I didn't realize this was a juvenile book when I requested it, but the length should have been a clue. On the plus side, I learned some things, like bI didn't realize this was a juvenile book when I requested it, but the length should have been a clue. On the plus side, I learned some things, like bathing being associated with sin in the Middle Ages, and it is full of interesting black and white images. On the minus side, it is heavily focused towards bathing, not waste disposal, and there is a mention of the Roman public baths becoming places for "sex orgies," (page 34) which I am not sure is age appropriate. (I am a bit of a prude about these things, but this seems like a middle school book, so I thought I'd mention it.) ...more
Review in exchange for an Advance Reading Copy. I requested this title because part of my family are Zionists, and I've never heard any significant coReview in exchange for an Advance Reading Copy. I requested this title because part of my family are Zionists, and I've never heard any significant counterarguments or been presented with an alternate vision of Judiasm. Thankfully, Rosenberg has revived the philosophy and documented the life of Rabbi Marcus Ehrenpreis in this book.
Ehrenpreis starts his career in Bulgaria, and soon realizes that "...language was a key to acceptance and success. [...] There's no real warmth in the relationship unless you master the language of the country." (page 107) His service attracts the attention of a larger congregation in Stockholm, and he sees the need, so he emigrates to Sweden.
Here's where it gets interesting because I doubt many Americans know much about Sweden's role in the second world war beyond it being a neutral country. "As early as 1851, members of the Stockholm congregation had expressed fears that the incipient eastern Jewish immigration would damage the position of the Jewish community in Sweden by 'introducing and spreading haggling in its most disgusting and pernicious form." (page 112) During the first world war, Sweden introduced strict passport requirements that only admitted one tenth the number of Jews compared to the previous decade. Sweden also passed the Aliens Act in 1927 to prevent additional immigrants from different racial backgrounds from becoming permanent residents. Sweden even refused to consider racial persecution as grounds for asylum. "Instead, the Swedish immigration authorities showed an iron fist. Increasingly desparate appeals for entry were rejected repeatedly--often in defiance of recommendations and pleas from the congregation in Stockholm. The harsh restrictions...continued to apply as before: the applicant had to have close relatives in Sweden, not have close relatives in Germany, be below eighteen or above forty-five years of age, and have material support guaranteed for three years." (page 293) Unfortunately, Ehrenpreis falls out of favor after the war, and some accuse him of being a quisling whereas others simply think he didn't do all that he could have. (page 349)
Ehrenpreis develops his vision of Judiasm during this chaos, and "...wished to demonstrate that the conflict between Judiasm and Christianity had no basis in what Jesus of Nazareth himself had taught, but rather in the distortions of the Jewish teachings that Paul and his followers had concoted." (page 168) Some of these untruths may have been considered necessary to differentiate the new religion from its predecessor, but others, like the Judensau in cathedrals, were intentionally derogatory depictions. Ehrenpreis rises above these conflicts, however, to see Judiasm as a people, and Zionism as a cultural revolution in the diaspora.
"I want to save the people, not the land. The land is a means, not an end in itself. A dispersed Judiasm needs a center for its religion, for its spirit, for its kind. The more we disperse, the more we will need a life-giving point that can bring us together. I want to restore Jerusalem, not as the royal capital, but as the heart of Israel. I will dare what has never been dared before; from the shambles of the Jewish people I will create a spiritual power that will defy the changes of the times. I will build a people without an army, without a state, without a kingdom: Judiam. (page 217)
Now for those of us who grew up thinking that we need a nation-state, this unified stateless nation is pretty mind-blowing. "To political Zionism, the 'Jewish problem' was a consequence of Jewish 'alienation' and would be solved when the Jews had been normalized into a people like all the others. For Ehrenpreis...Diaspora was a fundamental condition of Jewish existence; it was in the Diaspora that Judiasm had formed, developed, and at a times flourished; it was in the Diaspora that 'Israel' had become a people founded on the spirit and not the sword." (page 300)
So, I'll just end this review with one final quote, "Peace must be made, not only between the world and the Jews, but more widely, between the weak and the strong, between minorities and majorities, between the oppressed and the oppressors [...] The strengthening and cementing of minority rights is a sine qua non for a lasting peace, and an imperative requirement for both Jews and other minorities." (page 366) Definitely worth reading if you like history and philosophy....more
Read as an audiobook. Alas, I don't remember much about it other than Ursula being the only spy who was also an active mother. Nobody betrayed her eitRead as an audiobook. Alas, I don't remember much about it other than Ursula being the only spy who was also an active mother. Nobody betrayed her either. There was also a lot about how communism changed over her lifetime. ...more
Review in exchance for an Advance Reader's Copy. Trigger warnings: suicide, antisemitism, genocide, violence, adoption.
