As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl by John Colapinto

 In As Nature Made Him, John Colapinto tells David Reimer’s story of being born as a physically normal baby boy whose circumcision (a practice that is increasingly being questioned as needing to be “routine”) went wrong, resulting in the loss of his penis.  In the mid-1960s there weren’t many surgical options available to David’s parents, and they were ashamed of what had become of their son.  Through a program on Canadian television, the Reimers came into contact with Dr. John Mahoney, a pioneer in the field of sexual identity and leader at Johns Hopkins Hospital.  Through meeting with Dr. Mahoney, it was decided that David would undergo castration as a baby and be raised as a girl, with further surgery to follow when he became a teenager.  John Colapinto has done a lot of research into this case, and explains the many sides of the story and how the results of the case incorrectly became an example of successful childhood sexual reassignment.  The variety and thoroughness of interviews and factual material make As Nature Made Him a very worthwhile and thought-provoking read. 

Broken Silence: Voices of Japanese Feminism edited by Sandra Buckley

Reading Broken Silence made me want to learn more about the history of Japan and even more specifically, about the role of the US after the bombings during WWII.  Wanting to educate Westerners about feminism in Japan, Sandra Buckley set about interviewing eleven prominent and diverse Japanese feminists including Aoki Yayoi, Ueno Chizuko, and Matsui Yayori.  Each interview is accompanied by an introduction or biography about each feminist, as well as a sample of their writing or works.  Topics of interest to me included honorifics and analysis of gendered syntactic in the Japanese language, arranged marriages and how they shape sexuality for Japanese men and women, the dependency on prostitution and the conditions suffered by those working in the sex industry, and the minikomi system of underground feminist press and literature.  Also included are an extensive timeline of Japanese feminism, a glossary, and a listing of feminist organizations.  This collection is very thoughtful and diverse.  

Critical Mass: Bicycling’s Defiant Celebration edited by Chris Carlsson

I’ve never lived in a town with a Critical Mass movement, but have always been curious about it.  It’s a spontaneous bike ride without leaders that takes place at regular intervals in cities all over the world.  The largest masses are in San Francisco, where the phenomenon originated in the early 1990s.  There’s a lot of conflict surrounding Critical Mass because the bikes often block car traffic at busy times, which irritates motorists and attracts police presence.  But to the participants, it’s often simply a time to enjoy biking among the safety of many other bike riders.  The essays in this collection discuss the many aspects of Critical Mass, and how it works across the US and the rest of the world.  I particularly enjoyed all the reprinted flyers, photographs, and zine entries that brought this documentation together.    

The Culture of Make Believe by Derrick Jensen  

Derrick Jensen’s last book, A Language Older Than Words, hit me very hard; it was painfully honest, making it difficult to read, yet necessary to finish.  The Culture of Make Believe was much the same way, but this time I knew what to expect on an emotional level, at least.  Derrick analyzes the many different kinds of hatred people experience, and then goes on to link up all the results of these feelings and actions.  He connects everything from crimes committed by singular humans, governments, and corporations, including the rape and abuse of women and children, to historical incidents like the Holocaust, lynchings, slavery, the slaughter of Native Americans, and the destruction of the Earth and its many species.  He includes many conversations with other activists and friends, as well as a lot of research to prove his points and theories.  Derrick’s point is that we (all humans) must understand and accept our actions and all their far-reaching effects in order to salvage any kind of future for our species and environment. 

Despite Everything: A Cometbus Omnibus by Aaron Cometbus  

For those of you who haven’t heard of Cometbus, it’s one of the longest running, best known, and most always loved punk zines available.  Despite Everything is a mammoth 600-page hand cramp-producing compilation of excerpts that Aaron selected from the issues over the years.  It includes pieces from back when Cometbus was more contributor-based and focused on music, lots of Aaron’s travel writings, and his interesting reports and histories of topics such as the underground press and the Gilman St. venue.  Despite Everything is extremely impressive, in that Aaron has stuck with the zine for so long and he’s been able to produce and publish such a high volume of material worth reading.  Some of my favorite comments that Aaron makes are that nowhere is too far to walk, and that you should appear in public for at least some time every day. 

Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D by Lizzie Simon

At 23, Lizzie is leaving her job as an award-winning producer at a hot NYC theater and going on a quest to find others like herself.  Just before college, Lizzie was diagnosed as bipolar as a result of a severe period of depression and mania.  Her aim is to find other young folks who are bipolar and successful in their lives, not simply just surviving or coping with being bipolar.  Detour is a difficult book to describe, but Lizzie’s writing and descriptions are very clear and instantly drew me into her life and need to find a common bond with others.  She’s able to describe what it’s like to be bipolar, and through interviewing others she sheds a lot of light on this disease that had previously been a mystery to me.  Hopefully her words will help dissolve some of the stereotypes about mental illnesses and the many people living with them.  

