A Review of Joseph Mitchell’s Joe Gould’s Secret

Joseph Mitchell, a nonfiction writer, creates novel-like true stories. The way he describes characters and places is vivid and provocative. In Joe Gould’s Secret he embarks on the task of getting to know a town “bohemian” named Joe Gould, and he ends up becoming annoyed with Gould, but also sympathizing with the man. 

Joe Gould was the son of a once-wealthy doctor. His Dad ran into some financial troubles and died when Joe was young and trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Gould, a Harvard grad, decided to moved from Norwood, Massachusetts to New York and begin writing what he called, “An Oral History.” According to Mitchell, Gould spent his days working on his excessively large book and living off of donations to the “Joe Gould fund” from the townspeople. Eventually we find out that “An Oral History” might not even exist, and that Gould succeeded in an elaborate scheme to make a name for himself. 

I give the story 3 out of 5 stars. Mitchell’s unique account is beautifully-written, showing both sympathies and frustrations with Joe Gould’s character, and one can’t help but root for both Mitchell and Gould. They are two individuals interested in the human desire to find a place in this confusing world. 

Life Lessons 

• Sometimes living a purposeful life simply involves fabricating that purpose and sticking to your story. Joe Gould decided that he was going to tell people that he was working on “An Oral History.” That became his purpose because he said so. I think happiness depends more on a having a sense of purpose in our own minds rather than in the minds of others. Although Joe Gould’s Secret also shows that it is helpful to have the support of the masses as well, creating our own sense of purpose is more valuable. 
• Sometimes a person can go from despicable to admirable simply from one person viewing said person in a different light. It was interesting to see the effect of Mitchell’s The New Yorker article on Joe Gould’s reputation with the townspeople. 

A Review of Kay Redfield Jamison’s An Unquiet Mind

Before I read Jamison’s memoir An Unquiet mind, I had never read an author that could make symptoms of an illness both desirable and feared at the same time.  Kay Redfield Jamison knows first-hand what it is like to suffer from manic-depressive illness, and she has devoted her life to helping people with mental illnesses like her own. Her memoir captures the invigorating and overly sensuous side of her manic states alongside the dark emotional caverns of depression. 

Jamison’s full-disclosure is both poetic and eye-opening. “The ideas and feelings are fast and frequent like shooting stars, and you follow them until you find better and brighter ones,” she claims, describing her manic states (67). She juxtaposes her elation with her depression: “Everything previously moving with the grain is now against – you are irritable, angry, frightened, uncontrollable, and enmeshed totally in the blackest caves of the mind” (67). 

I give An Unquiet Mind 4 out of 5 stars for Jamison’s ability to turn her struggles, experiences, psychiatric expertise into a work of literary genius. She has turned the mind into a work of art and shed light on what it is like to live with manic-depressive illness. 

 

Life Lessons 

• Don’t underestimate the power of psychiatric medications to save lives. Jamison discusses the unfortunate side-effects of lithium but at the same time acknowledges the role of the medication in allowing her to live a normal life. Curing symptoms of manic-depressive illness is more complicated than simply taking your meds. It also requires a willingness to take the meds. 
• Write what you have experienced AND studied. Kay Redfield Jamison is a credible authority on manic-depressive illness not only because she has studied it, is a psychiatrist, and received a doctoral degree, but also because she has lived though the illness herself. 
• This book illustrates why someone might prefer to experience the effects of a disorder over the side effects of a medication. On Lithium, Jamison could barely read, and she had a harder time focusing. 
• Full disclosure can be liberating and productive in our lives. Maybe we need to share more of our secrets and histories in order to have a brighter future. 

A Review of Jay Neugeboren’s Imagining Robert: A Memoir

Mental illness can often be taboo. It can be scary, a condition so many face on a daily basis but refuse to talk about at the dinner table. Why is it a forbidden topic of conversation? Are we afraid that if we talk about it, someone will suspect us of having a mental illness? Are we afraid that by addressing the issues of the mind, we will discover that all of us are crazy? 

Jay Neugeboren’s memoir about his brother struggling with bipolar disorder lays it all on the table.  Imagining Robert chronicles Robert’s (the author’s brother) experiences in and out of psychiatric hospitals and how his family members cope with the difficult times. It’s a book steeped in research, not only about Neugeboren’s own family history, but about the mental health care system and mental illness in general –  a narrative with support. Neugeboren illuminates the relationship with his brother, shedding a light on a topic not frequently discussed, the plight of mental illness patients. 

