. I saw the movie “Charlie” which was based on this book years ago, but had never read the source. Flowers for Algernon is, on the surface, a moving s. I saw the movie “Charlie” which was based on this book years ago, but had never read the source. Flowers for Algernon is, on the surface, a moving story of a retarded man who, through an experiment, gains genius level intelligence which affects his life for better and worse. On a deeper level, it is a reflection on the nature of intellectual vs. emotional intelligence and how both shape our lives. Keyes intention is to make us think about how we treat others based on their limitations or their gifts. Algernon the mouse was the initial experiment and when he begins to deteriorate, Charlie realizes his time may be brief, thus he is motivated to push forward with his theory on the experiment and ultimately accept that his time as a genius is over.
Merged review:
. I saw the movie “Charlie” which was based on this book years ago, but had never read the source. Flowers for Algernon is, on the surface, a moving story of a retarded man who, through an experiment, gains genius level intelligence which affects his life for better and worse. On a deeper level, it is a reflection on the nature of intellectual vs. emotional intelligence and how both shape our lives. Keyes intention is to make us think about how we treat others based on their limitations or their gifts. Algernon the mouse was the initial experiment and when he begins to deteriorate, Charlie realizes his time may be brief, thus he is motivated to push forward with his theory on the experiment and ultimately accept that his time as a genius is over....more
A remarkable book with numerous illustrations many in color. The text is superb as one expects from the author of Benjamin Franklin. Isaacson concentrA remarkable book with numerous illustrations many in color. The text is superb as one expects from the author of Benjamin Franklin. Isaacson concentrates on Leonardo’s journals as the source of his engineering and artistic principles. Leonardo valued engineering and invention above his artistic talent. As one of the great geniuses of all time, his discoveries in optics, anatomy, general engineering formulas of earth, water, military fotifications, geometry, the effects of light, shadow, line and perspective in painting and much more.make it impossible to summarize the feats of this curiosity driven man who persevered for his own satisfaction in virtually every imaginable field. This is a book for thinkers of which Leonardo is a prime example, an auto-didact with almost no formal schooling. He believed in learning by experimentation rather than pursuing traditional educational practices. Some of his discoveries such as the workings of the aortic valve would not be recognized by physicians for 450 years. Surgeon Sherwin Nuland said “of all the amazements that Leonardo left for the ages,this one would seem to be the most extraordinary.” Many of Leonardo’s inventions remained in design. The great bronze horse for which he was to be renowned was never cast as Duke Ludovici used the bronze instead for canons. Cie la vie. Leonardo was not one to be discouraged by the actions of his patrons, but went on to his next feat of imagination and intellect. This volume is one that will be consulted repeatedly. Engineers and mathematicians will utilize their chapters as will physicians, architects, sculptors and painters.. Poets will find inspiration in Leonardo’s ideas and energy. This is one of the most interesting books I’ve read in recent years, one I’ll certainly be rereading....more
Speech Scroll is an extended poem each individual one consisting of 13 lines. It is impossible to paraphrase these captivating poems that reveal the nSpeech Scroll is an extended poem each individual one consisting of 13 lines. It is impossible to paraphrase these captivating poems that reveal the natural world as it inhabits the human heart. Each poem is identified by its page number. My life at present is poem 102. If this incites a reader’s curiosity, I recommend ordering from Cholla Needles Arts and Literary Library which can be found via the internet. You’ll never regret possessing this book which is one you’ll read and reread....more
Mike James is a master of invention which this latest volume of poetry confirms. To read his work, is to wonder what will he do next. And one is alwayMike James is a master of invention which this latest volume of poetry confirms. To read his work, is to wonder what will he do next. And one is always rewarded. ...more
