bookpagedev

Memoir

Chronicling the unspeakable

Review by bookpagedev

Paul Rusesabagina has never considered himself a hero or an activist, even though his actions saved the lives of more than a thousand people. He was the manager of the Hotel Mille Collines in Rwanda that sheltered members of the Tutsi clan and Hutu sympathizers in the middle of horrific slaughter. His exploits were dramatized by Don Cheadle in the film Hotel Rwanda, but Rusesabagina’s new autobiography An Ordinary Man (written with Tom Zoellner) shows that the movie only scratched the surface in depicting the magnitude of the carnage and the impact it had on his life and family. Rusesabagina, the son of a Hutu father and Tutsi mother, grew up on a small farm. He overcame numerous obstacles to become the first Rwandan general manager of the luxurious Mille Collines. Rusesabagina developed relationships and friendships even among those who considered him inferior. He also turned the hotel into one of Africa’s most profitable institutions.

Then the genocide began, and Rusesabagina used diplomacy, bribery and deception to shelter almost 1,200 Tutsis and Hutu moderates while mobs raced through the city. He describes in sobering detail the spectacle of seeing friends hacked to death, and his words underscore the frustration and helplessness he felt while his pleas for aid were ignored or unheeded. He survived 100 days in this captivity before order was restored. Sadly, Rusesabagina and his family can no longer emotionally abide living in his homeland and have relocated to Belgium.

An Ordinary Man is an extraordinary tale of heroism and sacrifice, told in steady, unrelenting and often self-deprecating fashion. It’s clear that Rusesabagina will never forget the atrocities he witnessed, nor completely forgive the West for its inaction. But rather than engage in bitterness, he uses the book’s final section to fervently insist that the world never again ignore genocide in any nation or on any continent. Ron Wynn writes for the Nashville City Paper and other publications.

Paul Rusesabagina has never considered himself a hero or an activist, even though his actions saved the lives of more than a thousand people. He was the manager of the Hotel Mille Collines in Rwanda that sheltered members of the Tutsi clan and Hutu sympathizers…
PhotographyArts & Culture

The way we were

Review by bookpagedev

The appeal of a book like Bound for Glory: America in Color 1939-43 is that it can literally change our view of history. New Deal photographers working under the auspices of the Farm Security Administration began chronicling the country in color with the advent of Kodak’s Kodachrome film in the mid-1930s. Depicting ordinary Americans many of them living hardscrabble lives in the country’s rural areas the images in this book are breathtaking both for their brilliant color and their rareness. Women wear vivid plaids and florals and landscapes are in rich greens and placid blues. We see street corners and swimming holes, country fairs and dining tables, as well as big-city life in Chicago and Washington, D.C. After the start of World War II, the FSA became part of the Office of War Information; the change is obvious as the photographs begin to resemble war posters picturing men and women, factories and trains all co-opted into the war effort. Still, the faces of the men, women and children taken before the economic boom are the most striking. As author Paul Hendrickson writes, quoting an old folk song, one can’t help wondering “whatever happened to the faces in the old photographs?”

 

The appeal of a book like Bound for Glory: America in Color 1939-43 is that it can literally change our view of history. New Deal photographers working under the auspices of the Farm Security Administration began chronicling the country in color with the advent…

NonfictionEducation

Guides for a popular education alternative

Review by bookpagedev

Homeschoolers are a growing bunch there are an estimated 1.5 million in the U.S. today, and the number is expected to double by 2010. Parents take on this enormous task for many reasons, from religion to dissatisfaction with local schools. Whether you’re trying to decide if you’re up to the job, or you’re already making homeschooling a daily reality, the following books will give you tips and ideas for making the task easier. No matter what your educational philosophy, you’re bound to find plenty of golden nuggets in these new titles.

A GREAT PLACE TO BEGIN exploring the topic is A Parent’s Guide to Homeschooling: Expert Answers to Tough Questions About Home Schooling. Written by veteran homeschooler Tamra Orr in a question and answer format that makes the text highly readable, the book is filled with interesting tidbits and plenty of great, basic information. (Did you know that Ansel Adams, Mark Twain and LeAnn Rimes are among the many famous people who have been homeschooled?) Chapters include “How do I get started?” “Where can I find help?” and “What about the teen years?” Other nuts and bolts issues, such as the legalities of homeschooling, are also covered in this comprehensive volume. CHRISTINE FIELD LEFT A CAREER as a criminal prosecutor to homeschool her four children, and she readily admits, “My days are so much more complex than I ever dreamed they could be as a stay-at-home mom.” In Help for the Harried Homeschooler: A Practical Guide to Balancing Your Child’s Education with the Rest of Your Life (Shaw Books, $13.99, 278 pages, ISBN 0877887942), Field concedes that her educational choice has resulted in personal sacrifice. But the rewards, she says, far outweigh the price. Using humor and biblical teachings along with examples from her own experience, Field presents solutions that will help overwhelmed parents maintain their sanity. She also guides readers through some of the toughest conflicts presented by teaching at home. Topics include how homeschooling can affect marriages, homeschooling through personal crises and dealing with student-siblings of various ages.