Imagining Robert adequately addresses a complex mental illness. The cause of bipolar disorder is somewhat a mystery. As mentioned in the book, there are no primary visible neurobiological effects of bipolar disorder in the brain. This leads us to look elsewhere for causes, like to the environment, which often complicates relationships with family and friends. The book has captured the feelings of embarrassment and guilt that abound in a family affected by mental illness, and it also uncovers the inadequacy of mental health care in treating an illness that, not only do we have little funding for, but we also know very little about. 

Neugeboren gives a broad scope of his brother’s trials and tribulations. Instead of simply portraying his brother’s life as a “battle,” a term we often use when someone is living with an illness, the author discusses the “Romantic notions of the-artist-as-inspired-and-misunderstood-madman.” He details Robert’s outgoing and creative personality, as well as his ability to stay positive even after being in and out of hospitals for thirty years. This book shows more than just a “battle” with mental illness. It shows a unique and amazing individual with a brother that cares deeply for him. 3 out of 5 stars!

Life Lessons 

• It’s often impossible to pinpoint one cause of a mental illness. Therefore, blaming oneself or others for what goes haywire in the brain can be futile. 
• This memoir got me wondering about the self-fulfilling prophecy. The first time Robert was committed to the psychiatric hospital it was because he lied on the tests. He was interested to see what the inside of the hospitals were like. How much of his insanity was spurred by society telling him he was crazy. 
• There is a fine line between creativity and what society deems insane. Many of the creatives in history were bipolar, including, as I found out from this book, Leo Tolstoy. 

A review of Dan Harris’s 10% Happier

I am always wary of reading a book written by someone already in the public eye. Publishers and publicists know that celebrities will easily sell celebrity books because the authors have already sold themselves. Where is the incentive to produce quality writing? I fell for the celebrity trap with Tony Danza’s book about his half-assed stint as a teacher, and I didn’t foresee myself reading another book by a TV personality in the near future. I thought 10% Happier by Dan Harris, a co-anchor for ABC’s Nightline, wasn’t going to be much different. Why did I read it? I am also a sucker for books that claim they will make us happier. 

I wouldn’t exactly say Harris’s book was well written. Despite criticizing the ego and the havoc it can wreak on our psyche, there is no shortage of ego in 10% Happier. Although Harris read Eckhart Tolle’s, A New Earth over 5 times, he doesn’t speak highly of Tolle’s writing, which is somewhat hypocritical coming from a guy whose unseemly vocabulary makes it sound like he merely did a once-over with a thesaurus before publishing. 

Regardless of the apparent contradictions within, 10% Happier is a unique self-help book. Instead of only preaching the power of Zen and meditation (like most books of the sort) Harris’s book is more autobiographical, narrating his quest to resolve psychological issues and live a happier life. His examples from the news anchor world are riveting, especially as someone who has reported from war zones and other tense locations. 

I give the book 3 out of 5 stars. I wouldn’t claim to be 10% Happier already, but Harris ends his book with a practical list of things to try. Most importantly he addresses the obvious contradiction between living a life of attachment and striving for what we want. 

Life Lessons

• It is necessary to strike a balance between non-attachment and ambition. “Hide the Zen” was some good advice from Harris. Despite being calm and nonjudgmental in our professional lives, sometimes we are required to show passion, anger or drive. 
• Like Harris, I think an eclectic education is useful on the path toward enlightenment. I too enjoy reading books about a range of topics related to happiness. It’s interesting and meditative to find out what makes people happy. 
• The physiological benefits of meditation are amazing. Taking care of your brain is more than just eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep. 

 

“Time is Nothing” when reading Audrey Niffenegger’s “The Time Traveler’s Wife”

Science fiction love stories are not usually at the top of my summer reading list, but The Time Traveler’s Wife was, I guess I would say, not your average science fiction love story. It oscillates from the point-of-view of Henry Detamble and the love of his life, Clare. Early on we discover that Henry suffers from Chrono-Displacement, a rare genetic disorder that causes him to time travel against his will. The love story of Clare and Henry is pieced together into non chronological fragments, allowing us to see Henry interacting with himself and Clare in both real time and in the past and future.

Confusing? A little, but the complexities only add value to the story.

Niffenegger expertly describes parcels of time out of order and then fits them together to gradually fill in story gaps as the book progresses.  Her true brilliance though lies in her ability to get the reader to transcend date and time, focusing more on the human interactions taking place in each specific time and place. By seeing a 41-year-old, Henry, interact with both a 16-year-old Clare, and then later, a much older Clare, we see how trivial certain life events can be…compared to love that is.

