Author Topic: Non-Fiction (Read 438938 times)

Babi · « **Reply #640 on:** November 12, 2009, 08:31:01 AM »

TO NONFICTION BOOK TALK

What are you reading? Autobiographies, biographies, history, politics?

Tell us about the book; the good and the bad of it.

Let's talk books!

Discussion Leader: HaroldArnold

I have heard that if you want to start studying a difficult subject it is
a good idea to begin with a children' book. It gives you a base of some terminology and simple explanations that can be readily grasped. Then you can go on to more sophisticated texts and not be totally bewildered.

ANNIE · « **Reply #641 on:** November 13, 2009, 07:38:04 AM »

This happened on Wednesday.

You are not going to believe me when I tell you that Cindy Gibbons just called me from the hospital and Ella fell off a curb in a shopping center this afternoon, outside B&N, and broke one ankle and sprained the other. Because she is on Plavix and has much swelling in both ankles, the drs can't operate on her broken ankle for a week. She has to come off the Plavix. She can't walk with a walker either, so, they are talking of sending her to nursing home for the week because Cindy has a really bad back and can't even lift her mom. All this on the day after her 81st birthday. Please keep them both in your prayers.

Babi · « **Reply #642 on:** November 13, 2009, 08:32:22 AM »

Been following Ella's mishap on some of the other sites. For those of you who may not know, ANNIE has been a great help and comfort for both Ella and Cindy. Thank Heaven for friends and family.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #643 on:** November 13, 2009, 05:11:15 PM »

We're missing you Ella, hope you can be back w/ us soon...............thanks for the info Annie...............jean

Jonathan · « **Reply #644 on:** November 13, 2009, 05:15:58 PM »

For Ella I'll say a prayer with all my heart. Does she have a favorite saint?

What dreadful news. Please, Annie, convey my sympathies and my wishes for a speedy recuperation. And isn't Ella lucky to have such a helpful friend like you.

serenesheila · « **Reply #645 on:** November 14, 2009, 03:46:12 PM »

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Ella))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I am so very sorry about your accident! I hope that you will get some good rest. This is a good time to get some more reading done. I am praying for your successful recovery.

Love, Sheila

mrssherlock · « **Reply #646 on:** November 14, 2009, 06:34:13 PM »

Ella: It's not the same without your witty posts. Hurry, get well, and come back. We miss you.

serenesheila · « **Reply #647 on:** November 18, 2009, 09:30:20 PM »

Has anyone had an update on Ella's situation? I miss her.

I began a new, non fiction book, called: " The Worst Hard Time". For much of my life, I have heard about the dust bowl. This book is bringing it to life, for me. I also saw a program about it, on either my PBS station, or the History channel. The author, is weaving several stories about the people who survived it. The author also writes that the dust storms came and went for over ten years. I didn't know that.

Sheila

marcie · « **Reply #648 on:** November 18, 2009, 10:34:10 PM »

Serenesheila, I'm watching the PBS "American Experience: Surviving the Dustbowl" program on my cable On Demand programming. What a terrible experience. That books sounds very interesting.

pedln · « **Reply #649 on:** November 18, 2009, 10:53:30 PM »

You are invited to a

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE for Book and Food Lovers

December 1 - 20

Guests will be YOU and authors of your favorite books that combine a good story with good tips on food. Do drop in and tell us about your favorite foodies, real and otherwise, be it Rachel Ray or Kate Jacobs or Tyler Florence or Joanne Harris. Who's your favorite cook?

CubFan · « **Reply #650 on:** November 18, 2009, 11:30:00 PM »

I read theWorst Hard Time within the last couple of years and found it very interesting. I also watched the PBS program this week and found it very similar to the book. As usual the book gives more information but the TV program did a good job of portraying the problem. Together they give a very good picture of the situation for those of us who were not around at that time. I, for one, had not realized how the entire country was affected i.e. that the dirt from the storms carried all the way to Atlantic Ocean. I had read Grapes of Wrath and was aware of those who had left the area but this book was the first time I read about those who stayed. Since it is non fiction it carries an even greater wallop than Steinbeck's historical fiction. In high school and college classes Worst Hard Time would be a good companion to Grapes of Wrath to give students an overall picture of the situation.

Mary

ANNIE · « **Reply #651 on:** November 19, 2009, 08:11:17 AM »

SHE'S BAAAAAAACK!!

