Category Archives: Book Reviews

Bona Vita by Ross Machitto

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For those of us that love memories and biographies my I suggest Bona Vita by Ross Machitto. Bona Vita is a family history told in a style that evokes fire side chats with the grandfather you always wanted. The story traces a families journey from Italy to California farm country and a mans journey from a potential baseball career to starting his own business. With the great depression and World War II as a back drop Bona Vita is part history lesson and part tale of the value of hard work and a good education. If you love family histories and tales of perseverance than check out Bona Vita for an easy and enjoyable read that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Popularity: 4%

Manga Guides to all sorts of subjects

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Lately I’ve been reading a bunch of Graphic novels and really enjoying the story telling medium. I was not much of a comics kid growing up though I do remember reading my cousins Richie Rich comics when we would come to visit. It wasn’t until well into adulthood that I got ahold of a series of comics and really connected with the genere. Recently I was sent a couple of Books from No Starch Press to have a look at and it seemed to go right along with this new found appreciation of graphic novels and comics. The books were The Manga Guide To The Universe and The Manga Guide To Physics. Manga was a genere that I had not really had chance to explore and these books were an interesting entrance into Japanesse comic style.

The Manga Guide To The Universe combines comics, explanatory paragraphs and diagrams, and even a little history of Japanesse culture using a couple of High School characters to guide us through. Answering questions like “Is Earth the center of the universe?“ and “What’s it like at the edge of the universe?” with graphic story telling and in depth explanations. I liked how the comics lead you into a subject and then the more technical part came at the end. There was almost a softening up and easing into new subjects before getting into the meat of the information.

The Manga Guide To Physics uses the same format of comics and paragraphs but this time we are reading about Megumi, an all-star athlete that needs a little help with her Physics. The Law of action and reaction, force and motion, momentum, and energy is covered but through story. There are even lab exercises in the book for the reader to put what they are learning into action. This seems like a great book for those students taking physics right now as well as those that just want a refresher course on the basics. Having not taken Physics myself it was kid of fun to dig into the subject right along with Megumi.

I don’t know that I am a big Manga fan and I think that you should be to fully appreciate these books. While the subject matter is great I think that a familiarity with the comic style would help. If you like Magna already or know someone that does then these are the books for them. They deal with complex subjects in a fun narrative way. There are Manga titles on a wide range of subjects at the No Starch website so if Physics and the Universe don’t grab you attention maybe Statistics, Calculus, or Relativity will. Check the wide range of titles at the site and start learning a new subject or catch up with one you may have forgotten.

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Book Review: Tractors, Planes, Golf & Dames

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A little home spun truisms about family, love, and good old fashioned work ethic provide the backbone for this memoir, Tractors, Planes, Golf, & Dames by Don Volk. The book tells the story of Don’s life on the farm learning all about hard work and how things work from his parents. It then traces his time flying planes in three campaigns for the with the U.S. Army Air Corps where he started his career at 18, and on to his pursuit of life in the PGA. Through out this journey Don shares the lessons he has learned along the way and the stories he’s accumulated.

The real spark of this book are his relationships, first with his first wife Petie as they faced her fight and eventual passing from Cancer. Don shares candidly of their struggle and their endearing love as they battle the insidious desease. After losing Petie he falls in love with Sandy only to go through much of same battle with Cancer. The enduring power of love and his capacity for strength lead Don through and finally into his second marriage with Wandi.

This book is an odd love story, a memoir, and a testament to the extraordinary lives that all of us ordinary people lead.

