A Book Forged in Hell

A Book Forged in Hell: Spinoza's Scandalous Treatise and the Birth of the Secular Age by Steven Nadler, 279 pages


Summary courtesy of Goodreads: "When it appeared in 1670, Baruch Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise was denounced as the most dangerous book ever published--"godless," "full of abominations," "a book forged in hell . . . by the devil himself." Religious and secular authorities saw it as a threat to faith, social and political harmony, and everyday morality, and its author was almost universally regarded as a religious subversive and political radical who sought to spread atheism throughout Europe. Yet Spinoza's book has contributed as much as the Declaration of Independence or Thomas Paine's Common Sense to modern liberal, secular, and democratic thinking. In A Book Forged in Hell, Steven Nadler tells the fascinating story of this extraordinary book: its radical claims and their background in the philosophical, religious, and political tensions of the Dutch Golden Age, as well as the vitriolic reaction these ideas inspired.

It is not hard to see why Spinoza's Treatise was so important or so controversial, or why the uproar it caused is one of the most significant events in European intellectual history. In the book, Spinoza became the first to argue that the Bible is not literally the word of God but rather a work of human literature; that true religion has nothing to do with theology, liturgical ceremonies, or sectarian dogma; and that religious authorities should have no role in governing a modern state. He also denied the reality of miracles and divine providence, reinterpreted the nature of prophecy, and made an eloquent plea for toleration and democracy.

A vivid story of incendiary ideas and vicious backlash, A Book Forged in Hell will interest anyone who is curious about the origin of some of our most cherished modern beliefs."

Nadler sheds light on Spinoza. He isn't a philosopher that is discussed a lot by philosophers and his ideas aren't well known. He also touches on Spinoza's ethics. Spinoza was Jewish but gave up Judaism. Despite what some believe he didn't become atheist or convert to Christianity. He had a different conception of God and religion. I appreciated the context that Nadler provided for Spinoza's book and philosophy. I would recommend this book to people that like reading history, religion or philosophy.

Good to Go

Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn From the Strange Science of Recoveryby Christie Aschwanden, 302 pages

Aschwanden is a science writer for FiveThiryEight. She is a former high level athlete and stays active with running, cycling and cross country skiing.

Aschwanden investigates whether recovery products and services work. Unfortunately, when you examine the evidence, most of it indicates that the products and services don't provide a benefit or it is inconclusive. A lot of the studies aren't rigorous enough.

Even if they are presented with the lack of proof, those that use these products are unlikely to stop using them because of the perceived benefit. The placebo effect is certainly a confounding factor.

Based on all the information Aschwanden provided there are four things that I took away from this book. Good nutrition is important and can be obtained from a balance diet. You don't need drinks or supplements. The proper amount of sleep is vital to recovery. Overtraining is detrimental to recovery. Lastly, exercising too much while you are sick can have long lasting consequences.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to athletes, people who exercise a lot or those interested in science.

Sounds like Titanic

Sounds like Titanic: a memoir by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman, 250 pages

Summary from Goodreads: "A young woman leaves Appalachia for life as a classical musician—or so she thinks.
When aspiring violinist Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman lands a job with a professional ensemble in New York City, she imagines she has achieved her lifelong dream. But the ensemble proves to be a sham. When the group “performs,” the microphones are never on. Instead, the music blares from a CD. The mastermind behind this scheme is a peculiar and mysterious figure known as The Composer, who is gaslighting his audiences with music that sounds suspiciously like the Titanic movie soundtrack. On tour with his chaotic ensemble, Hindman spirals into crises of identity and disillusionment as she “plays” for audiences genuinely moved by the performance, unable to differentiate real from fake."

The summary is pretty good but I have a problem with one part of it and the memoir is more complicated than what is in the summary. I don't agree that the Composer was gaslighting his audiences. I think he was sincerely trying to entertain and help people. 

By the time Hindman joined the ensemble and went on the tour that is at the center of the book she already knew that she wasn't the greatest violin player and had changed her major to Middle East studies. She wanted to become a journalist after 9/11 but found it hard to get a job. She stuck with the ensemble as a way to make ends meet. She also deals with mental illness. 

Overall, I would characterize the book as a young woman trying to find her way in the world. I appreciated her perspective on 9/11 and the aftermath. I would recommend this book to those people that like biographies and memoirs.

