a. book reviews
1. the metaphysical club by louis
menand
review
by matt mccoy
after the civil war, america began to
question its most basic philosophies. the state of mind which propelled us
after independence was thought to be a complete failure after the civil
war. “the metaphysical club” describes the lives of four of the most
prominent american thinkers: oliver wendell holmes, william james, charles
pierce and john dewey.
“the metaphysical club” takes its title
from the metaphysical club of cambridge, where holmes, james and pierce met to
discuss philosophical and social topics. this club worked not only to
create new ideas, but to create a system with which we should think about
ideas. they refined their arguments with the help of chauncey wright, the
“socrates of cambridge,” an intellectual who loved conversation but seldom
published any writings of his own. with wright as their guide, the club
created pragmatism, a term coined by pierce himself.
their ideas
were to later influence heavily the writings of john dewey, who was at one time
or another a student or an ardent admirer of the members of the
club.
through louis menand’s meticulous detail and fluid prose,
we are given a picture of not only the ideas of these men, but of the
circumstances that shaped them. their life stories are painted before
us. holmes was shot no less than three times in three separate battles of
the civil war. the relations between the men and their family, friends and
their institutions are so freely presented that some chapters seem to border on
gossip.
it was these life experiences which led them toward
pragmatism, and their basis of experience allowed pragmatism to send america
forward in industrial and social advancement the likes of which we may never see
again. 2001. 546 pp. hardcover $27.00.
2. choke by chuck palahniuk
review by mary
abshire
"caustic" isn’t the
right word, but its the only one that comes to mind. from the author of "fight
club", "survivor" and "invisible monsters", choke is "a stupid story about a
stupid little boy," or so says the first chapter. victor mancini emerges from a
childhood of searing terror and wonder under the tutelage of a deranged and
extremely socially conscious mother. his adulthood is the story of victor as
drop-out med student, a paid employee of historical re-enactment and a
sexaholic.
victor supports his mother’s
institutional living costs with self-employment of a most unusual kind: choking.
the idea is to be rescued while choking and the benefactor will feel responsible
(economically) for the well-being of the victim for the rest of their life. the
sub-stories that unfold around victor’s life and conception are
surprising.
palahniuk’s
prose is sharp, rhythmical and weighted. palahniuk has all the makings for a
cult hero. choke explores adulthood, sex and the anti-hero in a satirical,
humorous way. "funny" isn’t the right word, but it’s the only one that comes to
mind. 2001. 293 pp. hardcover. $24.95.
3. words and rules by steven
pinker
review by matt mccoy
"words and rules" has the title of a terribly dull grammatical essay,
but is instead an in-depth exploration of the way our brains treat words and
rules. steven pinker has an easy to follow and often light-hearted approach to
writing. complicated concepts are related to english idioms and acceptable
"mistakes" in grammar, along with the grammatical mistakes of
children.
although in a similar vein as pinker’s first book, "the
language instinct," "words and rules" is more approachable (and notably
shorter). in this book, pinker focuses his attention on irregular verbs and how
our minds process them. irregular verbs present a link between words and a
series of rules, which we use as regular verb. he explores why we say "kept"
where children instinctually say "keeped."
these verbs stand at the center of the battle between
hardcore grammarians and those who wish to speak a more natural (instinctual)
language. even nouns are not safe in "words and rules." through etymologies and
case studies, pinker shows how it is natural for the younger generations to say
"notary publics" and "jack-in-the-boxes."
it is to the language elite’s chagrin that pinker shows
we do not naturally tend to use upper-level grammatical rules, and that this
very fact will show us how our brains treat language. 1999. 348 pp.
hardcover. $26.00
4. it's a good life, if you don't weaken
by seth
review by lucas
grubbs
"it’s a good life, if you don’t weaken," a graphic
novel by the author and cartoonist simply known as seth, is a feast for the eyes
and emotions. within its pages the reader will find hypnotically simple images
that capture the small details of everyday life. these images are the medium
through with a beautifully composed story is told. although this is a comic-book
style work, you won’t find action, adventure or bloodshed anywhere here.
the novel’s main character, modeled after the artist
himself, is a person with whom anyone can easily identify. feeling trapped by
the circumstances of his own life, he embarks upon a personal journey both in
the world and within himself that leads him to situations of intense emotional
nostalgia, frustration and despair and eventually a feeling of satisfaction and
discovery. not only is the story told in a very readable and intelligent manner
which draws the reader continuously forward but the serene and sometimes
haunting images liven the experience to levels of neither a comic book nor a
novel. "it’s a good life, if you don’t weaken" is easily read in a single
sitting but the depth of feeling within the storyline and the beautiful artwork
behind it will keep you returning. enjoy the writing and treasure the drawing
and you will find yourself strangely attached. 2000. 170 pp. paperback.
$12.95
5. heart of stone by renate
dorrestein
review by bob
greene
i recently went to amsterdam and
picked up a couple of books to get the flavor of amsterdam. neither had
much to do with living in amsterdam but both were terrific. "a heart of
stone" is a love story, a family story, a story of siblings, madness and
death. each page will make you want to turn the page to the
next.
"a heart of stone" by renate dorrestein
is the first of the author’s several books to be translated into english.
this book unites the stresses of motherhood, post-partum depression and a
mother’s rejection of a child. not the happiest of combinations and not a
comedy gag in the book.
yet the strength of the writing engages
the reader in the main character’s struggle to regain her life in the face of
massive loss. is it possible to love, to have relationships with other people
when your mother withdraws her love? bore into "a heart of stone" and
watch the main character journey through her past to heal her present. 2001.
244 pp. hardsover. $23.95.
6. on the
water by h.m. van der brink
review by
bob greene
"on the water" is
about how being on the water transforms a shy teenager named anton. it is
also one of the most remarkable books i have read. only on the surface is
the story about olympic rowing and the transformation of anton into a star
athlete.
the plot of the book
is how anton and his partner david, through the coaching of dr. schneiderhahn,
get to represent the netherlands in the olympics.
on a deeper level we
see how anton is like a flower which opens to show the depths of his soul.
racing and athletics become the way for a soul to open which was previously
trapped shut. in the training, anton and his partner david achieve harmony
because the physical workouts allow them an understanding of their differences.
"on the water" is set
in the late 1930s, during world war ii, in amsterdam. anton, through
his partnership with david, comes to learn to love himself and his
limitations. yet the war separates anton and david and drives anton near
suicide. but the knowledge of david, anton’s jewish side, recalls anton to
life. david becomes anton’s other, and in the knowledge of his otherness,
anton finds the will to live.
this powerful novella
of bodily achievement becomes a more powerful story of loss and
separation. "on the water" is a stunning addition to holocaust
literature. 2001. 144 pp. hardcover.
$21.00
b. children's books on lewis and
clark 1. my name is york by elizabeth van
steenwyk
review by mary
abshire
a
marvelous picture book with oil on linen illustrations, "my name is york" is an
adaption of one of the least known stories in the lewis and clark journey—the
story of york, the black slave of william clark. though this man’s thoughts and
feelings are not known, the adoption of york’s perspective for the purposes of
narrating the voyage of discovery is an excellent idea to stimulate the
imagination of children and dialogue concerning the nature of slavery. 1997.
32 pp. hardback.
$14.95.
2. on the trail of sacagawea by peter
lourie
review by mary
abshire
peter lourie’s history is a carefully abbreviated
account of the lewis and clark trip, supplemented by the photos and personal
experience of his family as they travelled along the same trail. it is a fair
history of the trip made more realistic to children by maps, photos of
monuments, contemporary native americans, and the landscape as it looks today.
2001. 48 pp. hardback. $18.95.
c. magazine
reviews
1. kyoto journal: media in asia
quarterly,
$9.00
review by mary
abshire
k.j. is a hefty read with the
benefit of being a volunteer-based, non-profit organization. inside k.j. is an
abundance of written forms from short fiction to independent news reporting to
sociological and philosophical inquiries into the matters of the media’s
influence on asia.
this journal is an immense and crucial
resource for anyone interested in world politics. a seven page insert in the
center of the magazine titled, "media immediacy" contains an annotated links
list concerning pan-asian human rights groups, news sources, education advocates
and environmental concerns groups
in vol. 46, questions of vast import
are queried and answered in a myriad of ways, for example, "what have we to
offer two billion people who can’t read? how will we reconcile the asia around
us with the fact that we represent a medium that is an imported sociology
founded on the assumption that efficient commerce is the pinnacle of human
achievement?" how
indeed!
explore this journal to find out more.
learn more about computer experiments with illiterate children in india and
corruption in the japanese media. find out how comic strips are saving
cambodia’s trees from de-forestation. visit the online bookzine at http://www.kampo.co.jp/kyoto-journal/index.html.
