Still funny in Farsi

Firoozeh Dumas has returned with a new memoir Laughing without an Accent. As with her first set of recollections, she moves back and forth in time between her youth in Iran and southern California and her life as a parent and author.

I really liked this new set of memories. Perhaps as a fellow parent, I enjoyed it even more as I agree with her about raising kids in our society. Still funny and still insightful, check out Dumas' new collection.

The importance of friendship

Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers were unlikely to be friends, but once they became friends the friendship changed both of their lives.

The Soloist is based on columns that Lopez, a reporter for the LA Times, wrote. Lopez ran across a street person playing a violin. The performance seemed more extraordinary when he realized the artist had only two strings on his violin.

Lopez learned that Ayers was a gifted Julliard student, whose career had been ended because of his schizophrenia. What starts as a column grows into a friendship as Lopez tries to help Ayers get off the street and more opportunities with his musical gift.

I liked the honesty of this book. Lopez speaks of his frustration that there isn't a magic bullet to help the street people or to help his friend's mental health problems. He points out that he isn't a saint for being Ayer's friend. He doesn't paint Ayers as saint either. Ayers gifts and flaws are portrayed truthfully.

The book really spoke to me. In my profession, I see people in Ayers' situation often. Falling through the cracks in someways and unwilling to accept help in others. Lopez does a remarkable job of sharing his experiences. It is inspiring without being maudlin. Highly recommended

Lili St. Cyr

I was drawn to Gilded Lili, a biography of striptease artist Lili St. Cyr, because of Rocky Horror. One of the songs mentions her name and the title caught my eye.

Lili St. Cyr was a striptease artist of the 50s, who was born into poverty and took stripping as a way out. She found the fame and fortune that she was looking for. Unlike todays strippers, she was an artist with storylines and as much class as you can have taking your clothes off.

Her life was not a terribly happy one as she was married many times and had many affairs without ever finding love. DiNardo does a good job of telling her story without being tittilating or scandalmongering. In the end however it was a sad story.

Back to Blossom Street

Debbie Macomber visits Blossom Street again in her new book Twenty Wishes. This time the focus is off of the yarn store owned by Lydia. The focus this time is on Anne Marie, owner of the bookstore and three other widows. The group meets on Valentine's Day. As part of their conversation the idea of making a list of twenty wishes comes up. Each woman has different goals.

As with most of the Blossom Street series, there are not a lot of suprises. When Anne Marie meets Ellen, you know where things are headed and the same with the new relationships for two of the other widows. However the characters are very nice and you want things to turn out well for them. And they do. It is a quick read and a pleasant escape.

Falling short of the mark

I recently checked out Taking Back Childhood by Nancy Carlsson-Paige. The book outlines how the media is taking away childhood. She explains how it effects play and cognitive develoment. The book is very well written. She avoids the textbook trap, which some scholars fall into.

Having said that, I couldn't finish the book. I agree with much of what she says, but it just made me feel like a bad parent for falling short of the mark. It wasn't her goal, but there you have it. However that doesn't mean that other readers wouldn't find the book to be great.

One more sip

Okay I've talked about several Starbucks based books lately and didn't mean to read another. However a patron recommended How Starbucks Saved My Life very vigorously, so I got on the hold list.

Gill was the archtypical adman - the travel, the big accounts, the pressure, etc. Then he got to old for a young man's game, at least in the eyes of the young men. Loosing his job, his marriage, etc in a short time, Gill found himself a broke and broken man. Stopping for an inexpensive treat that he couldn't probably afford anyway, Gill stops by a Starbucks for a coffee. Several managers were holding a hiring fair at that store. One comes over and asks the man in the Brooks Brothers suit if he wants a job almost as a joke. Gill is suprised to hear himself say, yes.

The book follows his course as he regains some confidence and learns to reprioritize his values. He mixes his privileged past with his present. It did seem like he indulges in a bit of name dropping, but overall it was an interesting book.

Cultures new

I am intrigued by Indian culture. I listen to BBC Asian from time to time. I own Bhagra CDs. I've turned my fair share of old sari's into curtains etc.

So when Michael Wood wrote a book called India, I had to give it a try. I really enjoyed it and now want to find some accesible translations of some of the poetry/oral histories he talks about. It covers a very wide swath of time and therefore can't give any one thing a lot of time. However it was a great survey. My only complaint is the map. Wood, next time get a better map/maps. I wanted to figure out where things were and they weren't on the sole map included in the book.

Fathers and daughters... and cancer

Kelly Corrigan is a daddy's girl. Her father is a larger than life personality, who has influenced her view of life. The Middle Place is the story of how in her 30's Kelly's discovery of her breast cancer. Shortly afterwards she learns her father's cancer is back. She explores her life and her journey into being a wife, parent and an adult. While the subject of cancer is sad, her book is an interesting tale and the book is not a woe is me.

Caffeine

Books about Starbucks interest me. They are an interesting company. Beloved by their patrons. Studied for their customer service style. Vilified for "Starbucking" a neighborhood. Starbucks is in the midst of a shake up and refocusing after being hit by the current economic slump.

They recently showed up in Alex Frankels book on front line service experiences. The Starbucks Experience by Michelli is a pop business book, which examines how Starbucks uses their five key principles in stores and in internal customer service. Michelli was given free range to talk with staff and manager. The book is full of examples of from staff and customers. The book is a quick read and offers a number of ideas that I would like to try.

It's not about the coffee by former Starbucks executive, Howard Behar, is his story about his experiences at Starbucks. Behar was with the company from the beginning. This book also focuses on the five key principles, but explains why the principles are so important to him.

Animal Tails

I got hooked on veterinary memoirs with Herriot. I've enjoyed many over the years. Nick Trout is a British vet, who practices in the Boston area. Tell me where it hurts takes a number of his best animal stories and wraps them together into a day in the life of a vet.

I enjoyed parts of this memoir a lot, but I think I like the animal stories best and didn't enjoy the parts where he discusses the cost of veterinary care, the change to the number of women vets, and other issues that focus less on the animal stories. Still got to hear several wonderful stories.

Father Tim

I read Jan Karon's books about Mitford and Father Tim regularly. I stayed up late last night to finish Home to Holly Springs. In it Father Tim receives a mysterious unsigned message asking him to "come home". With his wife's blessings, he and his dog Barnabas drive to Mississippi.

I enjoyed this book and visiting with characters I care about. However I think it tries to wrap up too many things in one book and therefore has a little too much reliance on coincidences. I know that there are going to be more of the Father Tim series and wish she could have spread some of this out more.

front line staffers

Alex Frankel worked the front lines at a number of major companies - UPS, Enterprise Rent A Car, the Gap, Starbuck, etc.

He chronicles his experiences in the various corporate cultures in Punching In. As a journalist, he felt like an outsider in many of the jobs and at others he clicked. He also examines the new wave electronic screening during hiring, group interview techniques, etc.

I really enjoyed this and was suprised by his final favourite.