Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom was recommended in a yoga class. I've read other books about meditation and spiritual practice, but this book written by Rick Hanson was compelling and well written.

It read like part textbook, part meditation manual. The science in the beginning was covered in a way that made it understandable even for the scientifically challenged.

There were also example meditations to put into practice in the second half of the book and each chapter contained a recap.

Plus, the subject made so much sense. That as we evolved we retained certain tendencies that are no longer needed and can become negative in today's environment (we're no longer running from prey, but when someone challenges us, our brain tells the rest of our body that we are in danger and we react accordingly).

It put so much into perspective while giving practical solutions for managing the stresses of every day life.

E-reader

I am one of those people who just can't bring myself to buy an e-reader. There's just something too comforting and flexible about the paper and ink of a paperback or hardcover. But as I prepare for a two week vacation in Peru, I wonder if I am hurting myself by remaining a traditional bibliophile.

There will be lots of down time and little to no electricity, so I plan on bringing ample reading material, but that means carrying them to and around Peru. (And my porter on the trek to Macchu Picchu will only be carrying 13 kg of my items).

I have already started thinking about what books to bring and I'll also try to coordinate with my book club buddy who is also going to be on the trip so that we can share books, but I just can't bring myself to buy an e-reader even now.

I'll be in a third world country with enough gadgets and luxury goods, do I really need to add one more? No, I will carry my paper and ink and maybe leave some behind to share with others.

My current list of books coming to Peru with me (in addition to travel guides of course):

Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
A Visit from the Good Squad
What is the What
Under the Banner of Heaven

This is Where I Leave You

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper is a darkly comical yet completely readable book.

The Foxman clan gathers together to sit shiva for their father who was never religious but his family being together for seven days was apparently his dying wish.

The story is narrated by Judd, the middle brother, who is spiraling out of control as he deals with his wife's affair with his boss. His older brother Paul still holds a grudge after an accident in their teens ruined his future. His sister Wendy has three kids and a blackberry wielding husband in tow. And Phillip is the youngest and best looking brother who has never had to work for anything in his life.

The familial issues and the descriptions of the friends and family visiting to pay homage to the deceased, sporting good owner father is enough to make you laugh out loud.

I was left with some remaining questions, but they didn't really matter, or maybe I really just didn't want the book to end.

Memory of Love

The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna opened up the world of Sierra Leone to me. Knowing little about this country and the civil war it went through, I was eager to read Forna's novel which was highly praised.

The Memory of Love tells the story of lives after the war, lives that have been completely altered by the atrocities of the world. Adrian Lockheart is a British psychologist who has come to Sierra Leone to help the survivors deal with the post traumatic stress of their experiences, but he comes to learn so much more through his experience with his patients, a young doctor named Kai and a local lover.

Much of the narrative centers around Elias Cole, an ex-professor who falls in love with a co-worker's alluring wife, Saffia in the late 1960s. You learn much through the story of Elias and Forna brings together all of the characters in a climax that uncovers all the beauty and tragedy of Sierra Leone.

There were times when the descriptive language felt overwhelming, especially as we came closer to the answer to the intersecting stories.

Reading this as they activities of Egypt unfolded this year, made this book even more compelling as it almost felt as if I was reading about Egypt in a few years - but hopefully without the tragedy.

For Ganesh, Remover of Obstacles

My book club is on an Indian theme at the moment and I couldn't be happier. We are meeting at an Indian restaurant tomorrow (weather permitting) to discuss For Ganesh, Remover of Obstacles by Sujoya Roy.

I read this book in 24 hours. It was smart, sweet and pulled you along with interesting characters and plot. The book is organized around the parts of bharatanatyam a type of traditional Indian. Sushi, the adult daughter of traditional Indian parents who emigrated to America, undergoes a journey to learn more about her mother, Krishna. Taking us along with her into the world of her mother's youth as a Brahmin and devoted daughter whose intelligence and talents were no match for an arranged marriage. I found myself rooting for the young Krishna and saw her experiences so clearly.

It appears that this book may have been self-published, which sometimes led me to question some of the veracity of the story but in the end made me love it more for it's realness and rawness.

