The Kindness of Color

Bob's selection is a sweet memoir by a Japanese woman and her Hispanic friend. Their lives were intertwined by a shared family farm in Westminster. Each woman endured the racism of their time, one through internment and the other from school segregation. Both overcame their challenges with the aid of their families and friends. There are many stories of random acts of kindness that are emphasized by a hand with a plant and "kindness is..." The reader leans about the Japanese internment, and the inmates calm and stoic coping with the injustice. You also learn of the desegregation of the Orange County schools for Hispanic children 7 years before the federal desegregation laws were enacted. It is a lovely book about normal people making a difference through acts of kindness. Very Zen.

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir's latest Sci-Fi adventure is an imaginary Earth saving tale with science lessons. We learn about interstellar space travel, rocket ships, robots, nutrition, comma induced sleep, gravity, EVA suits, and Tau Ceti. We also learn about Astrophage, Eridians, xenonite, and Tauomeoba. Dr. Grace is an unwilling high school science teacher who saves Earth (with help from the Beetles) and his friend Rocky, who saves his own planet Erid. Between his scientific knowledge and problem solving, and Rocky's superior engineering knowhow, they somehow accomplish the impossible. 

The book is long, but a page turner. I thought there was a little too much time dedicated to the prep time on earth and the reluctance of the hero to sacrifice himself for the mission. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the ending despite the improbability. Overall, an enjoyable read.

The Ice Master

The "Ice Master" is a lengthy tale of the doomed voyage of the Karluk. The title refers to the hero of the book, Bartlett, and his quest to save the members of his crew. The villain of the story is famous anthropologist, Stefansson, who organized the ill-equipped fiasco and then abandoned ship to continue his exploration. But mostly, it is the story of the 22 men, 1 woman, and two children who stayed and who came back and who did not. The main story tellers are Mamen, the diary of the dead man, and McKinlay, who lived to an old age to tell the tale. Like the book "Animal Farm", many of the men were either lazy or rotten, especially when their leader went off for help. It is very unlikely they would have made it without the help of the native Alaskans. The 13-month ordeal on the sinking ship, the ice flow, and on Wrangel Island was horrendous and hard to fathom. 

Coming Up Short

Robert Reich's memoir is a long book from a man that has experienced a long and impactful life. In the vein of "Ours was Brighter Future", Reich tells personal stories of what happened and what could have been regarding politics in America. With titles like my date with Hillory and I inhaled with Bill, he tells of his personal relations with the Clintons, W, Bernie, Biden, Trump and other individuals his age. Though his eyes, the reader sees how Wall Street has moved into the U.S. administrations, including those of Clintons and Obama. The hiring of Goldman Sachs CEO's and the loosening of the banking regulations paved the way to greater inequality and a financial collapse. You relive the Bush Gore election and the influence of Fox and the Supreme Court. You feel his frustration from working in the Clinton administration as the Secretary of Labor and his faith in the future from his 40+ years as a university professor. Reich is a champion for the working class and challenges the gross inequalities in America today. The title "Coming up Short" is appropriate for what he feels his generation has left for the future generations to fix. The final section is titled "The Long Game" and he provides his ideas for a road forward.

The Great Gatsby

 ...or the Great American Novel.

Why is The Great Gatsby considered a classic American novel? Is it for the depressing plot and unlikeable characters? Is it for the wordy and flowery language? Who is your favorite character? Gatsby, Nick, Daisy, Jordan, Myrtle, or any of the old or new rich party goers? The narrator, Nick Carraway is likeable enough but is drawn to the flawed Gatsby and Jordan Davies. I tended to root for the tragic Jay Gatsby, or westerner Jason Gatz, in spite of his hopeless obsession with Daisy.

AI says, "The Great Gatsby is considered the Great American Novel because it encapsulates the essence of the United States by examining the American Dream, capturing the spirit of the Jazz Age, reflecting on the social materialism and moral decadence, and embodying key themes like self-invention and the pursuit of happiness through a perfectly crafted and stylistically masterful American prose." 

Or, as my big sister used to say to me on occasion, "Phew, you are full of words."

