Moms will LOVE Cowboy and Wills by Monica Holloway (so will everyone else!)

From Barnes and Noble
The day Monica learns that her lovable, brilliant three-year-old son, Wills, has autism spectrum disorder, she takes him to buy an aquarium. It's the first in a string of impulsive trips to the pet store to buy animals as a distraction from the uncontrollable, crushing reality of Wills's diagnosis. But while Wills diligently tends to the growing menagerie, what he really wants is a puppy. And one Christmas, when Wills is six, Cowboy Carol Lawrence joins their family.
Like all dynamic duos, Cowboy and Wills complement each other perfectly. Wills is cautious, fastidious, and irresistibly tenderhearted. Cowboy, a rambunctious golden retriever, is overeager, affectionate, and impulsive. And from the moment Cowboy enters their lives, Monica sees her son step a little farther into the world.
Soon, the boy who could barely say hello to his classmates in kindergarten is sharing stories of his new "sister" Cowboy during morning circle. Children crowd around them at the park, and instead of running away, Wills, holding Cowboy's leash in his sweaty fist, proudly answers all of their questions. With Cowboy, he finds the courage to invite kids over for playdates, overcomes his debilitating fear of water to swim along beside her in the family pool, and, after years of gentle coaxing, Wills finally sleeps in his own bed with Cowboy's paws draped across his small chest.
Through it all, Cowboy is there, dragging him toward other children, giving him the confidence to try new things and the courage to face his worst fears. And when Cowboy turns out to need her new family as much as they need her, they discover just how much she has taught them — about devotion, about loyalty, and about never giving up.
Sometimes it's what you don't know to hope for that saves you. For Monica, her husband, Michael, and their son, Wills, salvation came in the form of a puppy with pale blond fur, chocolate brown eyes, a fondness for chewing the crotch out of underpants, and a limitless capacity for love.

(A quick apology…I read this book waaay back in January and then got further behind than a one-legged man in a butt-kickin’ contest. I adored this book and can’t believe I’m just now reviewing it. *Hangs head in shame……And, although I am terribly behind on reviews, I sometimes find it much harder to review a book that I love. I finished the last couple of chapters sitting on the counter in the laundry room so my family wouldn't see me crying like a little girl. It's easy, fun and, yes, maybe even a little mean, to be snarky and slam a bad book. But it's not simple to describe and evaluate a book as good as this one.)

I’m not much for non-fiction, and yet it seems like when I finally read a non-fiction book, I’m often surprised by how wonderful it is. Cowboy and Wills is one such book. Even though we see the struggles that this family go through, this book deals with it in an unflinching, straightforward manner, with humor and grace.

Over the next year, as Wills slowly navigated the preschool mine field of noises and messes and crowded hallways, my animal fixation persisted. With every new problem Will encountered, I bought a new pet. We now had six more hermit crabs and two more hamsters. I cruised Petcos the way drunks frequent bars.

I loved this book. Wills is shown to us as the adorable sweet little boy he is, a child on the autism spectrum. But Holloway doesn’t define Wills solely by his diagnosis. Rather than focusing on what Wills is unable to do, she opens the world for him in ways he can connect. Cowboy and Wills is a delight, as I suspect Wills himself is. (And it's a keeper, one of the permanent residents on my bookshelf). I loved Monica Holloway’s unflinching and wry style and thanks to Cowboy and Wills, I now have her first book, a memoir, Driving with Dead People on my Sony Reader.

(Review copy provided by Sneak Attack Media)

My rating:

Lucky 73: USS Pampanito's Unlikely Rescue of Allied POW's in WWII: Review

On September 12, 1944, the USS Pampanito, was part of a submarine “wolf pack” patrol along with the USS Growler and USS Sealion. Coming upon a convoy of ships, the Pampanito fired upon and sunk a transport ship, a tanker and badly damaged a third ship. When she moved back into the area of the original attack three days later, her crew found men clinging to makeshift rafts. After moving closer to the debris field, the crew of the sub realized the survivors were shouting in English. The Pampanito picked up 73 British and Australian survivors, and called in three other subs, the Sealion, the Barb and the Queenfish, to assist them with the rescue effort.

