@nutsaboutplants I am not seeing it. Perhaps, your comments have a word that the powers-that-be think is 'dangerous'. I think it will appear eventually, it is just stuck in a queue somewhere.

Thanks local. Is there a way to identify the offending word?

Finished The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Simply amazed at the gargantuan task that the author has undertaken and the seeming ease with which he accomplishes it.

4.5 stars. Heck, 5 stars. Yes, the book is really that good IMHO, given the difficulty of presenting an impossibly complex field of science in a most readable, lucid manner. And of course Mukherjee’s writing is gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. I wouldn’t be surprised the book earns him another Pulitzer.

I think it’s on par with books like Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and Broca’s Brain, Gleick’s Chaos , or any of Feinmann’s or Oliver Sacks’s books. It ignites and so fully engages your intellect, imagination and curiosity. And in Mukherjee’s writing that marries elegance and precision with great facility, it is also a thing of beauty.

The material the book covers is breathtakingly vast. The history of scientific theories, discoveries and and advancements in genomic science spanning over 2+ millennia is in itself a sweeping subject. Then there are genomic science’s implications for heredity and evolution. But these are only the book’s central theme. The book proceeds to further discuss various other fields of science and various aspects of human life that genetics touches upon. Which is pretty much everything. Mukherjee writes with authority, expertise and ease about the ethics, philosophy, sociology and politics of gene-centric theories and practices. Such as eu-#$ics (think not only WWII Germany but also forced sterilization of the mentally ill in 1920s in the US). Such as gene-editing, gene therapy, diagnosis of the fetus for various genetic traits and defects, cloning, inter-generational effects of poverty. All duscussions expertly weave scientific theories over the years and experimental evidence. He finally settles on his own view, which is a hopeful, uplifting one.

Yes, the scope of the book is sweeping. But the book tackles all this with relative ease and makes the underlying science accessible to non-scientists like me.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an easy read, though eminently readable. I’ve spent a full month on this book, re-reading many a section, sometimes to better understand the content, sometimes the factual or logical connections and sometimes the reasoning. Even so there are sections where I only grasped the material in its most basic element, such as the issue raised, the direction in which the findings led the scientific community and the implications of the findings.

I highly recommend this book. It’s one of those books that stretch your thinking and imagination beyond the outer edges of your current knowledge and understanding. I will be re-reading this book for sure. Because I want to understand some parts better and because I want to enjoy the beautiful writing again.

The alternative to jab is a popular bugaboo. I had to use the term gender the other day instead of s-x.

I changed some words and reposted. Not sure if it’s snagged again or if others can see it.

I liked The Gene too. For those interested in well written books for the general public covering health related topics, I'll repeat a few others that I think I mentioned in a prior month's thread:

Demon Under the Microscope, by Hager

Polio: An American Story, by Oshinsky

The Ghost Map, by Johnson

@nutsaboutplants we can see it!

Thanks local.

Nuts, I'm glad you cracked the code to getting your post posted. :) The Gene sounds like a wonderful book, and I generally like a lot of the books you like, but...I'm a bit daunted by science. It's my Achilles Heel (I have more than two). Is there hope for me?

Thanks for the recommendation of The Gene, Nutsaboutplants! I'm going to get it for my winter TBR pile.

Sure there is. My wife is of an age that during her K-12 years, girls were told (by counsellors and teachers alike) that mathematics and sciences were better subjects for boys than for girls. Too difficult for girls. After years of hearing her grousing, I was able to convince her to take introductory chemistry, and then introductory physics, at the local community college. The only math needed was algebra and I was able to help her (because, after all, I was never discouraged nor told to avoid these subjects and I took them back then).

It opened a world of interest for learning more about science and she now has a far keener interest in science than ever before.

Elmer, thanks for the ray of hope. I have always loved math, but science has been difficult for me. Maybe it will change.

[Grrrr, the iOS/Houzz weirdness has just appeared on my iPhone.]

Elmer is right. Bunny, Try it and see. If it doesn’t interest you, you canalways bail. He does take it slowly at the beginning, starting with things that we are all familiar with, such as Mendel’s experiments. And even the later chapters involve matters that we are aware of through news, etc.

I’m not a scientist, but found it readable and manageable.Even those of us who aren’t scientists can logic, scientific methodology, etc. And the topic is fascinating. I’ve been an avid reader of books on science and am fascinated by the big questions. I used to be in academia in my previous professional life before law.