Eloquent Rage

Eloquent Rage by Brittany Cooper     288 pages

From Goodreads:

So what if it's true that Black women are mad as hell? They have the right to be. In the Black feminist tradition of Audre Lorde, Brittney Cooper reminds us that anger is a powerful source of energy that can give us the strength to keep on fighting.

Far too often, Black women's anger has been caricatured into an ugly and destructive force that threatens the civility and social fabric of American democracy. But Cooper shows us that there is more to the story than that. Black women's eloquent rage is what makes Serena Williams such a powerful tennis player. It's what makes Beyonce's girl power anthems resonate so hard. It's what makes Michelle Obama an icon.

Eloquent Rage keeps us all honest and accountable. It reminds women that they don't have to settle for less. When Cooper learned of her grandmother's eloquent rage about love, sex, and marriage in an epic and hilarious front-porch confrontation, her life was changed. And it took another intervention, this time staged by one of her homegirls, to turn Brittney into the fierce feminist she is today. In Brittney Cooper's world, neither mean girls nor fuckboys ever win. But homegirls emerge as heroes. This book argues that ultimately feminism, friendship, and faith in one's own superpowers are all we really need to turn things right side up again.

My Review:

I learned a lot while reading this book. Cooper brought a lot of new things (for me) to the table. I would have loved to read this in a class setting, to have other folks to talk about it with to better digest what I read. As I read it on my own, I have some things I can take away with it, and I'll certainly mull over other things, but I feel like I lacked the educational rigor to understand some of the concepts she brought up. Otherwise, it's a lot to chew on, but I'd recommend it because Cooper's intelligent delivery is worth reading through. You'll definitely learn something and perhaps have a new perspective.

The Revolutionary Genius of Plants

The Revolutionary Genius of Plants by Stefano Mancuso    240 pages

From Goodreads:

Do plants have intelligence? Do they have memory? Are they better problem solvers than people? Plant Revolution—a fascinating, paradigm-shifting work that upends everything you thought you knew about plants—makes a compelling scientific case that these and other astonishing ideas are all true. 

Every page of Plant Revolution bubbles over with Stefano Mancuso’s infectious love for plants and for the eye-opening research that makes it more and more clear how remarkable our fellow inhabitants on this planet really are. In his hands, complicated science is wonderfully accessible, and he has loaded the book with gorgeous photographs that make for an unforgettable reading experience. Plant Revolution opens the doors to a new understanding of life on earth.

My Review:

This book was fascinating. I learned so many things about plants and about the people who study them. Mancuso makes a compelling case for the intelligence of plants, showing the many ways scientists have discovered qualities in plants previously only thought to belong to the animal kingdom. Plants can in some ways "see," "think," and "remember" things and truly do have the ability to learn and react like humans or animals. I really am glad I picked this book up and I highly recommend it to anyone - it's short, informative, and so interesting.

My Beloved World

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor     302 pages

From Goodreads:

The first Latinx (Puerto Rican) and third woman appointed to the US Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself. 

My Review: 

I absolutely love Sonia Sotomayor and this autobiography is so well written. Her life, the work she has done and continues to do, and her spirit are so inspirational. I loved getting to know her and her life better and her account of the struggles she endured to get to where she is blew me away. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book about a strong, female role-model because she is it!

The Princess Diarist

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher     257 pages

"The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher’s intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie."

This was a fascinating book. Fisher is so frank and open with her words and the stories she unfolds about her life in this novel are very touching and intimate. Focusing on the Carrie at the beginning of Star Wars, Fisher reveals her head-space at that time, her insecurities (especially about her looks and weight), her reluctance to get into acting and then her subsequent breakthrough into acting as Princess Leia, and, of course, her affair with Harrison Ford, who was 15 years her senior. The glimpses into the show business and what it means to be a recognizable icon are all mulled over within this book and it was a joy to hear Fisher discuss her feelings about being Leia, what it means to be Leia, both to her fans and to herself. I listened to the audio book, hearing her words spoken in her own voice and it was such a fun, enjoyable experience. I could hear her amusement at herself, at the situations she would get into, and the love and endearment she still carried for Star Wars, her costars, and the fans of the films. I was particularly moved by her bits of poetry and poetic-diary excerpts within this book. In the audio, they were read by her daughter, Billie Lourd. They were very moving and so, so beautiful. I honestly would highly recommend this book to any fan of the Star Wars franchise, or of Carrie Fisher, even those who are looking for a quick, fun celebrity memoir. Fisher has such a way with words, she'll definitely get you laughing and she'll definitely make you think. It's a great read.