The survivors had been in the water for three days, clinging to debris from the sunken ships, having watched Japanese rescue ships pluck the Japanese survivors out of the water. Most of the POW’s were left behind to die. The Japanese could have requested safe passage for these transport ships, but this request was never made, nor were the ships marked in any way to indicate they were transporting prisoners of war.

The story of the attack and subsequent rescue is supplemented by the stories of the prisoner’s initial capture when Singapore fell to Japan in 1942. Such unimaginable hardships and abuse were endured by these POW’s as they were forced into slave labor building the infamous “Railway of Death” that connected Thailand and Burma. For almost two years, these men hacked through the jungle and leveled mountains to lay rails for their brutal captors, using the most rudimentary of tools. An estimated 12,000 British and Australian prisoners died from jungle disease, starvation, lack of medical care, abuse and overwork in the building of the Thai-Burma railroad. The transport ships were moving workers who had completed the railway to the copper mines in Japan.

It’s difficult to imagine what these men must have looked like when brought aboard the Pampanito. Two years of slave labor, no medical care, a handful of rice to eat each day, 18-20 hours a day of backbreaking labor, beatings and jungle diseases, added to three days and nights spent floating in the burning oil slicks left behind by the sinking ships.

The crew of the Pampanito documented the survivors stories, encouraging them to write them down, and writing them down for survivors who were too ill to do so themselves. This book is based on this treasure trove of writings, photos and the memories of all involved.

This book is not the kind of book one reads for entertainment; rather it’s an important story about courage and compassion. Even though the survivors know that they are in this situation because of the Pampanito, it is remarkable how grateful the POW’s are to the submarine crew.

“Perhaps the most valuable perspective in this debate is that of the survivors themselves—the victims of the Pampanito’s torpedoes. How did they feel about Pampanito’s actions? Of those who have commented on this issue, most do not hesitate to state outright that they understood why the submarines torpedoed the hellships and, it being wartime and the hellships being unmarked, that they believe the submarines were entirely justified in doing so. That the submarines returned to attempt rescue is proof enough that of their intentions and good will. Furthermore, many interpreted the subs’ actions not as an act of violence toward them, but as, ultimately, an act of liberation.”

I was drawn to this book because my neighbor, a really wonderful older man, served on a destroyer named the USS Hoel in the Pacific during WWII. Two hundred and fifty three men died when the ship sank, and another 15 died during the two days and nights they were in the water, awaiting rescue. My friend doesn’t say too much about it, but when I realize he was just out of high school when he survived this, I find it an amazing story. The story of the USS Pampanito was equally fascinating. An honest look into a difficult time, and courage, bravery, pride and compassion are all part of the story.

Lucky 73: USS Pampanito’s Unlikely Rescue of Allied POW’s in WWII is by no means a light and entertaining story. But it is an important story, one that, thanks to the author, Aldona Sendzikas, will not be lost to the world once that generation passes on.

My rating:

Review copy provided by NetGalley.

Review: Making Toast

Amy Rosenblatt Solomon was only 38 years old when an undiagnosed and asymptomatic heart condition caused her to collapse and die. Amy’s father and mother, Roger and Ginny Rosenblatt moved into her family’s home to help her husband with their three small children. Roger has written a heartfelt memoir of the making of a new life and a new family after the loss of the central character.

Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt is dedicated to his daughter Amy. When Amy suddenly dies, she leaves a busy medical practice, a loving husband, three small children, friends, siblings and parents. Her sudden death illustrates for us all the fragility of life and is written as a joyful reminder of what love can accomplish.

I enjoyed reading about the interaction between the children and their grandparents. There was a lot of sadness, but it was often interspersed with humor that only children can guarantee. So…that being said, how big a jerk am I to not like the book? Yep…I’m a terrible person, just an awful excuse for a human being.

