suggested: a general theory of love

i read this! it came recommended from multiple people at multiple times, then literally given to me. not what i would call personally a short read [rich, are you a scientist;] but definitely good for discussion, if we ever do that thing again.

m

Suggested: A General Theory of Love

A GENERAL THEORY OF LOVE

(Non-Fiction, Paperback)
Lewis, Amini and Lannon

From a review (NYT?):

New research in brain function has proven that love is a human necessity; its absence damages not only individuals, but our whole society. In this stimulating work, psychiatrists Lewis, Amini and Lannon explain how and why our brains have evolved to require consistent bonding and nurturing. They contend that close emotional connections actually change neural patterns in those who engage in them, affecting our sense of self and making empathy and socialization possible. Indeed, the authors insist, "in some important ways, people cannot be stable on their own." Yet American society is structured to frustrate emotional health, they contend: self-sufficiency and materialistic goals are seen as great virtues, while emotional dependence is considered a weakness. Because our culture does not sufficiently value interpersonal relationships, we are plagued by anxiety and depression, narcissism and superficiality, which can lead to violence and self-destructive behaviors. It is futile to try to think our way out of such behaviors, the authors believe, because emotions are not within the intellect's domain. What is needed is healthy bonding from infancy; when this does not occur, the therapist must model it. The authors' utopian vision of emotional health may strike some as vague or conservative to a fault, and the clarity of their thesis is marred by indirect and precious writing. Yet their claim that "what we do inside relationships matters more than any other aspect of human life" is a powerful one.


*A fun, quick read. I think it will give us lots to talk about. -rich*

Suggested: The 158 Pound Marriage

THE 158 POUND MARRIAGE
Written by John Irving
Category: Fiction - Literary; Fiction - Psychological;
Paperback

Publishers thingie:

The darker vision and sexual ambiguities of this erotic, ironic tale about a ménage a quatre in a New England university town foreshadow those of The World According to Garp; but this very trim and precise novel is a marked departure from the author's generally robust, boisterous style. Though Irving's cool eye spares none of his foursome, he writes with genuine compassion for the sexual tests and illusions they perpetrate on each other; but the sexual intrigue between them demonstrates how even the kind can be ungenerous, and even the well-intentioned, destructive.


* Its a tiny book that starts out slow but becomes a page turner. A good story with great character development that will give us lots to talk about. Irving has written a bunch of good novels that were turned into mediocre movies (World According to Garp, Simon Birch Owen Meany, Ciderhouse Rules, The Door in the Floor). If you saw any of those movies, please don't hold that against the the author. * - Rich

Suggested: Two More Graphic Novels

If any of you enjoyed Watchmen or The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes, or didn't, and simply want to explore some other graphic novels, I have two recommendations:

1) Y The Last Man: a story about the sole surviving male human after the spontaneous, simultaneous death of every male mammal on Earth. Published by vertigo, which does a lot of good titles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_the_last_man

2) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: this one's by Alan Moore! The story takes place in 1898 in a fictional world where all of the characters and events from Victorian literature (and possibly the entirety of fiction) coexist. The world the characters inhabit is one more technologically advanced than our own was in the same era. Lots of adventures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_League_Of_Extraordinary_Gentlemen

Voting on the Shootlist

We can now add polls to our blog. So, keep submitting your book suggestions and before the end of the current month, we'll vote on what to read next. That way, you get a chance to review the options and select which one you truly want to read most. If you don't submit a book, you can't vote on it.

Group Discussion #3

This month, we're switching things up a bit and reading two graphic novels: Watchmen and The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes. Both are quick reads and come highly recommended. Since we have two short books this month, please talk amongst yourselves and share copies.

Date & Location:
Tuesday, 8/21. 8pm. Lo's House.

BTW, for anybody who's still interested in discussing You Don't Love Me Yet: A Novel, you may get your chance at this meeting. Or, just post your comments on the blog.

Book #1:
Watchmen

Written by Alan Moore; Art by Dave Gibbons

It all begins with the paranoid delusions of a half-insane hero called Rorschach. But is Rorschach really insane or has he in fact uncovered a plot to murder super-heroes and, even worse, millions of innocent civilians? On the run from the law, Rorschach reunites with his former teammates in a desperate attempt to save the world and their lives, but what they uncover will shock them to their very core and change the face of the planet! Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War comes this groundbreaking comic story — the story of The Watchmen.


Book #2:
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes

Written by Neil Gaiman; Art by Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcolm Jones, III Gibbons

The Sandman Vol. 1: A wizard attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. Fearful for his safety, the wizard kept him imprisoned in a glass bottle for decades. After his escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On the way, Morpheus encounters Lucifer and demons from Hell, the Justice League, and John Constantine, the Hellblazer. This book also includes the story "The Sound of Her Wings" which introduces us to the pragmatic and perky goth girl, Death.