1. In these poems, Eric Greinke explores the darker side of human nature which can erupt spontaneously in inexplicable moments such as road rage (On 1. In these poems, Eric Greinke explores the darker side of human nature which can erupt spontaneously in inexplicable moments such as road rage (On the Road). Such furies are frequently expressed with a gun which “forces us to see ourselves/on one end of it or the other” (No Cover). In Intensities in Ten Cities the understories reveal Atlanta strip clubs where the naked dancers answer “Why Atlanta?” with “Most modern city in the south.”. Wintertime in Minneapolis shows that “climate/defines each human environment.” In Detroit “At the Greyhound Bus terminal/many of the riders look terminal.” In Chicago “riot police rioted” and in Gettysburg they are “still fighting the Civil War/All the restaurants are blue and grey” while”Monuments to conflict occupy the streets/like an army of solidified ghosts.” These poems steer heartbreaking metaphors down the streets of memory. You won’t forget “Gene 75 and blind” with half a leg gone to diabetes “happy just to have someone to talk to” (Hunger Everywhere) The poems don’t shrink from hard truths of what plagues us. The final poem From the Mirror to You says “Your sad hands ramble over/the badlands of your face” ending with”Below the cliffs of your brow/finding a fresh current to freedom”. Greinke’s poems denote the complexities we face trying to make sense of the world and our own mysterious nature ...more
Centered on Reacher’s efforts to rescue the President’s goddaughter from a band of right-wing militia nuts who hope to found their own nation. This nuCentered on Reacher’s efforts to rescue the President’s goddaughter from a band of right-wing militia nuts who hope to found their own nation. This number two of the series is a real page turner with suspense piled on suspense. ...more
This is a history of the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky by a noted turf-writer. Owners and politicians conspired to create the myth of Kentucky’s pThis is a history of the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky by a noted turf-writer. Owners and politicians conspired to create the myth of Kentucky’s prominence and made the industry a major component of the state’s economy. The most interesting chapter was on the black jockeys and trainers who dominated the sport in the 1800’s as as the eastern plutocrats developed racing stables, they were basically forced out and forgotten, even the great Isaac Murphy until quite recently. ...more
22. The American Canon by Harold Bloom. Whether or not you agree with Bloom’s criticisms of what he asserts are our leading American writers, you can 22. The American Canon by Harold Bloom. Whether or not you agree with Bloom’s criticisms of what he asserts are our leading American writers, you can hardly deny the power of his intellect, sensibility and transparency of communication. The essays on Whitman and Dickinson are outstanding. Whitman is undeniably our greatest genius as a poet, if not as a thinker. Dickinson, however, is credited with a brilliant intellect veiled with a unique style whose minimalism can disguise the philosophical import of her thinking. Bloom, using many of her poems as examples, reveals her rebellious nature and the gleeful pleasure she took in her self-knowledge of her mastery. Unfortunately, the men of letters that she sought as mentors were ones who recognized her as a double agent and deliberately cut her off at the knees. Literary society was not ready for a woman who exhibited self-confidence demonstrated by these poems. Ultimately, Dickinson took refuge in seclusion, showing her work to a few acolytes such as her sister-in-law who took the responsibility after Dickinson’s death to champion her work. One contemplates the satisfaction Dickinson would take in today’s acclimation of her talent. Bloom’s erudite summation serves as recrimination to her own era. Bloom reveres Emerson as the lynch pin of American literature: not its greatest poet, but its exemplary essayist. Bloom’s focus on Emerson requires one to take a harder look at the Sage of Concord, accepted as a dominant figure like George Washington, unassailable on their pedestals. Bloom’s list does not merely focus on writers he likes, but includes those that made an impact, sometimes underserved like Poe whom he rightly eviscerates. He also recognizes the unfortunate comedian in Twain who let that demon loose to ruin the conclusion to the splendid Huckleberry Finn. Twain’s prediliction for broad humor often undercut his cynical irony . He achieved wide popularity, but often that over-shadowed the seriousness of purpose in Huck Finn, his major work. Bloom’s take on Huck is contrary to the common view by Hemingway and Salinger, two writers clearly under Twain’s influence in their coming-of-age novels .Forging on, I found the essay on Wharton carefully focused on her strengths and best work. Occasionally, Bloom chooses obscure examples instead of what is clearly a writer’s masterful and well-known piece. Except for Miniver Cheever, I’m not that familiar with the work of Edwin Arlington Robinson, but I soon will be having ordered his collected poems. The examples Bloom uses charmed me especially lines from Luke Havengal. Bloom skids through Dreiser neglecting what I find intriguing: how awkward a wordsman Dreiser was but he had a knack for choosing contemporary topics: prostitution, murder—you could envision him today as a talented screen writer. In Cather, he doesn’t mention my favorite The Song of the Lark. Instead veering from his tendency to choose the neglected, he highlights the overly familiar