Nothing But The Truth by Avi

A lesson in how political schools can be and how things can spin out of control.

Originally published in 1991.

Normally, I do not read Young Adult (YA) literature, but as a teacher I do delve into it from time to time just to see what's out there. In this case, I picked out this book for purely personal reasons.

Nothing But the Truth is all about a misunderstanding and mindless application of a zero tolerance rule in school.

The premise is we have a popular, respected and excellent English teacher (Miss Narwin) and a bright student (Phillip Malloy) who does not really apply himself too much. Malloy has been re-assigned to Narwin's homeroom. His previous homeroom had been rather loosely run, but Miss Narwin expects the rules to be followed and the school's written rule is absolute silence during the playing of the National Anthem. Malloy hums loudly during the Anthem (which causes and is directed to stop - something he was allowed to do in his other homeroom. He does not stop. Why not? He thinks Narwin is a hard-case teacher that is picking on him.

Malloy is removed to the office twice during the week for humming loudly during the anthem. The administrator ignores Malloy's real complaint - he dislikes Narwin for "giving" him bad grades in English class. Those grades are keeping him from joining the track team. Instead, the administrator follows a zero tolerance rule that says if you are sent to the office twice in one week you receive a three day suspension from school.

Soon, Malloy's neighbor, who happens to be running for the school board, picks up on this story and starts to campaign to reform the schools that suspend a boy who wants to display his patriotism by singing the National Anthem. Soon, the story spins out of control, rumors fly, careers are ruined and Malloy and his family have no idea how to deal with the situation.

The Author, Avi

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would encourage any teacher to read this book as a cautionary tale. I would encourage everyone else to read it as a demonstration of how media tales get a life of their own and the truth is not always brought out. I used to teach in a middle school that was caught up in a milder version of this sort of event. A young thug (a serious bully) was audiotaping classes and editing the tape to make his teachers sound bad. His tape was confiscated and a local TV station was brought in ("Call 6 for Help!") and the overblown reporter told a slanted version of the story in an effort to help this poor disabled child get his audio recorder back from the bully of an assistant principal so that this young scholar could finally take his notes. Except - he was not disabled, he took notes just fine without it and there was no mention of the disruption that occurred while he played his edited versions during class time.

Our situation blew over fairly quickly, but it was intense enough.

So, the long and the short of it is, Nothing But The Truth is a great piece of fiction that explores what happens when politics, media sensationalism, mindless policies and failure to have a face-to-face discussion with all parties involved rips a school apart.

I rate this book 5 stars.

This book can be found on Amazon here: Nothing But The Truth
 
Reviewed on August 29, 2010.

Avi's website is: http://www.avi-writer.com/index.html

The Poacher's Son (Mike Bowditch #1) (audiobook) by Paul Doiron

Audiobook
7 CDs
8.5 hours
Read by John Bedford Lloyd

The Poacher's Son is the first in a series of books about Mike Bowditch, a rookie Maine Game Warden. Bowditch is settling into his job, losing his long-time girlfriend, dealing with the locals that have bad interactions with the local wildlife and rude out-of-state tourists that flaunt Maine's laws.

Bowditch's life is turned upside down when a local deputy is killed while escorting a timber company executive (who was also killed) away from an unsuccessful attempt to cool local passions about the timber company's long term plans for the area. It seems that the number one suspect is Bowditch's estranged father, a local poacher, hunting guide and bar brawler well-known for his bad attitude and violent nature.

Bowditch is sure his father is innocent. He has no illusions about his father's nature, but he cannot figure out a motive for his father. He gets involved despite repeated warnings from his superiors and soon everything spins out of control.

A great deal of the book consists of flashbacks that give the reader (or in my case, listener) some insight into the relationship between Bowditch and his father. This does help with the climactic final scenes.

The author, Doiron is a Registered Maine Guide, so his descriptions of the landscape and wildlife of Maine are quite compelling - a real plus.

Fans of  C.J. Box's Joe Pickett mysteries will enjoy this one as well.

Website: http://www.pauldoiron.com/

This audibook can be found on Amazon.com here: The Poacher's Son (Mike Bowditch Mysteries)

I rate this audiobook 4 stars out of 5.

Reviewed on August 29, 2010.

Mad Dogs by James Grady

An interesting ride, but not told as clearly as it could have been.

Published in 2006

The premise of Mad Dogs is a winner - picture an insane asylum just for spies that have been pushed beyond the breaking point. There are victims of torture, people who have compromised cherished values, lost loved ones in the line of duty or have just seen things that no one should have to see.

Now, imagine that 5 of these patients have a doctor that they love - he pushes them, challenges them and makes progress with them. And, he gets murdered right in the room where they do their "group" time, making it look like one of them had done it.