Additional Info:
Watchmen at Wikipedia
The Sandman at Wikipedia

Meeting July 9th

Hey Monkeys!

Next meeting is set for July 9th.

Not super BARTable, but we can do a BART run if we coordinate accordingly. Carpooling is suggested. We do have a short hair cat (allergy alert) and a hot tub (naked alert) for any linger discussion or if anyone wants to hear Lethem sing "Monster Eyes". I suggest for field research we all try and have phone sex with a stranger before the meeting.

In all seriousness, I'd like to throw a little something out there for possible consideration. A recent New Yorker article focused on Paulo Coelho (link below), an author read and adorded by many who's topics are usually spiritual and full of self discovery. I was interested in reading "The Alchemist" and thought maybe it might be good for the book club. It could be too spiritual (Clinton was photographed with a copy after the whole Monica thing), but spiritual isn't always bad, and this guys sounds like a full fledged freak (he studied the black arts, did a lot of drugs, etc).

Here's an abstract of the article, I couldn't find the whole thing on line.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_goodyear

Just something to consider.

hm?

fellow shooters,

is anyone else reading "you don't love me yet"? t and i started the audio book on the drive to OR. a fine listen, but -slow- for me. i swear, i could have finished it by now. and now, i feel compelled to finish it in this format.

are we meeting this month?

m

Suggestion: A Game As Old As Empire

I was intrigued when I heard an interview with John Perkins upon the release of the first book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman. This second book is a compilation from others. A different angled follow-up to the Beah book -- cuz, how are they getting all those guns and drugs in the African jungle?

"John Perkins exposed this shocking secret world in Confessions, his first-person account of his own life as an Economic Hit Man, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Here, other economic hit men, journalists, and investigators join Perkins to reveal many more deeply disturbing stories of greed and international corruption. In gripping detail, they describe the schemes and subterfuges that multinational corporations, governments, powerful individuals, financial institutions, and quasi-governmental agencies use to line their pockets behind the façade of “foreign aid” and “international development.” "

http://www.economichitman.com/

Group Discussion #2

Book:
You Don't Love Me Yet: A Novel, by Jonathan Lethem.

Date & Location:
TBD (first to second week of June).

Author's web site

Book Description:

From the incomparable Jonathan Lethem, a raucous romantic farce that explores the paradoxes of love and art.

Lucinda Hoekke spends eight hours a day at the Complaint Line, listening to anonymous callers air their random grievances. Most of the time, the work is excruciatingly tedious. But one frequent caller, who insists on speaking only to Lucinda, captivates her with his off-color ruminations and opaque self-reflections. In blatant defiance of the rules, Lucinda and the Complainer arrange a face-to-face meeting—and fall desperately in love.

Consumed by passion, Lucinda manages only to tear herself away from the Complainer to practice with the alternative band in which she plays bass. The lead singer of the band is Matthew, a confused young man who works at the zoo and has kidnapped a kangaroo to save it from ennui. Denise, the drummer, works at No Shame, a masturbation boutique. The band’s talented lyricist, Bedwin, conflicted about the group’s as-yet-nonexistent fame, is suffering from writer’s block. Hoping to recharge the band’s creative energy, Lucinda “suggests” some of the Complainer’s philosophical musings to Bedwin. When Bedwin transforms them into brilliant songs, the band gets its big break, including an invitation to appear on L.A.’s premiere alternative radio show. The only problem is the Complainer. He insists on joining the band, with disastrous consequences for all.

Brimming with satire and sex, You Don’t Love Me Yet is a funny and affectionate send-up of the alternative band scene, the city of Los Angeles, and the entire genre of romantic comedy, but remains unmistakably the work of the inimitable Jonathan Lethem.

About the Author:

JONATHAN LETHEM is the author of six novels, including the bestsellers The Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is also the author of two short story collections, Men and Cartoons and The Wall of the Sky, the Wall of the Eye, and a collection of essays, The Disappointment Artist. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, and Maine.

suggestions: the book of salt

by monique truong. fictionalized account of alice b toklas' & gertrude stein's manservant.

m

Where is the access road?

So on the ride home I was thinking more about an access road INTO the book "A Long Way Gone." Now, granted, if this memoir was written when he was 50 it would be a very different book than it is today - probably started when he was 25... or younger considering the loft he moved into was that of a professional storyteller.

