Current, and RECOMMENDED (!), reading
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
If you love dogs, coming of age stories, or Wisconsin, or reading about families that don't understand each other, this is your book.
If you love dogs, coming of age stories, or Wisconsin, or reading about families that don't understand each other, this is your book. The book jacket explains better than I could, and doesn't have spoilers!
"Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an
idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin.
For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm—and into Edgar's mother's affections.
Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires—spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.
David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes—the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain—create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of
language, and a compulsively readable modern classic."
"Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an
idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin.
For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm—and into Edgar's mother's affections.
Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires—spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.
David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes—the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain—create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of
language, and a compulsively readable modern classic."
When looking for a precis of The Political Mind I was surprised at how hotly contested his science, politics and history have been. If you are progressive and have wanted to improve your ability to debate with the not-so-progressive conservatives, this book will help. If nothing else, the frustration with the fights between conservatives and progressives (authoritarians and empaths) will urge more research on communication myths and realities. For my money, this clearly explains why Rovian Republicans were able to be persuasive on so many issues with which I thought they were wrong.
The Political Mind (why you can't understand 21st century American Politics with an 18th Century Brain by George Lakoff
From The Strand Bookstore's catalog:
"In this passionate, erudite and groundbreaking book, George Lakoff explains why a great number of Americans actually vote against their own interests. Lakoff cites the phenomena of progressive politicians' and activists' believing that people use an objective system of reasoning to decide on their politics as the reason the Democrats will continue to lose elections. He asserts that they must wrest control of the terms of the debate from their opponents rather than accepting their frame and trying to argue within it. Not bad advice."
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