Many of us know about the KindeReview in exchance for an Advance Reader's Copy. Trigger warnings: suicide, antisemitism, genocide, violence, adoption.
Many of us know about the Kindertransport, but I doubt any of us have heard about the Guardian newspaper advertisements to place Jewish children in Manchester homes. After his father takes his own life, Borger decides to learn more about him by investigating his and the surrounding advertisements. Along the way, we discover suppressed atrocities, like Britain's internment and deportation of Jewish refugees (pages 120-121), and Austria's complicity and victim mentality regarding their wartime actions (pages 223 and 233).
We also discover acts of courage, like Ho Feng-Shan's generous dispensation of visas for Shanghai (pages 134-135). China may seem like an unusual place for a Jewish community, but there were two great Iraqi Jewish dynasties, the Sassoons and the Kadoories, whose immigration in the nineteenth century started it all. "The influence of the Sassoons and the Kadoories made Shanghai the stuff of legend for Jews fleeing pogroms. They provided jobs, housing, education and social services, although this newly established community was kept at arm's length socially by the two families, who saw themselves as part of the British establishment and distinct from the Russian Jews by class and language." (page 141) Unfortunately, this peace was not to last. When Japan signed a pact with Germany and Italy in September 1940 it was bound to evict the Jews from its newly acquired city. The Japanese couldn't stomach the German enthusiasm for genocide though, balking at solutions like sinking an entire ship of people.
Then there were the acts of active defiance, such as the Austrian Jewish resistence movement, and the Ritchie Boys. The latter included 11,000 German-speaking soldiers, 2,000 of whom were Jewish. They were considered cutting-edge assets, "...providing more than sixty percent of the actionable intelligence gathered on the battlefield in Europe." (page 212)
After all of this investigation, Borger meditates on our understanding of the war. "The view of the Anschluss as being an act of Austrian martyrdom was in decline, along with the belief that the country had been Hitler's first victim." (page 233) Vienna's Jewish past is now honored with a memorial inscribed with the names of all 64,450 murdered Jews. A German artist, Gunter Demnig, has also inlaid brass cobbles marking the addresses of formerly Jewish homes. There's still the question of whether children, such as Borger's father, can be considered Holocaust survivors though. Many feel betrayed by their homeland, fully understanding how the "...refugee's curse is to be from two places at once and none at the same time," (page 25) but still acknowledge that they did not encounter anything like the atrocities in the death camps.
Of course, there is no simple answer to a suicide. Borger is frustrated by his limited understanding of his father's struggles, and closes by describing his father's last day. In particular, his last attempt to reach out to "...Nans, who had known him as he had arrived in Britain, a terrified eleven-year-old child." (page 263) Unfortunately, she isn't home, and her response to the suicide is that he was another one of Hitler's victims.
A very heavy book, but one that definitely offered a unique perspective on family preservation during the war. Would recommend for anyone interested in personal histories of World War II....more
Read as an audiobook while driving and for eye breaks at work. The first two thirds of their history was positive, if misguided, and I can easily see Read as an audiobook while driving and for eye breaks at work. The first two thirds of their history was positive, if misguided, and I can easily see it happening again with young people today. The rubber met the road though when it came to childbearing and separating families to eliminate genetic connections. It's one thing to tell two adults they're too into each other and need to spend time/sleep with other people, but translating that into the next generation is something else entirely. Fortunately, DNA can help reunite/clarify paternity for many of these children, but it's sad the founders of the movement never investigated adoption experiences before trying to convince them genetics/ancestry doesn't matter....more
Part of my father's collection. I learned more than I expected and I like Stone's writing style. I may read The Agony and the Ecstasy soon. Part of my father's collection. I learned more than I expected and I like Stone's writing style. I may read The Agony and the Ecstasy soon. ...more