WHAT MAKES THESE FAMILIES TICK? “Are home-schooling parents superhuman, always patient June and Ward Cleaver types?” Rhonda Barfield asks in Real-Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Teach Their Children at Home (Pocket, $14, 299 pages, ISBN 0743442296). Barfield, mother of four home-schooled children, was astonished by the diverse lifestyles and educational philosophies she found when she interviewed 21 families in 18 states. Here’s a book of interest to anyone, whether you simply want a peek into the lives of different families or you’re looking for tips for schooling at home. Each profile includes a photo, advice from the families and a list of helpful resources. Fascinating as well as informative, the volume offers an in-depth look at the homeschooling experiment. Without promoting any particular curriculum or religious views, as many homeschooling books do, Creative Home Schooling for Gifted Children: A Resource Guide (Great Potential Press, $26, 430 pages, ISBN 0910707480) by Lisa Rivero offers numerous resources as well as short quotes and insights from homeschooled children and parents. It’s a big book that addresses a multitude of issues, such as socialization and intellectual needs, varied learning styles, practical matters for parents and grade levels and standards. Full of well-organized information for any parent of a gifted child, the book includes reading lists and a fascinating unit that shows how entire areas of study can be organized around themes (like baseball) that will appeal to kids. From parents to teachers to camp counselors, this is a great guide for any educator.

Homeschoolers are a growing bunch there are an estimated 1.5 million in the U.S. today, and the number is expected to double by 2010. Parents take on this enormous task for many reasons, from religion to dissatisfaction with local schools. Whether you're trying to…
Memoir

One man’s island

Review by bookpagedev

<b>One man’s island</b> Everything about being in St. Cecilia is simpler, writes Robert Benson about the West Indies getaway he’s grown to love and protect like a beloved family member (he even gives the island a pseudonym to protect it). The way in which the natural beauty, quiet pace and warm community on this volcanic island eventually change the author is the subject of his travelogue, <b>Home by Another Way: Notes from the Caribbean</b>.

Benson, a spiritual writer and retreat leader, and his wife first encounter the island when they decide to give each other a beach holiday for their wedding anniversary. Under less than auspicious beginnings, they’re ferried across a misty lagoon in the dead of night to a simple idyll that in two short weeks would represent the values that they aspired to live every day.

More than a decade later, they’re still giving each other this journey away from the demands of work, children and homey clutter. They drive rental cars on the wrong side of the road, paddle in azure waters, read on the porch of their tiny cottage, and prepare meals in a kitchen with enough room for two cooks as long as they have their arms around each other. There are no theme parks, malls or movie theaters and not much to buy except pottery or honey (from bees that feed on exotic tropical flowers).

The characters and locations of this magical and beloved summer place become an annual meditation and talisman for a deeper existence, and the book ends as Benson and his wife mull over the possibility so familiar to vacationers who allow the warmth of eternal summer to melt into their bones of capturing the feeling full-time. Your life is shaped by the things that you desire, writes Benson, quoting Thomas Merton. And like any spiritual seeker, he realizes that he just may be willing to sacrifice all to achieve the blessing of simple solitude, with a backdrop of riotous bougainvillea and a turquoise sea, no less. Going to St. Cecilia may have started out to be about going to the sun, he writes. It is crossing a line about something else, it seems.

<b>One man's island</b> Everything about being in St. Cecilia is simpler, writes Robert Benson about the West Indies getaway he's grown to love and protect like a beloved family member (he even gives the island a pseudonym to protect it). The way in which the…

NonfictionPolitics

Conventional wisdom

Review by bookpagedev

Ever hear of Newton D. Baker? Unless you’re a close student of early 20th century history, probably not. In fact, the now-obscure Baker had a decent chance of being elected president of the United States in 1932. But the Age of Baker never emerged. Instead, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected, at least in part because a few men at the Democratic presidential nominating convention in Chicago that pivotal year couldn’t let go of old grudges. Party conventions really mattered in those days, and the party barons chose the man they hated least. Happy Days Are Here Again, finished by Chicago Sun-Times political columnist Steve Neal shortly before his recent death, gives us an entertaining portrait of that epoch of late-night horse-trading in hotel corridors.

In case you’re still wondering, Baker was Woodrow Wilson’s war secretary, and he was the Adlai Stevenson of his day, the candidate favored by party intellectuals who thought FDR was a charming dimwit. Although Roosevelt went into the convention as the favorite, he faced heavy competition from the likes of party icon Al Smith of New York, House Speaker John Nance Garner of Texas, William McAdoo of California, and a bevy of distinguished Favorite Sons.

Neal lays out the scene for us with lively profiles of the candidates and would-be powerbrokers, among them future presidential father Joseph P. Kennedy, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, and the ever-colorful Louisiana “Kingfish,” Huey P. Long. They all played a role in Roosevelt’s selection, in some cases to their future regret.

The profiles build effectively to the convention crescendo. We all know the outcome: Roosevelt was nominated, and he changed the civic landscape for 50 years. Political junkies, American history buffs and anyone who likes an amusing story will have a good time learning how we got to where we are now. Anne Bartlett is a journalist who lives in South Florida.

Ever hear of Newton D. Baker? Unless you're a close student of early 20th century history, probably not. In fact, the now-obscure Baker had a decent chance of being elected president of the United States in 1932. But the Age of Baker never emerged. Instead,…
ParentingFamily & Relationships

Parenting with patience Guidebooks to peruse while hiding in the bathroom

Review by bookpagedev

The three most important words in real estate may be “Location, location, location!” but in parenting they are “Patience, patience, patience!” Patience is like toilet paper; you’re always running out of it, but because you’re the parent, you are expected to keep some in reserve.

How to perform this amazing feat? Parenting books are full of encouragement and offer welcome reassurance that you’re not alone out there. Besides, when your grandchildren are born, you can pass on the highlighted, underlined, question-marked, dog-eared, coffee and tear-stained remnants to the new parents.