 

I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. The novel reveals many themes related to love and time without trying to sway the reader’s opinions one way or another.  Although I was almost lulled to sleep by Niffenegger’s occasional attempts to use dream as a way to develop her metaphors and themes, it’s hard to criticize the believability of a novel about time travel. I ventured into Henry and Clare’s relationship, and it led me to lose track of time in my own world. A captivating read.

Life Lessons

• There is a healthy way and an unhealthy way of looking into the past and future. Henry hates time traveling, but he can’t control where he goes when he disappears. On the other hand, if he could control it, time traveling might be very interesting and rewarding since not all of his experiences were negative or dangerous. We often let our minds wander where we don’t want them to go. This leads to mental turmoil. However, we can use some memories as fuel for our happiness as well as hope for the future to make us happier in the present.
• We can only exercise free will in the present.
• Time is trivial compared to human relationships. We get to see the protagonists interact with a wide range of generations. Some of them aren’t even alive in real time, but this fact doesn’t diminish the effect that people can have on each other. Whether our loved ones are part of our memories or if they are still with us, we are shaped by everyone that has come into our lives.

 

A Review of Deborah Blum’s “The Poisoner’s Handbook”

Here’s a disclaimer. If you walk into a coffee shop with The Poisoner’s Handbook, and you start to flirt with the cute barista, hold the book so that the title is not showing. It’s not the best icebreaker to justify why you are reading a book about the different ways New Yorkers poisoned each other from 1915-1936. 

Absentmindedly, I put my book down on the counter, face up, as I stirred the sugar into my coffee. The barista, Alex I believe her name was, glanced at the book discretely, and then, after processing the title a moment, decided not to mention my choice of literature. “Can I help you sir,” she quickly said to the next customer in line. 

Aside from the inability to use the book to find a date, The Poisoner’s Handbook is a fascinating and comprehensive read. Science writer Deborah Blum has chronicled the many ways people were poisoned throughout the 1900s by providing a history of Charles Norris, New York’s first chief medical examiner, and many important figures involved with forensic toxicology. From Chloroform to Thallium, Blum lays out a highly detailed picture, complete with much of the accompanying chemistry of how forensic toxicology became a game changer for our country’s justice system. 

Blum describes in great detail the chemistry behind each of the poisons, how people accessed them, and how the medical examiners were able to detect traces of the chemicals in cadavers. These details significantly enhance the short narrative in each chapter, documenting a specific criminal investigation for each poison, and at the same time illustrating the progression of Charles Norris’s career with his lead chemist Alexander Gettler. 

I give the book 3 out of 5 stars because the chemistry was a little too heavy for me, and I found myself skipping over many of the technical explanations. However, it was a nice blend of narrative and science, and I have to admit, I learned a lot about how not to poison myself. Just don’t use it as an icebreaker on your first date. 

A Socially Acceptable Novel: A Review of Graeme Simsion’s “The Rosie Project”

We begin with our main character, Don. He is the best genetics researcher in the world (self proclaimed), but we come to find out that it’s likely to be true. Without reading it explicitly, we soon discover that Don has Autism Spectrum Disorder. With his inability to recognize certain social cues (without close scientific analysis) and his extraordinary memory, Don makes for one of the most interesting protagonists that I have come across in all of literature. 

Because of Don’s poor social skills, he hasn’t had much luck in the dating realm. The Rosie Project takes us on a journey into Don’s mind as he attempts to find a “suitable person” to marry. After designing “The Wife Project,” posting questionnaires online and handing them out at speed dating events, Don’s friend Gene introduces him to a woman named Rosie, a spontaneous psychologist that meets very few of Don’s questionnaire requirements. 

The Rosie Project is entertaining from cover to cover. Books very rarely make me laugh out loud, but this was an exception. The reader gets to know Don well, and begins to root for him, hoping he finds the love of his life. It’s an untraditional love story with a traditional moral. We often create the perfect person in our minds, whether it’s through scientific reasoning or blind emotion, only to find out that the person that makes us truly happy doesn’t fit into any of our preconceived categories. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s delightfully funny, and although it is a light read, it deals with some complicated issues about love and social norms. 

Life Lessons

• Sometimes we have to relinquish control of our rational minds, and hand the reigns over to our emotions. Some people make us happy, and we can’t really understand why. 
• The ideal mate doesn’t exist. We create a list of requirements only to find out, if we actually find that person, the ideal person we have created doesn’t necessarily make us happy. 
• Maybe the best way to decide if you love someone is not by looking at their personality, appearance, and list of arbitrary requirements, but by looking back at the time spent together and asking yourself if you were happy in those times. 
• A combination of order AND disorder is necessary in life. We can learn a lot of lessons from Don’s rigid schedule and organization. We can also learn to let go, thanks to Rosie. 