Found in the Little Free Library up the street. Excellent young adult writing about a bit of history I hadn't learned yet. My only critique is that soFound in the Little Free Library up the street. Excellent young adult writing about a bit of history I hadn't learned yet. My only critique is that some of the design elements, like the bike chains used to indicate a new section, overlap the text. It'd also be nice to have regular photographs without the decorative wrinkled border, but it is a young adult book, so that's a little too picky. ...more
Companion to The Lost Books of the Bible, but called the pseudepigrapha because the attributions are not the true authors. It starts with the two bookCompanion to The Lost Books of the Bible, but called the pseudepigrapha because the attributions are not the true authors. It starts with the two books of "Adam and Eve" which account for the time between their Edenic expulsion and the Flood. Unsurprisingly, they have a difficult time coming to terms with their punishment, Adam being particularly whiny, but God is nice enough to keep reiterating that they should've cared this much about the consequences BEFORE they ate the wrong fruit. Now, they're stuck outside for 5500 years (not 43 days, Adam) and they've got to stop killing themselves through either misadventure or physical neglect. (Again, God is nice enough to keep resurrecting Adam and Eve until they accept their punishment.) Another mystery solved is that both Cain and Abel had twin sisters, Luluwa and Aklemia, respectively. Satan tells Cain that his brother is the favored one because he'll get to marry the beautiful Luluwa unless Cain takes matters into his own hands. (The burnt offering explanation never made any sense to me.) Cain is then cursed and expelled down the mountain where his descendants become the people wiped away by the Flood. Adam and Eve then beget Seth who marries his sister (third sister?) Aklia and stays on the mountain to become the good people. Another odd fact is that the body of Joseph was on the Ark and was supposed to be interred in the middle of the earth where salvation shall come. (Jerusalem?) And that's only the start of these amazing works. The Book of Enoch is the most frequently cited, but there are other references to the Watchers throughout as well as wonderful poetry and sage advice. ...more
I don't know why I was drawn to this book during the holidays, but I'm incredibly thankful I read it. It actually answered all the questions I've had I don't know why I was drawn to this book during the holidays, but I'm incredibly thankful I read it. It actually answered all the questions I've had about the New Testament, so I wish the Church had kept it available to the laity. It starts with an explanation as to why Mary was chosen, which is something I was always told to take on faith or based on a different interpretation of the word "known". Then there's Jesus' infancy where everyone seems to be begging for his healing bathwater. (Radiation?) That's followed by his childhood, which is the worst loss for the Christian canon. I can understand the reasoning that the depiction overly humanizes our Lord, but I think that only makes His spiritual embodiment more real. For example, Jesus has a short temper to the point where Joseph suggests to Mary that he no longer leave the house because he keeps killing people. Then there's the martyrdom of Thecla whose omission can be attributed to creating a sect of women that dared to study and think for themselves. And there's plenty more in an accessible translation that I was able to fly through. ...more
Read as an audiobook during work breaks. Highly recommend to every white woman in America because this history has been suppressed instead of acknowleRead as an audiobook during work breaks. Highly recommend to every white woman in America because this history has been suppressed instead of acknowledged. I have a women's studies degree from a prestigious university and NONE of these topics were ever mentioned. We acknowledged tensions during the second wave when both the National Organization for Women and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee avoided issues of intersectionality, but that was it. So, this work BLEW MY MIND.
Simply put: women had SIGNIFICANT financial investment in the slave market that went beyond household management. Enslaved people were often 'gifted' to young women to teach them responsibility. Enslaved people were also considered an investment because sons would inherit the estate whereas daughters would be wed outside the family. Southern fathers took especial care when bestowing these 'gifts' to add the legal clause "for her sole and exclusive use" thereby protecting their daughters against a husband that wanted to liquidate her 'property' to pay his debts.
