Journal to a Muse

This is one of the best books I've read recently.
It was also relatively challenging (i.e., WAY beyond Norah Roberts, Danielle Steele and the like. I didn't know much about Schopenhauer before, but I'm thinking that as a nation we'd do better reading philosophy than religion.

• Philosophy asks hard questions, makes you think and come to your own solution.
• Religion gives easy answers, doesn't let you think, and comes to ephemeral solutions.

Yalom, his fictional therapist and most of the group members are generally optimistic, neurotic and illogical... but caring. Schopenhauer and his doppelganger, Phillip are pessimistic, pragmatic, logical and unaware of pain. I think most of us have elements of both sorts within us and have as difficult a time as these characters getting along with our varied selves.

A favorite quote:

Life can be compared to a piece of embroidered material of which, everyone in the first half of his time, comes to see the top side, but in the second half, the reverse side. The latter is not so beautiful, but is more instructive because it enables one to see how the threads are connected together.

Next up on the bookshelf and reading list:

This is a fluffy, funny romance (more or less) about two Dublin natives who keep missing each other from grammar school through high school and past graduate school (in Boston) and parenthood. The entire action takes place via notes, cards, e-mails, and IM's between Rosie and Alex and a few of their closest friends and relations.

If you've ever tried writing a novel without using "the author's voice" you'll have an especially great amount of admiration for the obstacles Ms. Ahern overcomes.

Movie rights sold to several of Ms. Ahern's books. Right-O.


This I want to read because of an op-ed piece in last Sunday's Dallas Morning News. Who knew that prices were set for reasons OTHER than actual value or difficulty of manufacturing? I didn't. Ha! Naive me. One exacmple is of carriage rides in 19th century somewhere. Turns out that it was no problem to put a top on the carriage. But one COULD remove the carriage and sell rides in the OPEN at one price, and then JACK UP THE PRICE for rides with covers. If there wasn't a benefit that went with a higher price (which the wealthy could afford), why would the wealthy pay more? But if there is a perceived benefit, the wealthy will pay just about anything, AND the "poor" will pay the lower price because THEY think they're getting a bargain. Interesting, if diabolical, take on economics.