Any of the following new books would make a great start for your collection.

How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too! by Sal Severe, Ph.

D. (Viking, $23.95, 272 pages, ISBN 0670031089) makes it clear that good parenting begins with self-control. Forget the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do,” because whether we like it or not, a parent is a child’s most influential teacher and role model and preschoolers are avid students. Of course, no one is a perfect parent person all the time. Sal Severe advocates being honest with our kids and ourselves when our behavior has been less than stellar. “It is always better for you and your child,” he writes, “if you admit your mistake and take responsibility for your own behavior.” From your example, the child will learn that the best way to handle mistakes is by admitting them, apologizing and trying to do better the next time. Chapters cover topics such as “How Motivation Affects Behavior,” “Alternatives to Spanking,” “Preschool Fears” and “How to Choose a Preschool.” Emily Post’s The Gift of Good Manners: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Respectful, Kind, Considerate Children by Peggy Post and Cindy Post Senning, Ed.

D., (HarperResource, $24.95, 400 pages, ISBN 006018549X) tackles teaching the rules of etiquette from the time children are toddlers through their teenage years. Good manners are an extension of good behavior and are indeed a gift; well-mannered children are more apt to be welcome visitors and guests wherever they go, thereby increasing their level of sociability and hence their range of experiences and opportunities as they mature. Still, the incentive for practicing good manners shouldn’t just be the results achieved for the child. Whether it is making eye contact, sharing toys or writing thank-you notes, the authors contend “manners express in action the values we hold dear” and should be an outgrowth of “the higher values of respect for others, integrity, loyalty, self-sacrifice, and honesty.” The Secure Child: Helping Children Feel Safe and Confident in a Changing World by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. (Perseus, $20, 160 pages, ISBN 0738207500) is a timely book not only for parents, but for educators and others who worked with children. The events of September 11 have made it all too clear that we live in an unpredictable world. This book outlines numerous ways to help children grow to adulthood with confidence and faith in their ability to solve problems. “Security,” Greenspan writes, “resides in advancing one’s ability to resolve difficult situations.” He offers both short-term strategies for difficult times (spend time together as a family, help children express their feelings, contribute to others in need) and long-term goals for preparing children to face an uncertain world. Greenspan’s prescription is not an easy fix; it involves establishing secure relationships for children and broadening their knowledge and understanding of people around the world. Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters by JoAnn Deak, Ph.

D. (Hyperion, $23.95, 320 pages, ISBN 078686768X) deals with overcoming the obstacles particular to girls as they struggle with body image, self-esteem, intellectual and physical growth and other issues while getting mixed messages from contemporary culture. Having raised a daughter, not to mention being female myself, I wish I had had this book by my side over the years. Two of my favorite chapters were “Aiming to Please: Moving Beyond the Tyranny of Niceness” and “Girls in Action: The Magic of Doing,” but underlying every chapter is the same theme: the importance of fostering what Deak calls “the three C’s of self-esteem in girls:” competence, confidence and connectedness. The goal being that girls will not only feel good about themselves, but also be able to take action from positions of strength. Unhappy Teenagers: A Way for Parents and Teachers to Reach Them by William Glasser, M.D. (HarperCollins, $24.95, 198 pages, ISBN 0060007982). The best time to read a book about dealing with teenagers is well before your child actually becomes one not that you still won’t be taken by surprise, but surprise is better than total shock. So even if your children are still young, this is a good book to have on hand. If you are already in the “I’ve tried everything” stage, however, and your store of patience is running low, it’s not too late to grab this book and benefit from it. Glasser offers a different approach to reaching teens than the typical methods of grounding or taking away privileges. “Get rid of your use of external control” he advises, and “replace it with choice theory.” He uses real-life examples to illustrate choice theory in action and to help parents who are at once frustrated, angry and heart-sick re-establish communication with their troubled teens. Glasser also deserves kudos for his courageous remarks about breaking with traditional teaching methods in order to reach all students It’s NOT That Complicated: The Twelve Rules for Raising Happy, Self-Reliant Children by Doug Peine. This title probably already has you halfway out the door headed to the nearest bookstore a simple guide? Only 12 rules? For once, something too good to be true actually measures up. At less than a dollar a rule, with lots of wonderful insights into human nature thrown in, this little gem is a must-have at a bargain price. The rules are simple but time-tested: never hold grudges, don’t fight in front of your children and read to your child every night. A word of caution however: “not complicated” doesn’t mean “easy.” Parenting is hard work. While the major principles are easily understood, “putting them into practice is where most people fail,” says Peine. “To parent well,” he cautions, “requires time and effort. Parenting cannot be accomplished in absentia. You must be there in person, and you must be there a lot.” So much for hiding in the bathroom. Briefly noted Parenting Principles: From the Heart of a Pediatrician by William T. Slonecker, M.D. (Fredricksburg, $19.95, 213 pages, ISBN 0967039908) shares a Christian perspective on parenting from a pediatrician who practiced for 43 years. Slonecker urges parents to balance love and authority, using firm discipline to set boundaries for the child. Though based on theology, the book has many practical suggestions as well, on topics ranging from potty training to conflicts with grandparents. Three tips for parents: 1. Get plenty of rest. (Which admittedly will be next to impossible when your children are young.) 2. Drink plenty of fluids. (Frequent trips to the bathroom may be your only means of escape.) 3. Keep plenty of parenting books on hand. (They are full of sound advice and will give you something to read while hiding in the bathroom.)

