Falling Off the Map: Some Lonely Places of the World - Pico Iyer

The Basics: Falling Off the Map: Some Lonely Places of the World, Pico Iyer, 1993, 190 pages, paperback

How I found it: Randomly browsing the travel section of my favourite Vancouver used bookstore, Bibliophile.

What's it about?: This a series of essays about countries that Iyer feels are "falling off the map". He has various reasons for classifying each of these countries, and generally I agree with him. The countries, or "lonely places", covered here are: North Korea, Argentina, Cuba, Iceland, Bhutan, Vietnam, Paraguay, and Australia. Each of the essays are an indepth look at what it means to spend time in that country, each people's outlook on the world, and a bit about the author's time there. In general though, Iyer uses great imagery to transport you there, understand how the people think, etc. These are less travel stories and more literary snapshots of countries.

Did I like it?: I quite like short prose, and essays like this since I think the format lends itself really well to bed time reading. I really liked Iyer's style of writing - I felt as if he had transported me to the place he was describing. Also, he really made me want to find out more about some of the countries and he made me want to visit Iceland even more than I already wanted to. My only complaint is that I didn't get the justification for labelling a place as "lonely place" in some instances.

Will you like?: This is some very well-written travel literature. It's not typical travel literature since it doesn't follow a journey and is not linear or plot-driven though, so unless you are okay with that, you might not like the book. However, if you ever have wondered about what life is like in North Korea, why Paraguay is so crazy or why people in Iceland are so uninhibited, this would be a good read.

But don't take my word for it: Mostly good reader reviews from Amazon.ca, a review from a blog called FOJAZZ, Iyer's wikipedia entry,

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith - Jon Krakauer

The Basics: Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, Jon Krakauer, 2003, 372 pages, hardcover

How I found it: I have read two of Krakauer's other books (Into the Wild and Into Thin Air) both of which were quite interesting and well-written. When I saw a recommendation for this one on a book review thread for Into Thin Air, I got it from the local library.

What's it about: This book is about Mormons. It is mostly about how a break-away sect of fundamentalist Mormons got crazy-violent in the early 80s, but it is also about the history of Mormonism and fundamentalist Mormonism and the role of polygamy in the Mormon church. For those of you from BC always seeing the town of Bountiful on the news, there is a section on that too.

Did I like it?: I really liked this book. I know next to nothing about Mormonism (which is similar to my knowledge on any other Christian sect), so it was fascinating to find out what the religion is about and how much truth there is to those polygamy rumours. The examination of the violent aspects of the faith, including the Lafferty murders and the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping was well done too. The book was written like a long magazine article, or a series of magazine articles (which I guess is what Krakauer specializes in, so no big surprise there). I was really surprised that I couldn't put this book down.

Will you like it?: If you've heard about fundamentalist Mormons on the news you should read this book. It explains the background to all those polygamous and violent incidents in a fascinating way. For a non-fiction book, this was a great read.

But don't take my word for it: Mostly positive reviews from Amazon.ca readers, the New York Times review, one from the Christian Science Monitor, and one from the Washington Post.

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

The Basics: How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie, 1936, 276 pages, paperback.

How I found it: I bought some cereal because it advertised on the box that you could get a free book. From the selection they had available, this was my choice. I figured that I needed this sort of information since I am going to work in the field of law. Or something...

What's it about?: This is a self help book about how to deal with other people. It is separated into sections with names like: "Six Ways to Make People Like You", "How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking" and "Be a Leader: How to Change People without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment". At the end of each chapter is the "principle" you are meant to take out of it. These are things like: "Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly" and "Talk in terms of the other person's interests". Really, they are all common sense things that you should do. The whole book can be summed up by saying: be considerate of other people. Each section is full of examples of how to use each principle.

Did I like it?: I really didn't enjoy this book. A disclaimer though: I hate reading self-help books. I always feel like there is more wrong with me after I am finished reading the book than I did before I started. Self-help books are like cosmetics commercials: they tell you what is wrong with you so that you will buy their products to fix it. As a result, I found reading this book to be tedious and I skimmed large portions of it. I think I found it so tedious because its use of examples makes it so repetitive. I am not an idiot. I don't need ten examples of one type of behaviour to understand the point being made. I also wasn't a big fan of the constant use of examples from men I am supposed to be impressed by, such as numerous old time US presidents.

