Take this for what it is — a potpourri of titles I recently read and got something out of. Whatever that something is varies largely by selection. I merely offer them here with brief synopses and commentaries because I like to share good books. Most of the books I have physically shared never make it back to my home library, so maybe digital recommendations are a better way to go.
I will try my best to update this list and add to it. I hope you take time to consider these books, and comment. There is no method to the listings, because the genres are broad and it would just add to the madness.
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“Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space Time and Light”
by Leonard Shlain
I have an art degree. I was never in love with math or overly-interested in science. This book relates early scientific discovery, invention and things once seen as taboo to the development and change in the techniques and recognition of art movements. Great read.
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“Overdosed America:
The Broken Promise of American Medicine”
by Dr. John Abramson
I am not really one to buy into conspiracy theories, and while I would like to deny the existence of corporate fraud when it’s linked with such magnitude to something directly affecting the mortality rates of Americans, this book turned my head.
In light of the turmoil of our nation’s health care industry, this is a compelling read. It’s a well-researched account of the commercial influence over the pharmaceutical industry, including first-hand accounts of patient treatment scenarios from the author, a practicing physician in the throes of pushy medical breakthroughs and a personal battle of ethics and commonsense.
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“Boomsday”
by Christopher Buckley
This New York Times bestseller is a hoot. If you like political and social satire, pick up a copy today. The morbid concepts presented in this novel are sadly not far from reality. A political blogger proposes an unorthodox method of dealing with national debt, specifically the strain created by the payout of Social Security benefits to baby boomers. A nicer term for government-assisted suicide, she proposes “transitioning,” or the offering of government incentives for boomers volunteering to off themselves after age 75.
My generation is inheriting the national debt, and though I have paid into Social Security since I was a teen, I likely won’t see my chunk of change. I don’t think people should kill themselves, so don’t get the wrong idea. I do think this is a very comical look at government manipulation and overspending.
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“The Book of Bunny Suicides“
by Andy Riley
You’ll have to take my word on this one. This book features deeply disturbing black and white cartoons with a suicidal rabbit as the main character. This maladjusted creature has some very inventive ways to do the deed. Always good for a laugh on a bad day. Don’t try this at home. I share one panel here …
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“Alpha•Morph•Abet”
Written and illustrated by Jay Palefsky
This is a marvel … a work of art. Incredible imagination. The inside of the book jacket describes it best … “Pictures turning into letters morphing into pictures.”
This entertained me for hours. You won’t be able to put it down either.
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“I Am America (And So Can You!)”
by Stephen Colbert
OK, it’s time for more satire. An over-the-top look at American patriotism, bigotry, commercialism, religion, education and politics. It’s even interactive, with fun puzzles, quizzes, stickers and a nice red bookmark.
This is a love-it-or-hate-it suggestion. Anyone that is humble enough to laugh at his own misgivings will laugh so hard he will cry. Everyone else will curse my name, and the author’s.
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“Roy Lichtenstein’s abc”
by Bob Adelman
This is a very fun collection of works from a pop art icon, one for each letter of the alphabet. For those of you who pay attention, this is the second alphabet-related title I have included here. There are many more to be had. These are just two of my favorites.
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“Psychological Nudity: Savage Radio Stories”
by Michael Savage
Another love-it-or-hate-it selection, this is a collection of short stories from radio personality Michael Savage. The stories are mostly personal tales he has shared over the airwaves. I find great humor in Savage’s stream-of-conscious wisdom and how he relates the spoils of society to simple lessons learned, usually the hard way, in childhood.
You simply can’t pass up an offering like this. Some titles of the stories within include: “Half-Man, Half-Woman in Long Beach,” “Louie and His Crazy Monkey,” and the poignant “What if John McCain’s Middle Name Was ‘Jesus?’” Need I say more?
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“Wampeters, Foma & Granfalloons”
by Kurt Vonnegut
This is another collection of short stories. I am adding these selections for those of you with an attention span like mine. An amazing humorist and a king of satirical voice, Vonnegut came to speak on my college campus. I almost peed my pants laughing. He is one of the few authors whose novels I can read and re-read and audibly crack up every time. Anything Vonnegut is worth picking up.
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“Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers”
by Mary Roach
You wouldn’t think humor could be found in a book about death. Until you pick up this one. A blunt and surprisingly comical look at postmortem uses for the human body. It is a refreshing perspective on a morbid topic. I recommend it highly.
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“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”
by Judith Viorst
This isn’t something I recently read. It is something I keep on hand at all times since I was a little girl and my mom first read it to me. The main character is having a very tough time. Everyone and everything is out to get him. He is determined to move to Australia to escape his lot in life.
“My bath was too hot, I got soap in my eyes, my marble went down the drain, and I had to wear my railroad-train pajamas. I hate my railroad-train pajamas.”
Now, who hasn’t had a day like this? It tends be Mondays, but can surprise you on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays — you get the point. This story of this woeful little boy seems to make you feel better about any challenge you might be facing. Because it is a children’s book, I take it as the most simply-put self-help book I have found on the market, employing a very powerful remedy for stress — laughter.
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