Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Recently with all the press that India has been receiving because of vicious assaults on women, I've been interested in learning more about the country. I recently saw a documentary on Netflix about the dichotomy between a forward-moving India and the India that still holds on to the beliefs of the past, as it relates to women.  If you're interested seeing it, it's called The World Before Her. But this is a blog about books. I put this book on my list of non-fiction for this year, because I've heard really good things about it and I have a genuine interest in reading more about India. 

 

I may take this for granted, but I think most people know there is a substantial amount of poverty in India, even as it rises as a global power. Regarding Mumbai, the city on which the author focuses, the statistics are there to back that up. I've also heard this from multiple friends who have family there or who have traveled there. Even as it Mumbai advances, there are still millions living in poverty there.

In this book, the author follows a handful of people in one slum in Mumbai. Her main focus is this underlying question: Is it even possible to break the cycle of poverty under these conditions?  She goes deep into how corruption is the name of the game. At the heart of the story is one family who falls apart at the seams because a neighbor blames them for her self-inflicted misfortune. The justice system is a joke. The education system is tragically broken. The living conditions are not even fit for wild animals.

I enjoyed the book because it actually reads like a novel and the writing style is light for such a multi-layered topic. It's the first non-fiction book I've read this year that felt easy even though it was tackling some very difficult themes.

In the end we are left with more questions than solutions, but I think a good book is supposed to challenge you to think differently about the world in which you live. There is no happy ending, and not everyone makes it to the end of the book alive. It was disheartening to read about these broken lives, and even more disheartening to realize that the solutions are not forthcoming. It is worth a read for a candid look at the underbelly of one of worlds fastest growing cities. 

Half of a Yellow Sun

It was time for me to revisit one of my favorite authors, Chimamanda Adichie. I'm waiting for the library to deliver my next book for the little web class I'm taking so in the interim I picked up an older Adichie book. I read her most recent book in July, and if you read my post about it then you already know I have a mild obsession. I actually thought I read Half of a Yellow Sun before, but I didn't.  I think I bought it in the past, but I may have loaned it out prior to reading or lost it in a move or donated it. Either way, I read it now and yes I enjoyed it immensely.

When I was reading this book, I was so vividly transported to Nigeria that the reading environment around me (coffee shop, my apartment, the park) would dissipate. I would look up and blink a few times and remind myself I was not currently in Nigeria or Biafra. The book also permeated my non-reading life in odd ways. For example, I made a stew the other day. While I was making it, I cut the meat for it into very small bits because I wanted to make sure there was meat in every bite.  In the book there is a lot of discussion about whether or not people have meat in their soups because there is a war going on and subsequent food rationing. Here I was cutting up meat for a stew thinking "I am glad I have meat in my soup".  That is a testament to the power of good writing. Adichie does this for me in all her writing.  She has a way of pulling you into the story and the story into your life.

The book is beautifully written. The story follows five main characters, Olanna and Kainene (sisters), Odenigbo and Richard (their significant others), and Ugwu (the houseboy) as they start off in a united Nigeria and are thrown into the Biafran war in the late 1960s.  It has all the expected drama of war; bombs, deaths, evacuations, displaced family, famine, starvation, and so on.  However, the personal experiences of each character and how they respond to their rapidly changing environment is the real story. I admit my knowledge of African civil/ethnic wars is abysmal. After reading this story, I did more research into Nigerian history and the Biafran war.  It made me appreciate the story so much more.  I am truly a fan of Adichie's work and I expect I will be a lifelong one.  If I taught a literature class I would make this required reading.  I highly recommend it.

Of note: I get very uneasy with the subject of rape and sexual exploitation and there are several descriptions of it in the book as a weapon of war. This was not unexpected, but I always like to give people a heads-up about it if you have uneasiness like me.  However, there are tender love scenes between the couples as well so the contrasting effect is helpful. 

Some of My Best Friends are Black

When I went to the author talk featuring Baratunde Thurston he mentioned that one of the best books he'd read recently on the subject of race was Some of My Best Friends are Black by Tanner Colby.  You know me.  I picked it up at the library and started reading.

I didn't dislike the book.  However, I didn't love it.  Some of the sections went on much longer than I cared for the topic.  I would be interested for a chapter or two and then I'd be disappointed when the next chapter was still about the same thing.  A lot of it was predictable because he would say something like "guess what happened when black people tried to get mortgages...they were denied!" I'd read something like that and sarcastically think, "Wow, I never saw that one coming."

Since the book is supposed to discuss how and why integration essentially failed in America, I think I was expecting a more generalized history and examination.  I am fascinated by the topic and often wonder what would have happened if, instead of integration, black America got the appropriate resources to be self sufficient.  Instead of taking a look at that, the book is divided into four sections and each section focuses on a subject (education, housing, advertising, and religion). Each section further narrows the examination by geographic area.  He focuses on one neighborhood for each subject (Vestavia Hills, Kansas City, New York, and Grand Coteau respectively).  I know integration is a very broad topic to tackle, and the author recognizes this in the preface of the book as well, but I think I was expecting something different than what I got.   As I was reading, I felt like the book was too narrow. There were some interesting facts sprinkled along the way that kept me reading, but I can't honestly say there was an overarching point to drive home or that the book was exceptionally memorable.