Will you like it?: If you are totally incompetent and self-conscious about your behaviour in the business world, you might like this book. Otherwise I suggest that you just use common sense and the golden rule to govern how you treat other people and you'll be fine. I also think this book would be great as a pamphlet: each of the principles set out with one example. The whole book in under 10 pages. It would be great and not nearly as tedious.

But don't take my word for it: A bunch of glowing reviews from Amazon.ca, and a summary of the principles from the book so you never have to read it. Other than that I can only find other glowing reviews from online bookstores and various business types touting the book as a miracle.

Sugarmilk Falls - Ilona Van Mil

The Basics: Sugarmilk Falls, Ilona Van Mil, 2005, 321 pages, paperback, winner of the Crime Writers Association's Debut Dagger Award (for Crime novels by previously unpublished authors). Apparently she is also a law prof at the University of Essex in the UK.

How I found it: My mom had it and lent it to me when I was visiting her. I'm not sure if she had it for her book club or not, but either way, she really enjoyed it.

What's it about?: A small francophone town in northern Ontario is shaken out of their usual routine by the murder of the local school teacher. The townsfolk, including the priest, a trapper, the local car dealer, and the resident aboriginal family form part of a great cast of characters. It's a "whodunit" type of mystery novel, but Van Mil writes rather well and makes it feel a little more like literature. Van Mil also manages to incorporate aboriginal and religious issues in a great way.

Did I like it?: It's been ages since I read any mystery or crime books. I usually dismiss them as pulpy, but this one was so well-written for the genre that I really enjoyed it. There is so much more going on here besides the murder. The only thing that I disliked is that Van Mil switches from narrating about one set of characters to another quite quickly at times and it can be difficult for a reader to get their bearings.

Would you like it?: For a first novel, this one is quite good. And for a crime book, it is quite well written and doesn't feel very formulaic. The twists aren't that foreseeable and they do end up making sense. All in all, a good read.

But don't take my word for it: A review from Shotsmag (a UK eZine for crime fiction), a review from the UK's The Independent, and one from Sarah Weinman's blog (she's a crime writer, among other things).

Hiking the Dream: A Family's Four Month Trek Along the Trans-Canada Trail - Kathy Didkowsky

The Basics: Hiking the Dream: A Family's Four-Month Trek Along the Trans-Canada Trail, Kathy Didkowsky, 2002, 292 pages

How I found it: While in Vancouver, I only had time to browse through the trekking and travel section of my favourite used bookstore, Bibliophile. This is one of three titles I picked up.

What's it aboout?: Kathy Didkowsky is a mother and part of the Nova Scotia Trans-Canada Trail Council. She takes her three kids on a hike across Canada to celebrate the Trans-Canada Trail as a project she calls Hike 2000. There is no fundraising or particular awareness goal and they aren't connected to any organization. Despite what is often written about this journey, they didn't hike all the way across Canada - they hike 20km a day, for 10 days in each province for a total of 2000 kms. As well, they rarely travel on the Trans-Canada Trail because it really doesn't exist yet - it is still in the planning and development stages. The book is written diary style and includes entries from Kathy, her kids, various friends and relatives that they hiked with and the many former railroaders they met while hiking old rail beds that have been turned into trails.

Did I like it?: I really expected to like this book since the idea of walking on trails across Canada seems pretty fun. Boy, I was quite disappointed. Didkowsky is a phys-ed teacher, not a writer and it shows. The journal-style entries from her and others aren't that interesting to read. The book seems to be almost a vanity published book, although I know it isn't. It is more a scrapbook of these peoples journey than a travelogue. I also didn't like the way the hike was organized. The 200km in each province is a bit of a cop-out in my eyes. As well, having no awareness goal or fundraising objective seemed a bit odd since as far as I know this is the first attempt of anyone trying to walk across Canada not on roads. Oh, but wait, they walk on roads quite a bit when they need to make up a few extra kms. That's another thing that bothered me. And for someone who apparently works part-time as a wilderness guide, Didkowsky didn't seem to have done much planning or obtaining of maps of the areas they walked in. I'm sure this was an incredible journey for the family and friends that did it, but as a book, it's really not that compelling and I struggled to finish it.

Will you like it?: Likely not. It is more about the personal lives of the people on the hike than the hike itself. If you are interested in railroads, you might like it however.

But don't take my word for it: Reader reviews from Amazon.ca were quite positive, a blurb from Trails Canada, and the website for Spirit Adventures, Didkowsky's guiding company were all I could find.

