Hill Avenue Book Company

As regular readers know I LOVE small, hometown bookstores so here is another one I visited while driving to visit my family in Iowa:

Hill Avenue Book Company
1711 Hill Avenue
Spirit Lake, Iowa
hillavenuebooks@iowaone.net

Jill Krebs, Owner

Since this book store is located in the Iowa Great Lakes ("Boji"!!!) area I usually drive by at least once a year so it is always great to visit this shop. Ms. Krebs not only has a great selection of books but has created a great ambiance coupled with excellent customer service.

I wish her the best for 2008 and many years to come since society needs vendors like her.

Read on,

Todd

Barnes and Noble

Due to Christmas (and/or perhaps Kwanzaa) this week today's work day was rather quiet so I took our daughter to the local Barnes and Noble (B&N) book store for story reading time. Personally I don't mind being suckered into a store via such an event since exposing children to reading in many forms is essential. Yes B&N got US$4.00 out of me for a new book for our daughter but that is worth the money to not only have her see the joy of reading but to also have a chance to interact with children in a social setting.

One small boy for instance took the toy train from our daughter that she was playing with before he even entered the "B&N Junior" play area. His grandmother never said anything to him so I had to offer a comment to her and comfort our daughter. Now perhaps my wife will appreciate why I want the kids in martial arts classes!!

But let's get back to the books -- one section of books that I love reviewing at B&N is the "Summer Bridge" series which is designed for use with young students to "bridge" them across the long summer break so they don't lose part of what they learned the year before. For US$13.00 I don't believe this essential tool is out of reach for any family living in poverty in the USA since it is an amount that equals the "one large pizza" amount I so often hear in policy debates especially when it comes to property tax increases.

Invest in children by cutting taxes,

Todd

Catching Spears

Lynne Spears is the mother of two famous daughters -- singer Britney Spears and actress Jamie Lynn Spears of "Zoey 101" on Nickelodeon - who unfortunately we hear about much too often these days. This is detrimental to not only my mental state but also their well being since they need to get away from the media spotlight so they can normalize their lives.

With the recent disclosure that Jamie Lynn (age 16) is pregnant with her 18 year old boyfriend's child, the Christian book publisher, Thomas Nelson, Inc. who was set to publish Lynne Spears' "book about parenting" has postponed their plans. Ms. Spears' book is entitled -- "Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World."

No one should ever label me a "book burner" but I must be honest when I say that I am overjoyed to hear that this book will not be published anytime soon. The Spears family should take care of their personal challenges first before dispensing parenting advice to the rest of us.

Your 15 minutes of fame are over (I hope!),

Todd

Students

Two recent newspaper stories leave me confident our future might be in good hands after all once I read about these student initiatives:

• Edina High School -- one of Minnesota's finest school districts has a book club where "more than 100 students at the school get up more than an hour earlier once a month to discus -- of all things - books" according to the Star Tribune newspaper. This is pretty encouraging news since the students choose to participate in this activity which extends their educational experience -- at no additional cost to the taxpayer as far as I could tell from the article I read, and
• Northfield Middle School -- another Minnesota school district which is also home to Carleton College which is no incubator for free market solutions but yet in this hotbed of liberalism there is a growing awareness of how business works. Northfield Middle School is home to a student-run book store where student can "earn coupons to buy used books" Another great life lesson for students here -- you need to work in order to acquire things you want.

Personally I am encouraged with such news coming from our public schools -- we just need such initiatives to spread to thousands of more schools around the country to counter the "we need more money" crowd.

Read more, tax less,

Todd

Arab World

Via Terry Teachout's "Sightings" column in a recent Wall Street Journal I became aware of this very interesting project known as "Kalima". Kalima is a project based in the United Arab Emirates that is focused on translating foreign books into Arabic for distribution across the Middle East. The project can be found at -- www.kalima.ae

Mr. Teachout's column poses the question -- "Which of our (USA) books and plays would tell them the most about us?" -- to which Mr. Teachout replies with F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and Willa Cather's "O Pioneers" among others.

Now I have some own personal list of books which I hope Kalima would include such as:

• US Constitution
• "The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando de Soto
• "1984" by George Orwell
• Anything by P.J. O'Rourke so the Arab world (hopefully) realizes we have a sense of humor when it comes to politics

Just a few thoughts to get my readers talking so I can hear your thoughts.

Translate everything you can Kalima,

Todd

Salaries

"Write only if you have no choice"

Blake Morrison, quoted in The Guardian (United Kingdom)

While reading The Week magazine (British ex-pat publication) recently I noticed in their "Viewpoint" section a short commentary entitled, "Literary Poverty", which focused on how few books most authors actually sell.

This commentary went on to quote "two recent surveys" (the sources were not mentioned) which found that 60% of British authors earn less than US$20,000 per year and that the media earnings for all authors are less than a quarter of the national wage in the United Kingdom.

Clearly the author salary structure is a steep pyramid with authors like JK Rowling of Harry Potter fame at the top of the food chain with her millions of earnings while most authors live at poverty levels. This leads me to speculate that most authors have others jobs like the bestseller author, Vince Flynn, did when he getting started in the business. I used to play basketball with Vince many years ago at the Decathlon Athletic Club in Minnesota at which time Vince was a bartender and part-time writer.

The key point her is that Vince was not living off of some National Endowment for the Arts/Humanities grant courtesy of the American taxpayers. Instead Vince served up Americans' drink of choice while he pursued his writing career. Today -- Vince is a very successful writer and the world is a richer place because he chased his dream.

Write, paint, sing -- give it a go,

Todd

Books For Africa event

My friends at Books For Africa (www.booksforafrica.org) are hosting a large (we hope!!) lunch event designed to introduce new people to their worthwhile work. This event will be held on April 30, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Since I volunteered to be a "table captain" for this event I will be recruiting friends to attend with me so we can build our network of donors - for both books and money -- for BFA's continued expansion.

Africa needs numerous reforms and books can help inspire Africans to expect changes from their current political leaders. We all can help the cause by donating a box of books today which not only helps the African continent but it also helps clean up your home!!

Please contact me if you want to play a role.

Thanks,

Todd

Royalty, Monarchs, and Tyrants

In an earlier post on this blog I posed the question -- "do any readers out there know of children's books that do NOT use a monarchy form of government as the premise for their storyline?" You know -- Cinderella marries Prince Charming while the peasants look on with big smiles.

Yes I know, elected democracies (like the US Congress) are not as romantic as a Walt Disney castle, but it is far better in my thinking to rid our children of the elitist propaganda that having a royal/noble class is a good thing for the unwashed masses.

So the next time parents plan to read another royal fairytale to their children perhaps they can read this poem by Carl Sandburg to themselves first:

A Million Young Workmen, 1915

A million young workmen straight and strong lay stiff on the grass and roads.
And the million are now under soil and their rotting flesh will be in the years feed roots of blood-red roses.
Yes, this million of young workmen slaughtered one another and never saw their red hands.
And oh, it would have been a great job of killing and a new and beautiful thing under the sun if the million knew why they hacked and tore each other to death.
The kings are grinning, the kaiser and the czar - they are alive riding in leather-seated motor cars, and they have their women and roses for ease, and they eat fresh poached eggs for breakfast, new butter on toast, sitting in tall water-tight houses reading the news of war.
I dreamed of a million ghosts of the young workmen rose in their shirts all soaked in crimson...and yelled:
God damn the grinning kings, God damn the kaiser and the czar.

Well said Mr. Sandburg,

Todd

Ghana

My free market think tank friend -- Franklin Cudjoe -- is the president of the Imani Center for Policy & Education in Ghana. Imani is hosting a book review event this weekend so I wanted to be sure to post on the details to help promote their work:

You are cordially invited to
IMANI Book Review Series
Featuring
“Atlas Shrugged” rated second most influential book after the Bible

Theme: Redefining Your Relationship with Society and Government
A Philosophical and Economic Journey with the US (Russian-born) novelist Ayn Rand

Saturday, November24, 2007, @ Ashesi University, Building Three from 10:00 am -12:00pm with Lunch

What would you do if society betrays your hard work, dignity, underpays and confiscates the property you have rightfully acquired?

What would you do if your contribution to the growth of Ghana in art, business, leadership, scientific research, or new ideas of any kind was penalized with say, exorbitant income taxes?
In her Magnum Opus (Greatest Work), Ayn Rand positions man as the ruler of his own life. As his contributions to society are met with disdain, disgrace and punishment, he decides to shrug, and go into solitary confinement. What happens to society afterwards will be the basis for our online chapter by chapter discussions of this never-to-put-down 1168 page book.

The book, Atlas Shrugged is billed by some surveys as the second most important book after the bible in the US.