The thing I'm missing most is accessibility to his situation. While I have never done the things he has done I have used many of the same psychological triggers he has used. I only have my own experience to draw on to relate to him and the place that where it could happen are these moments that aren't given time. (Either by his own narrative or the editing.) I've used storytelling as a safety device, I've been triggered in times of stress to employ survival techniques and skills and I understand the pleasure I get from those devices. We never see implicitly that he uses his skills to further himself. He is a good looking, friendly faced and intelligent young man. This is a marketable skill for both Ishmael to use to get out and for the people looking to use him as a poster boy. He *knows* this... he's a performer and he's intelligent. He knows how to work a crowd, how to manipulate a crowd ... yet we aren't shown this side of him in the story. At the end of the day he GOT something for what he did. Not brown brown here people... pleasure, enjoyment and revenge. He continued the killing not only because he "had to" (brianwashing?) because he also got a psychological "gimmie" from the deal. And the thing is - THAT'S OK. It's part of understanding why you do the things you do. If we've already forgiven him for the atrocities of war - why can't we give him pardon for being human?

I get that this is something that is sort of "well if the book was this" instead of what the book IS... but I put my finger on why this book rang hollow for me. The person isn't real even though this is a real person. The book suffers from being too much too soon. For Ishmael's story to have full and lasting effect outside of this tragedy I feel like he needs to re-visit it in another 25 years.

Suggested: The Lucifer Effect

Hi y'all,

I would like to put up The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo, as an interesting book to follow Beah. He is the Stanford professor who did the famed Prison Guard psych experiments in the 70's. It's about understanding how good people do evil. How genocides, Abu Ghraib, and the like happen. I really wish I could be there discussing this book with you guys tonight, but if I was I would want to ask how humans are capable of arming children, or killing their neighbor with a machete... This book supposedly sheds some light on this issue. I would also volunteer my services to do a book report on this one and report back to the monkey shooters ;)

_ray

Suggested: The Road

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a bleak (yet at times beautiful) story of a father and son, travelling across the burned out husk of a nightmarish, post-acpocalyptic America. Much like A Long Way Gone, this is a "road" book in which the main characters journey thru a hostile environment where death is always just behind them—or waiting just ahead—while at the same time, lurking within their own hearts, waiting for them to stumble or miss a step along their equally mortal inner journies. That may make no sense, but what I'm trying to say is that the two books make quite a powerful pairing and share many similar themes. They both illustrate the depths to which man may sink and the atrocities which he may visit upon his brothers and himself. And yet, they both illustrate the strength of man's humanity and his ability to overcome violence, despair, fear, loss, and death. They illustrate the ability to overcome one's own shortcomings as well as those shortcomings which have seemingly plagued man as a whole, since the beginning of recorded history. The Road may herald the end of human history as we know it. But, in that end, it creates something worth recording and remembering.

As you may be able to tell, I've already read the book, as well as one more by the same author, Blood Meridian. If you don't read if for the book club, I highly recommend reading it for yourself and would love to hear your comments on it. Follow it up by watching Children of Men for a contemporary cross-over of intense, visceral storytelling involving more of the same themes.

BTW, The Road was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction this year. You can read an article about the author from the New Yorker here.

Suggested: Watchmen

While inhabiting the same territory as Orwell's 1984, Gilliam's Brazil, and a number of lesser bleak views of a (then future) society, Watchmen takes full advantage of the graphic novel format to flesh out its characters and plots in ways rarely seen in any medium. Even after 20 years, still probably the best graphic novel out there.

Suggested: Uncommon Carriers

You might know John McPhee from his articles in the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and other publications. This is his latest, about various forms of commercial transportation, both ubiquitous and unique. I find his writing to be fascinating - creating interest in, and exposing hidden facets of, seemingly pedestrian objects and processes.

Suggested: The Wild Trees

Did a double-take when I saw the author of this was already linked in the sidebar.

Read a review of this recently, and it seems fascinating and of both local and global interest.

Joe

the shootlist

please submit your suggestions to the shootlist for upcoming books.

add a post to the blog with your suggestion(s), with a brief description of the book and why you suggest it (if you like). make sure to add "shootlist" to the label of your post for sorting. i'll add the submitted titles to the shootlist in the sidebar for voting.

group discussion #1

book:
a long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier, by ishmael beah.

date & location:
monday, april 30th @ 8pm. location: lo's house.

• reading guide
• excerpt
• web site

from the book flap:

In A LONG WAY GONE: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Beah, now twenty-six years old, tells a powerfully gripping story: At the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. At sixteen, he was removed from fighting by UNICEF, and through the help of the staff at his rehabilitation center, he learned how to forgive himself, to regain his humanity, and, finally, to heal.

This is an extraordinary and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.

about the author:

Ishmael Beah was born in Sierra Leone in 1980. He moved to the United States in 1998 and finished his last two years of high school at the United Nations International School in New York. In 2004 he graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in political science. He is a member of the Human Rights Watch Children’s Rights Division Advisory Committee and has spoken before the United Nations, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities (CETO) at the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, and many other NGO panels on children affected by the war. His work has appeared in VespertinePress and LIT magazine. He lives in New York City.