Reviewed by Jacob Aiello

In Transgressions, a collection of ten novellas written by some of today’s most acclaimed suspense novelists (and edited by noted mystery writer Ed McBain, who also contributes one selection), the genre of noir and suspense is flipped on its head and modernized, blended with the immediacy of compelling social commentary.

From the onset, readers will find a great deal of deep and penetrating material here: From the existential anarchist detective Archibald Lawless of Walter Mosley’s Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large: Walking the Line, to the malicious teenage girls of Joyce Carol Oates’ The Corn Maiden - it’s the world of the outsider examined in the aftermath of 9/11.

The point here is to allow each of us to decide for ourselves whether or not what they said is true: Is irony really dead? Is America really in the hollow and desperate state that the media tells us it is in?

However, Transgressions is by no means a collection of stories about the events of 9/11; yet still, the wake of that tragedy is imbued in each of these stories in tones both subtle and overt.

In The Things They Left Behind by Stephen King - unquestionably the most evident 9/11 novella - a man begins inexplicably finding the possessions of former acquaintances who died in the attacks on the Twin Towers. An accessible blend of magical realism and psychological closure, The Things They Left Behind reads with King’s trademark character development, the natural progression of the story line exploring the loss of our enigmatic safety and that cocky self assurance Americans once held so confidently.

Noted mystery author Donald E. Westlake’s novella, Walking Around Money, prefers to suggest the more subtle, psychological effects of 9/11. A vague uneasiness is felt by one of the characters whenever he is in New York City, in large, open crowds, or in telephone booths. And while its cause is never explicitly stated, this piece subtlety speaks volumes as to 9/11’s vast psychological reach.

In The Corn Maiden, it is the disregard for human life that is examined in Joyce Carol Oates’ inimitable stunningly horrifying fashion. Here, a neglected, disillusioned and vengeful adolescent girl abducts another young girl for a sacrificial rite, and it triggers a disastrous spiral of scapegoating and sorrow. It is as though The Corn Maiden’s story unfolds within a parallel world, a world complete with all the horrors and injustices of our own, a place where 9/11 is merely a lie told to the abducted girl to frighten her into submission.

These references only provide a brief glimpse into the perspectives which Transgressions explores. The stories presented here are well-written and especially varied in their conventions and stylistic touches, offering the reader everything from comic mystery to horrifying suspense to somber contemplation - each of these stories entertaining, thought- provoking and individually engaging.

As a whole, however, the pieces comprising Transgressions come together to speak to the vastly more important role literature plays in tragic and desperate times: for its books like these that help us heal, helping us to understand the things that are occurring in our world.

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Jacob Aiello is an advanced student of literature at Portland State University. See the Fiction Corner for one of his original short stories.

Reviewed By Jacob Aiello

Jess Walter, in his new novel Citizen Vince, introduces Vince Camden, a supposedly reformed credit card thief transplanted into a small Spokane, Washington town on the cusp of the 1980 presidential election. After turning state’s evidence and testifying against the Mafia, Camden has been ‘relocated’ - selling stolen credit cards by dusk and managing a donut shop ("Donut Make You Hungry") by dawn.

And then one day the inevitable happens and the past finally catches up with him. Through his harrowing journey to rectify the debt he owes the Mafia (with the police right-around-the-corner on his tail), Vince simultaneously ponders perhaps the most existential question of all: Who to vote for?

As you gather from the story line, it’s difficult to classify this novel: Part noir Mafia thriller, part political commentary, part classic morality tale with existential twist. However, throughout each of these possible classifications, the true binding thread remains Walter’s protagonist - Vince Camden.

Strangely familiar and yet utterly unique, Camden is a rogue Bogie for the pre-Reagan administration. Here, we find a man contemplating death and politics while shilling out weed and stolen credit cards to prostitutes. And it is this inimitable dichotomy of depravity (together with this almost childlike longing for political honesty) that draws the reader so close to him.

However, the true joy of Citizen Vince is in Walter’s command of dialogue -- this blind infusion of energy merges the nostalgic biting tongue of Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Rick Blaine with the oddly endearing naïveté of Vince Camden to create a language of its own. But this is not to imply that narration is lacking. To the contrary, the pop and crackle of the dialogue is made possible by the somber near melancholy hue of the prose that surrounds it.

In one passage, Vince is contemplating the dead he has known, the futile hope of criminals and prostitutes and ghosts:

"You’re going to miss my open house." Then, before he can say anything: "It’s okay."

She clears the dishes, smiles, and says, in a voice rich with delusions, the voice of real estate hookers and criminal bakers: "Well, you’ll just have to come to the next one" (86).

As we move through the novel, we find that certain plot revelations are subtle - sometimes a bit too subtle; to the unmindful reader, some wonderful material can be wholly overlooked. Yet still, the wonder of Citizen Vince is in Walter’s seamless synthesis of politics and underworld culture. Funny, endearing and darkly optimistic, not since Jim

Jarmusch’s film "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" have we seen these subjects so artfully blended.

But above all else, Citizen Vince is a tale of authenticity and honesty, a book about how the political candidates we choose mirror our own posturing and morality (or lack thereof). In Walter’s world, the cop is as corrupt as the criminal, but none can hold a candle to the strut of the candidate.

In the end, Citizen Vince is a novel to read and enjoy, this grand demonstration of witty dialogue and Mafioso pantomime. Still, when the final sentence is read, the charm of the novel will only be complimented by its gravitas. It seems odd now, but in the world of Citizen Vince, on the eve of the 1980 presidential election, salvation was actually possible.

By Jacob Aiello

In A View From the Eye of the Storm: Terror and Reason In the Middle East, Hiram Harari examines the recent and continuing conflict between Islamic fanaticism and anti-Semitism throughout the world. Although a theoretical physicist by profession, Harari tackles the subject under the guise of "proverbial taxi driver" - implying his arguments are not that of a scientist but of someone who has lived in the Middle East, witnessed its events and formed very definitive opinions about its status. Thus, this book is a well-formed expression of those opinions.

Harari’s study began as a not-for-publication lecture he gave for an international advisory board discussing the problem of terrorism and the Middle Eastern crisis - including its causes and effects and his own theoretical solution. The text was eventually disseminated and circulated without permission all over the world, provoking Harari to revisit his arguments and expound on them in a fully developed manuscript.

Whatever your personal position on the political spectrum, A View From the Eye of the Storm is nonetheless a sobering look at the state of the world, or Globania, as Harari pseudo-affectionately calls it. At once wryly comedic and disturbingly daring, Harari writes in an informally casual style that dramatically counters the gravity of his subject (as prefaced in his introduction):

"I apologize to the victims of terror for occasionally using humor in this book. The subject is not funny at all, but part of what has kept the Jews alive for centuries is the ability to laugh and smile in difficult times. I see no reason to allow the terrorists to spoil this tradition."

In this book, Harari shifts back and forth between cautious optimism and despairing woe, his prose a mixed with deftly-placed analogies and dark parables of suffering, obstacles overcome and lessons to be learned. The Middle East is undoubtedly the "eye of the storm" now, just as Germany and Poland were sixty-five years ago, and Harari adroitly compares the growing anti-Semitism today with the rise of the Nazi party and the remaining world’s refusal to take that threat seriously.

To be sure, A View From the Eye of the Storm is a controversial book, and those seeking comfort, escapism and reassurance would do well to keep their distance. Yet they would also do well to remember that an informed populace is the best defense against tyranny. In View, Harari reminds us that now, more than ever, that only the open-mindedness of the populace will open the door to world peace.

As Harari himself suggests through his "proverbial taxi driver" role, the impulse to agree or disagree with these sometimes blunt perspectives is entirely arbitrary. But what is truly important -- and the thing which makes this book a top-priority read -- is the uncensored, unpropagandized and unspun opinions of one man who has lived through all the tragedies and events we in America know only through the subjective filter of our own mass media.

