Unprotected

Posted on June 24th, 2009

A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness in Her Profession Endangers Every Student

Author: Anonymous MD
Review: June 23, 2009
Edition: Copyright 2006
Pages: 151—notes & index sections expand it to 200
Overall Rating: 4/5 [Good]
Synopsis: Political correctness in the field of psychiatry/psychology prevents campus health centers from keeping their patients (especially female patients) from knowing important information on sexual health.
Strengths: Strong factual basis with a LOT of research, non-political tone despite the title (eg, author does not take sides on issues such as abortion).
Weaknesses: Very informally written.
Further Review: This book is…eye-opening in many ways. As a woman, it’s infuriating how a lot of information in this book is withheld by health-care professionals because they do not want to be accused of—politics, basically. This book is rather lean, but tons of research went into it; I think this book is great as an introduction and once the facts are given, it will now be easier to find more information on the topics—particularly with the help of articles and books listed in the ‘notes’ section, from where the author’s research came. For me, the most interesting section discusses how, chemically, sex is different for men than women; also, I did not know that the younger a woman is the more likely she is to contract a sexually-transmitted disease due to the transformation zone of the cervix. Actually, there are a lot of facts about women’s sexual health in here that REALLY NEED to be taught in high school health class. It’s extremely wrong that such things aren’t explained when sexual behavior is covered in such a class, and ought to ignite feelings of betrayal and indignation from women’s rights groups.

Posted in Health, Society & Politics | No Comments »

To the Lighthouse

Posted on June 19th, 2009

Author: Virginia Woolf
Review: June 19, 2009
Edition: 1978 printing
Pages: 310
Overall Rating: 3/5 [Average-Good]
Synopsis: Everyone has private worlds—sensitivities that aren’t immediately understood, hopes and dreams that are affected by these sensitivities, and different interpretations for every object.  This book explores those connections by examining the thoughts of a host of varied characters.
Strengths: —
Weaknesses: —
Further Review: I hesitate to actually review this book, because I’ve never read anything like it before and lack a frame of reference by which to judge it.  The novel is, to me, both interesting and depressing.  The prose is beautiful and unique, particularly in describing settings (my favorite part of the book is part II), but the actual characters—feel very alien to me.  I know this work is highly introspective, but the characters’ moods and feelings change SO rapidly that it’s disconcerting.  They are sensitive to a psychologically disturbing degree, and after finishing the novel as I went to read about Virginia Woolf’s life (this is my first novel by her) I was not surprised to see she struggled with intense depressive episodes.  If my thoughts ran similar to any of the characters I’d be going mad, too. That is, I would not want to experience life as any of the characters do, especially Lily Briscoe.  Although I admire her strength in choosing to do what she loves (painting) over marrying or giving in to Charles Tansley’s petulant insults, she is even more exhausting than the others.  On the other hand, their thought processes were interesting and their personalities believable albeit a little extreme.

As a symbol, I appreciate the lighthouse; this was beautifully selected to represent the journey of the characters’ struggles to a final conclusion, since the lighthouse itself is such a lonely, solitary figure, so that even when the characters receive what they want (Lily, her vision completed; James, approval from his father; Cam, harmony) it’s still that each character has their own, very introverted and private desire that is not shared at all with anybody. Perfectly accented with Mr. Ramsey quoting, “We perished, each alone.”

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Washington Square

Posted on June 10th, 2009

Author: Henry James
Review: June 09, 2009
Edition: 1998 printing
Pages: 166
Overall Rating: 4/5 [Good]
Synopsis: An exploration of love and greed. Catherine is a wealthy young woman without many good characteristics—she isn’t pretty, she’s not very sociable, and she certainly isn’t clever. But she’s lived a lonely, unnoticed life with her brilliant father whom she adores dearly, although he’s constantly disappointed in her. But when a young man comes along who seems to Catherine to be genuine and genuinely good despite the actuality of the situation, her entire life is thrown in disarray as she has to choose between one cruel keeper or another.
Strengths: Interesting characters, believable psychology.
Weaknesses: Grammar, lacks in complexity.
Further Review: I really liked how at its core, this book showed basically how withholding affection can be more corrupting than money. Catherine’s attraction to Morris seems to stem from the huge lack of affection and interest afforded her by her father, since her suitor is the complete opposite—open, affable, doting. Even though Morris ends up being cruel to Catherine, and her aunt is incorrigibly rude and meddling, the biggest problem for Catherine is actually her attachment to her father, and defying him scars her far more than Morris.

