I found this book in with a bunch of religious books, but why was a Danielle Steel book doing among religious books? Then I saw the author had a Doctor of Divinity, and that the book's preface read, "Another book on the higher Christian life!" At that point I realized something was wrong. Whoever Daniel Steele was, he wasn't Danielle Steel. Though with a title like, "Love Enthroned", how was I to know?
Love Enthroned, by Daniel Steele (HC, ? year, $5)
Look for it on the new non-fiction table. (L-rel)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Jim Thompson, hero of Thailand's silk industry
Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand, by William Warren (TPB, 1970, $2)
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
Jesus, Mary and Judah, their son
The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History, by Simcha Jacobovici (TPB, 2007, $2.25)
Ok, I usually consider myself as having an open mind, so I read this with curiosity, if some scepticism. I was not convinced. First off, James Cameron wrote the introduction. That's right, the director of Titanic introduces us to a new archaeological find. Does anyone else but me think it is strange a Hollywood personality was asked to write this introduction? Then there are all those color photos supposedly proving the book's point. Pretty photos, but to me they don't prove anything. Where the book really lost me was when they claim only Jesus' family had the same names as the ones inscribed in the tomb, or that a circle is a crown of thorns, or that a funny looking "X" was a symbol for Christ.
So why buy this book? How about because it is fun poking holes in their interpretations. Look for it on the new non-fiction table. (L- rel)
Ok, I usually consider myself as having an open mind, so I read this with curiosity, if some scepticism. I was not convinced. First off, James Cameron wrote the introduction. That's right, the director of Titanic introduces us to a new archaeological find. Does anyone else but me think it is strange a Hollywood personality was asked to write this introduction? Then there are all those color photos supposedly proving the book's point. Pretty photos, but to me they don't prove anything. Where the book really lost me was when they claim only Jesus' family had the same names as the ones inscribed in the tomb, or that a circle is a crown of thorns, or that a funny looking "X" was a symbol for Christ.
So why buy this book? How about because it is fun poking holes in their interpretations. Look for it on the new non-fiction table. (L- rel)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
To Live Again (Rehab in 1944)
And Now to Live Again, by Betsy Barton (small HC, 1944, $2.50)
Betsy Barton writes of her own experiences after being paralyzed in a car crash. She writes what it was like immediately after the accident, during her stay at the "Institute", and after her re-entry into life.
She writes during WWII, when soldiers were returning home not only with physical injuries, but also with mental ones. Sadly soldiers and accident victims were not the only ones at the institute. There were also children recovering from neurological conditions like polio. They all go to the gymnasium to work with "teachers", to strengthen muscles and learn new vocations.
This book is not only for the wounded. Barton also writes for the families and friends of the injured. She warns people to expect anger and depression. Then she shares what helped her deal with her losses.
What makes this book even more special is the inscription, "This book is for Bea, and so am I- Donnie" You are left wondering who was Bea, and how she made out. We will, of course, never know. Neither will we know how life turned out for the others injured by war, accident, illness, or birth. Is it any different today? I would hope so, but I wouldn't bet on it. So hug your family, and your friends, and remember to reach out to those, like Betsy and Bea, who have to learn to live again. (Don, I haven't forgotten you.)
Look for this sobering, but triumphant book on the new non-fiction table. (L. med.)
Betsy Barton writes of her own experiences after being paralyzed in a car crash. She writes what it was like immediately after the accident, during her stay at the "Institute", and after her re-entry into life.
She writes during WWII, when soldiers were returning home not only with physical injuries, but also with mental ones. Sadly soldiers and accident victims were not the only ones at the institute. There were also children recovering from neurological conditions like polio. They all go to the gymnasium to work with "teachers", to strengthen muscles and learn new vocations.
This book is not only for the wounded. Barton also writes for the families and friends of the injured. She warns people to expect anger and depression. Then she shares what helped her deal with her losses.
