December 2001-May 2002

Who would've thought that William Shatner could write? (Or at least hire good ghost writers to flesh out his ideas?) Shatner, if you don't know, is the actor who played Captain Kirk in Star Trek. He's written a few Trek novels of which this is the third. It was a good read, even if it does violate one of my pet peeves of resurrecting a dead character (before Judgment Day, that is). In this one a lethal virus is plaguing the plant life throughout the United Federation of Planets. Kirk, Captain Picard and their respective crews get caught up in the investigation and save the day. (I know it's bad form to reveal the ending, but do you really think that any Star Trek story is going to end in failure?) This book isn't perfect. Besides the above transgression I mentioned, this one makes connections between old episodes of the series that are hard to swallow. It also is pretty predictable with some of the "surprises" it tries to pull. But the plot is well crafted and kept my interest to the end. If you're looking for some science fictional brain candy, check it out.
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Animating Culture by Eric Smoodin
Read in December of 2001

Warning! This is a book from a university press (Rutgers University Press, to be specific) about cartoons. So you know the author is going to take the subject way too seriously. I didn't realize what I bought when I grabbed it off the table at the Library sale, but I quickly realized what I had done. But I enjoyed reading the book anyway. Despite the academics, this book contains a lot of historical info. It's by no means a comprehensive survey of film animation, but rather covers a few areas of the genre from the 30s and 40s, concentrating mostly on Disney. In addition to just viewing the cartoons and interviewing the folks involved, Mr. Smoodin also accessed files from the State Department, IRS, FBI and the Library of Congress. It gave a unique twist to the history presented. This one makes for great waiting room material.
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Harmony in Conflict by Richard W. Hartzell
Read in January of 2002

As long as I can remember, I've had an interest in other cultures, real or imagined. Whether I was "exploring strange new worlds" with a science fiction story or hearing of the challenges faced by an overseas missionary, I was fascinated by a different way of seeing things. But of course, this wasn't really exploring much of anything. I enjoyed the exotic trappings, but never really dug deeper to confront the basic beliefs of these cultures, much less challenge my own worldview. Well, as I've gotten older, I've been able to see things a little bit deeper, and this book has become for me a big step in that direction. Mr. Hartzell has resided for a number of years in Taiwan as a student of the culture and as a Chinese language columnist. Harmony in Conflict is the result of his experiences as he attempts to explain the Chinese culture to the wetserner who wants to live and work with the people of China. I was very surprised how alien the Chinese culture really was to me. Before I read this book, I had a tendency to think of people as being pretty much the same underneath all of the cultural trappings. Now I kick myself for not seeing earlier that even some basic concepts as truth, justice and logic vary between peoples. It was such an eye-opener for me that I would recommend it to anyone interested in dealing with people, Chinese or not. (After all, the book made me see my own culture in a new light as well.) Of course, you'll have to find your own copy of the book, because I'm sure my wife will insist I keep ours on our shelf.
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The Chinese Word for Horse and Other Stories by John Lewis, illustrated by Peter Rigby
Read in the Winter of 2002

I usually don't review the children's books I read because for me, they're like junk mail -- I read them because they're lying around and happen to catch my ineterst, they're usually very quick to read and rarely offer much food for comment. I make an exception for this one mainly because I bought it myself at a library sale and intended to keep it even if it was rejected by the wife and kids. That rejection, of course, never happened. Anyway, about the book. If you're not familiar with Chinese characters, a number of them seem to have evolved from pictures. For example, in the Chinese character for horse you can make out the four legs, the one for man looks like someone walking, etc. (The character for righteousness is the character for "I" under the character for "lamb", but that's another story.) Anyway, Mr. Lewis has written three short tales involving some of the more obvious characters and Mr. Rigby has done up some marvelous illustrations, subtly changing the character into a more recognizable picture that still evokes the style of Chinese calligraphy. How many characters either I or my children end up learning from this book, I don't know. But I do know we've had quite a good time enjoying the tales and illustrations. As I intended, this one has gone on my shelf.
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The Church Before Christianity by Wes Howard-Brook
Read in the Winter of 2002

