The History Book Club discussion

Here is your new thread for 2014. Happy reading!

Thanks, Jill, for getting my thread started. I have read the intro and know what to do. I am working on a couple books at the moment (I usually read 2-4 at a time), so I will be posting something soon!

No rush, Douglass. This is a group that usually has two or three books going at one time...a bunch of avid readers!!!

JANUARY

1. by Anthony Burgess
Finish Date: January 9, 2014
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: I like an author who is honest. As Anthony Burgess writes in the intro to the New American Edition of this book, "It is not the novelist's job to preach; it is his duty to show." This book centers around the question, "Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness?" Burgess explores this question with a sense of voice that gradually makes you build a relationship with an initially repulsive character. It is a brilliant and truly original novel that is well worth the read.

Douglass wrote: "JANUARY

1. by Anthony Burgess
Finish Date: January 9, 2014
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: I like an author w..."

Good review - I'll add this one to my list.

Good job on your first review, Douglass. I also liked that book and the film with Malcolm McDowell.

Jill wrote: "Good job on your first review, Douglass. I also liked that book and the film with Malcolm McDowell."

The book intro says that the original American edition and the film excluded the final chapter of the book. That's a real shame. I like how the last chapter wraps things up. I haven't watched the film yet. I will definitely check it out.

I am way behind, but I am using spring break to catch up. This is the first of what will hopefully be at least 3 books this week.

MARCH

2. by Esther Earl (no photo)

Finish Date: March 25, 2014
Genre: Biography
Rating: C+
Review: This is a collection of journals, fiction, letters, and sketches by a girl who fought cancer throughout her teenage years, finally passing away in 2010 at age 16. Esther was a "nerdfighter" and a big fan of John Green, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, etc. John Green contributed to the book. Esther was an inspiration to Green's best-seller, The Fault in Our Stars, which I would recommend reading before you read this book.

Mentioned:

by John Green

Douglass wrote: "I am way behind, but I am using spring break to catch up. This is the first of what will hopefully be at least 3 books this week.

MARCH

2. [bookcover:This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of..."

That just looks like such a nice connection. Thanks for sharing it with us.

As promised, another spring break read:

3. by John Green

Finish Date: March 30, 2014
Genre: Teen Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Like Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, it is an unforgettable story with dynamic characters, hilarious jokes, and philosophical themes that will stick with me for a long time.

Mentioned:

& by John Green

Very nice job with the citations, Douglass.

Jill wrote: "Very nice job with the citations, Douglass."

I'm one of those people who actually reads threads that say "read before posting" Lol.

My kind of guy, Douglass. Thanks so much!!!

This is the actual format for your reference:

Our Required Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: March 2008
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

Thanks Douglas. Everything looks terrific.

APRIL

4. by Andrew Levy (no photo)

Finish date: April 17, 2014
Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir?
Rating: B+
Review: I needed this book. I needed to read someone else's story about what I am going through. Migraines are a lonely condition, particularly if you have chronic daily migraine (a.k.a. transformed migraine), which I have had for nearly 6 months. Hearing Dr. Levy's story of how he experienced the symptoms and how it affected his family meant a lot to me at a time when I am experience many of the same physical and emotional pains.

My one criticism of Dr. Levy is that he tries really hard to find a positive purpose for migraines. As optimistic as I tend to be about things, I feel his argument for this is quite a stretch. Debilitating pain and nausea that can be triggered by almost anything and everything seems pretty purposeless to me, especially when it feels like nobody else, including others who have experienced migraines, understands. Levy's idea that migraines might inspire creativity is something else that I am struggling with. Perhaps people with episodic migraines can use their time of relief to reflect on the pain or the aura and to create something from it. For me, suffering almost every day, I don't have the energy or the brain power to be creative. I normally have music pouring out of me faster than I can write it down. I have barely written anything but a few scraps of chord progressions since this started. No matter how hard I try, I can't create a melody or a timbre. Most of the time, I don't even want to hear sounds of any kind. I am creatively useless with this condition. I appreciate Dr. Levy's efforts to comfort me. I at least feel slightly less alone because of it, but I do not feel any more accepting of my condition. I want this demon out of me, and I don't think that any book or work of art is ever going to change that.

Since this is a history group, I want to recommend another of Dr. Levy's books, The First Emancipator, a biography of Robert Carter, the founding father who freed his slaves:

by Andrew Levy (no photo)

Douglass, my husband suffers from chronic migraines but we have not heard of transformed migraine, which sounds hellish. I hope you find some relief quickly.