2.
persimmon: asian art, literature and culture tri-quarterly,
$7.95
review by mary
abshire
persimmon is a periodical with a
mission of presenting the best of contemporary asian works (or older works which
have never appeared in english before). the result is intriguing and though the
voices within are diverse, they are not disharmonius.
persimmon is dedicated to
showcasing new talent in film, literature, theatre, fine arts and
biography/memoir.
within the pages of the spring
issue of persimmon, haruki murakami, the acclaimed author of norwegian wood,
interviews survivors of the aum poison gas attack. another article is the story
of an indian-american woman who visits her grandmother’s deathbed and returns to
her grandmother’s home village after her death. the works presented in this
periodical are artful and graceful and leave the reader with a taste for
more.
from the bombay theater players to so
chongju’s beautiful poem, “like the wind leaving the lotus,” this periodical is
stimulating and nicely designed. a long dedication to china’s first winner of
the nobel prize, gao xingjian, explains the history of his work, his struggles
through the cultural revoloution and the chinese reaction to his art.
persimmon is a gem of magazine and does
an excellent job of providing fresh and excellent work to open the eyes of
connoisseurs of art
everywhere.
persimmon is published
tri-quarterly by contemporary asian culture, inc., a non-profit organization.
3. the
philosopher's magazine quarterly, $5.95
review by lucas
grubbs
the efforts of the
university of idaho philosophy department and the humble city of moscow have
made an international splash. the summer 2001 issue of the "philosopher’s
magazine," a british publication, features a very positive review of idaho’s
hosting of the inland northwest philosophy conference with the theme of freedom
and determinism. being dubbed as "the sort of city newt gingrich fantasises
about," the philosopher’s magazine hails the quality debates of the conference
and its seemingly unusual backdrop of moscow.
besides the moscow
feature, the summer issue tackles the somewhat quirky theme of tv philosophers.
television evangelists will be shaking in their pulpits after they digest "hegel
goes to hollywood" and the aricle about a weekly taiwanese program dealing with
the analects of confucius. along with the stimulating and entertaining reviews,
the philosopher’s magazine regularly features debates, both new and old of
philosophical matter. not aloof in the least, this is an independent, quarterly
publication that discusses issues of morality, ethics, philosophical theories
and current issues that will be sure to interest just about everyone. And
besides the mind-stimulating sustenance on the inside, it looks pretty nice on
your coffee
table.
d. the last
section
- july 11. hook. kenworthy theater. 1:00, 3:30 and 7 p.m.
all seats $3.00
- july 18. iron giant. kenworthy theater 1:00, 3:00 and
7:00 p.m. all seats $3.00.
- july 19. rendezvous in the park.* world beat and
bayou.east city park.gates open at 4:30 p.m.
- july 20. rendezvous in the park.* country connection.
east city park. gates open at 4:30 p.m.
- july 21. rendezvous in the park.* blues jam. east city
park. gates open at 4:30 p.m.
- july 25. x-men. kenworthy theater. 1:00, 3:30 and 7:00
p.m. all seats $3.00.
- october 2001 "winter range" by claire davis will be
released in paperback.
- september 2001 victor villasenor, author of "rain of
gold" will release a continuation of the story "the thirteen
senses."
*rendezvous in the park tickets can be purchased in advance at
bookpeople of moscow, the moscow farmers’ market and G&B select-a-seat
outlet for $10.00. day of show prices are $15.00. rendezvous buttons (series
pass) can be purchased during june at bookpeople of moscow and rendezvous
offices for $25.00.
>>back to the top
2. cafe
spruce
bookpeople’s own espresso bar, the cafe spruce, offers lattes,
cappucinos, teas, and italian sodas at appealing prices. perk up and cool down
the lazy summer days with our iced coffee drinks. our charming baristas are an
endless source of entertainment, being well-trained in conversation and
theatrics.
speaking of theater,
to be max gash, or not to be max gash
barista max gash will temporarily leave the company of the living as he
brings spirits to life (death?) in william shakespeare’s the tempest, as
performed by the idaho repertory theater. see max on opening night, July 11,
7:30 outside the hartung theater.
>>back to the top
3. bookpeople
services
bookpeople services. espresso
bar. fresh-baked goods. local art. gift items. video
rentals. audio rentals. magazines. books for children, young and old.
any-book-in-print ordering. out of print/rare/used book
ordering. the most eclectic calendars on the palouse. ticket sales for local
events. poetry readings. concerts. new york times vendor.
seattle times vendor. frequent buyer book club.
subscriptions to the new york times are available
through bookpeople. pick-up points are bookpeople, ui administration building
and johnson towers at wsu. the price for a fall semester subscription
(monday-friday) is 34 dollars. subscriptions run from august 27 to december
21.
>>back to the top
4. map to bookpeople
521 south main, moscow id 83843
>>back to the
top