For a detailed description of this project, please join the IMANI team over lunch. We will give you a copy for free and may depending on your circumstances defray part of your transportation fares to the venue.

RSVP, Franklin Cudjoe, Executive Director, IMANI, franklin@imanighana.org or call Tadiana/Sandra (Office lines) 021 41 7094/ 0289510383 or (mobile) 0244 638 178.


Just a reminder for readers -- the former United Nations' Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, is also from Ghana. I can assure readers that Mr. Cudjoe has done more positive things for Ghana via his think tank than Mr. Annan ever did when he was at the United Nations.

Be free - read,

Todd

Cubby Bear

Growing up a Chicago Cubs (baseball) fan I have always loved visiting the Cubby Bear bar in Chicago, Illinois which is an icon located just across the street from Wrigley Field. Now I have another to love the Cubby Bear because on November 1st they hosted a "Book Swap" sponsored by the Chicago Reader newspaper.

The tag line for this event on the full page ad I read says it all --

"You have books you don't need. You need books you don't have. So come to the Chicago Reader Book Swap."

Books - Beers - Free Tote Bags - Networking - Socializing -- all in one venue so what could be better!!

I hope to see more such events in my area so I am going to talk up the idea with some local entities. If any readers out there know of similar events please let me know.

Thanks,

Todd

Teaching History

"If I had a chance to direct where money would be applied to improve teaching history in our schools, I would concentrate on grade school - third, fourth, fifth, sixth grade - because that's the time that they want to know."

David McCullough - historian and author

As regular readers of my blogging know I am a strong advocate of teaching "history" in our schools not today's watered-down form of history that exists within the "social studies" coursework. Why? Because when students have a solid understanding of the past it allows them to not only better understand today's world it also helps them to place the latest "crisis" such as -- obesity, global warming, Avian bird flu, health care insurance........... -- into a more rational context that goes beyond emotion and left-wing political agendas.

For instance -- if our grade school students had read several books regarding the Great Depression I am confident they would not share Al Gore's doomsday worldview nor would they accept John Edwards' "two Americas" stump speeches. Yes Mr. Edwards -- there are two Americas, your America where everyone except elitists like you require government "help" and the America that I love where everyone takes care of themselves and their families as best as they can but failing that we provide a societal safety net based on private charity and good neighbor relations NOT government programs.

The simple fact is that the world we live in today IS better, much better than the past but how many students (or adults even?) have any inkling that is the case? We need and must do better educating our fellow citizens about these things or the "State" will grow large enough to affect every aspect of our lives.

Read widely and read constantly,

Todd

Books that Changed Our Lives

While reading, "The Book that Changed My Life", column in this month's Best Life magazine I noticed that this month's guest, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo, selected one of my favorite books for my early school days.

The book Mr. Russo cited was, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Mr. Russo loved "Pip" the protagonist and observed that the vast majority of the students he had taught over the years are troubled that the protagonist in this story is not virtuous throughout the book -- this is a consistent expectation of Mr. Russo's students.

For me Great Expectations is not "the" book that changed my life but it is indeed one of the books that impacted my thinking while also nurturing my early interest in literature. My thanks to authors like Mr. Dickens for penning such tomes and to authors like Mr. Russo for reminding us of such literature.

Strive to be a gentleman,

Todd

Burma and Al Gore

The military junta that rules Burma - "Myanmar" as they call it - which must be a local word for "welcome to our totalitarian nightmare where even peace-loving monks are killed since they are a threat to the state" needs to be dissolved via a national revolt supported by international intervention that grants immediate recognition to the provisional government that would be formed.

I was inspired to comment on Burma via my books blog because the military junta represents the worst of humanity as noted in this quote from the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for at least a year I believe:

"When I ask young people what they mean by freedom they say that they want to be able to speak their minds.......they want to be able to discuss, criticize, argue; to be able to gather in the thousands or even hundreds of thousands to sing, to shout, to cheer."

Aung San Suu Kyi

The junta generals use their police state infrastructure to silence its opposition and the inherent creativity of its citizens. Honestly, I wish I could tour Burma to learn firsthand how badly the people live there and of course (for this blog's perspective) to see first hand what the book store and book publishing industries are like today. Perhaps I would even witness an old-fashioned book burning led by the dinosaurs who rule this modern day slave state we call Burma.

Readers should remind themselves if needed that Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her political leadership in Burma. This is of course the same award recently given to Al Gore who apparently will save the earth from global warming so that the Burmese generals who run the military junta can continue living in their luxury. My point being of course that Al Gore's tipping at windmills does not even come close to bar set by people like Aung San Suu Kyi thus Mr. Gore does not deserve his Nobel Peace Prize.

What Burma needs is book stores and free elections not carbon footprint offsets!!!

Todd

Book Store Closing

Since I love to explore book stores whenever I travel I try to post book store-related comments on this blog because these vendors are the backbone of an educated, civilized society.

That said, it is always sad when I read about another book store that is closing as is the case with Lee's Books located in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. Lee Whited, owner of Lee's Books, stated in the article I read (www.twincities.com - October 19) that 90% of his revenues now come from online/Internet sales thus having a store front is an unnecessary cost of business for him.

Yes -- I am a scavenger so I plan to shop for some bargains at Lee's going out of business sale during the month of November but I have to laugh because Lee's landlord at the Lawson Commons building in downtown St. Paul is none other than the City of St. Paul government!! Yet another reason for governments to own very little in terms of real estate.

Good luck Lee,

Todd

Newberry Library

While working in Chicago last week I attended a public policy conference held at the Newberry Library (www.newberry.org) at 60 West Walton Street. If any fellow book lovers out there are visiting Chicago may I recommend that you visit this treasure house of knowledge? The Newberry notes that it actively collects -- "books, manuscripts, maps, and other printed materials related to the history of Western Europe and the Americas." Yes, I know, "dead white men" materials -- take it easy you left wingers out there!!

The Newberry Library was founded in 1887 via an estate bequest by Walter L. Newberry who was a Chicago area "land developer and city leader" according to the brochure I picked up. This is yet another reason the US Congress needs to completely eliminate the "death tax"/estate tax so that those people who create fortunes can decide what should happen to the funds once they leave the earth. Mr. Newberry's gift is very similar to the much more famous "Carnegie Library" system created by industrialist Andrew Carnegie so my thanks to both visionaries for creating the tools necessary for disseminating knowledge.

One further historical note that I will share is that the Newberry Library's first librarian was William F. Poole who was also the founder of the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA is an institution I respect and watch since they sponsor the annual "Banned Books Week" which is worth the time of all readers to promote to others.

Thank you Mr. Newberry for your gift,

Todd

Chicago

While working in Chicago this week I walked from an event at the Newberry Library (subject for a future posting) back to the Hilton Hotel for the dinner event I was attended hosted by the libertarian think tank, Heartland Institute (www.heartland.org).

As I glanced at the shop windows I noticed one storefront was the campus book store (www.lib.colum.edu) for an arts/film studies-dominated school known as "Columbia College Chicago" founded in 1890 according to the t-shirt I purchased for my wife :-) Upon entering the store I knew I was the only "suit" in the store surrounded by art students so to say I stood out like a nun in a bordello would be an understatement. While glancing through the bargain book section as all us cheap German farmers are compelled to do I met the manager of this book store who was named Sonya (hopefully I got the spelling correct). Sonya was a very personable and helpful mother of two children so I think she was very comfortable in this particular book store ( surrounded by young students) since her mothering qualities shown brightly. She took me under her wing to introduce me to an entirely new genre of writing on pop culture which I can assure readers I would not have explored on my own -- as evidenced by the fact that the other book I purchased at this store was a biography of US President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Sonya had the staff work with me to find the ideal t-shirt for my wife and also had one student confirm for me that the book "IV" that I purchased on pop-culture was a good one for me to read to stir up some creative thinking. Overall it was great to be back on "campus" again even though it was not my alma mater. Not only did I leave the store with two interesting books to read but also with a lapel pin from Sonya that read, "Create Change", coupled with a renewed faith that at least some of today's college students have their act together.

Walk through some new doors today,

Todd

Letters About Literature

Here is a great opportunity for the young book worms out there in grades 4 to 12 in Minnesota although parents should be sure to check in their own states for this opportunity since it is a national contest. The Minnesota Humanities Center, Target Corporation, Library of Congress, and Minnesota's "first newspaper" the Pioneer Press have partnered to sponsor the "Letters About Literature" contest.

For full details please visit -- http://www.minnesotahumanities.org/

The deadline is December 14, 2007

This contest is very straightforward -- students simply choose a book that "has meaning for them, reflect on it, and write a letter to the author explaining how the book changed the student's perspective................." Now this is a nice twist on the traditional "book report" that most of us experienced in our school days because here you send a letter to the book's author thus creating the opportunity to interact with the author.

