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Book Review: Warbreaker

Charles Martin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:21:31 +0000

By Charles Martin

September 11, 2009

Although there is a sufficient number of titles to grant “fantasy” a section separate from science fiction in most bookstores, they are still grouped together. The irony is, in most cases, a fantasy novel has to incorporate many features of science fiction to create a new world or environment.

Whether it be a new flora, fauna, world, technology or form of magic, it is common to reuse one or more of these devices from other authors, but put it together in a, supposedly, “unique” way. Sometimes this succeeds; sometimes the author’s work is merely a derivative of either Tolkien or Asimov.

In Warbreaker, Sanderson succeeds. The primary form of magic comes from the ability to gain “Breaths” (the most common corollary in our mythology that comes to mind is “soul”) and then put them to use. This proceeds to pour the foundation for the entire story and world. It is the basis of two religions within two kingdoms at odds with each other and in danger of going to war. The disagreement is based partly on the morality of using these Breaths (souls of other individuals, dead or alive) for any purpose.

The second issue creating tension is the worship of the Returned, men or women who come back from the dead (granted due to a great deed they performed in their previous life), are treated as gods and must make use of Breaths to stay alive (I know, kinda ironic, but what else do you have when there is a physical presence considered a god and it can be killed?). This story pushes against the boundaries of what we human-beings would consider as “gods”, and, thus, a new world is born in the hands of Sanderson.

The impetus for the events in Warbreaker is that a treaty is forcing the daughter of the king of Idris, Vivenna, (whose nation separated from Hallandren in opposition to worship of Returned and use of Breath) to prepare her entire life to marry the God-King of Hallandren (where the gods live in seclusion from the world at its capital, T’Telis, and only interact with their own priest/guardians and the worshipful petitioners). Events conspire to send Siri, the youngest sister of Vivenna, in her place. This creates sufficient confusion in both kingdoms and causes factions on both sides to question the motives of the king’s decision.

Brandon Sanderson intertwines the storylines of three primary characters: Siri, Vivenna, and Lightsong, one of the gods of Hallandren, who is consistently the most lazy of the gods, at least until Siri arrives to fulfill the treaty of Idris. The most significant factor in all of this is Breath, which manages to grant the bearer the ability to see perfect tones and colors, hear perfect notes and sounds, and produce an aura of brighter color wherever they travel. Most importantly, it grants the ability to be an Awakener, an individual who uses the Breath to bring to life something that was, at one point in time alive, but is now dead, such as cloth (cotton), sticks (living trees), and human bodies (who are now dead, but are turned into a “Lifeless“), all of which perform duties based on Commands.

What I loved the most about this book was not the imagery and magical world, but the verbal interaction between characters. Sanderson has a true talent in bringing alive discussions in a way that makes it seem so real. I honestly laughed out loud at the following quote from Lightsong who conjured up a mental image he’d rather forget: “Make a note to have my imagination flogged for its insolence in showing me that particular sight.” This truly made me realize that Sanderson could expand on this world, already quite full of beautiful landscapes and imaginative magic, by providing lifelike, funny, heartwarming, characters to dwell within.

Overall, it is a vibrant story with a very rich other-worldly feel without duplicating a bunch of common tropes in fantasy. As I read Warbreaker, I yearned for it to be made into a movie where it would be quite the visual treat. However, as I, personally, am a stickler for spelling/grammar, I was disappointed at how many mistakes made it into the final version, but this did not detract from the story (some I’ve read in the past such as the later titles in the Wheel of Time series where the editors seem to get lazy could be rather frustrating). Brandon, find better proofreaders.

On the subject of the late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and his recent demise, Brandon Sanderson is an excellent choice for completing Jordan’s work and he has an eye for detail and originality that should be a real treat when we see his first entry, The Gathering Storm, hit the bookshelves in November. I look forward to more of Sanderson’s works as it appears that we’ve not seen the last of the world introduced in Warbreaker.