Theological books by authors with whom I have theological disagreements can be quite unsettling. I can be going along, getting into what's being said when all of a sudden the author makes some statement that totally turns me off. Or in other cases, the author starts off by saying the "wrong" thing and I spend the rest of the book discounting what she or he has to say. Mr. Howard-Brook's tome kind of straddled the line in that respect. He admitted to being a "flaming liberal" (my phrase, not his) up front, and while that made me wary about what he had to say in the rest of the book, I had a great deal of respect for his plain declaration of where he was at. I was very intrigued by his topic -- a look at what the apostles intended the church to be as opposed to what has evolved over the centuries. But every time I started getting into his historical analysis, some phrase or concept would remind me that I disagreed with his view of history and scripture and I would have to reconsider his conclusions. Anyway, while I might agree with him that our churches today have gone astray from the original game plan, I'm not at all convinced that he's on the right track for reformation. (And of course, I must also admit that maybe there was no game plan in scripture for how to operate a congregation, outside of a few general guidelines.) Anyway, I'll rate this as waiting room material, though if you're looking for alternatives to the religious status quo, Wes Howard-Brook's voice is one that should also be heard.
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The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven
Read in the Winter of 2002

This is a sequel to Niven's book Ringworld. I like it. It's good. Check it out.
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The Innocents Abroad, volume 1 by Mark Twain
Read in the Winter of 2002

Occasionally I get tempted enough to read a real classic. In this case the temptation arose from PBS. Years ago, I saw part of a TV movie based on this book, an account of a European trip taken by Mr. Clemens (the real name of Mark Twain, for those of you who haven't had high school English) in 1867. I told myself then that I should either see the whole movie or read the book. Then, a few weeks ago, I saw a bit of Ken Burns' documentary on Mark Twain and decided it was time to crack open The Innocents Abroad. So I went down to the library and reserved it on the computer. Days passed, I got notice that my book was in and I went down to the neighborhood branch and came home with... a videotape of the TV movie. Guess I didn't look at the computer too closely. Well, I enjoyed the film in its entirety, noting a few scenes which seemed to be modern inventions, and then returned to the library to get the right item. I almost succeeded. I managed to check out Volume one of The Innocents Abroad. SIGH! Well, Volume 1, at least is great. I found out that a great deal of the teleplay has been altered. I can't fuss too much over it, because I'm sure Brooke Adams is more interesting too watch than whomever they might get to play the man who actually hung out with Mr. Clemens and the doctor on their excursion. But like almost any cinematic adaption, the book (or at least its foremost volume) is far superior. I love seeing the world through another's eyes and Mr. Clemens is a master of describing what he sees -- praising the magnificent and mocking the overblown. (We may sometimes disagree on what desrves praise or criticism, but I have a high degree of tolerance for my opponents if they're entertaining enough.) If I ever mange to find this at a library sale, I will definitely put it on my shelf. Assuming volume two doesn't degenerate into wothless dreck...
UPDATE: It didn't.
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Nisei Daughter by Monica Sone
Read in the Winter of 2002

Do you ever see the Hand of God in the mundane parts of your life? I mean, have you ever seen things come together so perfectly that you suspect there's a conspiracy afoot? Getting this book was one of those moments for me. You've probably heard of the Japanese internment, in which all of the people of Japanese descent living on the west coast of the United States were forced to move to concentration camps located inland. You've probably heard that it was a gross injustice fueled by racism. Well, I think so, too, but I happened to be privy to a conversation where an honorable, loving and (as far as I can tell) non-prejudiced woman whom was living in Seattle at that time put forth her opinion that the event was a justifiable war-time security measure. In the course of the discussion, she had mentioned this book and I had scribbled down the title, knowing that I would probably never have enough interest in the specifics of the event to pick it up. Well, time passed and I was picking over the remnants of the King County Library book sale. Nothing looked good and I feared that I would leave the sale empty handed, save for whatever volumes my wife manged to find. As I scanned the titles, however, my eye happened to catch Nisei Daughter. A surprising coincidence and since I was empty handed, I decided to risk 50¢ and pick it up. (Of course, I then managed to find two other minor acquisitions, but I digress...) It was another great find. It touches many of my interests in history: it's local, first person, set in the early 20th century and deals with immigration and cultural issues. It's a good book to share with my daughters as they learn about history. And it's just an engaging, well written book. So, this "accidental" find is now firmly entrenched on my shelf.
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The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
Read in the Winter of 2002