I sympathized with the family, I felt a lot of empathy for the pain and difficult situation they found themselves in, and yet I found the book really awkward to read. It contained too many names, and occasionally I would have to go back to figure out who was being mentioned. When I couldn't figure out who the author was talking about, it was usually okay, because it was often just a casual mention of a family friend or acquaintance, but I got tired of the names that, while personally important to the author and his family, really didn't add much to the story for the unfamiliar reader. I thought the way it was written, while mostly chronological, did go back and forth a bit too much and I was confused by the time-lines. And to me, it read much more like a personal journal of a grieving father. I felt like I was eavesdropping on family tragedy that was really none of my business. (I thought more editing would have been helpful.)

Okay…that took me a good three weeks to get the nerve to write. (Talk about kicking someone when they’re down…I’d probably be out beating up second graders for their lunch money soon…..)

As memoirs go, I'm sure the book will be a lovely remembrance for Amy's family to keep and cherish. For the unrelated reader though, it felt like looking through a scrapbook that belongs to a total stranger. We can be mildly interested, but ultimately uninvolved.

My rating:

Review copy provided by Ecco Publishing

Big Sid, Matt, the Vincati and Leno's Garage

I've probably sat down at least four times since Wednesday to write this up. And its hard to write something when you're sort of speechless! I had the happy good fortune to be able to meet the author of Big Sid's Vincati on Wednesday! You all know what a huge fan of this book I am. (If you're thinking....huh? you can see my review here.)



This week, the author of the book, Matthew Biberman, the namesake of the book, Big Sid, and the "subject" of the book, the Vincati were all here in southern California. In case you don't know about it, Jay Leno has an amazing garage here, where he houses his collection of rare cars, motorcycles, etc. Leno is a major motorcycle and car "guy" and he has a working garage where his finds are restored. I don't know if his collection is considered museum quality by purists, but he drives each and every one of these vehicles. And there are some gorgeous,unique and spectacular vehicles in this garage! Matt invited my husband and myself to Leno's garage on Wednesday, so we had the opportunity to meet Matt and Big Sid and see the Vincati for ourselves. The wonderful and knowledgeable folks at Leno's garage showed us around both buildings. We saw Leno's Dusenberg collection, his Bugatti's, the Vincent's, Stanley Steamers, Packards, Jaguar, Bentley's, Chevy's, Suzuki's, Triumph's, and a whole slew of others. And....wow...I'm still a little dumbstruck! Photography isn't allowed at Leno's garage, but you really should take a quick detour over to his site, Jay Leno's Garage, and check his collection out. It's just astonishing. And look for video of Jay and the Vincati, sometime in September!

As if the opportunity to see, walk around and touch these beautiful cars wasn't enough, we were also able to spend a few hours with Matt and Big Sid. Matt Biberman is only the second author I've had the privilege to meet. (The first was James Michener in Kodiak Alaska in 1987.) Big Sid is a charming natural born storyteller. He told us great anecdotes about Phil Irving, who was Vincent motorcycle's chief engineer and a friend of Sid's. We heard the story of the elderly man who sold his Ducati to Matt and Sid for $1, so the two of them could use the frame for the Vincati. As Sid said, for some people its all about the love of the machine, not the money it can make you.

While my husband was chatting with Sid, Matt was putting gas in the Vincati. The Vincati is painted a beautiful Corvette blue color, sort of dusky grey-blue. I've been around bikes enough to know that gas spilled on a nice paint job=BAD! And I'm a well trained garage monkey, so I grabbed the cloth and held it on the tank in case Matt spilled and held the flashlight so he could see how full the tank was. (*big grin....I helped gas up a rare "one of a kind" bike.....*big grin......) Matt hopped on the bike and it started right up. He drove it around the parking lot a bit, warming it up. A CHP officer was visiting a friend who works at the garage, hence the cop car in the background. The bike has this awesome throaty purr, and I'm sure my husband could describe it better...he's the bike guy, I'm the bookworm....

From The Novel Bookworm

Pretty much everyone in our small group at the garage were car/motorcycle people. Me?... not so much, I've just hung out with my husband for so many years, that a little of it has rubbed off on me. And I'm a huge vintage and antique nut. My sewing machines are all pre-1960, I love my Victrola and you all know how I feel about my 100 year old desk! My husband loves the old bikes, his 1946 Norman Autocycle is the oldest in his garage, along with a couple from the 60's and 70's that he's either in the process of restoring and rebuilding, or that he's already completed. We enjoyed the chance to see these rare and beautiful cars more than I can say.

