Tag Archives: nonfiction

The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey

The Oregon Trail Book Cover The Oregon Trail
Rinker Buck
History
Simon and Schuster
2015-06-30
464

In the bestselling tradition of Bill Bryson and Tony Horwitz, Rinker Buck's The Oregon Trail is a major work of participatory history: an epic account of traveling the 2,000-mile length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way, in a covered wagon with a team of mules—which hasn't been done in a century—that also tells the rich history of the trail, the people who made the migration, and its significance to the country. Spanning 2,000 miles and traversing six states from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean, the Oregon Trail is the route that made America. In the fifteen years before the Civil War, when 400,000 pioneers used it to emigrate West—historians still regard this as the largest land migration of all time—the trail united the coasts, doubled the size of the country, and laid the groundwork for the railroads. The trail years also solidified the American character: our plucky determination in the face of adversity, our impetuous cycle of financial bubbles and busts, the fractious clash of ethnic populations competing for the same jobs and space. Today, amazingly, the trail is all but forgotten. Rinker Buck is no stranger to grand adventures. The New Yorker described his first travel narrative,Flight of Passage, as “a funny, cocky gem of a book,” and with The Oregon Trailhe seeks to bring the most important road in American history back to life. At once a majestic American journey, a significant work of history, and a personal saga reminiscent of bestsellers by Bill Bryson and Cheryl Strayed, the book tells the story of Buck's 2,000-mile expedition across the plains with tremendous humor and heart. He was accompanied by three cantankerous mules, his boisterous brother, Nick, and an “incurably filthy” Jack Russell terrier named Olive Oyl. Along the way, Buck dodges thunderstorms in Nebraska, chases his runaway mules across miles of Wyoming plains, scouts more than five hundred miles of nearly vanished trail on foot, crosses the Rockies, makes desperate fifty-mile forced marches for water, and repairs so many broken wheels and axels that he nearly reinvents the art of wagon travel itself. Apart from charting his own geographical and emotional adventure, Buck introduces readers to the evangelists, shysters, natives, trailblazers, and everyday dreamers who were among the first of the pioneers to make the journey west. With a rare narrative power, a refreshing candor about his own weakness and mistakes, and an extremely attractive obsession for history and travel,The Oregon Trail draws readers into the journey of a lifetime.

 

Review:

I should be upfront and say that this review of “The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey” may be skewed because the author, Rinker Buck, did something in writing it that I have always wanted to do.  He took a piece of history, researched it, and then set out to live it.  This is basically a historian’s dream.

There are actually two parts to the book:  the journey itself and the history of the Oregon Trail.  I’ll begin with the journey.  The time and effort Mr. Buck took in researching and developing his plans for the trip are astounding.  Quite a bit of time went into planning the journey to avoid modern civilization as much as possible, and even the wagon was purchased in Missouri and authentic.  The author has a true way with words.  The descriptions of the scenery along the way are breathtaking, and the stories of what happens along the way make you feel as if you are riding along shotgun.  Conversations with his brother add a very real familial element to it all.  The only downside is it can drag a bit at times, but then again, I’m sure the journey did as well.

The second part of the book is the history of the original Oregon Trail, and as I said above, it is thoroughly researched.  This part could have stood on its own and still been a fascinating read.  None of it is dry, as some history books tend to be, so it is actually perfectly suited for someone who wants to sneak in a little actual American History with a good story.  Sort of the way you can trick kids into eating peas by pureeing them and dumping them into something better.  (Not that I myself have an aversion to peas or history.)

“The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey” is an excellent book from both a historical and an autobiographical standpoint, but it’s more than that.  It’s a good and entertaining story for high schoolers and up.  Even those who don’t like nonfiction or history will like this one.

This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Content Warning:

As this is an adult book, there are no content warnings.

I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves Book Cover I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves
Ryan O'Connell
Simon and Schuster
June 2, 2015
Paperback
208

This hilarious part-memoir, part-manifesto reveals what sets apart the latest generation of young people coming of age in an all-wired, overeducated, and underemployed world.