Anyway, I did enjoy the book but I found it lacked complexity. It was narrated as and felt like a mere account of something, not like a story. Still, it was a brief and easy read that was enjoyable in its own way. My only big complaint is that I really dislike Henry James’s grammar. He uses so many commas that it becomes cumbersome and detracts from the story. It’s been a long time since I’ve read Henry James previously, so I don’t remember if this is his style or if it was affected on purpose just for the narration.

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Shinto: The Kami Way

Posted on June 8th, 2009

Author: Sokyo Ono
Review: June 08, 2009
Edition: 1999 printing
Pages: 112
Overall Rating: 4/5 [Good]
Synopsis: An introduction to the Shinto religion practiced in Japan.
Strengths: Covers a broad range of topics, includes drawings and diagrams.
Weaknesses: Very lightweight.
Further Review: This is a guide mainly useful in showing how Shintoism is practiced rather than what’s being celebrated. Despite being a little outdated, I found this book a useful introduction to Shinto—it gives a very good starting place for those interested in learning more. Basically, I’ve treated it as a little handbook that summarized concepts so that I can go off and…well, use Google…to find more information about each of the concepts, which I wouldn’t have known about without the book. I would not recommend this to a reader who wants to know more about the kami, mythology, or ethics teachings related to the Shinto religion. This book is a bit of history, a bit of architecture (which I would have liked a LOT more of, really), a bit of beliefs, and quite a bit culture (author continually stresses how integral Shintoism is to the Japanese way of life/thinking).

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If the Stars Are Gods

Posted on April 28th, 2009

Author: Gregory Benford & Gordon Eklund
Review: April 28, 2009
Edition: 1981 printing
Pages: 215
Overall Rating: 4/5 [Good]
Synopsis: What is it that living creatures seek among the stars? Bradley, an astronomer and Mars astronaut, learns that not all races search for simple facts. . .  The first alien contacts, for instance, wonder if the sun loves its people. This simple statement so contrary to human understanding spurs a probing of the galaxy that spans, for Bradley, his entire life. . .
Strengths: Well-written stylistically, use of math, interesting concepts.
Weaknesses: Sometimes confusing, pacing is sometimes weirdly done.
Further Review: When I finished this book I was extremely confused. At first I didn’t understand what any of the concepts had amounted to; I didn’t know what Reynolds’s conclusion in the end is and, in many ways, I didn’t understand his questions. However, after reading about Plato’s argument in Book X of Law (this article, to be precise) it suddenly all clicked–Plato, in trying to prove that the stars are god, made the argument that stars and gods have three things in common: they are everlasting, they are benevolent, and they are intelligent. Given that all three of these concepts are explored in different degrees via three (or four?) alien lifeforms, this book is a really strong, speculative execution of exactly the title–what if Plato is right? What if the stars are gods?
This book shows how humanity behaves on the first steps into galactic interaction–working on Jupiter and Saturn’s moon Titan in order to understand a message from far away, and the problems that are overcome to arrive at a working conclusion. Despite its adventurous overtone, the real theme is of course humanity and what that entails, from Corey’s tragedy to Mara’s adaptation.

Overall, I’m still a little confused about some parts of the story and would appreciate any other readers of the book to share their thoughts with me!

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Wrap-up

Posted on April 19th, 2009

I didn’t do a final wrap-up post last night as I just fell asleep instead–actually, I went to bed during the last hour a bit before it was the proper time. Oh well!
I’m going to fill out this final hour survey now; I know it’s not ‘on time’ but I was too sleepy to participate in anything else last night!

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
The final ones, undoubtedly.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Actually, none of the books I read were really page-turners; all three of them ended up being subtler and more speculative! The exact opposite of my last Read-a-Thon, where ever book I read was an action one. Anyway, The Songs of Distant Earth was pretty difficult to put down, despite being centered on an emotional plot.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Not in general; personally, I’m going to actually sleep more the night before LOL. I am too old to stay up two nights in a row.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
I think this Read-a-Thon was amazing! All the cheerleaders did a really good job and made such a huge effort to not only visit everyone, but to leave meaningful comments. I think the readers did well too by keeping up with blog posts and interacting! Also, there were lots of mini-challenges! Although I didn’t really participate in many, it was fun to read the posts of those who did… particularly the limericks! Finally, I think the hosts did a good job of getting and keeping things organized and consistently updating.

