Centennial, James Michener
Now I'm cautious about this book as Sarah planned to take us to Alaska when we return to the USA, so I bought Alaska by Michener to learn about the land a bit. I must admit I loved the Russian part but when the Klondike goldrush happened it really dragged. Sarah no longer wanted to relocate to Alaska and I was secretly relieved, and very pleased to hear she preferred Colorado. So I wanted to arm myself with the history of the land, so I went back to my friend Michener.
I saw the series as a kid, I loved it but didn't understand it much. I read it again at 22, but without a deep understanding of American history I struggled. Thanks to youtube I watched the series again and loved every minute and I wanted the same to while away the hours here on my travels.
The book is over 1000 pages but covers a relatively short-time in history. Apart from the geologicial crap which I skipped over it takes you from the Indian settlers, to Indians getting horses then guns, then meeting the first white man, to meeting the first nasty white men, to the massacre which is close to the Sandcreek Massacre to the coming of cattle. From good crop farming up until the bad farming which caused the dust bowl. The French, English, German, Mexican settlers that all made the west what it is. Some stereotypes are true, some facts are hard to stomach about the west. Not only the genocide of the indians, but also some honesty about how Indians had some cruel devices of their own.
The beauty of the book for me is that it seems the history of this part of America seems to be based on new comers having trouble melting within, but in the end being part of that fabric. In all it seems that all loved the land and were very in tune with it. Ultimately it was the Indians who based their lives on too little, ie the buffalo and the Mexicans who weren't as geared to land ownership who ended up either disappearing or staying on the margins of society. I also loved the fact that the two great events of US history; The War of Independence and The Civil War only get a passing mention as the effects of these nation forming events are remote from this area.
America Unchained, Dave Gorman.
Something that I would love to do with a few get out clauses. Dave Gorman decided to drive from Coast to Coast of America without giving any money to 'The Man'. That means no Starbucks, no McDonalds, he didn't mention them, but no Cracker Barrel (that would be my get out clause), no chain motels or hotels and obviously causing the most problem only filling up at independent gas stations. I wouldn't even know where an independent gas station is in the UK. By and large he almost does it, with a few slip ups. I've seen Dave Gorman live and he is mostly hilarious with his logical approach to explain the absurd. He isn't a socialist or hippy in any straight forward sense. He just wanted to find out the 'real America'. To do that he feels he has to visit Mom and Pop motels and eateries. He meets some amazing people, and his self-imposed rules probably cause him to have a greater experience than a road trip relying on chains.
Initially he plans this as a personal holiday but according to his book, his agent talks him into having a single camera person and making it into a back-to-basics documentary. I have doubts at this stage how hard it was to talk him into this. Surely with the BBC picking up the tab he got much farther as it seems the Ford Tornino station wagon he bought, purely for aestetic purposes than practicality, couldn't go very far without something falling off, overheating or clunking out, causing constant mechanic bills. It is much a story about the making of a documentory than about the content itself. I say to his credit he is witty and as a writer he is more like a television editor. He jumps you around in a format I think similar to the Hangover films where the tragedy is known from the outset, but getting to that place is the story. For me this less used format kept me page turning and constantly interested.
Here's where I am critical. He seeks to find the 'Real America'. Now if American tourists come to Britain and want to see the Real Britain. They set off in an old Rover and zip through the Cotswolds, Devon Villages with a little shop with a bell of the door, and past red phone boxes in Kensington, then they are being patrionising as this is not the Real Britain. Real Britain is a town or city with a shopping centre exactly the same as the next, all possessing the four banks a Next a Costa Coffee and a WHSmith or in the North a Greggs Bakery every 5 paces. Outside the shopping centre before you turn off on a motorway, there is an industrial estate with a PC World, a Halfords and a B&Q, that is real Britain. In the same respect looking for the Real America and trying to find pockets of the 1950s in a 1970s soccer moms car is unrealistic. What you find are remnants of a bygone age, no more relevant to modern life than a replica Old West Saloon. Chains are a reality which have made our lives easier if culturally bland. I think this point was lost on him. It wasn't as if the petrol from and independent gas station came from an independent refinery, 'The Man' still got the money and Dave had to drive further to get it. In actuality you find the Real America when you clear passport control and leave the airport. There it is, the most technologically advanced economy in the world, and over there is an Arby's... deal!
