Shattered Dreams

I have read a few books about the Fundamentalist Mormon groups in Utah. These are groups of people who have split off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because they wished to continue practicing polygamy. After the original split, there have been further splits dividing the people and families over differences about leadership and doctrine. One of the more famous, recent groups was led by Warren Jeffs in Colorado City and Hurricane, Utah. Some of these groups also include the Allred's (Salt Lake Valley), Blackmores (in Canada), and the LeBaron's (Mexico). All of these groups are related to each other in some way and each group has had their own difficulties. I find these groups interesting, both in their beliefs and lifestyle. The group I knew least about were the LeBaron's in Mexico. I came across Shattered Dreams : My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer at the library and had to read it.

Many of the books on this topic are written by women who lived in one of these communities. They usually explain how they were raised, what they were taught to believe, and then the life choices they made. Shattered Dreams is no different, but the story is fascinating. Irene secretly marries her husband Verlan as a second wife as a teenager and is quickly sent to Mexico. There, Irene and her sister wife endure a foreign land, language and a shared husband. They experience extreme poverty as they struggled to eke out a living in one failed farm after another. Pretty soon Irene has children and the stress and strain is palpable, but she never truly waivers in her faith. She is determined to live her beliefs. Then her husband decides to marry again. And again.

Eventually, she does begin to waiver. After the years of extreme poverty, constant moving in Mexico and South America, and multiple sister wives, Irene escapes with her children back to the United States. It's about this time that the religious leadership of her group begins to fracture. Her husband's brother Ervil murdered several people in the name of religion and his hit list included Irene and her family. After Verlan's death, Irene leaves polygamy for good.

The story is both honest and real. It's a bit rough. You question why any woman would willingly choose to live as she did. And yet, you have sympathy for her as she explains why she stayed as long as she did. This book is well worth a read.

Toxic War : The Story of Agent Orange

Few books have made me angry when I read them. Toxic War by Peter Sills made me angry because the very topic is so upsetting. Sills examines Agent Orange, a chemical used heavily in the Vietnam War. He explores its origins, manufacture, and use in warfare. He also details the long term health consequences of the soldiers that served and the people of Vietnam.

I had heard about Agent Orange but I didn't really know all that much about it. Agent Orange or dioxin was a chemical that was produced and used in herbicides prior to Vietnam, but not heavily. There were some reports of employees getting sick who had been exposed to the chemical, but these reports were largely buried. You could say that Dupont and Monsanto both manipulated studies to show the chemical was safe for use. But no one, up to that time, had ever used or applied dioxin in the quantities that were needed in Vietnam.

Vietnam presented a logistical challenge to warfare. The enemy could easily hide in the vegetation and disappear. The danger to soldiers was very high. The solution was to remove the vegetation and the easiest way to do it was to spray dioxin. Dioxin was sprayed around all the bases on a monthly basis. The bases had buildings with open windows, so the spray just drifted in. It was sprayed on top of soldiers and civilians in the field. Soldiers bathed in and drank water that had been contaminated. When people talk about a scorched earth, Vietnam became that place. Dioxin does not break down over time, so it contaminates the soil and plants that grow in it.

Despite the environmental damage and exposure, the US government deflected responsibility. They had been told it was safe, so they ran with that story despite mounting evidence it was not. The most heavily exposed soldiers died within months of returning home from bizarre cancers. Children born to these soldiers had odd birth defects. Then the lesser exposed soldiers started developing aggressive cancers as they aged to retirement. So while the government continues to deny responsibility, they now acknowledge it is possible that some veterans are sick because of Agent Orange. There is an official list of cancers that the VA will cover if a soldier served in Vietnam. Aggressive prostate cancer is now one of them as many Vietnam vets are dying of prostate cancer.

This books is well written and a must read.

Unbroken

I listened to the young adult audio version of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This true story follows Louis Zamperini and his rise from a troubled youth, to an olympic athlete, and finally to a prisoner of war held by the Japanese. The title Unbroken is fitting because after everything he endured he went on to live a relatively normal life. The story was eventually made into a movie, but I have not seen the movie and can't comment on how it compares to the book.

This is an important story to read. There are sometimes ordinary people asked to do extraordinary things. While Louis Zamperini was not necessarily asked to do anything he experienced, he did volunteer. He gave up his Olympic career to serve his country. And then to endure a plane crash and days on a raft only to land in Japan and endure even more is rather extraordinary.

