Reported by Kristin
Our first reader led off with Requiem
for the American Dream: The 10 Principles of Concentration of Wealth &
Power by Noam Chomsky. A film of the same name was created first,
then this printed version addressing income inequality in America. With each of ten chapters focusing on the ten
principles mentioned in the title, Chomsky argues a well documented case. Describing it as “like a graphic novel and a
seminar at the same time” our reader found the book interesting and
informative.
Next up was Rough South, Rural South:
Region and Class in Recent Southern Literature by Jean W. Cash and Keith Perry. This collection of essayists include some
self-educated and some with more formal education. Despite their varying backgrounds, all
authors seem to have a realistic view of the people and place of the
South. Our reader enjoyed the book,
although she was puzzled that more women and people of color were not included.
Mind Over Meds: Know When Drugs
Are Necessary, When Alternatives Are Better—and When to Let Your Body Heal on
Its Own by Andrew
Weil, MD is a new release from this well known physician and author. Focusing on just how many Americans are
overmedicated by both prescription and over the counter drugs, Weil discusses
side effects and drug dependency as well as suggesting more natural
alternatives. Our reader liked the
eighteen short chapters, each dedicated to a specific medical problem. Weil concentrates on “integrative medicine,”
that is, knowing what effects that medications will have on the entire body.
Continuing in the medical vein (please
pardon the pun,) our next reader reported on An American Sickness: How
Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take it Back by Elisabeth Rosenthal. Discussing the economic rules of the medical
market and the difficulties patients may have navigating the complexities of
the system, Rosenthal explains how individuals can cut through some of the
confusion and take control of their own healthcare.
A thriller consumed our next reader—The
Cutaway by Christina Kovac. Television news producer Virginia Knightly is
drawn into a missing persons search that she fears may involve foul play. Discovering even more about the corruption of
the press and politics in Washington DC, Virginia soon finds herself at risk in
the gritty corners of the city. Our
reader said this was a very good book.
Another novel this week was Huck Out
West by Robert Coover. Huckleberry Finn is back, but now he’s all
grown up and bouncing around from job to job in the old West. As always, Huck is charming but has no
direction in his life. He will work for
whoever pays the most and has no qualms about changing jobs at the proverbial
drop of a hat. Our reader enjoyed the
novel as it is a fresh look at Mark Twain’s characters over 130 years after
their original introduction to American society.
Lastly, Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik was discussed.
Octogenarian Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become an pop-culture
sensation, with her image spreading across blog posts and tattoos alike. Nominated to the highest court in the land in
1993 by Bill Clinton, Ginsburg has become known as a relative moderate who
gives careful consideration to the rule of law.
Our reader very much enjoyed the combination of history and eye-popping
layout of the book.
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