Ella called me last night and now she is moving to a different place which is brand new, with single rooms, dedicated to therapy for post acute care. Annnnnnnnnd, they have WIFI! So, we have talked her into buying a laptop!! Yaaaaay!
She really sounded good. Like her old self. She had been to see the surgeon who will operate on her right foot early next week and then it will be about 2 months before she can leave the post acute care place but when she does, the dr says she will be walking out the door! "Its a 'murical', Clyde!!"

maryz · « **Reply #652 on:** November 19, 2009, 01:56:28 PM »

Wonderful news, Adoannie! And, of course, she WILL love the laptop!

ANNIE · « **Reply #653 on:** November 20, 2009, 09:23:05 AM »

Does anyone in here know why the Civil War was fought? What issues caused us to go to war??
I just read a line in our February book, "America's Prophet" and wondered if it was correct.

CubFan · « **Reply #654 on:** November 20, 2009, 10:04:02 AM »

I think the causes that were answers on history tests included:

The South:

economics - the tariff laws were hurting the Southern economy

statess rights - the South was upset with what they considered federal government interference in state matters

slavery - which was reflected in economics and states' rights

The North:

to preserve the country

because the North had been attack

and for some slavery issue - but in most instances the Northern soldiers did not consider themselves as fighting for the "Negro"

What did "America's Prophet" say?

Mary

Frybabe · « **Reply #655 on:** November 20, 2009, 10:10:57 AM »

Here is what About.com has to say about the top five causes of the Civil War.

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/civilwarmenu/a/cause_civil_war.htm

By the way, when I read The Highland Clearances by John Peebles, he did not have nice things to say about Harriet Beecher Stowe and her book, Uncle Tom's Cabin. He claimed that is was not well researched (that Stowe only spent one weekend in the South), and it was highly inaccurate. It's popularity on an emotional level, however, is undeniable. The book, among other things, helped rally the anti-slavery movement here and abroad. Stowe was quite popular in England.

CubFan, I see you beat me to it.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #656 on:** November 20, 2009, 12:45:44 PM »

Just finished American Empress: Marjorie Merriwether Post, by Nancy Rubin. It would be a good book for a book discussion. She's involved in so many pieces of the history of the first half of the 20th century. And there is the Christian Science aspect, her beautiful houses, her Russian arts collection, (her homes and collectioins can be seen on the web), her marriages, her massive wealth and what she does w/ it, etc.

When i hear of people w/ money spending millions on houses and yatchs and collections i fine them interesting to see and think how beautiful they are, but then my brain goes to " How many people could have been fed, housed or educated with that money?" How many houses does one family need? That's a constant ambivalence in my head. MMP did give money for many projects including the C.W. Post College in Long Island and a hospital in France after WWI for vets, and started a program for young people to be exposed to the Washington Symphony and classical music. But 110 rooms in Mar A Lago? What do you do w/ 110 rooms? And that's just in ONE of her houses, I wondered if she actually went into each of rooms in each of her houses in a year.
Her family relationships also are an interesting example that being wealthy does not necessarily equate to happiness.

Anyway, i found it a book worth reading and enjoyed it and it gave me a lot to think about.......................jean

Babi · « **Reply #657 on:** November 21, 2009, 08:34:35 AM »

JEAN

Quote

When i hear of people w/ money spending millions on houses and yachts and collections i fine them interesting to see and think how beautiful are, but then my brain goes to "How many people could have been fed housed or educated with that money?" How many houses does one family need?"

That's pretty much my own reaction, JEAN. I guess we all hope that
we would have done more good with that kind of money.

ANNIE · « **Reply #658 on:** November 21, 2009, 11:13:54 AM »

Thank you Cubfan and Frybabe for those answers to the Civil War cause. I have downloaded them to my workroom and will probably put them up on our awaiting discussion "America's Prophet" IF that is all right with you.
The book's initial mention of the cause was the State's Rights question. I had always heard also that when the buyers from other countries stopped or were advised to stop buying cotton from the South that that was one of the causes also. And, of course, there were always the Northern manufacturers of dry goods who lost their direct line to cotton when the South seceded, and who signed up with the Union's retaliation.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" had quite an effect on the war also. Lincoln lightly accused Harriet Beecher Stowe for causing the war. Well researched or not, that book did have a huge impact on decision to go to war.

JimNT · « **Reply #659 on:** November 21, 2009, 12:59:21 PM »

I'm reading What it Takes by Richard Ben Cramer, and why I've allowed it to remain unread on my bookshelves this long is a tragic mistake. The book was copywrited in 1989 and concerns the presidential aspirations and campaigns of six political figures: Geo H W Bush, Robert Dole, Richard Gephart, Michael Dukakis, Gary Hart, and Joe Biden. It is a well written, thoroughly researched, page turner. I'm probably one of only a few who haven't read it many yrs ago, but on the off chance you haven't, please give it a try. You won't regret it.