Age of Diagnosis

 "How our Obsession with Medical Labels is Making us Sicker"

Dr. O'Sullivan's book addresses the overdiagnosis of Huntington's disease, Lyme disease, long Covid, Autism, Cancer, ADHD, Depression, and many other lessor known illnesses. She points out that we live in an age of increased medical labeling of "abnormal" symptoms as the result of increased testing, patient demand, and willing doctors.

She made me think about how I feel about...psychosomatic illnesses, Cancer treatments, long-term Covid, Genetic testing, and Genetic screening. Are doctors over-testing, over-diagnosing, over-medicating, and over-treating Americans? I am a strong supporter of vaccines, I support genetic screening for the unborn, I believe in my Cancer doctors, and I don't trust RFK Jr. Nonetheless, she gives me school for thought.

Night Shade

Night Shade is the latest book by Michael Connelly about an LA County Sherrif detective in Avalon. Sergent Stillwell had recently been demoted from the LA homicide department for being a loose cannon and exiled to a supposedly sleepy Catalina Island. The story involves a mysterious death of a young woman that worked at the Tuna, or "Black Marlin", Club. The author references many Avalon and Catalina landmarks including Maggie's, the Casino, Harbor Master's office, The Sand Trap, Zane Grey Hotel, Buffalo Nickle, and Pebbly Beach. He captures some of the uniquely peculiar nature of Avalon, verses "overtown", and the challenges of a maintaining order and peace in a small town. I could not help to notice a few mistakes like there being a hardware store on Marilla, that you can drive completely around the Casino, or that there is coral on Catalina Island. Nonetheless, it is a fun, active adventure, who-done-it caper that could be the start of another Connelly series like the Lincoln Lawyer and Bosch. 

Abundance

Abundance is a book co-authored by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. It is a challenge to democracies to establish a new social order to accelerate technological advancement. They make the case that the major advancements of mankind have slowed by comparing the 1890's to the 1920's, to the 1990's to the 2020's. They are critical of the over regulating and NIMBY policies of the left as well as the overall disregard of advancements for the sake of profit by the right. I came away thinking the book is optimistic, with a faith in technology, and an alignment of collective genius.

"It is the promise of not just more, but more of what matters. It is a commitment to the endless work of institutional renewal. It is a recognition that technology is at the heart of progress and always has been. It is a determination to align our collective genius with the needs of both the planet and each other. Abundance is liberalism, yes. But more than that, it is liberalism that builds."

Who is Government?

Michael Lewis' latest book is a tribute to some outstanding civil servants at a time when they are underappreciated and under attack. He praises a coal mine safety expert in the Department of Labor, the man in charge of the national cemeteries, the group at JPL, the group in charge with calculating the CPI in the DOL, a cyber sleuth in the IRS, the woman in charge accessibility of the National Archives, his young goddaughter in the anti-trust department, and the woman in charge of gathering data on rare deadly diseases. Each the individuals and groups are apolitical and dedicated to noble, worthwhile causes that should be honored and not scorned. 

Some of my take-aways..."The United States is an Enlightenment project based on supremacy of reason; on the idea that things can be empirically tested; that there are self-evident truths; that liberty, progress, and constitutional government walk arm in arm and together form the recipe for the ideal state. Statistics-numbers created by the state to help understand itself and ultimately to govern itself-are not some side effects of that project but a central part of what government is and does." Biden is a rare case where a sitting President lost an election with a "misery index" (inflation plus unemployment rate) below 10 (7.2). Somehow the good news and reason did not translate. Interestingly, only7 percent of the current federal workforce under the age of 30.

There is no epilogue in the book, and you are left wondering what will become of each of them and their departments under the current administration. For that matter, what will become of our current social order and the vast number of essential governmental services? Lewis does wander off a bit into sports, detailed minutia, and his goddaughter. Nonetheless, he does effectively honor several important and unsung civil servants.

This Tender Land

William Kent Krueger's latest book is a story of four vagabonds on a quest for four separate goals. The narrator, Odie, is a 13-year-old searching for his home. His older brother is searching for his purpose, the Native American is searching for his roots, and the young girl is a visionary. They odyssey starts as an escape from the evil Indian retraining school by way of a canoe and continues down river. They meet up with a cast of characters through a depressed 1933 America in their journey towards their individual goals. It is a coming-of-age story in a troubling time, similar to Huckelberry Finn and Ordinary Grace. Overall, a very good read.