The three most important words in real estate may be "Location, location, location!" but in parenting they are "Patience, patience, patience!" Patience is like toilet paper; you're always running out of it, but because you're the parent, you are expected to keep some in reserve.
Memoir

At home in the family business

Review by bookpagedev

Roger Angell may be best known for his books on baseball, but his talents transcend sports reportage. The author of favorites like The Summer Game and Season Ticket has produced a new collection of essays in which his skills as a memoirist are amply evident. Let Me Finish contains 17 pieces that cohere beautifully to form an overview of Angell’s remarkable life, from his years at Harvard, to his service during the Second World War, to holidays spent with his mother, Katherine Angell, a longtime New Yorker editor, and his stepfather, beloved author E.B. White. Capturing the culture of 1930s New York, many of the essays evoke a time when movies cost a dime, manners mattered and divorces, like the bitter one that occurred between Angell’s parents, were a source of scandal. The author’s father, Ernest Angell, a brilliant and eccentric lawyer, personifies the period. Remembered fondly in the lively essay The King of the Forest, he presided over the family brownstone in New York, for a time as a single parent, giving his children Roger and his sister, Nancy a comfortable upbringing that included a series of governesses and servants from France.

Unscathed by his parents’ split, Angell spent many weekends and summers with his mother and stepfather on their farm in Maine. In Andy, an intimate and fascinating profile of E.B. White, he observes the pair at work, a New England light industry churning out material long-distance for The New Yorker. Both had 50-year affiliations with the magazine, and Angell would follow in their footsteps. Indeed, the book’s centerpiece is At the Comic Weekly, a delightful look at the author’s own five-decade tenure with the publication. Providing an insider’s view of the magazine, the essay is filled with unforgettable anecdotes and bits of harmless (but nevertheless delicious) gossip about the editors and writers Angell has encountered there. The names are awe-inspiring: William Maxwell, Donald Barthelme, Alice Munro, Ann Beattie. In writing about his early years on the staff, Angell recalls moving into his mother’s old office after a promotion and opening a closet door to find a tin of Coty face powder she left there 20 years before. Small wonder he should refer to The New Yorker as the family store. Angell’s essays possess all the charm and allure of the bygone days they describe. Nostalgic without being sentimental, they’re stylish, classy pieces written with the kind of clear-sighted integrity that characterized the work of his stepfather. Despite the implications of the book’s title, let’s hope Angell isn’t finished. They just don’t make ’em like this anymore.

Roger Angell may be best known for his books on baseball, but his talents transcend sports reportage. The author of favorites like The Summer Game and Season Ticket has produced a new collection of essays in which his skills as a memoirist are amply evident.…
Fiction

The beat of a city’s heart

Review by bookpagedev

<B>The beat of a city’s heart</B> Novelist Keith Ridgway is inspired by Dublin, his home. It was the setting for his acclaimed debut, <B>The Falling</B>, and in his second novel, <I>The Parts</I>, the city plays an even larger role, stepping in as the novel’s seventh character, throbbing with a life of its own. The six human characters are also meticulously crafted; related in various ways, they meld only in the final chapters.

Delly Roche, the wealthy widow of a pharmaceuticals manufacturer, is dying. Hoping for "a painless lingering, and a quick get out," she has returned to the mansion outside Dublin where her husband met his tragic death. Delly is accompanied by Kitty Flood, a novelist, friend, and companion with more than a passing interest in Delly’s huge inheritance. Also in attendance is Dr. George Addison-Blake, an American with a fake M.D. whose main talent is keeping Delly in a nearly comatose state. Joe Kavanagh, a radio talk-show host, lives in Dublin’s "minor suburbs." The divorced father of a six-year-old daughter, he doesn’t know his neighbors, and has no friends. Trying to jumpstart his stagnating career, Joe sends his producer, Barry, on a mission to find "the hopeless and the damned" to come on his talk show. Barry, younger than Joe and gay, first delivers him a junkie, then visits the riverside "rent boy" district where young male prostitutes go to attract middle-aged cruisers. There Barry meets Kevin, and, though trying to keep their relationship on a professional level, becomes deeply attracted to him.

These six characters gradually meet and merge in bizarre and at the same time poignant ways, with the ever-present Dublin injected into every page. In stream-of-consciousness ramblings, the author focuses in on the city’s underbelly the "working Dublin, queer Dublin, junkie Dublin . . . homeless Dublin . . . mother Dublin . . . hungry Dublin . . . Bono’s Dublin." Ridgway masterfully draws his characters with a perceptive and cutting edge, bringing them face-to-face with the reader. We know his characters so well we wince at their foibles and empathize with their insecurities. And hovering over all of them like a fog is a portrait of Dublin impossible to forget.

<B>The beat of a city's heart</B> Novelist Keith Ridgway is inspired by Dublin, his home. It was the setting for his acclaimed debut, <B>The Falling</B>, and in his second novel, <I>The Parts</I>, the city plays an even larger role, stepping in as the novel's seventh…

ParentingFamily & Relationships

Parenting with patience Guidebooks to peruse while hiding in the bathroom

Review by bookpagedev

The three most important words in real estate may be “Location, location, location!” but in parenting they are “Patience, patience, patience!” Patience is like toilet paper; you’re always running out of it, but because you’re the parent, you are expected to keep some in reserve.

How to perform this amazing feat? Parenting books are full of encouragement and offer welcome reassurance that you’re not alone out there. Besides, when your grandchildren are born, you can pass on the highlighted, underlined, question-marked, dog-eared, coffee and tear-stained remnants to the new parents.

Any of the following new books would make a great start for your collection.