So, this group of misfits decides to flee from the frame job and find the root of the conspiracy that killed their doctor. Each of them resurrects their skills and works together to escape, find clues and follow the scant trail back to the source.

Sounds great, right? Kind of like a hard-edged version of the Michael Keaton comedy The Dream Team (1989)

Well, the follow through does not quite live up to the promise of the basic plot line. Grady sort of skips around from person to person in his narration but does so in a herky-jerky fashion so that the reader is left to guess what is going on from time to time. The over-arching plan and motivation of the villain is fairly underwhelming when it is finally exposed.

However, the "buddy movie" and "road trip" feel of the book and the look into the past lives of these former spies is interesting and overcomes those other problems. It was quite fun watching these characters confront their fears, work together and compensate for each others' weaknesses as they tried to clear their names and avenge their friend.

I rate this book 4 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Mad Dogs.

Reviewed on August 24, 2010.

Free: The Future of a Radical Price (kindle) by Chris Anderson

A fascinating and enjoyable read

Published in 2009 by Hyperion.

Free: The Future of a Radical Price is an exploration of the future. It is an exploration of how advancements in computer technology, specifically the ultra-cheap price of computerized data storage, has changed the flow of information and data and has changed the rules of data-based business.

Written on computers using free programs, accessing free internet at coffee houses and using as many free sources as possible, such as Wikipedia* and blogs, Anderson discusses the concept of "free" as a business tool from its beginnings to now.

Anderson keeps a light and breezy tone throughout the book, but don't let that lull you into a sense that weighty business concepts are not being discussed. The exploration of "free" starts with marketing ideas such as the ubiquitous "Buy One Get One Free" to ideas such as giving the razor handles away but charging for the blades as he discusses the beginnings of American business institutions such as Gillette and Jell-O.

But, those brick and mortar type businesses are not the focus of the book. He is looking at the information age. Businesses like Amazon.com (free shipping once a strategic price point has been reached, free home pages for reviewers, lots and lots of reviews by regular folks, and not "professionals") and Google (free searches, free document programs, free uploads on video sites, etc.) are thoroughly discussed as are concepts such music piracy.

Chris Anderson

He includes lots of other examples, such as websites that offer free services to all (such as photo uploading or video games) but allow premium (paying) members extra privileges. He also includes in a listing at the end 50 business models based on free (he calls it Freemium) and provides concrete examples of companies that use these models, such as Disney, WordPress and Microsoft).

*Wikipedia has its flaws (I teach high school history and for 20 minutes in 2005 one of my students listed himself as the first Emperor of Rome, but it was caught, corrected and our school was banned from editing Wikipedia), but it is a tremendous resource and is good for a quick check on facts.

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson.

Reviewed on September 5, 2009.

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir by Neil White

A profound book. Well-written and tugs at the heart.

Published in 2009 by William Morrow.

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is a memoir of a magazine and newspaper publisher who was sentenced to a minimum security prison for band fraud (he was "kiting" checks to make payroll, grow the business and buy fancy digs for the corporate offices). The prison he was sent to, however, is not your typical prison. Carville serves as both a minimum security prison and the last federal leper colony in the United States.

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is a title with a double-entendre. At one level it is a sanctuary where the outcasts are kept away from the outside. A sanctuary in which the victims of leprosy can receive treatment and not be "different" from everyone else. The author is literally staying in their physical sanctuary. But, in the case of the author, being in In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is more than this. He is under the care of the lepers. He learns from them. They teach him humility and taking life as it comes. He learns what is really important and the value of human connection. Calling them his friends would presume too much. They become his mentors by their examples and the few moments of humanity that can be passed between prisoners and patients. He absorbs what they teach with a passion.

Neil White at Carville Prison

The community that is created in Carville between these two groups that society's outcasts is unique and fragile. The federal prisoners are a volatile group and the leprosy patients are not confined to the facility - they are voluntary residents. This balance between freedom and confinement proves difficult for the government to manage and, in the end, the tenuous relationship ends as the book ends, giving it sort of a fairy tale quality.

A unique book and one of the best that I have read this year.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir by Neil White.

Highly recommended.

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.

Reviewed on September 10, 2009.

On the Wealth of Nations by P.J. O'Rourke

Could have been so much more

Published in 2006.

As an economics teacher, Adam Smith's An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations has long been on my "to read" list. I downloaded a free copy of it to my Kindle e-reader, but I haven't seriously considered opening it. I've read summaries of his ideas, perused his quotes and espoused his ideas in class, but I have not had the gumption to read 600 pages of 18th century prose.