Order your copy of Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson today.

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Why You Should Love Christopher Moore

Jenni Hammitt — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:04:03 +0000

By Jenni Hammitt

March 16, 2009

I recently broke down and bought “Fool,” a new book by Christopher Moore. I’m just getting started, but so far it is hilarious. It is a retelling of “King Lear” from the perspective of Pockets, the court jester. Of course it is told in a way that only Christopher Moore could provide. “Fool” made it to #4 on the New York Times Bestsellers list. That is awesome, and I hope that his future works keep bringing in high sales.

Christopher Moore is an author I have admired from the first moment I opened one of his books. I bought “The Stupidest Angel 2.0” on a suggestion from a helpful bookstore employee. I was in San Francisco and I had a 4 hour lay over in Chicago on my trip back into Indianapolis. I needed something that was light, funny and captivating for my wait. The woman suggested the book, and by the time I flew out of Midway, I was hooked. I was off to buy all his books, and to eagerly buy each new book he put onto the market.

Basically, if I can write half as well as he does some day, I will die a happy woman. Moore takes fact, history , religion and myth combines them with elements of sci-fi and fantasy (and even horror) and meshes it all with satire and humor. In “The Stupidest Angel” He has a misguided angel “granting the wish of a young child to bring Santa back to life” and inadvertently sending zombies to attack the small town of Pine Grove. “Bloodsucking Fiends” finds a newly turned vampire and her boyfriend trying to defeat her “sire.” That one even gets a sequel with “ You Suck.”

Each story has characters that you could never imagine in real life, but you can’t help relating to. They (well except for the villains of course and even then…) are characters that are quirky, crazy and totally likeable. Even though the stories are not a series, many characters show up in multiple books. The characters do not love out their usefulness in one book. They may live in future books.

I love Moore’s writing because he always makes me laugh. He speaks to my twisted sense of humor. Maybe that has something to do with us both being (originally) from Northwest Ohio and both being children of police officers. I love horror and scary stories. I love satire. He takes both of those things and presents them in a unique way. Some authors run out of things to say. Their stories become predictable and seem to follow a set outline. Moore keeps cranking out excellent products.

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Book Review: Twilight

Daniel Dessinger — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:10:55 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

December 11, 2008

You’ve been living under a rock for the past year if you haven’t heard about the best selling Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. At the very least, I’m sure you have heard about the Twilight movie. Haven’t you? Come on now.

For those of you who HAVEN’T been to a bookstore, logged on to the internet, or turned on the television in recent years, the Twilight series is essentially the most intense love story you’ve read in a long time.

When I was first told about these books by a good friend, I immediately dismissed them. Her summary of them went something like, “It’s a love story between a vampire and a human. But they are good vampires… I mean, they don’t eat people. And he is really romantic and dreamy and he falls in love with this girl, but tries to stop his feelings, but he can’t… and I know it’s a young adult novel, but it’s great. Just read them!” I was SO not interested, but she was persistent and for my birthday bought me the first 3 books. I was leaving on a 3 week trip to visit family in Europe, so I brought them with me and I must say, within the first 3 chapters I was hooked. I couldn’t put the books down and would find any excuse to run off to my room to pull the book out.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something I was sure of, I was unequivocally in love with the lead character Edward Cullen. Our heroine Bella is the most unlikely of vampire obsessions. She’s a little quirky and accident prone and by all descriptions, very average. Comparing her against Edward who is described as gorgeous and brooding, with messy hair and piercing eyes, they immediately seem like an unlikely couple. But none of that matters as you experience their love story because that is what these books are all about, their love. Put away any preconceived notions of any vampire stories you have heard of before and let yourself get wrapped up in the emotion the story. It’s a pure love, a passionate love, a love with chivalry, loyalty, and commitment. A story which is made even more intense when you add overcoming all the obstacles thrown their way, including a race to save Bella’s life.

Although the books are marketed as young adult novels, they without a doubt transcend demographics as women (and men) of all ages have been bitten by the Twilight obsession.