How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too! by Sal Severe, Ph.

D. (Viking, $23.95, 272 pages, ISBN 0670031089) makes it clear that good parenting begins with self-control. Forget the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do,” because whether we like it or not, a parent is a child’s most influential teacher and role model and preschoolers are avid students. Of course, no one is a perfect parent person all the time. Sal Severe advocates being honest with our kids and ourselves when our behavior has been less than stellar. “It is always better for you and your child,” he writes, “if you admit your mistake and take responsibility for your own behavior.” From your example, the child will learn that the best way to handle mistakes is by admitting them, apologizing and trying to do better the next time. Chapters cover topics such as “How Motivation Affects Behavior,” “Alternatives to Spanking,” “Preschool Fears” and “How to Choose a Preschool.” Emily Post’s The Gift of Good Manners: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Respectful, Kind, Considerate Children by Peggy Post and Cindy Post Senning, Ed.

D., (HarperResource, $24.95, 400 pages, ISBN 006018549X) tackles teaching the rules of etiquette from the time children are toddlers through their teenage years. Good manners are an extension of good behavior and are indeed a gift; well-mannered children are more apt to be welcome visitors and guests wherever they go, thereby increasing their level of sociability and hence their range of experiences and opportunities as they mature. Still, the incentive for practicing good manners shouldn’t just be the results achieved for the child. Whether it is making eye contact, sharing toys or writing thank-you notes, the authors contend “manners express in action the values we hold dear” and should be an outgrowth of “the higher values of respect for others, integrity, loyalty, self-sacrifice, and honesty.” The Secure Child: Helping Children Feel Safe and Confident in a Changing World by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. (Perseus, $20, 160 pages, ISBN 0738207500) is a timely book not only for parents, but for educators and others who worked with children. The events of September 11 have made it all too clear that we live in an unpredictable world. This book outlines numerous ways to help children grow to adulthood with confidence and faith in their ability to solve problems. “Security,” Greenspan writes, “resides in advancing one’s ability to resolve difficult situations.” He offers both short-term strategies for difficult times (spend time together as a family, help children express their feelings, contribute to others in need) and long-term goals for preparing children to face an uncertain world. Greenspan’s prescription is not an easy fix; it involves establishing secure relationships for children and broadening their knowledge and understanding of people around the world. Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters by JoAnn Deak, Ph.

D. (Hyperion, $23.95, 320 pages, ISBN 078686768X) deals with overcoming the obstacles particular to girls as they struggle with body image, self-esteem, intellectual and physical growth and other issues while getting mixed messages from contemporary culture. Having raised a daughter, not to mention being female myself, I wish I had had this book by my side over the years. Two of my favorite chapters were “Aiming to Please: Moving Beyond the Tyranny of Niceness” and “Girls in Action: The Magic of Doing,” but underlying every chapter is the same theme: the importance of fostering what Deak calls “the three C’s of self-esteem in girls:” competence, confidence and connectedness. The goal being that girls will not only feel good about themselves, but also be able to take action from positions of strength. Unhappy Teenagers: A Way for Parents and Teachers to Reach Them by William Glasser, M.D. (HarperCollins, $24.95, 198 pages, ISBN 0060007982). The best time to read a book about dealing with teenagers is well before your child actually becomes one not that you still won’t be taken by surprise, but surprise is better than total shock. So even if your children are still young, this is a good book to have on hand. If you are already in the “I’ve tried everything” stage, however, and your store of patience is running low, it’s not too late to grab this book and benefit from it. Glasser offers a different approach to reaching teens than the typical methods of grounding or taking away privileges. “Get rid of your use of external control” he advises, and “replace it with choice theory.” He uses real-life examples to illustrate choice theory in action and to help parents who are at once frustrated, angry and heart-sick re-establish communication with their troubled teens. Glasser also deserves kudos for his courageous remarks about breaking with traditional teaching methods in order to reach all students It’s NOT That Complicated: The Twelve Rules for Raising Happy, Self-Reliant Children by Doug Peine, (Health Communications, $10.95, 175 pages, ISBN 0757300049). This title probably already has you halfway out the door headed to the nearest bookstore a simple guide? Only 12 rules? For once, something too good to be true actually measures up. At less than a dollar a rule, with lots of wonderful insights into human nature thrown in, this little gem is a must-have at a bargain price. The rules are simple but time-tested: never hold grudges, don’t fight in front of your children and read to your child every night. A word of caution however: “not complicated” doesn’t mean “easy.” Parenting is hard work. While the major principles are easily understood, “putting them into practice is where most people fail,” says Peine. “To parent well,” he cautions, “requires time and effort. Parenting cannot be accomplished in absentia. You must be there in person, and you must be there a lot.” So much for hiding in the bathroom. Briefly noted Parenting Principles: From the Heart of a Pediatrician by William T. Slonecker, M.D. (Fredricksburg, $19.95, 213 pages, ISBN 0967039908) shares a Christian perspective on parenting from a pediatrician who practiced for 43 years. Slonecker urges parents to balance love and authority, using firm discipline to set boundaries for the child. Though based on theology, the book has many practical suggestions as well, on topics ranging from potty training to conflicts with grandparents. Three tips for parents: 1. Get plenty of rest. (Which admittedly will be next to impossible when your children are young.) 2. Drink plenty of fluids. (Frequent trips to the bathroom may be your only means of escape.) 3. Keep plenty of parenting books on hand. (They are full of sound advice and will give you something to read while hiding in the bathroom.)

