Book Review - Why women should rule the world

Ok...ok....you guys...hang in there. The author Dee Dee Myers (DD for the rest of this blog post) does NOT say that all men should stay at home while women rule the planet. Infact, the misandry-filled title does little justice to what in reality, is a very interesting book.

While I attack fiction books with the gusto reserved for devouring idli-dosa-coffee breakfasts at Komala Vilas (ah....that is another blog post in itself), I usually borrow non-fiction, and return them barely read to the library. This book proved to be a different read.

DD explores three topics in very great detail throughout the book. She quotes from many research sources, simultaneously contrasting the research findings with her actual experience in the White house where she was sometimes marginalized. I could not have agreed more with her viewpoint. There are many chapters where I actually put the book down and laughed with relief as I realized that I was not alone when I found myself in many frustratingly unfair situations.

1) Why are there so few women leaders?

When you look at schools and colleges, there appears to be equal numbers of men and women. However, in many professional fields, in every ascending level of corporate power, there are fewer and fewer women as you get closer to the top. Previously, it was thought that if enough women are educated, sooner or later, you will see women in every echelon of the corporate world. In reality? This has not happened to the desired extent. Whats worse, the only jobs where women are paid equal to men, are the minimum wage ones. As you examine the more highly "valued" professions, the salary gap becomes glaring. While many women choose to step away from the rat race or at least slow down for their family, many find it increasing difficult to get back into the game when they are ready to do so. The few women who do get ahead, are held to much higher standards, and have often had to work twice as hard as their male peers

2) Why should we care anyways?

Equal opportunity for women is not just some politically correct BS. The question is not whether women can be "as good as men". Rather, the real question is, what are the unique feminine skills that women bring to the table? Read the book for the full list, but, there were so many things that DD wrote, which I could identify with; women are collaborative, oriented towards the common good as opposed to personal aggrandizement, detail oriented, and compassionate. Corporations and nations solve problems more effectively when women and men play equal roles in making key decisions. DD's examples of women in the middle east and war torn African nations is especially heart rending.

3) What should we do?

Well, when we talk about women rulers, people immediately bring up examples of women in major leadership roles who seemed to channelize all the worst qualities of men. DD offers a compelling argument to explain this. When there is one woman in a room with twenty other men, she tries to act like a man, because that is the only way she can survive. When there are, say ten women and ten men, suddenly, the gender pressures are gone. Women do not have to try and do the "tough" thing; they are free to do the right thing. DD talks about critical mass, role models...and many such more measures.

And I kept nodding my head furiously (in agreement, that is) as I read all this. I work in a male dominated industry, and have had to work ferociously hard in order for people to get over my gender, my looks, my physical stature, and my ethnicity. Eventually, I earn their respect; but do i have to go through a trial by fire every time?

Fear not, this is no feminist propaganda. It a simple cost-benefit analysis, in book form. So sisters (and brothers) try to read this. I greeted my work day with a little extra spring in my step the next morning.

(Image source: Barnes and Noble website)

Book Review - French women don't get fat

I usually try not to judge a book by it's cover. However, "French women don't get fat" leaves me with little choice; it sometimes does get as pretentious and elitist as it's title sounds.

Agreed, America is the land of plenty...of not so good food choices (avoiding them is not rocket science either). And many restaurants do not serve the healthiest portion sizes. However, the author Mireille Guiliano overdoes the berating of American women, especially with lofty language suggesting that only french women are aware of certain healthy living facts. I started reading the book with great expectations, and soon realized that in reality, women from almost all cultures in the world have practised the author's suggestions, for many centuries. To suggest that only French women have a monoploy on sensible eating, fine living, and other core human emotions like love and laughter is rather preposterous.

The author shares "secrets only known to french women" such as -
1) Drink lots of water
2) Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
3) Include lots of soup in your diet
4) Walk as much as possible
5) Eat lots of low fat yoghurt
6) Dramatically reduce your portion sizes
7) If you eat one heavy meal, compensate with another light meal
8) Enjoy food, don't make a big deal out of dieting

Uh...duh....i thought ALL of us knew that?????!!!!!

Just when I was about to overlook the author's penchant for adding unnecessary french twists to well meaning commonsense, the book got a little too elitist for my taste. I'm not being sarcastic; the author really offers gems like -

1) Do not eat fruits and veggies UNLESS you have procured them directly from a fancy farmer's market (sure, such sources are incredibly nice. but what do I do during winter, or if I cannot travel to or live near such markets?)

2) Only eat expensive hand crafted artisan bread

3) Always splurge on expensive chocolate

4) Do not eat oranges purchased from grocery stores, try and fly them in from Florida

5) Regularly drink and cook with premium champagne (recommended brand: Veuve Clicquot; CEO of Clicquot company: The author of this book Mireille Guiliano herself!!!gawwwdddd!!!)

6) When dining out with friends, order a full dessert, but then pretend to talk and discretely signal the waiter to clear away your barely touched plate!

7) Eat only fresh nuts and blueberries directly picked off the orchard trees from your back yard. Wait, you dont have a backyard orchard? (See, this is why you are probably not french and why you are probably fat)

8) Eat only one thin slice of bread with dinner

9) If you dont have bread, just eat cake

(ok, i made the last one up, but the author just barely stopped short of saying that!)

Book Review - Atonement

I kinda looked forward to watching the just released movie - Atonement. I then changed my mind because -

1) K is not big on watching epic romances, especially in the theater

2) I am trying to clean up my finances before the new year, and need to be frugal ($1 for renting the DVD in the library as opposed to $20 for movie tickets and popcorn)

3) Keira Knightly is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO effing thin. She has so crossed the line between sexy to sick skeletal skinny that she can no longer see the line. The line is a dot to her! (to quote Joey)

4) Movies are almost never as good as the novels they are adapted from

So, I just read the book by Ian Mcewan and found it disappointing despite all the rave reviews. The novel's premise is intriguing - The mistakes of a misguided child prompted by a confluence of events happening on a single day causes the destruction of two innocent adults.
The first section should be prescribed reading for any aspiring novelist. Ian describes the old english house in such detail, it almost becomes another living character in the book. He draws elaborate character sketches. Even though the writing is borderline-boring, the characters come alive in your mind.

After setting the stage so elaborately, Ian succeeds in describing the psychology behind Briony's act (a mistake around which the entire book revolves). But what follows later is a disappointment. Rather than delving into the psyche of the three main characters (Robie, Cecilia, and Briony), Ian plunges into many pages of sobering world war imagery. These chapters are written excellently, but detract from the overall effect of the novel.
You do not get a sense of the immense tragedy behind Robbie and Cecilia's forced separation. And the author does not dedicate a single paragraph to their reunion upon Robbie's return to England from France. While the 13 year old Briony's thought process has been beautifully delineated, the grown up Briony's "atonement" (by volunteering as a nurse) comes across as half baked and insincere, especially when, in a callous display of egotism, she creates a novella out of the sequence of events and submits for publishing (all this during her self imposed exile from the family). The book could have succeeded if Ian had infused Briony's character with irony, and made something like a black comedy. However, he simply glorifies her "atonement", when really, all you see is the lack of. Ian spends way too much time describing characters who play almost no part in the book (like Emily), while paying absolutely no attention to Cecilia's life during the years when she waits for Robbie.

Towards the end of the book, Ian completely loses direction. He gets carried away by his perceived power as a writer who can create worlds and lives at whim. His hubris is blatantly evident in the last page of the book. It was as though Ian was thumbing his nose at every critic and reader, by conveying the message "hey, i am the writer, i can do anything i want with the characters". My criticism may sound harsh, but, after patiently plodding through every page, I could not come to any other conclusion. This book was published (in 2001) after his Booker winning novel Amsterdam (in 1997). Big award...big ego?

Speaking of Booker awards, there are way too many similarities between Atonement, and Arundhathi Roy's "The God of small things". Roy's book won the Booker in 1997, a full 4 years BEFORE Atonement was published.

I googled the two novels to find out if other readers had caught on to this. Unfortunately, I could not find any such web articles. If you have read both the books, please let me know what you think. The core concepts are the same - one person acting on prejudices, blaming an innocent man for a crime that he did not commit, destroying a romance (that was anyway doomed by class differences), and events complicated by runaway twins and cousins. Even the writing techniques are similar - the intricately detailed description of the old house where the main events take place, and the slow but steady building up of dread in the reader's mind, leading up to the catastrophic event.

