About Books, May 31, 2008

Author Chrisopher Robbins is on an airplane when he learns that "Apples Are From Kazakhstan." That tidbit of knowledge leads him to travel there and and becomes the title of his book. And a wonderful book it is. Kazakhstan was closed to foreigners for decades and is relatively unknown. Reading the book makes the country familiar. Eagle hunting, tulips, archeology, WWII history, Mamelukes, nomads, trade with China, politics...all are discovered by Robbins as he joyfully acquaints himself and his readers with a new land.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, May 24, 2008

Robyn Scott's memoir is called "Twenty Chickens for a Saddle, the story of an African childhood." As a young child, Robyn's parents moved their family to Botswana where they lived in a converted cowshed. Her father, a doctor, supported the family by flying a small plane to various rural clinics; her mother home schooled the children. The book is filled with eccentric characters and adventures. It's a marvelous accomplishment for a woman still in her twenties.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, May 17, 2008

Dennis McCullough's "My Mother, Your Mother: Embracing Slow Medicine, the Compassionate Approach to Caring for Your Aging Loved Ones" is necessary reading for anyone caring for elderly parents or preparing for their own senior years. McCullough is a geriatrician and faculty member in the Department of Community Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. He comes across as the kindest human ever. The book covers the eight stations of late life (after 80) and uses the story of McCullough's mother's experiences. The book is comforting and a wonderful resource to anyone making this journey.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm