![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
I completed the Non-Fiction 5 Challenge on September 8, having read one non-fiction book per month since May (the titles below link to my reviews of each book):
Favorite Book of the Challenge: Long Walk to Freedom. Hands down, no question about it. Nelson Mandela's philosophy, courage, and life story are truly inspiring.The Bookseller of Kabul, by Asne Seierstad (completed 5/12/2007)
Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela (completed 6/8/2007)
Lucky, by Alice Sebold (completed 7/3/2007)
Watching the English, by Kate Fox (completed 8/7/2007)
Rumspringa: To be or not to be Amish, by Tom Schachtman (completed 9/8/2007)
Least Favorite Book: Rumspringa. Although my least favorite book, this portrait of Amish culture was still interesting. It found its way to the bottom of my list due to the writing, not the subject matter.
What I learned through this challenge: From each book, I learned something that broadened my knowledge. While some non-fiction can be dense, and full of complicated language, each of these books was very readable. Although it can still take me a bit longer to read a non-fiction book than fiction, there are opportunities to learn that fiction doesn't usually provide. Even though the challenge is over, I will continue to include non-fiction works in my reading plan, particularly memoirs, biographies, and works that provide explanation for events happening today.
Rumspringa: To be or Not to be Amish
Tom Shachtman
272 pages
Reflections: Rumspringa, or "running around," is an Amish teenage tradition. After finishing school at age 14, they are allowed to spend as much time as they need living outside the order, until they are ready to either be Amish, and join the church as an adult, or leave the church (and often their family) behind. Tom Shachtman interviewed hundreds of Amish teenagers and parents, to learn more about rumspringa, and the factors that influence joining or separating from the church. In the first few chapters, he describes the experiences of several teenagers, which generally involves experimenting with alcohol and drugs, using cars, and working in restaurants and factories. He then analyzes various aspects of adult Amish life, that cause people to return to the order (or choose not to). 80-90% of teens return after their rumspringa, often because of marriage. They also value the strong community support, and usually can find work on the family farm or in an Amish-run business. The Amish lifestyle also is far less expensive than life "on the outside." It seemed to me that the central limiting factor of life outside the order is lack of education, which greatly limits employment opportunities.
I had looked forward to reading this book, because I live near Amish communities in Pennsylvania. It does provide interesting insight to a culture that I can observe only from a distance. Ultimately, however, it read like a series of loosely connected chapters, lacking a central thesis or message. Shachtman briefly draws on psychological theory to discuss the emotional development of Amish teens, but stops short of in-depth analysis. At the end of the book, having explored the broader societal forces acting on modern Amish life, Shachtman tries to envision the Amish 50 years from now. Unfortunately, he did not build up sufficient evidence for his points, which leaves his conclusion feeling slightly disconnected.
This is still an interesting book, and worth reading if you are interested in Amish culture. It just could have been considerably better. (
)
| |
47 / 50 (94.0%) |
The Nonfiction 5 Challenge is designed to encourage readers to stretch themselves in the non-fiction genre. The idea is to read 5 books in 5 months. I enjoy nonfiction, but really feel like I don't read enough of it, somewhat driven off an irrational fear that nonfiction will be sleep-inducing. Of course, good nonfiction is just as gripping as fiction! So this challenge will help me overcome my irrational fear and learn something, too.
Read (with links to reviews)
1. The Bookseller of Kabul, by Asne Seierstad (completed 5/12/2007)
Why: general fascination with middle eastern culture right now
2. Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela (completed 6/8/2007)
Why: I always wanted to learn more about him
3. Lucky, by Alice Sebold (completed 7/3/2007)
Why: looks like a compelling read
4. Watching the English, by Kate Fox (completed 8/7/2007)
Why: I lived in England 4 years and think this would resonate
5. Rumspringa: To be or not to be Amish, by Tom Shachtman (completed 9/82007)
Why: I live right on the edge of Amish communities in Southeastern PA and would like to better understand their way of life
- Mood:
excited
Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour
Kate Fox
416 pages
First sentence: I am sitting in a pub near Paddington station, clutching a small brandy.
Reflections: I approached this book with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. Having spent four years living in England, I was interested in this analysis of "Englishness," but also somewhat afraid I would discover several cultural norms that I had inadvertently violated during my stay there. Fortunately, Watching the English simply reinforced the blunders I already knew about. It also provided amusing insight into a culture and way of life that I truly enjoyed being part of.
- "The Denial Rule," in which strangers are completely ignored. This occurs in a variety of situations from public transportation, to school functions, to village gatherings. The denial rule made it difficult for us to assimilate into village life. Reading this book, I greatly appreciated one couple who went against cultural norms and initiated contact with us right away. They were the only people to do this in four years!
- "Negative Politeness," which is primarily concerned with people's need not to be intruded or imposed upon. Underlying this is the importance of privacy. While I also value privacy, American cultural norms promote "positive politeness," which is concerned with inclusion and approval.
- Inability to complain effectively, coupled with an intense dislike of "making a scene," results in a quiet acceptance of poor service, delays, and equipment malfunctions. This was the principal source of my own cultural faux pas, since when presented with poor service or repairmen who didn't show up, my first reaction was to become assertive and demanding. This was highly ineffectual in the English culture.
Throughout this book, Fox also highlights the importance of humor, particularly self-deprecating humor. Humor is often used as a form of modesty, to cover up success or, in a backward way, to highiight success without being seen as boasting. Humor is an essential element of every type of interaction, with funerals the sole exception. While some aspects of English culture can be frustrating to those from other countries, for me the pervasive nature of humor made up for those frustrating aspects and left me with lasting fond memories of the English people.
