Review: Animal Wise by Virginia Morell

Animal Wise by Virginia Morell

Non-Fiction (2013)

How and what animals think is a topic I thought I'd be interested in.   Initially comparing it to my favorite book about animal emotions, When Elephants Weep by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, I struggled with the scientific aspect of Animal Wise. Despite it's subtitle, "The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures," in the book Morell states that although cognition and emotion operate on the same pathway of the brain, less is known about emotion because researchers have not discovered how to study it. And it is because of this proclaimed inability to study animal emotions that critics of Masson's book regard him as guilty of anthropomorphizing.  I myself am guilty of such, which is probably why I enjoyed his book as much as I did.  That said, Animal Wise is a well researched, well-documented book based on actual animal experiments.

Several animals are highlighted in the book:  Dolphins, Ants, Chimpanzees, Rats, Fish, Birds, and Parrots specifically, Elephants, Dogs and Wolves. My favorite chapters were on ants - it's incredible how much they "communicate" and work together - and rats, which I despise, but found interesting that they love to be tickled! And I love everything about elephants, another chapter favorite. Morell may have stated why the animals highlighted were chosen; if so, I don't remember.

Putting aside my initial disappointment that this book was less about animal emotions and more about cognition, I was finally able to enjoy it. It's wonderful to learn how deeply invested scientists and biologists are in understanding the animal world. As this book proves, animals know a lot more than we think they do.

I recommend this book if you have a serious love for animals. It will strengthen your love and broaden your knowledge.

Rating:  4/5

Thank you to Crown Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Mini Reviews: Let It Go, Believe, Dancing Dogs

BELIEVE

About:  Rutgers' football player Eric LeGrand, who was paralyzed from the neck down during a football game.

Thoughts:  At first I thought the writing was amateurish, but then I remembered he was a college student and is now only 22 years old. So the writing is real, and LeGrand is forthcoming about his emotions and struggles as a quadriplegic. It may be TMI, but he even talked about his bathroom habits. I wanted to feel sorry for him and what happened, but after reading his story I felt only admiration. I really enjoyed this. 

Rating:  4/5 ~ Recommend if you're interested in a story about sports as well as inspiration and courage after tragedy.

LET IT GO

About:  The author's family's car is hit by a 17-year-old drunk driver. Two of his children are killed, as is his wife, who is 5 months pregnant. Another child is critically injured.  The story focuses on his forgiveness of the driver. Interestingly, and ironically, the author was 16 when he accidentally hit a 5-year-old boy who had run into the street. He died a few days later.  The boy's mother wrote a comforting letter of forgiveness to him, which I'm sure helped pave the way of forgiveness towards the 17-year-old who hit his family.

Thoughts:  It was okay. A little too religious for my taste. Normally I like faith-based books, but I don't understand Mormonism, so I was probably turned off by that (just being honest), but mostly because it went overboard in the religious department.

Example:  "My appreciation and gratitude grew for dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ who were always willing to make time to bless my family.  It was a gentle reminder that these were all evidences and expressions of love from the Savior, who is the fount of charity, mercy, kindness, and long-suffering, and that it didn't really matter which vessel that power flowed through.  What mattered was the source of that power - the Savior himself - and our willingness to let his light shine through us, illuminating the lives of others." It wasn't ALL overly religious like that, but too much for my taste.

Rating:  3.5/5  ~ Can't say I'd recommend to anyone. 

DANCING DOGS

About:  Short fictional stories about dogs.

Thoughts:  I'm not a fan of short stories since I don't like not having enough time to get to know the characters, but these were about dogs - which I love - so it didn't matter. Almost every story was about a dog who was rescued (yay!), and although I've read complaints that all the stories are sad, that didn't bother me. They were all heartwarming and sweet. Jon Katz is an incredible writer.

Rating:  4/5 ~ Recommend if you love dogs.

Another Book Everyone Liked But Me...

Oh why do I torture myself?

Once again I gave in and tried a book that "everyone" was reading. I knew it wasn't my style, but I thought I'd give it a whirl. It's a #1 Bestseller...I've got to like it, right?

I read 300 pages before finally giving up.

Fifty Shades of Grey was sexy, steamy...and so silly! The entire plot was that of a man seducing a young girl who becomes his sex slave. At least that's the gist I got after 300 pages. Maybe there was more to the story, but I wasn't going to read another 200 pages to find out.

Adding this to the list of books that everyone liked but me:

Fifty Shades of Grey
Eat Pray Love
Poisonwood Bible
Three Cups of Tea
Time Traveler's Wife
Harry Potter
Room

A few "bandwagon" books I did like were The Help, Kite Runner, Unbroken, The Shack, The Book Thief, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Oh well. You don't know until you try.

Lynne

Review: Law Man: My Story of Robbing Banks, Winning Supreme Court Cases, and Finding Redemption

Author:  Shon Hopwood (with Dennis Burke)

Genre:  Memoir (2012)

About:  Shon Hopwood was a good kid from a loving family. He played high school basketball, had friends and attended church.  After serving in the Navy and bored at home with no job prospects or money, Shon enlisted the help of his friend to rob a bank. The thrill of the first robbery led to more. Four more, as a matter of fact. At age 23 he was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. While there, Shon worked in the prison law library and learned of his knack for learning the laws (not just breaking them!). He soon received respect - and requests for legal help - from his fellow inmates.  