The three most important words in real estate may be "Location, location, location!" but in parenting they are "Patience, patience, patience!" Patience is like toilet paper; you're always running out of it, but because you're the parent, you are expected to keep some in reserve.
Inspirational Fiction

Finding healing in family ties

Review by bookpagedev

Every successful fiction writer knows the secret to keeping readers turning the pages is to increase the stakes. “Get your hero up a tree,” the old adage goes, “and then throw rocks at him.” Sophomore novelist W. Dale Cramer is an expert at throwing rocks.

Jeremy Prine, the 17-year-old protagonist of Bad Ground, has the wind kicked out of him early in life. His father is killed in a mining accident when the boy is only 10. When his mother dies of an undefined illness that eats up the family’s meager savings with hospital bills, the teenager finds himself with all his belongings in a duffel bag, $63 in cash and a cryptic letter from his dead mother encouraging him to find his uncle Aiden.

Obeying his mother’s last wish, Jeremy hits the road, thumbing his way from the hills of Tennessee to the hardscrabble territory of hard-rock miners in South Georgia. In a series of unfortunate encounters, he manages to lose what few possessions he has left before he finally finds his uncle at the Sweetbriar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant. Uncle Aiden, aka “Snake,” is a wily, bad-tempered, hard-rock veteran. Badly burned in the same accident that claimed Jeremy’s father, Snake is both physically and emotionally scarred. His world is the “hole,” and when he is not in it, he is holed up in his apartment seeking absolution in a bottle. Jeremy is just as emotionally stunted, having been shielded from life by an overprotective mother after his father’s death. The man and the boy make an uneasy peace as they both struggle toward reconciliation with their pasts, and their futures.

The lush landscape of South Georgia jars against the harsh beauty of the subterranean world of the hard-rock miners with satisfying clarity, and Cramer makes masterful use of both dialogue and description to get across his message of love, forgiveness and brotherhood in this intriguing coming-of-age novel.

Every successful fiction writer knows the secret to keeping readers turning the pages is to increase the stakes. "Get your hero up a tree," the old adage goes, "and then throw rocks at him." Sophomore novelist W. Dale Cramer is an expert at throwing…
ParentingFamily & Relationships

Parenting with patience Guidebooks to peruse while hiding in the bathroom

Review by bookpagedev

The three most important words in real estate may be “Location, location, location!” but in parenting they are “Patience, patience, patience!” Patience is like toilet paper; you’re always running out of it, but because you’re the parent, you are expected to keep some in reserve.

How to perform this amazing feat? Parenting books are full of encouragement and offer welcome reassurance that you’re not alone out there. Besides, when your grandchildren are born, you can pass on the highlighted, underlined, question-marked, dog-eared, coffee and tear-stained remnants to the new parents.

Any of the following new books would make a great start for your collection.

How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too! by Sal Severe, Ph.

D. (Viking, $23.95, 272 pages, ISBN 0670031089) makes it clear that good parenting begins with self-control. Forget the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do,” because whether we like it or not, a parent is a child’s most influential teacher and role model and preschoolers are avid students. Of course, no one is a perfect parent person all the time. Sal Severe advocates being honest with our kids and ourselves when our behavior has been less than stellar. “It is always better for you and your child,” he writes, “if you admit your mistake and take responsibility for your own behavior.” From your example, the child will learn that the best way to handle mistakes is by admitting them, apologizing and trying to do better the next time. Chapters cover topics such as “How Motivation Affects Behavior,” “Alternatives to Spanking,” “Preschool Fears” and “How to Choose a Preschool.” Emily Post’s The Gift of Good Manners: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Respectful, Kind, Considerate Children by Peggy Post and Cindy Post Senning, Ed.

D., (HarperResource, $24.95, 400 pages, ISBN 006018549X) tackles teaching the rules of etiquette from the time children are toddlers through their teenage years. Good manners are an extension of good behavior and are indeed a gift; well-mannered children are more apt to be welcome visitors and guests wherever they go, thereby increasing their level of sociability and hence their range of experiences and opportunities as they mature. Still, the incentive for practicing good manners shouldn’t just be the results achieved for the child. Whether it is making eye contact, sharing toys or writing thank-you notes, the authors contend “manners express in action the values we hold dear” and should be an outgrowth of “the higher values of respect for others, integrity, loyalty, self-sacrifice, and honesty.” The Secure Child: Helping Children Feel Safe and Confident in a Changing World by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. (Perseus, $20, 160 pages, ISBN 0738207500) is a timely book not only for parents, but for educators and others who worked with children. The events of September 11 have made it all too clear that we live in an unpredictable world. This book outlines numerous ways to help children grow to adulthood with confidence and faith in their ability to solve problems. “Security,” Greenspan writes, “resides in advancing one’s ability to resolve difficult situations.” He offers both short-term strategies for difficult times (spend time together as a family, help children express their feelings, contribute to others in need) and long-term goals for preparing children to face an uncertain world. Greenspan’s prescription is not an easy fix; it involves establishing secure relationships for children and broadening their knowledge and understanding of people around the world. Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters by JoAnn Deak, Ph.

