Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ruth Reichl, famed restaurant critic, writer, and former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, shares the stories from her childhood and young adulthood that shaped her taste and understanding of great food. Her mother also happened to be manic-depressive/bi-polar. She writes very well, and leaves the reader with the sense that even our most difficult challenges open doors of opportunity that don't seem apparent at the time. Another interesting and wonderful food book!

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Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way by Jon Krakauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm glad that Jon Krakauer took the time to provide this short but informative book. It does a great job of exposing Greg Mortenson's abuse of the public trust, and reminds us to be a bit skeptical.

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The Rent Collector by Camron Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really liked the book until the ending. It was disappointing, but there were still things in the story that were thought-provoking. What do we need to be happy? How well do we really know those around us? And could we be more understanding/forgiving? Are we living life fully or just going from one day to the next?

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Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A quick and enjoyable read when you want to be entertained with something uplifting/clean.

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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future...: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned by Michael J. Fox
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up at a dollar store, and I'm glad that's all I paid for it. It is a very short book, I think mostly intended to be given as a graduation gift, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for that. Michael J. Fox (who I previously knew very little about) quit high school in 11th grade to move from Canada to Hollywood, U.S.A. He knew what he wanted to do and worked very hard, eventually becoming a success. He seems like a nice guy, but not someone I would want my graduate to emulate (there are so many others I can think of with a lot more to look up to). But he does share some interesting lessons he has learned, and I was particularly glad to know a bit more about his illness and how he has learned from and dealt with it. It's not a profound book, but an interesting little read.

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Candide by Voltaire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read Candide about 30 years ago, and I just finished listening to it on CD. I had not remembered anything about the book, so obviously it did not make a lasting impression the first time around. As I listened to the story this time, I kept wondering how my impression would be different if I were reading it. Hearing the characters come to life through another person's interpretation has a dramatic influence on the likability of the characters and what you learn from the story. It is as if you are reading (hearing) one of a possibly endless number of variations based on the narrator's unique performance; it is a filter that changes the end product. The end product I heard is not my favorite literary classic, but it did highlight the idea of how we sometimes allow others to define the way we see the world and experience life. A lot of precious time can be wasted that way. Better to look at the world honestly, make right what you can, and wisely manage the rest. For satire, I prefer Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift.

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Gifted Hands - The Ben Carson Story

Gifted Hands by Ben Carson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really like the book and the man. Great and inspiring story. He had many challenges, but he also had some real advantages. His mother was poor, but she worked hard and passed on a love of learning and knowledge, and instilled in her sons the idea that they could accomplish anything they chose to do.

Carson also started out in a decent school that was not predominantly welfare recipients (there's nothing wrong with being poor, but spending a lifetime on welfare creates a different mindset in most people). He ended up in an inner-city school at one point, but I think he had a real advantage over kids who don't know anything different. He talks about the respect students had for one another in his original school setting, compared to the inner-city school where the focus was on clothing, image, etc. There was no status in being smart and doing well academically.

Carson's mother was determined not to be dependent on the government, and passed on that sense of self-reliance to her children. I love the fact that he openly acknowledges his faith in God and the role He has played in his life. The book is filled with inspiring experiences from Carson's childhood through his impressive career as a gifted and groundbreaking neurosurgeon. Great book!!


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