"An orphaned boy and a kidnapped horse gallop for Narnia ... and freedom." So goes the blurb on the back cover of this, the third chronicle of the mythic kingdom of Narnia. In case you haven't been following my reviews, I thought the first two chronicles were great. Mr. Lewis had clothed great Christian truths in rich, colorful fantasy and wove a tale that struck a chord deep within my heart. This third book does the same, but with a different twist. The tale takes place outside of the kingdom of Narnia and we meet characters who for various reasons set out for that fabled kingdom of the North. The Christian truths embroidered here focus more on the individual, how they seek out the kingdom of Heaven, sometimes in complete ignorance, and how the King finds them. Overall, I found the book slightly less delightful then The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe -- I thought the Tashbaan culture was dissed a bit too much in comparison to that of the Northern countries -- but it's still a worthy tale to keep on my shelf.
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Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
Read in the Winter of 2002

I didn't intend to read two Narnia books in a row, but I was trying to stay awake last night and it was either find a fast, easy read or vegetate in front of a TV screen. My book collection is better than my video collection, so I ended up reading about Prince Caspian. The book was good, as I would expect from Mr. Lewis, but I found it to be much less impressive than the other three Narnia books that I've read. The plot isn't too thrilling or surprising, and the characters are all rather plain, except for Reepicheep, the brave and slightly arrogant mouse. Maybe it was because of my weariness, but this book seemed very much like a typical sequel -- an imitation of the original, lacking its luster and fire. But when you imitate a great work, the result is still worth checking out.
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Reading Between the Lines by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
Read in the Winter of 2002

Some of the best books I've read are hand-me-downs from my wife. That is, books that she has read and told me about which I then read for myself. (I wish I could say I give her as many literary hand-me-downs as she has given me, but alas, I read too much brain candy. But I digress...) This one is a English professor's guide to English literature as viewed through a Christian worldview. It's purpose is to help Christians think critically about what they choose to read. Professor Veith looks at the value of reading, then surveys the forms (fiction, non-fiction, poetry) and modes (tragedy, comedy, realism and fantasy) of literature. He then finishes up with a brief look at the history of English literature, showing how popular woldviews of various times play out in society's literature. This book is by no means comprehensive -- Mr. Veith is concerned mainly with Christian writers and their work -- but it does show that there have been good Christian authors out there. Ones you might even find outside of a Christian bookstore. Y'all should check it out.
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The Viennese: Splendor, Twilight and Exile by Paul Hofmann
Read in the Winter of 2002

Some genealogy research I've done recently has piqued my interest in the history of Austria. That is, Austria as it was when my grandmother lived there in the first part of the 20th Century. I had read a bit about the Austro-Hungarian empire in school, but it's only been in the past month or so that I realized how closely that tied in with my family history. So, when I searched the Seattle Public Library for books on Austrian history, this one caught my attention. It was a good read, but of course, it talks mostly about the famous, the rich, the movers and shakers of Viennese society. I don't know exactly where my great-grandparents fit into Viennese society (what is a "Larbunernt" anyway?) but for all I know they had never been to the opera or frequented the Viennese coffeehouses. Even so, it was intriguing to learn about the city of Vienna, a happening place back then. It can help me picture the life my ancestors had there, perhaps even give me insight as to why my great-grandparents would move there and why my grandmother would leave for America two or more decades later. Whether you love history or not, I would think this book is good waiting room material. If you do have an interest in history or Austria, it's even more worthy of a peek.
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All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes by Kenneth A. Myers
Read in the Winter of 2002