So if you can’t tell by now, I recommend these books. Although I do have a problem with the classification of “young adult” as the book series progresses. I know I won’t be letting my daughter read the 4th Installment, Breaking Dawn, till she is a teenager as the content gets more mature as Edward and Bella’s love story develops.

Nevertheless, Twilight is a must read. Give the books a chance, I can almost guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Order Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) here.
Order New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2) here.
Order Twilight Soundtrack here.

written by Destiny
Belgexan.com

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Book Review: Living Green

Daniel Dessinger — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:12:35 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

December 9, 2008

I am one of the least likely people to go green. Until recently, I have never been particularly concerned about the environment. I thought I could be healthier by drinking soy milk, diet sodas, and bottled water in plastic containers. Reading labels other than fat or calorie content never occurred to me. I was blissfully ignorant, but that has changed thanks to this book, Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability
by Greg Horn.

Living Green is a practical guide to living a sustainable lifestyle. This book discusses ways to improve your health, your home, and your future by living more organically. I never thought about all the chemicals and toxins I was putting into and onto my body until I read this book. Living Green is packed with great ideas and ways that we can all make a difference.

Ten recommended places to start include the following:

eating organic
going carbon zero
recycling
denying disposables
switching to natural personal care
using natural lawn care
cleaning green
filtering tap water
increasing energy efficiency
staying informed.

Many of us have been recycling for years now, but what other steps are we taking to ensure that the earth will be sustained for future generations? This book gives practical tips and includes a reference section listing websites with healthy products.

The most impacting section of this book for me involved my personal health. It is nearly impossible to be unaware of the rise in recent years of patients with cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and other fatal or debilitating diseases. Could it be that we are adding harmful chemicals and toxins to our bodies that are causing these diseases and preventing our bodies from healing themselves? Discovering that the hair care products, soaps, lotions, and cosmetics that I use contain preservatives called parabens, which could lead to breast cancer, was disturbing. Hearing about all the pesticides, hormones, and toxins that my food and beverages contain was also alarming. This book also gives practical ways to rid homes, office buildings, and cars of the toxic fumes that we inhale daily.

“Living Green” has led me to make some changes in my own life. The first change was giving up sodas, which caused my headaches to go away. Secondly, I swapped out my plastic travel cup for a glass bottle. I will be shopping for a stainless steel container for my hot tea and coffee in the near future. In addition, I exchanged my personal care products for organic alternatives. When I made the switch, the itching on my scalp and arms went away. Apparently, I was reacting to the chemical preservatives in my shampoo, soap, and lotion. I am also doing a colon and heavy metal cleanse to rid myself of the old toxins that are being stored in my body. If you are looking for a good cleanse, I highly recommend Dr. Natura’s Colonix, which is working wonders for me. After the first ten days, I already have more energy. The next step I plan to take is to filter my tap water and remove heavy metals as well as fluoride, which stays in your bones and can
cause arthritis and many other conditions.

This book has also encouraged me to be more informed by researching other products and medications that I use. I discovered that my asthma medication, Advair, contains a black box warning from the FDA. That is really scary considering that the FDA will allow just about anything to go on the market. Some of the side effects of Advair include coughing, bronchitis, voice changes, and osteoporosis. As a singer, it concerns me that this product is causing me to lose my voice regularly. That alone is a compelling reason to look into natural alternatives. I recommend that you check out this book and do some research on your own. You might be surprised at the information you discover.

Perhaps with the recent changes in gas prices, you are more concerned with energy sustainability. This book provides practical ways to conserve energy from changing your light bulbs or lowering your thermostat to changing your automobile or using alternative energy such as solar or wind power. With awareness rising and alternatives becoming more readily available, now is the time to make some changes to protect the earth for future generations. As the author states, “Change is in the air because we are making mindful choices that make a difference, one small step at a time. And that larger difference is already starting to change the world.” Maybe it’s time that we honor God, honor our bodies, and honor the earth God entrusted us with by living according to the natural order of the universe.