Anyway, try it if you feel like it. Of course, there are always so many books on everyone’s list and I’m sure you won’t miss anything if you pick something else to read.

Bunny, Look at the material through a different lens. Accept that it will be a slower read. Read it along side other lighter things. With Google to help fill in knowledge gaps, I have no doubt you will enjoy the book. Also, feel free to start a thread discussing the book at some point. I think a lot of us have read it or will.

PS Bunny, When I am intimidated by a subject, I will look for a talk about it on YT before diving in. Here is the author giving a lecture at Cold Spring Harbor. A TED Talk would have been better, but I didn't see one.

You guys are delightful enablers. How can I not give The Gene a try?

I will give the YT a look. After all, YT has taught me basic plumbing and hairstyling, why not prime the pump for science?

That's a terrific video interview of Mukherjee, not least because I think he demonstrates in it how effective he can be in speaking in plain, understandable language (free of needless buzz words) in a way that general audiences can understand. His writing style is similar. He expresses himself so well and so clearly. He pursues a multi-faceted career- as a biomedical researcher at Columbia, as a medical oncologist who sees patients, and as a writer. One smart human being.

Bunny (and others)- check out Khan Academy presentations on the internet. I believe all (or most) are free, go at your own pace, stop and go as you choose. Very valuable content covering a wide range of subjects.

I finished Lady Clementine yesterday and really enjoyed it so much. It was very well written ( I mean it kept me super engaged) and now of course I am thinking I may read a biography or at least research Clementine Churchill to see how well this historical fiction followed her life. I have grown to really like history but while much of the events ( World War 1 and 2 for example) were familiar to me, some of the happenings in the book helped remind me and reenforced some of the details. It was so interesting to read how different the daily life was of the upper crust (even those, like Clemmie and Winston, according to the book, from fancy family backgrounds but with little money).

I would rate it 4.5 stars.

Nuts, thanks for the recommendation. I downloaded The Gene and look forward to reading something substantial since I've definitely been on a summer lightweight binge.

Speaking of which I inhaled the latest Steven King book Billy Summers which was predictably absorbing. That man can certainly write!

I also forced myself to finish Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and yep, racist to the core. It sparked an interesting discussion at book club this week about how, whether and if it's possible to evaluate books and other artistic expression done in a time that condoned or at least tolerated standards we can't accept any more. NB-I've not encountered a book in forever that featured its characters calling Black people n--- as a casual descriptor. It was appalling.

I am currently reading The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. I'm not half way through so I'm not going to rate it yet, but so far it's interesting. I gave it a whirl after seeing it recommended for a book club. It's about two women divers/friends in Korea during the Japanese occupation. I don't know much about Korea during that time, or at all, really, so I think it will be quite educational. The Amazon reviews indicate something very dark and disturbing is coming a little further in the book, so I'm not looking forward to that.

I loved the beginning of Sea Women and, like you, I didn't know anything about the Korean and Japanese conflicts in the book, so I found it quite educational. But, I had to stop reading it about 1/2 through. Made me sad to stop because I loved it so much, but I think because of the pandemic and the political climate when I was reading it, it was just too much to handle. If I live long enough to see things improve, I'll probably take it up again.

I finished Savannah by John Jakes. A real stinker. 1.0. I paid $1 for this book at a garage sale; it was overpriced.

About half way through The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb. This is another middle school/ young adult book from the same teacher's rummage sale where I bought An Elephant in the Garden. So far, The Nazi Hunters has been quite good. It is about the search for and capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. Well written & thus far into the book, doesn't read like middle school level. (But doesn't dwell on the horror of the concentration camps.) Suitable for all ages. Will rate after I finish.

The Nazi Hunters has proved to be another timely read for me as another puzzle piece in the search for Eichmann has fallen into place with yesterday's news.

I just started Virgil Wander, which I am pretty sure was mentioned on one of these monthly threads. I am only at about 10% but I can tell it will be amazing. The writing, the story, even at this early stage is obviously special. I will of course update when finished.

Last night I finished The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker, the sequel to The Golem and the Jinni. Wow! 4.5 stars plus. I don't belong to a book group but I would think this would be great for one. I just read both books back to back and I have a few questions.

I'm pretty sure there will be another book at some point. The story didn't feel unfinished, but there are some storylines that suggest/invite a continuation.

If anyone of you has read both books, I have a question about iron, an element that's important to the entire story. Asking the question(s) might be too spoilerish for this thread, but maybe in a message.