Since I listened to the young adult version of the story, I can't say what I missed. An Amazon reviewer says the language was simplified a bit and there is some abridgement to the story. I felt the changes were relatively minor because I didn't feel I was missing anything. In some parts of the story, I wondered if content had been edited because the torture of the POW's was rather graphic. Still, how does one edit it without losing the seriousness of the situation? After listening to the book, I tracked down the print version to see the pictures.

Laura Hillenbrand did an excellent job in writing this book. For more about Louis Zamperini, I found he wrote his own story.

Book rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Capturing the light

I think most of us take for granted the ease of capturing an image and sharing it with the world. Cell phone image quality just keeps improving. How did we get to the point where nearly everyone has a camera in their pocket? In Capturing the Light by Roger Watson and Helen Rappaport, you are introduced to two rivals who each developed a process to capture images. These two men are Henry Fox Talbot from England and Louis Daguerre from France. You may have heard about the Dageurrotype, but there was also a Talbotype.

There is some question on who exactly managed to capture an image first. Perhaps it doesn't really matter, though at the time it was a matter of controversy. The various methods all dealt with chemicals, usually toxic. Some images faded over time until the process was perfected. As the technology improved, the industrial revolution kicked in and various people used the technology to great advantage. There were winners and losers. In time these two men have been forgotten.

I found the book to be well written and interesting. There were many things I did not know about the development of photography. I have seen tintypes, which are a bit rare. Now that I understand the process by which they were made, it is a bit of a miracle that they still exist. I would have liked to have known more about how the technology evolved over time. There is almost no mention on digital photography. Rather the authors focus on the two men mentioned above.

Book Rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

The King's Grave

The King's Grave is by Phillipa Langley, head of the Richard III Society and Michael Jones, a historian. This book details the discovery of King Richard III's grave in a car park. Phillipa Langley had a devoted fascination to try and find out what happened to King Richard III after being killed in battle. Using historical clues of the battle and historic maps overlaid on top of modern maps, they were able to trace a possible burial in a car park.

The book switches back and forth between the historical account and the archaeological dig. I found myself more interested by the historical account then the dig. Phillipa Langley had an emotional attachment to the long dead king that was a bit over the top. This is particularly apparent in a documentary that accompanied the book and discovery. In any event, the overall book was interesting and worth the read.

I listened to the audio version, which had a good reader. The only downside, of course, is the audio version did not have the pictures. I tracked down the print copy at the library to view the pictures so I would know what I was missing.

Book Rating : 4 stars - the book bogs down in certain sections, but is otherwise interesting.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Trapped under the sea

The city of Boston had been dumping sewage and waste into Boston Harbor for hundreds of years. It was toxic and needed to be cleaned up. But before that could happen Boston needed a way to deal with sewage. Most people don't think about what happens when you flush a toilet. That waste has to go somewhere. In many communities it goes to a sewer treatment plant where the waste is broken down and treated eventually being released back into the environment as clean water. The city of Boston created a master plan that was bold in its vision. The plan was to build a new treatment plan and a 10 mile tunnel under Boston Harbor. The goal was to release treated waste deep into the ocean far from Boston Harbor. Eventually, Boston Harbor would recover and be safe once again.

Such a thing had never been attempted. The initial tunneling went well. The unknown factor was the end of the job. Someone would have to pull the plugs in sequence. These plugs would be where the cleaned waste water is released. The plugs were deep at the end of the tunnel. Deep sea divers were needed to do the job. These men had experience in deep water dives and industrial construction. But even they had never done something like this. There were a lot of safety concerns for this job. Bids were put out for subcontractors. One was selected made up of a team of 5 deep sea divers. Their plan was untested. Their equipment was specially made and also untested. Safety concerns were raised and ignored. What followed was a tragedy.

The story is written in the style of a true-crime novel. There were sections where the story dragged as the author details the conditions in the tunnel and the equipment that was used. Those sections of the story were essential in explaining why the tragedy occurred. The reviews on Amazon are almost universally positive. The writing style did not appeal to me as it switched between characters and description. Still, the story is important because it explains the human toll of our modern infrastructure and lives.

Book Review: 3.5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Empty Mansions

It is hard to imagine having so much wealth that you could have multiple mansions and allow them to sit empty and unused for decades. And yet, Huguette Clark did exactly that. She spent most of her life as a recluse in an apartment in New York City. Her apartment was large in comparison to most New York City apartments, yet beautiful designed. Even there, she only used a few rooms.

The story of how Huguette Clark came into her inheritance and where that money came from was equally fascinating. I had no idea the influence of her father, W. A. Clark, on the American West and the mining industry. Most of her money was inherited from her father's mining and investments. After her father, and then mother, died, Huguette retreated from life in the 1920's and lived reclusively with only a handful of close assistants. She handled most of her money by phone and people did what she asked. She developed several unique interests in doll collecting and artwork.

Towards the end of Huguette's life, even she could see that she would never spend all of her money. Though she came quite close. She gave hefty amounts to various people, which are now under dispute. And since she has passed away, her distant relatives have now shown an interest in her money and want their "fair" share.

This is a fascinating story of wealth generated during the industrial revolution spanning many decades. It raises many questions about wealth and personal responsibility, finance, and spending. Can you have so much money that you will never spend it all? Most of us will never know, but in the case of Huguette Clark we can see one possibility.

Book rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Kerry : Agent Orange and an American Family

Agent Orange. A substance many modern Americans know little about and how it devastated an entire generation. This true story by Clifford Linedecker relates the story of Kerry, the daughter of Michael and Maureen Ryan. Kerry was born shortly after Michael returned from Vietnam. She was born with over 22 major birth defects and deformities. The cause - Michael's exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam.

Agent Orange was a substance sprayed on the jungles surrounding military bases and battle areas in order to defoliate the plants. And it worked amazingly well. The soldiers were told the substance was harmless to humans. They did not wear protective gear and even worse, they bathed in and drank contaminated water. The most highly exposed soldiers died shortly after returning from Vietnam. Others were periodically sick as the toxin slowly released in their system. Even today, Vietnam veterans are dying of aggressive cancers or suffering from lingering health problems. The people who live in defoliated areas of Vietnam are still suffering today, unable to use their land for food production and dying of cancers.

And the story gets even sadder as we learn that the children of Vietnam veterans are suffering from this toxic exposure. Kerry somehow managed to survive despite enormous challenges, living until 2006. Doctors could not explain how one child could be born with some many problems. As the Ryan's tried to help their daughter, they began to put the pieces together. Other Vets were also dying or sick. They were having children with unexplained birth defects and problems. And soon it became clear that Agent Orange was the likely source. Soon the Ryans became the center of the Agent Orange story and testified before Congress in the hopes that Vietnam Veterans and their families could get the help they needed.

Their efforts were not entirely in vain. Many veterans are getting helped, but the bureaucracy of the Veteran's Administration is still a major roadblock. And even all these years later, Vietnam Veterans are being denied treatment either out right or through delayed appointments and bureaucratic nightmares.

This story is important because it tells us what our government did to our soldiers. We don't know what lingering effect and how long this toxic exposure will last. What damage has been and will be passed from one generation to the next? We don't really know and it seems, sadly, that very few care.

Book Rating: 5 stars

This book is now out of print, but is available at nominal cost from third-party sellers on Amazon or at a public library.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Life and death in Shanghai

The history books in my high school and college both dedicated a mere 1-2 paragraphs to the Cultural Revolution in China during the 1960s. I was not a History major in college, so I just read the general world history text that skimmed a lot of major world events. It is unfortunate because I really had no idea what the Cultural Revolution was, what it did to China or its people until I read this book. Nien Cheng recounts her life during the Cultural Revolution in her autobiography Life and Death in Shanghai.

Nien Cheng's husband worked for the Shell Corporation in China. His job was to ensure that Shell followed Chinese laws. Nien's husband unexpectedly passed away and Nien assumed her husband's job. She was very good at ensuring compliance with Chinese law, a stressful and difficult job. She loved China and she fully supported her communist government. But very quickly things changed.

Nien worked for a foreign government. She and her husband had travelled the world. They owned very beautiful things and lived in a nice home. As the Cultural Revolution kicked into gear, Nien became a target. Because of her economic standing and employment she was interrogated multiple times and pressed to confess her capitalist sins. Revolutionaries came and destroyed her home. Her daughter was forced to participate in revolutionary activities. And finally, Nien was jailed - locked in a solitary cell for years. She was brought out routinely to be interrogated and asked to confess.

Despite experiencing so much, Nien never confessed wrong doing. Eventually Nien was freed and assigned to live in an apartment not far from her previous home. She finds herself in a changed China. While things appear to have improved on the surface, she senses the same political rumblings. Always looking over her shoulder Nien wonders if her neighbors spy on her in exchange for favors. Very carefully, Nien leaves China and comes to the U.S. - heartbroken and sad for the country and people she so loved but hopeful for freedom.