By John Aiello

Jose Canseco is taking a hell-of-a lot of flak for writing this book, as baseball insiders and myriad writers take pot-shots at him for his admissions about steroid use that often reveal the hidden stories of the behind the scenes world of big-money athletics.

Canseco, who played major league baseball into the new millennium, was one of the purest hitters to ever come upon the modern era of the game. He had that rare combination of power and speed and was blessed with tremendous athletic instinct, all of which helped to lead the Oakland A’s to a World’s Championship in 1989.

However, Juiced isn’t merely about the ball yard. To the contrary, it’s a tell-all "biography" in which Canseco is ballsy enough to admit that he used steroids (or juice) to enhance his prowess on the diamond (indifferent to the very real long-term effects that juice could have on his health). According to this book, Canseco was known as "The Chemist" - a true connoisseur of these drugs, he became adroit at mixing steroid cocktails, searching for just the right combo that might add yet another layer of ripples to his already impressive frame:

"Remember back when Mark McGwire and I were called the ‘Bash Brothers’ during our time together on those memorable Oakland A’s teams from the late 1980s to early 1990s? I didn’t always like that tag, but people were right that McGwire and I spent a lot of time together. Of course we didn’t talk much. What we did, more times than I can count, was go into a bathroom stall together to shoot up steroids. That’s right, after batting practice, or right before the game, Mark and I would duck into a stall in the men’s room, load our syringes, and inject ourselves. I always injected myself, because I had practiced enough to know just what I was doing, but often would inject Mark as well."

(Pages 7&8 )

Pretty startling stuff, indeed -- these the confessions of a baseball star reading so much like our horrific perceptions of junkies huddled in urban stairwells, shooting up, hungry for that next fix.

But these aren’t junkies. No; instead, they’re among the wealthiest entertainers in the world, these men who are idolized by so many youngsters throughout the world:

"People want to be entertained at the ballpark. They want baseball to be fun and exciting. Home runs are fun and exciting. They are easy for even the most casual fan to appreciate. Steroid-enhanced athletes hit more home runs. So yes, I have personally reshaped the game of baseball through my example and teaching."

(Page 9)

Baseball insiders are saying that Canseco’s book is bullshit and that his motives for lying are numerous: (1) He’s bitter that he didn’t get a chance to crack the 500 career homer list and this is his way of getting back at the game; (2) He’s a washed up fallen star looking for any tie to the game -- and the steroid scandal is it; (3) He’s resentful that others who he played with (and among) have received the accolades he thinks he deserves and his steroid book is a way to take them all down a notch.

Still, I don’t buy that Canseco made all this up. Nope. It reeks of honesty to me. Plus, it’s hard to refute the fact that players in this modern-day era of baseball have gotten too big and too strong - seemingly capable of superhuman feats. Looking at the modern game objectively, it just seems plausible that at least some of this raw physical ability is coming from chemicals and artificial means - and not just extra hours in the weight room.

In retrospect, I think the real reason so many are angry at Canseco is that he’s betrayed the code of the locker room. Baseball is literally built around the "clubhouse" -- it’s an old boy’s club and Canseco has told the world the secrets of the scene. He’s embarrassed a lot of folks, and he’s taken some of the luster off our perception of these people. Yet, that does not make him a liar. It might make him unlikeable to some, but we all must remember that he’s not the first person to raise these questions. He is, however, the first to step out this far and then not back down from the fetid stench of controversy.

Readers will quickly note that Juiced is not a literary masterpiece in the realm of Hemingway or Genet. It is, however, a well-written sports tell-all, with some startlingly human admissions about lost opportunity and failure:

"I had a terrible time adjusting to jail. I had a cell to myself, but it was only eight feet long by five feet wide...I’m not using the term nervous breakdown lightly. I’ve gone through bad periods before, but I have never experienced anything like that, and I hope I never will again. It all became too much for me. It felt like something inside me was being crushed..."

(Pages 253&254)

In the end, I think we hold baseball players and other athletes in too high esteem. They’re just people, and it is unhealthy for their lives to consume/command our own. We need to separate ourselves from their world and simply see them for what they are. Obviously, we all know that rock-n-rollers have routinely used drugs and have drank to excess, yet we don’t dismiss or devalue their art just because of their taste for drink. Moreover, if Poe was actually under the influence of opium while he was writing "The Raven" does it make the poem any less magnificent? The answer to this question is an emphatic no.

Instead, we should take a lesson from Canseco’s book, and distance ourselves from the hero worship of athletes. We need to simply admit that these people are very gifted physical specimens who entertain us on the ball field. The story basically ends there.

It’s high time for some stark realism now:

The fact is that baseball players are mere human beings, and as mortals, they are going to fall victim to traps like steroids and drugs and alcohol - the same as you and I could. In the end, it’s up to each of us to live out our lives, and then pay for any consequences that might be owed.

Recommended to all libraries at the public sector and college level as a general reference text that will appeal to fans of the game and to students of sociology studying the effects of steroid use on modern culture.

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"Supersize portions, the drift away from the family meal, the over-abundance of calorie-packed foods, the ubiquitous ads for the latest sugary and fatty snacks --with so many forces working against kids, we all have to do more than count calories ..." (Page 76)

Obesity kills and childhood obesity destroys children in both mind and body. That’s the theme of Generation Extra Large (written by nutritionist Lisa Tartamella and Elaine Herscher and Chris Woolston, editors for the on-line consumer medical journal Consumer Health Interactive).

Generation chronicles the nightmare of childhood obesity in America, showing us in no uncertain terms that children are growing old before their time. From girls afflicted with hormonal imbalances (resulting in growths of thick facial hair), to adolescent boys so corpulent their genitals are hidden, today’s kids are suffering from a litany of orthopedic problems (in addition to diabetes and heart disease).

And it's all being caused by over-eating.

As Herscher (a former investigative reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle), Woolston and Tartamella note, America has the fattest children in the world; however, the United States is no longer alone in this regard. From tiny Maori villages in New Zealand, from Ghana to Brazil to China, children have gone from bantam weights to heavy weights in less than a generation. Sadly, obesity is now a global epidemic.

But who is to blame? Have so many children from so many diverse cultures all lost their collective willpower at the same time? The authors note that blaming the victim remains a popular pastime. For instance, William Steiger, a member of George W. Bush’s administration, has stated that "personal responsibility" is the key to solving the worldwide obesity epidemic. However, Michael Lowe, a professor of psychology at Drexel University and an expert in weight loss, calls the personal responsibility argument "bullshit." Instead, Lowe states that the Bush Administration is simply parroting the industry line intent on focusing attention away from corporate predators who have created a worldwide toxic environment.

But such demands for personal responsibility are music to the ears of school districts that have sold out the health and welfare of children in the name of local economics; the authors write:

"For years, soda companies have been signing exclusive, largely secret contracts with school districts to install vending machines on school property in exchange for cash."

-(Page 78)-

As this passage makes clear, many school districts across the country now regularly enter into "partnerships" with corporate giants such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonalds, and Taco Bell, allowing mountains of chips, oceans of soda pop and gigantic "happy meals" into school cafeterias in return for a fat corporate payoff. For example, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has documented the business practices of Coca Cola and Pepsi who negotiate the exclusive right to sell their product in schools by agreeing to return a portion of its profits to underfunded districts for needed textbooks, sports and band programs. The result: Coke and Pepsi get brand loyalty and we get fat children running on empty.

The authors of Generation Extra Large do not expect that this global epidemic will be cured overnight, although they provide a wealth of practical advice meant to get children off the couch, meant to promote healthy food alternatives and physical exercise. Nevertheless, a true change in the present corporate culture of irresponsible greed won’t happen until parents organize themselves and create a national movement.

Reviewed By Frank Aiello

"The Goddess of Political Lying flies with a huge Looking-glass in her hands to dazzle the Crowd, and make them see, according as she turns it, their Ruin in their Interest and their Interest in their Ruin."