The 19th Wife

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff is an amazing tale of the Mormons and polygamy. Ebershoff is a master storyteller, weaving in the history of Mormonism and polygamy with a current day tale from a compound in Utah.

It is clear that The 19th Wife was well researched and even though it is published as a work of fiction, you get a better understanding of the Mormon religion.

Ebershoff weaves in the history of Ann Eliza, Brigham Young's 19th wife, through a memoir of her own (she did in fact publish a memoir after leaving the church, but it is not completely and fully replicated here). Between that is the story of BeckyLyn and her excommunicated son, Jordan. BeckyLyn has been accused of killing her husband - and incidentally she is his 19th wife.

You feel pulled along by both tales and are curious to learn more. There are some holes in the story, but after reading the interview with the author at the back of the book, those appear to due to lack of information, not any error by the author.

The 19th Wife is the type of book I love, one that has interesting characters, a good plot and gives you a view into a world you don't have access to.

Family Album

I enjoyed The Photograph by Penelope Lively and was interested in reading her latest novel, Family Album.

Family Album centers around the Harper family who occupy a sprawling Edwardian house, Allersmead, outside London. The novel is told from the varying perspective of the six children, parents, au pair and other family members and jumps back and forth across the years.

Lively sometimes alludes to life changing events which turn out to be mundane and what turns out to be the family secret is handled as just a fact. But all of that just leads you to believe that this family is like all others - with various issues and unforgotten hurts.

Lively is a wonderful author who is a master at examining the small and large events form one's vision of herself.

Room

Room by Emma Donoghue has been much talked about since it was published. I don't want to give too much away of the plot, but it is the story of Jack who has just turned 5 and who's entire world is Room.

He occupies Room with his mother and they have a routine to keep their days full. While it is not clear to Jack that there is a world outside Room, it is clear to the reader outside the Room the circumstances his mother and then he found themselves in.

Donoghue does a wonderful job of imagining what the world would be like for a child in captivity and what might happen when he is exposed to the World.

She also does an amazing job of telling the story from the point of view of five-year-old Jack.

Cutting for Stone

I started Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese a month ago. I read about a hundred and fifty pages, but I just didn't connect to it. After talking about it with one of the women in my book club, I decided to give it another try.

It must have been my mood or a result of a hectic October, because when I picked it back up where I had put it down, I was sucked in immediately.

Shiva and Marion are twins who were born to a nun and a surgeon in Ethiopia. Their mother dies as a result of their tragic birth and their famous surgeon father disappears. The twins are raised on the site of the Missing Hospital by Hema and Ghosh two of the other staff doctors.

The story is told from Marion's perspective as the boys grow up in the warm cocoon of Missing yet always wondering what happened to their father and feeling the absence of their biological mother.

By the end of the novel, I was wondering about Shiva and Marion whenever I had to put it down to work or sleep. A story that mixes medicine, the history of Ethiopia and a story of family, Cutting for Stone is beautifully written and heartbreaking.

The Good Earth

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck is a novel I had not read but had been sitting on my shelf for a while. I am glad I finally read it, as it is a story with a wonderful message.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

I have been a fan of David Sedaris for years. I look forward to new essays and every Christmas revisit Holidays on Ice.

His latest offering is a departure from his essays as he takes on fiction, but Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is told in true Sedaris fashion. The stories use animals, yet the behavior and topics are truly human. Some of the stories are quite graphic and sordid, but all are funny.

From the two storks talking about their children asking where babies come from (the mice bring them, duh!) to the new lab rat who blames the dying lab rat's illness on his bad attitude, they are smart and witty.

This book has gotten some mixed reviews, so it's probably not for the uptight and unimaginative

Born Round

Born Round by Frank Bruni is a wonderfully entertaining story from this journalist and former NYT food critic. Growing up in a large Italian family that believes in eating well and eating a lot, Bruni struggled from a young age with his weight.

Bruni tells an honest and funny tale of his struggles throughout his life with weight, exercise and food. When offered the position as the NYT food critic, his love of food and his career intersect and while you fear that he will spiral out of control like in the past, he is able to take that love of food to a new level.