I have too many reviews to write on this last day of 2023, but that fact alone explains so many aspects of the Civil War. It's been awhile since I finished the audiobook, but that fact and the chapter on enslaved wet nurses really got to me. The whole book will make you uncomfortable, but I hope more white people read it. I had to take it in very small doses, like castor oil, but ignoring our ugly history won't make it disappear either....more
Applebaum's book definitely deserved its Pulitzer Prize. Read as an audiobook with mixed results. I enjoyed listening to it, but sometimes playing it Applebaum's book definitely deserved its Pulitzer Prize. Read as an audiobook with mixed results. I enjoyed listening to it, but sometimes playing it without headphones garnered looks. Everything you truly ever needed to know about the Gulag is here from its inception to the closure of the last camp. (1930-80s) Would recommend for any authors that need suitable background information because it is extremely detailed. History readers should take it in small doses though because it is (understandably) an extremely depressing book....more
Reading and weeding from my father's collection. So well written that I finished most of it last weekend. Yes, Dad flagged some potential Templar connReading and weeding from my father's collection. So well written that I finished most of it last weekend. Yes, Dad flagged some potential Templar connections, but the history of Occitania (as Strayer calls it) is fascinating on its own. I also learned that dowries were the result of inheritance switching to patrilineages as a way of ensuring a daughter's status. I always assumed dowries were the reverse of a bride price to make a less desirable woman more marriageable. Instead, much like the Indian custom where a bride wears her jewelry that can never be taken, a woman retained a permanent legal claim to her dowry, which would be repaid to her if her husband died. Personally, I feel like this attempt at retaining equality is reassuring even if the system did become perverted over the centuries....more
Reading and weeding from my father's collection. I didn't think I'd be able to get into this book because as a teenager I couldn't stand all the TemplReading and weeding from my father's collection. I didn't think I'd be able to get into this book because as a teenager I couldn't stand all the Templar history lessons. Maybe it has something to do with passing 40, but I couldn't put this paperback down. Onto more detail about the Albigensian Crusades. ...more
Between the graphic novel, the recommended tracks, and the documentaries, I am learning a ton about hip hop! The rowhouse inhabited by Move is a sad sBetween the graphic novel, the recommended tracks, and the documentaries, I am learning a ton about hip hop! The rowhouse inhabited by Move is a sad story, but I love knowing that working at Sears may make you famous. ...more
More on how hip hop culture became noticed and eventually mainstream. Loved learning about Flavor Flav's origin. (Apparently, I'm the only one who didMore on how hip hop culture became noticed and eventually mainstream. Loved learning about Flavor Flav's origin. (Apparently, I'm the only one who didn't know brass monkey was a drink.) Oh seeing the first outfit for LL Cool J was pretty wild too. ...more
Read as an audiobook before bed, which I do NOT recommend. Aside from some of the melodrama, however, it was okay. Probably my last true crime audioboRead as an audiobook before bed, which I do NOT recommend. Aside from some of the melodrama, however, it was okay. Probably my last true crime audiobook for awhile though....more
I haven't listened to the 50 track discography, but this volume prompted me to look up Afrika Bambaataa. Unfortunately, like other leaders, he sexuallI haven't listened to the 50 track discography, but this volume prompted me to look up Afrika Bambaataa. Unfortunately, like other leaders, he sexually abused many of the young men who wanted to learn from him. I rescind my comments regarding the dark paper now that I see it does a serve a purpose. In the first volume, there is no reference to the present, so you never get to see a bright, clean panel. In this volume, there are a few present-day interviews and other interactions, so the bright panels makes the contrast between the decades extremely apparent. ...more
Reviewed in exchange for an Advance Readers' Copy. My deep and sincere apologies to Other Press for taking over a year to write. I wanted to write somReviewed in exchange for an Advance Readers' Copy. My deep and sincere apologies to Other Press for taking over a year to write. I wanted to write something good, then it got buried, then I took notes, then it got buried again, so I'll make the best of it.
Bold Ventures interrogates the relationship between a creator's suicide and their failed creation. After a few chapters, the author claims "...my efforts to elevate failure in architecture into a gripping, dramatic tale of artistic destiny have foundered...". Then they wonder if total failure is merely an attempt to justify self-destruction. That idea is soon discarded, but the author continues to ponder what the architects have to gain from being put into a narrative context, which is the "...very thing suicide forever amputates." They also theorize that "...if failure points to non-existence, then from life's perspective, death is the critical failure." Therefore, "...maybe fulfillment and failure converge in suicide, in the very darkest way."
Fortunately, there's more than deep philosophical musings in this book. The stories of the buildings and their architects varied, but it seemed like there was something for everyone. The only critique I have is the lack of pictures. Each chapter opens with a single image for the location, so I was frequently looking up places. For example, the chapter to the Pine Valley Golf Club only shows a sign. The black and white images are also grainy, but they're in Polaroid-style frames, so that could be a design choice.
Overall, well worth reading if you like to ponder the relationship between creators and their work. Architects have their special nuances, but I think the philosophical considerations could apply to all creators. ...more
Read as an audiobook, which may be why it dragged a little. Overall, it was very well researched and presents a perspective I have not heard anywhere Read as an audiobook, which may be why it dragged a little. Overall, it was very well researched and presents a perspective I have not heard anywhere else. Funny how the media and public education has covered up the international reaction to the Rosenbergs', particularly Ethel's, execution. Perhaps being in a more connected age will help avoid such tragedies....more
An interesting bit of overlooked history whose recounting occasionally felt like an expanded dissertation. If I hadn't purchased the audiobook, I mighAn interesting bit of overlooked history whose recounting occasionally felt like an expanded dissertation. If I hadn't purchased the audiobook, I might have skipped or skimmed the chapters after the conclusion of the trial....more
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