The Politic of American Religious Identity by Kathleen Flake

There's an old joke about people who complain that 'the food was bad and the portions were too small.' That's about how I feel about this book.

One hundred and seventy-seven pages feels slim to me. I have to believe that with 3,500 pages of text from the Smoot hearings, there might have been a few more interesting things to say. She isn't however, a great storyteller; I didn't feel particularly engaged by the writing.

I also noticed several minors problems with this book:
(1) inconsistent use of 'god' and 'God' to describe deity.
(2) using 'L.D.S.' instead of 'LDS'
(3) two references to the Joseph Smith memorial monument as the Joseph F. Smith monument
(4) inconsistent capitalization of 'the first vision'
(5) numerous references (including one of the back cover) to the 'Howard B. Lee' library instead of Harold B. Lee.

This might strike you as nitpicking, but because I have no expertise in Church history, I feel like I need to trust the author. If she flubs on the little things that I know about, I don't think I can trust her guidance on the things I don't know about.

One area where I did quibble was on her facile interpretation that polygamy was replaced in the Mormon imagination with the First Vision. But when she mentions in passing that the First Vision was canonized in 1880, it hurts her thesis. Clearly, the First Vision did become an important identity marker at this time, but her causality leaves a little to be desired.

That said, this is an interesting and imporant episode in Church history. I've already spent a lot of time thinking about the unusual demise of polygamy and Joseph F. Smith's role in the hearings.

Collapse by Jared Diamond

I read Guns, Germs and Steel when it first came out and I thought it was fabulous. I know it is trendy to whine about the flaws of the academy, but it is nonetheless true that the current climate is such that specialization rules, and no one is asking the big questions anymore. So, when Diamond asked why some societies advanced so much more rapidly than others, I thought it was a fascinating read, especially because he used (really interesting) concrete examples to make his points and avoided a lot of abstract blather.

So I was excited about Collapse. And I loved reading about Easter Island, Iceland, and Rwanda. (He's a good storyteller, and has fun explaining the creative sleuthing techniques that archeological use to discover what happened.) But through the entire book, as he made the point again and again that societies collapsed because they destroyed their environments, I braced myself for the environmentalist rant at the end of the book.

It never came. Diamond is far too rational for that. Instead, he profiles and praises Chevron (an oil company!) for their low-impact Third World oil field. He did get a little stereotypical in the chapter dismissing the objections to environmentalism, but, in general, he kept his focus on looking for realistic solutions. I recommend this book.

Great Harry by Carolly Erickson

bah. I've spent all week slogging through this book: the interesting lights on early 16th century banquets, the salacious details of Henry the 8th's private life, and long, boring passages about, oh, I don't know, my mind kinda wandered.

I made it 352 pages before giving in. I loved Alexandra, tolerated Her Little Majesty, and choked on this one. Erickson has one more chance with me . . .

Russell M. Nelson: Father, Surgeon, Apostle

I didn't like this book nearly as much as the biographies of other Church leaders that I have read lately. I don't think that it has anything to do with Elder Nelson, but rather with some poor choices that were made in this book:

(1) It isn't really chronological, it is topical. The only section where this works well is where Elder Nelson's work as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve in different countries is presented. Going country by country instead of chronologically made it possible to have a better feel for the unfolding events in each country and keep the story straight. But elsewhere, the segregation doesn't work. In the chapter on his nine daughters, the brief bios of each woman come off sounding like little more than obituaries.

(2) HAGIOGRAPHY. I'm not interested in dwelling on the flaws of Church leaders, but I'm not impressed by saccharine representations of their perfection, either. Condie admits up front that he is presenting Elder Nelson's life as a model to follow, but I can't relate to the icky perfection here. At one point, Elder Nelson is quoted as saying that not one of their ten children even disobeyed their mother (!). More on this later.

(3) The voice here is so incredibly 'overcorrelated' that I found myself distracted and rolling my eyes. Trademarks of overcorrelation include: (a) gross overuse of the word 'appropriate', (b) saying things like 'humbly expressed his desire to' instead of just 'asked' and (c) doing bizarrely formal things like referring to the former president as William Jefferson Clinton.

(4) Yes, he really did say that not one of the kids ever disobeyed their mother. I'm not sure how to take this, especially since I distinctly remember Elder Nelson describing their family scripture studies as not so much a howling success but sometimes "more howling than success." I wonder if it might have something to do with how rarely he was home when his family was young. This leads to a larger issue that has bothered me as I have read several bios of Church leaders: one gets the impression that they didn't spend much time with their young families because they were working. (At one point, the books notes that during his years as a surgeon, Nelson was out of town at conferences for about 35% of the time. He was also a stake president and then General President of the Sunday School during this time.) I have some theories here:

(a) It was a different time. There were different expectations for fathers.
(b) These men were exceptions: because their skills would later be needed to build up the kingdom, they needed to pursue their careers full throttle. (He was able to open doors in many countries because of his professional connections and skill.)
(c) They should have been home more. (I went to a fireside once where the speaker talked about deliberately modeling his career after Elder Oaks and then, years later, being stunned when Elder Oaks said that he should have spent more time with his family and less time at work.)