5. How many books did you read?
Three and part of a fourth.

6. What were the names of the books you read?
In the order in which I finished them: Ten Thousand Light-years From Home by James Tiptree, Jr., Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia, and The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke. I am also about a third of the way through with If the Stars Are Gods by Gregory Benford and Gordon Eklund.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?
The Songs of Distant Earth definitely. I also enjoyed Ten Thousand Light-years From Home, but I didn’t find it as moving or interesting.

8. Which did you enjoy least?
Dreaming in Cuban. I really disliked it.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
No, I wasn’t. I just want to say thanks again to this year’s cheerleaders. (=

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I doubt I’ll participate either this October or next April because I’ll be overloading semesters at school (six classes a semester, most of which are lab classes and the rest of which are math) in order to be graduating this time next year with my BS, and I’m also an honours student which means lots of projects and GPA-obsessing. I can’t imagine myself having the time or resources to be in the Read-a-Thon. BUT, hopefully it’ll still be going strong the year after–at which point I’ll certainly be a reader again!

I hope everyone had a good time reading for 24 hours (or however many you completed)! I still need to reply to a few comments, but I’ll do that after I’ve finished my homework. =_=

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The Final Hours

Posted on April 19th, 2009

I suppose we are almost done now, aren’t we?
I’m kind of glad, to be honest, because I’m becoming sleepy. I guess gone are the days when I could stay up several nights in a row without noticing any effects! It’s now almost 3:00 AM here. I will probably perk up in another hour or so… (but no more caffeine, because I have a little stomach-ache from too much of that!)

Either that or I just need to read something really exciting for my next book… Although I’m tempted to pick out something short to see if I can finish another book before the ending of the Read-a-Thon… hah.

The good news is that all three books I’ve read thus far (The Songs of Distant Earth, Ten Thousand Light-years From Home, and Dreaming in Cuban) have all actually been on some of my challenges for the year! There’s some hope I will accomplish some goals this year. ;)

Have y’all managed to strike off another book on a challenge?

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The Songs of Distant Earth

Posted on April 19th, 2009

Author: Arthur C. Clarke
Review: April 19, 2009
Edition: 1987 printing
Pages: 313–some extra stuff extends it to 319
Overall Rating: 4/5 [Good]
Synopsis: As the sun approaches its final days, man knows he must leave Earth or be swallowed… centuries before this, mother ships are sent out to seed habitable worlds with human life. On one such planet, Thalassa, plentiful resources, strategic planning, and a strong society have yielded a paradise among the lifeless galaxy. This idyllic world could continue indefinitely, until the very last survivors of Earth arrive.
Strengths: Strong use of the time’s theoretical science (particularly of particle physics, more specifically the neutrino), poignant writing, consistent and developed characters.
Weaknesses: Questionable/unrealistically simplified society.
Further Review: This is a very bittersweet tale that uses science fiction to explore very human themes–love, grief, the spirit of exploration. All the dramas of human society are underscored by the larger effects of space exploration, particularly in the absence of Earth. Arthur C. Clarke very strongly captures a sense of loss and pain that would accompany a total, irrevocable departure from Earth. While Thalassa may seem a veritable paradise to the last exiles from Earth, the main characters realize and painfully accept that nothing can completely eradicate the farewell of the world they were born to live in. Furthermore, the book briefly touches on the theme of distance, of time–an interstellar explorer who spends hundreds of years in ’stasis’ will wake up with day-old memories of events that happend five lifetimes beforehand. This is one of my favorite themes in sci-fi/fantasy literature (I guess I’m just tragic =_=) and I think here it’s outlined well.

My complaints with the book lie in two areas: Thalass’s oversimplified society and the integration of the overlying plot with the emotional plot. To voice my dissatisfaction with the first, it seems to me that the view of paradise is way over-simplified–Clarke seems here to show a lot of faith in mechanisms that would render the place perfect, but I have sincere doubts about the effectivenes of everything he writes about. I don’t think I have an unnecessarily pessimistic view of human society–on the contrary, I think MOST people genuinely want to do the right thing–but I just can’t see any realistic aspect to Thalass. And my last gripe is that some parts of the story’s plot don’t seem useful to the emotional plot, or vice versa. For instance, the subplot with the scorpions feels almost random… However, this is probably just my sleep-deprived brain failing to pick up some intricate symbolism. I also didn’t appreciate the snubbing of religion, either, but because this is a more personal issue for me I wouldn’t let it affect my overall rating in recommending this book to someone else.

