Kringle

Just in time for Christmas I finished Kringle a fantasy based story about Santa Claus' origins. Tony Abbott wrote this young adult novel. The story begins with a retelling of Kringle's mysterious birth and how he was named for the sound of a bell. A lonely old woman kept Kringle hidden from goblins who have sought his destruction. Early into the story, Kringle and the old woman are attacked by goblins and the teen-aged Kringle is on his own. Kringle experiences many adventures, meets up with elves, a priest, and a final confrontation with goblins.

There were things I liked and disliked about the book, giving it a mixed review. I liked the idea of writing a fantasy based story with a teen Santa Claus. So much potential. I liked the elves, just what I imagined. But I didn't like the handling of the Christian story of Jesus and the magical world. Finally, I didn't like the characterization of Kringle. He comes across as unbalanced and not heroic.

Young adult readers who love fantasy may like this story. I could easily see this book turned into a fantasy Christmas movie. For the rest of us, it is a one-time, entertaining read (and fast too).

Book rating: 3 stars

No Reprieve for Books and the CPSIA

This last week Rick Woldenberg broke the news that Henry Waxman was attaching an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill that would fix the CPSIA. The amendment contained an explicit exemption for books. I won't rehash too much of what Rick has said about this amendment. Later we learned that the Waxman amendment was appropriately dropped.

Even though ordinary books would have been exempted from the requirements of the CPSIA, this amendment was wrong for a number of reasons. Rick explains why on his blog. The amendment clearly showed that a legislative fix is required to fix the CPSIA, but it must be done in an open way. If this amendment had gone through, there would have been additional labeling requirements above and beyond what we have to deal with now. While books and ATV's would have received a reprieve of sorts, everybody else would have been punished.

The amendment also shows how political connected the American Library Association and the Publishing Industry is in Washington DC, particularly the ALA. The ALA has continued operating as though books would get that magical waive for the last year*. They have acted coolly toward those who fear the loss of our culture, language, and history found in books printed pre-1985. Either through some kind of knowledge or naivete, they don't believe libraries will be forced to throw out their collections. The ALA managed to marshal their membership to fight some privacy concerns in the Patriot Act but they won't do it to protect the very reason for their existence!

In any event, the amendment has been dropped and books are still at risk. Various rule makings and test deadlines have been issued over the last few weeks. The complexity is so difficult that I cannot tell you how recent developments will affect books. Books printed pre-1985 are still at risk. Books with play value ("touch and feel", toy components, bath books, and some board books) are still at risk and will probably disappear from the market place.

* I am not a member of the ALA so I only know of their actions published in their blog.

Successful Family Businesses

The Idiot's Guide to Successful Family Businesses was not what I expected from a how-to business book. Many business how-to books examine how to write a business plan, market, and promote. This book did not really do any of that. Instead the authors, who have personal experience in family businesses, examine  internal family/business relationships and business structures.

The authors explore nepotism, succession, business type, entrepreneurship, profit sharing, and other nitty-gritty topics. These things can make or break a business and more importantly break a family if not dealt with properly. I have been employed both by large corporate businesses and family-owned. I much prefer the family-owned businesses but there is little room for growth, in income or managerial experience.  I do like the friendlier, more relaxed, family friendly atmosphere, so it was worth compromising for that. As an employee I could relate to some of the experiences outlined in the book in regards to employee issues. As I have started my own business, I could use some of the advice found in the book.

The only difficulty I experienced with the book is that some topics were repeated throughout the chapters, especially succession and nepotism. I am not sure how I would rewrite the book, so maybe it's not a fair criticism. Still, I would start reading a new chapter and the authors would again discuss the same topics from a slightly different perspective. Perhaps they had personal experiences that made certain topics bubble to the surface so frequently. Even so, their perspective gave me many things to consider. If you are involved in a family business, this book may give some insights.

The Way I See It

The Way I See It is written by Temple Grandin, an individual that has autism. In a series of articles, she explains how she sees the world. She explains how her mind processes information and why certain things are difficult. Grandin is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum and has had a successful career in agriculture designing animal handling equipment. She has a PhD on top of that.