La Magia de Isabel Allende: una critica de La Ciudad de Las Bestias

Cuando pienso de Isabel Allende pienso en una mujer que sabe aún mas historias que ha vivido. Su sabiduría cuando habla y cuando escribe siempre me impresiona. La Ciudad de Las Bestias no es una excepción a su excelencia. Aunque al principio yo estaba un poco decepcionado por el hecho que iba a incluir demasiado magia, este buen novela me captivó con sus personajes y sus lecciones para la vida. Las mejores escritores de ficción pueden incluir los elementos que entretener y también mostrar componentes de la vida real y la experiencia humana. Eso es exactamente lo que hace Allende.

La Ciudad de las Bestias se trata de un protagonista, Alexander Cold. Es un niño que está travesando una época difícil en su vida y al mismo tiempo tratando de manejar su propio juventud. Cuando su madre tiene que recibir tratamiento por el cáncer, Alexander está mandado para viajar con su abuela aventurada. Van en una expedición con varios otros expedicionarios para fotografiar y escribir una bestia. Las lecciones aprende Alexander y las amistades que lo hace en ese viaje son más que los que usualmente se recibe en una vida completa.

Voy a dar 4 de 5 estrellas para este libro por que tiene muchas lecciones para un joven como Alexander. Se convirtió mas valiente y humilde en un solo viaje. Además, nos ensena a no juzgar a nadie hasta que se conocen bien.

Lecciones para la vida

 

• La violencia es a menudo el resultado de ignorancia y mala interpretación. Lo mas que conocemos otros grupos e individuales lo mas que desarrolla la paz. Uno se promueva la paz por conocer a otros.
• Los seres humanos son únicos en el sentido que pueden crear música y bailas. El Arte sería parte de la “leyenda humana” (p.281).
• Con la edad se adquiere mas humildad. Cuando crecemos también nos damos cuenta que no tenemos una explicación para todo.
• Es importante ser escéptico de los que hablan mal de otras personas. Hay que conocer bien una gente para formar nuestros propios opiniones.

El Rey, Gary Soto: Una critica de su libro, “Beisbol en Abril”

Gary Soto ha escrito varios cuentos maravillosos con temas apropiados para jóvenes. Resumo sus once cuentos y agrego mi opinión al fin.

 

La Cadena Rota

 

Es una historia linda de amor entre jóvenes. Se trata de dos hermanos y una chica, Sandra, a quien le gusta Alfonso. Ernie no deja a Alfonso usar su bici para tener una cita con la chica. Alfonso decide arreglar su propia Bicicleta y mientras tanto, se rompe su cadena. Al fin, Alfonso esta por encontrar a Sandra para decirla las malas noticias. Afortunadamente su hermano, Ernie, llega y deja a su hermano usar su bici justo en tiempo.

 

Beisbol en Abril

 

Ésta historia se trata de dos hermanos de 11 anos.  La temporada de beisbol comienza y Michael y Jesse hacen las pruebas para estar en un equipo de las Ligas Menores. Desafortunadamente, ninguno de ellos están aceptados en el equipo. En lugar de las Ligas Menores, los hermanos deciden jugar por un equipo del barrio. Eventualmente Jesse se rinde pero Michael sigue jugando hasta el fin de la historia cuando todos han renunciado. Es una historia del amor del juego. Michael nunca se rinde y aun al fin cuando sabían que la temporada se acababa, se siente mal por no jugar todavía.

 

Dos Sonadores

 

La historia comienza con el niño, Hector, y su abuelo, Luis Molina. Los dos caballeros hablan frecuentemente de sus sueños y el abuelo cuenta a Hector de su deseo de comprar una nueva casa. El abuelo hace Hector a llamar el inmobiliario para preguntar sobre el precio de la casa. Sin embargo, su abuela piensa mal del plan de comprar una casa. Por eso los caballeros esconden sus acciones, llamando al inmobiliario en secreto.

 

Barbie

 

La niña, Verónica, es una aficionada de Barbie. Por navidad, recibe una muñeca que parece un Barbie pero no es una Barbie de verdad. Cuando la historia se desarrolla, encontramos que Verónica es una nina simpática y respetuosa, y nos sentimos feliz cuando la niña recibe, por fin, una Barbie en la próxima navidad. Desafortunadamente la nueva Barbie pierde su cabeza después del primer día de jugar con ella. El cuento es chistoso y emocional.

