Preventable and curable, tuberculosis is still the world’s deadliest disease. John Green illuminates why in Everything Is Tuberculosis.
Preventable and curable, tuberculosis is still the world’s deadliest disease. John Green illuminates why in Everything Is Tuberculosis.
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Behold this haunted house. The Pentagon bears a special fascination and dread for James Carroll, a social critic and the author of such noted books as Constantine’s Sword and the National Book Award-winning memoir An American Requiem. He played in the Pentagon’s hallways as a child, marched on it with masses of other Vietnam War protesters, was stunned when terrorists crashed an airplane into it and, throughout his life, watched it evolve into the menacing driving force behind America’s foreign and domestic policies. House of War, then, is at once a political history and a very personal journal.

Carroll’s father, Joseph F. Carroll, was a one-time FBI agent who was drafted into military intelligence and then appointed the first director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, a position he achieved under President Kennedy via the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

Starting with the construction of the Pentagon and the development of the atomic bomb during the height of World War II, Carroll argues that these two events combined to sweep America into perilous waters again and again, regardless of who was president and nominal commander of the military. His rogue’s gallery of overreachers, careerists, paranoids and villains is by now familiar (and persuasively documented). It extends from President Roosevelt, whose doctrine of unconditional surrender may have needlessly cost hundreds of thousands of lives, to Leslie Groves, the man who oversaw the creation of both the Pentagon and the A-bomb, to Curtis LeMay, the bombing scourge of civilians from Germany to Japan, on through alarmist George Kennan, the tormented McNamara and such hardliners as Edward Teller, Herman Kahn, Paul Nitze, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney.

It was not a coup by a man on horseback that Eisenhower was warning of [in citing the military-industrial complex], Carroll maintains, . . . but the impersonal workings of a frenzied cycle in which money feeds on fear which feeds on power which feeds on violence which feeds on a skewed idea of honor which feeds on demonization of an enemy which feeds on more fear which feeds on ever more money. Wiser and stronger presidents might have slowed or stopped this cycle, Carroll suggests. They might have even shifted the emphasis in international relations from force to diplomacy. But none did.

In growing up when and where he did, Carroll was more sensitive than most to the very real prospect of nuclear annihilation. Still, he manages to bring a scholar’s thoroughness to his critique. While clearly no fan of communism, he expresses great admiration for Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his willingness to negotiate nuclear disarmament. He also praises America’s nuclear freeze movement of the 1980s, which was gaining enormous momentum when President Reagan’s Star Wars proposal effectively neutralized it.

Despite the grim drag of history, Carroll says there are ways for America to rise above its worst instincts. But the road he envisions is a rocky one: no weapons in space; no wars of prevention; no going it alone; no torture ever, under any circumstances; treaties are sacrosanct; the spread of international legal forums is in America’s interest; the sources of violence deserve as much attention as the threat of it; diplomacy, not war, is America’s primary way of being in the world.

Edward Morris reviews from Nashville.

 

Behold this haunted house. The Pentagon bears a special fascination and dread for James Carroll, a social critic and the author of such noted books as Constantine's Sword and the National Book Award-winning memoir An American Requiem. He played in the Pentagon's hallways as…

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The Kids Are All Right is a memoir in four-part harmony. It gives the feel of being a guest at a family reunion and eavesdropping on siblings, Amanda, Liz, Dan, and Diana. The Welch children, actually adults now—Diana, the youngest, is 32—share and compare childhood memories of the deaths of their parents and the difficult years that followed as they struggled not to lose track of each other.

Four distinct voices combine to make this memoir particularly poignant: bold, brash Amanda; considerate, responsible Liz; troubled, rebellious Dan; and shy, insecure Diana. The result is a comprehensive family tale—sad, but ultimately, triumphant.

The kids are "all right" until the fateful night in 1983 when their father dies in a car crash, leaving considerable debt, along with questions about his death—was it an accident or murder? Their mother, famed soap star Ann Williams, deep in grief, is forced to sell their home and move the children to a house that strains to hold the family of five.

Then Williams is diagnosed with cancer, and the children take care of their progressively ailing mother—cooking, cleaning, and shopping squeezed in during after-school hours. The weakened family foundation finally crumbles when Williams dies and the children, ranging in age from seven to 19, are dispersed to live with separate families, an arrangement planned by Williams before her death.

Being separated from each other was another loss that nearly destroyed the already eroded family. Clearly the children suffered, made bad choices, and engaged in activities their parents would have despaired of. But they also displayed a remarkable strength and resiliency, and unconditional love for each other. Despite the physical distance between them, blood ties remained tightly knotted, stretched but not snapped by distance. Of this their parents would rejoice.

The Welches were fortunate to have a trust fund untouched by family debt that provided for their education and paid for their living arrangements. Money can't buy happiness, true, but it eased their trials by providing a layer of financial security. The real security, however, was in the foundation of family love and loyalty they learned from their parents. This is the bond that saw them through.

This memoir pieces together the fragments of their lives and shares the good, the bad, and the ugly with the honesty and strength of survivors. Growing up is never easy. Growing up orphaned, harder still. But all four make it to productive adulthood. The kids are indeed all right. This is a book that's tough to put down, and tougher still to forget.

Ruth Douillette is an essayist and photographer.

The Kids Are All Right is a memoir in four-part harmony. It gives the feel of being a guest at a family reunion and eavesdropping on siblings, Amanda, Liz, Dan, and Diana. The Welch children, actually adults now—Diana, the youngest, is 32—share and compare childhood…

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They were giants of women’s tennis at a time when such notoriety didn’t guarantee the kind of riches today’s sports icons take for granted. Each was an outsider: one a Southern-born African American who grew up in Harlem, the other a South African Jew transplanted to London, both anomalies in their lily-white world.

These were reasons enough for Angela Buxton and Althea Gibson to draw toward each other not just on the court as doubles partners, but also many years later, during the moment of life-threatening crisis that confronts Gibson at the beginning of Bruce Schoenfeld’s The Match: Althea Gibson ∧ Angela Buxton. This is in fact the book’s central premise, yet it’s the differences in the women’s stories that make this narrative compelling.

Buxton, for example, took to the spotlight with some ambivalence, even keeping her “day job” at a tennis store in London after becoming the first British women’s player to reach the Wimbledon finals in 17 years. By championship standards, her successes were modest: when a wrist injury cut short her career, she was left with a record that included no major singles titles. Gibson, in contrast, was the first African American to win a major tennis title, winning the French Open in 1956 and Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1957 (she won all three tournaments in 1958). She enjoyed much more longevity than Buxton, in part because she had no choice; unlike Buxton, she never saved much money and thus had to play far past her prime to make ends meet.

Schoenfeld honors Gibson and Buxton in parallel narratives that frequently intersect but ultimately stand on their own. Their childhoods, families and lovers pass by, vivid and real. Though played more than half a century ago, their greatest matches bound through Schoenfeld’s rhythmic writing, as exciting as volleys shown live on ESPN. In the end, Schoenfeld scores a victory of his own in finding the drama that’s often buried in stats, and the shades of love and sorrow that celebrity’s glare obscures.

They were giants of women's tennis at a time when such notoriety didn't guarantee the kind of riches today's sports icons take for granted. Each was an outsider: one a Southern-born African American who grew up in Harlem, the other a South African Jew…
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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 (Parent’s Guide Press, $22.95, 306 pages, ISBN 1931199094). 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. 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…
Review by

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 (Parent’s Guide Press, $22.95, 306 pages, ISBN 1931199094). 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, 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…
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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…

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