I read this book cover to cover. I was impressed with Nien's integrity and endurance. Some passages were very long and I wondered how she could survive through so much tragedy. How could anyone? And yet she did. This is an important story. It's one of hope and survival. It's about the truth of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution. It's a must read.

Book Rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Lady Almina and the real Downton Abbey

 

Downton Abbey has received a lot of buzz as the hottest BBC television show to emerge in recent years. The rich historical drama is nothing more than a soap opera with the rich wrappings of the British upper class. The television show is filmed in Highclere castle and draws inspiration from some of its previous inhabitants.

One of those previous inhabitants was Lady Almina Countess of Carnarvon. And like the television show, there is a hushed scandal when Almina marries the Count. But what draws viewers to the television is more than the occasional scandal. There is intense interest in seeing how the upper class lives in comparison to the lives of those that they employ. That upstairs-downstairs story. This book contains details of what it was like to live as or work for the upper class of late Victorian and Edwardian England.

The most surprising and most interesting part of the book is not about Lady Almina. She made huge contributions to the war effort of World War I, establishing two hospitals and hiring medical staff. It was the details of World War I were interesting and revealing. The transformation of England from the Victorian to the modern era and how that effects the people of Highclere was fascinating. The story of her husband Lord Carnarvon and his discovery of King Tut's tomb was equally fascinating.

The book does not get bogged down in endless biographical details. It sets the mentioned individuals in their historical context. The story wraps up shortly after the death of Lord Carnarvon and how the family members moved on. I appreciated this because it made the book an easy read. I had hoped for more photographs, especially since the author describes photographs which were not included. Still, there is enough of a look into the family's life with what is included.

Book Rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Trail of tears by John Ehle

 

Honestly, this book has some of the most beautiful non-fiction writing I've ever read. The author explores the history of the Cherokee nation from their rise in Georgia to their forced expulsion to Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The author caught me almost immediately with his description of the birth of Major Ridge. He captured me again with his description of the forced migration of the Cherokee in the late 1830s. I learned so much about the history of the Cherokee that I didn't know previously. I am glad I read this book and recommend it highly if you have an interest in this subject.

Book Rating: 5 stars.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Potato by John Reader

I have a new appreciation for the potato -  a vegetable I didn't like much as a child. John Reader takes you on a historical journey from ancient to modern times and examines how the potato has changed society.

I learned many things from Potato by John Reader. The potato is considered a near perfect food. If all you have to eat are potatoes, you won't starve compared to other common foods like wheat. It is a complete food group unto itself. It's also one crop that is largely dependent on chemicals to fight against late blight. On one hand it can raise a society out of poverty, on the other hand it can wipe you out when you only food succumbs to late blight.

The first few chapters of the book are dreadfully dull. I had the feeling that the author was giving his own opinions about ancient civilizations, human evolution, and the development of the potato. Who really knows as there is little to no dependable historical records. The book really peaked my interest starting with the chapter on the Irish potato famine. Many people can trace the migration of their ancestors to the potato. It was from this point in history that the reliance of the potato became clear. It was from then that humans discovered a way to fight blight - though to what side effects remains to be seen. The following chapters discuss the world wide distribution of the potato and more recent research and development.

I wish there had been just a little bit more science about the potato. I also wish there had been more pictures of the potatoes and areas that he discussed. In order to understand the significance of the potato, this book would be a good one to read.

Book rating: 4 stars

Mr. Lincoln Speaks at Gettysburg

Mr. Lincoln Speaks at Gettysburg is a history book written by Mary Kay Phelan for young readers. This is another book at risk of being lost because of the CPSIA. It's true that there are newer books that follow the same concept. I haven't compared them, so I can't comment on whether any are better than this one. But why should a library replace this book with a newer book when this one covers the topic so well? It would truly be a waste.

Phelan's bio on the dust jacket says

Mr. Lincoln Speaks At Gettysburg reflects her great interest in writing books that will bring American history to life and make it meaningful for today's young people.

The books is full of pictures including pictures of Lincoln, Gettysburg, and copies of the Gettysburg address for comparison.


The last chapter of the book contains an analysis of the words of the speech.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Despite the trying times that our country had just experienced, Lincoln doesn't talk about reforming America or "changing" it into something new. No. He talks about a rebirth of FREEDOM and a hope that a government of the people, by the people, for the people would not perish. He spoke about the lives that were lost on both sides and honored them.

This is a book that should not be lost.