Overall, however, the beautiful passages and the strong human undercurrent outweigh the negative aspects of the experience by a long shot. My enjoyment of the book was greatly enhanced by playing some of Mike Oldfield’s album of the same name to certain paragraphs. Mike Oldfield is one of my favorite artists, and ultimately why I picked this particular novel out of the huge number Clarke has written… (Although I do hope to read a lot more by him! This isn’t my first encounter with his writing, but by far my favorite.)

Of course, it’s also nice to have some actual ‘hard science,’ even if it is out-dated! What I really like about this era of sci-fi (Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, etc.) is a really speculative sense of the future. Even if such ideas usually get proven untrue ten years down the road, they are far more thought-provoking than the usual fare which just throws in all the familiar props of modern “sci”-fi without explaining anything…

Here’s one my favorite passages in the book–and there are many poetic passages that are stirring; it comes in a later segment, but it doesn’t spoil any of the plot, story, or characters’ feelings (I cut it off before the big event) so it’s harmless in that sense.

At first it seemed that she was hearing the deepest note of a giant harp whose strings were stretched between the worlds. It sent shivers down her spine, and she felt the little hairs at the nape of her neck stirring in that immemorial fear response forged in the primeval jungles of Earth.
Then, as she grew accustomed to it, she became aware of a whole spectrum of shifting overtones covering the range of hearing to the very limits of audibility–and doubtless far beyond. They blurred and merged one into the other, as inconstant, yet steadily repeating, as the sounds of the sea.
The more she listened, the more she was reminded of the endless beating of the waves upon a desolate beach. She felt that she was hearing the sea of space wash upon the shores of all its worlds–a sound terrifying in its meaningless futility as it reverberated through the aching emptiness of the universe…

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Mid-Event Survey

Posted on April 18th, 2009

1. What are you reading right now?
The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke. I’m liking it so far–I’m only about 100 pages in (of ~300), but I’m hooked. (=

2. How many books have you read so far?
This is my third… I always thought I was a pretty quick reader, but Read-a-Thon convinces me otherwise. ;)

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Not sure yet–I didn’t pick out any of my books in advance; I want to read according to mood!

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
I’m not going for my usual run–but I think I would have skipped over this anyway, since my knee has been hurting the past few days. >_< I run over 4.25 miles a day, so that’s forty minutes I’ve freed up. Since it’s a Saturday… that’s about it! Oh, I’m also procrastinating on homework until tomorrow, but of course that’s a normal event and not exclusive to the Read-a-Thon.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Luckily, not too many! My cat is of course driving me crazy. She keeps trying to ‘pet’ me–which is painful (as a matter of fact, she’s doing it right now!), howling to go in and out of doors, crunching away at her cat food…
My youngest sister was out of town for last night and most of today (visiting Baylor University, one of her prospective schools!), and in my household she provides the most distraction. We hang out a lot.
And I’m about to go eat out (taking my book with me!); I initially wasn’t going to go, since I usually don’t (I don’t like eating out, most of the experience is lost on me since I have a hard time listening to people in restaurants), but my family just HAD to pick my favorite local place…

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
Not much! :D I guess just how quickly time is going by.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope, sorry. I like it the way it is. :D

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Nothing. I like going about it this way. Perhaps I would be more out-going in comments, but that’s highly variable on my moods anyway.

9. Are you getting tired yet?
Nah, it’s only 7:30pm here!

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
Nope–just that I’m grateful for everyone who has stopped by here and left comments; it makes the Read-a-Thon more fun and gives it a sense of strong community. I love it!

Posted in Read-a-Thon | 4 Comments »

Dreaming in Cuban

Posted on April 18th, 2009

Author: Cristina Garcia
Review: April 18, 2009
Edition: 1993 printing
Pages: 245
Overall Rating: 1/5 [Bad]
Synopsis: The story of three generations of a Cuban family, and the boundaries that separate them.
Strengths: Occasional moments of lyrical writing.
Weaknesses: Frequently forced-feeling, pretentious, imbalanced.
Further Review: This book uses a rather forced-feeling magic realism style; it’s as if the author got all the style’s points right on a technical note, but not on a more symbolic or spiritual level–almost as if she read about the style but not many works within the style. In its best moments it does obtain that movement present in other magic realism stories, but mostly it just has a certain plastic or fake feel to it.
I have a very difficult time feeling sympathy for the characters, especially Pilar. They all come across as whiny, insane, self-absorbed, and melodramatic and never really grow as characters. Celia especially bothers me, being the most self-worshiping of the lot.

Overall, it’s painfully obvious that this is a first novel. I feel like I didn’t come away with anything after reading this.

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