My Antonia. Frost and Williams get a rather perfunctory treatment, but he is ravished by Stevens who I have always suspected of word infatuation and possibly saying nothing while putting on a vivid sideshow. A telling essay on Eugene O’Neill correctly convicts him of lacking rhetorical complexity and zeros in on the fact that the plays embody one subject: O’Neill himself, but that is what provides their power—the authors vision of the doomed family. Bloom dismisses Fitzgerald as a minor talent as do It. His estimation of Faulkner matches my own in considering As I Lay Dying his major work, though he overlooks my second favorite The Hamlet in favor of Light in August which I would rank third. In any event, Bloom appreciates Faulkner’s immense gift, not just for epics, but for humor. Hart Crane’s notable command of language receives a bow as do his nods to mentors like Melville and Shelley. There’s a current rejection of enhanced vocabulary: Crane’s detractors favor unadorned speech and ignore Crane’s masterly use of lyric and the epic reach of poems like The Bridge. Crane is a priest of diction, images flowing sensuously as the great river itself. “My word I poured,” he says in The Broken Tower and one recognizes the experience of being overtaken. Bloom credits Crane as having”the spiritual conviction of Dante.”unseals her earth/and lifts love in its shower.” Bloom identifies the native lyricism of Hemingway’s prose as well as his early poetry which Stevens insisted was his real métier. In his short stories, Hemingway joins the panorama of the greats: Turgenev, Maupassant, Joyce, Chekhov None of his novels approach the stories eminence thought The Sun Also Rises is a contender. A highly interesting essay on Tennessee Williams finds Bloom ranking him as one of America’s top dramatists “the most articulate and adequate” he says situating Williams above O’Neill, Wilder, Albee and Kushner and crediting his major works as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire. Bloom evaluates James Baldwin’s essays over his fiction citing the sermon-like Go Tell It On the Mountain and The Fire Next Time. Flannery O’Connor is revered as the most original story writer since Hemingway. A Good Man is Hard to Find remains one of O’Connor’s masterpieces. Her other memorable stories include Everything That Rises Must Converge and my own favorite, second to Good Man, Revelation. Bloom also mentions favorably the novel The Violent Bear it Away, though I don’t think longer fiction was ever her métier. Of modern poets, James Merrill rates high marks as he ought along with the flawed visionary Merwin and Ashbery whom Bloom identifies as the heir of Whitman. I am further pleased to note that Bloom agrees with my view that Song of Solomon is Toni Morrison’s fictional apex. However, that Bloom includes Roth on his list and not Bellow mystifies me Surely nothing of Roth’s narcissistic fiction approaches the level of Bellow’s Humboldt’s Gift—the first real argument I have with Bloom’s selection. I won’t argue about Cormac McCarthy. Bloom correctly focuses on Blood Meridian, though I would give equal billing to the dystophian The Road—which may have been written after Bloom composed this essay. Bloom admires DeLillo’s chilly narratives more than I do and I put Pynchon in a similar category. But overall, one can’t deny the importance of The American Canon and Bloom’s astute and erudite take on our literary traditions....more
These poems instruct the heart and the mind. Not a trace of sentimentality mars the honest feeling drilled like a deep well into the purity of good waThese poems instruct the heart and the mind. Not a trace of sentimentality mars the honest feeling drilled like a deep well into the purity of good water, rich with iron. The poet takes responsibility that many would shirk. In “The Grey Man” his regret at having to place his unwilling father in a nursing home is heart-breaking as he acknowledges “I was busy.” In “Mourning” he admits “jotting down notes/for my next poem” as the body turns cold. Such unimpeachable, unforgettable poetry is suffused with love, never sugar-coated, always true, every poem leaves the reader like a thirsty man wanting more....more
Well-researched and brilliantly written, Sharlet’s book infiltrates the most influential movement that few Americans have heard of. An expose of a secWell-researched and brilliantly written, Sharlet’s book infiltrates the most influential movement that few Americans have heard of. An expose of a secret group whose membership, both past and present, includes prominent politicians, captains of industry and international figures such as heads of state and diplomats. Not an organized religion, The Family claims adherents to the laws of Jesus as they perceive him. Obedience and power network the members to influence the country’s decisions on major and minor issues. The ideology formed in the 30’s gained momentum in the Cold War era of the 1950’s. Its politics lean rightward and it has expanded its base since. The public largely unaware of The Family’s existence and membership is exposed to its existence annually at the National