Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcolm Gladwell
(Little, Brown & Co., New York: 2005)

READ: November-December 2005

I haven't read The Tipping Point, Gladwell's earlier book that was a huge bestseller, but this book, Blink, is quite a quick and interesting read. It basically is about the gut reaction, the instinct - how people often think without actually thinking, and make choices that are much more complicated than they seemed. Of course, the real story is why this works for some people, in some cases, and not for others. Some very bad outcomes have occurred as a result of quick decisions. But likewise, so too does not every well-thought-out plan turn out to be a good idea. This book aims to explore the why of this - the background to how our brains really work and why, in some cases, those patterns mesh well with other attributes or circumstances: "Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of 'thin-slicing' - filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables." A little basic for someone with an undergraduate degree in psychology (at least, that was Randal's initial reaction when I told him the premise of Gladwell's argument), but for those of us who haven't, it's a fascinating read. And short. That's a good point in a book's favour, at least sometimes!

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Good Omens
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
(Ballantine Books, New York: 1991)

READ: November 2005

I have read this book twice now and both times it has proven laugh-out-loud FUNNY. It involves a demon and an angel who have gotten all too comfortable with their lives on Earth, a witch named Anathema, the coming Apocalypse, an 11-year-old boy who is supposed to be the Anti-Christ but turns out not to be, and another 11-year-old boy who turns out to be said Anti-Christ despite no one realizing he was (is). Confused? Read the book!

Fodor's Exploring Japan (3rd ed.)

Fodor's Exploring Japan (3rd ed.)
(Fodor's Travel Publications, New York: 2000)

READ: October-November 2005

I must admit it: I really like travel guides. I don't buy them indiscriminately, of course; rather, when I am planning to go somewhere, I will pick one up. Usually my guide of choice is Lonely Planet (I know: how unoriginal). This Fodor's, however, I picked up secondhand (I almost always buy guides secondhand) early into planning my 2004 trip to Southeast Asia and was tossing around the idea of swinging through Japan on my way to Thailand. And I have to say that in terms of planning, it certainly did help. I would have to compare it to a Lonely Planet guide for Japan, however, which I have not yet had the chance to do. I also remember trying to follow one of Fodor's suggested walks in Tokyo, with something fairly short of success, but that's more a problem with the street signs in that area of Tokyo being mostly in Japanese (which I could not while my map was in English!

But what really got my motor running about this book was when I returned to it this fall to read almost cover-to-cover while in the early stages of planning my eventual escape back to Japan (shhh, I haven't told anyone yet). In addition to the usual places-to-go-and-things-to-do information, there is oodles of information on Japanese culture, events and traditions. Obviously any of this can only be introduced in the most superficial way in such a guide, but I think that can be invaluable in then guiding you to areas of interest upon which you can do more research. There are also great photos, a point not to be overlooked in travel guide preparation.

Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
Lewis Carroll
Ill. John Tenniel
(Wordsworth Editions Ltd., London: 1993)

READ: October 2005

N.B.: The Wordsworth cover is blue and shows Alice with the Cheshire Cat, but I couldn't find it online.

Oh, Alice! Always a lovely book to come back to. It's easy to forget the little fantastical things in both of these stories. And, of course, Through the Looking Glass is based (loosely) around a kitten - always a good inspiration. If you've never actually read either of these stories, well, it's never too late to do so. And John Tenniel's illustrations are definitely classic - these are the Alice-drawings that you think of when you think of Alice before Disney (and since, really - Disney Alice was never that clever).

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien
Illustrated by Alan Lee
(Houghton Mifflin, Boston: 1991)

First published in 1954 (Fellowship of the Ring).

READ: June-October 2005

I don't actually need to review this one, do I? You all know the story. If you don't - or if you've only ever seen the recent movie version - go read it. God forbid you've only seen the version by Ralph Bakshi, which I for one am trying to purge from memory (not easy to do when I see the DVD of it that I own every day). The BBC's audio dramatization, on the other hand, is good. But I don't think the musical counts.

Not for the faint-hearted, of course - my copy of the illustrated version weighs in at over 1,000 pages, plus another 200 or so pages of appendices (all necessary reading, of course). But if you've got the patience, it's a wonderful tale. And imagine the hours you can then while away debating movie-vs-book! You will wonder why Tom Bombadil was left out, and debate whether it was necessary that Glorfindel's role in the Flight to the Ford be melded into Arwen. Was Boromir as bad an anti-king, pro-ring guy as the movie tried to make him out to be, and what was the exact nature of the prophetic dream that caused him to seek Elrond"'s counsel?