And the opportunity to spend some time with Matt and Big Sid Biberman was priceless. We agreed that this was an afternoon we'd never forget!

As an aside, the next day my 75 year old neighbor called me. She had just finished reading Big Sid's Vincati, which I lent her and she loved it. My tally so far, 30 year old attorney, 52 year old motorcycle guy, 51 year old mom and 75 year old grandmother, all loved it. And how often do you see a book that can cross genders and generations like this one? But don't take my word for it...meander over to Amazon...it currently has 10 reviews and has a 5 star rating!I'm telling you ...you've got to read this book.

Here you go...I'll make it easy for you....

Review: Fear God and the Shadow of the Muslim Sword by Mr. Pat

In the mid 1980’s, I decided it was time to decide, once and for all what my religious beliefs were. After a year of theological study and research, and pretty much a lifetime of questioning, I left the church of my childhood. In doing so, I became an apostate to that particular religion, and accordingly, my eternal soul will be judged severely when the Judgment Day arrives. Yup---I’m goin’ to hell. I’d spent the first 22 years of my life really trying to believe this particular theology. I went to church, listened to the stories, sang the songs, but I always wanted to know “why?” I assumed that if God gave me the mind He did, then He expected me to use it, but my questions were never exactly appreciated the way I thought they should be, nor answered very clearly.

After 9/11, like many Americans, I realized that I didn’t know very much about Islam, other than some splinter groups really hated us and seemed bent on destroying us. Can I hear a “well…duh…where have you been for the past 20 years?…” I toddled off to the library in an effort to educate myself, and lordy…the book I picked up, 800 plus pages; it started roughly 2000 years ago and was really, painfully detailed. I made my way through the beginnings, but didn’t get too far past Muhammad’s early life, before I sort of gave up. More and more books all purporting to “explain” Islam arrived on the shelves of the local bookstores, but I began to notice that depending upon the author, each book took a very different slant. Not knowing what I could read for an unbiased description of the religion left me relying on whatever information was being fed to me through the media. And we all know how reliable our media is! Because of my own previous religious research into Christianity and religion I grew up with, I’d developed a healthy skepticism for authors of religious based books that want me to believe them without question.

Fear God and The Shadow of the Muslim Sword by Mr. Pat is a book that could serve as a wake-up call to the western world. (Mr. Pat is a pseudonym for Patrick Roelle, whose bio you can read HERE.) The book attempts to explain Islam and the Muslim world. And mostly, it shows us that, in its very heart, Islam is pretty much unexplainable. The holy book, the Qur’an, wasn’t written until years after the death of its prophet, and was one of at least 25 different versions. All other versions were destroyed when this one was accepted, and its acceptance wasn’t based on the content, but because it was written in the dialect of Muhammad’s tribe. Muhammad’s Hadith, a biographical book about his stories and instructions that with the Qur’an comprise the laws of Islam wasn’t written until 130 years after his death. And who knows how much folklore had added to his tales by that time? Add to that the nuances of the Arabic language, where a verse in the Qur’an can be completely interpreted in two entirely different ways, with both interpretations correct and its just impossible for this western mind to understand the pull this religion has on its followers. Are there no Muslims who ask, “But…WHY?”, as I did of my childhood church?

After 9/11 and the worldwide Muslim extremist attacks that have occurred since then, I think a lot of people feel worried about the burgeoning Muslim populations. Mr. Pat explains my concerns better than I can in the following passage:

“…If we take the low side of the Muslim community’s own estimate, we can assume there are 6 million Muslims in America. If we make another assumption that only 10 percent are inclined to violence against secular society, that means there are 600,000 radicals in our midst. If we further assume that only 10 percent of the radicals have the discipline to carry out their beliefs through action that still leaves 60,000. And, if we further assume that only 10 percent of those have the means and the opportunity, we have 6,000 men and women freely roaming this country who would think nothing of carrying a tactical nuclear weapon in the back of a van and setting it off in Times Square of in the stands of the Super Bowl. Our politically correct society that believes racial profiling and waterboarding is un-American needs to come to terms with the reality of the figures.”