Do yourself a favor and buy yourself and two friends copies of Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability today!

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Book Review: Mortal Syntax

Daniel Dessinger — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:08:51 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

November 10, 2008

I was never taught proper grammar as a child. Sure, I know the difference between there/their/they’re, witch/which and weather/whether, but I didn’t know a thing about syntaxes, clauses or even gerunds. It wasn’t until I found myself in grammar class this past year that I was schooled (literally.) grasping onto what I should have learned years ago was a hard task, but I made it, and now, because of my grammar loving teaching, I have learned to love and appreciate grammar too.

Upon a recent trip to the library, I spotted a little red book out of the corner of my eye. June Casagrande’s handy guide to grammar titled Mortal Syntax: 101 Language Choices that will get you Clobbered by the Grammar Snobs – Even if you’re Right. Quite a little mouthful, but at 238 pages, and no more than four pages per chapter, this book is an absolute must read.

The author takes common mistakes everybody makes when speaking or writing and corrects them. Casagrande also offers humorous stories of how she has dealt with the so-called Grammar Snobs in her career, and makes multiple pop culture references in her solutions.

Examples of the chapters in this book included “This is between you and I” (the correct phrase is “this is between you and me”), “I wish I was taller” (I wish I were taller) and “I feel so sick, so I’m going to lay down” (I feel so sick, so I’m going to lie down”) among 98 other examples of poor and incorrect grammar people use on a daily basis and don’t even know it.

I have never had so much fun reading anything that resembled a textbook. I would recommend this book for anyone. The chapters are quick and very easy to read. You will not feel as though a stuffy, old-fashioned teacher is lecturing you. This book is a great read, so pick it up if you can.

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Book Review: Twilight

Lisa Pawlowski — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:47:03 +0000

By Lisa Pawlowski

September 24, 2008

You’re lucky to be reading this. I almost never got this article written. You see, I’ve been worthless the past few days. My house is a pit. I haven’t done hardly any writing. I’m neglecting my husband and kids. I’m barely eating or sleeping, and I can’t be bothered with checking e-mail. Why am I doing this? Do I have an illness? No. My daughter got me addicted to the Twilight series of books and I can’t stop reading until I’m through the entire series.

I realize I’m coming late to a party that, seemingly, everyone has been to. Some of you already know the powerful allure Stephenie Meyer’s vampire romance/thrillers hold over unsuspecting readers. I was aware that the books were out there, I mean, I’d seen the endcap displays at Barnes and Noble and heard the hyperbolic comparisons to other successful series and dismissed them. Anymore, every publisher who prints a sci-fi/fantasy book shouts out blurbs from unheard of critics who claim, “Best thing since Harry Potter.”

The thing is, I’m not really a fantasy/romance-type reader. I like my stories grounded in reality, with a few exceptions. But, just as Bella is hooked on Edward’s smoldering good looks and raw sex appeal, so too am I addicted and need to find out as quickly as possible how the story arc ends.

I’m in the middle of the fourth book and the series has turned from a mostly romance, with a little bit of thriller story to a fantasy thriller with romantic elements. I did read an article where readers were so disappointed in this turn of the story that many went to the bookstore and returned their copies. But think about it, the romance between the characters would be hard to keep up. All stories need conflict. People don’t buy books where nothing happens and everyone gets along. That would be dull.

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Second Edition of Grape Man of Texas Released

Daniel Dessinger — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:05:38 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

July 15, 2008

Next time you raise a glass of fine wine or cognac to your lips, stop and thank…a Texan.

Released in April 2008, Grape Man of Texas: Thomas Volney Munson & the Origins of American Viticulture, by Sherrie S. McLeRoy and Roy E. Renfro, Jr., Ph.D., is a newly expaned edition of the award-wining biography. The first edition received several enthusiastic accolades, including the “Best Wine History Book in the World for 2004” awarded by Gourmand International, who dubbed it “a very important book for wine history.”