People are obsessed with Ryan O’Connell’s blogs. With tens of thousands reading his pieces on Thought Catalog and Vice, watching his videos on YouTube, and hanging on to each and every #dark tweet, Ryan has established himself as a unique young voice who’s not afraid to dole out some real talk. He’s that candid, snarky friend you consult when you fear you’re spending too much time falling down virtual k-holes stalking your ex on Facebook or when you’ve made the all-too-common mistake of befriending a psycho while wasted at last night’s party and need to find a way to get rid of them the next morning. But Ryan didn’t always have the answers to these modern day dilemmas. Growing up gay and disabled with cerebral palsy, he constantly felt like he was one step behind everybody else. Then the rude curveball known as your twenties happened and things got even more confusing.

Ryan spent years as a Millennial cliché: he had dead-end internships; dabbled in unemployment; worked in his pajamas as a blogger; communicated mostly via text; looked for love online; spent hundreds on “necessary” items, like candles, while claiming to have no money; and even descended into aimless pill-popping. But through extensive trial and error, Ryan eventually figured out how to take his life from bleak to chic and began limping towards adulthood.

Sharp and entertaining, I’m Special will educate twentysomethings (or other adolescents-at-heart) on what NOT to do if they ever want to become happy fully functioning grown ups with a 401k and a dog.

 

Review:

I am not sure how the work of Ryan O’Connell has not come across my screen before, but if any articles he has written are half as good as “I’m Special”, then I need to read them all.  The book is not only hilarious, but also true, and explains so much about the millennial generation.

Mr. O’Connell is a very self-aware individual, which makes him the perfect writer to put a voice to the millennial generation, because self-awareness is not always a trait widely attributed to them/us.  I’m a generation straddler, so half of it seemed to apply to myself or my parents, and the other half seemed to apply to every friend and relative I have who is younger.  During some of the stories I was actually saying out loud, “That’s me! I do that all the time!” It should probably be embarrassing that I had that reaction, because every time it was because of something weird, quirky, and/or off-putting, but it is what it is.  He makes it feel ok to be the way we are.

“I’m Special” has quite a bit of rather adult content, so if that bothers you it is probably not a good fit.  Otherwise, as long as you aren’t afraid to laugh at yourself (because you will identify with someone in the book), I recommend it to anyone looking to be entertained while also being made to think about their life choices.

This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Content Warning:

As this is an adult book, there is no content warning.

Ask the Past: Pertinent and Impertinent Advice From Yesteryear

Ask the Past Book Cover Ask the Past
Elizabeth P. Archibald
Humor
Hachette Books
2015-05-05
304

Want to know how to garden with lobsters? How to sober up? Grow a beard? Or simply how to make a perfect omelet? Look no further. Rather, look backward. Based on the popular blog, Ask the Past is full of the wisdom of the ages--as well as the fad diets, zany pickup lines, and bacon Band-Aids of the ages. Drawn from centuries of antique texts by historian and bibliophile Elizabeth P. Archibald, Ask the Past offers a delightful array of advice both wise and weird. Whether it's eighteenth-century bedbug advice (sprinkle bed with gunpowder and let smolder), budget fashion tips of the Middle Ages (save on the clothes, splurge on the purse) or a sixteenth-century primer on seduction (hint: do no pass gas), Ask the Past is a wildly entertaining guide to life from the people who lived it first.

 

Review:

Historian Elizabeth P. Archibald does a wonderful job in “Ask the Past” of showing that history can be fun and entertaining.  Her collection of some of the best/worst excerpts from antique etiquette and advice books and pamphlets, along with accompanying illustrations, had me laughing so hard that I could not breathe.  Her snarky “translations” at the end of each excerpt doubled the entertainment value.

Aside from being entertaining, her introduction breaks down her research methods in a way that will help novice historians learn how to take tiny bits of information and use it to get an overall picture of the society of the time.

Also, I would like to note that I am forever grateful to the person who established that it is not appropriate to attack someone who is defecating.  Where would we be as a society if that was still an acceptable practice?

