​​Genre: Non-Fiction

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As a fan of "Real Time With Bill Maher", I am familiar with frequent guest Jon Meacham. I enjoy listening to him and decided to give his book, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, a try, and though it is filled with depressing windows into our history, it gave me great hope. He isn’t saying that we aren’t in a frightening period of bigotry right now but rather that we have been there before and came out the other end.

He begins the book with then governor of South Carolina, Strom Thurmond on October 7, 1948. Thurmond was the segregationist Dixiecrat candidate for president, and he was railing against President Truman’s civil rights program that included anti-lynching legislation and protection against racial discrimination in hiring. He felt this would undermine the American way of life and stated “there’s not enough troops in the army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the nigra race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes and into our churches.” He was interrupted by cheers and standing ovations, but ultimately he was defeated.

He was not the first, and surely not the last politician to rile up crowds. In August of 2017, white supremacy reared its head again in Charlottesville where twenty-first century klansmen and neo-nazis riled up a group of their followers in support of then Republican candidate Donald Trump. Meacham shared many surprising stories featuring our presidents through the years, but the most important thing to take away is that ultimately our better angels won the battles.

I found the stories interesting, the writing captivating and the message heartening. Thanks Jon, we needed that this week.

- Beverly
​

Publisher - Random House
Date of Publication - ​​May 8, 2018

​​Genre: Non-Fiction

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I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated and believe it was fairly well written. In I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High Danza tells us that he always wanted to be a teacher, and after a bit of training bought into the idea of taking part in a reality show that features him teaching in a high school in Philadelphia. I have always been amused at people from other professions being certain that they would be outstanding teachers if given the chance. I have also watched the downfall of many people who attempted to make that career change.

Danza was given a tenth grade class to teach and admits he was given a few advantages. His classroom is large with windows for natural light. When he visits with another first year teacher at his school, he finds him teaching in a windowless room in the basement. Tony has under thirty students, therefore making teaching, grading and planning a great deal easier for him than for the average first year teacher who deals with 150 students a day. He also has a mentor teacher who sits in the back of the classroom to help guide him.

The book may not tell the story of a completely true teaching experience, but it does give the reader a sense of what a teacher goes through and one gets the idea that Danza really cares about his students. I enjoyed some of the personal stories he shared, both with his students and his readers, and I like watching him get involved in the extra curricular activities that presented themselves.

I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High, much like Up The Down Staircase and To Sir With Love, is a feel good book that will make you laugh a little, cry a little and probably wish you had the opportunity to spend a bit of time in Tony Danza’s classroom too.

- Beverly
​

Publisher - Crown Archetype
Date of Publication - ​​September 11, 2012

​Genre: Non-Fiction

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Stuart Eizenstat first met Carter when he started working as policy adviser on Carter's campaign for governor of Georgia. From page one of his book, President Carter: The White House Years, it is obvious that the author admires the former President immensely, appreciates his strengths but also is aware of his weaknesses. Eizenstat shares his thoughts with his readers in a clear and concise way and helped me get a much better perspective of the Carter presidency.

Carter eschewed politics when it came to the duties of the President. He felt that once he closed the door to the Oval Office, policies should be made on merit not political agendas. In theory that is a top notch idea. In practice, he shares in hindsight, it isn’t always workable. “To be truly effective,” he explains, “a president cannot make a sharp break between the politics of his campaign and the politics of his governing.” Although people then, as people now, were/are disgusted with politicians manipulating the policies of our country, lessons can be learned from the experiment of trying to govern without it.

Eizenstat highlights so many of Carter’s accomplishments that we tend to forget, and he shows us that in his own quiet way this moral man laid the foundation for several positive changes in our country. His involvement in energy, environment, and transportation throughout his term showed his strengths in ways I hadn’t realized. The author is not shy, however, in listing the ex-presidencies failures , and this makes for a more well rounded book than some that I have read.

My take from this book is that Jimmy Carter is an extremely intelligent man of conviction who might have been a bit too moral for the sometimes dirty job of being President. This is a good book for those who enjoy looking back over history when the dust has settled.

- Beverly


Publisher - Thomas Dunne Books
Date of Publication - ​April 24, 2018

Genre: Non Fiction

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Did you know that a pint of milk in a supermarket can contain milk from a thousand different cows, or that a raw carrot is still alive when you eat it? Were you aware that the average woman wears only half the clothes in her closet or that women look their oldest at 3:30 P. M. on Wednesdays? If you love finding out bits of information like this, than Lloyd, Mitchinson and Harkin’s book, 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, is just the book for you.

I am a trivia fan, so this book caught my eye. It turned out to be a book that lists many of the most outrageous pieces of information that I have ever come across. Do I believe it all? Perhaps not in its entirety, but I have no intention of checking it out. I just enjoyed it for what it is...a conglomeration of interesting historical, scientific and just plain trivial facts that might just make me the life of my next party.