What makes this book even more special is the inscription, "This book is for Bea, and so am I- Donnie" You are left wondering who was Bea, and how she made out. We will, of course, never know. Neither will we know how life turned out for the others injured by war, accident, illness, or birth. Is it any different today? I would hope so, but I wouldn't bet on it. So hug your family, and your friends, and remember to reach out to those, like Betsy and Bea, who have to learn to live again. (Don, I haven't forgotten you.)
Look for this sobering, but triumphant book on the new non-fiction table. (L. med.)
tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a' (Do you speak Klingon?)
Do you speak Klingon?
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
The REAL Pinocchio (Sorry Walt!)
As I wrote in an earlier blog, Walt Disney did not invent Pinocchio. Carlo Collodi did. Well, actually Perrault did, but Collodi made it famous when he translated the fairy tale into Italian. He eventually rewrote it as a modernized version, later even publishing several sequels. Pinocchio was "originally serialized in a children's newspaper, with resounding success, and was published as a book in 1883." How cool is that!
This book also includes an introduction and notes on Collodi's work, as well as the wonderfully funny originally illustrations. (I only wish the illustrations were larger!)
If you want to read the REAL story of Pinocchio, now is your chance. (TPB, 1996, $1.75) Look for it in the classics section. Av. 9/20.
(Actually, now that I think of it, isn't it too bad we usually don't know where the Disney stories originate from? Other than Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers, who have we heard of? Were you even aware that Anderson actually wrote his own stories, while the Grimms went out and collected them?)
This book also includes an introduction and notes on Collodi's work, as well as the wonderfully funny originally illustrations. (I only wish the illustrations were larger!)
If you want to read the REAL story of Pinocchio, now is your chance. (TPB, 1996, $1.75) Look for it in the classics section. Av. 9/20.
(Actually, now that I think of it, isn't it too bad we usually don't know where the Disney stories originate from? Other than Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers, who have we heard of? Were you even aware that Anderson actually wrote his own stories, while the Grimms went out and collected them?)
"The Prize: Oil, Money and Power" (Pulitzer Prize winner)
The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power, by Daniel Yergin (TPB, 1992, 885 pages, $3)
"The Prize recounts the panoramic history of oil- and the struggle for wealth and power that has always surrounded oil. This struggle has shaken the world economy, dictated the outcome of wars, and transformed the destiny of men and nations. The Prize is as much a history of the 20th century as of the oil industry itself. The canvas of this history is enormous- from the drilling of the first well in Pennsylvania through two great world wars to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and Operation Desert Storm."
Who of you who are reading this think what this author writes about is still relevant?
Look for it on the new non-fiction table, av. 9/20. (L-g.nf.)
"The Prize recounts the panoramic history of oil- and the struggle for wealth and power that has always surrounded oil. This struggle has shaken the world economy, dictated the outcome of wars, and transformed the destiny of men and nations. The Prize is as much a history of the 20th century as of the oil industry itself. The canvas of this history is enormous- from the drilling of the first well in Pennsylvania through two great world wars to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and Operation Desert Storm."
Who of you who are reading this think what this author writes about is still relevant?
Look for it on the new non-fiction table, av. 9/20. (L-g.nf.)
Exchange-Traded Funds
Investing with Exchange-Traded Funds Made Easy, second edition: A Start-to-Finish Plan to Reduce Costs and Achieve Higher Returns, by Marvin Appel (HC, 2008, $2, has some markings.)
You hear about them all the time- Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs.
So what are they?
Whatever they are, money is flowing out, out, out of mutual funds and into these funds that trade like stock, have less expenses, and are more tax efficient. Or at least the older ones do. Now there are active ETFs, ETFs that are made up only of futures, ETFs that never existed before a minute ago, and exotic ETFs that only invest in stocks having to do with Uncle Charlie's left big toe. In my own opinion, I like the idea of the older ETFs and distrust the new ones, but hey, I have always been an old stick-in-the-mud. Read this book and make up your own mind. Look for this on the new non-fiction table. (9/20) (Later-Ec.)
Note: In this rapidly evolving field, parts of this 2008 book are probably already obsolete.
You hear about them all the time- Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs.
So what are they?