Our children are too young for this contest but I've made a mental note to watch for these opportunities in the future.

Good luck kids,

Todd

Hotels

While reading a September copy of the British magazine that caters to the ex-pat community, The Week, I read a short article about which book was most often left by travelers in their hotel rooms. This survey was produced by the hotel chain, Travelodge, during this past summer.

Travelodge reports that "The Blair Years", a memoir by Alastair Campbell, was the book most often left behind by travelers. I think it is fair to describe Mr. Campbell as being to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair what advisor, Karl Rove, was to US President George W. Bush. Having worked in London I will not easily forget Mr. Campbell's quote regarding the Blair Government when he stated, "we don't do God................."

I was reminded of Campbell's quote when I read about this Travelodge survey since most hotels I have stayed have had a copy of the Bible along with the Book of Mormon in the bedside table for guests to utilize. So now we see that travelers left "The Blair Years" in their hotel rooms essentially alongside the Bible!! Truly God works in mysterious ways :-)

Final thoughts on this Travelodge survey include:

1.) What do hotels do with all these books that are left behind by travelers? Perhaps the copies could be donated to local libraries or to my friends at Books For Africa (www.booksforafrica.org)

2.) Since Travelodge's survey focused on British venues I am really curious which book is most often left behind in hotels in the USA. This could be an interesting project for Marriott, Hilton, or Sheraton to pursue.

Travel light,

Todd

Justice Clarence Thomas

US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is on a book tour promoting his memoir entitled, "My Grandfather's Son", which is described as a "scathing denunciation of liberal activists, Democratic senators (ouch, that will hurt his chances to ever become Chief Justice!!), and Anita Hill" via a book review by a group of Washington Post writers.

This review explains the book's title by noting that Justice Thomas' father abandoned the family and his mother was unable to care for her sons so Justice Thomas' grandfather, Myers Anderson, raised Thomas while he grew up in rural Georgia. Now I am biased about several things so this quote from the book review caught my attention since it mentioned two institutions I love - Boy Scouts and sports. The excerpt reads as follows:

"Thomas's depiction of his grandfather is of a man unsparingly tough. Anderson would let him (Thomas) play on sports teams or join the Cub Scouts."

Granted I did not grow up in rural Georgia so perhaps there were good reasons for Mr. Anderson to keep young Clarence out of these activities but setting that aside I really have to question this decision. The reason being I know of few things beyond sports that teach children discipline and how to deal with loss -- experiences that will serve them well later in life. As for the Cub/Boy Scouts the lessons I learned there such as "do a good turn daily" have stayed with me all the way to my current mid-life age.

Unfortunately Justice Thomas' book tour does not include my State of Minnesota otherwise I would be sure to attend so I could ask him about his grandfather's world view.

Enjoy your years on the bench Justice Thomas,

Todd

Paris Hilton

Ms. Paris Hilton receives more attention than she is due so I hesitate to post about her but since this item is book-related I feel obligated to mention it.

In a cartoon called "Poison Pen" published in a great magazine out of Canada called Western Standard was this cartoon which I will have to describe since I don't have a photo of it nor copyright permission to use such a photo --

BACK DROP -- picture of a the front entrance of a public library

SIGN -- a sign next to the library entrance that reads, "Where Paris Hilton Should Really Serve Her Sentence"

Of course this is a reference to the jail time Ms. Hilton served for her driver's license violations and her apparent lack of basic knowledge about the world we live in. Personally I don't know what function she would serve in a public library in terms of community service but just the thought of her sitting in a library reading for eight hours a day leaves me with a warm feeling that there is hope for civilization.

Reading is rehab,

Todd

Poet Laureate of Minnesota

My State of Minnesota has created the honorary role of "Poet Laureate" to "act as an enthusiastic champion of poetry in Minnesota............" so while I do not feel this legislation was needed (instead of an act of government I would have preferred an organization like our Minnesota Library Association would have created such a position -- http://www.mnlibraryassociation.org/) I will still help promote the job given my love of books, learning, and as a supporter of the arts.

If you or someone you know qualifies for this role please apply by 31 October 2007 via this website:

www.minnesotahumanities.org

Good luck to all applicants.

As a tribute to this new job in Minnesota I will close this posting with a haiku I wrote for this occasion:

Ten thousand lakes strong
The loon's tremolo beckons
Enjoy north woods sunsets

Read to live or live to read,

Todd

Banned Books Week

Well last week I had the pleasure of going grouse hunting in the forests of Northern Minnesota with my brother which was an ideal way to catch up on each other's lives without the distraction of family, children, work, and even Internet/radio/TV since our cabin did not have any such modern features. Due to this lack of Internet access I have not blogged about anything for one week.

Our hunting trip fell on the exact same week of "Banned Books Week" ("BBW" -- http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm) which I blog about annually so today's posting will focus on this important event. This year's BBW was held from September 29 to October 6 under the patronage of the American Library Association (ALA). For those of you keeping track at home the "most challenged book for 2006" according to the ALA in terms of people trying to ban a certain book from library shelves, classrooms, etc was --

Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s award-winning "And Tango Makes Three," about two male penguins parenting an egg from a mixed-sex penguin couple, tops the list of most challenged books in 2006 by parents and administrators, due to the issues of homosexuality.

So what better way to celebrate the most basic of individual rights -- reading a book of our choosing -- than to end a day of hunting by sitting around in the cabin reading books? We did have the opportunity to drive to the nearest large city whose library was hosting a reading of banned books but we opted to relax at the cabin with our books.

Enjoy life via simple pleasures,

Todd

National Book Festival

Having left Washington DC in 2002 I rarely have missed living there however today is an exception. Today is the "National Book Festival" being hosted by the Library of Congress in Washington DC (http://www.loc.gov/bookfest).

The festival's co-hosts are First Lady Laura "Librarian -in-Chief" Bush and the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington, whom I had the pleasure of meeting when he was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Washington DC several years ago. Imagine having Laura and James as members of your book club!! Now that would generate an interesting conversation.

On a side note the Library of Congress (LOC) was established by an Act of Congress in 1800 via an appropriation of $5,000 as an agency of the legislative branch of the US Government. Today the LOC is the "world's largest library" according to their website. While I do not want to see more tax dollars spent overall I would like to see the LOC create a network of "affiliates" in key cities around the USA. Essentially I want to de-centralize the LOC a bit by having perhaps five cities around the USA such as -- Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and Miami -- "assign/donate" one of their current public libraries to become an official "LOC Affiliate/Branch Location" so the resources of the LOC have more geographic reach as a resource for researchers and the general public via traveling collections and guest lecturers -- paid for via their privately-funded James Madison Council which book worms like me should contribute to as concerned citizens.

Enough said on that -- let me return to the book festival which features 70 authors reading their work on the National Mall in Washington DC. The lead sponsor of this event is Target Corporation -- a great corporate citizen in Minnesota -- so I have some local pride in this festival beyond my love of books.

Since I won't be in Washington DC for the festival today I plan to read some personal selections at home today thus avoiding the crowds :-)

Todd

Book Club Survey

If any of my readers are or have been a member of a "book club" may I ask you to please complete the following survey so I can gather some field intelligence for a future posting on this subject?

SURVEY QUESTIONS:

1.) How many members typically attend your gathering?

2.) Does your book club have a "theme/subject" that guides your selection of books?

3.) If your club does have a theme/subject what is it? ______________

4.) How long has your book club been meeting together?

5.) Does your book club tend to be dominated by one or two members or is the conversation very free flowing?

6.) What is the average age of your book club membership?

7.) Which book have your club's members enjoyed the most from your perspective?

8.) Is there a certain book that was so bad you would encourage other clubs to avoid reading?

9.) Is your club membership increasing or decreasing in size?

10.) In what setting does your club meet -- home, library, university, other?


Thanks for your assistance with this basic research,

Todd

Words that Work

While attending the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting and issues conference today I heard a great presentation by Dr. Frank Luntz (http://www.mnchamber.com) regarding which words actually work with voters and consumers since he not only does political work but he is also a consultant to corporations.

At the end of the meeting I talked with Dr. Luntz during his book signing event for his current book, Words that Work, which I started reading while I waited for the traffic to clear out of the parking garage. One basic example of Dr. Luntz's work is altering the phrase "drilling for oil" to the more palatable "exploring for energy" which is supported by a much greater percentage of voters.

I look forward to reading Dr. Luntz's book since correct word usage is essential in my line of work but for now the book sits in my "books to read this year" pile. Please watch this space for my annual "End of the Year Review of Books" where I complete mini-reviews of all the books I have read during the calendar year. This has come to be a popular posting with my readers.