D. deals with overcoming the obstacles particular to girls as they struggle with body image, self-esteem, intellectual and physical growth and other issues while getting mixed messages from contemporary culture. Having raised a daughter, not to mention being female myself, I wish I had had this book by my side over the years. Two of my favorite chapters were “Aiming to Please: Moving Beyond the Tyranny of Niceness” and “Girls in Action: The Magic of Doing,” but underlying every chapter is the same theme: the importance of fostering what Deak calls “the three C’s of self-esteem in girls:” competence, confidence and connectedness. The goal being that girls will not only feel good about themselves, but also be able to take action from positions of strength. Unhappy Teenagers: A Way for Parents and Teachers to Reach Them by William Glasser, M.D. (HarperCollins, $24.95, 198 pages, ISBN 0060007982). The best time to read a book about dealing with teenagers is well before your child actually becomes one not that you still won’t be taken by surprise, but surprise is better than total shock. So even if your children are still young, this is a good book to have on hand. If you are already in the “I’ve tried everything” stage, however, and your store of patience is running low, it’s not too late to grab this book and benefit from it. Glasser offers a different approach to reaching teens than the typical methods of grounding or taking away privileges. “Get rid of your use of external control” he advises, and “replace it with choice theory.” He uses real-life examples to illustrate choice theory in action and to help parents who are at once frustrated, angry and heart-sick re-establish communication with their troubled teens. Glasser also deserves kudos for his courageous remarks about breaking with traditional teaching methods in order to reach all students It’s NOT That Complicated: The Twelve Rules for Raising Happy, Self-Reliant Children by Doug Peine, (Health Communications, $10.95, 175 pages, ISBN 0757300049). This title probably already has you halfway out the door headed to the nearest bookstore a simple guide? Only 12 rules? For once, something too good to be true actually measures up. At less than a dollar a rule, with lots of wonderful insights into human nature thrown in, this little gem is a must-have at a bargain price. The rules are simple but time-tested: never hold grudges, don’t fight in front of your children and read to your child every night. A word of caution however: “not complicated” doesn’t mean “easy.” Parenting is hard work. While the major principles are easily understood, “putting them into practice is where most people fail,” says Peine. “To parent well,” he cautions, “requires time and effort. Parenting cannot be accomplished in absentia. You must be there in person, and you must be there a lot.” So much for hiding in the bathroom. Briefly noted Parenting Principles: From the Heart of a Pediatrician by William T. Slonecker, M.D. (Fredricksburg, $19.95, 213 pages, ISBN 0967039908) shares a Christian perspective on parenting from a pediatrician who practiced for 43 years. Slonecker urges parents to balance love and authority, using firm discipline to set boundaries for the child. Though based on theology, the book has many practical suggestions as well, on topics ranging from potty training to conflicts with grandparents. Three tips for parents: 1. Get plenty of rest. (Which admittedly will be next to impossible when your children are young.) 2. Drink plenty of fluids. (Frequent trips to the bathroom may be your only means of escape.) 3. Keep plenty of parenting books on hand. (They are full of sound advice and will give you something to read while hiding in the bathroom.)

The three most important words in real estate may be "Location, location, location!" but in parenting they are "Patience, patience, patience!" Patience is like toilet paper; you're always running out of it, but because you're the parent, you are expected to keep some in reserve.
Fiction

From Russia, needs love

Review by bookpagedev

Leave it to the great-great-grandson of Nikolai Gogol to concoct a novel at once riotous and melancholic, intimate and expansive, as it tracks the parallel arcs of personal and international events. Gary Shteyngart, the Russian immigrant whose debut novel, The Russian Debutante’s Handbook, won the Stephen Crane Award for First Fiction and a National Jewish Book Award, sparkles in Absurdistan.

Misha Borisovich Vainberg, son of the 1,238th richest man in Russia, has been coddled by his doting parents to the point where he tips the scales at 325 pounds. When it comes time for university, his father bundles him off to America to study at Accidental College . . . and to complete that little operation Jewish men generally undergo shortly after birth. The upside is that he earns his degree. The unfortunate part is that the bris doesn’t quite go as scheduled, leaving the bulbous young man doubly unsuited for the American dating scene.

Surprisingly, he does find love, in the person of Rouenna, an American waitress of Puerto Rican, Irish, German and Mexican extraction, who isn’t put off by either his figure or disfigurement. Alas, the words "happily ever after" are not part of the Russian canon, and Misha finds himself stranded in Russia, unable to re-enter the United States due to an act of violence his father committed against an American years ago. Meanwhile Rouenna is getting involved with a notorious cad, fiction professor Jerry Shteynfarb (sound familiar?). Misha heads to the newly independent republic of Absurdistan to secure a Belgian passport, which will allow him to return to New York.

The ensuing roller coaster ride follows Misha through civil war, government office, physical danger and his very real, but highly idiosyncratic, love affair with America in the final moments leading up to 9/11. Readers will root for Shteyngart’s engaging protagonist, and enjoy the adventure found in this romp of a read.

 

 

Leave it to the great-great-grandson of Nikolai Gogol to concoct a novel at once riotous and melancholic, intimate and expansive, as it tracks the parallel arcs of personal and international events. Gary Shteyngart, the Russian immigrant whose debut novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, won the…

ParentingFamily & Relationships

Parenting with patience Guidebooks to peruse while hiding in the bathroom

Review by bookpagedev

The three most important words in real estate may be “Location, location, location!” but in parenting they are “Patience, patience, patience!” Patience is like toilet paper; you’re always running out of it, but because you’re the parent, you are expected to keep some in reserve.

How to perform this amazing feat? Parenting books are full of encouragement and offer welcome reassurance that you’re not alone out there. Besides, when your grandchildren are born, you can pass on the highlighted, underlined, question-marked, dog-eared, coffee and tear-stained remnants to the new parents.

Any of the following new books would make a great start for your collection.

How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too! by Sal Severe, Ph.