This book explains the basis and meanings behind what modern and moderate Muslims say, as well as what sharia law is, and what it means for a society that follows it. (Here’s a little hint, rape is not a crime in Islam for a man. Sharia assumes the woman enticed the man, and rape is fornication, therefore, the woman is flogged.) Mr. Pat explains clearly the differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This is a slim volume, but it is packed with research, including 194 footnotes. The author attempts a non-biased approach to the discussion, but really, when you read examples such as the one I just cited, it’s pretty hard to remain unbiased.

Fear God and the Shadow of the Muslim Sword is a fascinating, serious attempt to explain the inexplicable. We would be well advised to take notice.

My rating: (Which should be higher, but the book sort of freaked me out)

The Shiniest Jewel by Marian Henley

From Publishers Weekly
Nationally published comic strip artist Henley offers a warm, funny memoir of adopting her son, William, which will make you cry. With its talk of yoga, dating and the wacky freelance life of a cartoonist, it starts off sounding like a Sex in the City for the Austin, Tex., set. It's not. Where many older women comic artists fall into triteness, quips about men and snark, Henley rolls the reader back to a place where different generations matter and life makes sense. Comics are known for craziness, but they're also a medium that, unlike prose fiction, has a talent for making art from happy situations. On the surface, the protagonist's life is going to the aging, creative woman's hell: approaching 50, childless, with a younger boyfriend possibly afraid to commit, and, oh, yeah, her dad's dying. But even as the adoption agency screws up again and again, people come through, and her father finally meets the new son. The art's thin black lines belie the depth of the book. The drawings' simplicity works with the story, but the lines could be more expressive. Someone needs to take her roller-ball away from her. Otherwise, it's a near perfect book, especially for women over 30.

The humor and creativity exhibited in The Shiniest Jewel make it a shiny jewel itself. I really enjoyed this sweet little book. This book is a result of the author’s experiences in adopting a baby from another country, but I suspect it will ring true with many people who have done the same. I imagine the roadblocks to completely these adoptions must be almost never ending; it’s a testament to the fortitude of prospective parents who manage to stick this out to the end.

The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan

I picked up The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan with the intention of glancing through the first chapter before I started cooking dinner. Dinner was late. I got soap bubbles splashed on it from reading while I washed dishes. I got by on much less sleep than I need. This morning, I did an extra couple of miles on the treadmill so I could read. I left an hour early to pick up the kids from school, so I could sit in the car in 104 degree heat and read. My husband was worried I'd slice my finger open when he saw me chopping onions while reading. Wow....what a wonderful memoir. I was a farm girl from Montana, about as far removed from John Grogan's childhood experiences as a person can get, and yet, I swear I saw my family and my life in his story. This is one of those wonderful books, you'll laugh out loud, and you'll finish it in a puddle. I read a post on LibraryThing that suggested you wear sunglasses for the last few chapters, then nobody will see your tears. It's just that touching of a memoir.

Personally, I didn't think that Marley and Me could be topped. I was proven wrong. What a wonderful wonderful book!

My rating:

None of the Above, Why 2008 is the Year to Cast the Ultimate Protest Vote by Joseph Farah

“The most successful politicians recognize the state of the nation and play to it. You want a nanny? The politician will be your nanny. You want a daddy? The politician will be your daddy. You want a big brother? The politician will be only too happy to be Big Brother.
America—you don’t need or want any of those things. Instead, you need to get off your fat, pampered butts and take care of yourselves. You need to reject government “help” altogether. Stop turning from tweedle-dee to tweedle-dum and expect anything to change. No presidential candidate is going to save you.
Govern yourself.”

This quote from Joseph Farah’s None of the Above, Why 2008 is the Year to Cast the Ultimate Protest Vote, sums up my own feelings about the direction of our government and the upcoming election. Like many, I’ve been unhappy with the choices offered to us voters in the past. I’ve done the “plug my nose and vote for the lesser of two evils” ballot. In the primary here in California this spring, the field was pretty limited by the time the elections arrived. My original choice was, of course, long gone. For the first time, in over 30 years of voting, I found myself with nobody to support in the primary. However, I had such an aversion to the front runner I found myself voting for a candidate I actively disliked, disapproved of and would have never voted for in the general election. I regretted it as soon as I finished casting the ballot. I’ve always, and I mean always, taken voting very seriously; read up on the candidates, and supported who I felt the best person for the job would be. I promised myself that I’d never vote for someone again, unless I believed they were the best we had to offer.