“Ask the Past” is the perfect gift for anyone old enough for fart and sex jokes made classier through Old English.

This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Content Warning:

As this is an adult book, there is no content warning.

Ricochet: Riding a Wave of Hope with the Dog Who Inspires Millions

Ricochet Book Cover Ricochet
Judy Fridono
Pets
HCI
2015-05-05
312

Ride the wave of hope with Ricochet – the only SURFice dogTM in the world who chose her own purpose! She surfs with children with special needs, people with disabilities, wounded warriors, and veterans with PTSD as an assistive aid and intuitive muse, healing hearts and souls on every wave. This tears-to-triumph story takes readers behind the TV and video sensation and shares the true journey that went from promise to disappointment before ultimately finding life's purpose. The gorgeous golden retriever Ricochet seemed destined to be a service dog from the moment she was born. She approached her training with boundless energy and surpassed every other dog in her Puppy Prodigy training class. Unfortunately, her love for chasing birds could prove dangerous, for those she would assist. Fifteen months into her training, Ricochet was released, leaving a frustrated owner and a dog without a direction. Yet through a twist of fate, Judy realized that flunking out of school wasn't the end of the world—and in fact, could be the beginning of a new one. Once Judy learned to let go and let Ricochet be who she really was, they found her true calling as a SURFice dog. Ricochet's story is one of synchronicity, our interconnectedness, and opening ourselves to life's 'paws'ibilities. Embracing her true calling, Ricochet began to help others, including those with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, and physical disabilities, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable causes and inspiring people to believe in themselves. Ricochet does more than steady the board: she offers hope, comfort, healing, and a reason to keep fighting. What gives this story such extraordinary potential to become a publishing sensation? Ricochet is the only SURFice dog in the world, there is no other story quite like it!

 

Review:

Knowing of Ricochet and a bit of her story thanks to YouTube, I was very happy to receive a copy of “Ricochet” to review.  I’m having trouble even typing this review without getting emotional.  Don’t worry, it creates tears, but of the very best kind.

“Ricochet” is an inspiring story that covers not only her story, but the story of her person, Judy, and “sister” Rami, along with the stories of many they have all impacted in their unique mission.  As someone with mobility challenges of my own, I cannot imagine how freeing it must be to feel the surf around you while you catch a wave with Ricochet.  She isn’t a traditional rescue dog, but that makes her story that much more special.  She does what she does because she was unable to be what others felt she had to be.  Once she was allowed to be herself, a whole new world of possibilities opened up to her and anyone she meets.  As any dog lover can tell you, it’s easier to take advice from a dog than a human.  Who could resist any message that face tries to give you?

As a short side note, I really appreciate Judy’s advocacy of positive training methods for service dogs.  While traditional methods may work for many, I have seen some training that was more than a little heavy-handed, and it is nice to see other training options put out there.

“Ricochet” is inspirational, and about dogs helping those with disabilities, as well as those without disabilities.  If you’re in any way inclined to frown at frolicking puppies, laughing children, the sound of the ocean, or merriment in general, I would skip this book.  If you want something to make you smile and want to hug your dog, or get a dog, then pick this one up.

This is an honest review based upon a complimentary copy won through the Goodreads First Reads program.

 

Content Warning:

Note: Even though it is listed as an adult book, there is nothing in the content to make “Ricochet” inappropriate for middle grade readers.

Cinderland: A Memoir

Cinderland Book Cover Cinderland
Amy Jo Burns
Biography & Autobiography
Beacon Press (MA)
2014-10-07
216

"Amy Jo Burns grew up in Mercury, PA--a small, conservative Rust Belt town fallen sleepy a decade after the steel industry's collapse. But the year Amy turned ten, everyone in Mercury woke up. That was the year Howard Lotte, Mercury's beloved piano teacher, was accused of committing indiscretions during his lessons. Among the girls questioned, only seven dared to tell the truth that would ostracize them from the community. Amy Jo Burns was one of the girls who lied. Her memoir, CINDERLAND, navigates the impact that lie had on her adolescent years to follow--tracing all the boys she ran from and toward, the girls she betrayed, and the endless performances she put on to please a town that never trusted girls in the first place. CINDERLAND is literary memoir of the highest caliber. A slim, searing feat of narrative beauty, it is full of psychologically nuanced grappling, imagery of fire and steel, and eerily universal shadows of adolescence"--

