A Good Time to be Born by Perri Klass

 

Infant Mortality is an issue we should be concerned about. Our author is a professor of Journalism and Pediatrics at New York University, co-director of NYU Florence, and national director of Reach out and read. She writes a daily column, The Checkout for the New York Times.  She has chosen to write this book on infant mortality and the struggle to bring down the occurrence thorough proper methods brought about through struggle and learning.
It used to be accepted that each family had a few deaths of young ones. For example, if the child had a case of diarrhea the thought was to get the problem handled by dehydrating the kid. We now know diarrhea causes loss of hydration and we should stabilize the hydration level loss caused by the rapid release of moisture. It took some time before the doctor’s understood what was happening.
Or the diseases the child got from drinking milk which had been sitting around collecting bacteria. Until someone discovered if you pasteurized the milk it got rid of the harmful elements and was okay. Before that some mothers breast fed and alternated with the unpasteurized milk product. Or the summer diarrhea because of the microbes in the water supply, water which had been mixed with sewer water – this was before proper sanitation practices came about.
There was a lot to learn and be transmitted before we saw a decrease of infant mortality.
Klass only handles mortality in children since she is trained in pediatrics. But that is enough to let us see we have come a far way since the days of acceptance of mortality of at least one member in the family unit, normally the infant, because of uncontrollable diseases of that time.
Today we have vaccines to help us.
The subtitle is How Science and Public Health Gave Children a Future. It is very professionally written and researched. It has photos and drawings used as illustrations which are a great addition.
I recommend this book. It will help a person to understand the history of infant mortality, the steps taken up to the present day 2020 and the pandemic we are in.
I would suggest even if you don’t buy this book you should see if your local library has a copy and can get it for you to read and return so another can benefit from reading it.

"What The Hell Do You Have to Lose?" by Juan Williams

 I am going to start this review by telling you this is a book you should read. It is a book that educated me as to what is going on concerning rights of blacks in the United States. 

Don't turn me off.   It is not just that. It also concerns the political handling of civil rights.

Recall the statement made by our President Trump when he told the black voters who were supporting democrats that they were opening themselves up to bad schools, high crime and higher unemployment that they should join his campaign for "What the hell do you have to lose?"

 This book attempts to answer that. And I feel it does a good job. It is not an easy book  to read and Williams does not sugar coat his analysis .

He starts by tracing the Civil Rights problem way back to the start which would be during the civil war when the black was not allowed  to read or learn things, being thought being intellectually incapable. And then the treatment after the freeing.

I feel the white population fort eh most part don't know the history of the black person whose history intersects and strives to melt with European History.

What we have is a story of alternate universes. There are radicals in both groups who deny it or are ignorant at best. I feel the movement known as Black Lives Matter could have been avoided if the Europeans in American government had paid attention to the history steam of other nationalities, but not to the extent they blend and disappear.

By ignoring the other histories, we have enabled the so called supremacy of both groups to emerge.

Williams looks at the issue in six areas. Voting rights, Education, Public Accommodations, Black Voices, Employment, and lastly, Housing. He doesn't shout or blamer. He just states the facts.

I may have already said it. This is not an easy read if you are looking for something that will calm you.

It has the subtitle "Trump's War on Civil Rights".  When we are asked what is Trump doing for the blacks  in America? we must answer with Williams, he is ignoring it. His banner for the 2016 election was to Make America Great. And now it seems to be Make America Great Again. Does that mean, turn the system back  to before the civil rights movement or even  to the civil rights of the days of the civil war?

I will allow you to come to your own conclusion after you  read the book. 

It is published by the Hachette Book Group. The copyright is 2018. And it retails for $27.00.

Another Way To Relax

 So far I have populated this blog posting with book recommendations. Some books, I hope, are the ones you are looking to read. And then-- maybe not so eager to spend time reading. 

Most of the entries have been political. That is just the way it was for a while as the season for elections of government offices came up. And in the future I may do more.

My interests have also lately been drawn to good movies. And rather than start a whole new discussion blog on it, I decided to layer it in to my book blog.