Reading for work. It's not as exciting as reading for pleasure, but it still counts! I promise the next book I read will be less depressing than #4 and #5.

5. by Patricia Davenport (no photo)

Finish date: April 17, 2014
Genre: Non-fiction/Education
Rating: C-
Review: This book was written by the creators of "The Eight Steps Process" that many school districts around the country are using in their attempts to improve standardized test scores. This book overviews what the Brazosport, Texas schools did at the district level and at the classroom level to turn their test scores around. The district level part of this book is mostly a cliche, vague self-help program for corporations, stolen from Total Quality Management (TQM) and slightly tweaked to apply to education. The classroom level changes applied by Brazosport were mostly common sense education planning that many districts were already doing. For example, if you spend more time on math and language arts, your math and language arts scores go up. Imagine that. If you collect data from assessments of your students and then use that data to determine what the kids are ready to learn next, you will use your class time more efficiently. Another shocking revelation. Perhaps the most disappointing thing about reading this book is the realization that most school districts that I have observed applying "The Eight Steps Process" are not even using the best ideas provided by this book. After reading this, I get the feeling that for Patricia Davenport, as well as the districts that hire her as a consultant, this is more about marketing than about real educational change. Not much is really changing except that perhaps some people are paying more attention. In the end, with or without this process, politicians will keep pushing schools to teach to the tests one way or another, and education will continue to discourage creativity and higher level thinking. I do not see Patricia Davenport or most of the other so-called leaders in the education movement doing much to change that right now.

Douglass wrote: "APRIL

4. byAndrew Levy

Finish date: April 17, 2014
Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir?
Rating: B+
Review: I nee..."

Douglass.....thanks for your review and personal experience with migraines. It must be a horrible thing that affects your life daily. I hope you find some relief.

Douglass wrote: "APRIL

4. byAndrew Levy

Finish date: April 17, 2014
Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir?
Rating: B+
Review: I nee..."

Douglass, when an author has no photo, you should just add the link to the name, followed by "(no photo)". So your citation would look like this -
by Andrew Levy (no photo)

Thank you for the kind thoughts about my migraines. It's funny how many different topics can come up out of these little book reviews. Oddly enough, I have not yet finished a history book this year! Here is another book though:

6. by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Finish date: April 19, 2014
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy/Adventure
Rating: A
Review: This is the ultimate sci-fi/fantasy/adventure novel. John Carter unexpectedly finds himself on Mars, where he falls in love with a princess and goes on an epic adventure to rescue her. Many scenes and themes remind me of Brave New World and The Hobbit. I have to wonder if these other great 20th century authors may have been influenced by Burroughs. This such a strong and accessible story that I am surprised that it does not receive more attention.

by Aldous Huxley and by J.R.R. Tolkien

I have the first of the John Carter books.....it belonged to my father. The books are not as well know obviously as Tarzan but they are lots of fun. We used to call my nephew Tars Tarkas which was one of the characters in the books. BTW, great job with the citations, Douglass.

and by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Douglas, have you tried the whole food approach and just juicing - there have been findings that something in your diet or your diet can be triggering the migraines. I am sure that you have been given lots of advice but going cold turkey and trying juicing and seeing if this helps might be worth a trial. Could it be a food or diet trigger or environment trigger that is causing this - even things that you may have constantly eaten through the years could suddenly bother you as our chemistry changes every so many years. Sorry to hear about your situation and do hope you find a remedy you can live with.

Bentley wrote: "Douglas, have you tried the whole food approach and just juicing - there have been findings that something in your diet or your diet can be triggering the migraines. I am sure that you have been g..."

Bentley,

I have tried every solution you could imagine. When you are in the amount of pain that I am in every day, you will try almost anything. Migraine triggers vary from person to person. I eliminated all common migraine trigger foods from my diet as well as common food allergies for several weeks, then gradually reintroduced them over several months. I found no indications of particular triggers during that process. The only triggers that I have confirmed are beer and weather changes. They are both inconsistent triggers, but they can make for some pretty nasty reactions. I am currently working with a neurologist on some drug treatments as well as trying out chiropractic treatment. I am looking to start seeing a migraine specialist soon instead of the neurologist. I have read that that is the best route for people with chronic daily migraines rather than episodic migraines. I have tried several homeopathic treatments and am planning to try a few more. There are several different approaches to drug treatments. So far, beta blockers are not showing much promise for me, so I'll be looking at other drug options soon, such as antidepressants, anti-siezure medications, or Botox. It's always interesting to change drugs because you gamble on all sorts of potential side effects.

