Nonfiction November 2018--Week 3!

This event is being cohosted by the following five bloggers: 

Sarah of Sarah's Book Shelves

Katie of Doing Dewey

Kim of Sophisticated Dorkiness

Rennie of What's Nonfiction

Julz of JulzReads

#NonFicNov

I have been too busy to post anything for Week 1 or Week 2 until now, 
but am determined to make time to post for Week 3 during Week 3!
(I apologize for the differently-colored links!)

Week 3 (November 12-16): Be the Expert/Ask the Expert/Become the Expert

(Julz of JulzReads)

There are three ways to participate this week!

You can share three or more books on a single topic 

that you have read and can recommend--BE THE EXPERT

OR

You can put the call out for good nonfiction on a specific topic 

that you have been dying to learn more about--ASK THE EXPERT

OR

You can create your own list of books you would like to read that discuss a topic about which you would like to learn more--BECOME THE EXPERT

I have chosen option 3!
I really want to read more about animals, and particularly the human-animal connection.

One of the very best books I've ever read about animals and the animal-human connection was Lawrence Anthony and Graham Spence's The Elephant Whisperer. 
Each member of the book club I facilitate agreed!
While it may not be considered strictly scientific but rather anecdotal, it is absolutely amazing and excellently demonstrates just how little we humans "know" about animals!
I myself consider such "qualitative data" just as valuable as "quantitative data"! 
Sometimes even moreso! 

Again, more anecdotal evidence, but Anthony Bourke and John Rendall's 
A Lion Called Christian: 
The True Story of the Remarkable Bond Between Two Friends and a Lion 
is a book I absolutely adored! As did each member of the book club I facilitate!
There is an unbelievable reunification video on YouTube 
that demonstrates just how little we may really KNOW about any animal(s)... 
Warning: it makes me cry every time!

These are the related books I fully intend to read in the future:
(Should I happen to live long enough! lol)

Katy Payne's Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants

Carl Safina's Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel

Virginia Morell's Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of our Fellow Creatures

Barbara King's How Animals Grieve

Tom Michell'sThe Penguin Lessons
One man. One Penguin. Hidden. Through Customs. Across borders. 
Each member of my book club loved this one as well!

David Quammen's The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life
While I am a bit uncertain how much this book will address animal species other than 
homo sapien, I am fascinated by this idea of horizontal gene transfer (HGT).

David Quammen's The Chimp and the River: How AIDS Emerged From an African Forest

Bronwen Dickey's 
Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon

Kathryn Bowers and Barbara Natterson-Holowitz' 
Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health

Frans de Waal's Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
This is something that has always bothered me. 
How do we humans KNOW we are 'smarter' than animals? 
My answer to that question? It's simple, really... We don't... 
But humanity certainly does NOT lack for arrogance in believing we are! 

Peter Godfrey-Smith's 
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness

Sy Montgomery's 
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the World of Consciousness

Susan Casey's 
Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins
I loved her book The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean 
when I read it almost 6 years ago! Truly enjoyed her writing style!

Rachel Smolker's 
To Touch a Wild Dolphin: A Journey of Discovery with the Sea's Most Intelligent Creatures

Susan Casey's 
The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks

David Rothenberg's 
Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound

Wallace Nichols and Celine Cousteau's 
Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do
I found it amazing to discover this book on the heels of all the other books listed above 
that center around underwater animals! Hmmmm...

Linda Spalding's The Follow: A True Story
(formerly entitled A Dark Place in the Jungle Following Leakey's Last Animal into Borneo)
I'm betting this one is a tear-jerker!

How about you? 
Are you an expert? 
Do you wish to become an expert? 
Or would you rather just ask an expert? 

Happy reading!
--Lynn

W. Bruce Cameron, author of A Dog's Purpose, A Dog's Journey...and Emory's Gift

Today's featured author is W. Bruce Cameron: A Dog's Purpose, A Dog's Journey, and Emory's Gift. When I find an author whose writing particularly resonates with me, I adore reading all his/her books that I believe will truly interest me. (Reading time is limited after all!) This is why I have now read all three of these books. In addition, Mr. Cameron is a wonderful human being, willing to take time to speak with a small book club in the midwestern U.S. about what I would consider his most daring publication to date, Emory's Gift.