The main author of this book, John Lloyd, is the creator of the BBC quiz panel show QI (Quite Interesting), and the other two contributed information to this book. I found it somewhat addictive and do find myself trying to search further on some of the topics. This might make a great gift for a teacher to use during down time in the classroom, as long as she encourages the students to verify the stated facts.

- Beverly
​

Publisher - W. W. Norton & Company
Date of Publication - ​September 2, 2014

Genre: Self-Help

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All women (and men) want to look fabulous, and imaging consultant Natalie Jobity’s book, Frumpy to Fabulous: Flaunting It - Your Ultimate Guide to Effortless Style is a road map for those of us who aren’t sure how to achieve that fabulous appearance.  Her writing style is easy, and she pulls her readers in by asking questions that make them think.

I spend a great deal of time in my closet complaining that I have nothing to wear. Before me lies a myriad of shirts, skirts, dresses, etc, yet nothing seems to go together. Obviously I am not alone, and Jobity decided to capitalize (in a good way) on our weaknesses. Instead of assuming that her readers all have unlimited funds, she tells us how to save money. If you shop smartly, you can buy one piece, match it with something in your closet, and suddenly you look “fabulous.”

I love the part that tells us to “learn to love the skin we are in.” We all have positive and negative attributes, and if we focus on the negative the mirror becomes our enemy. According to this book, we average seeing our reflection at least 55 times a day. If we hate what me see that becomes pretty demoralizing. Jobity explains how we can flaunt what we never realized we had, rather than hiding everything under baggy clothing.

There are segments on accessorizing, dressing for various occasions and being the best we can be. She goes over the six basic body shapes and how we should dress for the shape we carry. She gives us examples of celebrities with our shape and anecdotes about other women who embraced their type and improved their look.
Dress to look taller or slimmer and feel beautiful instead of frumpy.

I had fun reading through this book and went on a mini shopping spree. I purchased a few shirts to go with my older skirts, and suddenly had two newish outfits. I am belt hunting now, hoping to dress up my denim. While I didn’t learn anything startlingly new, the hints are helpful, and hopefully will contribute to a fabulous new me.

- Beverly
​

Publisher - Elan Image Management, LLC
Date of Publication - ​November 27, 2013

Genre: Biography

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When Andrew Morton’s book, Diana: Her True Story - in Her Own Words, was first published in 1992, it was quite scandalous. It was banned from several bookstores in England, people believed it did not show the true story of the much loved Princess Diana. Since he had promised her anonymity, it was difficult to prove what he was writing. When the truth of Diana’s involvement did come out, after her death, it changed the way people viewed the monarchy.

Morton was one of many palace journalists when a friend of Diana’s, Dr James Colthurst approached him in 1986 and asked if he would be interested in writing Diana’s story. He had met with the princess several times, but he had no idea what her life was actually like.

Diana was a bit unstable, but her husband and his family and friends played on her weaknesses and tried convincing her that she was being paranoid about Charles’ relationship with Camilla. Their affair was known among a nervous staff that had to cover for him, but when she tried to talk about it with Charles and the Queen, she was made to feel as though she was acting irrationally.

Diana realized she had to get out, but she was not in a position to leave. The world thought she was living a storybook life, and if she left the royal family would paint her as unstable. She felt this was the only way to get her story out, but she realized that she couldn’t meet directly with Morton. The servants would recognize him, and he would be banned. So she began meeting with Colthurst, an old friend who would arouse no suspicion. He would ask the questions that were supplied to him and deliver the answers to Morton.

Morton continues to revisit the many tapes of Colthurst’s interviews with Princess Di, and has updated the book several times. The book has her biography, transcripts of her interview and things that happened after the original publication date. The author adds in much detail about things I wasn’t aware of, and I learned more than I expected in his book.

Reading her words made me feel sad for this young woman who had the possibilities to live every young girl’s dream but was caught in every woman’s nightmare. If you have any interest in Princess Diana and have not read this book, buy yourself a holiday treat. You won’t be sorry.

- Beverly
​
Publisher - Simon & Schuster; Anniversary edition
Date of Publication - ​December 1, 2009

Genre: Memoir

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Elizabeth Warren comes from humble begins and never allows herself to forget how difficult life can be for those who work hard to make ends meet. A Fighting Chance begins in a small Oklahoma town where her father and mother worked long hours to support her and her siblings. She talks about “growing up” when she turned twelve and watched her parents struggle after her father’s heart attack. The memoir highlights her desire to go to college, her early marriage and life as a working mother.

We watch her go from a teacher to a politician, and she explains what drove her, and still drives her, along the way. Her horror at the predatory banking practices that affect the middle class started way before the mortgage debacle that destroyed many lives, and this memoir explains what she has been doing to protect those who can not protect themselves.

The book is easy to read and gave me a bit of an insight into a time I lived through without fully understanding it. I enjoyed reading about her dealings with other politicians on both sides of the political lines, although I did find the disfunction in Washington politics disheartening. Her war against many of the GOP representatives and ideas shows us the strength that drives her, and I hope she remains in politics for many years to come.