Is it wheat or is it the alcohol in the beer or the tyramine in it? I only mention this because you mentioned beer as a trigger.

What I was suggesting was a whole food approach - and maybe going gluten free.

It must be a dreadful experience - I only mention juicing because this has helped many folks who have been ill with other serious diseases. You seem to have a plan so stick with it and I am sure that you will find something that relieves your pain - I have my fingers crossed for you.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/...

I assume you have already tried sub-q self-injections of Imitrex (sumatriptan).

Bentley, Whiskey doesn't seem to affect my migraines as much as much as beer, so there is definitely something in it other than the alcohol. I am guessing it has to do with it being a different fermentation process. There are a lot of proteins and other chemicals involved in fermentation of various foods and drinks that are migraine triggers. Wine is a huge trigger for some people, but it doesn't seem to be for me. I have tried gluten-free and I have tried a juice fast, which I lead into a diet of mostly fresh fruits and vegetables that included a lot of continued juicing. It seems like once the migraine progresses into chronic daily migraine, triggers don't matter anymore. You are going to have a migraine almost every single day no matter what you do. I usually wake up with them, as Andrew Levy does in his book.

Jill, I take sumatriptan as needed. It usually helps if I take it within a few minutes of a headache starting. It doesn't seem to help if I get to it late or if it is one of the headaches I wake up with. It has helped me a handful of times when I have been having a good day and then a migraine starts in the afternoon or evening.

From the research that I have read, what is most likely going to help is steady sleep, exercise, and eating and reduced stress. It is hard to do that when the migraines really get in the way of sleep and exercise, but I am getting better at it. I am making some changes in my life that should significantly reduce my stress levels as well. I am really hoping to break this thing by the end of the summer.

by Andrew Levy (no photo)

I hope you will keep us posted on your progress, Douglass. My husband has had significant success in reduction of migraines (16-20 per month down to about 6) with a nightly, mild dose of Doxepin - an antidepressant which is intended to level out stress. He also takes sumatriptan at the first sign of migraine and avoids MSG and sugar. Changes in weather and schedule (even the good kind, like vacations), continue to be triggers for him. I realize your situation is different but it seems like the solution may lie in a combination of things. Good luck!

Donna wrote: "I hope you will keep us posted on your progress, Douglass. My husband has had significant success in reduction of migraines (16-20 per month down to about 6) with a nightly, mild dose of Doxepin -..."

Thanks, Donna! Every migraine situation is different, but it is always good to hear about someone else's triggers and treatments. You and your husband should check out the Andrew Levy book. It is a great account of his experiences and the experiences of people he met or researched.

by Andrew Levy (no photo)

We will look into the book. Thanks!

MAY

7. (no image) Conversations with Howard Hanson by David Russell Williams (no photos)

Finish date: May 8, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction/Music History
Rating: A
Review: I picked this up to learn more about the composer/conductor Howard Hanson, who was very influential to many other composers who's works I conduct. In a very casual interview, Hanson reflects on his career, sharing many stories and opinions. He talks extensively about his composition techniques and his experiences teaching composition. I picked up some very inspiring ideas and some very specific tips that I can use in my own composing. If you are a composer or conductor or even a passionate fan of classical music, this is a great read about one of the 20th century's finest musicians.

Thanks Douglass. For the books that do not have a bookcover, try this:

(no image) Conversations with Howard Hanson by David Russell Williams (no photo)

Bryan wrote: "Thanks Douglass. For the books that do not have a bookcover, try this:

(no image) Conversations with Howard Hanson by David Russell Williams (no photo)"

Good call. I like that better. Thanks.

8. by Leonard Bernstein

Finish date: May 13, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction/Music
Rating: A
Review: This is a great book for young people to develop an appreciation for classical music. It is also a great resource for music teachers to find great examples of various music concepts, such as the development of a theme. Bernstein's voice is charming and fun, perfect for kids. He incorporates various styles of music including rock and pop songs. It is very well rounded and comprehensive!