This text is comprised of intensely personal and inventive vignettes by volunteer workers who mobilized a thirty-day campaign on behalf of Matt Gonzales in his failed attempt to win the Mayor’s office in San Francisco during the last election. Even though Gonzales was defeated, his campaign exposed the effects Willie Brown’s use of political cronyism (disguised as land use politics) had on the city.

It is no secret that the economic and social structure of the Bay Area is fueled by corporate and government subsidies. To paraphrase Thomas Carlyle, in San Francisco, the hell most feared is the hell of not making money. Accordingly, "Da Mayor" made no secret of the fact that "[i]f you don’t make $50,000 a year in San Francisco, then you shouldn’t live here."

Further, as Quintin Mercke’s essay, McFrisco makes clear, the dot.com frenzy was effectively fueled in da Mayor’s City Hall: "[T]he transformation during Mayor Brown’s administration of what was once the Department of City Planning into a Department of Development Facilitation stunned even the most jaded observers." But even more ominous was the inaccessible bureaucratic gobblespeak of the land use planning mavens and developers: "Deploying this language are the translators and native speakers, the real players and dealmakers who are found every Thursday in City Hall’s room 400 for the weekly meetings of the Planning Commission. Within that room social engineering is allowed by law and is driven by language that reinforces and strengthens our society’s historical divisions of race, class and gender."

Matt Gonzales was the true antithesis of Brown -- a former public interest lawyer, punk rocker, and member of the Green Party whose original supporters apparently consisted of a ragtag group of neighborhood and anti-war activists, artists, squatters, as well as a former Barnard College alumnus and North Beach dominatrix (Marlena Sonn). Yet, as this book documents, these disenfranchised and often desperately urban poor were able to organize a grass roots mobilization ("130 parties in 30 days") which posed a genuine threat to San Francisco’s entrenched real estate developers and vested corporate interests .

Gonzales’ opponent in the election was Gavin Newsom, a confidant of the Gettys and no stranger at all to the wheeling-and-dealing of City Hall, and there is little shortage of venom in Michelle Tea’s description of the young mayor:

"Gavin Newsom. A name born to be shunted out from the mouth in a tone I’d recently heard described as ‘WASP-y lockjaw.’ You know the accent. Think James Spader in any movie he did during the the 1980s. Gavin with his famously bad hairdo, rising like an Exxon oil-slick tsunami above his bony brow."

But Tea's venom is not reserved exclusively for Newsom:

"He pulled up to the curb before the Bell Market parking lot, and behold- it is Gavin Newsom. It is him in the flesh, in the hair. He stands with his wife, Kimberly Newsom, who I was once sort of hot for, watching her cool in the background in footage from the dog-mauling trial, but when I learned she was married to Gavin I lost respect for her. And to be honest, she seemed slightly less hot in person, but again, this could have been due to the proximity to her husband."

(Note: Kimberly Newsom, after a short stint as an Assistant District Attorney, is now reported to have exited the Mayoral bed and joined the current crop of television hyenas posing as legal analysts for one or another of America’s diversionary show trials.)

Although the dramatization of the Gonzales campaign and the collective hangover resulting from his loss make interesting and enjoyable reading, Quintin Mecke bluntly describes the social failure in exclusively utilizing political campaigns and electoral politics as the preferred method of change:

"What became of all that energy, excitement and talk of a movement after the campaign ended ? It was quickly deflated as the chosen progressive vessel, Matt Gonzales, bowed out of public life only months after proclaiming that he, or rather he-representing-us, would act as loyal opposition to the Newsom administration when needed. And with that simple decision, the Left was presented with a self-reflective scathing critique of why communities need to invest in themselves and not in politicians."

After reading this captivating account of the sordid face of San Francisco politics, we should perhaps heed the words of William Cowper Brann (the long dead fiery editor of The Iconoclast), who once remarked that most of the martyrs, saints and heroes whose memories we so revere are one-third fraud and two-thirds fake.

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© Frank Aiello. 2005. All rights reserved. Frank Aiello and The Electric Review.

Dr. Barry Sears (author of The Zone and known throughout the world for his analysis of how hormonal balance is impacted by different foods) wrote this unique text that addresses how silent inflammation occurring undetected within the body can lead to an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and malignancies.

The phenomenon of silent inflammation is not well understood in the medical community, and Sears’ text intends to clarify and illuminate the differing theories on the subject:

"You may be asking yourself, What on earth is silent inflammation? Even more perplexing, How can inflammation be silent? Silent inflammation is simply inflammation that falls below the threshold of perceived pain. That's what makes it so dangerous. You don't take any steps to stop it as it smolders for years, if not decades, eventually erupting into what we call chronic disease...If you have high levels of silent inflammation in your body, even if you are not actively sick, it means that you simply can't be well."

(Pages 3&4)

Sears (whose book The Zone spoke out against the dangers of high-carb maverick diets) addresses the idea of inflammation in detail here, looking at how obesity increases the occurrence of this condition -- which then increases an individual’s susceptibility of falling victim to heart attack, dementia, diabetes or cancer:

"Obesity is one of the biggest generators of silent inflammation. Since nearly two-thirds of Americans are now overweight, this means that the epidemic of silent inflammation is also out of control. By the same token, our diabetes epidemic has also grown by 33 percent in the last decade. It should come as no surprise that all three epidemics have worsened in recent years. All three are intricately connected with a condition known as insulin resistance."

(Page 235)

According to Sears (and taking off where The Zone left off ), inflammation is directly related to hormone balance; moreover, Sears contends that hormone balance can be achieved and maintained in accordance with proper nutrition. In addition to explaining these theories, Anti-Inflammation includes sample meal plans and sample exercise programs that allow its readers to help take control of their own bodies and well-being.

Even though this subject is quite complex, Dr. Sears has done a laudable job speaking to a mass audience -- the material well-organized and presented in a logical and meaningful manner, the writing well-detailed and easily accessible. The idea here was to create a book that would be of long-term use to the reader, and that goal has been achieved nicely.

The incidence of silent inflammation is an acutely important one, and it has the potential to alter the lives of millions of people. Individuals throughout the world need to become aware of this potential, in turn taking steps on their own to mitigate the risk; this book offers a natural starting point. Beyond the lucid health information, you will also note several recipes and meal plans that are easy to prepare, flavorful, and nutritious.

As Anti-Inflammation shows, the state of your health cannot be left up to your doctor alone. Instead, each of us must begin to take an active role in how we combat the risk of debilitating disease. Read this book. It holds answers to several pressing questions.

Recommended to the general reader for its relevant consumer health value. Further recommended to all libraries in the public sector as a general reference text: as more research is done on this topic, it is likely that Dr. Sears’ book will come to be hailed as a ground-breaking achievement.

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Reviewed By Frank Aiello

Like fellow revolutionary John Reed, Agnes Smedley grew up in the American West and was ultimately laid to rest far from her native land in a cemetery for revolutionary martyrs. Agnes Smedley is known now, if at all, for her fiery feminist novel, Daughter of Earth, and for her firsthand accounts of the Chinese Revolution (Chinese Destinies, China’s Red Army Marches and Battle Hymn of China).

However, as author Ruth Price notes, the same Western hardpan independence that made Smedley a heroine to the generation of post-Sixties American feminists came at both a heavy personal (and political) price. Smedley drove herself into an early marriage, which produced only sadness (as well as two abortions).

But Smedley, fueled by the ideas and oratory of Upton Sinclair, Emma Goldman and Eugene Debs and the IWW Free Speech Fights, had bigger fish to fry. She would write her husband: "I do not want to be married; marriage is too terrible and I should never have endured it ... I want my name back also." (Page 54).

Alone again, Smedley would first reinvent herself in Greenwich Village as a cub reporter for the Socialist New York Call and then as an office manager for Margaret Sanger’s Birth Control Review - proving herself a defiant, uncompromising and self-taught agitator who did not consider herself bound by any form of journalistic ethics.