Popularity: 4%

Colossal Cannons and other joys of boxes in the mail

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The box arrived late in the day, close to nap time and the boys were immediately intrigued. Packages from the UPS guys usually mean toys from Grammie but this one had my name on it so they thought it was going to be more Timbers swag. They were still interested cause like anyone that gets a package even knowing what it might be doesn’t diminish the excitement of opening up the wrapped treasure. We grabbed a knife and cut into the box to reveal a glowing green light of wonder. The boys have not gotten into superhero stuff much, likely because I was never to into comic books as a kid. I read short stories on sports heroes, choosing tales of Ty Cobb over Peter Parker. But as the boys have been going to pre-school they are more and more seeing these comic icons and action figures and marveling at the cool shirts the other boys have. They can now identify most of the big names based on friends clothing but have yet to  mix it up with the action figures or toys.

That all changed when we opened up the Green Lantern Clossal Cannon from Matel. After some trouble freeing the glowing weapon from it’s Fort Knox like bindings we got right to playing. The boys had no idea who Green Lantern was or why he needed a Clossal Cannon but they loved it. They immediately started making up stories of aliens attacking and needing to defend the puppies from being stolen. We loaded the 10 green discs into the cannon and the boys took turns shooting them out. They absolutely loved it. It was mildly troubling how quickly they took to this gun. They also pulled out the Green Lantern Power ring which Primo took ownership of and immediately claimed leadership authority. Also in the box was an action figure that was largely ignored the first day due to the appeal of the cannon but has since figured prominently in both boys play time. He is the bad guy fighting Buzz Lightyear, or the sheriff in the town of matchbox cars.

After a couple of days of playing the boys have lost most of the green disc with the Clossal Cannon but they still love running around shooting things. Segundo likes to pretend it’s a water cannon and washes everything in the house with it as he runs around making swooshing noises. The toys have also lead us to learn who The Green Lantern is leading up to the new movie coming out on June 17, 2011. The boys are a little young for all these super hero movies but their interest is piqued.

 

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Mattel and received Green Lantern toys to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Popularity: 5%

Book Review and Giveaway: Yo Momma So Extraordinary

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We’ve all heard and probably told our fair share of Yo Momma jokes. You know the ones, like “Yo Momma so fat she wears a VCR as a beeper.” That one might be a little dated, but in junior High I was capping on fools with that one. Yo Momma jokes are a staple of insult comedy but the time has come for a new spin on Mommas. Luckily Zachary Reese and Ethan McCreadie have collected a treasury of yo momma compliments in their funny gift book Yo Momma So Extraordinary.

Instead of the insults you get stuff like “Yo Momma got such a green thumb plants talk to her!” or “Yo Momma so cosiderate that I didn’t even have to ask her to cut off the crusts to my PB&J, it’s like she knew I was no-crust kinda guy.” Turning the insults into compliments in a sometimes funny, some times silly sort of way is what this book does. There are still some edge to the compliments like this one “Yo momma smells so good I want to hang her from my rearview mirror. But I’ll settle for her ducking into the back seat.”

Check this book out for the friend of your’s that is still sensitive to the Yo Momma jokes. If you would like to have this book leave me your best yo momma joke in the comments and I will pick the one that makes me laugh.

Popularity: 7%

Digging a little deeper into a good book

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We picked up the book “Slow Down for Manatees” at our latest trip to the library. It was a random grab just before we got in line to check out but the book has had a big effect on Primo. The book tells the story of a Manatee getting run over by a speeding boat, leaving broken ribs and cuts on her back from the propeller. The Manatee is taken in by the sea center and is brought back to health and gives birth. When we read the book through the first time Primo kept bring us back to get a fuller picture of the story: “Why is the Manatee so big?” “Why doesn’t the boat see her?” “How did she get cut?” “What happend to her tail?” As we would talk through the scenes Primo became more and more concerned. It was bed time so he put his books away and got in bed but asked a few more questions before hugging and kissing me good night.

The next day him and I had some quiet reading time, me with my book and him with his. He grabbed “Slow Down for Manatees” and sat next to me. His face was sad as he looked at me and asked why people ran over the Manatee. He was almost in tears so I put my book down pulled him up on my lap so we could talk through the book a little more. We grabbed the computer and looked up videos of boat propellers getting a good idea of how they worked. We looked at maps of the canals in Florida where the Manatee’s live. Then we looked at pictures of Manatees in the water and some with scars. We talked about what people could do to be more careful not to run over the Manatees and after all that he felt better. We got out the markers and big piece of paper and made a sign for people to slow down for the Manatees.