PatH · « **Reply #660 on:** November 21, 2009, 08:08:51 PM »

Welcome, JimNT, I hope you'll share lots of your reading with us.

Cubfan, we spent a lot of time in the "Team of Rivals" discussion on the causes of the Civil War, but I don't think I could have summarized it so neatly. Frybabe, your link filled in some gaps, especially the economic causes, which were crucial. Ann, if you want to comb through our discussion, it's archived here:

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=271.0

There are some useful links, as well as, on later pages, some questions that point the way.

Babi · « **Reply #661 on:** November 22, 2009, 08:11:29 AM »

Greetings, JimNT. I fear it would be all to easy for me to let a book
slip out of mind once it is shelved. My to-be-read stack remains in a
piile on the counter until read. No telling what my happen to them otherwise.

JimNT · « **Reply #662 on:** November 22, 2009, 10:32:43 AM »

Quote from: ClassicsAdmin on January 03, 2009, 06:46:19 PM

TO NONFICTION BOOK TALK

What are you reading? Autobiographies, biographies, history, politics?

Tell us about the book; the good and the bad of it.

Let's talk books!

mabel1015j · « **Reply #663 on:** November 22, 2009, 11:49:34 AM »

Just starting Gail Colins' book When Everything Changed, a women's history from the 1960's to the present. Gail was/is a editor/writer for the NYT and is a close friend of a close friend of mine. She included an event where our mutural friend Janet and i met Alice Paul on her 92nd birthday in 1977. GC wrote a previous book on women's history, America's Women: 400 YEars of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines. She uses ordinary women's stories to illustrate what was happening in many areas since 1960. It brings back so many memories - probably similar to what people say about Mad Men i.e. skirts only! wearing girdles even when we weighed 100 lbs, suburbia in the 60's, The Feminine Mystique, women becoming the majority voters in 1960, Jackie Kennedy's transition of the "first lady" job, no women varsity sports in high schools, having to quit job when four months pregnant, and more and more and that's just the first 100 pgs I can't wait to get to the later decades...................................I think it would be a fun book to discuss.............it might motivate me to have a women's gathering at my house after the holidays. ......................jean

mrssherlock · « **Reply #664 on:** November 22, 2009, 01:29:39 PM »

Mabel: I have that book waiting for me at the library. I'm eager to read it and to me it seems like the basis for a good discussion. I'll pick it up on Tuesday; it's supposed to rain buckets today but Tuesday may be better and the library is closed on Mondays.

JoanK · « **Reply #665 on:** November 22, 2009, 07:50:12 PM »

It sounds really good.

marcie · « **Reply #666 on:** November 22, 2009, 09:00:03 PM »

Welcome, JimNT, and thank you for the recommendation of "WHAT IT TAKES." It sounds like a very informative and interesting book.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #667 on:** November 23, 2009, 01:36:32 PM »

I've been "reading along" in Salt by Kurlansky for about 2 months. It's one of those books you can read a bit and put down for something else and then come back to it. I should have realized, but didn't have in my conscious mind how important salt has been to human beings over the centuries. Of COURSE our bodies have to have it and i never tho't about whether every person, every where would have access to it. I was well aware of the need to have it to preserve food and i knew that it was valued and bartered.

The variety of ways that have been used to extract salt from the earth are very interesting and did you know that any European town whose name ends in "wich" was probably a salt producing town?

I had tried to read his book Cod, but i didn't get all the way thru it. A little of it was more than enough, but Salt is more interesting, to me...............jean

evergreen · « **Reply #668 on:** November 23, 2009, 01:59:08 PM »

I'm a new poster, but a longtime evesdropper. There are so many different kinds of non-fiction.

I've just finished Lords of Finance by Ahmed, which is the story of the various economies and the central bankers of England, France, Germany, and the US following WW1 leading up to the turmoil of the late 20's. He writes so clearly and concisely he had even me understanding Keynes' economic theories. This is a fairly new book, and of course, he drew parallels to today's problems. Definitely recommend the book to anyone interested in this subject.
In contrast, and also in the non-fiction category, I've recently read Julia Child's My Life in France in which she describes her experiences in France beginning in 1948. One interesting tidbit was that Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, was one of her friends. According to Julia, the Hemingway's son was a member of the OSS during WW2 (I think they called him Mr. Bumby or something like that for a nickname) and was a WW2 hero, aiding American GI's who went down behind enemy lines to safety.
I couldn't recommend this book unless you want to know in great detail what Julia had for lunch 50 or 60 years ago. I know I can't remember what I had for lunch last week. LOL.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #669 on:** November 23, 2009, 02:05:35 PM »