Roy's book succeeds where Ian's fails. Her tale does not offer any redemption for the sinner(s), and there is no pretense of atonement either. With no grandiose war scene descriptions and distractions, Roy crafted a heartfelt drama, leaving every reader with an overpowering sense of loss and heartbreak.

I am now rather curious about the movie. The reviews proclaim that this is one of the best movies of the year. Maybe the director would have capitalized on the positive aspects of the book, and filled in the holes left behind by the author?

PS: After writing my review, in a moment of self doubt, I checked out Amazon's reader reviews, and clicked on the critical reviews link (which groups all the 1 and 2 star reviews). Thankfully, there are people that feel the same way. The first review is especially good. Check it out here (warning - loads of spoilers, do not read if you plan to watch the movie)

I do not want to watch "A Mighty Heart"

Because I read the book. And the book had a few pictures of Danny and Marianne, and i cannot get these images out of my head. I see the joy in Marianne's eyes as she dances with Danny wearing her white wedding dress trimmed with roses. I see Danny's dashing sunny smile and wonder how different the world could have been if we have more journalists with a heart as mighty as his.

I then look at the picture on the front cover and see the sadness, the resolve and the unfathomable strength in Marianne's eyes. And i realize i cannot watch the movie just yet. The past is still too much in the present, it seems like all this just happened yesterday. I am not ready to move on just yet.

The real life images, combined with Marianne's compelling writing makes us empathize with her tragedy in ways that movies can never achieve.

It took me a few days to read the book, and recover. At times, i had to set the book aside, and take a deep breaths before continuing to read. The book grimly portrays the horror of Daniel Pearl's abduction and execution, while simultaneously offering heart breaking insights into his amazing personality, and the wonderful life he shared with his then pregnant wife. Marianne's strength and her undying hope for her son (and hence all our children) shines throughout the book.

The movie may be pretty good, Angelina may have given a wonderful performance....i'll probably watch the movie on dvd later...but for now, I'll just head to my library again.

Source of images -

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.jewishaz.com/

www.templeofunderstanding.org

Back to my first love . .. reading!

When there is absolutely nothing worth watching on TV, when there is nothing exciting happening on the political front (though the pundits are trying their best to create hot topics for discussion), when the days are incredibly long (sun rises at 5:00 am and sets at 8:00 pm or so) and when the allergy season is in full bloom, and when you live near some of the best public libraries in the nation - i dont really have a choice; i have to read! My book reviews begin...

White house chef - Walter Scheib

Personally hired by Hillary Clinton., Walter Schieb was the chief white house chef for most of the Clinton years, and also for Bush's first term. This book is a delightful compilation of anecdotes and recipes. Walter writes about his menus for major state dinners - how Hillary and her team wanted to pay a tribute to the visiting head of state's country by including that country's dishes on the menu, or preparing contemporary american food with accents specific to that nation.

Even though Walter states that the book is apolitical, it is pretty obvious that he was totally enamoured by the Clintons - Hillary is portrayed as a warm loving hostess, and Bill as an adorable superstar. Walter's character sketch of Chelsea is probably the most genuine, and truly endearing. Growing up in the whitehouse, Chelsea gradually became a full time vegetarian. Also, Hillary requested Walter to include more healthful meatless dishes in the menu. This prompted Walter to delve into the cooking traditions of India, China, and other countries to devise meatless dishes. Some of the vegetarian recipes in the book are excellent, and really simple (the minted peas soup, and the mango black bean salsa for example). Ofcourse, there are many other recipes that could easily take days to prepare, a fact that Walter acknowledges. This book is a quick read, and if you are a Clinton afficionado, dont miss this one!

Book review - Monsoon diary by Shoba Narayan

After a long time, I read a truly delightful book - "Monsoon diary" by Shoba Narayan.
The actual book does not have a lot to do with Monsoons - however, the evocative beauty and the innate Indianness of the word captures the feeling the book creates in you .

The subject is pretty simple. It is an account of the author's life, intended to focus primarily on the culinary aspects. Shoba is a typical tam bram girl. She is brought up in Adyar, her grand parents from from Kerala, she goes to grad school in the US and ultimately marries an iyer aathu america mapillai. (sounds familiar?)