Farah’s book caught my eye with the title; since that’s just the way I’ve been feeling about the upcoming election. The book addresses the authors’ belief that now is the time for radical and revolutionary thinking. That when we chose “the lesser of two evils”, this means that we are still participating in something “evil”. Farah reminds us that we won’t get the Constitutional government our founding fathers fought for, if we don’t demand it. The Constitution of our country is an amazing document, but we’ve allowed all three branches of government to gut it and render it irrelevant. Patrick Henry said, “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” This document was to limit the power that government had over our lives, not allow it to be our nanny. We were to be self-governing, and yet we’ve allowed ourselves to be convinced that all our dreams can come true if we put our faith in our leaders. As Farah says, “dependency of government is the opposite of freedom and responsibility. In the long term, it means tyranny and slavery.”


None of the Above makes compelling arguments, which any American can readily understand. The authors love of this country and the freedoms enumerated in the Constitution are obviously of the utmost importance to him. Farah also is a Christian, and his faith is an integral part of his thesis. He uses Biblical reference throughout and refers often to his own beliefs. This type of theologically driven ideology may detract from his thesis in the minds of some readers. It might be easier for a reader who has a different or no religious background to discount the book as a whole, instead of realizing that the ideas contained within the book are relevant to all Americans, religious or not. I don’t necessarily agree with all of Farah’s idea, I find I have a more of a Libertarian perspective on many social issues. However when it comes to protecting the Constitution, I’m with him 100%. We have to stop taking it for granted.

Joseph Farah’s book reminds us that, “The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it. Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this defense are the constitutional rights secure.” (Albert Einstein)

Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien

Wesley the Owl, The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl is a heartfelt memoir about a young scientist, Stacey O’Brien and the four-day-old barn owl she adopts and spends almost 20 years with. Wesley teaches Stacey “The Way of the Owl”, which is how Stacey describes his personality. Wesley couldn’t tolerate lies, made sure she kept her promises and loved her unconditionally. The book is part biology text, with fascinating tidbits about owls, their habits and habitats, part humorous essay with stories delineating the differences between poop, sh*t and scat in scientist parlance, but mostly, all heart.

Anyone who has ever loved an animal can tell you that they can communicate with us, something that science hasn’t always agreed with. I loved the interaction between owl and human, and the depth that interaction had. The book doesn’t make you want to rush right out and adopt an owl, thank goodness, since this isn’t exactly legal anymore. But it makes you feel a deeper appreciation of the animals in your own lives. It brought back to me the endings of my much loved pets time with me, and made me dread the future when our sweet little Cookie mutt is old. Yet it also makes us aware of how much our animals enrich our lives. If we chose to share our lives with an animal, we have to understand that, with a few exceptions, we’ll eventually lose them to age and death. But we do it anyway, we love our critters, dogs, cats, lizards, spiders, turtles, fish, snakes, birds, hamsters, rats, mice….all of them. If we can treat our “pets” as what they really are to us, loving companions with complex emotions, we’ll all be better people for it. And if we could all live “The Way of the Owl”, we’d have a better world for it.

This terrific book is available for purchase today, August 19th.

The Geography of Love: A Memoir by Glenda Burgess

The Geography of Love is a beautiful, moving, uplifting, and heartbreaking memoir. Glenda Burgess has given us a remembrance of her marriage, and her husband that carries such a core of truth that it is difficult to put it down.

After a successful career with the State Department, Glenda has decided to return to the United States and start fresh. She meets a man, Ken, 13 years her senior who has already been widowed twice, his first wife died in a car accident, and his second wife was murdered in her bedroom while their toddler slept in the next room. His daughter has grown up emotionally scarred and her relationship with Ken is shaky and turbulent. With Ken’s past and problems, most women would head for the hills, but Glenda had a sure belief that this could be good. Even though Ken had given up on the very idea of love, he too, managed one more leap of faith and together they built a life, a love and a wonderful family. Their faith and love would be tested in sad and painful ways, and yet, the love and devotion always manages to shine through.