A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard
This was a heavy vacation read and what a brave autobiography. Most know of the case of Jaycee. She was kidnapped in 1991 at 11 years old in Lake Tahoe. She would not see her mother again until she was 30 years old. During this time you can only imagine the anguish a mother went through; losing a child but not having a funeral. However, as this is told through Jaycee's eyes the search by her mother and the authorities is not mentioned, just the trauma Jaycee went through at the hands of Philip and Nancy Gariddo her captors through to reunification with her family on finding eventual freedom.
What is very interesting is besides the original kidnapp there is no mention of physical force on her. Her imprisonment and rapes are successful through fear alone. It becomes a sick bit of Stockholm Symdrome where she looks to him as a protector as well as a torturer. Out of the rapes comes two daughters who Jaycee seems to be justifiably protective to this day. With her kidnapper Philip Gariddo, I found it pointless to try and understand him, he was a disturbed and extremely selfish individual. However his wife, Nancy, who had a wealth of normality about her, but acted as an important enabler for Philip, this is harder to understand. Also harder to understand, but who would; even with the internet coming into her life somewhere in the noughties, Jaycee didn't email help. Maybe you can't understand being completely imprisoned by brainwashing and fear until you are there. Or maybe I can.
Very impressive is the writing of this book by a woman who's education was cut off at the age of 11. Her wording and quotes of T.S Elliot seems that she did all she could to educate herself despite being imprisoned for 18 years. While the details of the abuse is a harrowing read, the book ends on an up and leaves you thinking better about humanity and the kindness of people, and their goodness almost overshadows the evil a minority do.
A Memory of Running, Ron McLarty
If ever there is a feel good story which is crying out the be a road film movie this is it. Smithy is an overweight alcoholic. He has let himself go as he enters his late 30s and early 40s. A series of three events cause him to make a journey from East to the West of America by cycle. One day his parents are injured and later die in a car crash. On opening their letters he also finds out his sister, who has been missing and has a long history of poor mental health is also dead. After the funeral wake for his parents he drunkenly goes into his parents garage finds his old bike and rides and rides. He wakes up on the grass in the morning with a hangover. On going to the store he tries to buy 40 cigarettes and some beer but finds he has only a dollar on him, only enough to buy some bananas. This kick starts something in him, and he keeps riding. With help from his friend Norma, who has carried a crush on him since a child, he finances a journey across the USA with the vague aim to get to see his dead sister. Along the way he meets with other adventures and misunderstandings. He also meets those
who help him to continue.
The lead character is so incredibly lovable. In circumstances throughout his life which would test the most tolerant of us, he shows no aggression and seems to go with the flow both to his aid and sometimes to his detriment. Although his weight is an issue, he is not vain enough to do anything about it, so the cycling and losing weight as he does so seems to only satisfy him in the sense he feels more healthy. He is very much a Forrest Gump type character. The dark humour relating to his sisters mental illness and being shot accused of paedophilia doesn't even seem dark in the way it is written. Such a beautiful book and saying the ending is perfect gives nothing away.
Stupid White Men, Michael Moore
I'm not sure how I feel about Mikey Moore. He's on the left like me and deals with the issues I care about. If there has to be a big radical right, then there has to be a brash loud left?? Yes I like him, but that didn't stop me cringing slightly over several chapters.
His attack on Bush, starting off that he claimed the Presidency in 2000 by coup and a corrupt Supreme Court seems very glib. Yes he had 500,000 votes less than Gore but Democracy is representative not a straight forward tally of people sticking hands in the air. In Britain we have had two elections in my life time where the winning party had less ballot crosses than the next lot. If Gore had been an overall choice of the people it wouldn't have come down to a few old Jewish people in Florida getting confused. His further attacks on Bush seem childish. Asking if he can read. The drink driving incident and possible cocaine use. Lets assume most people with a college education have at one time got high off more than beer, and not embarrass eachother by asking for confirmations.
I was a bit hesitant when I read his ideas on Palestine as this is something I care deeply about. I didn't want him to be glib about this and to my surprise he was bang on. Make Israel earn their hand outs from American tax-payers by commiting to peace and not social cleansing. Diverting the funds to roads and public works in Gaza. This would show the Muslim world what a free dynamic Arab state looks like, and maybe just maybe they'd follow democracy also. I loved his analogy of how abused children often grow up to abuse, and this is with nation states. This was true with Cambodia and it is certainly true with Israel. I was nodding in agreement at what is undeniably this generations South Africa. Then he moves onto Ireland and it goes a bit wrong.
