Donna Jo’s Comments (group member since Dec 09, 2009)

Donna Jo’s comments from the Olathe Public Library- GoodReads Branch group.

If you own a dog, or used to own a dog, or know a dog, this is an interesting and detailed book about the how and why of dog behavior (and in some cases, of owner behavior). Because of the dog's long association with mankind we tend to think we know all about them, but that is not the case.

New studies show that many of the things we thought we knew are wrong: Dogs are not totally color-blind, a wagging tail doesn't necessarily mean a dog is friendly, problem-solving to human standards is not always a canine's high priority.

In addition to the information on studies of dog behavior and physiology, Horowitz introduces us to her dog Pump (short for Pumpernickel) and uses her to illustrate many of the concepts given in the book.

Some chapters seem a little long a repetitious, but for the most part a dog owner will say--"Yes, that's my dog all right" and better understand Spot.

If you own a dog, or used to own a dog, or know a dog, this is an interesting and detailed book about the how and why of dog behavior (and in some cases, of owner behavior). Because of the dog's long association with mankind we tend to think we know all about them, but that is not the case.

New studies show that many of the things we thought we knew are wrong: Dogs are not totally color-blind, a wagging tail doesn't necessarily mean a dog is friendly, problem-solving to human standards is not always a canine's high priority.

In addition to the information on studies of dog behavior and physiology, Horowitz introduces us to her dog Pump (short for Pumpernickel) and uses her to illustrate many of the concepts given in the book.

Some chapters seem a little long a repetitious, but for the most part a dog owner will say--"Yes, that's my dog all right" and better understand Spot.

I always thought I owned a lot of books. Susan Hill owns tons more--and has more house to tuck them away in. Oh, to go live in Susan Hill's house.

Hill has written about her search for her copy of Howards End which leads her to a year of reading or rereading only books from her own collection--the forgotten or forsaken or formerly loved. Her chapters are short excursions through the bookshelves which always turn up some gem that sparks a memory of an old friend (she had met many of England's authors who were still alive in the 60's and 70's) or a favorite poem (she can quote extensively) or an alternative and perhaps better read.

She gives us charming stories of people like Sacheverell Sitwell, and whimsical chapters like "Bad Bed-Fellows" There is a moving tribute to Benjamin Britten and an impassioned plea for reading books slowly. As she wends her way among the books in her home, we learn more about Susan Hill and about the books themselves.

It made me think of forgotten authors, favorite authors, and some new-tp-me authors. I borrowed this from the library, but I may need my own copy.

Tina, I've signed up and got some slips in the box already. I've read some books I think some of you will really enjoy--I'll list them below. I'll start with the nonfiction I've been reading.

Six Suspects: A Novel by Vikas Swarup

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Vivek "Vicky" Rai,wealthy, spoiled, and throughly rotten, is murdered at his own party. The police arrest six people present with guns, all of whom have good reasons to shoot the guy. The book details the suspects in turn, showing why each might be the one who did him in.



Written by Vikas Swarup, who wrote Q & A which became the movie Slumdog Millionaire, this is a very readable book. The set up was just a little slow, but it was well worth going on with it.

The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health by Moosewood Collective

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love reading cookbooks for pleasure. Just reading the ingredient lists and mentally tasting them probably makes me gain pounds, but it also opens new possibilities.



The newest Moosewood cookbook is no exception. The vegetarian and vegan recipes sound absolutely yummy--and I am a person who normally eats veggies only out of a sense of duty. But I am ready to try Sweet Potato Walnut Salad on Argugula or Japanese Winter Stew or Whole Grain Crepes Filled with Chocolate and Walnuts. Or any number of other recipes in this book.



In addition to the recipes, each chapter has additional information, sometimes about specific vegetables or fruits, sometimes about nutritional matters. There are also numerous suggestions for ways to adapt recipes for dietary needs like gluten free meals.



The recipes look very do-able. The biggest problem I can see is that most of them serve 4-6 and I live in a household of 1. Maybe it's time for a dinner party.



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Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life by Jenna Woginrich

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


If you've ever had the urge to live a self sufficient life or the yen to play pioneer, but you don't really want to give up living in the city or the small town, this may be the book for you.

This is not about raising geese and making your own feather beds, but it is about the kind of farming and recycling that is possible on small lots, high-rise roof tops, and acreages.