Greener Than Eden - Michael Kohn

The Basics: Greener Than Eden, Michael Kohn, 2006, 253 pages, paperback.

How I found it: I read an article about this book in the July/Aug 2006 edition of Outpost Magazine and decided to put it on hold at the library.

What's it about?: A novel about a young man trying to escape trouble he has gotten himself into at university by going tree-planting for the summer. Noah is "green" at the job but quickly works his way up to a spot on the coveted "high-baller" crew making the big money. His summer is filled with inner struggle, love, conflict and all that usual good angsty stuff. As well, there is a great cast of characters to round out the mix. Oh yeah, and they plant a helluva lot of trees.

Did I like it?: This is Kohn's first novel, but it doesn't often show. He writes well without being obnoxiously poetic. I didn't really know anything about tree-planting before reading this book, even though I know quite a few people who do it every summer. In that respect the book was quite educational. I found the plot quite interesting, especially the interplay between the characters and Noah's personal struggle. Overall, it was a good fast read without being pulpy and formulaic.

Will you like it?: If you have ever thought about going tree-planting, this is a must read. If you are curious about it, that is another good reason to read Kohn's novel. Kohn is an emerging Canadian writer worth supporting; this is good contemporary fiction so go read it already.

But don't take my word for it: A reader review (and spoilerish plot summary) from an Amazon.ca reader, a mixed review from the Globe and Mail, and one from This Magazine.

jPod - Douglas Coupland

The Basics: jPod, Douglas Coupland, 2006, 516 pages, hardcover.

How I found it: I have followed Douglas Coupland's work since I read Generation X in second year English Literature. I really enjoyed that book and a few of his other ones, including Microserfs, which is a sort of companion book to this one. I though Microserfs was a little weak so I'm not sure why I was drawn to this one. (I really do enjoy his non-fiction stuff though, like Souvenir of Canada, Terry and City of Glass.)

What's it about?: Like Microserfs, jPod follows the lives on young computer programmers. This time in the dot-bomb era we follow video game programmers instead of employees at a startup. Coupland works in all the pop culture cliches he can in a not too thinly veiled parody of EA's Burnaby sweatshop. Along with all the programmer stereotypes, Coupland also includes plot points that tie in all kinds of other contemporary Vancouver archetypes, from biker gangs to Asian human-smugglers to mom and pop shop grow-ops. Coupland also gets all "meta" on us and includes himself as a character is in novel.

Did I like it?: I was willing to give this a book a shot because I had liked Generation X so much. Like every other one of Couplands books, however, this one disappointed me. Plainly put, the man can't tie up a plot to save his life. His plot devices are contrived and poorly thought out. Here, he is striving so hard to be hip and put in all kinds of up to the minute pop culture references that he begins to be annoying. This summer I saw an "art installation" of his at St. John's The Rooms (a museum and gallery complex). The installation consisted of stream of consciousness pop culture musing printed in 72 point font in a circle around the walls of a large room. The sign at the door to the exhibit mentioned that it was not suitable for children - maybe that is why when I looked at it only the dirty words and references to pornography stood out to me. There was also a smaller room with the walls covered in seemingly random numbers. Looking up to the top corner we noticed the sequence began with 3.14... Wow Doug, how unique and innovative! My biggest beef with this book, besides the crappy plot and Coupland's incessant desire to prove how cool and with it he is was the pages and pages of wasted space. In this space Coupland attempts to show in an avant garde way, how overwhelmed by words we are in our society. Therefore he devotes 155 pages (yes I counted, so you don't have to) to such fascinating sections that include a reproduction of a Nigerian scam email, the back of a Doritos bag, pi to 10,000 digits, etc. I'm glad I borrowed this book from the library since I would feel pretty cheated if I had bought the book and spent money on 155 pages of crap that doesn't relate to the book. Perhaps when I become a successful author my publisher will let me do whatever I want and waste money and trees in the name of "art".

Will you like it?: If you are a fan of Coupland's you may like this book. It is not that bad and is on par with some of his other crap, such as Microserfs and Girlfriend in Coma. If you are a computer nerd like so many people I know (and love) this book may be interesting since it attempts (and I think fails) to caricature your world. Otherwise, I warn the general public away from this book. I know Coupland is supposed to be a celebrated Canadian writer... but really the title is rather undeserving. Sorry, Doug.

