Mark of the Grizzly- Outstanding examination of grizzly attacks with insight as to the causes and a great deal of respect for bears. I recommend this book to anyone going where there are grizzlys. This and some pepper spray- 'cause a grown grizzly can cover 100 feet faster than you can raise and aim your gun. I really do wonder if I could play dead if attacked...
Into the Woods- More on this one later, because I can't remember the real name and since I left the book on the plane I have to buy a new copy for my friend. Story of a young man who walks into the woods and doesn't walk out- and is less than 5 miles from help. Reminds you to think outside the box, and that some people are searching and are always going to be searching.
interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri-- My Mom gave me this Pulitzer prize winner and I enjoyed it. A collection of short stories exploring that aspect of human personality whereby we often think someone can give us an insight into ourselves, or we can gain healing from someone outside ourselves. The characters are primarily Indian which gave me a cultural distance from them, and yet I could really identify with the conflicts and insights.
For us the Living - Robert Heinlein. Heinlein's first novel- never before published due to many rejections and its loss into the garage of a former student. Its outstanding. This novel was (probably) written in 1938 and is a outsider in utopia plot- somethings he got away from in his other early writing (probably because this was rejected so firmly- and a man has to eat) and did not come back to until he was well established and could afford to lecture and push his audiences. I am a huge Heinlein fan- especially of his social science fiction and this book was no disappointment. Its truly difficult to believe it was written in the 30s- its forward and advanced for today with computer touch screens, automatic homes and social relations based on doing no harm to others.
Swimming with Seamonsters- Paul Thoreaux: a collection of his essays and lit crit. Some are better than others, but they are brief and easy to read when one has short periods of time. I always love Thoreaux, but I enjoy his travel writing best. Still, I'm glad I bought it and it was perfect for traveling because I could start and stop easily- and it should help give me context for some of his longer works- which I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys travel writing.
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man- John Perkins: I saved the best for last. I am a believer in fate, and in the concept that you can learn something from everyone if your mind is open. This book was left in the van we rented- but not for this serendipitous event, it would have probably never come across my radar screen. I think its the most important book I've read in a long long time. Go, buy it now- and then, when you're done with it, give it to someone else.
Look, this book put together a lot of facts I know in a whole new very scary way. Its non-fiction and basically an autobiography of a man who was a covert member of the NSA and an overt international economist. He went to foreign countries to perform economic predictions which would allow the world bank to lend them vast sums of money for "infrastructure" which was then funneled back to Haliburton and other US companies (after paying off the appropriate people in said country) as they performed the construction necessary to the projects. Making the US and the top tier of the "helped" country vastly wealthier and the poor poorer. When the countries could not support the debt the US then gained other concessions and control... the Mafia Model of control- Oh, we'll grant you repayment concessions but we need you to vote this way on our UN decision.... Ever wondered why Saudi Arabia hasn't told us to go to hell? Did you already know Bush Sr. Owned part of United Fruit? Haliburton/Cheney? Its the Good Old Boy Network on an international scale- you realize how many political appointments go back and forth between these multinationals and power brokers.
When you're through with this you will truly understand a great deal more about why we're not viewed too enthuiastically in the Middle East, Central America or Indonesia (Or the rest of the World for that matter). You will understand that it is not a conspiracy in the sense of a true conspiracy, but laziness and a lack of a public philosophy on our part as Americans combined with corporate greed and lack of national discussion and agreement concerning business ethics- the type of business drive and culture that spawned Enron, WorldCom and HealthSouth among others. We must educate ourselves as consumers, we must see that this rampant commercial driven consumerism and want for MORE is wrong and must be curbed- and we need a National Philosophy.
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