Dolores's story: I was thrilled when she let her fears and deceptions fall away, having finally realized the worth, goodness, and strength she'd always possessed.
Like Ordinary People, She's Come Undone has a very satisfying ending that makes the hard journey to get there well worth taking. Just clear your schedules before you start.
As you might know, I've been practicing vinyasa yoga for years at Tranquil Space. I may always be a beginner- to mid-level yoga student, but the benefits of practice are immense. Aside from improving physical strength, flexibility, and balance, yoga permits me to indulge amid a busy schedule. I stop thinking about the stressors of my day – what's happened so far and what's left on my to-do list. Yoga invites a calm focus on only the present moment. By the end of class, no matter how difficult, I typically feel refreshed and energized.
If I made the effort, meditation could be a worthwhile extension of my yoga practice. Years ago, I tried meditation once and hated it. I couldn't sit still or stop thinking about what else I could be doing. I expected instantaneous enlightenment but felt no different. I thought I was wasting my time. Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana made me feel better about that experience because, apparently, I hit all the common reactions of a beginning meditator. Now, I have a great manual that can help me with my second attempt at meditation.
Mindfulness in Plain English defines meditation, and serves as a how-to guide to the practice of vipassana-style meditation in particular. Vipassana means "insight" and focuses on awareness of what's happening as it happens. The advice and tools offered in this book should be useful for improving my meditation practice and dealing with the problems and distractions that hinder it. Now, I just have to get back to mediation class and try again.
My dad, who doesn't practice yoga or meditation, read Mindfulness in Plain English and bought copies of it for my sister and me. I can guess why he liked it so much: its title is true. This book explains mindfulness, a crucial ingredient for meditation, in plain English. Some people consider yoga and meditation too New Agey and spiritual, but this book brings everything down to Earth. Even if you don't participate in either practice, this book is a quick read that delivers common sense ideas everyone can relate to and use:
Be nice to people and they'll be nice back.
When engaging with another person, think about what it might be like to be in his or her shoes before reacting.
Remember that staying angry about anything is unhealthy.
Practice loving friendliness; it is always the better alternative.
These ideas sound simple, but practicing them in real life can be difficult. How are you supposed to be nice to a person who just insulted you? Why would you want to be friendly to one of your enemies? This book will show you that new perspective without sounding preachy or mystic.
Like yoga, meditation and mindfulness are lifelong practices, and Mindfulness in Plain English serves as a reminder to try it and keep at it. It will not be easy and may take years to achieve but, like yoga, the benefits are immense. Are you still skeptical? Whether you attempt vipassana-style meditation as recommended in these pages, this little book has big ideas that could make you a happier, better person. Isn't that what everyone wants?
