On reproduction, life and changes in society

I love it when the title of a book just begs you to read it. I saw this book listed on amazon and just had to have the library order it. I started reading it yesterday and absolutely couldn't put it down (except, of course, when I had to). Thought-provoking, ire-raising and shocking, this book is a must read for anyone interesting in medical technology, reproduction, the beginning of life or, really, just understanding some of what drives our culture. Okay, now that you are dying to know what the book is.......Everything Conceivable: How Assisted Reproduction is Changing Men, Women and the World by Liz Mundy.

What does it mean that there are probably more than 500,000 frozen embryos in storage in this country? What does it mean that the multiple pregnancy rate increases every year? What does it mean that the number of children conceived with the help of egg and/or sperm donors increases each year? Are we to believe that genetics are all important or totally unimportant? Mundy's book explores the realm of assisted reproduction with grace and care. She lays out the questions and issues without telling the reader what to think. Even so, it is impossible to read this book and not have your opinions challenged, no matter what side of the "reproductive rights" argument you happen to be on. Mundy's description of assisted reproduction is that of a social experiment that none of us really understands (and, face it, we probably all know someone who has suffered from infertility and/or sought some kind of fertility treatment...this is not an uncommon problem). She points out legal, ethical, moral and social questions that no one seems to be thinking about but that could just change the world forever.

This book is a gripping, sometimes frightening read...but it's definitely worth it.

Interesting Historical Fiction

I came across Fire Bell in the Night in a rather odd way. The author, Geoffrey Edwards sent me an email asking me if I'd like to read his book. I think this might be because I'm a member of Gather.com and Mr. Edwards was one of the winners of their first First Chapters contest. I'm not sure of that, though. Maybe Mr. Edwards just happened on my blog and that's why he emailed me. He probably feels cheated now, though. When he sent me the book I was posting a lot more and had quite a bit more blog traffic than I do now. Still, I'm going to review this book and hopefully some of my few remaining readers will pick it up!

Fire Bell in the Night is set in Charleston, S.C. in the summer of 1850. Charleston is a town on the brink, threatening secession over the potential breakdown of their way of life. Residents are sure that the new Mexico territory is about to enter the union and disrupt the delicate balance between slave and free states. On top of those concerns, there is a pervasive fear of a slave uprising. The city is tense and war seems close at hand. Mr. Edwards tells his story through the point of view of a reporter from the north who was sent to Charleston to cover the trial of a man accused of violating the Fugitive Slave Act.

The story is fantastic. I was drawn in from the beginning and really couldn't put the book down. I recommend it for the story. There are some down sides. I thought the dialog was stilted and there were a number of conversations that were just too unrealistic, too 21st century, I guess. Still, it's a great read...go to your library/bookstore and check it out.

A Challenged Book, Why?

I picked up The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick because I read about it in a recent issue of American Libraries. It was in AL because it has been challenge at a few school libraries recently. (It is a YA book.) So, because I like to know what the controversy is about, I decided to read it. I really don't get what all the excitement is about.

The book is a science fiction post-apocalypse type book. Most of the world and people have been destroyed by an earth quake. The people who are left are living as animals, except for the "proovs", or genetically improved people, who are living in a protected compound called Eden. The "norms", obviously, alternately hate and are jealous of the proovs. Really the book is your typical normal kid saves the world type book. I thought it was interesting enough, not really my cup of tea but definitely not a book that should make a challenge list!

More Ann Patchett

Yep, still on an Ann Patchett kick. I recently finished The Patron Saint of Liars. It's about a married woman who gets pregnant and has a little breakdown. She runs away from her husband to an unmarried girls home to have her baby and she intends to give it up for adoption. Of course, to stay in this home she has to say she's unmarried and she makes up a lot of stuff about who she is and why she is there. I really enjoyed the book but I really hated the character. So, I guess that's why Patchett is such a good author...she can write and excellent book full of people I don't like!

One more thing

Okay, so I just want to make one more comment about Huckabee's book. One thing that really bothered me about it was the way he kept talking about the circumstances by which he became governor of Arkansas. He was actually Lieutenant Governor when the previous Governor was convicted for his role in the Whitewater scandal. So, Huckabee was going to be sworn in when the previous Governor decided he didn't want to resign after all. Anyway, it was a bit of a crisis, I can see that.

Still, it bothered me that Huckabee kept calling it the biggest constitutional crisis Arkansas had ever faced. Yeah. Because Federal troops weren't ever called in to make sure that black children were able to go to high school. And that state didn't ever secede from the union. So, definitely, Huckabee's minor scuffle over the governorship was the biggest constitutional crisis. Talk about an ahistorical viewpoint.

A glimpse at the candidate

So, I picked up Mike Huckabee's book Character Makes a Difference: Where I'm From, Where I've Been and What I Believe because my husband is a Huckabee supporter and I was interested in learning more about him. I was hoping the book would be a thoughtful discussion of his positions on the important issues of our time and some insight into how he came to those positions. Unfortunately, the book seemed like little more than a vanity exercise. Huckabee described his rise to the governor's seat in Arkansas and gives very brief bits of his bio. He often says that he made difficult decisions but he never says what those decisions were or how he made them.

Come to find out, this book is essentially a repeat of his 1997 book, Character is the Issue. I guess it's just been repackaged for because of his new popularity. I know a lot of people who have been pretty taken by Huckabee and by some of his debate answers and such but I'm still looking for more information and definitely will not be voting for him. In the search for more information, this book is really unhelpful.

On a side note, Washingtonians, like myself, will be caucusing tomorrow. If you live in Washington...go to your caucus. This is important. You may send in your ballet for the primary but it does not matter. For Democrats, the primary votes will assign NO delegates to the electoral college. Republicans will only assign 19 of their delegates through the primary election. Much like Huckabee's book, the Washington state primary seems to be a vanity exercise. The real election takes place at tomorrow's caucus meetings!