Anyway, if you liked Golem/Jinni, read The Hidden Palace.

Here is a book not to read. It was my book club book this month. Ugh. The Damage by Caitlin Wehrer. Maybe you would enjoy reading about rape and the ensuing trauma to the family, but I hated it.

Bunny -- I sent you a message via houzz.

Finished Razorblade Tears yesterday. Liked it a whole lot. 3.75 to 4 stars. Thanks 4kids (I think) and others for the recommendation)

What I liked:

The plot (I’m not even a fan of action/thriller books, usually usually)

The pace

The organic development of the unlikely duo of the two protagonists’ characters and their relationship

The vivid descriptions of scenes and actions that bring the book alive (cinematic in a good, organic way, not an ingentioanl beeline to movie rights)

The crisp writing serves the plot and the genre very well. A minor irritation was the occasionally grating choice of words and turn of phrases. For instance, the tic on someone’s face is so pronounced that ”his cheek was oscillating.” Cheek Oscillating?! But then, overall the writing was adequate and occasionally quite original (e.g. ”careful like a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs”)

Will be watching out for future work by thus author.

Thanks for the recommendation about The Gene. I intend to watch the you tube with Mukherjee and then look into the book soon. For anyone wanting to start with a basic tutorial about genomics, I highly recommend this TED talk by Dr Neil Lamb of the Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology. I have personally heard him speak and he is very easy to understand. This was from 2011, but still relevant.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9vmBNyCqLcQ

H-A has many free online you-tube resources if interested, many recent ones focused on C research as you might imagine.

edited to add link to TED talk. Sorry i forgot to paste the link earlier.

Just finished Shattered by Dick Francis. He always wrote crime mysteries with horses somehow involved. This was pretty good, 3+ stars, great for summer reading, but not good for book group...was just something I picked up at a free library. Something fun about the randomness of the free libraries where you don't know where they'll take you.

Nearly every short mystery story was a winner in the mystery collection When A Stranger Comes To Town. I've had to set it aside though. Some of the tales are too dark/depressing. All are well written.

DH and I both read The Boy In The Field, Margot Livesey, but neither of us *loved* it. I did admire the author's take on the mother's MISS-understanding of her adopted son's desire to feel intimate familial connection -- her inability to emphasize, despite the adoptee's clear statement of what he neeeded. There was also no background about the parents reasons for adoption.

I thought there might have been a better 'hook' for this coming of age/evil in the world story. While the children felt genuine, the 'boy' and his family felt plot-driven.

We both gave 3 stars to Big Little Lies.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. (for some reason the BOLD function isn't working for me on houzzzzz). I liked it well enough; not sure why I didn't love it. Too many superfluous characters? Too much focus on therapist/patient transference that appeared the author found fascinating but it fell flat in the story (I thought). It wasn't a suspenseful thriller to me, but had a pretty good ending.

I found The Silent Patient to be rather disappointing considering all the hype it had been given and I agree with your review completely, Olychick. The author has an educational background in screenwriting. Perhaps this novel...his first...would play better on the screen than it did on paper.

In honor of this week's National Dog Day celebration, I hope folks will try the book I just finished. Tender is the Bite is the latest installment of a lovely series featuring Bernie the classic tough but tender private eye and his loyal sidekick Chet.

The twist? Chet is a dog and the series is written from his perspective. So within the framework of a mystery, you only see what Chet sees and you are invited along to hear Chet's ongoing dog inner soliloquy as well as admire his heightened canine skills such as hearing and smell. Oh and his adoration of his master/partner. All of which is hilarious, tender and touching .

These books (Tender is #11) are wonderful escapist treats, especially in these dark days. As noted, highly HIGHLY recommend this series particularly if you're a dog lover.

Finished The Golem and the Jinni today. 4 stars. Loved it. Thank you Bunny and others who recommended it here.

The ethereal beauty of the mosaic it creates, sometimes laid with liquid gold, sometimes crushed crystal and other times gossamer shadows was a wonderful world to lose myself in over two full days. Like a dream sequence that makes perfect sense until you try to explain it. What a intricate, meandering, panoramic mural it paints!

There were resonances of other magical universes, from books of the distant past and more recemt times. But it was still original, IMHO.

On to The Hidden Palace now.

Nuts, I’m so glad you liked it! You read it in TWO days? I’m very impressed. Having read both of them back to back, I’m a little bereft without Chava and Ahmad in my life.