Revenge of the Tipping Point

Malcom Gladwell's latest book is basically a focus on tipping points for negative events. The "overstories" center on "superspreaders" that have feed epidemics in disease, crime, greed, racism, and addiction. Sometimes it takes 25% to be heard, 35% to make a change, or a very small percentage to do tremendous harm. Gladwell gets the reader into the minds of the bank robbers, Medicare fraudsters, anti-vaxxers, and suicide victims, and how their environments affect their behavior. He explains how we can identify these negative actors, sometimes unknowing, and minimize the damage.

A Fever in the Heartland

Dr. Jones' selection is disturbing, horrific, depressing, and yet informative and insightful. Once again, we are rightfully reminded of the ingrained white supremacy in our country, particularly in the Heartland. The book follows the rapid rise and fall of a sociopath in Indiana in the heyday of the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan claimed nearly 6 million members at its peak in 1925. The Grand Dragon of Indiana lead nearly 400,000 members, including the Governor, Mayor of Indianapolis, and many other political and legal appointees..."I am the law". The story ends somewhat upbeat, as the Grand Dragon is brought to justice by a dying declaration from the victim of a gruesome crime. Nonetheless, I was left saddened by the book and the realization of what can happen in a country with so much hate in the hands of a sociopath. When DC Stevenson was asked if he had been serious about running for President he said, "The form of government might have changed. You might have had a dictator."

Tom Lake

Ann Patchett's book is a coming of age, mother daughters, love, friendship, end of life, and simply a lifetime story told by a 57-year-old heroin. Laura tells her three grown daughters about her brief acting career and her short love affair with a famous actor, Duke. Most of her telling revolves around a summer at Tom Lake in her formative 24th year; where she takes on the character of Emily in "Our Town" and tries to hold on to her youth. It is a summer of passion, creativity, friendship, and betrayal. Although she has no regrets in her marriage to Joe, her three children, and her life on the cherry farm, she still has her memories of her brief life in the limelight and retains a few of her secrets.

Free and Equal

"Imagine: You are designing a society, but you don't know who you'll be within it—rich or poor, man or woman, gay or straight. What would you want that society to look like?"

This academically challenging read by Daniel Chandler applies the 20^th Century political philosophy of John Rawles to our current state of affairs. The first half explains the essential components of the Rawles liberal philosophy, not to be confused with a neo-liberal nor socialism. You will be introduced to the difference principal, equality of opportunity, the just savings principal, shared prosperity, and more. In the second part Chandler tackles issues such as free elections, progressive taxes, universal basic income, public schools, civics, climate change, fake news, money in politics, personal property, and a fair economy each with liberal solutions. 

The aftermath addresses current world trends and the ongoing struggle between popularist autocrats and pluralist democratic leaders. "A Rawlsian politics, then, would be principled, pragmatic, pluralist, unifying and hopeful." To achieve this, progressives "must also adopt a policy program that would tackle inequality and create a truly inclusive society."

When you are finished with the book, ask yourself if you are a true liberal.

Autocracy, Inc.

Applebaum's latest book is a brief description of the network of kleptocracies currently impacting the world. The liberal world order of free democratically elected countries is threatened by the block of authoritative autocracies. These autocracies include the likes of Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, North Korea, Egypt, Malasia, and Saudi Arabia. Each of them spread misinformation and sometimes even military support to try to undermine democracies around the world. Resisters to the autocrats are threatened, beaten, imprisoned, and sometimes killed. Their names and even their ideas are smeared and labeled as treason. The kleptocrats and their loyal supporters keep all the spoils with the aid of financially motivated enablers around the world. Applebaum ends the depressing book by calling for the democracies around the world to unite against the dictators through supporting the resistors, combating the misinformation, and stopping the enablers within.

Table for Two

Towles latest book is a collection of six short stories in New York and one novella in Los Angeles, all set in the 1930's. The six short NY stories each have cleaver plots and interesting twists. They include a capitalist communist, an unwitting forger, a likable drunk, a roller-skating breakup, an SOB ticket snob, and a battle over pieces of art. The LA detective story has a young heroin, a retired detective, and both real and made-up characters. For those of us who love LA, the story includes real places like the Beverly Hills Hotel, Hearst's Beverly Hill Hacienda, and various eateries. The real characters include the recently departed Olivia de Havilland (2020 at 104). Towles is a great storyteller, and I like the way he describes the strength and resourcefulness of Eve, the innocence and virtue of Liv, the evil of the villains, and the stable dependability of the detective. The other members of our group pointed out that Eve was in our previous Towles book, Rules of Civility, and got her scar from the auto accident in NY.