I may look like I have a bias, but Irish terrorism is or was not the same as terrorism against Israel. That is not to say that any terrorism is justifiable. However, Irish Republicanism always had a democratic means to have complete home rule for the whole of Ireland. Sinn Fein just never received the support it wanted with most catholic votes going to the SDLP. Sinn Fein and it's army the IRA were essentially bad losers in the democratic process. Palestinian groups are generally kept out of the Knessnet. A political quango where one Ultra-Orthodox party keeps itself in coalition means the Palestinian groups feel they have no process apart from disobedience. Now for a country (USA) born of the mantra "no taxation without representation" to glorify in song and art the American Revolution, is it right to call Washington and Adams terrorists of the time? Maybe look to the moderate Palestinians and even feel a glow of patriotism as the try to live the original American dream. I've digressed here, but Mikeys answer to the Irish Troubles is for all Protestants to become Catholic. Brilliant! I can see no flaws to that. Oh he was joking? Well we don't laugh at things like that.
I think Mr Moore is someone who is necessary as an entertainer but overly inflates his political importance. I have always been attracted to the left as it always seemed this was the side where we consider controversy and highlight solutions as well as problems. In that sense I don't think I want the lefts answer to Glenn Beck or the Daily Mail. The beauty of the left is we don't need scare tactics and panic inducing policy, we just need truth and a few books on Engels.
Now I'm cautious about this book as Sarah planned to take us to Alaska when we return to the USA, so I bought Alaska by Michener to learn about the land a bit. I must admit I loved the Russian part but when the Klondike goldrush happened it really dragged. Sarah no longer wanted to relocate to Alaska and I was secretly relieved, and very pleased to hear she preferred Colorado. So I wanted to arm myself with the history of the land, so I went back to my friend Michener.
I saw the series as a kid, I loved it but didn't understand it much. I read it again at 22, but without a deep understanding of American history I struggled. Thanks to youtube I watched the series again and loved every minute and I wanted the same to while away the hours here on my travels.
The book is over 1000 pages but covers a relatively short-time in history. Apart from the geologicial crap which I skipped over it takes you from the Indian settlers, to Indians getting horses then guns, then meeting the first white man, to meeting the first nasty white men, to the massacre which is close to the Sandcreek Massacre to the coming of cattle. From good crop farming up until the bad farming which caused the dust bowl. The French, English, German, Mexican settlers that all made the west what it is. Some stereotypes are true, some facts are hard to stomach about the west. Not only the genocide of the indians, but also some honesty about how Indians had some cruel devices of their own.
The beauty of the book for me is that it seems the history of this part of America seems to be based on new comers having trouble melting within, but in the end being part of that fabric. In all it seems that all loved the land and were very in tune with it. Ultimately it was the Indians who based their lives on too little, ie the buffalo and the Mexicans who weren't as geared to land ownership who ended up either disappearing or staying on the margins of society. I also loved the fact that the two great events of US history; The War of Independence and The Civil War only get a passing mention as the effects of these nation forming events are remote from this area.
America Unchained, Dave Gorman.
Something that I would love to do with a few get out clauses. Dave Gorman decided to drive from Coast to Coast of America without giving any money to 'The Man'. That means no Starbucks, no McDonalds, he didn't mention them, but no Cracker Barrel (that would be my get out clause), no chain motels or hotels and obviously causing the most problem only filling up at independent gas stations. I wouldn't even know where an independent gas station is in the UK. By and large he almost does it, with a few slip ups. I've seen Dave Gorman live and he is mostly hilarious with his logical approach to explain the absurd. He isn't a socialist or hippy in any straight forward sense. He just wanted to find out the 'real America'. To do that he feels he has to visit Mom and Pop motels and eateries. He meets some amazing people, and his self-imposed rules probably cause him to have a greater experience than a road trip relying on chains.
Initially he plans this as a personal holiday but according to his book, his agent talks him into having a single camera person and making it into a back-to-basics documentary. I have doubts at this stage how hard it was to talk him into this. Surely with the BBC picking up the tab he got much farther as it seems the Ford Tornino station wagon he bought, purely for aestetic purposes than practicality, couldn't go very far without something falling off, overheating or clunking out, causing constant mechanic bills. It is much a story about the making of a documentory than about the content itself. I say to his credit he is witty and as a writer he is more like a television editor. He jumps you around in a format I think similar to the Hangover films where the tragedy is known from the outset, but getting to that place is the story. For me this less used format kept me page turning and constantly interested.