SIGH! Thanks to this book, I'm going to feel guilty about watching TV or listening to the radio all week. AGC&BSS is a look at popular culture from an intellectual and Christian perspective. Basically, Myers argues that popular culture is shallow, lacking morality and defines our society. Unlike high or folk culture, which have definite roots in the past, pop culture is a culture of the moment, created of things to be discarded when the new one comes along. Now, I've heard about this general topic for years. My first recollections are lectures and articles about things in the culture that were supposed to be bad for you. Some were a call to avoid those things entirely, others were a way to enjoy the spirit of the media or activity while keeping away from overt sin. More recently, I've read and heard opinions criticizing the popular culture itself. Overall, I've experienced these arguments without feeling convicted. They either spoke of excesses in which I didn't indulge or were so far in left field that I couldn't take them seriously. Well, now Mr. Myers has come along and I have stopped to think that maybe he's right. It's not that this book is so radical or great, but rather I think that I've reached a point where I can understand what he's talking about. Over the past few years, without meaning to, I've been rejecting popular culture in my life. (It's all my wife's fault...) I pretty much elimanted TV watching when I started working evenings. I stopped worrying about the latest and greatest computer equipment when I couldn't afford to keep up. I started getting into folk music when I discovered that neighborhood festivals were cheaper and more family friendly than the big rock concerts. Now I read this book that talks about some of the things I've left behind and I realize that I really don't feel that I've lost anything. Instead I wonder if I should not be seeking something more for myself, my children, perhaps even my community. (Or maybe this is all another diversion -- another turn in the vaudeville show of the modern American experience. We'll see.) Anyway, I would recommend that y'all check it out.
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The Gorilla and the Fairy by Carol Young
Read in the Winter of 2002

I strongly recommend that you buy this book..... What's that? Why should you buy this book? Um, well, the author's a friend of mine. ... I said, the author's a friend of mine. I know, I know, I'm violating all sorts of objective journalistic ethics. If I were an objective journalist instead of an electronic pre-press operator, I'd feel really bad. Seriously, I really can't give you any sort of review. This book is a fable about domestic violence and recovery. Since I am neither an abuser or an abusee, I could not relate to the tale. Carol has told me that a couple of women who have been in such a sitation have read the book and have found it really helpful. I can take Carol's word for it because she is one of the sweetest people the good Lord has ever created and is not one to glorify herself. Anyway, good or bad, this is a psychological/counseling type book and they usually aren't much good to those outside its targeted audience. I ended up wondering more about the gorilla and his lack of redemptiveness. But like I said, Carol's an angel, so go ahead and buy a copy even if you just trash it right away. Better yet, just send her the money and let her sell the book to someone else.
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Revelation by Louis A. Brighton
Read in the Spring of 2002

Some people are just fascinated by the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. Myself, I don't care for it. I mean I dutifully read it if it shows up in my daily Bible readings, but left to my own inclination, I would read the first three chapters and then skip to the end when the New Jerusalem descends from heaven and the dwelling of God is with His people and we all live happily ever after. The plagues and the wrath I don't like to think about. It gets even worse when I hear some of the interpretations that Christians have come up with to try to explain it all. (I myself am an amillenialist, and so disagree with a lot of my fellow Christians. At least the vocal ones.) Anyway, this book is a commentary on Revelation put out by Concordia Publishing House, the publishing arm of my own denomination. I got it because I've been buying their commentary series and I am quite obsessive when it comes to book collections. I also had a glimmer of hope that this volume might help me wrap my puny mind around the scripture and better appreciate it. Well, guess what? I still much prefer the book of Acts or I and II Samuel. (I'm hoping the commentaries for those books will come out in my lifetime, but that's a separate gripe.) While Revelation is a fine commentary, it just didn't impress me like Concordia's commentray on Luke. Anyway, if you're unlike me and looking for a commentary on Revelation, check it out. Brighton has his own opinions and interpretation, (like anyone else, I suppose) but he also respects the text and it's Author.
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Read in the Spring of 2002