I recommend this to anyone who loves food and has struggled with their weight.

Zeitoun

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers was our book club book for September. I was reluctant to read a story about Katrina (I think I avoid books that feel like they are capitalizing on a national tragedy), but this was Dave Eggers so I should have known better than to be worried.

All the proceeds from the book go to various organizations related to New Orleans or that are important to the Zeitoun family and Eggers does an amazing job of telling a story of terrible injustice.

The Zeitoun's lived in New Orleans for years, are Muslim and have a family contracting and painting business. Abdulrahman, the father and a Syrian-American, has much to lose and take care of, so he sends his wife and children out of the city while he stays behind as the storm threatens.

His days before and after the storm are calmer than you would expect, but once the levees break, life for Zeitoun changes. Eventually, he is arrested along with 3 other men and held in horrendous conditions. They are never clearly charged, never told why they are being held - there are indications that someone thought that were terrorists.

I was horrified that this treatment occurred in this country and glad in the end that I read this story and that it was brought to me in the capable hands of Eggers.

The Quiet Room, Beautiful Boy and Tweak

I can't believe my last post was August! I have been reading, I just haven't been blogging.

I am going to do my best to catch up, so get ready for a number of new posts!

I read a number of memoirs in late August/early September. They were all stories about dealing with mental illness. As I consider my career change to social work/counseling, I want to do any "prep" work as I wait to apply to programs (and hopefully get in!), so I thought I would read some stories of mental illness.

The Quiet Room by Lori Schiller tells her tale of dealing with schizophrenia staring in her late teens into her 20s and beyond. Her story is sad and heartbreaking as she tries to find help and relief from a disease that was not well understood. While the story jumps around from different point of view, the best are Lori's chapters which feel as if you are reading Lori's journal and getting a raw view of her world of mental illness.

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff provides the parent's view as they watch their child delve into the dark world of drugs. Sheff's son Nic grows up in Northern California, but spends summers with his mother in LA. Sheff tries to determine if there is a causal link between the separation of his families and his drug addiction, but like most mental illnesses, does not get a definitive answer.

Sheff is a journalist, so his story is well written and he researches the various aspects of drug addiction and recovery - particularly methamphetamine which is his son's drug of choice. Beautiful Boy is a beautiful story of a father's love.

After reading his father's account, I tried to read Nic's young adult account, Tweak. Unfortunately, reading Tweak was too much for me. Nic's candid details made me too sad, too worried for all the teens in my life, so I wasn't able to finish it.

I Capture the Castle

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith was our August book club selection and what a precious find it was.

Written in the 1940s, I Capture the Castle tells the story of the Mortmain family, living in a dilapidated castle in the English countryside. The story is told through a series of journals by Cassandra Mortmain who relates the tale of her eccentric family.

Her father who was the famous author of a novel and is now suffering from writer's block; her sister Rose who flits about and becomes engaged to Simon Cotton the American who has inherited the estate that includes the castle; Topaz their bohemian stepmother who wants very much to be needed; ; handsome Stephen who has lived at the castle since he was a child and continues to do odd jobs around the place but who is desperately in love with Cassandra.

Cassandra herself is a sweet and witty 17 year old, though her writing and inexperience makes her feel younger as you read about life in the castle through her eyes.

This was a book I wanted to savor.

The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton

The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton by Kate Morton were two books that had been recommended to me a few times.

I read The Forgotten Garden first and was instantly smitten. Four year old Nell is found alone on the docks after a voyage from England to Australia. She is taken in by the port master and his wife and grows up knowing little of where she came from or the adventure that brought her to the only life she knows.

Years later, she finds out that she is not the port master's daughter and begins a journey to make sense of the snippets of memories she has. Life gets in the way as Nell takes in her granddaughter who eventually takes up the search and learns of her grandmother's true identity and heritage. Morton does a wonderful job of jumping back and forth through time to tell the story and keep you enthralled.