Day of Prayer. A major goal of The Family is to replace the rule of law as a factor of democracy, with a rule of Jesus defined by The Family. The national shift to the right has been engineered by the organization which operates off the radar via a series of cells functioning world-wide to gain power and effect change. Certain individuals said to be “closest” to Jesus have papal-like powers and mystical auras. Members are recruited—there is no application process. The Family’s long arm is active in politics, the media, education, finance, the environment and virtually every section of American life. A subterranean movement that defines itself as practicing “biblical capitalism” its views are ultra conservative, its values that of the Old Testament with Jesus transposed as the avatar who controls the inner beliefs and actions of the members. A king-dom is seen as superior to democracy and The Family is heavily weighted toward the rich, the power seekers and a worldview that favors the entitled while purporting to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. The will of God that the Family espouses is the will of autocrats who oppose social programs, unions and free thought/ Originally known as The Order (The Family became the preferred designation in the 1980’s) the movement is conservative, business oriented and militantly fundamental. To get the full sense of the vast web The Family has constructed, one needs to read Sharlet’s comprehensive study. Many readers will be shocked and dismayed at the inroads that have already been made. ...more
This book expands upon the original magazine article in The Atlantic which many will have read. The authors contend, rightly in my view, that the atteThis book expands upon the original magazine article in The Atlantic which many will have read. The authors contend, rightly in my view, that the attempt to over-sensitize students in the hope of protecting them has the opposite effect of making them fearful, weak and entitled to special treatment. The end result leads to attempts to ban proponents of volatile views from campus speeches, causes professors who state defiance of prevailing ideas to resign rather than face the wrath of students who think they are being endangered by having to face ideas that disturb them. All this is a threat to democracy and intellectual freedom. We should recall the classic view of Voltaire who said “I may disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it....more
I thought this would be a light entertaining read and the poet reference caught my interest as I had some familiarity with Lasky’s poetry (though not I thought this would be a light entertaining read and the poet reference caught my interest as I had some familiarity with Lasky’s poetry (though not a great admirer).; However, the formulaic setup and gushy insinuating tone soon grew boring. I was ready to give up by Leo, but determined to forge on to find my own usually beleaguered sign (Capricorn). For the most part, these two authors found qualities to praise (hot! Sexy!) in every sign—a surefire way to market such books. One could turn out books like these in a day or two and the brief poems that culminate each sign were similarly concocted.; I’d imagined that real students of astrology would look on a book like Astro Poets with contempt; what I hadn’t figured was that the average reader would likely do the same. ...more
A fascinating read from the author of the Cicero trilogy. The protagonist of Pompeii is the aquariast a water engineer who oversees the aqueduct whichA fascinating read from the author of the Cicero trilogy. The protagonist of Pompeii is the aquariast a water engineer who oversees the aqueduct which is blocked in a line that leads to Pompeii. Finding the blockage and repairing it is secondary to the corruption of the rich men of Pompeii who have diverted water for their own profit. Corelia, the daughter of one of the plutocrats, falls in love with Attilius though she is promised in marriage to one of her father’s friends, a man she detests. Taking place over a four day period, Attilius strives to discover what happened to his predecessor and why Vesuvius is experiencing tremors. These, of course, are associated with the aqueduct and Attilius is in the position of helping Pliny try to save his library and then return to Pompeii to rescue Corelia. The sequence of events that leads to the destruction of Pompeii is riveting in the explanation of volcanic activity and the energy of the language. ...more
How soothing these cozies are without being overly sentimental. This one focuses on the death of a bossy village woman who controls the villagers by lHow soothing these cozies are without being overly sentimental. This one focuses on the death of a bossy village woman who controls the villagers by letting them know she has the goods on them....more
A powerful book of poems about the abuse of a woman within the supposed protection of marriage. May, a former police officer, pulls no punches in thesA powerful book of poems about the abuse of a woman within the supposed protection of marriage. May, a former police officer, pulls no punches in these remarkable poems. ...more