9. by Gordon S. Wood

Finish date: May 19, 2014
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Gordon Wood captures the cultural environment of the American Revolution and constitutional beginnings. He shows why the founding of the United States was, is, and will continue to be historically significant. This book is made up of papers and speeches that Wood has given throughout his career. Each is edited to be more relevant to today's readers and to help fit with the other pieces included in the book. An introduction and conclusion bookend these pieces to help tie them all together. The book flows very well from beginning to end, but also works as a reference that you can pick up to read 20 pages at a time. This is a great summer read to reflect on the founding of our nation that we celebrate on the many early summer patriotic holidays.

Douglass wrote: "9. by Gordon S. Wood

Finish date: May 19, 2014
Genre: History..."

This has been a topic of interest to me lately, so I will add it to my list.

10. by Oliver Sacks

Finish date: May 23, 2014
Genre: Non-fiction/Health
Rating: C
Review: I picked up this book because it was referenced by Andrew Levy's book that was #4 on this thread. I have been doing a lot of research on migraines since my migraines became chronic seven months ago. This book was originally published in 1970, but republished in 1999 with many updates. However, it is disappointingly dated for someone looking to learn more about migraines. Much of the information on the internet is more reliable.

There are 2 ideas in the book that are compelling. One is that Sacks does not agree with the common belief that food triggers are one of the primary migraine factors. A few people have found relief from eliminating particular foods, but for most patients food has little effect. The other point, which is kind of a main thesis for the book, is Sacks' belief that migraines are primarily psychological rather than physiological, especially in chronic cases. It really seems from my research that migraines are nearly 50% psychological and 50% physiological, with some variance from one person to another. The symptoms and processes of the disease are a rare combination of physiological and psychological, so it makes sense for the cause to have a similar combination. Sacks seems to think that most cases are psychosomatic. I have a hard time believing that millions of people (including myself) are so masochistic, even if it is at the subconscious level.

If you are interested in reading Oliver Sacks, do not start with this book! It is very dry, and I found myself skimming through boring sections, which I rarely do when reading. Some of the blame for that goes to the subject matter, which is not nearly as interesting as musical hallucinations, but Andrew Levy proves that you can write an interesting and informative book on migraines that doesn't put the reader to sleep. I think that Sacks' writing has improved over the last few decades, and he discusses neurology in a much more engaging manner in his newer books.

by Andrew Levy (no photo)

by Oliver Sacks

Good progress Douglas

JUNE

11. by David S. Heidler (no photo)

Finish date: June 14, 2014
Genre: Biography
Rating: B+
Review: Henry Clay was one of the most influential politicians of the 19th century. I was amazed while reading this book at just how many policies, negotiations, and political events involved him. His biography is essentially a political history of the 19th century from the perspective of one of the people whom every event seemed to orbit around. This book is well-written, although dry at times and obviously biased to favor Clay over his critics (granted, Andrew Jackson and his supporters were quite vituperative and rarely honest about it). This was a long, but enjoyable read. I definitely picked up some new perspectives on American history.

That does look like an interesting book.

Good progress Douglas - you have 60 views of your thread (that means that 60 folks have read your reviews so far here on the History Book Club)

Nice, Douglass, I will have to add that book to the TBR pile.

Have you read Remini's biography?

by Robert V. Remini (no photo)

by David S. Heidler (no photo)

Bryan wrote: "Nice, Douglass, I will have to add that book to the TBR pile.

Have you read Remini's biography?

by Robert V. Remini (no photo..."

That looks good. I will have to check it out some time.

12. by Carl Sagan

Finish date: June 29, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction/Science
Rating: A+
Review: This book is the key to the universe. In addition to unlocking tons of information about the physics, chemistry, and biology of the universe, Carl Sagan inspires a respect for all of Creation and for the scientific process that humans have used to explore it for thousands of years. I wish that I read this many years ago and didn't wait until now. If every high school freshman read this book, I believe that we would see science test scores skyrocketing and interest in science and mathematics exploding like the big bang. For those of us not pursuing a career in science, Carl Sagan's passion and his superb writing make this book engaging. Sagan can inspire any reader to look at the Earth and the sky with wonder and reverence. Some have accused Sagan, Tyson, and other science advocates of pushing an atheist agenda or turning science into its own religion. However, after reading this book and watching both the old and new Cosmos TV series, I find my faith in God and care for His creation to be stronger than ever. I believe that God created this universe to be explored by us. It is so infinite and infinitesimal that we will never be able to see and understand everything in it. Sharing that journey is what life is all about!

Keep rolling on, Douglass

Thanks, Jill.