The House at Riverton was Morton's first novel and while it was compelling and also contained a mystery, I didn't love it as much. It was more of an Upstairs Downstairs or Gosford Park story - with young Grace arriving at Riverton to be a maid at the house where her mother worked for years. Grace becomes enamored with the children who visit the house - David, Hannah and Emmeline - and becomes faithful to them as a maid and secret keeper until the end of her life when she is compelled into memories by the creation of a film about a fateful night at the estate.

Born to Run

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall is one of those books that is known very well by a certain group of people - in this case runners. I was told it would change the way I run and I believe it has.

Born to Run centers on the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico who are infamous for their ability to run for multiple days in leather sandals. McDougall sets out to understand what makes the Tarahumara capable of such feats as well as their ability to stay healthy and serene while he hurts from just running a few miles.

McDougall does a wonderful job in pulling the reader along between history, biology and anthropology, tying all of it together in the world's greatest footrace through the Copper Mountains.

A Short History of Women

A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert was named one of the top 10 best books of 2009 by the New York Times Book Review, so I had high hopes.

Sadly, I think the book should be retitled to A Short History of Miserable Women. The novel chronicles five generations of women beginning in 1914 with Dorothy Trevor Townsend, a suffragette who is dying of starvation for her cause. She leaves behind two children who are now orphans - Thomas and Evelyn (Evie).

The novel jumps to Thomas' daughter Dorothy Townsend Barrett in Delaware who is in her 70s and is creating a revolution of her own by photographing the coffins of dead soldiers returning from what we assume is the war in Iraq illegally and being arrested.

We also meet Dorothy's daughter's Caroline and Liz toward the end of the novel who are struggling with the definition of motherhood in the early 21st century.

In the end, that is what the novel is really about. Women as mothers. Women as figures in history - or not. And the desire to have something more. The unfortunate part is that in the five generations of Townsend women, you never find a woman who is even partially satisfied with her life. It is depressing to think that as women being unhappy and dissatisfied is our lot in life.

Her Fearful Symmetry

I don't think I realized when I picked it up that Her Fearful Symmetry was written by Audrey Niffenegger author of The Time Traveler's Wife. I have not read The Time Traveler's Wife but knew that there was an element of surrealism to it.


Her Fearful Symmetry was touted as "mesmerizing", "chilling" and "addictive."

The story is set primarily in London when an aunt they have never met (their mother's twin sister, Elspeth) leaves her flat to Julia and Valentina, sisters, twins and somewhat lost 20 year olds. The inheritance comes with two conditions - they must live in the flat for a year and their parents are not to enter the flat.

The girl's embark on a year long adventure just after their 21st birthday. Julia is the more dominate twin, Valentina she calls "the Mouse" and as Valentina yearns to enroll in design school, it is Julia who convinces her she cannot do anything alone. But in Elspeth's apartment they begin to go separate ways - Julia spends time in the upstairs apartment of Martin an agoraphobic who suffers from severe OCD while Valentina begins to spend time with Robert, downstairs neighbor and Elspeth's former lover.

When they are in the apartment, they are not alone. Elspeth's ghost has taken up residence and eventually learns to communicate with her nieces and Robert. One secret she will not answer, even in death, is why she and the girl's mother never spoke and why the girl's never met her.

The story has a level of implausibility that I was able to overlook through the strong characters and the building plot, but then when the secrets are revealed and the climax of the story reached, I was annoyed that I had let myself be sucked into this fantastical story.

I assume that this is Niffenegger's style and it has made her successful, but there were such good characters that I wish she could have come up with a less absurd ending.

The Great Fire

The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard has been on my book shelf for quite a while and I was suddenly motivated to pare down my unread books, so I figured a good place to start was with this National Book Award winner.

The novel is set in Asia in the late 1940s, a culture and period I didn't know much about. One could assume that there was great devastation in Japan after the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, but Hazzard assumes too much prior knowledge of the time and place she sets her story in.

Aldred Leith, an English man in Japan to survey the damage, is the main character who falls in love with a young teenage girl, Helen. The romance between Aldred and Helen is sweet and the loss of Helen's sickly brother Ben bittersweet. But it takes too long to get there and then when you do the resolution of the affair is anti-climatic