Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach ★★★★☆

Space travel is way funnier than I thought!

Non Fiction – Adult – Science/History

334 pages

Publication Date:  2010 

Mary Roach applies her own unique brand of scientific curiosity and fun humor to explore the development of space travel.

Okay so I do acknowledge that I love Mary Roach and am prone to like her books.  When I read them I feel like I am having a drink with a very animated friend (I am also convinced we could be good friends in real life, though it would be very one sided with her delighting me and me not adding much to her life other than my adoration), but in all fairness this was a very well done book in its own right.  Well written and researched, Ms. Roach has really looked into the information not commonly discussed.

I also like that Ms. Roach tends to find the same things interesting as I do (there are some pretty great poop jokes in this one for those of us who enjoy that grade school humor and I loved the whole bit alcohol in space), and she does a fantastic job searching out the strange and overlooked.  And while this book proved to me that I was right in never wanting to go to space - it is way more horrible than even I dreamed - the creativity and ingenuity needed to create and develop these projects is so far and beyond anything I ever imagined.  I found the whole subject very thought provoking.  I have really come to admire the people involved in these types of projects.  And while I will always tend toward the practical I started to understand the overall value to humanity to push ourselves beyond the mundane, because of this book. 

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time by Dava Sobel ★★★☆☆

I heart microhistories!

 Non Fiction – Microhistory – Chronometer

Publication Date:  1995

Pages:  192

Literary Awards:  Royal Society Prize Nominee for General Prize (1997)

In a time when the seas represented the chance for growth, but the perils and very real possibility of being lost at a sea hampered efforts, John Harrison created the chronometer.  This clock was his answer to the longitude problem.  While others wanted to depend on the night skies John Harrison chose to depend on technology.  Entering his idea into the English contest with unheard of winnings, Harrison and his son spent decades fighting for what they believed was their due and to prove the worth of their machine.

First, I just want to say, I adore microhistories.  They are delightful little nuggets of stories that usually hold more importance in the grand scheme of things than we could have imagined.  I also appreciate how they usually lead me to other semi related topics.  My gushing over, I can now move onto the actual review

I personally have never really considered before how half hazard ship navigation was.  Most of my history lessons involved how the ships found places, not how they were basically just guesstimating their proximity to the desired destination, with very real and horrible consequences.  Ms. Sobel really laid out the issue in such a way for me, as a modern reader, to understand the dangers each voyage faced.  Once explained it was incredibly easy to appreciate how this clock could change things and why it was so incredibly important.

Ms. Sobel’s popular account of this monumental time in history is more suited to the everyday reader than an academic.  Her writing style leaned toward the elegant and the flow of the interesting and easy to follow narrative was engaging (let’s be honest, even a history lover like myself knows that it takes talent to keep the information from going dry).  Her story telling was well-constructed and had some really great anecdotes woven seamlessly in (the whole bit about how sauerkraut warded off scurvy was really fascinating).  Her assessment of the issues appears to be fair and free of hero worship.   She gives off the impression of some well able apt to understand the subject (okay, so I know that sounds kind like a “well duh” statement, but trust me, not all writer’s ambition is well matched to their ability).  It is short enough to be a one sit read, but in the fight for my attention it did tend to lose out, so it took me a few days.  It would have been nice to have a directory of characters at the back to help keep track of the players.  And I would have really liked to see a schematic and picture with working explanation of the chronometer (though I did find out after I finished writing the review that the 10^th anniversary addition apparently addresses this issue).  Overall I am impressed with Ms. Sobel and in pursuit of her other books.

ISBN  0802714625 (ISBN13: 9780802714626)

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us by Tanya Lee Stone ★★★☆☆

Barbie; just a doll or the gateway drug to superficialism?

Non Fiction – Culture

144 pages

Publication Date: 2010

Literary awards: Golden Kite Award (2011)

This book takes an interesting look at Barbie’s influence on our culture and our influence on her.  Using memories and anecdotes from generations of women, Tanya Lee Stone, explores Barbie’s iconic status and investigates the complicated relationship Barbie has with the world at large.