13. by Brian Kilmeade

Finish date: June 30, 2014
Genre: History
Rating: D+
Review: This is a fantastic story! However, in this case it is written in a somewhat amateur fashion. Kilmeade and Yaeger, better known for their sports writing, are not real historians. One is a pundit for Fox News Channel, and the other writes those books you find in the bargain section at Barnes & Noble for the arbitrary price of $6.98. There are moments in reading this book when I feel like I am helping my wife grade high school English papers. The obviously fictional dialog and other moments the authors have imagined up lack creativity and feel forced. If this were one of those high school English papers, it would have received an F for having no in-text citations. There are a few pages of "selected sources" listed in the back. For a book with so many juicy details that would change the popular view of history, one would expect to be able to check footnotes. This was a quick, easy read; perhaps it would be a good way to introduce revolutionary history to a middle school student. I suppose it usually flowed well. The story itself is great, and the samplings of the Culper Ring's letters are very insightful to read. However, Kilmeade and Yaeger's writing is dilettantish, spoiling the entire reading experience. I really wish I had found Alexander Rose's Washington's Spies before I bought this book. It appears from reviews to be much better researched and written, giving this fascinating story the deliberation that it deserves.

by Alexander Rose

JULY

14. by Martha Stout

Finish date: July 5, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction/Psychology
Rating: B-
Review: This is a very interesting topic that is worth reading about. Martha Stout is very intelligent and experienced, but her writing is not fantastic. It is thought-provoking, but not consistently organized. There are at times sentences that seem tangential. For example, throughout this book she keeps referring to the September 11th terrorist attacks, but it never has a direct connection to the topic at hand. I see no way in which it ever fits into the parts of the book where she uses it. She brings it back around in the closing chapter, and I am still confused about why she is using it. The book is a quick read, however. so it is very worth the small amount of your time it will take to learn about this important topic. The odds are that there isn't anybody in America who doesn't know a sociopath and have to interact with one on a regular basis. Having a basic understanding of this condition is extremely important to protect your reputation, your finances, and even your physical safety. Several Goodreads reviewers have suggested that Without Conscience by Robert D. Hare is a better book on this topic. It also appears to be a short read, so I have added it to my list of books to read. Stout cites Without Conscience several times, as well as On Killing by Dave Grossman, which I also plan to read soon.

by Robert D. Hare (no photo)

by Dave Grossman

I apologize for my extended absence. I got a new job and have been swamped with work since mid-July. I will be catching up and adding a bunch of books between now and Thanksgiving, starting with this monster of a novel that took me quite some time to get through:

OCTOBER

15. by David Mitchell

Finish date: October 25, 2014
Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi
Rating: A-
Review: This is a creative, clever post-modernist novel that combines a lot of the favorite things I look for in a book. I enjoyed the sci-fi aspects, the suspense, the humor, the puzzle tying the various stories together, and most of all the characters. The characters were extremely diverse and their stories so different, but throughout the book I found myself engaged in each character's tale and feeling like the characters are all connected. The book is like a virtuosic concerto, displaying Mitchell's rigor as a writer as well as his ability to write a variety of genres with excellent skill. It demands some patience and endurance from the reader, but overall it was well worth the time it took to get through it.

16. by Frédéric Bastiat

Finish date: October 25, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction/Politics
Rating: B-
Review: I had high expectations for this book, as it has been promoted by many of my friends who give it cliché testimonials like, "This book changed my life." Bastiat's essay is not bad. It makes some good points and has some interesting anecdotes, but it seems to be overrated. I think that Bastiat's That Which Is Seen and That Which Is Not Seen is better, and Goodreads' reviewers seem to agree, scoring it a fraction of a star higher. Perhaps it doesn't get as much attention because the title is not as catchy. The Law is worth reading--it certainly is short, so it's no great time investment--but, in my opinion, it doesn't live up to the hype. It's just another semi-useful libertarian political treatise.

by Frédéric Bastiat

No need to apologize, Douglass.....we are glad you are back and hope that you get along well in your new job.

I am a big David Mitchell fan, Douglass.

Have you had a chance to read his new book The Bone Clocks? The various subplots are more closely intertwined than those in Cloud Atlas, but it shares many of the same elements: amazing writing and characterizations, wit, more than a touch of sci-fi, and apocalyptic episodes. I liked it even more than Cloud Atlas, which I read twice.


David Mitchell