Recommended reading for Anglophiles. ( 
)
| |
40 / 50 (80.0%) |
Lucky
Alice Sebold
246 pages
First sentence: This is what I remember.
Reflections: Alice Sebold and I are the same age. In May, 1981, I was finishing my first year at university, relatively pleased with my academic and social survival. In May, 1981, Alice Sebold was also finishing her first year at university, and was was literally fighting for her life. On the last day of school, Alice was raped. Lucky is her memoir of the rape, the aftermath, the trial, and the ensuing years.
The book opens with a detailed description of the rape itself and, like a crime novel, is a page turner. But the description is not embellished for literary purposes; it's real. And it's shocking. Once past that section, the reader moves with Alice through reporting the crime, dealing with friends and family, returning to school in the autumn, and the legal process. Alice was raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, the daughter of a professor and a mother with a history of emotional problems. Her family struggles with how best to support her. Friends cannot cope. Boyfriends are nonexistent. Alice appears to move beyond the rape, and is quite strong through the grand jury hearing and trial. But over time the psychological impact becomes clearer.
This is a well-written, matter-of-fact account of one woman's journey. It was educational for me, as I have never had any direct experience with rape victims. More importantly, Lucky was undoubtedly an important part of Sebold's recovery, and might be helpful to other victims.
| |
32 / 50 (64.0%) |
| |
11,861 / 15,000 (79.1%) |
Long Walk to Freedom
Nelson Mandela
638 pages
First sentence: Apart from life, a strong constitution, and an abiding connection to the Thembu royal house, the only thing my father bestowed upon me at birth was a name, Rolihlahla.
Reflections: Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in 1962, the year I was born. Apartheid, the struggle for freedom and equality in South Africa, and Mandela's life and work, were not taught in any of my history classes. I viewed apartheid through the lens of the American Civil Rights movement, and was not aware of the unique cultural aspects and political events that shaped South Africa.
This book is important and required reading. It tells the story of his country childhood, and the serendipitous turn of events that ensured he received a full education. As a young lawyer, he began representing black South Africans, something few were willing to do. He became involved in politics, and then became a freedom fighter rising to leadership roles in the African National Congress (ANC):
"I had no epiphany, no singular revelation, no moment of truth, but a steady accumulation of a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a thousand unremembered moments, produced in me an anger, a rebelliousness, a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people." (p. 95)
For some time, he promoted a non-violent approach but just prior to his imprisonment the ANC determined it was important to build an army, sensing someday they might need to use such methods:
"A freedom fighter learns the hard way that it is the oppressor who defines the nature of the struggle, and the oppressed is often left no recourse but to use methods that mirror those of the oppressor." (p. 166)
I found his time in prison to be one of the more interesting sections of the book. Most of this was spent on Robben Island, with several other political prisoners. Initially conditions were harsh, and the labor difficult. Family visits were permitted twice a year. Permission for basic items, such as long pants instead of shorts, was routinely denied. However, as time passed, some of the rules and sanctions were relaxed. Prisoners were permitted to study and pursue advanced degrees. Many years into his sentence, Mandela and others recognized that new, younger prisoners lacked a basic understanding of the ANC and formed a kind of "university" to teach these young men. Thus prison served to recruit others to the struggle.
We know the rest of the story: released in 1990, instrumental in negotiating the first national, non-racial, "one man one vote" elections, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and elected President. This review can't begin to do justice to Mandela's life. You simply have to read the book.
"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. .... Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished." (p. 622)
| |
27 / 50 (54.0%) |
| |
10,075 / 15,000 (67.2%) |
The Bookseller of Kabul
Asne Seierstad
288 pages
First sentence: One of the first people I met when I arrived in Kabul in November 2001 was Sultan Khan.
Reflections: Asne Seierstad is a Norwegian journalist who has written a compelling account of her three months spent living with an Afghan family. Sultan Khan owned bookshops around Kabul, and was the patriarch of a large family. Having befriended Seierstad, he allows her to move in with his family and observe their daily lives. The book is written in literary form, and reads like a novel. Occasionally I had to remind myself this was nonfiction.
Seierstad vividly portrays the lives of the women in Sultan's family: his two wives, his sisters, and various in-laws. One chapter describes a group of women shopping in the bazaar, wearing the traditional burka. Since Seierstad herself wore the burka during this time, she conveys a very real sense of the limitations this form of dress puts on movement and vision. There are also heartbreaking stories of women's lives. Most haunting was that of his youngest sister, Leila. As the youngest, she was expected to play the role of housekeeper. Her days were filled cooking, cleaning, and washing for the 13 people living in her house. She worked past midnight, and awoke only a few hours later to begin the cycle again. Leila longed to break free of this routine, attempting to obtain a teaching position, and wishing to be married to someone outside her family. All of the women were oppressed by Western standards, and completely at the mercy of men who determined what the women could, and could not, do.
However, the men in Sultan's family were not much better off. Sultan was very strict with his sons. Most of them were expected to work in his shops, which denied them an education. They were also expected to do as Sultan said, at all times. One of the more harrowing chapters concerned a carpenter who had stolen from Sultan's shop. Sultan goes away on a business trip, leaving his son in charge of working through the legal system. The carpenter was very poor, and his family was starving; the son clearly wanted to drop the whole thing. But when he phoned his father to ask permission, Sultan emphatically instructed him to continue pursuing the case with the authorities. This had a devastating impact on the carpenter and his family.
This book left me feeling very sad for the people of Afghanistan; life seems to be such a struggle for everyone.
| |
23 / 50 (46.0%) |
| |
8,410 / 15,000 (56.1%) |
- Mood: content