D. (Viking, $23.95, 272 pages, ISBN 0670031089) makes it clear that good parenting begins with self-control. Forget the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do,” because whether we like it or not, a parent is a child’s most influential teacher and role model and preschoolers are avid students. Of course, no one is a perfect parent person all the time. Sal Severe advocates being honest with our kids and ourselves when our behavior has been less than stellar. “It is always better for you and your child,” he writes, “if you admit your mistake and take responsibility for your own behavior.” From your example, the child will learn that the best way to handle mistakes is by admitting them, apologizing and trying to do better the next time. Chapters cover topics such as “How Motivation Affects Behavior,” “Alternatives to Spanking,” “Preschool Fears” and “How to Choose a Preschool.” Emily Post’s The Gift of Good Manners: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Respectful, Kind, Considerate Children by Peggy Post and Cindy Post Senning, Ed.

D., (HarperResource, $24.95, 400 pages, ISBN 006018549X) tackles teaching the rules of etiquette from the time children are toddlers through their teenage years. Good manners are an extension of good behavior and are indeed a gift; well-mannered children are more apt to be welcome visitors and guests wherever they go, thereby increasing their level of sociability and hence their range of experiences and opportunities as they mature. Still, the incentive for practicing good manners shouldn’t just be the results achieved for the child. Whether it is making eye contact, sharing toys or writing thank-you notes, the authors contend “manners express in action the values we hold dear” and should be an outgrowth of “the higher values of respect for others, integrity, loyalty, self-sacrifice, and honesty.” The Secure Child: Helping Children Feel Safe and Confident in a Changing World by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. is a timely book not only for parents, but for educators and others who worked with children. The events of September 11 have made it all too clear that we live in an unpredictable world. This book outlines numerous ways to help children grow to adulthood with confidence and faith in their ability to solve problems. “Security,” Greenspan writes, “resides in advancing one’s ability to resolve difficult situations.” He offers both short-term strategies for difficult times (spend time together as a family, help children express their feelings, contribute to others in need) and long-term goals for preparing children to face an uncertain world. Greenspan’s prescription is not an easy fix; it involves establishing secure relationships for children and broadening their knowledge and understanding of people around the world. Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters by JoAnn Deak, Ph.

D. (Hyperion, $23.95, 320 pages, ISBN 078686768X) deals with overcoming the obstacles particular to girls as they struggle with body image, self-esteem, intellectual and physical growth and other issues while getting mixed messages from contemporary culture. Having raised a daughter, not to mention being female myself, I wish I had had this book by my side over the years. Two of my favorite chapters were “Aiming to Please: Moving Beyond the Tyranny of Niceness” and “Girls in Action: The Magic of Doing,” but underlying every chapter is the same theme: the importance of fostering what Deak calls “the three C’s of self-esteem in girls:” competence, confidence and connectedness. The goal being that girls will not only feel good about themselves, but also be able to take action from positions of strength. Unhappy Teenagers: A Way for Parents and Teachers to Reach Them by William Glasser, M.D. (HarperCollins, $24.95, 198 pages, ISBN 0060007982). The best time to read a book about dealing with teenagers is well before your child actually becomes one not that you still won’t be taken by surprise, but surprise is better than total shock. So even if your children are still young, this is a good book to have on hand. If you are already in the “I’ve tried everything” stage, however, and your store of patience is running low, it’s not too late to grab this book and benefit from it. Glasser offers a different approach to reaching teens than the typical methods of grounding or taking away privileges. “Get rid of your use of external control” he advises, and “replace it with choice theory.” He uses real-life examples to illustrate choice theory in action and to help parents who are at once frustrated, angry and heart-sick re-establish communication with their troubled teens. Glasser also deserves kudos for his courageous remarks about breaking with traditional teaching methods in order to reach all students It’s NOT That Complicated: The Twelve Rules for Raising Happy, Self-Reliant Children by Doug Peine, (Health Communications, $10.95, 175 pages, ISBN 0757300049). This title probably already has you halfway out the door headed to the nearest bookstore a simple guide? Only 12 rules? For once, something too good to be true actually measures up. At less than a dollar a rule, with lots of wonderful insights into human nature thrown in, this little gem is a must-have at a bargain price. The rules are simple but time-tested: never hold grudges, don’t fight in front of your children and read to your child every night. A word of caution however: “not complicated” doesn’t mean “easy.” Parenting is hard work. While the major principles are easily understood, “putting them into practice is where most people fail,” says Peine. “To parent well,” he cautions, “requires time and effort. Parenting cannot be accomplished in absentia. You must be there in person, and you must be there a lot.” So much for hiding in the bathroom. Briefly noted Parenting Principles: From the Heart of a Pediatrician by William T. Slonecker, M.D. (Fredricksburg, $19.95, 213 pages, ISBN 0967039908) shares a Christian perspective on parenting from a pediatrician who practiced for 43 years. Slonecker urges parents to balance love and authority, using firm discipline to set boundaries for the child. Though based on theology, the book has many practical suggestions as well, on topics ranging from potty training to conflicts with grandparents. Three tips for parents: 1. Get plenty of rest. (Which admittedly will be next to impossible when your children are young.) 2. Drink plenty of fluids. (Frequent trips to the bathroom may be your only means of escape.) 3. Keep plenty of parenting books on hand. (They are full of sound advice and will give you something to read while hiding in the bathroom.)

The three most important words in real estate may be "Location, location, location!" but in parenting they are "Patience, patience, patience!" Patience is like toilet paper; you're always running out of it, but because you're the parent, you are expected to keep some in reserve.

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