Disposable People: The New Slavery in the Global Economy by Kevin Bales

The most impressive feature of Disposable People to me was the level of accuracy and accountability that the author, Kevin Bales, held himself to.  Instead of simply using the statistics about modern slavery that are available from groups like Anti-Slavery International, he used them as a basis, then did a lot of field and statistical research to determine his own slightly more conservative estimates.  Though the subject matter is extremely disturbing and depressing, Disposable People is very readable and presents a clear picture of the various types of slavery that exist today, along with personal stories from some of the areas where slavery is more common (Thailand, Pakistan, Brazil, Mauritania, and India).  By understanding the conditions that allow slavery to exist we can move toward ending it, and Kevin Bales analyzes the steps we need to take to accomplish that.   

Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World by Greg Critser

Taking a look around, it’s obvious how relevant Fat Land is, as over 20 percent of Americans are obese and many more are moving in that direction.  The reasons for this are varied, and Greg Critser brings them to light and draws the connections to government regulations, myths about exercise and fitness, the growing availability of fast food, increased portion sizes, school food programs, and, of course, corporate America’s role in all of this.  He also looks closely at the results of our country’s growing obesity, including diabetes and other health problems, the cost of treating these diseases, and the effects on the morals of Americans.  Overall, I enjoyed Fat Land, but I did think that a few places were a little boring and repetitive.  Of course, I also read most of this book while on a plane and my attention wasn’t at its peak!  My favorite parts were learning about how the rise of high fructose corn syrup began, and the critique of the public school system.  

Going Up the River: Travels in a Prison Nation by Joseph T. Hallinan

Although it’s not that well known, super-maximum security prisons (“supermax”) cost a fortune to build and many towns are fighting to get one.  Joseph T. Hallinan spent four years traveling around the US in an attempt to report and understand this trend and many other issues surrounding the state of our prisons.  He focuses on the financial side of this multi-million dollar industry, including the involvement of private corporations, individual prison budgets, and the prison transportation system.  At a time when many people are questioning if our prisons are working, Going Up the River actually has some answers about the penal system we’ve created. 

If I Live to Be 100: Lessons From the Centenarians by Neenah Ellis  

Neenah Ellis is a former staff producer on NPR’s All Things Considered, and If I Live to Be 100 came as a result of a piece she did for All Things Considered called One Hundred Years of Stories.  The book details Neenah’s struggle to complete the piece for NPR as a result of the many obstacles she encountered while interviewing centenarians, both in her personal abilities and the physical and emotional impairments of the centenarians.  After taking a long break from reading books (due to an influx of zines and other non-reading distractions), this was the first one I picked up.  I wanted to read something that wasn’t difficult or too heavy in subject matter, yet personal.  Not very high expectations, I realize, but If I Live to Be 100 met them all and got me back into my reading mode.  And it also made me wish that I spent more time with older people.

A Language Older Than Words by Derrick Jensen

 Honestly, I don’t have enough kind words to describe this book.  Derrick Jensen writes about the land and environment, humans and animals, abuse, communication, and responsibility.  Many ideas, stories, and truths are presented and then connections are made, sometimes slowly and sometimes in groups, but always logically.  A Language is often very personal and open, yet often dark, as the author reveals his realities.  This book provoked me to do a lot of self-evaluation and to rethink some times in my past.  Derrick Jensen has done an amazing job of showing the relationship between all living things and how our society rejects this relationship.  Please read A Language Older Than Words.

The Mole People by Jennifer Toth

Jennifer Toth uses her skills as a reporter to uncover the mystery of the “mole people,” the people thought to be living in the network of tunnels and train systems that run below NYC.  Despite denial of their existence by the police and many social workers, Jennifer gains entrance to their communities and is able to conduct many personal interviews with people who have either chosen or been forced into this lifestyle.  She discovers that there are possibly thousands of people living up to seven stories underground with amenities such as running water, electricity, and community watch systems.  I felt very sympathetic toward these houseless people and am thankful that Jennifer took so many risks to bring us this book.

Prison Madness: The Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars and What We Must Do About It by Terry Kupers, M.D.

Dr. Kupers writes from the perspective of a psychiatrist and professor who has testified in many class action suits about the conditions and the mental health services available in jails and prisons.  In Prison Madness he explains how many people who enter prisons are already mentally ill, or have the strong possibility of becoming mentally ill due to the conditions existing in prisons, including isolation, overcrowding, violence and rape, and racism.  The mental health systems in these institutions aren’t equipped to help prisoners in any way other than possibly providing them with anti-psychotic medications in severe cases.  The bottom line is that people are being abused in prisons and are emerging from prison, back into society, in much worst shape and are more violent and angry than ever.  Dr. Kupers in no way suggests that mentally ill prisoners shouldn’t be fairly sentenced and imprisoned, instead he lays out several plans and changes that need to take place to improve the current situation.  Living in Texas, surrounded by prisons, and hearing of current financial cutbacks to our correctional facilities, this book was of much interest to me.  At the risk of being repetitive, Dr. Kupers makes his point by offering many examples and quotes from prisoners and prison staff.  Though this book is a few years old, I was surprised that he only brought up the effects of the prison-industrial complex in the closing chapter.  Overall, Prison Madness is an eye opener if you have any thoughts about rehabilitative programs existing inside prisons.  