I often wonder about the descendants of famous names in history and what are they doing now? Are there descendants of Lincoln? What are the Hemmingway progeny doing besides acting? How about the Vanderbilts - of course there's Anderson Cooper - the Fords, the Roosevelts, the Stowes, did Frederick Douglas have children, now great-grandchildren? ..............................etc, etc, ..................jean

mrssherlock · « **Reply #670 on:** November 23, 2009, 03:53:22 PM »

One of the premier foodies writing about France in her early years is M F K Fisher. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._F._K._Fisher

I was reading her when Julia Child was a new TV personality. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._F._K._Fisher

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Eating-M-F-Fisher/dp/0020322208

While she talks about recipes she is talking about living and eating and loving.

JoanK · « **Reply #671 on:** November 23, 2009, 09:54:33 PM »

The Julia Child book sounds good-- others have told me they liked it. Hers was an interesting story.

The book on the economy sounds good, too. I have heard that the banks are still doing what they were doing before, just slightly restrained by the new restrictions. I wish I understood more about it.

Frybabe · « **Reply #672 on:** November 24, 2009, 12:53:05 AM »

Mabel I read Salt a few years ago. I don't think the author left a salt grain unsifted. Fascinating. Everything you ever wanted to know about salt and lot more. I was especially interested in the different mineral impurities and how people used the different salts for medicine, etc., the bit about Avery Island and the McIlhennys, and salt mines being of strategic importance during the Civil War.

ANNIE · « **Reply #673 on:** November 24, 2009, 05:58:44 AM »

Our f2f group at the senior center has been engrossed in "Outliers" by Gladwell. I became so engrossed in his ideas that I have read it twice. Fascinating! Now, I am finally interested in reading his book, "Blink".

Evergreen, what a nice user name! So good to have you join us.

Babi · « **Reply #674 on:** November 24, 2009, 08:45:44 AM »

Thanks for the 'wich' bit, JEAN. I love bits of trivia. I recently saw a
bit on TV..I think it was actually an ad.....that explained that salt is
found in many different colors, depending on where it is found. I had no
idea. Green salt, pink salt, orange salt, etc., etc. I wonder if they are
all edible, and if the flavor is affected. Does your book comment on that?

ALF43 · « **Reply #675 on:** November 24, 2009, 12:12:40 PM »

Hey, I just saw that book Salt yesterday in a book store that I spent the afternoon in. It looked very interesting.
Mabel, do you think we might find any answer to that in S of C? Posted on: November 23, 2009, 02:05:35 PMPosted by: mabel1015j

Quote

I often wonder about the descendants of famous names in history and what are they doing now?

ALF43 · « **Reply #676 on:** November 24, 2009, 12:14:02 PM »

Annie, what is Outliers about, pray tell!

evergreen · « **Reply #677 on:** November 24, 2009, 02:12:06 PM »

I'm intrigued by Outliers too. I saw Gladwell discuss his book with Charlie Rose one evening, and one of the thoughts was that people are not necessarily born gifted in one area or another. If someone spends huge chunks of his life practicing the piano, or working on gymnastics, etc. he will excell in that area. Wonder how he'd apply that to Mozart.

I'm going to add his book to my list............

Babi · « **Reply #678 on:** November 25, 2009, 08:56:36 AM »

Well, EVERGREEN, apparently he did say "not necessarily". I'm
sure lifelong practice and development of skills will go far, tho' not to
the point of genius, IMO

If you are interested in descendents of the famous, you might find this link interesting.
http://photography-thedarkart.blogspot.com/2009/05/descendants.html

ANNIE · « **Reply #679 on:** November 25, 2009, 09:28:37 AM »

"Outlier:The Story of Success:" is about one man's putting together many statistics of his own selection to point out why some people make it to the top and some do not. His premise about practicing 10,000 hours will make you an Ace in your sphere of knowledge is just his conclusion. He makes a lot of sense sometimes and sometimes, IMHO, he's really reaching far. But the book is fascinating and well worth the read.

I now have Gladwell's "'Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" where "he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within." Book cover.

His first book was "Tipping Point" where Gladwell "redefined how we understand the world around us."Book cover.

Our f2f group read "Salt" quite a while ago and really enjoyed it.

Mabel asks an interesting question about descendents of famous people. One could make a hobby of 'googling' them. And Babi found a link to that info. I must go see it.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

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Author Topic: Non-Fiction (Read 438938 times)