I understand that this book is written from a rather singular viewpoint, but since it is her memoir, she is entitled to move it in the direction of her choice. While it is certainly political in nature, i found myself getting to know the person behind the politician, and I appreciate that aspect of this book.

- Beverly

​Publisher - Metropolitan Books
Date of Publication - April 22, 2014

Genre:  Non-Fiction

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Mark Manson is a thirty-three year old blogger who travels the world and blogs exactly what is on his mind at any given time.  He is both irreverent and seemingly honest in his shared blogs, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life is an extension of those blogs.

Manson begins with a story about an alcoholic writer who is wildly unsuccessful during most of his life.  When offered a break at fifty years of age, he finds a bit of success but never feels like a winner.  The author goes on to criticize the constant barrage of life lessons that we receive stressing the importance of positive thinking.

He believes that some people get things and some don't, and it is rarely "fair."  He says that the old adage about making lemonade out of the lemons we are handed is useless, and instead he feels we should learn to like lemons.  We need to accept that we all have limitations, sort of the "Peter Principle" of life, and make the best of what we can do.

When you think about it, this (very) young man might need a few more life experiences to gain a true perspective, but a great deal of what he says holds merit.  We all chase that elusive butterfly and sometimes miss the pretty one that is circling our flower garden every day.  Vulgar language aside, this author does share some pearls of wisdom we all might want to heed.  He writes with humor and intelligence, and I ended up agreeing with him much more than I believed I ever could.

- Beverly


Publisher - HarperOne 
Date of Publication - September 13, 2016

Genre: Memoir

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This memoir begins with a mother and her three small children laughing together until her world is quickly destroyed.  Several police officers arrive with a court order and take Myrtle's children. She is accused of being an unfit mother and never sees her three children again.

This story takes place in Australia and is written by one of Myrtle's later seven children after Myrtle's death.  Author JB Rowley found information which her mother kept hidden that included the birth certificates of the children who were taken from her.  Rowley tracked down her mother's secrets and shared them with us in Whisper My Secret: A Memoir.

We learn about Myrtle's early life and the tragedy that befell her family. We see her mother, Etti,  fall apart and Myrtle's attempts to live a normal life.  We follow her relationship with her neighbor,  Henry Bishop, a pregnancy, and subsequent marriage that was doomed to failure.  Henry spent little time with his wife and child and although she had three more children with him, their relationship never improved.  Henry's mother Agnes felt that her only child had been trapped into marriage and convinced him to divorce her and have the children taken from her.  Myrtle lost her children and her own mother convinced her to move away without a fight.

Happily, Myrtle meets and marries a loving man, George, and together they have seven children.  Her life with George is a good one, and she keeps her secrets until her death.  The author does a wonderful job tracking down the various truths of her mother's early life and the lives of Etti, Henry, Agnes, etc.  Her descriptions are vivid and help the reader understand how this wonderful mother walked away from the children who were her world.  While much of the dialogue is imagined, it rings true as the layers of Myrtle's life are revealed.

It is difficult to write someone else's story, even your own mother's, after that person is gone, but JB Rowley has done a strong job sharing a troubled past with us.  I was captured by Myrtle's story and recommend it for your non-fiction library.

- Beverly 


Publisher - JB Rowley; 1 edition 
Date of Publication - January 15, 2014

Genre: Self-Help

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New Self-improvement books seem to pop-up on shelves daily, and there seems to be just as many people anxious to read them.  We are a society filled with people who want to improve.  This desire drives us to find the magic button that will turn our dreams into reality.  After all, a famous Walt Disney quote tells us, "If you can dream it, you can do it," so shouldn't we able to dream our goals into realities?

Although I am not a fan of most of these types of books, I do believe that there is a place for them on many a book shelf.  Martin Meadows' book, Confidence: How to Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs and Achieve Your Goals, can be summed up in his often used term, self-efficacy.  He explains that it is the strength in your beliefs of your ability to complete a task.

In other words, if you think that you can do something it is much more likely that you will accomplish that task.  It seems a simple concept, but self-efficacy is wrapped up in a lifetime of success and failures that made us what we are today.  Although self-confidence is needed, not all confident people display self-efficacy in every task.  

Since I noticed many years ago that the more I believed in myself the more I achieved, I decided to read this book for tips on how to strengthen that aspect of my personality.  It is a clearly written book, filled with lists that delineate how to reach our individual goals.  While the concepts are basic, sometimes we need things spelled out for us, and Meadows takes us by the hand and leads us to our most important goal...believing that we can accomplish what we set out to do.

While I did know much of what the author explained, he definitely shared hints that I will use in attempting to accomplish my goals.  This is a short book, and I recommend it as a confidence booster.  After all, who among us doesn't need to feel that we are invincible some of the time?
​
- Beverly


Publisher - Meadows Publishing
Date of Publication - ​April 7, 2015