Your suggestions regarding great books to read are always welcome but be sure to use the right "words" which you recommend a book so you capture my attention :-)

Todd

Libraries

While scanning a recent Men's Health magazine I noticed a short article that promoted the concept of buying books from our local libraries (www.librarybooksales.org). This article quoted US President Franklin D. Roosevelt as calling that libraries are "essential to the functioning of democratic society."

The writer of this article, Kyle Western, went on to advise readers to "instead of buying from Amazon.com check www.librarybooksales.org first................" So Mr. Western -- it is more noble for citizens to buy books from the local library (a little capitalism by our local librarians) instead of a corporate entity like Amazon.com? The public libraries that President Roosevelt celebrated in his quote were primarily built by one of the USA's kings of capitalism -- Andrew Carnegie - via his foundation's philanthropic activities so let's not show favoritism here. In fact this library website you mention can easily become a seller on Amazon.com as one of their affiliates thus getting public libraries in front of a HUGE online audience via Amazon.

Perhaps the next generation of public libraries will be funded by today's capitalists such as -- Google, Microsoft, Exxon, and others who work everyday to please their consumers and make a profit.

Wealth builds libraries not good intentions Mr. Western.

Todd

Gift Books

While reading a recent issue of Best Life magazine (a great men's magazine if any of my readers - especially if you are ubersexuals like me -- are interested is looking for a copy) I read a short interview of Rose Byrne who is an actress/former model who LOVES books. Ms. Byrne was quoted saying, "The novel is the last sacred form of art" commenting on what men should buy for their women - antiquarian books -- as a unique gift.

Regarding Ms. Byrne (star of "28 Weeks Later), she is a "tall drink of water............." who could probably increase the readership statistics that claim only 25% of Americans read one book per year if an entity like the National Book Festival hired her for a photo shoot and promotional tour across the nation's sports bars and Hooter's Restaurants ;-) The Byrne interview went on to recommend that readers utilize the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America website (www.abaa.org) in search of the perfect text for the woman you love.

I plan to scan the website for a gift for my own wife -- no doubt regarding a subject I like in case she doesn't so I have a nice book for the collection!!

Spoil your woman (and/or yourself),

Todd

Freedom in Fiction Prize

Opportunities like this one make me wish I had the ability to write a novel!! But as I tell me friends and family -- there is even fiction in my professional work so that is why I read mostly non-fiction books :-) -- thus I realize I am not a novelist.

However as a service to my readers out there I want to promote this contest which is managed by my friends as the highly-respected (unless you love Big Government!!) Mackinac Institute. Mackinac has issued a "Call for Book Proposal" for their US$10,000 Freedom in Action Prize. This international prize - --

"honors the best unpublished works of fiction with the greatest potential for imparting the ideas of free markets, liberty, and personal responsibility across a wide audience in a positive manner."

For more information on this opportunity please contact --

www.mackinac.org/freedominfiction
Mr. Justin W. Marshall
+1 989 631 0900
marshall@mackinac.org


Granted I rarely read fiction but will plan on reading the completed book chosen for this prize since having the freedom to read whatever book we want is one of the most fundamental for a free society.

Good luck to all aspiring authors,

Todd

Reviews of Books

While visiting my county library recently I picked up a copy of the "Book Page - America's Book Review" newspaper which was provided "Compliments of Your Library" (www.bookpage.com)

This was my first time reading this book review but I have to say it looks to be a nice publication although I have to wonder how many copies go unused (and at what cost to taxpayers) since I found a stack in the front atrium alongside other tabloid publications. This is a key question since major newspapers in the USA -- like New York Times and Washington Post -- have extensive book review sections that interested readers could subscribe to separately.

Beyond the cost to taxpayers I have to pause to think about publications like "book reviews." Do they exist simply to help promote books and drive reader demand? I can't even read all the books I have on my shelf already but yet I read these reviews of books which historically have inspired me to read other books thus I am trapped in a viscous cycle!!

I would love to hear from readers regarding what they think of these reviews of books publications.

Keep turning pages,

Todd

Book of Knowledge

If you are an American college football fan you know about the great rivalries where certain football teams plan an annual game for some "trophy" such as the Little Brown Jug or Floyd of Rosedale but here comes one I have never heard of until this week. The "Book of Knowledge" is the trophy that Carleton College and Macalester College's football teams play for each year in Minnesota.

The game is set for September 15th at 6 pm at Macalester Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota but I can't attend due to a wedding but I am marking the calendar for the 2008 season!!

The Book of Knowledge apparently is a "wooden book signaling supremacy among two of the state's top-ranked institutions of higher learning..............." so what could be better for a blog posting that combines two of the things I love in this world -- football and books!!

Such a trophy highlights the key concept we should all support on our campuses -- the student athlete.

Todd

25%

Several weeks ago (August 22) the Associated Press (AP) published a story entitled, "Poll: 1 in 4 adults read no books last year" (2006) so I clipped it out knowing I would have to gather my thoughts for a future posting.

From this article I noted the following poll (AP's Ipsos Poll) results that were of most interest to me:

• Women and senior citizens were the most avid readers
• Religious books and popular fiction (perhaps one in the same for some people out there!!!) were the most popular subjects
• Of the 75% of American adults who read a book last year the usual number of books read was seven (7).
• Overall book sales have been flat during recent years
• Demographics of the non-readers include: older, less educated, lower income, minorities, from rural areas, and less religious

The poll's results noted that these limited reading results were caused by "the Internet and other media" that consumes our leisure time versus choosing to read books. Given the demographics of non-readers noted above and the role the Internet/media has played in reducing reading levels I can't help but think of the "digital divide" that many big government politicians (like Al Gore) have talked about over the years. This "divide" mind set notes that Internet/broadband networks are not extensive enough because "the poor" do not have access.

Now I am online everyday for work and blogging but yet I also read over 30 books each year so I will never buy into the "poverty industry's" argument that we need to spend more money on getting the poor connected. I have a better solution -- they should shop in the bargain book section like I do at my local book store. Yesterday I purchased (finally!!) Frederick Douglas' story of his rise from slavery for only $4.98. Now this is an inspirational, very affordable book that our modern day slaves living on our modern day plantations commonly known as "public housing projects" -- kept there by the poverty industry led by Jesse Jackson -- should read as soon as possible.

Read and be free,

Todd

Bill Clinton

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show on September 4th to promote his new book (side note -- I recently saw his autobiography in the bargain section for only $8.00 but I avoided buying it but if one of my left wing friends wants to buy it for me I promise to read it) entitled, "Giving", which focused on philanthropy and civic action according to the Associated Press account I read.

Philanthropy? What an interesting topic for the man who declared in 1995 that the "era of Big Government is over.............." Should his wife Hillary become President in January 2009 I have to wonder if his 1995 statement will hold true.

But back to Billy Boy's new book -- "Giving" -- based on his career in public policy at the state and federal level a better title for his book might be "Taking" since his policies took money from us tax slaves for his programs such as Midnight Basketball leagues and a "100,000 cops on the streets............." We would have all been better off if Mr. Clinton had believed in private philanthropy like Oprah's "Angel Network" more than he believed in government programs.

Granted I have not read "Giving" yet so my assessment might be completely wrong so I will rely on my left wing fans out there to educate me if needed :-) However, if I am right in my thinking that Mr. Clinton has reformed himself now that he has become part of the private and non-profit sectors to the point that he is an advocate of personal philanthropy then I will cheer his efforts and will buy his book!!

Hopefully he is becoming a "Todd-let" as my friends say,

Todd

Common Readings

Recently my local newspaper and the USA Today ("McPaper" as my fraternity brother, Harvey, calls it) newspaper have published articles regarding the growing practice whereby American universities/colleges are requiring their incoming freshmen to read one designated book. The thought behind these programs is to give the entire freshman class some "common ground" to generate conversations and unity on campus - or perhaps "group think" if campus lectures built around these common readings come with personal agendas by those faculty leading the conversation.

That said -- I still find the Common Reading concept very interesting primarily because it gets students to read at least one book before they graduate and of course if I ever get my book (a biography) published I would want a university to select it as their common book due to the royalties I would receive so I can live the lifestyle of a government employee on full pension!!!!

Perhaps I missed their announcement but it appears my Alma mater - Iowa State University - does not have a common reading program in place but if they are considering it here is a book I find very intriguing --

"Little Heathens -- Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great Depression"
by
Mildred Armstrong Kalish

I have not read it yet but plan to make it a Christmas gift for 2008 reading.

If readers out there have experience with these common readings programs I would be interested in hearing your perspectives.

Read on Macduff and damned be the man that cry, "hold, enough",

Todd

Canoeing

As noted on my flagship blog (http://spacebeaglenotes.blogspot.com) I was on my annual "sabbatical" which consisted of nearly 8 days of canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Northern Minnesota (www.ely.org).