Overall, I was disappointed with this book. His calling, talents, career, and character make Elder Nelson a fascinating person, and he deserved better than this. That said, there are some strengths here: the description of the Church's expansion into the former Soviet Bloc countries and China, with Elder Nelson's help, is truly fascinating. Barely recommended.

Latter Days by Coke Newell

Brother Newell works for the Church's Public Affairs Department, which makes it all the more surprising to find that he has an authentic, non-correlated voice. (I doubt a story about horse pee as his opening anecdote would have made it through correlation.) And this is, perhaps, the best part of the book.

There are some serious weaknesses here, however. For a book subtitled "A Guided Tour Through Six Billion Years of Mormonism," he spends an inordinate amount of time on the Joseph and Brigham eras (maybe 80% of the book), with most of the other prophets getting a scant paragraph or so. And in his pre- and post-Latter Day sections, I think he is subject to some unnecessary speculations and odd positions. For example, he states that the Church uses the KJV because it is the best translation available. I don't think anyone believes this--or should believe it. (I fully support the Church's use of the KJV, because it is the language of the Restoration, but there is no way to defend the idea that the KJV is the best English translation.) That said, he does handle some issues, such as polygamy, blacks and the priesthood, etc., very well, by resisting the urge to speculate and acknowledging what we simply don't know.

He claims to be writing for nonmembers, but I wonder how many nonmembers would/should actually read this book. I suppose it is a reasonable Church history, but he is so spotty on the Church in the 20th/21st century. He does remedy some of this with an appendix of important doctrines (but very little about practices), but the appendix suffers from personal hobby horses (should 80% of the text of gender roles really concern the percentage of women with young children in Utah who work?).

I can't necessarily recommend this, but it was an interesting read.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I read a little over 50 pages and decided that this is way, way, way too weird for me. Reject.

Mother Knows: 24 Tales of Motherhood edited by Susan Burmeister-Brown

I bought this book because it was the mothers' book club selection at our cool local indie bookstore (Bookpeople). I didn't end up going, however: scheduling conflict. So I finally picked it up tonight and . . . I hate short stories. Especially when the tone is earnest serious ploddingness. Reject.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Personal note: This is a first for me: my son read this book before I did. (I'm getting old . . .)

Dave Barry is one of my favorite writers. When I found out that he had written a children's book--and that other homeschoolers were enjoying reading it out loud--I was all over it.

Then I read the first chapter out loud and somehow sensed that this wasn't read-aloud material. Maybe because I'd have to explain too many jokes . . .

(This is when Simon picked it up and read it on his own . . .)

I did enjoy reading this prequel to Peter Pan. It isn't quite as funny as you might expect from Dave Barry, but the adventure story angle worked, and worked well. Recommended for kids reading chapter books, and adults wanting a little mind candy.

Her Little Majesty: The Life of Queen Victoria by Carolly Erickson

I was very disappointed in this book. I loved Alexandra: The Last Tsarina so much that I expected to delight in this one; but it was barely tolerable. I think the problem is simple: Erickson tried to smush over sixty years on the world stage into less than 270 pages. Consequently, she doesn't tell a story, she just summarizes one. It read too much like a textbook: broad generalizations, head-snapping lurches of time, and little human detail.

Good News

I've been reading a lot more than usual since Truman was born 12 weeks ago. I realized in December that I was setting new records for book expenses. I decided with my husband that I'd have a certain budget for books so that I wouldn't feel guilty. The budget began January 1st. January's budget was amplified by (1) some Christmas money a relative sent to me and (2) the Barnes and Noble gift certificates that we get from our credit card.

As of today, I have spent all of the above and all of February's budget. I talked to my husband, and we have decided to abolish the book budget.

A Disciple's Life: The Biography of Neal A. Maxwell by Bruce Hafen

Virtually every book that one might find in a Church bookstore will cause one of the following for me: shuddering, wincing, or eye rolling. The exception is the category of LDS biographies. In general, I love them. (In fact, I think we need more of them: some of the prophets of this dispensation are missing decent biographies.) So I was eager to read this one, and it did, in fact, have the predicted effect: I gained a real appreciation for Elder Maxwell, and I felt the Spirit testify to reality of his calling as an apostle. I also appreciated, as Hafen mentions in the introduction, that this is not hagiography. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find out that when Elder Maxwell shifted from working at the U of U to the Church, he had to give up his habit of mildly cussing (as Hafen puts it) at rebellious mechanical devices. Knowing this gives me hope that I can eventually overcome my own peccadilloes (which is what we call sins when we don't want to admit their seriousness). I also realized that I had quite a bit in common with Elder Maxwell, from a love of books, to a struggle with developing patience.

That said, there are a few flaws here. The book gets a little flabby as soon as Elder Maxwell becomes an apostle. I think the problem is that Hafen thought he needed to give the reader a lot of background about the current policies and situation of the Church so we could better appreciate the changes that Elder Maxwell saw. While this information was interesting, I occasionally forgot that I was reading a bio of Elder Maxwell; it felt like a modern Church history without a particular focus. And it didn't seem to be particularly chronological, either (although so little reference to Elder Maxwell was made that I can't be entirely sure of that). Also, I think Hafen comes off, in his chapter on Elder Maxwell's books, as unnecessarily harsh. I've only read maybe 2-3 of Elder Maxwell's books, but I liked them.