Thoughts:  I enjoyed this.  My only annoyance was in Shon's discounting the seriousness of the robberies he committed.  He may as well have been recounting a trip to Disneyland.  Otherwise, his story is  positive and uplifting, and I can't help but think that his life circumstances - of robbing banks, serving time, working in the prison law library, becoming interested in law, having the right people placed in his path to continue law after prison, AND falling in love with a woman who stuck by his side through it all  - were orchestrated by God. Although he does mention a religious aspect to turning his life around, it's not a main focus of the book. One more thing...the pictures. I always love pictures to help me relate to the story and there were lots! 

Rating:  4/5 

*Thank you to Crown Publishing/Random House for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: January First: A Child's Descent into Madness and Her Father's Struggle to Save Her

Author:  Michael Schofield

Genre:  Memoir (2012)

Descriptive Words:  Childhood schizophrenia, hallucinations, imaginary friends, hospitalization, violence

About:  Michael Schofield gives a heartbreaking and shocking glimpse into parenting a schizophrenic child. His 6-year-old daughter, January (Janni), is diagnosed with childhood onset schizophrenia after two years of misdiagnoses and inpatient stays, and being discharged despite lack of improvement. The family's journey is wrought with desperation and denial. Told first to simply provide "tough love" and stricter boundaries, the Schofields were forced to face the reality of schizophrenia when Janni indicated the constant presence of imaginary friends and demonstrated a desire to harm her newborn brother, with a clear inability to control herself.

My thoughts:  If not for life interrupting, I'd have finished this almost 300-pager in one sitting. Still, I read it in two days. Schofield's writing had me completely riveted. Having worked in Adult and Child Psychiatry for 15 years, I appreciate immensely the difficult task of loving a child with schizophrenia. I saw only from the perimeter what Schofield lived every day. Parents vacillate from wanting to help their child to wanting to institutionalize them, primarily because of the violence inflicted on themselves and others. With no cure in sight for this nightmarish illness, parents and families of loved ones afflicted should be applauded; there is no harder job in the world.

My friends and family rely on me for 5-star book recommendations so as not to waste time on less than stellar reads.  I'll be recommending this - my favorite book of the year so far - to everyone I know.

Rating:  5/5 

Thank you to Crown Publishing/Random House for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Through These Veins

Author: Anne Marie Ruff

Genre: Fiction (2011)

Descriptive Words: Drama, death, love, AIDS, cure, scientist, Ethiopia

About:An Italian scientist discovers an Ethiopian medicine man dispensing an apparent cure for AIDS. The medicine man's daughter reveals the plants behind the cure. Their lives along with U.S. government funded AIDS research and the pharmaceutical industry,become entwined.

Rating and Thoughts:Although the blurb referring to research, pharmaceutical companies, and scientific trials isn't one I would normally be drawn to, the reference to Ethiopia, as well as the people involved intrigued me. I never had the "I can't wait to pick up the book again to find out what happens" feeling - which for me earns a book a 5-star rating - but once I did pick it up, the story completely held my interest. The writing was well done, and I especially appreciated the author's thorough research, as well as the glossary of Ethiopian terms at the end of the book. Overall I enjoyed it.

4/5

* Other than the free book given to me by the publicist, I was neither compensated nor swayed in any way for my review

Eric update

E was invited to play in the Missouri All-Star game in Springfield, MO this weekend. The kids on the team are from Vianney, Marquette, Cardinal Ritter and I'm not sure where else. Cameron Biedschied was supposed to play, but he already left for Notre Dame. Eric's team will play teams from seven regions of Missouri. If his team wins on Saturday they play on Sunday at 11:30 am. The championship game is at 5:30. I have a wedding to go to on Saturday, so I'll miss that game, but I'm hoping they win and play on Sunday. I really want to go!

This pic is of Eric, Nolan and their trainer, Tracy. E weighs 210 now, up 15 or 20 pounds since the end of the season. He had lost so much weight playing b-ball.

Notice the Mizzou t-shirt :)



Next Friday is the big day! Off to college he goes. Is he ready? Yes. He's bored out of his mind. Am I ready? I love him, but absolutely yes.

We've done some shopping for his dorm room - actually I'VE done...he couldn't care less what I buy. We still need to get extra long sheets and a fan. Eric is obsessed with having a fan on in his room. He's nervous about sharing a room after having had his own room for so long. It doesn't help that Eric found out through friends that Ryan, his roommate, is a neat freak. When he finds out what a slob Eric is, Ryan is going to FREAK! I feel sorry for him. But maybe E will pick up some good habits? I hope. If Ryan doesn't kill him first...

E has to get a passport for the team trip to Holland, Belgium and France on August 8-18. What an experience. I'm excited for him.

Next time I write, my nest will be empty.

Lynne