Smedley’s first person reporting of the march of the Red Army is equaled only by John Reed’s account of the Bolshevik Revolution:

"By summer’s end, Agnes wrote that she had observed rickshaw coolies fall dead in their shafts. she had seen poverty, disease, starvation, and physical and spiritual exhaustion to a depth she had previously thought unimaginable; she had learned of hundreds who were weekly being arrested, imprisoned, shot and beheaded, their skulls paraded on poles in the streets under the KMT’s reign of anti-Communist terror."

(Page192)

Smedley returned to the United States after twenty years, finding a Cold War America that had little patience with idealistic radicals. Smedley’s books were soon targeted for a "cleansing campaign" by Senator Joseph McCarthy, and she also was investigated by General Douglas McArthur, who considered her a dangerous Soviet operative. In addition, she was accused of being a spy in the finest tradition of Hearst tabloid journalism.

Smedley died in 1950 before the full force of HUAC and McCarthyism rose against her - lonely and troubled, but forever unrepentant. Accordingly, Smedley’s last will says it all. Cursing "American Fascism," she instructs that her "ashes ... lie with the Chinese revolutionary dead..."

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© Frank Aiello. 2005. All rights reserved. Frank Aiello and The Electric Review.

 THE RISE AND FALL OF JIM CROW. Richard Wormser. St Martin’s/Griffin.

Reviewed By Frank Aiello

This book by Richard Wormser comprises the companion text to the Peabody Award winning PBS series, chronicling the complex phenomenon of "Jim Crow" in an enthralling compendium of pictures.

Like the PBS series, this compilation of still photos speak the language of a thousand ghosts, telling the story of "free" blacks who work in the cotton fields under the gaze of a white overseer on horseback. In one particular stunning picture that depicts the aftermath of a lynching, we see a member of the mob cut off the victim’s toes to take home as a souvenir.

In this land, Jim Crow was alive and well for over a hundred years.

In 1898, the Democratic Party of North Carolina launched an openly racist campaign using posters depicting black vampires symbolizing "Negro Rule" as a threat to white women. America’s rise into the Twentieth Century ushered in the worst of times for blacks, prompting "a malicious negrophobia- a pathological fear and hatred of blacks" which was not confined to the South. For instance, Edward Drinker Cope, a noted professor of zoology, claimed that black mental growth was permanently arrested at age fourteen. And whites openly sang the ditty:

"Coon, coon, coon, I wish my color would fade.

Coon, coon, coon, I’d like a different shade."

Sadly, Jim Crow also widened a gap between those middle class blacks who felt that disenfranchisement was appropriate for "poor" blacks, but not for "educated, economically successful and morally upright blacks." As an example, Booker T. Washington made it a point to socialize with rich philanthropists willing to fund black education, thus acquiring the political power to determine which black schools would be able to survive.

Yet, black colleges and churches would somehow survive - and even thrive - in the midst of Jim Crow, while men like W.E.B. DuBois were not cut from the "conciliatory mold of Booker T. Washinton." Rather, DuBois, like Frederick Douglas before him, fired the first salvo against Jim Crow in The Souls of Black Folk and Bishop Henry Turner thundered that he preferred "hell to the United States," proclaiming the United States Supreme Court "an organized mob against the Negro."

As Wormser notes, change would come slowly through many unknown activists, like Ned Cobb, an Alabama tenant farmer, who organized for the rights of black sharecroppers and farmers in the 1930's. Cobb served thirteen years in prison for participating in a shoot-out involving a fellow union member. In fact, Cobb was offered a lighter sentence if he would supply the names of other union members, but he refused.

In the times of Jim Crow, personal belief was built on a road of unending sacrifice.

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© Frank Aiello. 2005. All rights reserved. Frank Aiello and The Electric Review.

Virginia aristocrat, Richard Randolph, a nephew of Thomas Jefferson, died in 1796, and his Will served as an indictment of the institution of slavery, granting freedom and 400 acres of land to his slaves. This piece of land would later become known as "Israel Hill," as it was intended to be the promised land to Richard Randolph’s black Israelites upon being freed from bondage.

Ely, a professor of history and black studies at the College of William and Mary, came upon an old textbook with an obscure reference to a social experiment before the Civil War and was determined to learn whether this experiment had succeeded or failed. However, he was aparently not prepared for what his investigation revealed about freedom, bondage and the inherent relationship between the two:

"[S]lavery and white supremacy corrupted everyone they touched: they made hypocrites of the nation’s founders and their children, helped seduce masters like Richard’s uncle into vice and parasitism, fed base impulses to tyrannize and torture other human beings, and put manly independence forever beyond the reach of the blameless black victims and their indolent masters alike."

(Page32)

Ely’s research challenges present day assumptions about the institution of slavery. Unlike Jefferson, who disapproved of slavery but kept slaves, Richard Randolph was consumed with guilt. In his Will, written in his own hand, Randolph "humbly" begged forgiveness for "usurping the rights of our fellow creatures, equally entitled with ourselves to the enjoyment of Liberty and happiness."

Although Randolph’s wife, Judyth, apparently shared her husband’s views and proceeded to emancipate one slave, Syphax Brown, as soon as her husband’s Will was proved, a decade would pass before Judith completed the emancipation her husband had envisioned. Judyth Randolph’s personal and philosophical struggles to honor her husband’s wishes graphically illustrate the intense economic pressures created by the institution - pressures that even had impact on "enlightened" whites.

Ely’s research nonetheless refutes the stereotype accepted by black and whites today, a stereotype that said that black slaves, even freed black slaves, remained psychologically dependent on white society.

Reflects Ely at the end of this excellent historical text:

"I thought I knew a great deal about cruelty to slaves before I began this project. Then I discovered descriptions of Hillary Richardson’s beating a slave repeatedly and mercilessly from eye to thigh and yanking out the man’s teeth while compelling another slave to restrain the victim. I had read various accounts of masters and slave traders breaking up black families. But to encounter such breakups repeatedly in primary sources drove the point home more wretchedly than ever, especially since I myself by then was the father of young children. As my friend and former colleague, Christopher Brown, once remarked, there are times when a historian, reading the evidence of what some human beings have done to others, feels the need to leave the archives reading room and go outside and breathe some fresh air."

(Page 442)

Order at amazon.com.

© Frank Aiello. 2005. All rights reserved. Frank Aiello and The Electric Review.

This book is the culmination of more than two decades of research by Rosedale, during which time he explored the reasons why some people can only seem to gain weight and not lose it. We’ve all heard the statements: "I always seem to be hungry!" "I don’t know what it is, but an hour after dinner I just wanna eat again - it’s crazy. I just seem to get fatter!"

But why is it happening?

Finally, we might have a real answer to the mystery -- and it’s not just because you have no will power and can’t control yourself. Instead, Rosedale’s research has uncovered a link between the hormone leptin and the reasons why we tend to gorge ourselves all day long. According to Rosedale’s research, the body’s intake of food is controlled by leptin, which basically tells the brain when to consume food. However, some folks produce an excess of leptin and eat much more than they need to - accumulating fat instead of burning it away.

But Diet, just released by Harpercollins Publishers, provides a way around this vicious circle: By combining a diet high in healthy fats with moderate exercise, the amount of leptin can slowly be taken back to its normal range, thus allowing the body to lose weight naturally.

Folks should take particular note of this book because of Rosedale’s perspective, as he advocates a safe and conscientious way of losing those pounds. Ultimately, this diet is not about starving or denying yourself, but instead, it’s about understanding exactly how the human body works and then giving it the kinds of food it needs to replenish itself.

Aside from the fountain of information that reports on the physiological reasons behind over-eating, Rosedale presents some really wonderful recipes to help get you used to the changes in your diet (working to create low-carb selections that offer healthy alternatives rather than bland substitutes).

In the end, most people will not diet if they feel they’re suffering, or if they think they can’t have anything that tastes good. Life is simply too hard these days, and most of us derive joy from what we eat. Consequently, there has to be some happy medium for a diet to succeed.