If R.K Narayan immortalized life in the small towns of Kerala and Karnataka, in the pre-independence era, Shoba comes pretty close to doing the same for the old Madras. Madras in the 70s and 80s (and even the early part of the 90s) was a quiet green haven, striking the perfect balance between its ancient Dravidian heritage, and the remnants of British colonialism. Shoba captures the spirit of that Madras. The book also beautifully describes one of the most endearing aspects of life in India - the people that you encounter all through the day (the paal kaaran, kariga kari, isthiri kaaran etc!!!!)

The pace of the book lags a bit during the latter half, especially in the chapters where the author describes her grad school life in the USA. Also, there are a number of recipes listed in the book. They are very good, but the most glaring omission is the absence of a good sambar recipe! Ofcourse, this book is not intended to be another Meenakshi Ammal's cook-and-see, but, isnt the cornerstone of our lives a good cup of arachuvitta sambar?

Shoba's book is a must have for any Madras born thamizh lover's library!

Book Review - how not to write...

Finished two bad books in one weekend. They do not write good books anymore do they? I'm trying to remember all the good books and stories I have read (like the Gift of the Magi or classics like To kill a mocking bird), just to remind myself that good books still exist.

A long way down - Nick Hornby

The author has taken every random thought that filled his mind over the past year and filled 352 pages of the book (what a waste of rain forests). The story line is simple - four strangers end up meeting on top of 10 story building in London, all intent on killing themselves. They end up not doing so and form a weird support group. There is nothing redeeming about the end of the book - three of the four characters' lives are a lot more screwed up than what it was when they decided to jump off the building. How depressing!

PS: I checked out the reviews for this on amazon.com. Most of the reviews were favorable. I still stand by what i say, i prefer simple books that have a real story.

Trump - Think like a billionaire - everything you need to know about success, real estate, and life - Donald Trump

Hubris. Egotism...add any other words you can think of here. Even the title is silly - does Trump really think he has the authority to tell the reader everything they need to know about life? Is life made up of the apprentice and saturday night live (two shows that i have never ever seen even once).

Instead of teaching you "everything you need to know about success, real estate, and life", you get Trump's two cents on everything from why the UN is failing as a peace organization (because they did not have the good sense to award Trump some New York renovation project) to what kind of pet you need to have (pitbulls - no, trophy wives- most certainly yes).

Stick to your copy of how to make friends and influence people . . . you may well be on your way to getting a raise, paying your mortgage and marrying your college sweetheart. Who needs billions?!

The blissful book worm

I've gone back to my first love...reading! Try to borrow these on your next library visit.


Harry Potter and the half blood prince - Much better than Order of the Phoenix. Though this book has over 600 pages, its a great page turner and the end of the book is kinda sad (though i can almost guess why the person who killed someone had to commit the murder). Rowling has cleverly woven in serious adult issues such as racism, class differences and believe it or not.. the war on terror into the plot! On the flip side, this book is most certainly not for kids below 16, and reading about Harry Potter's love life is way too weird!


The Historian - by Elizabeth Kostova
If you like reading about history, medieval europe, travel, and vampires, this one is for you! I have been listening to the audio book. Though the narrative is rather slow, this first time author manages to hold the reader's interest.



The Five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom -
This is a tiny little book, ideal for inflight reading. It could have just been a short story, some how, the author manages to stretch the plot out to fill 208 pages with wide spaced text. The writing style is pretty similar to that of R.K Narayan. The message conveyed by the book was actually very touching - about how all our lives are inexplicably interlinked with each other and how our tiny actions make huge differences in the lives of other people.


Digital Fortress, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown -
Dan Brown's books are entertaining, but he is worse than the current tamil cinema script writers. All his books have EXACTLY the same formula -
Nerdy professor (who plays a lots of sports) meets Brilliant female researcher/historian/scientist who is also totally hot; they have to crack a piece of indecipherable code within exactly 24 hours or some catastrophic event will destroy a major establishment which in turn will threaten world peace. Oh, and by the way, the main character in charge of the major establishment is actually the villain. In angels and demons, the Vatican is threatened, and in Digital fortress, its some National security agency. Both the books are the same otherwise. But, I am not complaining. The novels are fast paced, and good enough to help you survive a delayed american airlines flight from atlanta to chicago!

There are a bunch of non fiction books that I am reading too. Watch this space!