So here you have it. A slight turn in direction, but I hope a worthwhile one.

Because of the virus running around and people having to bundle up at home and not go out as much, and this means to theaters, I would like to direct you to streaming movies. And not just the Hollywood action films and the slice and dice films. No, I decided I would offer streaming movies from a place called Crossflix which offers wholesome Christian themes. 

Something the whole family can watch together. 

Violence-- sex-- blood- gore-- don't belong in your mind nor that of your children. Click the link today or the banner and start streaming good material in your home.

This is an affiliate deal which means when you use my link and go in a buy I will get a commission for sending you there.

So go in and get good movies and documentaries streamed to you.

Where Are The Books I Am Searching For?

 Let me take a breather here and inform you of where you can possibly locate those hard to find volumes. Or those out of print tomes . Or maybe you just want a good book to read and the local bookstore ( if one still exists in your area) doesn't have what you are looking for.

Click on this link and you will go there. 

What you have there is a link to an affiliate site which will pay me a commission when you use my link and locate and buy a book.

Books come and go from book shelves in stores depending on what is currently selling. But there are places to locate a copy if it is still in print somewhere. This is what this business the link links to called Biblio is set up to do. You go in and put in the title you are searching for and they locate it for you and let you know.

So happy reading. And keep on watching this space for reviews and now recommendations.

Emma Lazarus by Esther Schor

In her day, she was a strong advocate for Zionism. She was a poet and a critic. She was not one to use 'big words' when she wrote.
She was a prolific writer yet none of her works exist today. She wrote mostly poetry but was also a critic and magazine writer. What remains of her literary output can be seen on the Statue of Liberty in a poem of hers' inscribed there "The  New Colossus" a portion  of which we used to be able to quote--"Give me your tired, Your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.."
But she was more than that.
She was very much looking for the state of Israel to be established. She wanted a separate  Jewish homeland. But I am not sure you thought America was ready for that when she said-"I do not think the Jews of America are sufficiently impressed with the necessity of solidarity and concord among themselves"
She never married. The reason seems to be that she was a lesbian and the nineteenth century was not the time for them to come out.
She only lived 38 years- 1849 to 1887. Hodgkin's disease was what she died of. But in those 38 years she made an impression that we should take time to recognize.
A collection of her poetry is included at the end of the book.
This may not be a major biography but it is the story of a trend setter.
Will be useful for those who want to read about those unknown Jewish American pace setters. 
Name your price on rare, used, and out-of-print book. Visit the Make-an-Offer section on Biblio.com today!
This post has a link to an affiliate store. When  you use my link to visit the store and you buy using my link, I get a commission for the sale.

If You Are Searching For A Book

I will step back in this posting and inform you I have found a place to go to search for books that are not the best selling book of the week or on the New York Book review. But they are books that you have been searching for and can't seem to find.
Barnes and Noble doesn't carry it. The local library doesn't have it on the shelf nor are they able to locate it in their data base.
  But if it is around you may find it here,  It is a place called Biblio.

Click For Access

 Biblio  was able to locate copies of Irving Wallace books for me. Wallace is the writer of The Man, The Plot, The prize, The Word, among others. I am quite a fan of his. Most of if not all of his books are out of print, I think, but Biblio was able to locate and ship to me. I am sure that they will  be able to locate that book for you.