This updated second edition includes a new chapter that highlights Munson’s influence and legacy. The material includes new insights into the phylloxera period and details the impact of his research and hybrid varietals on modern viticulture. This edition also provides a fresh listing of his publications and additional, never-before published photos and reproductions of his work.

T.V. Munson (1843-1913) is an internationally known Texas horticulturalist who developed over 300 distinct varieties of grapes. He is one of only seven top breeders who originated nearly half of all the hybrids listed in the Vitis International Variety Catalogue. His cutting-edge work in breeding new grape and plant varieties made him a leader of the period's "new science" movement. For his efforts in curing the phylloxera epidemic in Europe, he received the Chevalier du Merite Agricole in the French Legion of Honor. His articles, experiments, correspondence, speeches, exhibits, grape classifications, and numerous inventions (including a dual-prop helicopter) reveal not only a thirst for scientific knowledge but also a humanist's passion to make the world a better place.

Grape Man of Texas, the illuminating biography of this unsung Texas hero who is still being honored nearly a century after his death, is a must-read for wine enthusiasts and scholars alike.

Book info:

Grape Man of Texas:
Thomas Volney Munson & the Origins of American Viticulture
by Sherrie S. McLeRoy & Roy E. Renfro, Jr., Ph.D.
The Wine Appreciation Guild
April 2008 · 2nd Edition · 334 pages · $24.95 · Hardcover
ISBN 978-1-934259-04-7

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Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek

Daniel Dessinger — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:57:53 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

June 18, 2008

A coworker first told me about The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss in November of 2007. And I began reading it right around Thanksgiving; however, that was also during a time when I was having a lot of difficulty focusing on any book. I had 3 or 4 or maybe even 5 or 6 lying around my house that I'd started and just never got quite interested enough to finish. And this one got added to that pile.

I finally finished reading it in March of this year. It's definitely a book that makes you think, and I've been thinking about it and what it advocates ever since I finished it. Ferriss introduces the idea of the New Rich. He says the New Rich "are those who abandon the deferred-life plan and create luxury lifestyles in the present using the currency of the New Rich: time and mobility[1] " Basically, you live your retirement (or mini-retirements) while you're young and active, rather than waiting until retirement age when you may or may not have your health or enough money to do what you've always dreamed of doing.

He spends the rest of the book explaining how he liberated himself from his internet company by eliminating time management and automating certain tasks. He contends that the typical 9-to-5/40-hour workweek is an arbitrary idea. He believes that many people create unnecessary work just to keep busy for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. He differentiates between effectiveness and efficiency and suggests that through making yourself more effective, you'll be able to liberate yourself from the commonly accepted 9-to-5 routine by proving that you can get just as much work done in half the time.

With all the technological advances today, it's much easier for people to work from home than it ever has been, and I've heard some friends sing the praises of the freedom and flexibility, and in the very next breath, talk about how much more stressful it is. Sure you have the freedom to work from home, but then that means that you can't really get away from work. Instead of leaving work at work, you bring it home with you – literally.

Ferriss admits that implementing this sort of thing is much easier for independent entrepreneurs because you don't have a boss. You ARE the boss, but as previously stated, he doesn't say that it's impossible if you do have a boss. You just have to work a little harder, and he gives several examples of how to convince your boss that you can be just as effective from home, or anywhere else for that matter.

In these economic times, things are harder for everyone, and reading about how Ferriss has liberated himself and can therefore travel all around the world, will probably make you more than a little disenchanted with the current state of things. However, if you can quiet your ego long enough to learn from his ideas about bolstering productivity, you might just make yourself an even more important asset to your company, which in better economic times, might mean that you could one day follow in Ferriss' footsteps and maybe even blaze a few trails of your own.

* Timothy Ferris, The 4-Hour Workweek (New York: Crown Publishers, 2007), p. 7.