Growing up I never wanted to be kid, but always an adult.  My Barbies lived glamorous lives filled with parties, dates – where Ken was always a second class citizen and basically only there to glorify Barbie and hold her purse when necessary - and paying bills, and of course every event required many outfit changes so she could look picture perfect.  From the time I tried to curl her hair with a light bulb to receiving Barbie’s silver Corvette and inheriting Barbie’s magnificent house she was a nice addition to my imaginary life.  So when I saw this book I just couldn’t ignore it.

To be honest I never really thought about Barbie as an unholy influence, with her ridiculous body or her focus on materialism.  The most passionate feeling I ever associated with her was when I took my life in my hands at the age of 3 and removed all of the rings and earrings from my Aunt’s collection – which apparently if memory serves was not the first time I violated her dolls – and she was pretty sure she needed to kill me.  And frankly for the most part I’m still basically there in my opinions as far as the doll is concerned. 

While, I liked the look into Barbie’s history and her evolution in this book, what I most enjoyed about this book was the ideas it sparked and the challenge it presented to my thoughts on women in society.  This book was very thought provoking for me, especially as a mother of two girls.  It spurred my need to clarify my own beliefs about feminism and created talking points for my husband and I on the subject.  The discussion on values we want to instill in our children is, as always, on-going, but pushing myself to put my own ideas into focus can only be helpful.

In the end I decided what matters is that my girls have the power to choose how they define themselves.  They decide what being a woman looks like to them.  They - and I – need to decide how to define ourselves and not allow the labels shoved on us to limit our potential.

For another perspective on raising girls a friend shared this article with me on Facebook and I thought I would pass it on:    http://www.raisinggodlychildren.org/2013/04/im-not-afraid-to-raise-daughters.html

ISBN  0670011878 (ISBN13: 9780670011872)

American Nightingale: The Story of Frances Slanger, Forgotten Heroine of Normandy by Bob Welch ★★★★★

A purpose filled life

Non Fiction – Biography – WWII History

320 pages                             

Publication Date: 2004

A true American hero, Frances Slanger, was a Jewish girl who grew up in Poland and lived through World War I until her immigration to the United States at the age of seven.  Striving to become a nurse against her family’s wishes and then finally joining the military to become part of the first nursing group to arrive on Normandy beach, Frances Slanger always believed that she had something to contribute, a purpose to fulfill.  She survived the daily hardships of war as a nurse at the 45^th Field Hospital and became the voice of a grateful nation when she wrote an unforgettable letter to the Stars and Stripes newspaper honoring the soldiers serving in the European Theatre.  Unfortunately she was killed the next day after mailing the letter by German shells.

A mesmerizing true story so engrossing and vivid that even knowing the end my heart still hurt to read those final chapters.  This story is a fitting tribute to not only Frances Slanger and her sacrifice, but to all of those clinging to hope during that horrific time.   Frances Slanger was a fighter who believed in a God given purpose and actually did something about it.  This is a celebration of a humble woman who believed she had little to give, but gave it willingly.

This is a story not just anyone could write about.  Bob Welch has a special gift; giving a soul to this story and not merely recounting a series of events.  His writing of the unadorned, and at times horrific, reality has a gritty edge to it, which is able to convey the seriousness of the situations without being completely off putting for the reader.  Not a very easy balancing act, but Welch manages it perfectly.  He lightens the load with the graceful interweaving of Slanger’s story and history with other accounts to give dimension and put the reader directly in the action.  Welch also makes great use of Frances Slanger’s own writing; insight into her thoughts feelings and character gives an intimate understanding of her goals and struggles.

Frances Slanger was a woman who was grateful to give.  A woman who believed she could make a difference just by caring.  A woman who heard a call to serve others and answered.

I have older relatives who lament how bad the world has gotten.  Who talk about the “old days” with longing and nostalgia.  I can’t agree with them.  I’ve read enough history to know there haven’t really been the good old days.  WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the cold war, the fight for equality on all levels, these aren’t exactly peaceful things let alone everything going on in people’s lives on a smaller scale.  The landscape of the world changes, our idea of who the “enemy” is changes, but really we still fight the same things.  The real enemy is still there though the face may look different; indifference, greed, hatred, treating others as less than God made them.  I think the fight rages on person by person, heart by heart.

We love stories like Frances Slanger because we love the idea of meaning in life, but more than sitting back and enjoying a good story it should inspire us to find our own purpose.  To find our own way of making the world a better place, to find a cause and take up our own fight.

ISBN 0743477596 (ISBN13: 9780743477598)