Whatever they are, money is flowing out, out, out of mutual funds and into these funds that trade like stock, have less expenses, and are more tax efficient. Or at least the older ones do. Now there are active ETFs, ETFs that are made up only of futures, ETFs that never existed before a minute ago, and exotic ETFs that only invest in stocks having to do with Uncle Charlie's left big toe. In my own opinion, I like the idea of the older ETFs and distrust the new ones, but hey, I have always been an old stick-in-the-mud. Read this book and make up your own mind. Look for this on the new non-fiction table. (9/20) (Later-Ec.)
Note: In this rapidly evolving field, parts of this 2008 book are probably already obsolete.
Mozart- where did your body go?
The Mozart Myths: A Critical Reassessment, by William Stafford (TPB, 1991, $1.50)
Who would have known there were all those rumors of stuff going on during Mozart's last days! What I like about this author is his refusing to decide what happened. Of course we will never know what really happened, but it is so refreshing that an expert admits it.
So, what are the myths? Let's see-
1. Was he poisoned?- almost certainly not
2. Was he anti-Semitic?- probably not, but maybe?
3. Was he melancholy and self-destructive just before he died? He was certainly exhausted, probably dealing with heart failure brought about by rheumatic fever, and massively in debt.
4. Did he see himself as a genius or a failure? A failure? How could he thought himself a failure? He had been a child prodigy, and as a young adult, a successful composer and performer. As he got older, though, his works were seen as too old-fashioned. People stopped buying his music. Before he died only 20% of his compositions were in print. Then he died, and people became interested again in his music. Both his widow and his son would be able to live lives of leisure. So as he was dying how did he see himself? We will never know.
5. Did he know he was dying when he composed his last work, the Requiem? Did he really push himself to exhaustion to finish it before he died? Did he hear a rehearsal of Requiem on his last afternoon? - Most likely not, since when he died the work was still not finished.
6. Did the weather get suddenly dark and stormy when he died? - Nope!
7. Was he buried in a pauper's grave? Is that why his grave site is unknown?- Nope. Actually during this time no one had lavish burials. Most of the middle-class were buried in wooden coffins, five to a grave, marked only by a wooden marker. Many times when more burial space was needed, bodies, including Mozart's, were dug up, the bones crushed, and then reburied elsewhere. By that time even his wife didn't know where his remains were. To complicated matters, in 1855 a marker was put up where people thought his body might be. Later, the marker was moved again. (And please don't ask about his supposed skull, and how it ended up separate from his body!) So, to summarize, his was not a pauper's grave, but where it is no one, even now, knows.
How weird is all this? Read more about this in the book, to be found on the new non-fiction table. (9/20) (L-mu)
Who would have known there were all those rumors of stuff going on during Mozart's last days! What I like about this author is his refusing to decide what happened. Of course we will never know what really happened, but it is so refreshing that an expert admits it.
So, what are the myths? Let's see-
1. Was he poisoned?- almost certainly not
2. Was he anti-Semitic?- probably not, but maybe?
3. Was he melancholy and self-destructive just before he died? He was certainly exhausted, probably dealing with heart failure brought about by rheumatic fever, and massively in debt.
4. Did he see himself as a genius or a failure? A failure? How could he thought himself a failure? He had been a child prodigy, and as a young adult, a successful composer and performer. As he got older, though, his works were seen as too old-fashioned. People stopped buying his music. Before he died only 20% of his compositions were in print. Then he died, and people became interested again in his music. Both his widow and his son would be able to live lives of leisure. So as he was dying how did he see himself? We will never know.
5. Did he know he was dying when he composed his last work, the Requiem? Did he really push himself to exhaustion to finish it before he died? Did he hear a rehearsal of Requiem on his last afternoon? - Most likely not, since when he died the work was still not finished.
6. Did the weather get suddenly dark and stormy when he died? - Nope!
7. Was he buried in a pauper's grave? Is that why his grave site is unknown?- Nope. Actually during this time no one had lavish burials. Most of the middle-class were buried in wooden coffins, five to a grave, marked only by a wooden marker. Many times when more burial space was needed, bodies, including Mozart's, were dug up, the bones crushed, and then reburied elsewhere. By that time even his wife didn't know where his remains were. To complicated matters, in 1855 a marker was put up where people thought his body might be. Later, the marker was moved again. (And please don't ask about his supposed skull, and how it ended up separate from his body!) So, to summarize, his was not a pauper's grave, but where it is no one, even now, knows.