Some of Jenna's stories of her own mistakes while learning the ropes are pretty amusing while others are kind of sad. There were places in the book where she comes across as sort of smug, but still it shows possibilities.

Her chapter about raising chickens made me check out the city ordinances on keeping poultry in town--who am I kidding; I doubt that I will ever do much more than the annual blight on the tomatoes in my one raised bed garden.



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Letters of E. B. White, Revised Edition by E.B. White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


E.B. White, who is perhaps best known for his three children's books (Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan), also wrote adult book, squibs for the New Yorker magazine, and revised and edited the Strunk Element's of Style. For a number of years he lived on a farm on the Maine coast where he was partial to poultry, especially of the goose variety.

In this book of letters that begins when he was eleven years old, it is possible to enjoy his personality and his writing style. Many of his letters include a touch of whimsey, often mixed with a dash of sarcasm, and even a smidgeon of cantankerous. I especially enjoyed his letters to his next older brother, whom he called Bun.

I wish I had someone who wrote me such great letters.



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If you enjoy Bill Bryson, might I recommend Into Thick Air: Biking to the Bellybutton of Six Continents by Jim Malusa. I just finished this book, and the writer's style reminded me of several of Bryson's book. Amusing, yet informational too.

Rachel, I really enjoyed The Heretic's Daughter. I'm looking forward to The Wolves of Andover.

Jack London, Photographer by Jeanne Campbell Reesman

I knew next to nothing about Jack London, and certainly didn't know that he was an accomplished photographer. This book features a small number of the several thousand of his works as a photo-journalist.
He used his camera in conjunction with his war reporting to good effect. The results of the reports he did in Korea during the Russo-Japanese War, 1904 are included here, as well as the work he did during the Mexican Revolution in 1914.
The first chapter, The People of the Abyss, is a study he wrote and published in 1903 on the London slums. It is oddly touching. The photos of the aftermath of the 1906 San Franciso Earthquake are much more emotionally removed.
The other two chapters are of two of the cruises he and his wife took to the South Seas.

Fascinating.

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A charming rather slow paced story of modern India.

Mr. Ali is retired and at loose ends so he opens a marriage bureau for Rich People at his home (thus allowing Mrs. Ali to discreetly keep her eye on things. Business is soon so good, he hires a young woman, Aruna, to be his assistant. We meet a number of his clients and discover what parents in India want for their children.

In the meantime, what the Alis want for their adult son seems unlikely to happen. And what Aruna wants for herself seems a huge impossibility.

The beiggest drawback to this novel is that Zama assumes the reader has no knowledge of India and thrusts large chunks of the culture down her throat. Much of it is interesting, but it sometimes gets in the way of the story. Still, it is a very pleasant book--a story told with gentle humor.



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I really enjoyed At Home. For me, it had just the right amount of historical "celebrity" gossip feel to it, mixed in with the history bits. It made for easy reading.

Told from a precocious five-year old's point of view, we learn of Jack's life--born in captivity, raised by a caring mother in an eleven foot square garden shed, and then exposed to the "real" world.
While some things seem unnatural and others simply crude, the story rings true, for both Jack and his mother. I could not put the book down.

Okay, I just finished The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York and I really liked it. I especially enjoyed the way Blum organized the book, with both the forensic lab and political histories and the information about the different poison families.

I've been debating whether to read this. I may have to put a hold on it.

When I picked this off the library shelf I thought, from the cover, it was going to be more of a romance. The book had a lot more information in it than I expected. (Sigh!) Another case of not judging a book by its cover.
I agree that it is a worthwhile book told in an engaging way. BUT not a romance.

I am going to be reading this for the GR Summer Challenge. I've read the first 8 or 10 pages, so am barely into it.

Welcome, Orrin. It's always good to mix new people in with the group. Some of us are pretty spasmatic about checking the page. (well, I am anyway.) But it's good to see you.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a most amazing book, biography, social commentary, medical research ethics, all presented lucidly and with dignity. Starting with the life of Henrietta Lacks, who died at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951, we learn about her family who do not learn of the use the scientific community has made of their mother's cells until years later. We are introduced to the doctors and researchers who used her cells to make great strides in scientific research. And we learn about the moral, ethical, and financial aspects that using those cells created.
Sklott creates a good balance between those issues, always trying to remind us that behind the scientific uses of the HeLa cells, there was a young woman and her family.
Thank you, Rebecca Skloot. And thank you, Henrietta Lacks.