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A River Lost: The Life & Death of the Columbia by Blain Harden
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The
sheer power of the Columbia River attracted government engineers
wanting to harness its energy to produce hydroelectric power.
This fact became the epicenter of controversy and premise in Blaine
Harden’s book, A River Lost. An environmentalist who grew up on
the eastside of the Cascades, Harden gives the sociological, economic
and environmental factors that went into taming the river and
its transformation from a grandiose landmark to a destructive
force. Particularly, Harden unearths the damage it did to Native
American cultures dependent on the Columbia River, salmon and
overall ecology. Well written and thought-provoking, this tale
reveals what happens when progress clashes with the natural environment.
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Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester
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When
the Indonesian volcano island Krakatoa erupted in 1883, catastrophe
ensued. Over one hundred years later, the area can still feel its
rippling effects. On the forefront of contemporary nonfiction, Winchester
translates his fascination of the eruption into a riveting account
that straddles the art of history and storytelling. The first half
of the text explores plate tectonics and theories on continental
drift. These concepts form the backdrop to the second half, which
follows the cause and effect of the Krakatoa eruption itself. But
rather than focusing on morbid aspects of such destruction, Winchester
argues that the earth always finds a way to rejuvenate itself. Footnotes
will aid the untrained reader and the depth of scientific evidence
will appeal to scholars. |
Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan
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Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World by James Cramer
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Dog
lovers can’t afford to pass up this book about a Labrador Retriever
who subverts all qualities typical of the breed. Grogan and wife
Jenny are newly weds living in West Palm Beach and decide to preface
parenthood by purchasing a dog. They pick out Marley, a Labrador
Retriever. Despite an even-tempered puppyhood, Marley eventually
grows into a rule-breaking, hyperactive dog, so much so that he’s
kicked out of obedience school. There are many more offensive incidents,
which bring Jenny to her wit’s end. And when a new baby enters the
scene, the tension mounts even higher. Eventually, frustration turns
into love as Marley comes into his own. A laughable tale for anyone
whose patience has been tested by furry canines. 
Elmore
Leonard’s 40th novel brings us into the 1930s era, complete with
gangsters and guns. Federal Marshal Carl Webster is The Hot Kid,
a guy who works with tenacity to restore order by putting the crooks
behind bars. After he encounters a gangster as a youth, Carl vows
to take revenge and eventually guns down the villain. This earns
him respectable status in the community, and a host of followers
begin to read his success stories in the True Detective magazine.
Although Leonard’s primary subject matter is serious, he never fails
at inserting hints of comic-book humor into the mix. He’s also adept
at developing all of his characters, including Carl’s father Virgil
and True Detective writer Tony Antonelli.