kurtwombat's Reviews (902)

Nowadays, book stores are filled with books of redemption. Not so much in the sixties when this book was written in simple, clear and unapologetic language. Sands, a punk and petty criminal on the fast track to oblivion is "saved" by prison. Likely to die or kill on the streets if not arrested, Sands rehabilitation was so dramatic that he was released from a life sentence after less than three years. I read this many years ago and it has been mostly lost in the onrush of other books, but it has retained for me the power of love and hope to smooth out the cruel bent life often gives to our character.

There is much to be fascinated by in Rob Dunn's THE WILD LIFE OF OUR BODIES. Learning how our bodies have evolved over time to not only accept other life forms living within us but to depend on their existence to maintain our health--and also that the ridding of them from our bodies is likely leading to the growth of such 20th/21st century centric illnesses as Crohn's disease which is virtually unknown in "underdeveloped" countries where modern health runs less rampant. It's not that the worms and parasites and bacteria are always doing something positive, often it is simply that over the last 200,000 years, our bodies have adapted to their existence. When these squatters are booted out, the body turns on itself fighting something that is no longer there. Other parts of the book delve into the surprising importance of the generally ignored appendix, what exactly a Pronghorn is and why it doesn't fit in nature and the story of Jasper Lawrence who reintroduces hookworms into the bodies of Crohn's sufferers for a reasonable fee. All are quite interesting. The problem is that the interesting parts of this book are often islands surrounded by digressions and repetitions and some just flat dead ends. I understand that there are many things we don't know, and it's interesting how much we don't know, but I don't have to be told page after page that we don't know something. I am all about digressions. One of my favorite books, Mailer's THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG is almost entirely digressions from the narrative. Dunn often digresses simply to restate something already stated. He was much better while actually discussing the bugs in the belly, but once he wonders onto other topics he lets loose the reins of discipline. In fact, the first time I started this book I stopped because the entire first chapter is a digression. A digression from what I am not sure--possibly the title. These irritations aside I am still glad I read this--it is fascinating how much is going on right this moment that can't begin to catalog.

Just an absolutely fabulous read. Kearns Goodwin follows Lincoln and each of his Cabinet members through their formative years and into the White House. The Cabinet members come to life through richly revealing memoirs and diaries. Lincoln, coming from a more impoverished background comes to life mostly through the loving recollection of others. The fascinating spine of the book is how Lincoln is continually misjudged by everyone he encounters. Most simply dismiss him as a hick getting by on bumkin luck. But eventually, those who dismiss, dislike or even despise him are ultimately won over. His charm and good humor are well known, but what won over his doubters was the determined nature of his kindness, never holding a grudge and consideration of the big picture vs. our individual conceits. This admiration of others brings the book to a devastating conclusion when the inevitable assasination occurs. The heartbreak felt by those close to him and the nation at large has been wonderfully set up by the previous 700 pages.