BOOKS I ENJOYED IN 2012

As you browse through a bookstore or the library you are dumbfounded at all the interesting books you don't have time to read.  The situation is only compounded by the availability of e books where you don't have to worry about locked doors.  My selection process is a lot of browsing, reading, listening and watching reviews or references, and listening to friends' advice.  As a result of all that I have spent hundreds of hours over the past year enriching and distracting myself.  Hopefully you might find a few gems.  I have read over 70 books in the past twelve months and these are the ones I remember the most.

I purposely minimize reading fiction books as they are very distracting for me.  One good example is "The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln" written by Stephen L Carter.  I had read an earlier book, "The Emperor of Ocean Park" by the same author and was very struck at his understanding of the law and legal matters while still writing in-depth characters and a clever plot.

Abraham's Lincoln's assassination is one of the pivotal moments of history, although the author believes there are stronger forces than any one man.  After Lincoln's death at the hands of John Wilkes Booth, Andrew Johnson tried to carry on the spirit of Lincoln's expressed intentions not to be too harsh on the southern rebels.  He was not as politically astute as Lincoln and soon generated a lot of resentment that resulted in his own impeachment trial.  One of the themes of this book is that even if Lincoln had survived and Johnson died the historical forces would have expressed themselves anyway. This book is a great mixture of plotting, characterization, political and legal subtleties.


The Burlington Public Library had their Burlington Reads selection "The Beauty of Humanity Movement" by Camilla Gibb and without knowing too much about it I reserved it.  It focused on Vietnam in modern times, but with a strong focus on the impact of the war.  It intrigued me enough that after reading it I visited a restaurant to try the soup that figured prominently in the book.  You can read about that adventure in one of my more popular blogs:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/09/the-willpower-instinct.html  The book was an enjoyable experience enhanced by physically following up one of the themes.

A book I would describe as one to take to the beach is "The Panther" by Nelson De Mille. He turns out a thriller about every 18 months after a lot of research.  There is an intricate plot, interesting information and a lot of humour.  The humour comes from sarcasm and perhaps the best of it is the internal thinking of the main character, John Corey.  I have covered in another blog about marrying into the De Mille family which you can read at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/05/tribute-to-nelson-demille-real-writer-i.html

Another mystery novel I read had a personal connection as I have known the author John Lawrence Reynolds through work.  He had written a number of mysteries set in Boston years ago, but when returning to mysteries he set his latest book on the "Beach Strip" in Hamilton and part of the joy was recognizing local places and history.  His characterizations are a big part of his writing.

Still with fiction I finally read my first Jane Urquhart book, "The Stone Carvers"  An enjoyable book which covered areas of Ontario I am familiar with.  Inspired by the Vimy Memorial.  I will be reading more of her books in the future.

A book that is still impacting me on a daily basis is "The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly McGonigle.  Willpower is the one personal attribute that can make the most difference.  This is a how to book, but is only as good as the willpower you can put into it.  We all have some willpower, but the trick is how to stretch it and she offers a practical perspective.  A more detailed description by me can be found at  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/09/the-willpower-instinct.html

The Shift---future scenarios  My favorite non fiction book of 2012. We would all like to predict the future, but it is similar to jello. Lynda Gratton runs by a lot of possibilities and links them to trends that either can be encouraged or discouraged.  She gives herself the freedom of fiction to discuss many possibilities.  More details can be found at
http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/04/shift.html






"Fairness and Freedom" denote compatible traits but there is an important distinction.  Freedom sounds so noble and everyone craves it.  We want to do what we want to do.  Capitalism thrives on freedom, but too often the levers get re-set and some people have more freedom than others.  For instance those who control capital can shift labour to slave wages and fewer safety and environmental restrictions with just a few key strokes.  Free trade is not free for everyone.  Fair trade is an attempt to  make sure everyone gets their "fair share."  New Zealand has a longer history of concern for this while America is convinced freedom is everything.  Having concrete examples helps clarify the distinctions.  More details can be found at:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/06/fairness-and-freedom-book-review.html

Business   Demand is a book that gets right to the basic of business. Persuading people to buy something.  It has always been the case that if you make life easier for someone else to do something they want to do you can sell something.
Again, more details can be found at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/08/demand-book-review.html
Read about my favourite reads of 2011 at:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/01/books-i-am-glad-i-read-in-2011.html

"The Beauty of Humanity Movement" book review

Libraries are an important part of my life.  I was fortunate to learn about the "One Book One Burlington" program and decided to investigate their choice for 2012.  "The Beauty of Humanity Movement" by Camilla Gibb is one I had not heard of, but librarians have earned my respect.

For me, a white older male, this book brings a new perspective.  When I first went to university I remember one fellow student who told us he was at a Canadian university to avoid the draft.  For years I have enjoyed listening to Andy Barrie who also came to Canada to avoid the draft.

Since those years I have met a few Vietnamese--at the farmer's market where I buy mangoes and fish, some neighbours, one of my favorite sandwich places, Bahn Mi Excellence.  Nelson DeMille, a relative on my wife's side spent time there and has written about his experiences.

Today the war seems forgotten.  When we think about it our thoughts are jumbled.  A lot of us think the Americans made a terrible blunder going where they had no real understanding.  We feel the war did bad things to the Americans and they in turn did bad things to the Vietnamese.  This book brings out that bad things were done by Vietnamese to other Vietnamese.  Now Vietnam is moving forward.

We are soon introduced to Maggie who is collecting art in Hanoi, but also trying to learn what she can of her father.  Maggie's father had been an artist in Revolutionary times.  Revolutionary leaders and their lackies recognize all forms of art can either reaffirm the Revolution or undermine it. Maggie's father was identified as a dissident and was tortured, but escaped.  Later he was able to get his wife and daughter out of the country, but he disappeared.

Maggie  mostly grew up in Minnesota, remembering her father became interested in art.  After much effort she locates Hung, an elderly pho (soup) maker.  He reacts to some of what she says, but cannot recall the critical details.  Over the course of the book we learn of his connection to some earlier artists.  He has his own interesting history but at the time of the story has been sort of adopted by a younger family.  Gradually some memories are re-discovered and some misunderstandings unraveled.

A focus of the book is a soup called Pho.  You may have noticed a few restaurants specializing in pho in many Canadian cities.  Several years ago I tried one and found it an interesting experience which I didn't really understand.  I could see it as a gathering place similar to coffee houses.  The soup is a collaborative result of French and Vietnamese with endless variations, but requiring a great deal of attention.  The social aspects of the soup help bring the story characters together.

For me the joy of the book was in revealing an interesting part of the world I have over looked.  The plot and characterizations made it compelling reading.

This was the fourth book by Camilla and they have been recognized with awards and listings.  To find out more about Camilla Gibb check http://www.camillagibb.ca/

Having finished the book I had to try some Vietnamese soup to better understand how it could be such a magnet.  I chose to visit Thai Avenue which is close to the Burlington Public Library.  The waitress was helpful and soon provided me with a large bowl and explained some small details to make it more enjoyable.  I opted to use chopsticks although not very deft with them, I find it slows me down so I can appreciate the food better.

It was filling with a lot of flavour.  I had chosen one with beef, but also lots of noodles, sprouts and onions.  I enjoyed the broth as well.  If you would like to try what they have to offer you can learn more on their website: www.thaiavenue.ca/  Don't worry they will also offer you a fork and spoon.