Made in America

Bryson's 1994 book is a wordy (in many ways) etymological history of America. The book is filled with his unique storytelling. He covers a wide range of topics including immigration, sports and games, sex and censorship, transportation, entertainment, business and consumption, and politics. He finishes the book with a discussion of offensive language and political correctness. I like the way he challenges America's tendency to white-wash our history and overestimate our exceptionalism. The nuggets of unusual information are fun. The reader comes away with knowledge of Pilgrims/Plymouth Rock, Bridegrooms/Dodgers, Woolworth's, Piggy Wiggly, Sears, Kodak, Kellogg, Hershey, Malls, "jumbo", Caesar salad, Conestoga wagon, Arroyo Seco freeway, Comstock Act, and many more tidbits. The book contains random historical quotes such as "I know it when I see it", that pitcher threw a "Linda Ronstadt", and a 1993 L&M cigarettes ad "Just what the doctor ordered." I have to admit I needed to hustle to finish in time and in the words of my late sister, "Whew, you are full of words."

Kingdom on Fire

Scott Howard-Cooper's retelling of the UCLA Wooden years is a steady stream of consciousness with a plethora of sports and unrelated trivia. For me, too much of the book focuses on the underbelly of college sports boosters (i.e. Sam Gilbert) and a few disgruntled players. Nonetheless, it did little to take away from my loyal fandom of UCLA and my idolization of Johnny Wooden. 

I love coach Wooden's pyramid of success and his many great sayings and lessons. Good or bad, I live my live by "Be quick, but never hurry". I respected his modesty, discipline, intensity, and fair play. He won with small, medium, and tall players. He won consistently when basketball was more of a team sport with little or no dunks and no "cross-over" dribble or "euro-step". It takes more than great players to win 10 out of 12 NCAA championships and 88 games in a row.

The book was a series of flashbacks for me, from Gail Goodrich and Keith Erickson years, the Alcindor years, Wicks and Roe, and the Walton years. The lost weekend chapter was particularly long and a brutal reminder of triple overtime loss to North Carolina State. Liz and I drank entirely too much with her college roommates in Del Mar suffering through the loss. Funny how sports can have that effect.

James

"And who are you?" "I am James." "James what?" "Just James."

Percival Everett's book is mostly a captivating retelling of the "The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn" told from the perspective of the slave, Jim. In parts 2 and 3, the author adds more to Jim's tale and the struggles of an American slave at the time of the Civil War. It is a brutal story that points to the evil of the oppressive white people and even the acceptance of some of the slaves themselves. It leaves you with an understanding of how wrong slavery is, even in the best of situations. The book has a triumphant ending for both Jim/James and Huck, however humans continue to be subject to servitude and discrimination. 

Liz and I did listen to Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckelberry Finn" in our drive up and back to Hendy Woods. The book was a slog with too many N works, "by and by", and other flowery language. Still an interesting piece of American history and the acceptance of the evil of slavery. 

Bad City

Dave's selection is an interesting one coming from a USC educated Pasadena doctor that had his residency at USC's county hospital. The LA Times journalist, Paul Pringle, fearlessly takes on USC, the Pasadena Pollice Department, and his own newspaper the LA Times in his reporting on three separate scandals. Much of the book revolves around the first scandal involving the head of the USC Medical School, Dr. Carmen Puliafito. The story took years to publish due to special privilege and cover-up, with little justice ultimately served. The author focuses on the damage afflicted upon young victims, particularly Sarah Warren. The second scandal involved a USC student health gynecologist that abused young women for 30 years before being exposed. The third involved the massive college admissions bribery scandal involving wealthy clients, Singer, and USC as the prime college target. All three scandals happened under the watch of the powerful USC President, Max Nikias, who ultimately steps down with a golden parachute. 

The book is a triumph of hard-nosed journalism and the underdog over corruption, wealthy privilege, and bureaucracy. I remember hearing about two of the scandals, but not the first. There is limited justice served, but the privilege still get-off lightly, despite the best efforts of individuals willing to risk it all to do the right thing.