A Course called America by Tom Coyne

A COURSE CALLED AMERICA by Tom Coyne (who also authored A Course Called Scotland) and A Course Called Ireland) is all about “Fifty States, Five Thousand Fairways, and the Search for the Great American Golf Course.” It seems like a great text for any fathers or grandfathers who are interested in golf. Coyne has the logistical nightmare of trying to schedule play in all fifty states, and at all existing US Open courses. He is a talented golfer and genuinely enjoys his time on the course and the characters he meets. This text recounts details of those encounters and his 300 rounds spread over almost as many courses. Some names, like Banyon Dunes, Oregon, Pinehurst, North Carolina and Newport Country Club, will be familiar to readers as they join Coyne in his almost 2 million yards adventure.
Happy Father's Day to all!!

Americanon by Jess McHugh

AMERICANON by Jess McHugh is a work of non-fiction which seeks to provide “An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books.”  Books about books are always fun and this one immediately calls to mind titles with similar lists like Promised Land (2008) by Jay Parini and Who the Hell is Pansy O’Hara? (2008) by Jenny Bond. As one might expect, there is even a bit of overlap in chosen titles (Parini also selected Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography and How to Win Friends and Influence People while Bond also wrote about Emily Post’s Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home). Setting fiction aside, McHugh has focused more narrowly on “how-to” texts – “dictionaries, school primers, cookbooks, how-to guides, and self-help manuals …. that underneath their surface are the blueprints for American values that endured long after publication.” I was initially drawn to her selection of The McGuffey Readers – I have found memories of sharing those with students on Pioneer Days at our local elementary school. And, I learned quite a bit reading about Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook, including how female home economists like Marjorie Child Husted were treated at General Mills. Referring to her collection, McHugh readily notes “a striking absence of nonwhite authors and LGBTQ authors,” saying “privilege serves as an echo chamber in which only certain voices emerge.” An entertaining piece of cultural history, it would be interesting to see the “sequel” to AMERICANON; what other titles (maybe Our Bodies, Ourselves or Black Like Me or Silent Spring or All the President’s Men) have had impact in the past few decades? What titles will our current students call to mind (perhaps The New Jim Crow or Lean In or Between the World and Me or The Sixth Extinction)?

Last Best Hope by George Packer

LAST BEST HOPE by George Packer at first appears almost as deceptively simple as its cover, but there is much to contemplate in Packer’s analysis of America. Consider his opening lines: “I am an American. No, I don’t want pity.” He does, however, want to explain how America became two countries, summarizing his argument as follows: “Inequality undermined the common faith that Americans need to create a successful multi-everything democracy.”  From there, he spends a good portion of the text describing four Americas:  Free America – based on libertarian ideas and consumer capitalism, religious conservatives, hostile to government, anti-communist; Smart America – meritocracy is a core belief, that talent and effort should determine reward in a world where “the transnational flow of human beings, information, goods, and capital ultimately benefits most, if not all;” Real America – white, Christian nationalism exhibited in anti-intellectual bias and isolationist thinking, and “has always needed to feel that both a shiftless underclass and a parasitic elite depend on its labor;” Just America – grounded in social justice, battling the complacency of others; immersed in identity politics and race relations and looking for equity for groups as opposed to opportunity for individuals. 

Packer notes the overlaps, the tensions, and the vast gaps between these versions of America as he traces their evolution over the past fifty years or more, reviewing options for increasing equality and examining differing views about the working class. He also makes some perceptive comments about the changes in media: “the first step to renewing a democratic press is for its owners, practitioners, and readers to find the moral courage to think for themselves…” If you, too, have concerns about America’s lack of shared vision for the future, or that “our citizenry seems to be suffering through early stage National Cognitive Decline,” have a look at LAST BEST HOPE and its exploration of “America in Crisis and Renewal.” Starred review from Kirkus.

How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck?