A good book will get you to think a bit more and stay with you. In that respect this was one of the first good books Primo has read. I know there will be more books that move him to action and that cause him some sleepless nights as he thinks through them. That is the power of books.

Popularity: 7%

Portland Reads: The Other Wes Moore

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As parents we talk about the importance of reading to kids and set up all sorts of metrics of how much, when, and what books but another part of the equation is you reading as well. While it is hugely important that we read to kids, they will do what we do, so it is important that we read as well. With all the blogs and RSS feeds we collect in our Readers we are consuming a ton of words but nothing beats holding that book in your hands on a quiet night while the family gathers together their respective reading material and reads. I know this easy to say as some one who loves books and even likes to read. The love of books comes first and the reading of them second. I was wandering around a bookstore last night and just running my fingers over the jackets and pages of the books on the shelves like they were intricate fabrics that needed to be felt to experienced fully.

The library has a community reading project that starts with the question “What if everybody read the same book?” The idea is that we would talk about issues brought up by the book as well as celebrating the power of books to draw us together. The program is called everybody reads and the book that we are reading in Portland is called The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore. The Other Wes Moore is the story of two men from Baltimore with the same name and similar backgrounds that grew up to be very different men. The author is a Rhodes Scholar and Investment banker who became intrigued by a story on the news searching for a man named Wes Moore who was wanted for a jewelry store robbery gone wrong. The other Wes Moore grew up on the same streets with no father and ended up in prison serving a life sentence.

As a huge fan of the TV show The Wire I was drawn to this story of corner boys from West Baltimore that this book told. The scenes were recognizable and familiar but the magnitude seemed some how bigger. The book shows scenes from the two men’s life from eight different years. In the first few chapters they seem to mirror each other, both losing their fathers, both getting into trouble on the streets, and both struggling in school. There is a change where one life keeps getting worse and one changes dramatically but the reasons why are not as clear and easily defined. The main question the Author gets is what exactly was the difference in their lives that lead them down these two different paths and it is not a question easily answered.

I look forward to going to a book discussion here in Portland to talk about the issues brought up by this book and would recommend this book especially to fathers and fans of The Wire. The absent father plays a huge role in both boys lives and that touches on a subject I want to do more to address.

Popularity: 10%

Book Review: Pop Culture by Bill Campbell

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Originally Posted on Bookdads

Pop Culture: Politics, Puns, and Poohbutt from a Liberal Stay-at-Home Dade by Bill Campbell

After deciding to stay at home with his new daughter, affectionately named Poohbutt, and write a novel Bill Campbell became so worked up over the news coverage of Obama playing the ‘Race Card’ in the 2008 Presidential Election that he created a blog and wrote a response. That response starts this collection of essays. Along with that first post, originally posted on his blog Tome of the Unknown Writer, Campbell goes on to cover a wide range of topics from politics to the zenith of the hip hop in the 80′s, parenting to pop culture and he does it with wit and candor and an unmistaken powerful voice.

The beauty of this book is that you can pick an choose where to start and stop, if you get your fill of the politics you can move into the hilarious stories of Poohbutt, his daughter he is raising as a stay at home dad. After a story or two on parenting you can move right back into an essay like Cold Case: The Hip Hop Saga where he pictures what the CBS show would do with unsolved rap murders. Politics are always close by in these essays and it is where Campbell shines. If you are wary of too much politics in your daddy blog than this is one to stay away from but I found his posts interesting, enlightening, and always entertaining.