This is a very sad book in many ways; it can bring you to tears at the most unexpected places. And yet it also can give you a deep sense of peace, a profound desire to have this kind of marriage, and a deep sense of gratitude if you already do. This was an ordinary happy family, and it’s easy to see yourselves in the pages. Seeing how a couple can gain such strength from their relationship shows us that, perhaps we can all respond to the worst adversity possible with grace and dignity. Ken’s compassion, consideration and kindness throughout the darkest of his days stand as an example to us all. The author’s courage in reliving these times shows us yet another place to explore in the geography of our own lives.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, should be required reading for everyone. Infidel exposes the truth that so many Politically Correct idiots refuse to acknowledge. Islam is NOT a religion of "peace and tolerance". I get tired of hearing that line from every talking head and politician eager for votes. We have to understand that this is a religion based in fanaticism, steeped in violence toward outsiders and each other, and filled with illiterate uneducated superstitious people.

This book is effective on so many levels. From the personal story of her life to an overall indictment of the worlds fastest growing religion. When Ali was a child of five, three adults held her down on a kitchen table, while a fourth mutilated her. " In Somalia, like many countries across Africa and the Middle East, little girls are made "pure" by having their genitals cut out. There is no other way to describe this procedure, which typically occurs around the age of five. After the child's clitoris and labia are carved out, scraped off, or, in more compassionate areas, merely cut or pricked, the whole area is often sewn up, so that a thick band of tissue forms a chastity belt made of the girl's own scarred flesh. A small hole is carefully situated to permit a thin flow of urine. Only great force can tear the scar tissue wider, for sex." Culturally relevant some will argue. That doesn't make it any less evil. Slavery was culturally relevant to our plantation owners in the south, that didn't make it anything less than evil. I'm pretty sure that Hitler and his pals would argue that gas chambers were culturally relevant to the Third Reich as well. Evil is simply that…evil. If its done in the name of religion, or a government.

Ali points out the fatal flaws of multiculturalism. Compassion for immigrants merely perpetuates the cruelty and ignorance. Islam has declared their Prophet to be infallible, and since no one is allowed to question this, it has become, as Ali says, a "static tyranny". At least during the time it took for this child to heal up, the almost daily abuse at the hands of her mother and grandmother abated. Can you imagine hogtying your child, placing them on their belly with their ankles and wrists tied together and then beating them with a stick? And then can you imagine this to be an acceptable, wide spread and common practice, to make sure that girls are, above all, obedient in all ways?

As you can imagine, Ms. Ali is not a terribly popular woman with believers in Islam. And, with the case of Salman Rushdie, the Danish comic strip artist whose name I can't seem to recall, Daniel Pipes, etc., she lives with armed guards. As Michelle Malkin says, "The Religion of Perpetual Outrage strikes again!"

In the meantime, in an effort to appear open and accepting, the West does such stupid things. We attack the religions our systems are historically based on while ignoring the evil wrought by Islam. Look around, tiny little examples exist everywhere, even something as simple as banning the wearing of Christian Chastity rings in one London school, while allowing Muslim headscarves on girls. (I suppose if we encouraged the wearers of the Chastity rings to have their genitals scraped off, it would be less offensive than their wish to wear a ring on their finger…) Oriana Fallaci said, before her death from cancer, "the hate for the West swells like a fire fed by the wind. The clash between us and them is not a military one. It is a cultural one, a religious one, and the worst is still to come." Ali takes this even further, she lived it, and now she warns us all. I just don't know if we have the courage to listen.

(Posted on myspace July 5, 2007 and librarything March 7 2008)

America Alone:The End of the World as We Know It by Mark Steyn

Pretty darn good, but it'll bother the bejeebers out of you. I really hadn't given demographics much of a thought with regards to immigration, multiculturism, etc. until reading this book. Its worth your time to read it, I wish a few of our polititcians would do the same.

(Posted on myspace, July 3, 2007)