The 4 Wills of God by Dr. Emerson Eggerishs

When we think about God, we have to realize there are things that are He  must expect of us. We like to think we are independent creatures and are self directed.
But God does have some expectations of all His creation. And especially of those He has created to be related to Him. But through an act of disobedience, we are no longer capable of  relating truthfully6.
Dr. Eggerichs postulates, using scripture, that God's will for His creation
You can look it up for yourself. Check it out. Search to see if what is being said is actually truthful. Be like a Berean. Check it out. The four passages are found in John 6:40, I Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and lastly , 1 Peter 2:13-15.
They are Believe in Jesus Christ, Abstain from Sexual Sin, Give Thanks in Everything, and Submit in Doing Right.
Simple. But hard to do without God's help. And that is why the first one is the start of the adventure.
The style of writing is easy to understand. A person can spend time reading and reviewing many times over a life time and each time find new insight.
I am sure God has more wills for mankind, but these form a start.
The development of each will is a staring point for every follower of God no matter what denomination  they identify with.
I highly recommend this book.
I was given a copy by my pastor and it was a good gift.
It has the subtitle :The Way He Directs Our Steps and Frees Us to Direct Our Own. That about sums up the purpose of the book.
It is published by the B&H Publishing group in Nashville, Tennessee, copyright 2018 and retails for $19.99.

Constance Baker Motley by Gary L. Ford Jr.

When we look back  on that period in history when the civil rights movement was in the head lines. we think of Martin Luther King Jr,  Adam Clayton Powel, Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks, and others. But there was also a very important person whom we never hear mentioned.
Someone had to be behind the scenes writing the laws and making the judgements.
There was Constance Baker Motley also.
Never heard of her? I know chances are you haven't. It was she who defended King in his court appearances.
There is a section of black history that still needs to be written. There are still unsung heroes we don't know about who came through the civil rights period.\
Motley is one of them. She was unique in many ways. First of all, women in her day were not lawyers. And they did not argue cases in front of white men. She helped in the desegregation of schools. She argues cases in court. She was an agent of change. She help get blacks into all white schools.
And she is not mentioned because she was first a black and second a woman.
This book is definitely a good addition to the record of history during the period of time that included 1946 through 1964.
She was a unifying force.
Born of parents who came from Nevis, British West Indies , Constance didn't let her limitations hold her back. She pursued law and became an influence, even if it was not noticed by us now. We need this book to remind us of a period of history and a light that dimly shone.
This is published by The University Of Alabama Press and copyrighted 2017. It is subtitled One Woman's Fight for Civil Rights and Equal Justice under Law. I highly recommend it.

Finding Chika by Mitch Albom

He has written another book. He seems so prolific . Albom tells the true story of his few years with an orphan named Chika.
Chika was born three days before the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. When her mother dies, Chika is sent to the Have Faith Haiti Orphanage in Port-Au-Prince.  This happens to be where Albom and his wife  visit and support.  Have Faith Haiti Orphanage happens to be a Christian run orphanage.
When Chika becomes five she is suddenly diagnosed with a life-threatening disease
"There is no one in Haiti who can help her,". a doctor tells Mitch.
So Mitch takes Chika to the United States to get treatment. She soon becomes a part of the Albom family . It is discovered she needs intensive treatment which would keep  her in America.
Her story is told in the style of Albom. He tends to use a style that you either like or dislike. In order to tell the story he must use the technique of Chika's lingering spirit popping in and out to motivate him to remember  the facts and recount them.
It is a tear jerker of a true story.
It is recommended for those who want to know what Christians are doing to influence the world they live in.
It is a book that Dr. Phil featured on his show.
It is published by Harper Collins.  The cost is $24.99.

Becoming C.S. Lewis by Harry Lee Poe

This is a very good biography. It fills in the early years of the life of a figure highly revered. At least I see him as a person who has had an influence on the world.
Many have read Mere Christianity. It is still read today and may be for many years to come. But what was he like before he became a Christian? That part of his life, until now, was hidden from the public knowledge.
The period covered is 1898 to 1918, just when he entered the war. The author tells what Jacks' life was like as a child and young man. Jack was the name he went by His full name was Clive Staples Lewis.
The author explores how circumstances molded Lewis' early years and helped him to become what he became. Also how his reading formed his view of life.
For a person like me who enjoys true stories of great authors, this book is welcome.
it covers areas as the romances he had and the pressures of life. No one is without warts in his life. Poe , who lectures on  C.S. Lewis tends to be fair .
The writing is good and easy to read.
I recommend this book for everyone. Try to find it in your library.
It is published by Crossway. You can read about it on crossway.org. Retail price for this book is $22.99.