 

Review:

It is difficult to write a review of a memoir, due in part to it being someone’s life story that was partially laid out for them by circumstances of birth, as well as the fact that the author is an inherently flawed narrator by only having their own thoughts to base it upon.  In fiction, even if written in first-person, at least the author has an idea of what is going on in the other characters. “Cinderland: A Memoir” is particularly difficult due to the subject of molestation.  Anyone being able to write about it deserves credit for that alone.

That all being said, this review took me days to finish, and I finally decided to review as I would any other story, fictional or not.  It is based upon a complimentary copy provided through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.

The positive of “Cinderland” is that it does an excellent job of exploring the feelings that stay with abuse victims throughout their lives.  It takes an emotional and developmental toll.  It was also extremely honest in terms of the guilt the author felt over not having spoken out about the abuse she suffered, leaving the fallout to the other girls who did speak out.  As uncomfortable as it is to read, I feel that it’s very important to expose the way people blame victims, even if it is unintentional.

Unfortunately, the author comes across as someone who feels like those around her are beneath her in some way, especially those who have no goals to get out of the town.  While she admits to loving to the town, it is implied that those who are content there have no ambition and are trapped.  It is as though she never begins to think that they may love living there and want that life.  In keeping with this trend, while she writes that the need for the spotlight was to hide what she was truly feeling, it is very obvious she was smart and popular.  That is not a bad thing, but again, there was a feeling of dismissal of those who were content to be in the background of things.

In spite of this, the positives would have led me to give “Cinderland” four stars.  That is, until the part that dealt more with Aaron.  For someone who meant so much to her, his deepest scars were revealed with very little empathy and absolutely no follow-up.  I could understand if it was a protection of privacy, but if that was the case, his secrets should have been left out entirely. The broken-hearted boy who was obviously being taken advantage in a relationship by someone in a position of power, physically abused, and had stood by her throughout her life with not much acknowledgement until the end of high school, was in my opinion the most sympathetic character in the book.  As it was written he was used by and disposable to the author.  Of all people, she should have understood his hurt, but all that was written was what he did for her.  Unlike what the author wrote, leaving a town does not mean having to make a clean break from those you love.

I am not afraid to admit that I searched the thank you notes hoping that “Aaron” would have been mentioned.  He helped her through, but apparently did not even warrant that.

The disregard for those around her are what makes me absolutely not recommend this book.  It reads like a self-congratulatory slap on the back and is, quite frankly, grating.

 

Content Warning:

As this is an adult book, the only warning I will included is that there is frank discussion of child molestation, so please keep that in mind if it may trigger you.

The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler’s Men

The Nazis Next Door Book Cover The Nazis Next Door
Eric Lichtblau
History
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
2014-10-28
288

A revelatory secret history of how America became home to thousands of Nazi war criminals after World War II, many of whom were brought here by the OSS and CIA—by the New York Times reporter who broke the story and who has interviewed dozens of agents for the first time.

 

Review:

“The Nazis Next Door” is a book about the various Nazis living in our country after the war, along with how our government not only helped bring them here but helped them avoid prosecution through various means, including forged documents.

As opposed to many history books, this one is easily read and accessible not only to the novice, but also provides little known information to historians.  My major was history, with a concentration in Jewish history, and I was appalled by just how much has been hidden for so long.  The fact that Patton himself was an anti-Semite made me feel physically ill.

A secondary benefit to the history lesson is the knowledge at just how carefully we need to question the actions of our own intelligence agencies.  This is certainly a timely topic, and one that we could all use a reminder regarding.