But these are minor issues. Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it.

Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts

Here is hell for the bibliophile: a book just barely good enough. If it were any worse, it would end up in your reject pile. But there is . . . just . . . barely . . . enough there to keep you reading. And so you suffer, not wanting to give up, not wanting to go on . . .

After disliking it from the start, I gave up halfway through. Her anecdotes are interesting, her little commentaries on virtually every single quotation made me batty. There have to be better sources for information about the Founding Mothers. Reject.

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

I'm usually annoyed when the jacket copy for a book includes words like 'lyrical' or 'evocative.' But in its early chapters, this book really is lyrical and evocative. Flash to the end, where all is lost, and I assume that there must be a moral to the story: How did we get from heaven to hell? In my flu-induced stupor a few nights ago, I could think of several possible theories. (And if I weren't still sick, I'd spell them out.) But I'm not sure which theory Buck intended (was that the point?). I don't like to think this hard about novels.

Alexandra: The Last Tsarina by Carolly Erickson

It bothers me that an author capable of writing books as stunning as this one could elude my notice for so long. I absolutely loved this book--just couldn't get enough of it--and can't wait to read her other books.

The end of the Romanov dynasty is a fascinating story and this book does it justice. Perhaps what I appreciate most about Erickson is that the writing just disappears; I was simply ensconsed in the story. There have been times, with other books, where I have gone back and reread sentences because they were so beautiful. But even that is a distraction from the story. Here, there are no distractions. Highly recommended.

The Mask of Motherhood by Susan Maushart

Pregnancy is a pain. Labor is a real pain. Breastfeeding can involve pain. Childcare can be a pain.

These things shock--just shock!--Susan Maushart. I'm not sure why. I doubt anyone can really appreciate the extent to which all of the above statements are true until they experience them, but reading Susan whine about it for 200+ pages isn't particularly helpful.

Can you tell that this book annoyed me? Not recommended.

Fortunate Son by Lewis B. Puller, Jr.

In the late 1960s, Puller, a young marine officer in Vietnam, stood alone facing seven enemy soldiers who opened fire on him. He returned fire until he gun locked. Then he ran until he triggered a booby trap. The explosion blew off both of his legs, fingers from each hand, and some of his torso.

This incredible autobiography, which won a Pulitzer Prize, is not so much about his wounding as his recovery, both physical (which involved over a year in the hospital and one dozen operations) and emotional (which included addiction to alcohol). The book ends on a high note, with one year's sobriety under his belt and a positive experience at the dedication of the Vietnam memorial. There is no hint that a few years after writing the book he would return to his addiction and then end his life, but knowing this before I read the book made a tragic story all the more so. And I didn't even mention that his father was famous: the most decorated man in the history of the Marines. A remarkable story; highly recommended.

The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greelaw

If you read The Perfect Storm (or saw the movie), you might remember Andrea Gail's sister ship, Hannah Boden. That boat is captained by perhaps the only female swordfisherman (and yes, she does prefer 'fisherman'), and this is her story. It is an interesting companion book to The Perfect Storm, because nothing goes wrong on this trip. The fascination in this story is with the everyday world of swordfishing. Recommended.

A Life's Work: On Becoming a Mother by Rachel Cusk

I hated being a mother at first. I was completely unprepared for the raw relentlessness of the work. Exacerbating the problem was the isolation; isolation not only from the rest of the world, but from other mothers, smiling mothers, who somehow didn't seem to mind.

I've read a lot of books--a lot of books--on mothering and parenthood. Rachel Cusk is the first author whose voice feels authentic. Sure, The Girlfriend's Guides cover much of the same territory, but for some reason, Vicky thinks this is all funny. It isn't. Rachel knows that. I would highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with new motherhood. Cusk articulates several dimensions of new mom angst amazingly well.

(A post script: Seven years later, and again with a newborn, I feel delighted each morning at the prospect of spending another day mothering.)

Moving in His Majesty and Power by Neal A. Maxwell

I was initially disappointed by the small package--this book is maybe 5 by 7 inches, lots of white space, and just at 100 pages. But, after reading it, I realized that it might not be a quantity read, but it certainly is a quality read. Elder Maxwell wrote this, pulling together material from some recent talks, in the final weeks of his life. His reflections on agency, the cosmos, and the Constitution are profound. As usual, his one-liners shine. Recommended.

Pot on the Fire by John Thorne

Some people read mysteries for their brain candy. I read books about food. Here we have yet another entry in the Anecdotes about Food category, and this one is uneven. His chapter on Vietnamese sandwiches had me wanting to leap out of bed and head to the little knot of Vietnamese businesses near 183 and Lamar in search of one; his chapter on cioppino had me skimming and watching the clock. The essay on potatoes, heavy on the Irish famine, had me enthralled and wondering if there is a good book-length treatment of the famine. Anyone know?