This year I took a hammock with me specifically to aid me in my plan to read a few books on this trip. I am happy to report that I read two books and began a third book so not only was the trip relaxing but also educational.

So now I am back home to catch up on work and blogging so please continue reading my future commentaries.

Pages and Paddles,

Todd

Harvard Bureaucrats

While scanning one of my newly book-marked blogs managed by book critics today's posting regarding one poet's (Nicholas Christopher) experience as a freshman at Harvard University really resonated with me. I have copied an excerpt of this posting below for readers to consider --

http://www.bookcriticscircle.blogspot.com/

Friday, August 17, 2007
"In Retrospect: Robert Lowell at Harvard, Fall 1969"
In the fall of 1969, as a freshman, I applied, and was admitted, to Robert Lowell's advanced poetry workshop at Harvard, a coveted class with a limited enrollment of ten. A couple of days later, before the first class meeting, I was called in to see the director of undergraduate studies in the English Department. He told me in no uncertain terms that I could not take the class because I had taken none of its prerequisites. Furthermore, it was not a class open to freshman.

Now I attended university 15 years after Mr. Christopher's freshman year and not at Harvard but the bureaucrats still controlled things because in my day we had to stand in lines in the grand ballroom of the student union to register/beg to get in classes we wanted. However, as I graduated the entire class registration system was automated so that you could add/drop/switch classes via a telephone call in system using a system of codes found in the course catalog -- a huge improvement via technology that took some power away from the whims of bureaucrats like the "director of undergraduate studies" mentioned in Mr. Christopher's posting.

Hopefully some reader out there can help me remember but years ago I read a short book/article which described how the the first universities operated. As I remember the book I read -- lecturers/learned men (yes "men" since women were not full citizens in the 12th/13th centuries -- "professors" in today's language) would set up a booth in the town square from which they would lecture on their area of expertise. Thus an astronomer would lecture in one part of the public square/court yard while a poet might be speaking in another corner of the square. Then at the end of their lectures the onlookers would contribute a few coins to compensate the lecturer - assuming the onlookers felt they actually learned something.

Now contrast that free market system against today's tenured-faculty/teacher assistants system whereby students are recipients not consumers of lectures because today's students play a flat rate tuition amount (assuming full time student status) and then must use whatever professor/teacher assistant the university assigns to them based on the classes/time slots the students select.

I prefer the original university model and see the potential for this model to develop again due to the advances we have seen in Internet-based education programs.

Markets not monopolies,

Todd

Chinese Toys

Perhaps readers of my flagship blog (http://spacebeaglenotes.blogspot.com) remember reading earlier this summer that the former Director of the Chinese "Food and Drug Administration" was executed by Chinese authorities for his incompetence and corruption in the wake of the contaminated pet food incident earlier this year.

Well China has another death to report -- the president of the toy manufacturing company which produced the lead-lined toys imported by Mattel Corporation and other entities committed suicide recently.

So now American parents are scrambling to assess whether or not their children's toys are on the product recall list. Granted, my love of books makes me biased but I would encourage parents/grandparents to simply buy the children in their lives BOOKS not toys.

The worst that a book can do to a child is give them a paper cut :-)

Open a book and feed the mind,

Todd

Margaret Sanger

While recently touring the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC with my wife I noticed in the "Nazi book burning" exhibit that a book by Margaret Sanger was burned at one of the Hitler Youth book burning bonfires. Unfortunately the exhibit did not mention the title of the book which was burned so here is a list of Ms. Sanger's books since this "unknown" intrigued me:

The Pivot of Civilization
Woman and the New Race c.1920
What Every Girl Should Know (1920 ed.) (GIF facsimile available)
What Every Girl Should Know (1922 ed.) (GIF and PDF facsimiles available)
"The Case for Birth Control" (first published in the Woman Citizen, February 23, 1924)
Correspondence between Sanger and Katharine McCormick
Works by Margaret Sanger at Project Gutenberg
The Margaret Sanger Papers at Smith College


Margaret Sanger? The same Margaret Sanger -- founder of Planned Parenthood -- who shared the Nazis' hate for the "inferior races" ? Background on Ms. Sanger's racist views and promotion of eugenics are noted here:

http://www.nrlc.org/bal/sanger.html

I just had to wonder -- since Sanger and the Nazis were both focused on the extermination of the "inferior races" why would a book written by Sanger be burned by the Nazis? Well either Ms. Sanger's views were too moderate for the Nazis and/or clearly NO one is safe from the book burners of the world.

If any readers out there care to defend Ms. Sanger's work I would love to hear from you. Given the popularity of black Americans like -- Oprah, Michael Jordan, and Tony Dungy -- aren't we glad that people like Ms. Sanger did not achieve all of their personal objectives?

Live and let live,

Todd

Children's Books and Government

As I have read books to our three year old daughter over the years I have noticed a recurring theme - okay, perhaps a very obvious theme -- in most of the books that I felt compelled to comment on it to seek the wise counsel of my readers.

The theme in the books is the form of government used in the storyline is some form of royalty/nobility such as Dora the Explorer having to bring the moon to the "king and queen" so she can become a "true princess" and "Princess" Ariel in Walt Disney's "The Little Mermaid" who of course falls in love with "Prince" Eric.

So where are the republican/popularly-elected/parliamentary forms of government in children's' literature? Why can't Ariel fall in love with Prime Minister Eric?

If any readers know of any "fairy tale" books that utilize non-royalty forms of government to structure their characters' story lines would you please let me know so I can introduce our little girl to some democratic institutions? I have to ask for book suggestions since at age three she is a bit young for the Federalist Papers :-)

Thanks,

Todd

First Book

This week I read about a children's literacy group called "First Book" which announced the results of their survey which asked readers -- "Which book got you hooked?" (www.firstbook.org/whatbook) The survey received nearly 93,000 votes from readers who stated which book turned them on to reading when they were children.

Books that made the list as the most inspirational for readers included:

1. Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
2. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
3. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
5. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

So congratulations to Dr. Seuss for scoring 2 of the top 5 books in this list -- I enjoyed reading both of these books as a child and again with my god children.

I did not cast a vote in this survey but my personal choices would have been:

• Winnie the Pooh
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
• The Iceberg Hermit
• National Geographic magazine

Of course the first three are actually books -- I have a hard time deciding which one "hooked" me on reading but if pressed I would vote for Winnie the Pooh. Now granted National Geographic is NOT a book but a magazine but I have very fond memories of our copy arriving in the mail when I was growing up. Having grown up in small town Iowa in the age before the Internet this magazine exposed me to entirely new worlds and cultures which hooked me on traveling and the value of learning.

I hope my blog readers turn off the TVs and read to their children every day -- such a foundation is essential for their future success.

Enjoy the chapters of your life,

Todd

Estate Planning

A recent news report by our local media noted that Ms. Elizabeth Jordan of Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota provided for a $227,000 gift in her will to her local library. Although Ms. Jordan died in 2000 her gift has not been utilized yet because there is a small controversy regarding how the money should be spent -- some residents want it spent on a new building and some prefer the purchase of new books.

Today Ms. Jordan's gift totals $335,000 given the seven years of compounded interest it has earned. While Ms. Jordan's gift is a wonderful example for the rest of us as we consider our own estate planning it also provides a legal lesson since Ms. Jordan's will simply stated that her gift was to be used --

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_203161158.html

"in any manner which is deemed appropriate by the Board of Administration."

The added challenge here is that the Marine on St. Croix Library does not have a "Friends of the Library" entity that she could have willed the money to -- such a group would have simply acquired more books -- so the general wording of Ms. Jordan's gift has created this seven year delay as the library's management explores options.

There is a lesson here for all of us to be very exact with the wording used in our own philanthropic gifts.

Todd

Harry Potter sales totals

Granted this is just a snap shot view of current Harry Potter book sales but in the July 26, 2007 edition of USA Today's Best-Selling Books list of the top 50 the Harry Potter books had a very impressive presence. A full 8 out of the top 14 sales rankings in this top 50 list were captured by the various Harry Potter books written by J.K. Rowling -- 8 out of the current top 14 books!!

Not that is VERY impressive. I have to admit that I have not read even one of the Potter books and I have only seen a portion of one of the Potter films -- which I did not enjoy that much -- so I feel a bit out of the loop when it comes to the Potter cult. Standing in line waiting for the new Harry Potter (or the iPhone!!!) book is not the way I want to spend my time. A much better option is lying on my couch reading one of the many un-read books in my home library.

My congratulations to Ms. Rowling on her success. From the media reports I have seen her books have inspired children to be active readers so if that is true she has my heart felt thanks for promoting literacy.