I submit that the best book on race that I recently read is The Warmth of Other Suns because that book managed to touch on a lot of the same topics in a more dynamic and broad way. If you have to choose between the two, go for The Warmth of Other Suns.

How To Be Black

I have walked by this book probably about five times in the library over the past few weeks.  I never looked at the cover or inside jacket.  I only saw the spine and thought “After The Warmth of Other Suns, I don’t think I’m ready for another deep book”.  I really thought it was a historically researched book.  Yes, I judged a book by its cover (well, spine).  Anyway, I then saw that the author will be here in a few weeks for the Philadelphia Book Festival.  I finally took the time to read the blurb about the book.  Once I found out it was supposed to be funny, I was all over it and picked it up from the library the next day.  I got sucked in by the comedic veracity and finished the book in less than 24hours.

I laughed until I had tears in my eyes while reading some portions of this book.  The title says it all.  This book will give you pointers, tips, and suggestions for what you need to do as a black person in America depending on your situation in life.  It is a satirical guide with pearls of truth. The truth is always hidden in a joke.  What really impressed me about the book is the universality of it.  You might think it’s only for black folks to read, but everyone could gain some comical insight from reading this book.  Even if you’re not black you still will recognize many of the situations discussed.  Hopefully you will also see the humor in it and not get worked up.   It’s SATIRE!  I mean, really, this guy wrote for The Onion so that should tell you what you’re getting yourself into.  Relax your shoulders and just go with it. 

The chapters carry tongue-in-cheek titles such as “Can You Swim?”and “When Did You First Realize You Were Black?”  Within each chapter, Thurston hits the nail on the head about the situations that face us on a daily basis. Finding the humor in situations and using them to spark conversation is a starting point for many people when they discuss stereotypes and race.  In the end, Thurston shows us that there really is no protocol for being black in America.  We have varied individual experiences just like everyone else.  I really enjoyed this book for its humor and for its honesty.  I don’t want to be that person, but I may just have to actually buy the book and stand in line to have him sign it at the book festival!



**Postscript April 18th, 2013**

I am that person. His event at the Free Library of Philadelphia was amazing and I was more than happy to buy the book and have it signed.  I was definitely on the cusp of becoming a fangirl.  

It Worked for Me

This is a pretty quick read because a lot of points are repetitive.  I've always been a bit ambivalent about Colin Powell.  Military men work on a different spectrum than most of us, for better or for worse, so I don't judge what I don't completely understand.  This particular book is not so much about policy as it is about common sense ideas that you should implement in your life if you want to be successful.  Ideas such as working hard, don't complain about a problem but come up with solutions instead, be honest, be open, be upfront about challenges, take personal responsibility, and so on.  The first half of the book was actually pretty good.  As the book went on, though, some of the advice was recycled from the beginning but worded differently. Therefore, I thought it could have been pared down. 

Near the end of the book Powell discusses his infamous "WMD" UN speech in 2003 and how it will eternally be a "blot" on his record. He openly contemplates where things went wrong and he turns a number of rhetorical questions over to the reader.  However, in an earlier part of the book he says that you must know when you've had a good run and when it's time to get off the train.  So I found myself thinking that it's ironic he wrote that little piece of advice, yet failed to take it.  It seems to me that he had a good run with Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr. If he got off the train then and stayed off perhaps he wouldn't have been in this predicament with Bush Jr.  Powell doesn't allude to that.  It is merely an observation of mine after reading this.  Maybe this advice of his was 20/20 hindsight.

Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power

This was a slow read for me because I really wanted to understand the topic. I would read one chapter, think about things for a day or two and then come back to the book for the next chapter.  I, previously, had no real interest in the American military even though several of my family members have served in the past.  This, interestingly enough, is the crux of what Maddow gets at in the book.  There is an ever-widening gap between the military and civilians. We seem to be very comfortable with being at war constantly, or at least we seem to be comfortable ignoring the fact that we are constantly at war. She outlines her version of how that came to be and where we are headed if that continues.  I enjoyed the book for two reasons.  First, it made me think long and hard about all the things that go on out of view of the American public.  Second, her presentation of the material is accessible in just the right way.  She doesn't dumb it down, but she doesn't go into the stratosphere with her explanations.  She found the right tone.

With that being said, I'll admit I'm already a bit biased because I really like Rachel Maddow's way of making topics understandable.  I watch her show just about every day.  My review may be a little less objective because of that, but I still think the book is worth a read. She kept me interested in a topic I would have previously thought to be dry.

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

This story reads very quickly but it's very powerful.  I completed it in less than 3 hours.  One of the great attributes of the book is that it is written in a very accessible way.  It's not a lengthy documentary with deep political histories and dry facts.  The story is told on a personal level that it is easily visualized and understood.  Sometimes I read a book and think, "If I were an educator, I would make this required reading".  This is one of those books that I would consider to be a stepping-stone towards creating global citizens. I don't need to go into too much detail about what happens. The title tells you just about everything.  At the end of the story, the question remains:  What can we do to help these young girls escape their plight?  There is so much work to be done in this arena that it feels overwhelming because this is only one story about one girl.  The knowledge that there are so many others will hopefully propel others into action. I recently have been doing some research on organizations that help girls obtain access to education so they can escape these injustices.  After reading this, I definitely want to make a commitment to supporting a reputable organization.

Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World

This book was a random choice at the library one day when I was browsing the shelves.  I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but when I saw the title I scooped it up.  I was not disappointed.  This book is probably preaching to the choir.  I'm sure most women who read this book will already consider themselves pretty savvy and well-read.  However, the points that the author makes are so salient and at times staggering that all women should read this.  Topics such as our celebrity driven media, our suffering educational system and our decline in literacy are all discussed.  This book has inspired me to become, not only a better woman, but also a better global citizen.  What I really appreciate about the book is that there are footnotes that lead you do more research on your own and THINK for yourself. I highly, highly recommend this book for all women.

American Wife

This book is divided into four sections and is loosely based on the life of Laura Bush.  I never initially thought I this book would hold my interest because I have less than zero interest in George Bush and frankly I never paid any attention to his wife at any time during his presidency.  However, the first two sections of the book are well written and just interesting enough to pull you in.  By section three, however, you see the vapidness begin to infuse into Alice Blackwell's life.

In the first two sections, Alice leads an intellectually interesting life tempered with a bit of sadness, but overall she is a good person with many kind qualities.  Those qualities are then dampened by the privilege and wealth her husband brings.  The latter two sections of the book are essentially filled with Alice living in two worlds.  She physically is present in the world of the wealthy, yet internally struggles with the fact that she's a compassionate person and the people in her new world of wealth are not. The more the book goes on, the more she vacillates between her inherent compassion and her loathing for just about everything her husband does.  Honestly, I sped read the last section because I was just bored with her going back and forth.  We get it, you're a really nice person who willingly married a guy who has no clue about the real world, and you lost your independence in the process.  It happens. We all make bad choices sometimes.  Her perseveration about her situation just had me rolling my eyes. It started off as a good read that, in the end, didn't deliver.

Eighteen Acres

My cousin recommended this book to me.  If you are into politics and the inner workings of the White House, this novel may interest you.  It was okay but I found the characters to be one sided and not fully developed.  One of the characters has a history of a failed marriage in the past and the author doesn't describe what happened in that marriage until around page 220 and the book is 280 pages.  How can a reader understand a character's motivation if her history is unclear?  By the time she described the earlier marriage I had forgotten that she was married. Anyway, the story follows the first female president and the scandals that pop up and try to derail her campaign for re-election.  The story is told from the perspective of three women (the President, a journalist, and the chief of staff). It reads very quickly and, since the author is Republican, has shades of Sarah Palin portrayed towards the end.  The story doesn't really have any surprises. If you've ever followed a political campaign in the media, you can pretty much guess what happens.  Also, I wasn't particularly drawn to any of the characters, but I'd put it in the "decent travel book" category.  It's fine if you're on a plane, train or car trip and want to pass the time.

Is It Just Me?

If you have some common sense then this book is preaching to the choir.  Whoopi basically discusses (in short quick chapters) how civilization is not really civil anymore.  So if people who talk on their cell phones in the movie theater, don't give their kids boundaries, don't know how to act in public, gossip about everything that's NOT their business, clip their nails in public, or are just plain rude to others get on your nerves, then this book will have you nodding your head and saying "so true, so true".

Orange is the New Black

This is yet another book I've been trying to finish for over a month.  School gets in the way!  Ugh! Anyway, I enjoyed this book because of the unique perspective given about our prison system and the women in it.  There were times when it dragged (much like I'm assuming the time in prison drags), but there were also moments of insightfulness that the author experienced that made it a pretty solid read.

Disintegration

I started this book before I left for San Diego, but just finished it today and it is really thought provoking (plus I love Eugene Robinson anyway and think he is brilliant!).  Basically this is a discussion about how there is no longer just one "black america" but now four.  How these four interact with each other, and society at large, is dissected in a palatable and concise manner.

Higher Education?

A book about how colleges are unnecessarily overpriced and don't challenge students to really think on their own and develop their own mind.  It was pretty interesting to see how schools are spending the money they have and how the hierarchy of teaching and professorships is one big bureaucracy.

Last Words of the Executed

Weird to read basically the evolution (over the centuries) of what is said at the end of one's life when they KNOW it's the end of their life. If you are interested in capital punishment or even just odd facts about history, it's an interesting read.

Infidel

Any book that incites someone to put a death threat out on you must be good right?  The answer is YES.  Of course you have to keep an open mind when you read this book, but it is extremely well written and tells the story of one women's oppression under the religion of Islam. The author, of course, was denounced as...you guessed it....an INFIDEL.  Anyone wishing to have a better understanding of a different culture should read this.  However, as always, I caution people to remember that there are always multiple stories in any one story.  So don't take this ONE singular book and try to start a war on Islam.  Just let this be, perhaps, the stepping stone to continued enlightenment about others.