Bunny, right now, I have a whole new book to keep me in their company. I’m sure I’ll miss them. That’s why I re-read books so often. Just to dwell a little longer in the company of my favorite characters. As for speed, I’m both an insomniac and a fast reader. And the book was so captivating I pretty much didn’t sleep. Started on Wednesday and finished a couple of hours ago.

Nuts, you might enjoy this interview with Helene Wecker. She's very down to earth and engaging. They try to avoid spoilers for The Hidden Palace. I found it so interesting how she makes storyline decisions, what works, what doesn't. She and her family live in the East Bay and the interview was put on by Copperfield's, a local independent small chain of bookstores.

https://youtu.be/bYRLgvZOmuY

I almost quit on A Peculiar Combination, Ashleigh Weaver, but persisted past the presentation of 'usual suspects' -- Brittish characters right out of Clue. It got better, with a good plot and some surprises. Fluff reading. Two stars.

I’m finishing up The Dalai Lama- An Extraordinary Life by Alexander Norman. While there are in-depth details of the struggle with the invading communist China, the CIA involvement, backing from the West, Tibetan culture and lifestyle, it has left me wanting more insight into the person of the Dalai. The book is more about historical context than a personal biography, which I would look for. So I rate it 2.5. Now I’m thinking the Dalai’s autobiography Freedom in Exile would be a better read.

I just started a interested kindle book. Chasing the Sun by Judy Leigh. About a 70 year old women and the fun things she gets into.

Paper Palace and I'm loving it.

I'm very much enjoying This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. Almost from the start it read like an echo of Huck Finn. Halfway thru the book I googled the two titles and this came up:

Krueger said that one thing he knew about this book when he started was that he wanted the kids to be on an epic journey, and the journey he thought most about was Homer’s “Odyssey.”

For years, local author William Kent Krueger has wanted to write an updated version of Huckleberry Finn.

“I knew it would be a story of kids on the river, but an updated version,” he said. “I knew when I wrote the story it would still be in the past, but I wasn’t sure just when.”

The multi-award winning author has spent the past three years researching and writing the book, while still working on his Cork O’Connor fiction series about an Irish and Ojibwe private investigator.

The result is “This Tender Land,” a story of four Minnesota orphans set in the Depression era, who flee from the Indian school they had been sent to and travel by canoe along the river, connecting along the way with others who are trying to survive hard times.

The author wrote in 1st person narrative as the protagonist. It's important to remember that this is his recollection of his youth and that he is now 80 something. That helps to explain how and why his characters, as children, speak and think as much older than they are. However, it puts me off when a six year old - I know the age well - speaks philosophically and uses adult vocabulary. iI takes you away from a really good story when that happens.

The racial issue in Huck Finn is also in This Tender Land because one of the four is a Native American. Who had his tongue cut out as a child. He uses very fluent sign language as do the other two boys. This boy, called Moses, is gifted in many ways and liked by all the four come upon. He begins to show his rage at the racism he experienced and others he knew.

I give it four stars, one off because of the disconcerting language of an adult coming from children. it has great suspense, which I love. Good descriptions of their world, largely living outdoors and intriguing interaction and relationships among the four.

This from Good Reads:

In the summer of 1932, on the banks of Minnesota's Gilead River, the Lincoln Indian Training School is a pitiless place where Native American children, forcibly separated from their parents, are sent to be educated. It is also home to Odie O’Banion, a lively orphan boy whose exploits constantly earn him the superintendent’s wrath. Odie and his brother, Albert, are the only white faces among the hundreds of Native American children at the school.

After committing a terrible crime, Odie and Albert are forced to flee for their lives along with their best friend, Mose, a mute young man of Sioux heritage. Out of pity, they also take with them a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy. Together, they steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi in search for a place to call home.

Over the course of one unforgettable summer, these four orphan vagabonds journey into the unknown, crossing paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an en­thralling, bighearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole. (less)

Louise, I loved This Tender Land so very much! Probably the best book I've read since A Gentleman in Moscow and I think one of my all time favorite books. I hope everyone reads it!

Louise, have you read Krueger's Ordinary Grace? It's even better than This Tender Land IMO

@Bunny I agree about Ordinary Grace!

I also agree about Ordinary Grace.

I have Ordinary Grace on hold at the library. Looking forward to reading it.

Adding a link to reading July 2021:

What are we reading July 2021