The Financial Diet

The Financial Diet by Chelsea Fagan     208 pages

The Financial Diet will teach you:
* how to get good with money in a year.
* the ingredients everyone needs to have a budget-friendly kitchen.
* how to talk about awkward money stuff with your friends.
* the best way to make (and stick to!) a budget.
* how to take care of your house like a grown-up.* what the hell it means to invest (and how you can do it).

Really helpful guide to getting fiscally responsible. Definitely a must read for those transitioning to adulthood or are trying to get control over their spending.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women by Elena Favilli and
Francesca Cavallo     212 pages

A children's book that reinvents fairy tales, inspiring girls with the stories of 100 great women from Elizabeth I to Serena Williams.

This is a great introductory book to the lives of women. The book covers historically famous female figures as well as contemporary figures, giving a brief story-like overview of their life and accomplishments. While the stories are only a page long, they are a great starting place to get any child excited about a particular figure and in this way inspire them to seek more in-depth biographies.  I love the illustrations for this book. Each woman has a different artist's portrait of them and all are beautiful, colorful, and capture their subject very well. The book is laid out well and covers a very diverse range of women from all over the globe and a wide variety of ages.

I would highly recommend this book to young children, but even as an adult, I highly enjoyed reading this book myself and learning about the lives of women I myself had never heard of until this book. It was a wonderful read.

The Stone Reader

The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments edited by Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley, 794 pages

This is a collection of essays pulled from the Stone which is a New York Times philosophy blog. Most of the essays are about 2-3 pages long but some are 5-6 or longer. As such, they are not definitive treatments of the subject but usually sketch out a solid argument and leave you thinking.

The essays are organized into four sections: Philosophy, Science, Religion and Morals, and Society. Each section is divided up into subsections that have a more specific topic. Some examples are: New impressions of an old profession; Rethinking thinkers; Can science explain everything?; Blinded by neuroscience?; Morality's god problem; Some hard moral cases; Black, white, or other; and Freedom from the barrel of a gun.

I sometimes wished that the essays were longer but appreciated them for what they were. Some authors had several essays featured and I realized that I disagreed with a couple of them almost every time. Notably, this book lacked an index which would have been helpful at times.

A lot of the essays in the Society section were more opinion than a well laid out argument which may or may not be appropriate depending on your opinion. I liked that a lot of the essays are relevant. They are 5-7 years old at this point but the subjects are ones that society is still working on such as race, diversity and guns. I liked that there were either several essays on the same or a similar subject and that some of the essays were rebuttals of the one right before it and even responses to the rebuttals. Overall, I rate this book pretty highly and would recommend it for what it is - short modern philosophical arguments.

Heart Berries

Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot     142 pages

Heart Berries is a powerful, poetic memoir of a woman's coming of age on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation in the Pacific Northwest. Having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalized and facing a dual diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II disorder; Terese Marie Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma. The triumphant result is Heart Berries , a memorial for Mailhot's mother, a social worker and activist who had a thing for prisoners; a story of reconciliation with her father--an abusive drunk and a brilliant artist--who was murdered under mysterious circumstances; and an elegy on how difficult it is to love someone while dragging the long shadows of shame.

I believe this genre of writing is not my cup of tea. Mailhot's writing style reminded me a lot of Maggie Nelson's book, The Argonauts, where everything is related out of time, in a stream-of-consciousness style, and addressing a specific person ("you") throughout. The book is deeply personal, but at the same time, it is meant to be shared with everyone, her story finally being told on her terms and in the way she believes it should be shared.

I don't like reading books that are sad or depressing - and Mailhot's memoir is both. She jumps from one bleak moment of her life to the next, which in itself does not warrant me rating this book two out of five stars, but only relates to my personal feelings about reading such material. It's not something I enjoyed, I felt a lot of it went beyond my understanding - so much of it was metaphorical that I could find no anchor to ground myself with. Everything was symbolic or told in a poetic style that made it difficult to find the reality of it. I was mostly left shrugging my shoulders and thinking maybe if I read this in a classroom setting and was prompted to discuss it further, then maybe I'd get something more out of it.

