Book 9: Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun. Epic tale of settling land and all the conflicts that arise between settlers and the land as well as amongst the settlers themselves. The idea of a "simpler time" fails to acknowledge that the complexities arise from within.
Book 10: The Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. Great resource on both the philosophy of sufficient exposure to nature and the evidence behind it.
Book 11: Summer of the Big Bachi by Naomi Hirahara. A literary crime novel, driven at least as much by the characters and their interactions with each other as the official particulars of the crime.
Book 12: What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton.
I avoided reading this book for over a year. The anguish felt over the result of the 2016 Presidential election was still too fresh. Rehashing what led to its result was just going to get me completely upset again. Every single time I've heard Hillary Rodham Clinton speak, in her own words and on the topics she has selected, I have been impressed. She's thoughtful, caring, smart, articulate and genuinely seems to be trying to make the world a better place for everyone. For that alone, her defeat in 2016 was tough. What made it genuinely terrible was who our country selected instead.
But it was time. I'd shook Hillary's hand and received a copy of the book on her tour. Over a year later, I finally read what her thoughts on her campaign were. Not surprisingly, ALL of the criticism I had heard about the book were completely unfounded. What I found was yet again, a thoughtful, caring person trying to improve lives while having things thrown sideways at her, both from within the country (within her own party even) and from without.
I really think this is the most important thing to note about the book. The details about the campaign itself (and there are many) are important to understand, but what really shines through is that Hillary really cares. While I may disagree here or there, that's the nature of desiring progress. There are a million ways to move forward and figuring out an uncharted path is difficult. Contrast this to the desire to move backwards, where history lays out an exact path. There will always be more disagreement on how to move forward than backwards. I will not let those disagreements diminish my admiration for one of the greatest public servants our country has ever known, an admiration reinforced by this book.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
2019, Book 7: Mildred Pierce by John Cain and Book 8: Eden by Design by Hise and Deverell
Book 6: Not a Scientist by David Levitan. Nothing earth-shattering, but still important work on how politicians twist science.
Book 7: Mildred Pierce by John Cain.
Classic story of class in Depression America. Some were able to navigate high-class society and its vanity. Some jumped for such heights, forgetting that landing from such a jump puts you back where you started. Some could play the wealthy's social games of whimsy. Some weren't even aware such games were being played at their expense. Some were born to be of another, higher class, floating (not jumping) up and staying. Some are the working class mothers of them.
Veda Pierce just needed an opportunity. When she got it, she worked the hell out of it--without working. As much as mother Mildred wanted to be in a class with daughter Veda, Mildred's belief in honest, hard work eventually paying off clashed with the aloof lack of responsibility that the upper class is practically defined by.
Set in the greater Los Angeles area, some of the most amusing passages come off as downright mean to those who haven't lived it. While Pasadena might not be the pinnacle of high society it was then, there is still a snobbishness to this day that harkens back. Glendale has become a bustling community unto itself, but it still has never claimed the status of Pasadena at its peak. And so it goes for Hollywood, Laguna Beach and countless other locales.
Book 8: Eden By Design by Hise and Deverell.
This book is a pure urban planning policy wonkfest. I include it with Mildred Pierce because its content was being created at about the same time and place as Mildred Pierce's setting. The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, even way back in the 20s, recognized that the city was being choked. All the wonderful natural settings that made Los Angeles unique and appealing were being obliterated to make way for housing. A report was commissioned from Olmsted-Bartholomew to both survey the natural landscape and propose ways to preserve it. The main takeaway for me is that cities should build parks when they can, because eventually they won't be able to and wish they had.
Again, this book has special meaning to those who live or have lived in the greater Los Angeles area. Much of the county's larger physical contours remain and it's quite interesting to see where some communities tried to follow the plan, even though it was never formally adopted. Of particular note is the stretch of green from Debs Park through Hermon Park to the Arroyo and Lower Arroyo Parks, all the way up to Devil's Gate Reservoir near JPL. Another nice stretch runs from Griffith Park out to Topanga State Park, though I suspect this was more a result of difficult terrain than anything else. In contrast, when one sees how barren the San Fernando Valley is of green space, it's no wonder that Lake Balboa is so crowded on the weekends.
While we can always lament what could have been, I think this book also serves as a counter to what currently is. Los Angeles is still trying to build its way into affordable housing, an objective continuously held as noble in intent despite decades of failure. This inevitably leads to further constrictions in public green spaces, deterioration in natural habitat and an overall reduction in quality of life for current residents who see their recreational spaces continuously eroded. Perhaps there is a way to genuinely balance these interests, but what counts as "balance" right now suggests otherwise.
Book 7: Mildred Pierce by John Cain.
Classic story of class in Depression America. Some were able to navigate high-class society and its vanity. Some jumped for such heights, forgetting that landing from such a jump puts you back where you started. Some could play the wealthy's social games of whimsy. Some weren't even aware such games were being played at their expense. Some were born to be of another, higher class, floating (not jumping) up and staying. Some are the working class mothers of them.
Veda Pierce just needed an opportunity. When she got it, she worked the hell out of it--without working. As much as mother Mildred wanted to be in a class with daughter Veda, Mildred's belief in honest, hard work eventually paying off clashed with the aloof lack of responsibility that the upper class is practically defined by.
Set in the greater Los Angeles area, some of the most amusing passages come off as downright mean to those who haven't lived it. While Pasadena might not be the pinnacle of high society it was then, there is still a snobbishness to this day that harkens back. Glendale has become a bustling community unto itself, but it still has never claimed the status of Pasadena at its peak. And so it goes for Hollywood, Laguna Beach and countless other locales.
Book 8: Eden By Design by Hise and Deverell.
This book is a pure urban planning policy wonkfest. I include it with Mildred Pierce because its content was being created at about the same time and place as Mildred Pierce's setting. The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, even way back in the 20s, recognized that the city was being choked. All the wonderful natural settings that made Los Angeles unique and appealing were being obliterated to make way for housing. A report was commissioned from Olmsted-Bartholomew to both survey the natural landscape and propose ways to preserve it. The main takeaway for me is that cities should build parks when they can, because eventually they won't be able to and wish they had.
Again, this book has special meaning to those who live or have lived in the greater Los Angeles area. Much of the county's larger physical contours remain and it's quite interesting to see where some communities tried to follow the plan, even though it was never formally adopted. Of particular note is the stretch of green from Debs Park through Hermon Park to the Arroyo and Lower Arroyo Parks, all the way up to Devil's Gate Reservoir near JPL. Another nice stretch runs from Griffith Park out to Topanga State Park, though I suspect this was more a result of difficult terrain than anything else. In contrast, when one sees how barren the San Fernando Valley is of green space, it's no wonder that Lake Balboa is so crowded on the weekends.
While we can always lament what could have been, I think this book also serves as a counter to what currently is. Los Angeles is still trying to build its way into affordable housing, an objective continuously held as noble in intent despite decades of failure. This inevitably leads to further constrictions in public green spaces, deterioration in natural habitat and an overall reduction in quality of life for current residents who see their recreational spaces continuously eroded. Perhaps there is a way to genuinely balance these interests, but what counts as "balance" right now suggests otherwise.
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