The uniquely named HOW DO YOU FIGHT A HORSE-SIZED DUCK? by William Poundstone describes itself as “Secrets to Succeeding at Interview Mind Games and Getting the Job You Want.” Poundstone, a journalist who has written several other books (Head in the Cloud), divides this one into three parts: A Short History of Assessment; Mind Games; and Puzzles and Problem-Solving. As in his earlier work on interviewing, Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?, Poundstone writes in an engaging, conversational manner and offers numerous hints, strategies, and rules.  For example, he encourages readers to remember that “problems posed in interviews are often easier than they appear; think several moves ahead [and] when all else fails, draw a picture.” I am excited to share this recent text and its many brainteasers with students – if only to further urge them to look at situations differently, to actively brainstorm, and to “think out of the box.”  Too often, they place an emphasis on finding a “right” answer when, particularly in early research stages, open minds and multiple perspectives are valuable. Poundstone echoes our work with students on critical thinking, building empathy, and creative problem-solving when he argues that “the most provocative and misunderstood [interview] questions are those that test 21st-century skills.”  Business or psychology students will also likely be interested in the afterword which touches upon confirmation bias and the role of failure in relation to innovation.

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

THE BOMBAY PRINCE by skilled author Sujata Massey is the third mystery in the Perveen Mistry series, set in 1920s India and featuring a female solicitor based in Bombay. Other titles are The Widows of Malabar Hill and The Satapur Moonstone. As ever, Perveen Mistry’s heart is touched by others in need and this story starts with a visit from a young college student, Freny Cuttingmaster, hoping to avoid showing respect at an upcoming visit by the British royal family. That young girl is killed the same day as the parade honoring the visit and Perveen Mistry struggles to solve the crime while dealing with numerous constraints because of her gender and religion. The strength of this series is based not only on the complex “whodunit” aspects, but also on the detailed background provided about the political situation, historical societal practices, and religious beliefs. THE BOMBAY PRINCE received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Other mysteries set in India include those by Abir Mukherjee and Nev March.

The Beginner's Guide to Growing Great Vegetables

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GROWING GREAT VEGETABLES by Lorene Edwards Forkner is an extremely useful guide for beginning gardeners. The text begins with sections on Gardening in North America (with a map of climate zones and comments on microclimates); Gardening 101 which reviews the important components of sun, water and soil as well as gardening vocabulary; and Garden Planning (covering garden bed design, spacing, etc.). The text is then organized seasonally; I especially like that the various monthly chapters include a quick check list of what “to do this month,” including planning, preparing and maintaining, and sowing and planting. New gardeners can also refer to a later section labeled “Edibles A to Z” which provides information on growing and harvesting and quick descriptions of varieties for over two dozen vegetables like eggplant, spinach and tomatoes.  THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GROWING GREAT VEGETABLES received a starred review from Library Journal and was featured recently in a School Library Journal article. I would heartily recommend this text for anyone who would like to experiment with growing their own healthy vegetables or learning more about topics like composting or about growing herbs, flowers, or fruit trees, all of which are discussed and beautifully illustrated. Forkner’s manual is a valuable resource to consult again and again. 

GARDENING HACKS by Jon VanZile (Houseplants for a Healthy Home) contains over 300 “Time and Money Saving Hacks.” Split over five chapters, his newer title offers ideas related to seeds/seedlings, container, indoor, and outdoor gardening, as well as a final chapter on tools/pests and harvesting. VanZile describes the book as being written for those “looking for time-saving ideas, money-saving tips, and tricks for avoiding common hassles in your garden.” A few varied examples include crafting mini “greenhouses” with 2-liter bottles, using cardboard boxes to suppress weeds, recycling wine corks into plant labels, using Epsom Salts and baking soda for healthier pants, making a wind chime from old keys or silverware and creating a “bean fort” to both grow beans and be a play space. More of a supplemental resource, the illustrations are simple drawings using few colors.