But don't take my word for it: Some generally positive reader reviews on Amazon.ca, a review from BoingBoing (a website that the characters of jPod might actually read), one from the UK's The Guardian, a fairly positive review from the Globe and Mail that calls Coupland a "superb comedian" (WTF?), and an amalgamation of reviews from metacritic, including one zinger from NY's Village Voice that sums up how I feel.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals - Michael Pollan

The Basics: The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Michael Pollan, 2006

How I found it: I was buying Leave No Crumbs on Amazon.ca and I needed another book to boost my total high enough to get free shipping. I discovered this in the new non-fiction section and it looked good. Unfortunately due to a backlog of library books, it's been neglected for a few months but I finally got around to reading it.

What's it about?: Pollan follows the path of four very different meals from their very beginning as they are grown to the end of the line where they are eaten. The four different meals are an industrialized agriculture meal, an industrialized organic agricultural meal, a "beyond organic"/sustainable organic meal, and a foraged/hunted meal. Along the way he explains how our culture and way of eating have changed agriculture, etc.

Did I like it?: I love this book. It was fascinating. For example, did you know that most of a processed food meal consists of corn? The meat you eat was fed corn, there is corn meal and corn starch holding it together, the sweetener in your pop is corn syrup... it's all corn! As well, did you know that cows can't actually digest corn properly? It's too acidic for their special stomachs and if they eat it for too long it will eat through the side of their stomach. That's why they are only kept on the feed lot for a limited amount of time. There are all kinds of interesting facts like these in the book, and more besides. The author also does a great job of examining the ethics behind what he eats. The discussion of industrialized organic vs. sustainable organic is really informative and interesting too, especially as it pertains to meat.

Will you like it?: If you care at all about what you put in your body, this is a great book to read. It is much more interesting and informative than Fast Food Nation as it presents a much more balanced view of things. I thought I already knew quite a bit about food production, but this book really opened my eyes to much more.

But don't take my word for it: Readers on Amazon.ca seem to like it, the New York Times reviewer liked it (mostly), as did the one from the Washington Post, a review from the environmentalist website Grist.org and an open letter to Michael Pollan from Whole Foods criticizing his coverage of their industrial organic supermarket model.

How to Save the World in Your Spare Time - Elizabeth May

The Basics: How to Save the World in Your Spare Time, Elizabeth May, 2006, 207 pages, paperback.

How I Found it: I believe I saw it reviewed in Canadian Geographic, but I might be wrong about that.

What's it about?: This is a how-to manual on how to be an activist or run an activist organization. It includes tips on organization, media handling, public awareness, knowing when to sue, and lots of other stuff. It is written by Canadian Elizabeth May, current leader of the Green Party, former direction of Sierra Club, etc.

Did I like it?: This book was quite informative, but I feel that the title is a bit of a misnomer - it should be Called How to Save the World as Your Part-time Job, because the tactics May uses will consume your life and eat up much more than your spare-time. I found that the book had some good tips that I could even use in the small organizations and clubs I belong to, which is helpful.

Would you like it?: Even if you aren't part of an organization, May gives some good tips on things you can do by yourself, such as letter writing. If you are part of an organization, this is your new bible. May stresses moderation and being careful not to alienate the public or politicians and I think that is a very important message for groups to remember.

But don't take my word for it: a review from the blog athenadreaming.org, one from Geist Magazine (which is Canadian) and review from the Nature Canada website.

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

The Basics: Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen, 2006, 335 pages, hardcover

How I found it: I had been given a gift certificate to a local bookstore. I went in one day on a 30 minute break from work with the mission of buying a book since the gift certificate was about to expire. I found this one flagged on the shelf as being both Canadian and recommended by staff.

What's it about?: An old man in a seniors centre reflects on his life as a vet with a travelling circus. The story covers a few months in his early 20s when he finds his calling with exotic animals and also finds the two loves of his life, Rosie, an elephant, and Marlena, her trainer. It's a very plot-driven story about love and loss with lots of risks.

Did I like it?: I loved this book. Despite being super-busy, I read it in about three days. It made my cry more than once, which is almost without precedent. Gruen rights well and without pretention. She has done an incredible amount of research for this book and it shows. You are completely drawn inside the world of the circus and the mindset of an elephant. I was quite upset when I finished this book, simply because it was over and I had enjoyed reading it so much.

Will you like it?: I don't know how you could dislike this book. It is a great and touching story and a quick and easy read. This one comes highly recommended.

But don't take my word for it: A review from curledup.com, a more negative one from toxicuniverse.com, the usual reader reviews from Amazon.ca, and one more from bookdiva.net.