And that’s what Rosedale promotes: a diet stressing safety and tasty dishes. It’s a book most of us can’t afford not to read. ~ John Aiello

Order at amazon.com. Or go to harpercollins.com

Patients receiving the wrong medicine. Doctors operating on the wrong person or leaving instruments buried inside of body cavities. Doctors ignoring tell-tale symptoms and delaying treatment to perilous results. Fatal drug interactions. The list seems endless.

According to their research, Wachter and Shojania estimate that a shocking 100,000 people die each year because of blunders doctors and nurses make in the course of treatment ("the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every day!"). This figure, based on a series of Harvard Medical Science studies, calls into question just how safe we are when we step into the hospital and turn over the "keys" to our bodies to our health care providers:

"Mr. Adam’s autopsy showed he had suffered a massive pulmonary embolism - a big gooey blood clot had formed in his legs, broken off, and found its way to his lungs, in an instant knocking out half of his breathing capacity. Looking back, Bob realized his patient’s ‘presentation’ (the symptoms he reported and his findings on exam) was textbook - heavy perspiration, shortness of breath despite clear lungs, the time interval between major hip surgery and the onset of respiratory problems - all of it fit. The only problem was that it was a textbook the second-year med student hadn’t yet read, and Bob was too naive, scared, insecure, proud, and anxious to fit it in to ask a real doctor to help out when it might have done some good."

(Page-187)

This is scary stuff. I know Wachter and Shojania didn’t write this book to intimidate or frighten us; instead, they authored this work as a means to begin educating the medical community and its patients to the reality that grave problems exist in the way hospitals function. This notwithstanding, the ideas presented here are quite worrisome, because they demonstrate that there is a very real chance that human error by a doctor could kill you before your affliction ever does.

Initially, upon reading this material, there is a tendency towards denial (This can’t be! Not with all the advances in medical science and technology. It just can’t be!). But advances in technology don’t guarantee safety. In point of fact, they contradict it: because hospitals are moving faster and faster, and because doctors are more and more stressed trying to fulfill multiple commitments, the chance of error rises dramatically. The concept of medical treatment may be better than it was fifty years ago, but it isn’t necessarily safer: unfortunately, fancy x-ray machines and computer programs cannot insure a physician’s (or nurse’s) full attention to detail.

So where do we go from here? As the authors so aptly note, patients can be the first wall of defense and must take an active hand in protecting themselves:

"First, introduce yourself .... And don’t be cowed by the hospital’s intimidating, class-oriented dress code. Just because you’re in an ugly, backless hospital nightgown and the person addressing you is in a suit and tie or crisp white lab coat, your well-being is still the focus of his or her attention. Ask questions politely and persist until they’re answered."

(Page-365)

More than any other book we’ve seen this year in the arena of medical science, Internal Bleeding is truly written with an eye towards protecting people from needless harm -- a real and honest statement on behalf of the hospital ‘consumer.’ The fact that Wachter and Shojania stepped out to tell painful truths about the clubhouse that one enters upon earning the distinction of M.D. could not have been easy (how many doctors or hospital administrators want to admit that these things occur and occur regularly?). Yet, both the authors (who remain active on the UCSF Patient Safety Committee) proceed forth nobly, writing in a sharp and evocative style, intent on educating us, intent on the prevention of needless and foolish deaths.

If you are at all concerned about your role in the health care systems of America, you should find a copy of this book: reading it could actually save your life some day.

Recommended to all college and public sector libraries as a general reference text on consumer health issues.

Order from amazon.com

For further reading on the subject, SEE: webmm.ahrq.gov.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

ROBERT WACHTER

ON

‘INTERNAL BLEEDING’

Well, the answer should be that I like science and want to help people (laughs). In my case, I didn’t like science that much. But I truly wanted to help people and solve interesting problems. I was Political Science major in college and enjoyed those classes more than Science and Chemistry. And it seemed to me that there was a role in medicine for somebody like me who wanted to solve interesting problems with a human dimension. I had a real interest in organization and how medical systems could work more efficiently. And the way the world has evolved, it has played into my strengths.

It’s been a little bit of an evolution over the course of my academic career, the combination of a lot of interests coming together. When I first became interested in improving health care systems it was by-way of ethics and resource allocation - how to better deal with patient interests without bankrupting the system. From that, in the mid 1990s, I became interested in the investigation of hospital care. I’ve really been lucky. This was a new specialty - how to make the system work better for patients. As the Chief of Medical Service at a big academic hospital, I saw that the old approach of dealing with the problem of errors in hospitals - suing and shaming providers - was not the best model to follow. Obviously, there was an opportunity to make a real difference in the field, and I was able to meld several different disciplines, things like engineering and tort law, synthesizing different ideas, making a case for change.

My colleague Kaveh G. Shojania and I had this idea to use case studies to help people understand the issue of medical mistakes. In the history of medicine it’s always been the practice to use case studies to teach. The drama of a case opens people’s eyes to the true nature of the problem. There was never a time in American medical literature that I’m aware of when the case presented was about medical error instead of diagnosis and treatment. So you see, Kaveh and I had a very controversial idea and consequently we had a hard time placing it for publication. The first case we published was in the Annals of Internal Medicine in June 2002. The article was titled "The Wrong Patient," and it detailed a story where 17 different errors occurred on one patient. It was a train wreck in slow motion. The publication of that article was followed by a feature in the New York Times. And from that, Rugged Land became interested in the material and we began to explore writing the book. The true challenge came in making an academic subject engaging enough for the general audience to want to read.

Five to ten years ago it would have been quite difficult to expose the dark under belly of medicine. Today, however, the response has been surprisingly positive - very gratifying. Now the medical community has gotten past the idea that we don’t have a problem, accepting the notion that hospitals are indeed more dangerous than they should be. I think the minimal backlash we’ve felt relates to this: doctors are concerned that they’re not going to get credit for all the hard work and good things they do....Our book basically says that there needs to be a sharing of information and an openness. But with that comes a concern that we could be sued because of that openness - and this naturally stifles the discussion. It’s a real issue. It’s a tricky issue that has made it harder for physicians to talk about error.

The figure is as a good as we have - it’s drawn from two studies, and that fact in itself speaks to how little research has been done in this area. The primary research was drawn from the Harvard Medical Study. I personally think the numbers are probably pretty close. Yet, whether or not the stats are right is not important: this is nevertheless a big nasty problem that we need to do something about. The system is basically fundamentally unsafe, and that needs to change.

I hope the book is saving lives. I’ve actually had an opportunity to speak to many groups, and the feedback we’ve now gotten is that people understand this problem in a richer, deeper way. And that is helping to point them toward a solution. People seem to like the fact that it’s a fairly optimistic book which looks toward fixing the situation.

Patients should ask questions and remain vigilant at all times. Make sure nurses are addressing you by your full name when you’re in the hospital, when they’re taking you to procedures. Bring your medicines so they know what you’re taking. However, the bigger issue patients need to understand is the way in which doctors and nurses communicate and the problems that relationship poses. It’s about being an informed consumer. It takes people asking questions to drive the system to be safe. But the other piece of it is, in 2004, should a patient come into a modern hospital and have to worry that we’re going to cut off the wrong leg? And the answer to that is ‘no,’ they shouldn’t have to worry about that stuff on top of being sick.

I would say it’s communication problems. Information in hospitals needs to move flawlessly across the system, whether it’s from doctor to nurse or from nurse’s station to x-ray. And we don’t a system in place that can do this flawlessly. And this is actually the root cause for you being given the wrong medicine, being taken to the wrong procedure, having the wrong part cut off. It’s a complex system. Time pressured. Fragmented. And it just can’t be fixed by a smart doctor who is careful. It can only fixed by revising the system and creating a different culture with regard to the way that hospitals do things. ~John Aiello

 ATKINS DIABETES REVOLUTION. Based On The Medical Practice of Robert C. Atkins, M.D. With Mary C. Vernon, M.D. and Jacqueline A. Eberstein, R.N. William Morrow.