 

Blues sin Guitarra

 

Un cuento similar a “Barbie,” esto se trata de un niño, Fausto, que quiere que su mama lo compre una guitarra.  Fausto encuentra un perro en la calle, y aunque el perro no estaba perdido, lo lleve a la dirección que esta escrito en su collar. Los dueños del perro están muy agradecidos después de que Fausto les cuenta una mentira de cómo encontró a su perro. Lo dan a Fausto 20 dólares, y Fausto necesita luchar en contra de su propia culpabilidad.

 

Séptimo Grado

 

Víctor, un niño de séptimo grado, finge hablar Francés para impresionar una niña. Todos los estudiantes de la clase de francés creen que habla francés salvo el profesor. Veamos que pasa con sus tentativas de hacer una gran impresión.

 

Madre e hija

 

En este cuento nos presenta la relación amistosa entre una madre y su hija. Desde el principio es obvio que la mama de Yollie quiere la mejor para su hija, pero no tienen mucho dinero. Para un baile, hace un vestido para Yollie y lastimosamente, el vestido se desgarre.

 

El Karate Kid

 

Gilbert, un niño con una gran imaginación se inspira por la película The Karate Kid. Cuando un peleonero de la escuela molesta a Gilbert, Gilbert decide que va a unir una clase de Karate para defenderse.

 

La Bamba

 

El niño Manuel decide ofrecerse como voluntario en el espectáculo de talentos en su colegio. Se convierte muy nervioso pero a el le gustaría que todos aplaudan para el. Veamos lo que pasa en el gran espectáculo.

 

La campeona de Canicas

 

Este cuento se trata de una niña que sobresale en todo menos deportes. Por fin, encuentra un deporte, Canicas, en cual lo puede lograr mucho. Entra en un torneo y toda su familia llega para mirarla competir.

 

Crecer

 

María, una niña de decimo grado, ya no quiere ir de vacaciones con su familia. En lugar de ir con ellos este verano, se queda en la casa de su madrina.

 

 

 

Todos los cuentos por Gary Soto son fantásticos. El domina la táctica de capturar como es ser niño. Sus cuentos son perfectos para los de middle school. Son entretenidos y tienen varios morales pero no sermonean como muchas historias adolescentes. Doy 4 de 5 estrella para su colección de cuentos.

 

Lecciones Para La Vida

 

• Sigue jugando. Nunca se rinde.

Quien está domesticándonos?: Una Critica de Los Cuatro Acuerdos por Don Miguel Ruiz

Don Miguel Ruiz comienza su libro “espiritual” con una discusión sobre las limitaciones y las creencias de la sociedad colectiva que nos hace crear nuestro propio sueño. Lo escribe sobre las verdades y los acuerdos que, después de mucho tiempo, han formado parte de nuestra vida, gracias a nuestros antecedentes. En las palabras de Ruiz, argumenta que nos esta “domesticando” el mundo y que estamos esforzados de vivir dentro de los sueños de los demás.

El libro es una guía espiritual pero lee como un libro autoayuda. El autor declara que podemos liberarnos de los acuerdos del planeta para encontrar nuestro propio camino. Los toltecas, una cultura anciana de la región mexicano, tenían cuatro acuerdos de cómo debemos vivir nuestras vida. Don Miguel Ruiz, como descendente de las toltecas, comparta sus creencias y propone que vivamos nuestras vidas así.

Tengo tres problemas con sus argumentos. En primer lugar, Ruiz esta tratando de “domesticarnos” con sus propias creencias. Habla en contra de suposiciones, pero al mismo tiempo, esta suponiendo que su audiencia van a concordar en sus declaraciones. Habla en contra de ser domesticado de la sociedad pero está domesticándonos si mismo.

Además, sus puntos centrales están repetidos tantas veces sin ejemplos suficientes para apoyarlos. Me aburrió leer la misma oración uno después del otro. La ultima problema se trata de donde saca sus cuatro acuerdos. Si leo un libro de teología que habla de La Biblia y argumenta lo que ha dicho Jesús y sus seguidores, por lo menos hay un fuente donde viene su información. En Los Cuatro Acuerdos no veo claramente donde consiguió toda la información sobre las toltecas.

Doy 1 de 5 estrellas por Los Cuatro Acuerdos. Usó el truco común de crear una lista de autoayuda y él asegura que viene de “la antigua sabiduría tolteca.” No me dio nada de importancia.