Or, um, maybe that's just the kind of things I would enjoy ...

Learned Friends by Jack Batten

Learned Friends: A Tribute to Fifty Remarkable Ontario Advocates, 1950-2000
Jack Batten
(Irwin Law, Toronto: 2005; co-published by The Advocates' Society)

READ: October 2005

At work, once or twice a week, I receive a photocopy of the front cover page of all new acquisitions received by the library, and I browse through these to see what's new and noteworthy. This was one of them, and it instantly piqued my interest. When I was an articling student a few years ago, I was recruited by a member of The Advocates' Society's editorial board to do research on 50 Ontario advocates. Sound familiar? Yup, this research was part of the initial work done on Mr. Batten's book (except he wasn't the writer I was working with at that point). I note I don't get an acknowledgement anywhere in the book, but to be fair, as an articling student I had unfortunately very little time to spend on this project and didn't get very far (though I did interview one of the lawyers profiled).

Anyway, I was pleased to see this book in the list, and searched it out at the library (we have two copies). Each of the 50 lawyers has a two-page spread detailing their life, career accomplishments, etc., with photos (young and old whenever possible). The writing is light-hearted and engaging. Some very interesting people are profiled in this book, and there are even a few women amongst the group.

And now, a professional anecdote: About a week after I finished reading Learned Friends, one of the staff at the library asked me about a reference question she'd received. A student was doing a history project about some murder trial from the 1950s and wanted to know where she could find more material. The description of the case triggered something for me, and I flipped through Learned Friends on a hunch until I realized that one of the lawyers profiled had acted for the defendant in that matter, and thus I was able to give the student some help in that respect as to where she might find more information! Neat that books actually help you out sometimes ...

Buddhism by Kulananda

Thorson's First Directions: Buddhism
Kulananda
(Thorsons (HarperCollinsPublishers, London: 2001)

READ: September 2005

This is a very small book (under 90 pages) which seeks to introduce readers to the concepts of Buddhist religion and thought. The Buddha, the Dharma (Four Truths, etc.), the Sangha (goals), the ethics - all are explained in the most simple of terms. Beautiful pictures are included as well. A small, enjoyable read.

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

The War of the Worlds
H.G. Wells
(Tor Books, New York: 1993)

First published in 1898.

READ: August 2005

When The War of the Worlds was first published in 1898, it was heralded as a horrifying vision of the future. Earth is under attack by Martians! This story later became famous because of Orson Wells' 1938 radio version with the Mercury Theatre - people panicked across America, thinking they were listening to an actual broadcast and that Martians had in fact landed. The original War of the Worlds takes place in England, just outside London, and while we know that something must happen to the Martians in the end - the narrator obviously must have survived in order to later pen this account of the events - the story is no less gripping and enthralling.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
(Puffin Books, New York: 1998)

First published in 1964.

READ: July 2005

A children's classic, of course. If you have not read this book, you must do so. The recent movie with Johnny Depp is not, in any way, a substitute. While the storytelling is not always the most subtle in tone, kids love this story and adults get a kick out of it too, as bad children end up where we only wish we could send them in real life, and the good kid comes out, for once, ahead of the others.

From the back of the book:
Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Buket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

A History of Western Science by Anthony Alioto

A History of Western Science
Anthony Alioto
(Pearson Education Canada, Toronto: 1992)

READ: July 2005 (incomplete)

I didn't finish this one either, but don't blame it on the book - blame it on the reader. This is actually a text used in introductory science courses at university ("science for arts students", if you know what I mean). It can be a little dry at times, but mostly it is actually quite interesting. I didn't make it very far - up to the end of the Greeks, if I remember correctly - so all I can do is repeat over and over that "it is actually quite interesting." It is well-written and explains much of the history and workings of science in fairly plain language. I've shelved it for now, but I do plan on returning to it someday. I only know the very basic outlines of science's history, and with some of the other books I've been reading, I'd certainly like to learn more. But sometimes, you're just not ready to tackle a book, and Western Science, today was not your day. (To be fair, part of the problem is that this was the book I accidentally dropped behind my bookcase, and it took a few weeks to fish it out again, by which point I had completely and utterly lost any desire to continue reading it.)