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Book Review: I Love Everybody by Laurie Notaro

Daniel Dessinger — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:18:59 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

June 4, 2008

More and more often it seems that my book selections are recommendations from friends. I guess I don’t spend enough time skulking around the shelves at Half Price or Barnes & Noble anymore. At least I know that I can trust my friends to know what I like, and although I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl by Laurie Notaro isn’t quite as fabulous as Outlander, it was still pretty entertaining.

To be fair, I Love Everybody isn’t really in the same realm as Outlander. Notaro writes from her own experiences and is extremely self-deprecating. She’s a woman after my own heart. Every time I picked up the 226 pages of sometimes painful honesty, I couldn’t help but sing a few bars from I Hate Everyone by Get Set Go. Even though the main title is I Love Everybody, Notaro actually kind of hates everyone, so I thought the song was fitting.

The book is a compilation of short stories, and Notaro is a true comedian. She knows how to take everyday, commonplace events and turn them into the funniest thing you’ve heard in awhile. For anyone who’s been in an emergency room recently, you’ll love Rolling Down The River. And although I personally love Kate Winslet, every woman will be able to relate to her hatred of the talented actress in Prude vs. Nude: Why I Hate Kate Winslet.

In Putting the “Die” in “Diet,” anyone who’s been on the Atkins diet will enjoy a hardy laugh, and in “The Sims,” she exploits her husband’s selective hearing by shouting beer, boobies or video games to get his attention in order to get things done around the house. She describes every woman’s worst nightmare in Swimming with the Fishes, and no, it’s nothing like an episode of the Soprano’s.

When I read books like this, I always tend to take my time. I leave it at work to pick up during a lunch hour when I’ve forgotten my other book, and I’ll read a few sections, or I’ll take it with me to a doctor’s appointment, but I never really give it my undivided attention. Notaro’s prose had me laughing so hard at times that I couldn’t wait to get to the next story to see what she was going to say THIS time.

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Style A to Zoe: A Fashion Book Review

Daniel Dessinger — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:17:57 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

May 6, 2008

I have never thought of myself, by any means, as a fashionista. However, I do like to keep up with what the latest styles, trends and “it” whatevers are. I never identified with one style icon, but rather took aspects from different women in the fashion and entertainment world that stood out to me. As I have matured, so have my fashion and style sense. I know how to coordinate outfits, add accessories, match shoes and even offer my opinion to whoever will listen; but I am not a professional.

Rachel Zoe, the famous celebrity stylist is. I made a recent trip to my local library and stumbled across her book, Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty & Everything Glamour, purely by accident. The colour of the cover did not jump out at me, but the words “Style A to Zoe” did. I inquisitively picked up the book, leafed though the pages, and saw that it was more than just your regular picture book of celebrities.

Reading this book, I was extremely surprised at how talented and knowledgeable Zoe is. The tabloids and gossip blogs have obviously done her no justice. For the past few years, all the information I was getting about Rachel Zoe was from online tabloids that only associated her with Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton and their “not so great” fashion selections. This is far from the truth. Zoe offers personal photographs of how she works and whom she works with. Included are personal entries from top designers, including Valentino and Frank Zambrelli who praise Zoe’s talent and eye for all things style related.

Zoe’s book is made up of eight chapters, including a detailed introduction of her life and the reasons why she became interested in the fashion industry and why she became a stylist. Included in her stylebook is a glossary of terms (A to Zoe), something that I thought was a cheeky way to finalize her work. Throughout the pages, Zoe dishes about how to properly accessorize (or as she puts it, “excessorizing”), how to pair chunky jewelery with smaller pieces, selecting the right shoes for the right outfit, selecting a classic bag over the “It” bag, how to correctly apply makeup, and even offers tips on how to design and style your home by incorporating art, fabrics and functional furniture.