When I discovered P.J. O'Rourke had written a commentary on the book I was thrilled. I do enjoy most of what O'Rourke writes and I figured his funny, insightful sarcastic take on things should do quite a bit to punch up a nearly 225 year-old economics text.

Let's start with the basics. Adam Smith (1723-1790) was a professor of both Moral Philosophy and Logic at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He wrote two books, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), usually abbreviated The Wealth of Nations, often considered to be one of the first books on modern economics. Smith argued that freedom, both political and economic, was the ultimate source of happiness because the "invisible hand" of the free market would regulate the market and provide the best living for the most amount of people as possible. It is an interesting coincidence that the American Revolution and The Wealth of Nations both debuted in 1776.

Adam Smith (1723-1790)

I picked up P.J. O'Rourke's commentary on Smith's two books (the title and the cover do not tell the reader, but O'Rourke actually makes commentary on both books - he makes the compelling argument that they are really interrelated) and was expecting big things out of a very small book (242 pages including index, bibliography, endnotes and several pages of selected quotations).

Unfortunately, I did not get big things. O'Rourke's pizzaz and razmataz, his quick wit and his inclination to make a smart comment about everything - traits that can be very endearing and that I enjoyed very much in his book Peace Kills got in the way big time. For example when discussing Smith's arguments about the value of importing goods and how free trade is a good thing. This is a controversial topic even now, more than 200 years later and O'Rourke adds nothing to it - in fact he hurts the argument by noting: "...imports are Christmas morning; exports are January's MasterCard bill." (p. 24)

P.J. O'Rourke

If O'Rourke would have toned down the comments (Note: not eliminate, just tone down), this book would have been much more useful. As it was, I sometimes felt like I was reading Dave Barry's Dave Barry Slept Here: A Short of History of the United States. The attempt to leaven the dry nature of Smith's original work with jokes failed - I just had to work too hard to separate the facts from the jokes.

Did I learn enough about Smith and his thoughts to avoid that feeling of failure I get when I see The Wealth of Nations on my Kindle? Probably, so the book was not a complete failure. However, I feel like the book was a missed opportunity. The right man was picked to write this book, but he was allowed to play around a little too much.

I rate this book 3 stars.

Reviewed on August 22, 2010.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: On the Wealth of Nations by P.J. O'Rourke.

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 (abridged audiobook) by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson

Abridged Audiobook
5 CDs
Approximately 6 hours.
Read by Kevin T. Collins

I first heard the incredible story of Marcus Luttrell  on Glenn Beck's radio show. I'm not a frequent listener of Glenn's show but this interview was so compelling I had to hear the whole thing.

Lone Survivor is a much longer version of that story. It includes a long, detailed description of how Navy SEALs train and their "Hell Week" that washes out those who are not truly dedicated to being a SEAL. Luttrell also tells us about his childhood and how he aspired to be a member of a special forces unit as a young man in high school.

The bulk of the book is about "Operation Redwing" - an attempt to kill or capture a Taliban leader that remains unnamed in the book (he uses a false name for this man throughout the book). The operation consists of inserting 4 SEALs in open mountain territory in Afghanistan to observe a remote village where this leader may or may not be staying.

Operation Redwing has difficulties from the beginning, including a lack of cover to hide behind while observing the village and extremely steep terrain. Not long into the operation 3 Afghan goatherders stumple upon the 4 SEALs and nearly 100 Taliban soldiers start to hunt the 4 SEALs.

Luttrell's tale of how his comrades died one by one in an intense running firefight is gripping and awe-inspiring. Eventually, Luttrell is the last one alive, although he is also shot in the leg and suffers from any number of cuts, bruises and a broken nose. He uses every trick he learned in survival training and a few that he learned as avid hunter back in Texas and is eventually rescued by an anti-Taliban village that risks the lives of the entire village by daring to take him in.

The insignia of the Navy SEALs

Unlike another autobiographical tale of our current wars that I've recently read, Joker One, the strength of this book is not its writing. It is co-written by Patrick Robinson who lets Luttrell's voice come through loud and clear. If you are easily offended by liberal use of swear words as adjectives, this will not be the book for you. However, having known a few soldiers over the years I found it lent a good deal of authenticity to let Luttrell describe the battle as he normally would.

No, the strength of the book is the power of the story itself. The decision to spare the lives of the goatherders (who presumably left the SEALs and immediately informed the Taliban), the vicious firefight, the loss of Luttrell's companions, the story of the village that rescued him, the pain his family went through when they believed he had also been killed... The story is so strong that it demands and deserves to be heard, even if its prose is not Pulitzer Prize material.

Highly recommended.

I rate this audiobook 5 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Lone Survivor

Reviewed August 21, 2010.