Like I was telling the boys at the Grace CyberCafe Message Board, I read Huck Finn years ago, when I was a boy, and finally got around to rereading it now that I'm a bit older and wiser. I never really enjoyed it much as a young'un, but now I think it's just great. What more can I say? It's funny, engaging and makes one question the status quo. We put it on our shelf in an attempt to get a nice library of children's books, but I'm keeping it there for my own entertainment.
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Spectre by William Shatner with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Read in April of 2002

Whenever I go to the Friends of the Library semi-annual book sale in Seattle, I have to pick up the obligatory science fiction novel. I don't know why I have this habit, but I do. Anyway, this spring I was a bit rushed, and I ended up picking up William Shatner's Preserver. So why aren't I reviewing that? Well, Preserver (see below) is the third book of a Star Trek trilogy, Spectre is the first. Anyway, as I've said before, Shatner and the Reeves-Stevenses write pretty good stuff... for Star Trek novels, anyway. This tale deals with the resurrected Captain Kirk, who is trying to settle down with the love of his life. Normally the resurrection angle would turn me off to the book, but this trilogy ties in with the Star Trek episode, "Mirror, Mirror." And I love alternate universe tales... even alternate imaginary universe tales. Anyway, it's an engaging tale, even if everybody treats Captain Kirk like a demi-god. There's a running tension over whom is real and whom is a "mirror universe counterpart" that gets a bit tired. But I suppose that it's an inevitable consequence of the whole parallel universe schtick. I guess I'll rate this as waiting room material, though I'd hate to start reading this and have to leave it behind after my appointment.
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Dark Victory by William Shatner with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Read in the Spring of 2002

Part two of "The Mirror Universe Saga". I didn't mention that part one of the series, Spectre, ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, hence my reading this so quickly on the heels of the first. I've noticed that the middle part of a trilogy seems to be the weakest, and this one didn't break tradition. The main subplot of this is the appearance of Captain Kirk's mirror universe counterpart. He had became emporer in his own universe, was deposed and now wants to wreak havoc in the "real" one. Captain Kirk is pretty much ineffectual against him in a typical underdog versus the unstoppable foe tale. But some of the mysteries of Spectre are furthur unraveled, there's an amusing wedding scene, and one of my favorite supporting characters from Deep Space Nine plays a small role, so I continued reading to the end. This one is waiting room material I could leave behind.
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Preserver by William Shatner with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Read in the Spring of 2002

SIGH.... This was the final book of "The Mirror Universe Saga". It wasn't really bad, just disappointing. I think they probably could have pared this down to a single volume by jettisoning some of the subplots and ended up with a much better novel. I'm glad that Kirk wins the battle (which one, I won't reveal) but after being kicked about for three novels, it seems a bit forced. I'll rate this as waiting room material, but I'd much prefer an issue National Geographic.
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Corporation Nation by Charles Derber
Read in May of 2002

Who's in charge here, anyway? According to Charles Derber, the answer to that is increasingly becoming "the corporations". Corporation Nation attempts to show how corporations have been steadily increasing their power in government and our personal lives and how the the power of the prevailing counter forces -- like unions or the elected governments -- has been waning. My inclination is to agree with him, noticing how the evidence he cites has echoes in my own experience and reading. However, I did have a few problems with the book. One is that the footnotes that caught my eye -- the ones that I would be tempted to research furthur -- seem to be secondary citations from other books, rather than primary source material. The bigger problem I had was Mr. Derber's fixation on populism as the answer to the problem. I find populism attractive myself, but the picture I got from the book was not the populism of the 19th Century, or even Pat Buchanan, but rather an idealized version shorn of the racism and nationalism that existed in real populist movements. Not that I have a problem eschewing racism and nationalism. I just think that if you seek to build a coalition of different groups, be it laborers, ethnic or religious groups, you need to seriously recognize and consider the biases and agendas they will bring into the movement. (Listen to me, I've become an armchair politician. Sheesh!) Anyway, despite my dissatisfactions, I'm going to recommend that you check it out. The concerns Mr. Derber has are very real and we need not just sit on our couches and take whatever is heaped upon us.
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