What I enjoyed the most about reading Rachel Zoe’s book was the fact that she related to every female in every age demographic and every salary bracket. Zoe insisted throughout to explore vintage and thrift stores in search of jewellery and signature pieces that make you the fabulous woman that you are. She encourages everyone reading to host their own red carpet event and not to be afraid of getting dressed up and looking (and feeling) great.

Rachel Zoe’s expertise with style and fashion was a great and easy read. Her tone was set as if she was sitting across from me as we chatted over lunch or coffee. Her tips were fabulous and any woman who thinks of herself as being fashion forward (or not), should pick up this book because they will find at least one piece of advice to take home with them to use over and over again.

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Book Review: The Moviegoer by Walker Percy

Daniel Dessinger — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:11:48 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

March 28, 2008

Walker Percy is supposed to be a "Southern" writer and he is so in many ways. But still there is more Kafka and Kierkegaard in him than Faulkner and Tennessee Williams, especially in this first novel that won him the National Book Award for Fiction in 1962.

"The Moviegoer" is the story of Binx Bolling, a well-to-do stock broker down in New Orleans with nothing much to worry about – at the surface. He is a well-educated, well-mannered 30 year old single man who enjoys going to the movies and serial-dating his secretaries.

However, deep down, Binx is working on a "research" project in which he tries to peel off the layers of social reality and deconstruct it down to its vacuous core. He is sensitive enough to realize the ultimate futility of the conventions and formulas surrounding him but not courageous (or foolish) enough to pay the price of total renunciation.

His worldly momentum propels him along a prosperous career and towards a sensible marriage worthy of his class and station in life. But his thirst for an "authentic life" is never quenched. His skepticism fans his inner monologue into a raging existentialist fire. Binx Bolling is a man torn in between the safe appearances and the untested promise that lies beyond them.

But this is not a philosophy textbook by any means. It's a literary delight packed with passages like the following:

"Whenever I feel bad, I go to the library and read controversial periodicals. Though I do not know whether I am a liberal or a conservative, I am nevertheless enlivened by the hatred which one bears the other. In fact, this hatred strikes me as one of the few signs of life remaining in the world."

And this is how Percy describes Chicago: "…a powdering of fall gold in the air, a trembling brightness that pierced to the heart, and the sadness of coming at last to the sea, the coming to the end of America. Nobody but a Southerner knows the wrenching rinsing sadness of the cities of the North… This Midwestern sky is the nakedest loneliest sky in America. To escape it, people live inside and underground…"

Can Binx succeed in his "research" and arrive at uncompromising philosophical clarity? Can he become "liberated" while the conventional truths of his family and acquaintances keep pulling at his sleeves?

To provide the answer would be giving away the ending of this great novel which I won't do because it's not fair. Instead, I'll leave you with another sparkling passage from the book, one of unrelenting desperation and defiance:

"We live by our lights, we die by our lights, and whoever the high gods may be, we'll look them in the eye without apology."

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Book Review: A Multitude of Sins

Daniel Dessinger — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:38:15 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

March 20, 2008

A Multitude of Sins (2002), by Richard Ford

Some writers have been an acquired taste for me. When I first read them it took me a while to slash my way through their impenetrable styles and enter the fragrant garden on the other side. Faulkner is one. Raymond Carver is another.

Yet while reading some others I felt at home from the get go. Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford is one such writer. The critically acclaimed master of the unforgettable "The Sportswriter" and "Independence Day" comes up in spades in "Multitude of Sins" (2002), a collection of sensitive short stories each equipped with a powerful search light that probes far down into the uncomfortable recesses of our souls.

The setting is Middle Class America; late 20th century. Each story is basically about a man and a woman. Sometimes there's a third man or woman, or a fourth one. But the dyadic heartache remains the same.

And the issue, more often than not, is adultery. Not the act or process itself but mostly its aftermath. When the earthquake of quick escape subsides, meditating on the mistake is the only damage-control option left to our characters.

Three of these delicious stories are especially unforgettable.