She dispels some myths on what it means to be autistic. She explains the difference between autistic behaviors and just plain bad behavior. She discusses various treatments including alternatives not usually considered. She offers advice on how to teach driving skills, preparing for employment, and other basic life skills.

I found the book interesting in its perspective and it was good to learn some basics on autism. The book does not delve deep into the science or research of autism, so this would be a good introductory book on the subject. Grandin indicates in the title that she would also explain Asperger's. She gives a few examples of how Asperger's is different from Autism, but there are not a lot of details. I will definitely be following up this book with another on the subject.

Going Rogue

I consumed Sarah Palin's book, Going Rogue, in about two days. I wasn't initially sure I wanted to read it after reading Liberty and Tyranny and Common Sense because I expected a lot of political commentary. But I admire Sarah Palin and I wanted to know what happened with the 2008 elections. So I decided to just read the chapters on the campaign and get it back to the library quickly - there is a long waiting list for it.

Instead, I got sucked into the first chapter and I couldn't put it down. I found a friend in those chapters. A woman I could not only relate to, but one who shared common personal and political values. The book really is a biography. You get Sarah's personal family history, upbringing, and experiences. You do get the behind the scene political machinations of the campaign. It explains why she had to step down as governor, and it was understandable. You do get some political commentary - but it was fresh. By the end of the book, I truly respected Sarah Palin. The book does not answer the "Will she or won't she run in 2012" question. But it does indicate that her political life is not over. Expect to see her influence conservative politics in some way in the future.

Book Rating: 4 stars

Liberty and Tyranny & Common Sense

I rarely read political commentary books but I listened to these two books right after the other for a few reasons. Both of these books are selling really well with both at the tops of best selling lists for weeks. These books have also seen a lot of traffic at the library, both on audio and in print. I wanted to know why.

From what I had read at Amazon and heard from people, these books were really good. I had high hopes. Liberty and Tyranny traced the historical concept of conservatism and liberalism (or statism). Glenn Beck's book examined Thomas Paine's common sense and wrote his own modern day version.  Both compared history with current events. It was the historical aspects of the books that intrigued and interested me.

I wasn't too disappointed in the history aspects of each book. Mark Levin's Liberty and Tyranny did a good job examining the Founder's and their beliefs about government. He takes the time to show how liberals or statists have moved us pretty far from where we started. Beck's audio book included an MP3 of Thomas Paine's original Common Sense, which was thoroughly enjoyable. His Common Sense inspired essay was boring because it wasn't much different from his radio or TV programs. In other words, if you listen to Beck at all, you will have already heard everything he discusses. Both books bogged down when the authors began to examine modern political corruption for exactly the same reason.

If you are a regular listener of either Mark Levin or Glenn Beck, you may or may not enjoy the books. They repeat what they say on their radio and TV shows. Mark Levin's book was better because there was more historical background, which I liked reading. I will probably skip reading Beck's latest book, Arguing with Idiots, because it's more of the same. But I will probably flip through it before my next debate with a liberal.

Book of a thousand days

This is the third book by Shannon Hale that I have read. I have to say I like Shannon Hale as a young adult writer. It's not to say the other books were bad because they weren't. But Book of a Thousand Days clearly shows that Shannon Hale can write with a great deal of charm. I also felt a great deal of relief after reading this book because it confirmed what library patrons were saying about her. She does write really good stories. I am not sure how else to say it but I was thoroughly charmed by this book. It is written in the style of a daily journal, and was the third book of this style I read in a row.

The story is a retelling of a Brothers Grimm fairytale. Dashti is the servant of a Lady Saren. Lady Saren refuses to marry a despicable man and her father locks her and Dashti up in a tower for seven years. Dashti keeps a journal to record their daily life. Over time, the girls are visited by the jilted fiancé and another suitor. What follows is a series of adventures and unexpected twists and turns - especially since I was unfamiliar with the fairytale.

Book Rating: 4 stars