Along with hypertension and high cholesterol, diabetes is a serious condition that compromises organs, resulting in an increase in the risk for heart attack, stroke and cancer. However, as noted in the first chapter of Atkins, this is one phenomenon we can actually stop:

Are you interested in avoiding an early death by-way of diabetes? Atkins provides the insight, telling us in clear and unadorned prose just how we can protect ourselves. After moving through a well-defined lay explanation of the origins/causes of diabetes, the book begins to explore how both healthy individuals and at-risk patients can stave off this often deadly affliction. The key, according to the late Dr. Atkins (who authored several diet books) and many other endocrinologists, is in early detection of diabetes; the idea is not to delay, but instead to eradicate, the on-set of disease.

Still, before this can be done, a person must under-go testing to determine what their blood sugar levels are. Careful monitoring of blood-pressure, heart function and lipid levels should be evaluated in conjunction with glucose levels. Once readings of each of these is obtained, individuals should concentrate on lifestyle changes that promote exercise and proper dietary focus.

There are many note-worthy elements in Atkins (including detailed case studies and advice on fitness regimens), but the real gold here is in the meal plans and recipes that have been provided: in addition to giving the reader a few suggestions on what to eat, they force us to think about the things we are putting into our mouths and consuming.

Remember, diet and obesity are huge factors that promote diabetes: all too often our busy lifestyles force us to sit and eat a donut at our desks. And nothing could be worse. But these recipes help to remind us that if we are to reach a healthy retirement age, we must pay attention to how we’re living today.

Recommended to the general reader as a consumer health title chock full of new and pertinent data. A must-have for diabetes’ patients or individuals at high-risk for developing the disease. Further recommended to all public-sector libraries as a strong general health selection.

Order at amazon.com. Or go to harpercollins.com

Notable from Harper

 THE E MYTH. Michael E. Gerber. Harper Business. Innovative remarks focused on the practice of medicine and how doctors can make the profession more efficient and more profitable. Rather than just work on trying to accrue the most patients and the most cash, Gerber speaks about a radical mental over-haul that is necessary if doctors are to better manage their offices. Recommended to all physicians in private practice.

 SECOND ACTS. Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine. Quill. This book’s about inspiring courage within the self, with the key being not only dealing with change as it occurs, but actually promoting it. Second Act is about giving yourself a second chance at life -- be it through a career change, a change in residence, or a second marriage. Change takes guts. But looking beyond this, we each have to learn to be gutsy. Pollan and Levine offer us some direction in this regard. Appropriate title for all libraries - both academic and public. Would be useful to psychologists as well, since Second Acts would have merit to individuals in therapy.

 THE GIRL’S GUIDE TO STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS. Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio. Harper Collins. Girl’s Guide is a manual written specifically for women entering the business world -- not as subordinates, but as managers. For years, women played second fiddle to the male-dominated corporate world of America. But the times have indeed changed. The last two decades have finally seen women in decision-making roles, and this book offers insight into how a woman who is considering launching a business should do it. Written by a couple of ladies who’ve been there and conquered the obstacles. Highly recommended as a teaching text in women’s studies courses -- blending social relevance with sharp business savvy.

 WINNING WITH THE DOW’S LOSERS. Charles B. Carlson. Harper Business. Wall Street is a very complicated world that exists unto itself. To make money there, it takes some true understanding of stock market trends. Here, Carlson tells us how to invest in "underdog" stocks -- revealing some of his secrets for buying at stripped low prices and then turning the portfolio over for a profit. Appropriate for the public sector libraries as a general reference title.

 WINTER WORLD. Bernd Heinrich. Ecco. Heinrich has been compared by some critics to nature poet Gary Snyder, and it's a wonderfully apt comparison, for this biologist brings a deep mind - obviously, Heinrich understands the exactness of nature on its most fundamental, primal and holy level. In Winter World, Heinrich observes animals in their natural habitats, reflecting and recording what he sees: the prose is at all times sharp and evocative, with the author’s understated illustrations bringing each passage humming into life. Recommended to field biology instructors as a change-of-pace class text -- useful at both high school and university level.  

Order at amazon.com. Or go to harpercollins.com

 SHOOTERS. Myths and Realties of America’s Gun Culture. Abigail A. Kohn. Oxford University Press.

In 1997, while a graduate student at the University of California, Abigail A. Kohn began an anthropological study of the American gun culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. Even in the heart of ultra-liberal America, Kohn discovered that active and enthusiastic "shooters" not only exist, but thrive. And as her project continued, Kohn herself began frequenting shooting ranges, taking self-defense courses and practicing cowboy action shooting.

As Shooters demonstrates, Kohn appears to have enjoyed herself. Most importantly here, Kohn documents a shooting culture which extends well beyond the conventional media clichés depicted in Michael Moore’s "Bowling for Columbine." In contrast to Moore’s perspective, Kohn identifies vocal pro-gun groups among blacks (the Tenth Cavalry), feminists (the Second Amendment Sisters) and gays (the Pink Pistols), showing us that this American "shooters" culture extends far beyond the ideas of militias and vigilantism - concepts that so many misinformed people now view as synonymous with the word gun. 

Instead, Kohn is one in a growing number of academics who speak objectively and, perhaps somewhat sympathetically, about individuals who refuse to accept the current trend to politicize victimization (as one pro-gun lesbian and feminist/activist explained to the author): "I want the twenty year solution of improving the world. But I need the twelve second solution that will keep me around to do it ..."

Shooters constitutes a true break-through: readers will discover an even-handed analysis that examines the gun amid these American landscapes.

 Recommended to the general reader interested in the evolution of this important topic. Also recommended as an under-graduate teaching text for anthropology and sociology students. Would be useful to libraries at both the college and public level as a general reference text.

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© Frank Aiello. 2004. All rights reserved.

 MORTIFICATION. Robin Robertson. Fourth Estate.

This book is impressive because it pulls the drape and mask away from the private lives of writers, revealing each of us at our most humbling and human. Instead of focusing on the sweet breath of the muse and the motivations which drive some folks to write, Mortification investigates the public shame(s) of some of our most celebrated authors - an attempt to humanize the names and identities that have been so meticulously hidden in the shape of ink and paper and plot.

Robertson, a noted poet and editor (his "Slow Air" is a wonderfully insightful collection of verse), has compiled a book that is worth-while because it documents cold concepts of fear and self-loathing and self-condemnation, these things that propel us during those private holy moments when we kneel down to stare into these blank paper faces:

And here, the author seems haunted by the fetid deepness of his own honesty:

I like this book because it strips away the hype of the book world and talks about real people in real terms; sometimes the stories can be humorous, and at other times, the lines are riddled with a musty and disturbing pain. It is a fun read, yes, but it is also acutely educational, for it forces its reader to unwrap his hidden secrets and admit each fetid failure -- a catharsis in its purest, most primal sense.

Darkness. Fear. Mortification. Re-admissions of failure. We cower at times. Writers at their desks in the pitted light of dawn. Mortified. The silence pleads our case.

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Just a half century ago, miscegenation (inter-racial marriage) used to be a crime in America -- a crime that that could actually get you killed if you lived in certain parts of the country where ideas were narrow and men full of rage. In examining this aspect of our history, Wallenstein has done a first-class job in demonstrating just how wide-spread the power of the State used to be - power that could determine the person you were allowed to marry and the kind of life you were going to live.

To illustrate this point, Wallenstein tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a Virginia couple who was arrested for marrying outside their race. Hounded and run about the country, their case would become the impetus for the Supreme Court to review the topic of inter-racial marriage, and in doing so, re-regulating the government’s ability to enter people’s bedrooms and determine a marriage:

Wallenstein has done a fantastic job in organizing this book, and in taking us through the story of America. Through his careful analysis, he shows us that the way we’ve dealt with inter-racial marriage is directly related to how the country and its many different citizens have interacted. Tell The Court would be important for that reason alone, but given the present state of America -- the post 9/11 Patriot Act with its redefinition of the Constitution -- and this book becomes required reading. Look close: the way the government is trying to control the thoughts and ideas of its citizenry has led to the erosion of individuality and creativity. Look close: it’s as though we’ve forgotten how hard it was to get here, forgetting the struggles we had to endure in order to emerge upon the limitlessness of the new millennium.