The first and perhaps best of the exhaustive examinations of the U.S. treatment of the Indians, a tragic saga of treachery and broken treaties that toThe first and perhaps best of the exhaustive examinations of the U.S. treatment of the Indians, a tragic saga of treachery and broken treaties that to this day continues to minimize the Indians’ claim to lands they inhabited for centuries. Westward Expansion was the watchword of the day which spelled expulsion of the Indians’ basic human rights. One can only describe the depredations committed upon the Indians by the United States Government as a holocaust, as Jackson so cogently does. Not only were treaties routinely broken, the reservation lands touted to the tribes as virtual Edens where their hunting lifestyle could be converted to agriculture, were instead replaced by wastelands without good soil, water, woodlands or minerals. Many of the Indians faithfully observed the negotiations made by their chiefs such as the admirable Chief Joseph who despite repeated betrayals kept his band resolved to peace, understanding that to oppose the white man would only lead to more misery. To be fair, some generals who dealt with the tribes sympathized with their plight, but were unable to obtain fair treatment for them in Washington, a fact that many of the chiefs also understood. Wandering bands of young braves, however, were geared up for warfare and their attacks on settlers were met with massacres of entire villages including women and children. While these actions of the government were well known, the sympathies of the whites were largely with the efforts to exterminate the Indians, many of which, removed from their traditional homelands were transformed into “starving wretches” whose guns were confiscated so they had no means to hunt, who were denied the most basic elements: food, medicine ,housing, while the whiskey traders further insured that the Indians would be even less capable of supporting themselves while the traders made sizeable profits. The “drunken Indian” became a stereotype which the government supported in its goal to ultimately destroy the indigenous natives, while well-meaning missionaries founded Indian schools designed to eradicate their culture. Reparations to this day totaling billions of dollars have never been made to the tribes, that, reduced in size and visibility, languish on the margins of society. Instead, futile actions remove Indian symbols from sports teams or seek to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. One feels, as Jackson clearly knew in 1881 when her seminal book was published, that the fate of the Indians was long ago sealed by a government determined on expansion at the expense of the original inhabitants The media too failed in attempts to portray the Indian situation—either characterizing them as brutal savages whose cruel tortures were designed to obtain spiritual powers—or as saintly natives led by sages of earth-mother wisdom. Reading Jackson today is a heart-wrenching endeavor. Her story repeated globally wherever colonists viewed natives as impediments to their ambitions. ...more
One of the best of the Inspector Morris series. Dexter is adept at revealing the twists and turns of Morris’ curious mind which adds a decided elementOne of the best of the Inspector Morris series. Dexter is adept at revealing the twists and turns of Morris’ curious mind which adds a decided element to the mystery aspect....more
The plot of this well-done Jack Reacher is simple. Reacher is recruited by the Secret Service to find the assassins who are making threats to the incoThe plot of this well-done Jack Reacher is simple. Reacher is recruited by the Secret Service to find the assassins who are making threats to the incoming Vice President. The details of the Secret Service’s operation are utterly fascinating and a major part of this novel. A subplot involves Reacher’s late brother as well as a touchingly sad love affair with the brother’s girlfriend. This is one of the best of this series so far. Luckily, there’s quite a few more to read. ...more
The meditative asides and literary quotations are more significant than plot in this well-wrought book. The narrator has lost a lifelong friend to suiThe meditative asides and literary quotations are more significant than plot in this well-wrought book. The narrator has lost a lifelong friend to suicide and has inherited his dog—a giant Great Dane, that is sadly a short-lived breed. Transference ensues with grief dispelled through the relationship with the dog aptly named Apollo. The book is a tribute to platonic friendship that never rises to the level of a love affair, but treats intellectual and emotional connection as equally important, having survived the friend’s three wives. Nunez speaks of the solitaire, a definition that fits many writers, as well as the rivalry that permeates the literary community. What a pleasure to encounter a contemplative intellect, a writer’s book that focuses on the inner life of the bereaved....more
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