#66, "The Art of Eric Carle"

"The Art of Eric Carle"

Eric Carle

Eric Carle is a wonderful illustrator, one of the most creative and original artists in the realm of children's literature of any era. This book is part-biography, part-autobiography, part-survey of his life, style, and influence. It is comprised mostly of essays about the artist and his work by his editors, publishers, and others who have journeyed with him, though Carle himself writes a rather lengthy life-story as well as a rambling transcription of a talk he gave about creativity and inspiration.

The essays are good, not great. The best parts of the book are Carle's autobiography, which is witty, informative, and traces parts of his life that, maybe, some less brave might not include (such as his experience as a child in pro-Nazi Germany prior to the 2nd World War) through to his entry into the career of a children's book author and illustrator. I also was very interested to get an inside view of how he creates his illustrations. I enjoyed the story of the origins of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" the first time; it was shared several more times after that, making me wish that some other stories had been told. There are needless repetitions throughout, though I suppose that might be a function of the compiled essay format--each author just thought to include the same thing, perhaps. Fortunately, they are all well-written. Even better, Carle's vibrant and engaging artwork is showcased throughout--the real standout of the book. The final quarter is entirely selections of his 50+ year career as a professional illustrator, and brilliantly demonstrates his one-of-a-kind style. Overall, a fine read for fans of Eric Carle's work.

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#65, "The Hound of the Baskervilles"

"The Hound of the Baskervilles"

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I've read this book before, years ago, and did not enjoy it quite as much as when I was younger. It was lengthier, for one thing, than I remembered, with a large introductory portion. The set-up is pretty good, the building mysteries in the main middle are better, and the conclusion left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Doyle writes his stories like a Scooby Doo mystery: no matter how odd or out of the ordinary or seemingly supernatural the culprit or clues are, it always resolves to pure natural fact. I wonder if there's something to be said about Doyle in that. Anyway, in this case, I think the lack of Sherlock in much of the second act was a factor; it is always fun to try to guess what he's thinking, why he makes certain choices (which always are explained later). That element was gone during a lot of the book. All that being said, though, it is a fair mystery with an acceptable premise and lots of action.

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#63, "A Time to Kill"

"A Time to Kill"

John Grisham

This is John Grisham's first novel, published in 1989. While it was initially mostly ignored by readers and critics alike, following the explosive popularity and acclaim that accompanied Grisham's subsequent two novels, "The Firm" and "The Pelican Brief," "A Time To Kill" was later widely considered to be an excellent example of Grisham's style and eventually a classic in the legal thriller genre.

The story is complex, extremely well-written, and thick and sticky as a Mississippi summer in the legal, ethical, and moral problems it deals with. Grisham doesn't look away from tough topics. There are very few characters who don't make poor choices, and none that are unquestioningly good--though there are quite a few that are the opposite. The novel opens with a shocking, brutal scene that sets the tone for the rest of the story. There will be no hand-holding. As a reader, you must, before the first chapter is complete, agree to the terms that Grisham sets out: this is not going to be a fun, rollicking ride, but a harsh, painful, and dangerous one. And indeed it is.

The rape is merely the opening act, however, as it precedes the subsequent murder by the girl's father, which is the subject of the remainder of the book. This is the moral and ethical quandary that is really at the heart of the story: is murder ever justified? Does society trust the legal system to condemn and punish offenders, or is the impassioned revenge of a devastated father acceptable as a method of carrying out justice? Though the story ends with the jury suggesting a possible answer, I don't think Grisham is as interested in answering questions as he is in asking them. I appreciate his restraint here, as he never editorializes; he acts almost as a reporter, detailing events that might have happened calmly, objectively. He never instructs his readers HOW to think, but he continually demands that they THINK something. I have my own conclusions

His style is very easy to read, and the story goes from one character and situation to the next with incredible smoothness. He notes every detail in just enough words to convey his meaning without being wordy. I especially enjoy his dry and occasionally ironic humor. The dialogue is fantastic, and the legal sections are fascinating. Grisham started his career as a novelist with courage and clarity, two things I think every writer ought to aspire to.

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#61, "He Is There and He Is Not Silent"

"He Is There and He Is Not Silent"

Francis A. Schaeffer

This is the third of Francis Schaeffer's great trilogy (preceded by "The God Who Is There" and "Escape From Reason"), and is a direct and concise defense of the existence--indeed, the necessity--of God, and the truth of Christianity. He writes mostly on the subject of epistemology: that branch of philosophy concerned with knowing, and how we know that we know. Fairly dense stuff, but if one pays close attention, I think it is not difficult to understand his reasoning. If you miss something, you are likely to become lost. There are no wasted words here; every sentence is focused and makes a difference. This is not exactly light reading. It requires concentration and thought in order for it to fully bloom in the mind. However, I think that once it has been given sufficient attention, the rewards are an incredible look into the mind of a very great thinker.

Schaeffer argues that the central problem facing mankind in the last half of the 20th century (a problem which bleeds into the 21st) is that of knowing. That is not to say "knowledge," which might be thought of as culminating facts, but "Knowing," in a metaphysical and existential sense. We can know truth about God, the universe, and ourselves, because we can know that God exists, that he must exist. I particularly love his coinage of phrases such as "true truth," "infinite-personal creator" and others. Schaeffer never falters, though he does require, as I've said, quite a bit from his reader. I think it would nearly be required to have read the other two books in this trilogy before tackling this one, as he (if I recall correctly) dives more deeply into concepts such as the "upstairs vs. downstairs," the consequences of the "leap of faith" and his "line of despair," all of which are essential to understanding his philosophy but which are not described here.

In the end, this is required reading for those who wish to understand truly the basis of the Christian faith and the existence of the Christian God.

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#60, "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box"

"Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Cardboard Box"

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

An excellent little mystery by the greatest mystery author in our language. It has all the hallmarks of a Sherlock Holmes story: innocuous beginning, mysterious puzzle with obtuse clues, a smug and ever-changing Holmes, a desperate crime and a nicely wrapped ending. Great read for anyone who enjoys mystery, short stories, Sherlock Holmes, or ear-related crime.

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#59, "An Edible History of Humanity"

"An Edible History of Humanity"

Tom Standage

This book is a sort of continuation, or a variation on a theme if you like, of his previous book "A History of the World in 6 Glasses." In that book, which I read very recently, different drinks were tied to historical events and trends in an enlightening and fascinating way. This book, though similar in its unusual choice of lens through which to view history, is much more far-ranging as well as less concise and focused.

Standage covers a very broad table of food-related inquiries, beginning with Neolithic man, hunter-gatherers, and the formation of agriculture, and ending with the man-caused famines of the Soviet Union and Maoist China, and the benefits and pitfalls that accompany the Green Revolution in the 20th and 21st centuries. Between them, he looks at how food was a central factor in the exploration of the world by Europeans, how that exploration led to colonialism as well as initiated worldwide trade, how food, related to fuel both as a mechanical as well as a biochemical power supply, was an indispensable part of the Industrial Revolution, which changed (and is still changing) the world, and how food is related to current trends in world population, war, and humanity's future.

It is superbly written, though, as I mentioned before, it encompasses such a large subject that Standage occasionally gets lost in words, names, and interrelated ideas. A section on the chemistry of food in particular was taxing to get through. Overall, a pretty good read, especially if you are interested in the economic and societal evolution of foodstuffs.

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