Enjoy the magic,

Todd

Beauty and the Geek

While channel surfing earlier this week I watched a few minutes of "Beauty and the Geek" (http://www.cwtv.com/shows/beauty-and-the-geek) which had for one of their contests between the couples a book search in a local library. The "beauties" (women) had to find a list of books which were shelved via the Dewey Decimal System (DDS). One of the women could not find the books she needed which caused her to break down in tears - another victim of the DDS!!!

I was reminded of this episode today when I read a clipping I had from a recent New York Times article entitled, "Library drops Dewey, goes the Noble route", which is a reference to the "Barnes and Noble" bookstore method of organizing books according to "neighborhoods" versus using the Dewey Decimal System. The library is located in Gilbert, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. Harry Courtright, Director of the country library system responsible for Gilbert's changes was quoted as saying, "The younger generation today is wired differently than people in my generation."

Given the dominance of Google this change at the Gilbert Library makes a lot of sense because people type search "phrases" into Google not Dewey Decimal numbers of course. Perhaps it is my own advancing age and my past academic research experience that makes me biased but I still see a need for the DDS. The one distinct advantage that the DDS has over the "neighborhood" system is its exactness when you need a certain book.

The flip side of course is the simple joy derived from reviewing a shelf of books where you discover some unknown book that catches your attention -- so the Gilbert Library might evolve into the very atmosphere that attracts me to the used book stores I always visit when I travel.

Enjoy your browsing,

Todd

Darfur

In their recent newsletter my friends at Books For Africa ("BFA" -- http://www.booksforafrica.org/) announced that they have sent their first container of books to the country of Chad (June 2007). These books will be distributed to refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan.

What struck me the most is that most refugees need the basics covered -- food, clothing, and shelter (FCS) -- yet in the refugee camps (quoted the BFA newsletter now) ---

"........the markets nearby the (refugee) camps sell books for the children. Firewood is a commodity in the camps surrounded by desert, wood is very scarce and so has become valuable. Since they don't have money the kids are gathering firewood to pay for their books."

Okay, clearly I need to quit complaining about the "challenges" in my life after hearing this story!!! These refugees have fled genocide in Sudan for primitive camps in Chad where they struggle to secure the basic needs of life (FCS) YET at the same time they seek to buy/borrow books so they can continue their children's' educations and/or perhaps help distract them from the devastation that surrounds them.

I hope these donated books empower and inspire these refugees as they struggle to build new lives.

Write checks-change lives,

Todd

What Goes 'Round

While on a mini-vacation with the family this past weekend in Bayfield, Wisconsin I had the opportunity to meet the author of Outdoor Follies- Humor and Adventures in the Outdoors - Peter F. Crowley. Mr. Crowley is a native of Ashland, Wisconsin who served in the US Navy for four years before returning home to Wisconsin. I found him to be very personable and an avid fisherman so I am guessing his book will provide an interesting treatment of outdoor activities.

I met Mr. Crowley during his book signing event at a used book store -- complete with a lot of character and a host of "characters" -- in Bayfield called "What Goes 'Round. Interested readers, especially anyone looking for a good selection of outdoor living books and regional authors from Minnesota and Wisconsin, can find them on the web at: www.bayfieldbooks.com

When I paid for my books the store owner mentioned that they are "fighting the big corporations......." via an Internet-based cooperative book database that a number of independent stores like his have joined. This venture is located at -- www.tomfolio.com -- and features book stores in eight different countries.

Not only were the conversations interesting but the weather in Bayfield was beautiful. If readers have had similar experiences I would love to hear from you.

Todd

Onward Christian Writers

While I am a Christian I admit I have not read much in terms of "Christian literature" beyond some C.S. Lewis books and publications from my friends at the Acton Institute (www.acton.org). However, a short article in a recent USA Today announcing this year's winner of the "Christian Book of the Year" (CBY - presented by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) caught my attention.

Karen Kingsbury won the CBY for 2007 for her work of inspirational fiction entitled - "Ever After" - which is especially unique since the CBY has historically been won by "pastors, scholars, and Christian social commentators......" according to the article I read. Ms. Kingsbury already has 6 million books in print so winning the CBY will only add to her success.

While Ms. Kingsbury's publication numbers are impressive I have to highlight her even more impressive writing career history which includes time spent as a sports reporter, then as a true-crime book author, and finally into her current role as a Christian writer. Having the ability to write across three very different genres is impressive to say the least.

I look forward to reading her work once my current pile of books on the dresser has been processed.

Keep reading,

Todd

Independence Day

Perhaps the 4th of July ("Independence Day" I prefer to say) holiday this week inspired my choice of books that I started reading when I had some free time yesterday since my choice was "The Wit and Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin." Ah, B. Franklin - inventor, diplomat, printer, scientist, public servant, author!! Known is some spheres as the "First American" he was clearly one of the great leaders among leaders as one of the USA's Founding Fathers.

As is my nature I am currently reading four books at the same time with only the Franklin book related to the American Founding. I would love to read "1776" by the very accomplished historian, David McCulloch but I have several books in my reading queue already. Hopefully I will be able to arrange my August travel around McCulloch's "a conversation with David McCulloch" event being held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

If any readers out there have books related to the American Founding/Founding Fathers to recommend to me or to suggest for other readers of this blog I would welcome your suggestions.

Keep turning pages,

Todd

Book that changed my Life

In one of the magazines I subscribe to, Best Life, they have a small column entitled, "The Book that changed my life," which I always read so I thought it was time to blog about it so other readers might be inspired to think about which book they would select.

This month's featured book was chosen by Rick Moody who is the author of the new book - Right Livelihoods. Mr. Moody selected The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon which he read during a fiction class he took in his freshman year at Brown University.

For me I would state that "different books changed my life at different points in my life" but since Mr. Moody mentioned his university years he biased my response since I immediately thought of To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Like Mr. Moody, I too read this book during a university course but in my sophomore year for a class taught by Professor Kathy Hickok - http://www.las.iastate.edu/kiosk/1257.shtml - who I should note also taught in the "Women's Studies" department. While reading this book Ms. Hickok commented that one scene in the book of the "the boat entering the harbour.......was clearly symbolic of the penis entering the vagina....................."

Professor Hickok's comment completely opened my eyes (and ears) to the power of symbolism in literature since this visual was never on my radar screen until she suggested it as a possibility.

Open books to open minds,

Todd

Oprah and the Presidential Candidates

During my book club gathering this week the idea hit me that in addition to the series of presidential candidate debates we have for the 2008 USA presidential election some entity -- perhaps Oprah's Book Club (http://www.oprah.com/books/books_landing.jhtml) or the American Booksellers Association (www.bookweb.org) -- should sponsor a "presidential candidate book club session".

A very simple proposal here -- the sponsoring organization should select one book that all the participating candidates would read and then discuss on live television just like my book club. Interested citizens would know which book was selected so us common folk could read the selection to follow along.

Now such a format would no doubt supply some real insights to how our candidates process information and interpret literature thereby providing us with much more than the sound bites we often see in the official debates.

Books are timeless while candidates come and go.

Todd

Book Club

Last night I attended my first book club meeting for the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Scholars (the trade group for conservative academics!). This month's selection is "Power, Faith, and Fantasy" by Michael Oren which I plan to count as two books on my 2007 reading list since it is over 600 pages long :-)

Overall the book club is dominated by historians - the one "futurist" in the room felt out of place I think but his presence was appreciated -- who are primarily retired and/or adjunct faculty members. I must note that I was a bit nervous as I drove on the Macalester College campus in St. Paul, Minnesota where the book club meets. Why? Because below the USA flag was a United Nations flag which is not on my short list of institutions I support. The baby blue UN banner was flying high (just a flag - no black helicopters!!!!) of course because former UN Secretary-General , Kofi Annan, is a Macalester alumni -- http://www.pbs.org/wnet/un/life/map2.html - with a degree in economics so clearly he did not read the same books I have in my life given his work at the UN.

Last night's discussion was active and wide-ranging so I look forward to our future gatherings. I had the pleasure of sitting next to a retired professor of Soviet studies so the Cold War Warrior in me really enjoyed our sidebar conversation. Ah, the good old days!!

It is great to have found a "home" in a new book club such as this one. I would enjoy hearing from blog readers regarding their own book club experiences.

Read with friends,

Todd

Prison Books

As the old stereotype goes long term prisoners tend to spend their prison sentences either --

• Weight lifting (to get stronger for their next crime)
• Reading books (many to pursue their law degrees!!)

Due to new post-September 11th national security guidelines numerous religious books are being removed from the shelves of the USA's prison libraries including 600 titles from the federal prison camp in Otisville, New York.

A group of the prison's inmates have filed a lawsuit which claims this book removal program violates their constitutional rights. The books that were removed were apparently "religious" and "all religions were affected" according to the Associated Press' (AP) reporter, Larry Neumeister.