Popularity: 5%

Book Review: Let’s Go Outside by Jennifer Ward

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Fall is on us in the Northwest and with it comes the rains. After a spring and summer of being outside almost the entire day we have found ourselves in the house much more as the season changes. The effect it has on the kids is easy to see. They are less patient and more likely to lose their patience with each other.  We see the importance of that time to explore, run free, and interact with the outdoors in our own kids lives and even when the weather changes we still need to get out there and experience it.

Let’s Go Outside’s author Jennifer Ward, who also wrote I Love Dirt!, would agree I imagine. She did write a book about getting outside and gave us 52 different ideas for games, activities, and adventures to do while we are out there. Her book was written for pre-teens and the parents in their lives but a lot of the activities are fun for children of all ages. I can’t get the two year old to understand all the rules to Kick the Can but he has a pretty good time hiding and running to kick that can. This book is a great primer for not only getting outside but engaging with our kids once we are out there.

I recommend this book to parents looking for ideas to get outside with their kids. It helps to have an activity ready when you’re out there so you all can enjoy the time. We can all use a little more time outside and even when the rain comes we can throw on our rain boots and jackets and splash our way to a good time.

Popularity: 4%

Sisters In Arms: A Father’s Remembrance by John Witmer

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Sisters In Arms: A Father Remembers by John Witmer

About the Author:

John Witmer is the father of five children after some moving around while they were young, has made New Berlin Wisconsin home. Three of his five kids, all girls, signed up for the National Guard and were deployed to Iraq “not as part of the a women’s auxiliary, but as part of a fully-trained, fully-equipped fighting force” as he writes in the prologue.

About the Book:

Sisters in Arms is a twenty-first century war story – the Witmer family’s personal war story. Michelle Witmer was the first female National Guard member in history to be killed in action and the first Wisconsin National Guard combat fatality since WWII. The Witmer family’s struggle with the complex issue of family members serving side-by-side received world-wide media attention and Michelle Witmer’s story would later be included in the HBO documentary “Last Letters Home.” Using the letters, emails and phone calls received during their deployment, John Witmer describes his daughters experiences in Iraq and provides insight not only into the lives of female soldiers, but into the lives of families who wait for soldiers. Sisters in Arms illuminates the changing roles of women in the military while sharing the deeply personal story of a family’s struggle to come to terms with profound loss.

My take of the Book:

Right from the first chapter as Witmer paints the picture of a tense situation as a crowd of people start to march on the police station that he daughter Rachel is guarding as part of the 32nd MPs, you are drawn, almost unwillingly into what is going to be a tense yet heart warming remembrance from a powerless father. Immediately after that heart racing intro you are brought back in time to got to know this family better. As with all great stories you have to go back to make sense of what is happening now.

Witmer’s three daughters Michelle, Rachel, and Charity all joined the National Guard on their own without any prompting or encouragement from their parents. They were strong self sufficient women who saw what they wanted and went after it, even laying out their plans to their parents when two of the girls were too young to enlist. They went through the same training that every solider goes through at basic training, there is no easier “women’s” section. Michelle and Rachel deployed first and Charity would deploy later as part of the 118th Medical Battalion that was meant to be un-deployable. In a war where the combat lines and front lines are no longer clearly drawn the idea that women are not on the front line is no longer true.

Sisters In Arms tells the story of war and a family watching their loved ones in harms way through journal entries, letters home, and the remembrance of a Father. Knowing that three women were deployed but only one returns makes this book a tough read but it is a good and important read. More than anything Witmer wants to convey the true cost of war so that we are not sending our Sons and Daughters into harms way without that understanding. He does not want this to be a political book and he admits that there is nothing he could have done to change his daughters minds. They are great kids, raised well, and made their own decisions with clear eyes. I think the hope is that those that would send these kids to war would make decisions in the same way.

I enjoyed this book but find it hard to recommend to just anyone. It is an important and worthy story that needs to be heard but it is also hard and heart breaking. You will be glad that you picked this book up, and your heart will be full with this family.

Popularity: 3%