If a reader has an interest in the Holocaust, especially the more unexplored topics surrounding it, I cannot recommend “The Nazis Next Door” enough.  Novice or professional, it is an excellent resource.

This review is based upon an advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Content Warning:

As this is a book meant for adults, no content warning will be given.

A Letter to My Cat

A Letter to My Cat Book Cover A Letter to My Cat
Lisa Erspamer
Literary Collections
Crown Archetype
2014-10-28
176

A follow-up to A Letter to My Dog collects celebrity letters of love, whimsy and gratitude to their feline companions juxtaposed against four-color kitty portraits, in a volume that includes contributions by Dr. Oz, Mariel Hemingway and Jackson Galaxy. Illustrations.

 

Review:

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“A Letter to My Cat” is filled with love letters to, well, cats.  They range from hilarious to heartbreaking, and I was going from laughing to crying every few minutes.  The letters are written from a wide range of people owned by cats, from celebrities to children to a soldier who went to great lengths to bring his feline companion home.  All are lovely and reveal the unique quirks and bonds that make cats so indispensable to those who love them.

Additionally, the photography is absolutely gorgeous and captures the personality of each subject.  As anyone who has tried to photograph a cat knows, it is difficult to capture much more than a blur or a squinty-eyed look of derision.  These photographs are true works of art worthy of being framed.

In short, cats cats cats cats cats.  What’s not to love?  I recommend this book to all but those who believe cats are the portent of evil belonging only to witches, because they are surely the only ones who will not love it.

 

Content Warning:

Excessive Feels

Dataclysm

Dataclysm Book Cover Dataclysm
Christian Rudder
Computers
Crown Pub
2014-09-09
304

An irreverent analysis of what our online lives reveal about who we really are draws on information from major online sources, from Twitter and Facebook to Reddit and OkCupid, to explain how the science of human behavior is dramatically evolving. 125,000 first printing.

 

Review:

The copy I am reviewing was received through Netgalley from Crown publishing in exchange for an honest review.

In “Dataclysm”, Christian Rudder embarks on the mission to bring Big Data to the masses. Big History and Big Economics are popular today, and I think this book is going to achieve the mission with great success.

Math is not known for being embraced by many, so Rudder’s work was cut out for him.  His subject choices and examples were well-chosen and interesting, and concepts are explained in a way not “dumbed down” too much, but easily understood by anyone wishing to put the effort into learning about them.  At a few points it became a bit too dense with information, and that is why I give the book four stars instead of five.  I wish four and a half were an option, because while it keeps it from having the ability to capture the attention of any reader who may pick it up, I believe that the author is respecting those who want to truly gain knowledge, thereby making the density not a necessarily bad thing.

The facts and writing were both funny and horrifying.  One minute I would be laughing at the idea that Belle and Sebastian are the whitest band in America, and the next I was completely uncomfortable with the racism that is inherent in the population as a whole.  It’s easy to say “I am not racist”, but quite different when the patterns of a large group are put on display and analyzed and you recognize your own behaviors in there.  It’s food for thought, and something most of us are not even conscious that occurs, so the hope that we can now see it on display and work to make changes in our thoughts is a very real one.

The most unsettling question raised is whether or not the social gains are worth the privacy we are sacrificing.  Since it’s a new field, it’s up to the people to set standards, so learning about it is more than educational or entertaining.  Without knowing what is going on, we cannot object or consciously aid in what it’s used for.

Also, please be sure to read the author’s notes at the end.  He does an excellent job of explaining where and how he got the data, as well as the approaches and controls he used in his research.  It’s fascinating and adds the legitimacy numbers often require.

If you enjoy facts, data, charts and graphs (the ones in “Dataclysm” are excellent), or are inquisitive in any way I recommend you give this a try.  The first couple of chapters may feel a bit overwhelming, but eventually the read becomes easier, and it is well worth the time.

 

Content Warning:

This isn’t a book for kids, nor is it marketed as such, though teenagers may enjoy it.  There are some words some may find objectionable, and the usage of data from a dating site does make sex a topic that frequently comes up.

 
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