I read this as a book club selection, otherwise I'm not sure I ever would have picked it up for myself as a personal interest. I am counting this book as my one-sitting book for Book Riot's Read Harder challenge. I don't know that I'd recommend this book, unless I was sure there'd be an interest in the memoir genre or I knew the person enjoyed reading from diverse authors.

Reset

Reset by Ellen K. Pao Audiobook 10 hours Book 274 pages

"In 2015, Ellen K. Pao sued a powerhouse Silicon Valley venture capital firm, calling out workplace discrimination and retaliation against women and other underrepresented groups. Her suit rocked the tech world--and exposed its toxic culture and its homogeneity. Her message overcame negative PR attacks that took aim at her professional conduct and her personal life, and she won widespread public support-- Time hailed her as "the face of change." Though Pao lost her suit, she revolutionized the conversation at tech offices, in the media, and around the world. In Reset, she tells her full story for the first time." - SLPL

This book read like fiction, it was so engrossing. The only thing was the reader gets upset because then you realize the book is non-fiction and all her accounts are true. I don't know how much editing was done on this book, but either way it was written very well. I totally sympathized with Ellen and couldn't stand the people she worked for/with who treated her and other poc so terribly. I'm sure this book was a wake up call to many that there is a lot in the business world that needs to change. There are still old prejudices and biases and the world will not progress the way it needs to if these prejudices and biases aren't called out. I recommend this book to anyone who just likes to read good books, I think anyone (with an open mind) who read it would enjoy it. 

Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks and Gangstas . . .

Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert.  210 pages

I think the title basically says it all; Library employee Don Borchert tells some pretty funny stories about where he works.

Borchert hasn't always worked in a library, and in fact, worked in many industries before landing his job in a California library.  While he may have anticipated a quiet job (with some occasional shushing), that's not today's modern library.    This is a fun book, filled with stories about some of the patrons (children and adults) that he encounters.  I admit it; at times, I did laugh out loud a little.  The section about the surprising discovery he and a colleague made when they were emptying a bookdrop is memorable.

The book is pretty funny, although Borchert has some insightful thoughts about libraries, patron expectations, and the reality of people's lives.   If you work in a library, you'll probably find yourself nodding along at parts of the book.   However, I think this book holds appeal for non-library readers (and in fact, just might build some appreciation among patrons for their own libraries).

Once Upon a Flock

Once Upon a Flock: Life with my soulful chickens by Lauren Scheuer.  241 pages (with loads of illustrations).

When illustrator Lauren Scheuer was looking for a new project, she got the idea to raise backyard chickens.  Her family was skeptical, but soon fell in love with the chicks.   This book focuses on the three chickens: "Hatsy, the little dynamo; Lil’White, the deranged and twisted Buff Orpington; Pigeon, the fixer-upper chicken; and Lucy, the special-needs hen who bonds with Lauren and becomes a fast friend."

This is a charming book, filled with photos and illustrations of Scheuer's chickens.  I had been expecting an entertaining read, but found I was learning more about chickens than I had expected. Scheuer's illustrations are wonderful, and you really get the different personalities of the chickens.  And, it's not a worry-free life: there are definite bumps in the road, and a few sad spots in this book. But, overall, it's light-hearted.  And did I say charming?  Definitely.

Stories from the Shadows: reflections of a street doctor

Stories from the Shadows: reflections of a street doctor by James J. O'Connell, MD.  184 pages.

This book is a collection essays and stories from Dr. O'Connell, who spent 30 years caring for homeless people in Boston.

This doctor is based in Boston, but I feel that the stories he shares here can be echoed by people who work with the homeless in many large cities.  O'Connell focuses less on the medical attention given to people, and more on the people, themselves, and their stories.  His essays range in time, so in one story, we might have someone in 1988 and another in 2001.  At times, I found I needed to put the book down and take a few moments to reflect and consider what I was reading.   This is a thoughtful book that I feel can provoke a number of emotional responses.

It's impressive to read about BHCHP (Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program) putting together not just dedicated services, but also an electronic medical system for homeless care to coordinate care and monitor quality measures across hospitals and clinics.