At its best moments, Tell The Court reminds us that these struggles were about the rights of a person superseding the dictums of the State (SEE San Francisco, Caifornia, where gays and lesbian couples fight for the right to be recognized as married people). Tell The Court is an important book on a timeless subject. In theory, it speaks to the same subjects which are supposedly at the root of why America is in Iraq fighting a war.

Order from amazon.com or go to http://www.palgrave.com

SHORTS

 MY LIFE AS A QUANT. Reflections on Physics and Finance. Emanuel Derman. John Wiley. This autobiography by theoretical physicist Emanuel Derman provides keen insight into the behind-the-scenes world of Wall Street. The idea of stocks and bonds and how money moves is foreigen stuff to most of us - this tenous and sophisticated world built on intricate mathamatical formulas and ever-changing strategies. In addition to standard practices, companies all across today’s business landscape are using quanataitive financial profilers ("quants" for short) to develop business models, manage product risk and track volatility. Enter Emanuel Derman. He’s one of the most respected "quants" on the "Street" and has authored an array of financial models that are used by comapnies throughout the world. In the complex big money environment of Wall Street, it takes an acute understanding of just what is required to achieve your goal; writes Derman: "It takes only a good idea and a few good people to develop a model, but it takes many more people to turn that model into a usable tool." There’s a reason why so many companies have sought out Derman’s counsel, and this book shares the vision and business savvy of one of the masters of the market. Will prove a gripping read even for those who don’t have a bundle of cash riding on stocks. ~John Aiello

Recommended to libraries on both the college and public sector level as a general reference text. Investors will find the subject matter particularly interesting.

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 THE EL-EVENTH HOUR. Lily G. Stephen. Blooming Rose Press. The El-eventh Hour (the second installment in a trilogy) written by Mount Shasta, California writer Lily Stephen marks a step away from the mainstream, stepping off alone in a unique direction. Ultimately, this novel is an extension of the fantasy genre, a book that modernizes Tolkien's vein and incorporates the idea of mythology with the pure imagination of fiction, this pure leapful discourse of spirit riding wild veils of time: "First Sappho, the shimmering goddess, and then Branicor, her handsome counterpart with the dance of humor in his eyes...dissolved into swirls, ribbons and spirals of myriad hues..." Here, every passage and every paragraph reads like the beginning line of an epic new poem. We are captivated. We are awash in the stark thirsty moonlit beauty of language. Spellbound, looking into the hallway, looks for the Door that will reveal thee.

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 VOLKSWAGEN MILITARY VEHICLES OF THE THIRD REICH. Blaine Taylor. Da Capo. Most folks are familiar with Volkswagen as an economical alternative to gas guzzler "American Boats" -- a little compact bug-shaped mobile born of 1960's ingenuity. However, nothing could be further from reality. In actuality, VW was the brainchild of Adolph Hitler born during the period of the Third Reich. Hitler in fact used the VW during the second World War in his efforts to take over Europe and the world, employing a hyped-up Jeep-version of the famous "Beetle." Yet, Hitlers’s vehicle was designed for real "off road" battle, this jeep now truly amphibious, rugged and built indestructible, a distant cousin to the Hummer that has become the poster child of the American war effort in Iraq. Taylor’s book proves exhaustive in nature, recapitulating the history of the Volkswagen during the Third Reich, recording the unique traits that would come to evolve into the modern-day version of the economy car so many have fallen in love with. Finally, the countless never-before-seen photographs serve to demonstrate just how advanced the German mechanical technology of the era really was.

Recommended to libraries on the college level and in the public sector for its long term reference value recollecting one of the most important periods in world history.

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Reviewed By Frank Aiello

Name dropping among the rich and famous is a tradition, and occasionally, it becomes a rarefied art. Oscar Wilde had the knack of it, as did photographer, artist, writer, designer and unrepentant snob, Cecil Beaton.

Beaton was living in London when this portion of his diaries begin. Even though Beaton had a cold on January 30, 1965 (the day of Winston Churchill’s funeral), it doesn’t stop him from shedding "lotions of tears" as he recalls the last time he saw Churchill and "Clemmie."

Beaton was at the height of his creative powers in the Sixties, and London was one of the epicenters of café society. Yet somehow, Beaton leaves the impression that he really didn’t get the Sixties. For instance, Beaton recalls that the film classic Easy Rider left him "very much bewildered".

Instead, Beaton is on more familiar territory reminiscing about earlier times with Garbo, "Coco" and Kate. Although many of Beaton’s entries appear dated after the passage of forty years and the entry into a new millennium, a few of his diary passages remain quite moving. Note this description of his secretary’s funeral:

"Maud’s funeral was pathetic. St Mary’s Cadogan Street cold, dark and almost empty. Maud’s coffin under a black velvet pall that had been used at so many hundreds of funerals that it had become shabby, poor and covered with stains. The flowers, too, were very meagre. Her sister had come over from Portugal and Francis Rose, wearing my old clothes, was introduced to her by Beryl Ashcroft. ‘Ah," said the sister. ‘These are the names I’ve heard so much about.’ "

Recommended to libraries on the college level and in the public sector for its interesting slant on one of the most studied decades of the modern era.

Order at amazon.com.

© Frank Aiello. 2005. All rights reserved. Frank Aiello and The Electric Review.

Books on tape are the only literature some folks know. Urban commuters, busy mothers whose days are filled with kids and housework, those with optical handicaps, and the elderly in hospitals and nursing homes have come to depend on these audio tapes as a means to stay current with the newest fiction and feed their need to read.

Once looked upon as the poor step-sister of the publishing industry by many traditionalists, audio books have come along way during the past decade - with many houses devoting specific editorial resources to maintaining an audio division. Accordingly, presentation has come along way as well -- the first-rate narration and digital recording techniques have omitted that funky old tape hiss and created a crystal-clear, high-definition sound.

2004 was an especially good year for audio books, with some outstanding selections released that should provide hours of enjoyment to readers, who now can investigate these stories while driving, riding the bus, doing the laundry or recuperating in the hospital. Like the advent of the home computer and portable CD player, audio books open the door to a whole new world in the mind of the reader. As these books will attest, the possibilities are indeed limitless.

 JOHN PAUL II. Rise, Let Us Be Our Own Way. John Paul 11. Time Warner Audio. This release from Time Warner captures the impact of John Paul II -- one of the most popular Popes in history. John Paul’s death last month was an epic event, and it drew the attention of millions from around the world (random individuals whom the Pontiff had touched with his devout wisdom). In this selection (brilliantly read by theater veteran Kristoffer Tabori), Pope John Paul tells his own story in a beautifully lilting style that so captures this modest and gracious leader. In the beginning chapters, we are greeted with autobiographical information detailing the origins of John Paul, and then proceed with him through his rise through the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Along the way, we come to receive a truly intimate glimpse into the religious beliefs and gentle soul of a man who time will never forget. Will be important to persons of all denominations for its honesty and deep conviction. Five hours unabridged on 4 CDS.

 LET ME TELL YOU A STORY. A Lifetime in The Game. Red Auerbach and John Feinstein. Time Warner Audio. As we head deeper into the 2005 NBA playoffs, fans of the game will enjoy this tour through the life and times of Arnold "Red" Auerbach -- legendary leader of the Boston Celtics’ glory years. Auerbach coached the famed Celts to nine NBA championships (8 in succession); along with Phil Jackson, Red is regarded as the best NBA coach there ever was. This book presents Red Auerbach in Auerbach’s own colorful style -- telling us the story that began on the playgrounds of old-town Brooklyn and proceeded to the top of the American sport’s scene. Now 87, Auerbach has so much to look back on: the championships with Russell and Cousy, the years of frustration his teams laid on the great Chamberlain, the modern years of Bird and Parish (now watching from the sidelines as a spectator). Basketball fans will adore this book -- as vibrant and passionate as Coach Auerbach in his prime. Read by Arnie Mazer (Law and Order). 3 hours on 3 CDS.