Riding the Bus With My Sister by Rachel Simon

In Riding the Bus With My Sister, Rachel, a writer and college professor, comes to spend parts of a year riding city buses with her sister Beth.  Beth has mild mental retardation and lives alone in a city away from her family.  She isn’t particularly close to them because they really don’t understand or support her lifestyle, which mainly consists of riding the buses, eating junk foods, and dressing in extremely bright clothing.  Rachel interweaves their family history and explains how she feels about Beth, how she struggles with her feelings about Beth, and how she doesn’t even understand or know exactly what it means that Beth is mentally retarded.  So by riding the buses, meeting Beth’s friends, and sharing her world, Rachel comes to understand Beth and even learns something about herself in the process.  Riding the Bus With My Sister is definitely a feel-good kind of book, but with a serious purpose that will hopefully make us look upon strangers and people with differences with more compassion.  

Slut!: Growing up Female with a Bad Reputation by Leora Tanenbaum

 Leora Tanenbaum shares her own story of being labeled, as well as the stories of many other women and girls.  She also provides many recent legal cases, examples from popular culture, and even explores the history and use of the word slut and similar terms.  Since women of various ages are interviewed, the immediate and long-term effects of developing and living with a bad reputation are explored.  The main thing that struck me while reading Slut! was how often other girls start and continue these name calling events, often in an attempt to direct attention away from themselves.  It’s too bad that women can’t stick together and openly accept each other’s sexual practices as readily as we accept those of men.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Though the subject matter of Stiff may sound morbid, Mary Roach’s writing allows her natural curiosity and humorous personality to shine through.  I was most impressed with the research done for Stiff and felt that not much could have been overlooked, both in the past and present uses of cadavers.  Some of the uses for cadavers include: practicing surgery, dissection, test subjects for impact tests, forensic studies to aid in solving crimes, figuring out the cause of airplane crashes, testing bullets and bombs, and other military uses.  Also, Mary finds out about embalming, cremation, and even newer ways to dispose of or preserve bodies, and the many crazy things that humans have done to the deceased over the ages.  Overall, Stiff is the most interesting science related book that I’ve read in quite some time.  Be sure to check out the footnotes, because there are some particularly amusing ones in there.   

Waist High In the World: A Life Among the Nondisabled by Nancy Mairs

Nancy Mairs is a straightforward and honest writer who tackles the many issues surrounding living her life with a disability.  She has degenerative MS and has spent the past ten years in a wheelchair, needing a lot of physical care to make it through her daily routines.  In Waist High In the World, Nancy examines the proper terminologies used for people with disabilities and explains why she prefers to call herself a cripple.  She also discusses sexuality, her mental health, suicide, architecture, and building techniques that don’t allow access to people using wheelchairs.  Another part I found interesting was her involvement with the police, going undercover to bust a drug scam that was taking advantage of people like herself.  The most interesting and useful aspects to me were Nancy’s suggestions on how to be an ally to people with disabilities and how to effectively assist them in public situations.  

Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash by Susan Strasser

With the third book in her study of consumer culture, Susan Strasser takes an in-depth look at one of the less appealing aspects of the American way of life – our massive production of garbage.  To me, the most interesting part of this book was the beginning, where it explains the amount of recycling and reuse of every imaginable substance that occurred in the nineteenth century.  The progression away from these practices is logically and clearly detailed as manufacturing equipment, labor, and raw materials become available.  All the while, Americans are being convinced that “new” and “disposable” products are the key to a future filled with happiness, convenience, and luxury.  Waste and Want presents all of this information in a direct and unassuming manner.

Wuhu Diary: On Taking My Adopted Daughter Back to Her Hometown in China by Emily Prager

 Emily Prager (novelist and professor at NYU) tells the story of adopting LuLu as a baby and returning with her to China when LuLu is five years old.  During their two months in China, they spend much time in Wuhu where LuLu was born.  Emily Prager’s descriptions of Wuhu and its many delights are as accurate as is her ability to describe the range of emotions she and LuLu experience while searching for LuLu’s place of birth and other clues about her past.  Adoption has always been a subject I’ve been curious about and reading this story really shows how much love is possible between any mother and child, despite biological and cultural differences.

Younger Than That Now by Jeff Durstewitz and Ruth Williams

This book is more than just a compilation of letters exchanged between Jeff and Ruth.  They have gone back and filled in the whole story, supplemented by the letters they wrote, starting with the year 1969 when they were both high school students.  Throughout the book, Jeff, from liberal NY, and Ruth, from conservative Mississippi, fight their way through stereotypes, the civil rights movement, and the sexual revolution as they gradually mature.  I was particularly interested in reading about Ruth’s involvement with the communist movement during the 1970s.  In all, their adventures and experiences make for an interesting tale of our times.