A couple driving in their car to a dinner party they are invited to are paralyzed by a confession that the wife chooses to make, just as they are about to pull into the driveway of their host. One simple sentence and their world starts to unravel piece by piece as we sit there watching the whole episode through Ford's liquid crystal prose. Voyeurism had never been this painful.

A man who once had an affair with a woman happens to bump into her husband in the middle of NY's Grand Central terminal. Ford treats us to a smorgasbord of emotions including hesitation, regret, humiliation, anger, and a few more until that simple moment looms into a perfect microcosm of everything that went sideways and not quite right in our character's life.

In yet another story two married real estate agents start an adulterous affair until familiarity breeds contempt and a lot more. It begs to be made into a movie by Coen Brothers.

If you like short stories you'll carry this volume everywhere you go until it's finished. Addictive like smoked almonds. Highly recommended.

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Book Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Daniel Dessinger — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:05:11 +0000

By Daniel Dessinger

March 14, 2008

When my friend recommended the Outlander to me through email, I thought, "Cool, maybe I'll get around to looking for it the next time I don't have anything to read." Then when I saw her over the holidays, I asked her to refresh my memory on the book that she had recommended. She lit up like she was on fire, and I knew immediately that I had to get this book ASAP.

I'm over fifteen years late in my adoration of the novel by Diana Gabaldon, but in my defense, when the book came out in 1991, I was only 10 years old, and although I was advanced for my age, I don't think I was quite that advanced.

When I found a copy at Half Price Books, it was in the romance novel section, but my friend assured me that it was worth it, and I'm here to tell you that it's totally not a Fabio-on-the-cover-bosom-heaving-through-too-tight-corset sort of romance novel. In fact, I'm a little irritated that that's where it's classified. I think it's much more historical science fiction.

The romance element does run through the entire story, but it's completely believable. There's no page by page account of the lovers hunger for each other, and no accounts of bodice ripping behind closed doors. Yes, there are more than a few steamy descriptions, but a lot of the detail must be inferred and much is left to the imagination, which I find contrary to most novels in the romance genre.

The basic premise is that Claire Beauchamp Randall is on her second honeymoon with her husband Frank Randall in Inverness, Scotland in 1945, just after World War II. Claire and Frank had wed just before the war broke out. During the war, Claire was a nurse, and Frank was a – well, I forget what Frank was because it's not really essential to the story, but Claire and Frank were apart during the Second Great War, so they were spending some time getting reacquainted.

Through a series of events, Claire finds herself on a hilltop outside of Inverness. On the hilltop are some standing stones – picture Stonehenge, but much smaller. Claire gets too close to one of the standing stones, and after a seemingly inexplicable transportation, ends up in the Scottish Highlands in 1743. At first, she can't quite figure out what happened, but then she sees a dated document, and her worst suspicions are confirmed.

Claire spends at least two-thirds of the book trying to get back to the hilltop and 1945. During those five to six hundred pages, Gabaldon weaves an enchanting tale. Because of Claire's training as a nurse in the 20th century, she's seen as a healer and, sometimes, a witch in the 18th century. Gabaldon brings the auld world and its legends vividly to life and offers a convincing explanation for the existence of "witches."

Unlike some authors, Gabaldon does not spend pages and pages describing the Scottish landscape or the flanks of the horses or the rocks of the castles, but I have never had such a clear picture of the people and the places of a story as I do in the Outlander. Instead of filling close to a thousand pages with copious descriptions, she spends her time getting Claire and her Scottish protectors into and out of some pretty serious scrapes. And there are more than a few times when one wonders just how they're going to manage this time.

I'm more than a little infatuated with anything to do with Scotland and Ireland, which I'm sure has a lot to do with why my friend recommended this book to me in the first place. Gabaldon captures the essence of 18th century Scotland, complete with foul smells and clan rivalry. Most importantly, she makes me wish time travel through henges really was possible. I'd be willing to risk my life on a daily basis and live without modern amenities if it meant being loved by a tall, handsome, burly Scottish Highlander.

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