How weird is all this? Read more about this in the book, to be found on the new non-fiction table. (9/20) (L-mu)
PLEASE HELP OUR STORE!
For those of you who are customers of the Houghton Book Store:
We/I would not be offended if you contacted Houghton College to give them input on whether you think the store should continue. Please leave any comments you have, not for the college itself, but for the Houghton Foundation that owns us.
Also, if you are in the habit of praying, feel free to add both the store and its staff to your list.
Many thanks. And if we do still close, still, many, many thanks!
We/I would not be offended if you contacted Houghton College to give them input on whether you think the store should continue. Please leave any comments you have, not for the college itself, but for the Houghton Foundation that owns us.
Also, if you are in the habit of praying, feel free to add both the store and its staff to your list.
Many thanks. And if we do still close, still, many, many thanks!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Sue's memorial. The future of the store.
Sue's memorial service was Friday. There were sure a lot of people there: her cousins from out-of-state, plus people from the college, the bookstore, and her church.
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
John Jakes PBs
7 different John Jakes PBs from the American Bicentennial and the Kent Family Chronicles. The books range in price from $1.25 to $1.50. They are in a box in the paperback fiction section.
Dying for Chocolate!
Just arrived-
12 PB mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson.
One of them is the above book.
"Dying for Chocolate"- that is a pretty good description of me. Even after losing a lot of weight for health reasons, I still allow myself one piece of Chocolate Wave Cake each week at Red Lobster. To think that I never ate chocolate until about 10 years ago! When I was young, I was violently allergic to it. Once I outgrew my allergy I could eat chocolate without getting hives, but in my opinion it tasted horrible. Then I turned 45, and the whole world changed.
These books by Davidson can be found on the floor in front of the mystery section. Sorry, you will have to buy your own chocolate!
12 PB mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson.
One of them is the above book.
"Dying for Chocolate"- that is a pretty good description of me. Even after losing a lot of weight for health reasons, I still allow myself one piece of Chocolate Wave Cake each week at Red Lobster. To think that I never ate chocolate until about 10 years ago! When I was young, I was violently allergic to it. Once I outgrew my allergy I could eat chocolate without getting hives, but in my opinion it tasted horrible. Then I turned 45, and the whole world changed.
These books by Davidson can be found on the floor in front of the mystery section. Sorry, you will have to buy your own chocolate!
Donation of Some Odd Classics
We have just received a large collection of TPB classics. Some of them are the usual ones, like Austin and Dickens, but some are a lot more obscure. For instance, did you know that Carlo Collodi wrote one of the world's most famous children's stories- Pinocchio? Hey, I figured Walt didn't write it, but I had thought it to be an ancient fairy tale. Nope, it was written by an Italian in 1873.
You can't have this copy of Pinocchio till I finish reading it, but the rest of these odd classics can be found on the floor in front of the classics section.
Of course when I call them "odd", it probably shows how ignorant I am, but I bet you won't have heard of all of these gems. Well, Sue probably would have, but her knowledge base was incredible. She had even READ most of the books she talked about. This is my first blog since her death. Life goes on, but she is already greatly missed.
You can't have this copy of Pinocchio till I finish reading it, but the rest of these odd classics can be found on the floor in front of the classics section.
Of course when I call them "odd", it probably shows how ignorant I am, but I bet you won't have heard of all of these gems. Well, Sue probably would have, but her knowledge base was incredible. She had even READ most of the books she talked about. This is my first blog since her death. Life goes on, but she is already greatly missed.
Sue's Funeral
For those wanting to attend Sue's funeral, it will be held on the 14th at 2 pm, at the Reformed Lutheran Church, 111 North Chestnut Street, Rochester, 14604. All are invited to attend.
Sue, we miss you.
Sue, we miss you.
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