 THE ABC’S OF REAL ESTATE INVESTING. Ken McElroy. Time Warner Audio.

About the only thing that hasn’t unraveled in the current economy is the Real Estate market, as houses and commercial properties are selling at a staggering rate, in turn, driving commerce. Given these radical changes, the world of real property investment is no longer the territory of professional investors. Instead, it’s anybody’s game now, and there’s a profit to be made by everybody -- no matter your level of experience, no matter the level of capital available. This book by investor and property management expert Ken McElroy details how the first-time investor should go about exploring the market. Here, McElroy shares valuable information on how to find and evaluate property with investment potential, negotiate the best deal for your situation, and then manage the property for income potential once you’ve made the purchase. A highly informative book which does not require an MBA in order to be digested. 3 hours total running time.

 THE NARROWS. Michael Connelly. Narrated by Len Cariou. Time Warner. Former journalist Michael Connelly is a captivating writer who has mastered the feat of keeping us at the edge of our seats. This novel is no exception -- thrilling and hard-edged, Narrows tells the story of a deep and intellectual serial killer, the authorities in hot pursuit. More than your garden-variety mystery, The Narrows keeps its audience’s attention through its deep examination of the concepts of good and evil, the ideals of love and hatred pitted against each other. Cariou’s reading is natural and evocative, fitting tight around the words like a tight and shapely glove. 11 hours unabridged on 9 CDS. Recommended for true crime lovers. Perfect for that long commute home.

 ORACLE NIGHT. Paul Auster. Read by the author. Harper Audio. This is a writer’s novel -- and the story line swirls among cobwebs in the holy minds of ghosts. Oracle follows the novelist Sidney Orr after he buys a writing book in a Brooklyn stationary shop and then slowly dissolves into its perfect and sultry blank pages. The events that follow challenge Orr’s whole reality -- consuming both mind and body. Lovers of fiction will no doubt enjoy this book, but writers will especially be drawn to it, for it speaks about the muse which drives pen toward word and word toward paper. And it speaks to the muse which drives us through tawdry realms of madness, driving us toward these deep rivers of hunger and music and beauty. 8 hours on 6 cassettes.

 GRANT COMES EAST. Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. Narrated by Boyd Gaines. Audio Renaissance. In these dark times of war, Grant Comes East is an interesting read: The second installment of the Gingrich/Forstchen collaboration reinvents the roads General Robert E. Lee took, bringing him to Washington where he is engaged in a time-altering battle. Some will ask why we are reinventing reality and the past and shedding the mirrors of history in search of a new face. And the answer to that question swims in the fact that the Civil War is the event that defined our nation; had those battles turned a different way, the country as we know it would not have been born. Grant examines these events from a different perspective, as seen through the eye of a career politician who was once the Speaker of The House of Representatives. Like the Gods and Generals film from last year, Grant re-exposes us to the great benchmarks of American history. With a spoken introduction by Gingrich. 6 hours on 5 CDS. Will especially appeal to students of history and Americana.

 FOUNDING MOTHERS. (The Women Who Raised Our Nation). Cokie Roberts. Harper Audio. Cokie Roberts is a nationally known political analyst/journalist who is respected for her in depth coverage of the politics and the events which give shape to our nation. In Founding Mothers, Roberts continues the theme of her two previous books (We Are Our Mothers Daughters and From This Day Forward), examining the lives of the women who persevered through dark times, propping up the country. People know the story of Jefferson and Lincoln well. Kids are taught in school what Kennedy meant to America. But often, personalities like Martha Washington and Mary Bartlett are passed over as we become consumed in the strong male perspective that has honed our history. And that’s the beauty of this book - it sews together all the scenes and faces and stories of the women who were here when the country was young and faceless and struggling, telling a story that we all need to hear right now. Read by the author herself in an engaging and vibrant voice. 6 hours on 4 cassettes. Highly recommended for the general reader and for women’s studies groups. Further recommended for all public sector libraries.

 RICH DAD’S WHO TOOK MY MONEY. Robert T. Kiyosaki, with Sharon Lechter. Time Warner Audio. This book, part of the "Rich Dad’s" series by Kiyosaki, is a terribly important selection in this uncertain economic climate. The volatility of the stock market during the last 40 months has showed that the way people saved money for retirement in the past is not feasible today. Security is all about properly planning for the future, and that’s the crux of this book - it provides a blueprint on how to compentently invest your money for the highest possible return. Read by Jim Ward. 3 hours on 3 CDS. One of the most practical and well-realized business books we’ve seen this year. The fact that it’s an audio title as well makes it all the more worthwhile, since readers can gain from its advice "on the run."

 THE KNOWN WORLD. Edward P. Jones. Harper Audio. This masterful novel examines the concept of slavery from many perspectives, and in turn, causes us to examine our own fetid prejudices. Known World brings us the story of Henry Townsend, a former slave who dispels the myths of the illiterate servant with his passion for Paradise Lost. Townsend, however, is part and parcel the shape of the Paradise Lost, as he loses sight of himself and becomes a plantation owner -- and an enslaver. The story that ensues is a deep and engaging one, for it is about exploitation and greed and our insatiable need to control and rule each other. During these times of prisoner abuse and oil-driven wars, it couldn’t be more relevant. Will appeal to the general reader and to the serious student of world history. Read by Kevin Free. 15 hours on 10 cassettes.

 THE EYE OF THE WORLD. Robert Jordan. Audio Renaissance. Eye Of the World is an adventurous ride. This is a cartoon and fable and mysterious drama all rolled into one epic and sprawling fantasy story - the terrain ripe with monsters and young souls unaware of what lurks behind the next wall of shadows. On these roads of cast offs and beautiful demons, the past melds with the present to create a timeless and seamless pure world. Faces are un-named. Hearts go unclaimed. Like we did via the "Road Warrior" series, we are moving into a place we don’t know or understand. Masterfully read by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer. 31 hours on 25 CDS. A wild and thrilling story.

 TODAY MATTERS. John C. Maxwell. Time Warner. Motivational teacher John Maxwell synthesizes his lectures here, offering a list of steps people can take to better organize/manage their lives. Maxwell’s book is about discipline and using self-awareness and mental prowess to eradicate chaos from daily life. Once this is done, folks naturally have more time for family and self. The key is to reclaim today and forget the future and the past. As trite as it may sound in this jaded era, it’s valuable and meaningful advice. Read by the author in an engaging voice. 3 hours on 3 CDS.

 TEN BIG ONES. Janet Evanovich. Audio Renaissance. Ten Big Ones is a fun one to listen to - this is the kind of fast-paced story that draws readers to crime-fiction, providing the kind of high we got as kids when the new Hardy Boys hit the library shelf. In Ten, we’re presented with Stephanie Plum, a lovable on-the-edge woman caught in the dirty crime-sick streets of the American Nightmare. Plum is a loner who drives fast and dashes about (mostly in painful circles), looking to make sense of a story that has gone mad. And then, in the midst of hunting down a killer called Junkman, she comes to find herself. A fun book that ends up teaching us about ourselves. Read by Lorelei King; crime writer Evanovich is also interviewed. 8.5 hours on 7 CDS.

RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO

 THE FAMILY. THE REAL STORY OF THE BUSH DYNASTY. Kitty Kelly. Read by the author. Random House Audio. The Bush family is arguably one of the most powerful groups in all of history. The Bush resume boasts a father and son who have both served as President of the United States (with another son governor of one of the most influential states in the union). A family tied to politics and big business. A family that controls the oil business and other avenues of world commerce. Here, Kelly (who has written for the Washington Post and Newsweek among other publications) goes back to the origins of the Bush clan and examines exactly where the money came from. A story that begins in the world of Ohio steel and moves into the vortex of oil and government. But what makes this selection mor