Wednesday, October 29, 2008

About Books, November 8, 2008

James Tabor's "Forever on the Mountain" tells the story of one of moutaineering's most controversial diasters. It takes place in 1967 when two climbing groups grudgingly united for a trek up Alaska's Mt. McKinley. Near the peak, they encountered a terrible storm and seven young men died. This book unravels the mystery of what went so badly wrong.

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

About Books, November 1, 2008

Jessamyn Conrad's "What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't: a Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues" is the perfect antidote to the plethora of politcal advertisements. After explaining our electoral process, the book presents the background and current debates on issues such as the economy, health care, the environment and energy. You will learn the position of all parties on all issues and be able to choose rationally where your feelings align.

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

Saturday, October 25, 2008

About Books, October 25, 2008

Kathleen Norris writes eloquently in "Acedia and Me: a Marriage, Monks and a Writer's Life" about the ennui or boredom that haunts artists, monks and her own life. Using monastic writing and personal experience in this frank memoir, she talks about the power that acedia has to limit the capacity for happiness and the ability to work and be part of the community.

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

Thursday, October 9, 2008

About Books, October 18, 2008

Simon Baatz has written a wonderful true-crime book called "The Thrill Of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder That Shocked Chicago." About eighty years ago, two wealthy young men wanted to commit the perfect murder. Their random and brutal killing of a young boy rocked Chicago and resulted in a trial at which they were represented by Clarence Darrow. Baatz explains the circumstances behind the murder, the details of the investigation and trial and the aftermath. I couldn't put the book down once I read the first page.

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

About Books, October 11, 2008

Patricia Klindienst, a master gardener, scholar and teacher, has authored "The Earth Knows My Name: Food, Culture and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans." Klindienst had an Italian grandfather who left behind a photgraph of her mother taken on the day Sacco and Vanzetti were put to death. This image sent her on a quest to learn about them. She discovered that Vanzetti coped with his situation by dreaming of his father's garden in Italy. Eventually, Klindienst visited many ethnic gardens and tells the stories of those gardens and gardeners in this lovely book.

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

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

About Books, October 4, 2008

Brooks Carder, author of "The Laguna Beach Diet," has developed an eating plan that seems very doable to me. Based on the Mediterranean diet, it doesn't require two weeks of starvation in the beginning or counting calories. The diet does require you eat lots of fish, chicken, vegetables, fruit, red wine and olive oil. You can even have dark chocolate. But red meat and sugar must be rare treats. Dr. Carder doesn't promise fast weight loss. He does believe that this way of eating is healthier than any other and, for most people, will result in gradual weight loss.

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