The AP article goes on to note that prison libraries are allowed under the federal government guidelines (aka "censorship") to have 100 to 150 titles per religion on their shelves but that this number will eventually expand as prison officials choose more books from a "new list of permitted books."

"Permitted books" ? I hope one of them is the "Autobiography of Malcolm X" which provides great insights regarding why so many African-American prisoners in the USA are attracted to Islam. Also, from the Christian perspective I encourage readers to review the work of Prison fellowship which uses the "Good Book" for its work --http://www.prisonfellowship.org

Read widely and act locally,

Todd

Boys will be Boys

A recent book review by the Associated Press' Jill Lawless (a "girl") regarding this new title caught my attention --

"The Dangerous Book for Boys" (DBFB) by Conn and Hal Iggulden (who are brothers)

Ms. Lawless notes that this book, "allows American boys - but not their sisters - to learn how to play marbles, make invisible ink.................." The book's title probably does not have the sexism that Ms. Lawless seems to suggest, rather it is great marketing if you ask me because such a title would attract both boys and girls given its taboo persona.

This book was a best seller in the United Kingdom where it was named Book of the Year prize at the British Book Awards before being published in the USA on May 1st. DBFB's success continues in the USA where it resides on several best sellers lists.

At some point I will probably buy copies for my godsons but will have to read it first myself primarily due to my love of the Boy Scouts program. Assuming this is a practical and useful book perhaps the Boy Scouts (founded in the United Kingdom coincidentally) should tap into its success by inviting the Iggulden brothers to do a Boy Scout-sponsored book tour across the USA as a recruitment tool.

As an Eagle Scout and Vigil Member myself I happily promote the Scouts so let me encourage my readers to get involved in the Boy Scouts if the opportunity presents itself. For more information please visit -- http://www.scouting.org/

Book Expo USA

Since my family was visiting Disney World in Florida at the same time as this year's "Book Expo America" ( held in New York City - www.bookexpoamerica.com) I could not attend this conference but look forward to 2008's show which will be held in Los Angeles, California.

The range of seminar topics and speakers (see website mentioned earlier) were impressive in terms of being timely and in terms of overall variety. I was most intrigued by the sessions focused on - Google, blogging, and promoting book authors via "social networking" technologies.

I registered on their website for future conference updates but if my readers know of any conferences being held in the Midwest of the USA I would appreciate hearing about such opportunities to enjoy perhaps the "Greatest Innovation" (see my posting at http://spacebeaglenotes.blogspot.com where I incorrectly stated that the "wheel" was the greatest innovation) - the printed BOOK.

Keep reading,

Todd

Empire Builder

The front page story of my Minnesota newspaper today contained an article about a local treasure in St. Paul called the James J. Hill Reference Library (http://www.jjhill.org/). Mr. Hill was a classic rags to riches success story who built a personal empire of railroads. Towards the end of his life Mr. Hill made plans to build a business reference library that would help others build business careers and also serve as an archive for his personal records. Mr. Hill modeled his library after JP Morgan's library since they were business partners.

I owe a huge "thank you" to Mr. Hill's vision since his library legacy provided some of the resources I needed to complete my Master's degree since I spent numerous hours completing research in this library. The newspaper article I read explained that the library's management board has decided to remove the personal archives that Mr. Hill (a modern day pack rat) left to the library. Potential homes for these archives -- which include Mr. Hill's list of books he had read, a practice I have done for years so I feel a certain kinship to Mr. Hill -- include the Minnesota Historical Society and a railroad museum in St. Louis, Missouri so it appears this wealth of historical information will be in good hands wherever they end up.

If any of my readers visit St. Paul, Minnesota the Hill Library is well worth a visit especially if you love books.

Thank you Mr. Hill,

Todd

Sandaligerula

While attending a conference in London years ago my friend Dr. Sean Gabb (giving the inventor credit here) created the word -- "hyperbibliophilia" -- which is the condition where someone continues to buy books even though they have not read the books they currently own.

I suffered from this condition for years and still fight it especially when I read reviews of books such as this one --

"Working IX to V - Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World"

by Vicki Leon

This book's focus is on the "behind the scenes" (my phrase) jobs of the workers and slaves that supported the leisure life in ancient Greece and Rome - fascinating stuff for nerdy historians like myself :-)

So does the job of "sandaligerula" interest you? This person's job was rather specific -- they had to ensure their mistress was wearing the proper shoes at all times. I am very thankful my wife can do this job for herself!!! (forgive me)

Todd

Disney World

Last week I spent touring Disney World in Orlando, Florida with my family. For adults I would recommend EPCOT Center and Animal Kingdom. But my best advice would be what I learned from a family waiting behind us in the line to ride the Aerosmith roller coaster -- bring a paperback book to read while you wait in line for the rides!!

We waited nearly 1.5 hours on this roller coaster but the other ride wait times ranged from 20 to 45 minutes. So if you don't have children with you or you have them distracted with toys, junk food, or Disney merchandise (which you will find at every turn) then bring a book to read while you wait in line.

Final note on Disney -- perhaps I missed it but I did not see any book reading events being held in the parks we visited. I have to believe that having some of the characters read from Disney books would prove popular with the kids (and kids at heart like me).

Todd

Sebastian Faulks

This weekend's Financial Times (FT) published a great interview of author, Sebastian Faulks, known for several novels including -- Birdsong, Charlotte Gray, and Engleby.

While the FT asked Mr. Faulks several questions I wanted to highlight several that caught my attention and I hope will inspire my readers to chuckle a bit as I did when I read the last response from Mr. Faulks cited below (my comments are in all CAPS):

Question: What's the last book you couldn't finish?
Answer: Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

INTERESTING -- I FINISHED IT AND THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD READ.

Q: How many books do you read at once?
A: About three, usually

ME TOO, SHORT ATTENTION SPAN!!

Q: What book changed your life?
A: Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence

I SHOULD SAY THE "VOYAGE OF THE SPACE BEAGLE" BUT IT IS A TIE BETWEEN THE "ICEBERG HERMIT" AND THE "CALL OF THE WILD" DURING MY YOUTH.

Q: What would you go back and change?
A: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was probably a mistake.

NOW THAT IS DAMN FUNNY!! OF COURSE THIS SINGLE EVENT LED TO THE START OF WORLD WAR I. I SAW THE BRIDGE WHERE THIS HAPPENED. TRULY AMAZING HOW POLITICIANS - WHETHER ALIVE OR DEAD - CAN CAUSE THE DEATH OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

Follow yourself not politicians,

Todd

The Good Book

There is an interesting scene from an episode of the TV drama - "24"- where Agent Doyle quotes a passage from the Koran to Agent Nasser (the only Muslim at "CTU" - Counter Terrorism Unit" it appears). Agent Nasser's reaction is priceless because you can see that at that moment there was a clear cultural connection between the two of them.

I was reminded of this scene when I read a recent Associated Press (AP) article, "Some Georgia Public Schools Decide to Offer Bible Classes," because I see huge potential social gains by having people read the holy books of the world's various religions. Not just the Bible but the Torah, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and the other books that Agent Doyle mentioned that I have yet to read --

http://www.cftech.com/BrainBank/OTHERREFERENCE/RELIGION/HolyBooks.html

This AP article notes that the State of Georgia is deciding whether to offer the nation's "first state-funded Bible classes." Other state legislatures considering a version of Georgia's plan at this time include -- Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas.

Now detractors would simply dismiss this idea since all five states noted here are part of the USA's "Bible Belt." In fact critics of the program are cited in the AP article as saying, "the classes could easily turn into endorsements of Christianity............" While the Georgia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) plans to monitor how the classes are taught. "Monitor" ? I would rather have the ACLU celebrate that a book is being read in classes versus a worse situation such as having the Bible (or the Koran for that matter) banned from class room use. As long as the State of Georgia is considering spending tax dollars to supply Bibles they should allocate some of the funds to also buy copies of the holy books mentioned earlier.

I am confident that having a greater understanding of the religions of our fellow travelers on Planet Earth would help create a greater degree of tolerance that would allow all of us to live in a more peaceful world. Not convinced by my words? Then I ask you to consider the conflicts and deaths caused by religious ignorance in Northern Ireland which has FINALLY arrived at a self-governing parliament consisting of Catholics and Anglicans.

Life is short but the afterlife is eternal ;-)

Todd

Spooks

Author Samantha Weinberg (who writes under the pseudonym of Kate Westbrook) recently shared with "The Week" (British magazine) readers who six favorite spy books. Ms. Weinberg's list included:

• Casino Royale by Ian Fleming -- Bond, James Bond of course!!
• Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
• Kim Philby: The Spy I loved by Eleanor Philby -- little did she know he was gay!
• The Spy who Came in From the Cold by John le Carre
• Next Stop Execution by Oleg Gordievsky
• The Spanish Game by Charles Cumming

Clearly Ms. Weinberg is better read than myself but I must say I was surprised she did not list "Spycatcher" by Peter Wright as one of her six favorites. Since she did mention a book about Kim Philby -- who is featured prominently in "Spycatcher" -- in her list I thought she might mention Wright's book.

One potential reason for the omission -- Spycatcher was banned in the U.K. since it was viewed as detrimental to the history and effectiveness of MI-5, the UK's spy agency:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEEDE103DF932A3575BC0A961948260

I am happy to report that I have read this book and hope my neighbor returns it one day so I can share it with my British friends.

Todd

Book Search

Dear Readers:

Recently I launched a project to write a biography on this famous Iowan --

History of Iowa from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

by Benjamin T. Gue


Thus I am using my blog on books to ask for your help in researching this person. Mr. Gue was born in New York State but his farming family migrated to Iowa where he eventually became a journalist, state legislator, church founder, and university leader.

As my research has progressed I have become more and more impressed with his career. If readers know of any research sources I should utilize to learn more about Mr. Gue's life I would appreciate your advice.

Thank you,

Todd

An Ocean of Books

My local newspaper carried a story this week about a start up company called -- BookSwim -- which has been nicknamed the "Netflix of Books" (www.bookswim.com)

BookSwim's business model calls for monthly subscriber fees of $15 to $20 for the company to send readers their "top five book choices" (they prefer/hope you select paperback books which are much easier for shipping costs and inventory challenges). Once readers return three books in a pre-paid envelope the reader's next three choices will then be mailed to them.

This is the classic business strategy of adapting/copying a proven business model for application in a new market -- in this case DVDs (Netflix) to books (BookSwim). Now I realize my mind wanders A LOT at times but when I read this article I was reminded of a tech magazine article I read several years ago about an Internet start up company. One of the founders was reading a book at the time which explained how the ancient Egyptian postal service worked so he could get insights on how best his company could "connect the plumbing of the Internet" to provide services to their clients.

Yet another reason for all of us to read a wide selection of books.

Todd

"O"

While I am no regular viewer of Oprah Winfrey's TV show - "Oprah" - I must say I am very intrigued by the influence of her book club so I had to check out the website today --

www.oprah.com/bookclub

Several immediate observations came to mind during my scan of this website:

• It does not appear to have any visitor feedback/interactivity -- why not replicate the "book club" experience of friends gathering in a living room by at least having a blog/bulletin board where readers/website visitors can "discuss" a book with each other?
• The chosen books for this book club lack any selections from the fields of - history, economics, global politics, entrepreneurship, etc. - unless I simply missed them since I did not recognize all of the titles. I would love to see her book club select a book like "The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando de Soto to get more people to appreciate the value of property rights.
• I would love to see Oprah take racism and censorship/book bans head on by selecting "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. I mention this book because it has been challenged by activist parents who find its use of the "n-word" for blacks offensive although Mr. Twain wrote the book to insult the racists.

I plan to book mark Oprah's website so I can at least monitor her book selections -- given her enormous influence all book lovers should take an interest in this vehicle for literacy.

Todd

Germany

Sadly it appears the skin head culture of hate still exists in Germany as evidenced by this recent news story from Pretzien (near Magdeburg), Germany. The story goes that seven men with the neo-nazi organization, "East Elbe Homeland Federation", burned a copy of The Diary of Anne Frank on a bonfire while they chanted, "German youth, German blood............" If convicted the men would face prison terms of up to 5 years.

In a show of complete stupidity one of the men defended his book burning by claiming it was a symbolic gesture "to rid himself of this bad chapter of German history..........." Using this line of logic would it then be okay for me to burn copies of "My Life" and "Living History" (or is that "Herstory"?) :-) by Bill and Hillary Clinton "to rid myself of the memory of their 8 years in the White House" ?

No, of course not, it would be far better for me to educate myself about these two people so I can help keep Hillary out of the White House in 2009.

Read to learn not burn,

Todd

New Zealand

While attending a conference in Canada this past week I had the pleasure of meeting one of the speakers -- Alan Duff of New Zealand.

Mr. Duff is an "award winning novelist, film maker, and social activist" perhaps best known for the film, "Once Were Warriors", which focused on his Maori culture. I wanted to talk with Mr. Duff after his speech because he is the founder of the "Books in Homes" program which distributes books to 500 schools in New Zealand:

www.booksinhomes.org.nz

"The Books in Homes Programme was inspired by Alan Duff who, with the help of Christine Fernyhough, developed the idea after realising that failures in adult life often stem from childhoods spent in bookless homes. The philosophy behind the programme is simple - to break the cycle of 'booklessness'. Kids who can't read become adults who can't communicate and that's a serious disadvantage in a world that operates on the written word."

Entrepreneurs/activists such as Mr. Duff are improving lives faster and more efficiently than any government I have experienced. If any readers of this blog have a great example of a government improving quality of life please let me know.

Keep up the great work Mr. Duff -- perhaps one day a New Zealand university will recognize your public service with a honorary degree!! I mention this because in his speech in Canada Mr. Duff noted that he has never been invited as a guest speaker to any New Zealand university despite his professional and social achievements.

Clearly political correctness is the power on campus.

Todd

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

While visiting Halifax this past weekend for a conference I had some free time to explore the literary community which led me to these discoveries:

• Best Second Hand Bookstore (as rated by readers of "The Coast" weekly guide)-- John W. Doull Bookseller at 1684 Barrington Street. Now this bookstore looked like a hybrid between your grandmother's attic and a tornado with books located in every available area of the store!! In some aisles I had to be careful not to bump into stacks of books thus risking toppling them everywhere. I had to laugh when I read the signs that requested patrons to "return the books in alpha orders for future shoppers" -- wow, good thing the fire marshal wasn't visiting the store!! Overall, a very fun experience to simply explore their thousands of random titles.
• Online Book Club -- created for readers of the local newspaper it can be found at; www.hfxnews.ca under the heading, "HfxBookTalk", which provides content for publishing in the newspaper. Overall I thought this was an ideal blend of "old" and "new" media operations.
• Atlantic Books Awards -- this ceremony is set for May 11th at "Pier 21" (see "Our Home and Native Land" at http://spacebeaglenotes.blogspot.com). For more information on the award categories which include best fiction, best Atlantic-published, best poetry, etc. readers can visit; www.writers.ns.ca/bookfest07

Read widely and read locally,

Todd

Somalia

Students at Minnesota's Metropolitan State University have partnered with our Somali immigrant community to construct a library in Puntland, a semi autonomous state in northeastern Somalia. The project is being administered by a non-profit group, created by Ali Abdurashid, called Somali Family Services.

Construction on the library began in January 2007 and should be completed in December 2007 thus becoming the "first public library in the region" according to the article I read. Anyone interested in this project can contact:

Tom O'Connell
Metropolitan State Professor of Political Science
tom.oconnell@metrostate.edu

Libraries are essential infrastructure that help communities to succeed but like a family pet libraries must be "fed" with books so I hope Metropolitan State and my friends at Books for Africa (www.booksforafrica.org) explore ways to work together.

Progress in Africa,

Todd

Cartoon

The "Frank and Ernest" (by Bob Thaves) cartoon in my local newspaper today featured a picture of a king sitting in a throne with a court aide standing nearby. The king is looking at the aide to declare:

"The literacy rate is going up? -- I suppose we better start thinking about censorship."

The amazing power of cartoons -- in one short sentence Mr. Thaves summarizes exactly how government works. Step One - achieve some objective such as higher literacy rates via some program. Step Two - regulate the results of the program.

Perhaps newspapers should start printing a few of their cartoons on the front page with the main news stories.

Todd

The Bard

From the April 19, 2007 USA Today newspaper comes this report published in conjunction with William Shakespeare's 443rd birthday. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), an organization in Washington DC which promotes academic quality, studied 70 universities in terms of their English degree programs.

The study shows that only 15 of these 70 institutions require English majors to take a course on Shakespeare. In addition the study found the following:

• Within the Ivy League schools only Harvard University requires a study of Shakespeare
• Only 3 of the 11 universities in the Big 10 conference (yes, they have 11 members) -- Illinois, Minnesota (yeah!!), and Wisconsin -- require a study of Shakespeare

Anne Neal, president of ACTA, had this to say regarding earning a bachelor's degree in English without the study of Shakespeare "is tantamount to fraud". I completely agree with Ms. Neal. Given the quantity and quality of Shakespeare's work how can any university award an English degree in good faith without having a study of the Bard's work as a core class? This would be the equivalent of awarding a degree in American History without requiring students to study President George Washington.

As tuition rates continue to climb we consumers of higher education should demand better results.

Lay on MacDuff,

Todd