I don't believe there is a substitute for the enlivening and endearing experience of speaking directly with an author regarding their work, period! It's such a thrill and can be so enlightening! Plus, as a bonus, for me at least, it makes any future reading of that person's work an even more personal experience; there seems to be a stronger connection between the two of us. I consider this similar to the experience of visiting a historical site; every time I encounter a reference to it in the future, I feel a real-life personal connection to what I'm reading, seeing, or hearing. Ah, but I digress...

Of the four book club members who read this book: now her absolute favorite book of all time for one, and one of her favorite books ever for the other three. Rarely does a book rate so highly for all of us! This book can easily be read by those of varying age levels, but I think it might be particularly well liked by an adolescent male, since it is a "coming-of-age" story. That said, it obviously works for older folks as well (30's, 50's, 60's, and 70's), as demonstrated by our "Borders" Book Club!

I don't believe there is any one "right" interpretation of this story, and that is what makes great literature, in my opinion. The reader's own unique perspective determines the specific meaning of the story. I can't imagine a reader unable to relate to Charlie's challenges, especially his interpersonal and familial relationships: with his father, the object of his first "crush"/love, his first "girlfriend," his "friends," neighbors, community members... These characters are so vivid, I felt they were in the room with me as I read...no kidding! Reading this book was an unexpectedly deep experience for me. I highly recommend it! I was reminded of Jean Craighead George's book Charlie's Raven, not just because of the same name for the protagonist, either! :)

This is Smokie...

And this is John...

A bit of prelude to the other two reviews... Until I underwent NAET treatments (NAET.com) I was unable to have a fur-bearing animal in my house due to allergies/sensitivies. However, several years before my discovery of this therapy, I did find ONE (yes, ONE!) kitten to which I did not react at all, and that is my Smokie. She was 6 weeks old and could literally stand in my hand when a friend brought her to me that afternoon in May 14+ years ago. I can "read" her body language and facial expressions and have often wondered...is she perhaps my grandmother come back to me, to still serve as my source of comfort in life? Or could this be my father whom I never met and learned just last year died over 15 years ago? I don't know...but I can tell you that my life sans Smokie could never be as fulfilled and rewarding as it is now and has been for those 14+ years. Between her and my kind, caring, loving, and respectful husband, I am grateful to be so fortunate every single day. (Labeled pics included so you don't confuse the two! lol)

And now to the first of the two series books: A Dog's Purpose. This was first recommended to me as an absolute must-read by one of my coworkers at Borders (worked there for 4 years...my "dream" job...<sigh>). Admittedly, it was another few years before I made it, but so glad I did take the time to read this! I refuse to post a "summary" of the story...you can get that from many different sources, so I offer my own reactions and feelings to my readings. Although this book moved me to tears several times, that was not the main purpose, and it was not my overriding reaction. It is poignant, heartwarming, at times suspenseful, and offers some laugh-out-loud moments! Personally, I believe in reincarnation, so this book reinforced my belief that each lifetime provides learning experiences that benefit us in the development of our soul. I think I felt Cameron must share in these beliefs, but surprisingly for me, that is not the case! I read that this idea just came to him as a "What if..." I believe you will benefit greatly from reading of this one dog's adventures to discover his purpose in life and the fact that he is able to so aptly help his humans to discover their own purpose(s)! (My goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7723542-a-dog-s-purpose)

All of the above paragraph would apply to A Dog's Journey as well. I admit to being a bit hesitant that this book might well seem like a "repeat" of A Dog's Purpose, but I was very pleasantly surprised and rewarded with a new story with different twists and turns. That same virtue of loyalty abounds in this book as it did in the first, and this time, "Buddy" (Each lifetime/reincarnation elicits yet a different name...but it's the same soul!) is companion to Clarity, who encounters many life challenges. I specifically connected to this story through Clarity's mother, Gloria, who in many ways resembled my own mother...what a challenge to endure and survive, then try to thrive throughout a lifetime of such narcissism and negativity! I was reminded of one of the themes from Jacqueline Sheehan's Lost and Found, another author and book I really love! Ah, the healing power of furry four-footed companions! Trust me, these two books are great reads, especially if you love, have loved, or think you might ever invite a dog (or cat or ??) into your life! (My goodreads review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13167796-a-dog-s-journey)

In summary, if you're at all interested in any or all of these books, my recommendation is begin reading one. I seriously doubt you'll be in the least disappointed! 

I certainly was not, and am anxious for some more!

Have you read any of these three? What are your thoughts?