Here's where I am critical. He seeks to find the 'Real America'. Now if American tourists come to Britain and want to see the Real Britain. They set off in an old Rover and zip through the Cotswolds, Devon Villages with a little shop with a bell of the door, and past red phone boxes in Kensington, then they are being patrionising as this is not the Real Britain. Real Britain is a town or city with a shopping centre exactly the same as the next, all possessing the four banks a Next a Costa Coffee and a WHSmith or in the North a Greggs Bakery every 5 paces. Outside the shopping centre before you turn off on a motorway, there is an industrial estate with a PC World, a Halfords and a B&Q, that is real Britain. In the same respect looking for the Real America and trying to find pockets of the 1950s in a 1970s soccer moms car is unrealistic. What you find are remnants of a bygone age, no more relevant to modern life than a replica Old West Saloon. Chains are a reality which have made our lives easier if culturally bland. I think this point was lost on him. It wasn't as if the petrol from and independent gas station came from an independent refinery, 'The Man' still got the money and Dave had to drive further to get it. In actuality you find the Real America when you clear passport control and leave the airport. There it is, the most technologically advanced economy in the world, and over there is an Arby's... deal!
A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard
This was a heavy vacation read and what a brave autobiography. Most know of the case of Jaycee. She was kidnapped in 1991 at 11 years old in Lake Tahoe. She would not see her mother again until she was 30 years old. During this time you can only imagine the anguish a mother went through; losing a child but not having a funeral. However, as this is told through Jaycee's eyes the search by her mother and the authorities is not mentioned, just the trauma Jaycee went through at the hands of Philip and Nancy Gariddo her captors through to reunification with her family on finding eventual freedom.
What is very interesting is besides the original kidnapp there is no mention of physical force on her. Her imprisonment and rapes are successful through fear alone. It becomes a sick bit of Stockholm Symdrome where she looks to him as a protector as well as a torturer. Out of the rapes comes two daughters who Jaycee seems to be justifiably protective to this day. With her kidnapper Philip Gariddo, I found it pointless to try and understand him, he was a disturbed and extremely selfish individual. However his wife, Nancy, who had a wealth of normality about her, but acted as an important enabler for Philip, this is harder to understand. Also harder to understand, but who would; even with the internet coming into her life somewhere in the noughties, Jaycee didn't email help. Maybe you can't understand being completely imprisoned by brainwashing and fear until you are there. Or maybe I can.
Very impressive is the writing of this book by a woman who's education was cut off at the age of 11. Her wording and quotes of T.S Elliot seems that she did all she could to educate herself despite being imprisoned for 18 years. While the details of the abuse is a harrowing read, the book ends on an up and leaves you thinking better about humanity and the kindness of people, and their goodness almost overshadows the evil a minority do.
A Memory of Running, Ron McLarty
If ever there is a feel good story which is crying out the be a road film movie this is it. Smithy is an overweight alcoholic. He has let himself go as he enters his late 30s and early 40s. A series of three events cause him to make a journey from East to the West of America by cycle. One day his parents are injured and later die in a car crash. On opening their letters he also finds out his sister, who has been missing and has a long history of poor mental health is also dead. After the funeral wake for his parents he drunkenly goes into his parents garage finds his old bike and rides and rides. He wakes up on the grass in the morning with a hangover. On going to the store he tries to buy 40 cigarettes and some beer but finds he has only a dollar on him, only enough to buy some bananas. This kick starts something in him, and he keeps riding. With help from his friend Norma, who has carried a crush on him since a child, he finances a journey across the USA with the vague aim to get to see his dead sister. Along the way he meets with other adventures and misunderstandings. He also meets those
who help him to continue.
The lead character is so incredibly lovable. In circumstances throughout his life which would test the most tolerant of us, he shows no aggression and seems to go with the flow both to his aid and sometimes to his detriment. Although his weight is an issue, he is not vain enough to do anything about it, so the cycling and losing weight as he does so seems to only satisfy him in the sense he feels more healthy. He is very much a Forrest Gump type character. The dark humour relating to his sisters mental illness and being shot accused of paedophilia doesn't even seem dark in the way it is written. Such a beautiful book and saying the ending is perfect gives nothing away.
I'm not sure how I feel about Mikey Moore. He's on the left like me and deals with the issues I care about. If there has to be a big radical right, then there has to be a brash loud left?? Yes I like him, but that didn't stop me cringing slightly over several chapters.
His attack on Bush, starting off that he claimed the Presidency in 2000 by coup and a corrupt Supreme Court seems very glib. Yes he had 500,000 votes less than Gore but Democracy is representative not a straight forward tally of people sticking hands in the air. In Britain we have had two elections in my life time where the winning party had less ballot crosses than the next lot. If Gore had been an overall choice of the people it wouldn't have come down to a few old Jewish people in Florida getting confused. His further attacks on Bush seem childish. Asking if he can read. The drink driving incident and possible cocaine use. Lets assume most people with a college education have at one time got high off more than beer, and not embarrass eachother by asking for confirmations.
I was a bit hesitant when I read his ideas on Palestine as this is something I care deeply about. I didn't want him to be glib about this and to my surprise he was bang on. Make Israel earn their hand outs from American tax-payers by commiting to peace and not social cleansing. Diverting the funds to roads and public works in Gaza. This would show the Muslim world what a free dynamic Arab state looks like, and maybe just maybe they'd follow democracy also. I loved his analogy of how abused children often grow up to abuse, and this is with nation states. This was true with Cambodia and it is certainly true with Israel. I was nodding in agreement at what is undeniably this generations South Africa. Then he moves onto Ireland and it goes a bit wrong.
I may look like I have a bias, but Irish terrorism is or was not the same as terrorism against Israel. That is not to say that any terrorism is justifiable. However, Irish Republicanism always had a democratic means to have complete home rule for the whole of Ireland. Sinn Fein just never received the support it wanted with most catholic votes going to the SDLP. Sinn Fein and it's army the IRA were essentially bad losers in the democratic process. Palestinian groups are generally kept out of the Knessnet. A political quango where one Ultra-Orthodox party keeps itself in coalition means the Palestinian groups feel they have no process apart from disobedience. Now for a country (USA) born of the mantra "no taxation without representation" to glorify in song and art the American Revolution, is it right to call Washington and Adams terrorists of the time? Maybe look to the moderate Palestinians and even feel a glow of patriotism as the try to live the original American dream. I've digressed here, but Mikeys answer to the Irish Troubles is for all Protestants to become Catholic. Brilliant! I can see no flaws to that. Oh he was joking? Well we don't laugh at things like that.
I think Mr Moore is someone who is necessary as an entertainer but overly inflates his political importance. I have always been attracted to the left as it always seemed this was the side where we consider controversy and highlight solutions as well as problems. In that sense I don't think I want the lefts answer to Glenn Beck or the Daily Mail. The beauty of the left is we don't need scare tactics and panic inducing policy, we just need truth and a few books on Engels.
Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser
Even if you haven't seen the film or heard about the book, I'm sure you can guess this is about Fast Food and how bad it is for us. This is only true in a fraction of a sense. Fast Food is bad for society generally, with the slaughtered animals probably the luckier ones within the industry. The book starts quite even handed with The Founding Fathers of Fast Food. The part dealing with the early 20th Century when burgers and hot dogs were not only coming of their own but produced what I think are American heroes, who worked hard and saved and built great livings as a result of this. Even Ray Kroc who bought the first franchise of McDonalds and sold this on seems a man of noble intentions, seeking only to introduce Fordism into the food industry. Thus making a business of affordable food, so eating out was for all not just the middle classes. What could be more egalitarian?
With progress comes victims. As we approach the last quarter of the 20th Century we see the barbaric production process which causes injury and misery not only to Americans but in almost the majority of cases illegal immigrants. I immediately think of a Republican redneck who is scoffing a burger, complaining about immigration and not caring how reliant that meat was on some wet-backs getting through. If the meat companies care little about the animals, they care less about immigrants getting injured horrifically in killing rooms. Health care is not an issue, an injured Mexican can be tipped off to INS and deported with a few hundred other illegals there to take his or her place.
As with the workers the customers are treated with similar disdain. In a case where Wendys provided 400,000 pounds of beef infected with E-Coli they only recalled 20.000 pounds under the claim "hasn't been tested correctly" not has been tested and contains E-Coli. If you had a Wendy's in Illinois, Missouri, Michigan or Nebraska in 1994 I hope you are ok. It also went into how a death from E-Coli works. Long story short it liquifies your brain and eats up your internal organs. A painful death will follow several toilet bowls full of blood. E-Coli also seems to effect children most and more efficiently, who are incidentally the target market in what is called 'pester power'.
I don't think it will stop me going into a fast food place even though the truth is so graphic. Ultimately fast food is progression, and progression is an unchecked by-product of capitalism. You show me a part of capitalism which has no victims amongst the clueless and vulnerable.
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