Between the World and Me

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates.  152 pages.

“This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.”   Written as a letter to his son, Coates explores race through history, and what it means t him today.  "Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. "   (courtesy of Goodreads).  

I borrowed the Goodreads summary a bit because I felt I wouldn't be able to describe this book as well.   It's a short book, but I felt it was powerfully written, and thought-provoking.   Getting Coates' views on American history, as well as his personal history, is an interesting way to analyze race and history.   I found the way the book was written, as a personal letter, was emotional and made the book resonate with me.  This is definitely an example of the personal as political, and the historical as personal and political.  

Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans

 

Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans by Gary Krist    448 pages

I’ve always been fascinated with New Orleans. It’s such a contradictory city, with a touch of evil hovering over it, and an unsavory feel that often makes me nervous to visit. Yet, the foods that come from that part of the country are unparalleled.

Until I read Gary Krist’s nonfiction piece, Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans, I had come to believe that the debauchery of the 1960s through the ‘70s was at its height there. To me, and what I knew about the city, New Orleans made Las Vegas seem like a night out for nuns and priests.

Krist focuses on a scant thirty years, from 1890 to 1920. When I first realized that the book 448 and that 105 of them were the bibliography, notes, and index, I was a little overwhelmed, afraid that the writing would be too deep for me to sink my teeth into. However, Krist’s has written an easy-to-read narrative that held me attention from the beginning.

I enjoyed reading/learning about such characters and places as Storyville (where the city tried to coral its vice) and Tom Anderson (its unofficial mayor). There were the madams like Lulu White and Josie Arlington. There were the saloons and gambling houses. There was the immigrant population---Italians, whom too seemed to be in the same mess today’s illegals are in. I ws mesmerized by the corruption that ran rampart from the slums to the highest echelons of state government. Old Huey Long was a saint compared to some men back then; they make today’s politicians looks like humble old ladies.

I knew that New Orleans was a port-of-entry for many Italians, and they lived in slums and ghettos that reminded me of New York’s tenements. And I had learned of “Little Sicily” from a PBS special, The Italian-Americans.

There are three areas in the book that I really enjoyed reading: First, of course, are the jazzmen. Guys like Robert Charles, Buddy Bolden, Jellyroll Martin---how they created the music form that we now know as jazz, and how hard it was a musician wanted more than a gig in a whore house.

Second, was the Mafia or the Black-Hand. Krist could have delved into that more in my opinion, but still the rise and fall still fascinated me.

Third, the serial killer, The Axeman, seemed to target the Italians.  Brutality knows no generation.

Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans is an easy read that I highly recommend. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.

Orgy of George

Three Times Carlin: An Orgy of George by George Carlin, 890 pages

This is a collection of Carlin's first three books with some bonus material thrown in. If you don't know who George Carlin is consider yourself lucky. He is a crude, rough around the edges, through at times quite funny comedian. With plenty of profanity and gutter humor, you never know what the next page will have on it.

When I first glanced at this book, before I considered reading it, I had a peek inside and managed to land in what would go on to become my favorite sections. These were his one liners. They are simple at times, but seemed to be more grounded. If the book had been nothing but these, I would have enjoyed it. But as it is I can only say read at your own risk.

To a certain multi-novel author who I work with, I think I saw some of your jokes in here, and if you have never read any of George's work, you should.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
282 Pages

 Gawande examines how the medical system handles geriatric and hospice care in the United States and ways it could do so better.  A though provoking book that makes you look at how families can approach the end of life decisions for their loved ones.

Shackelton's Journey

Shackleton's Journey by William Grill; 68 pages

Like every other book I’ve seen Flying Eye Books publish, Shackleton’s Journey is a beautiful book in both its illustrations and its overall design. I first became interested in Shackleton’s Antarctic journey while helping a third grade group research explorers for a class project; shortly thereafter SLPL received a copy of this book and I snatched it up. The illustrations are somewhere between a children’s picture book and an infographic. When the author introduces the members of Shackelton’s crew, a two page spread depicts tiny drawings of each person accompanied by their name and position on the crew, later when sled dogs are purchased for the journey a similar spread shows them. This book was a great introduction to Shackelton’s Antarctic expedition and would be appropriate for grades 3 and up (I enjoyed it a lot and I’m ostensibly an adult).