While on a cruise, it's much easier to make time to read, especially when you have three weeks! I brought six small books with us, of which I read four. I found five other books in the ship's library (and many more of interest to my wife). I bought one in a public library we visited on land in Homer, Alaska.
After Daybreak. The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, 1945
Ben Shephard
From the ship's library. How and why did it took so long to get medical aid for the survivors of the first concentration camp liberated just before the end of World War II in Europe?
Considers racism, battlefield logistics, medical training, and military bureaucracy. Frankly discusses the condition of the camps and their inhabitants; not for those with weak stomachs. Also discusses the long-term mental health issues faced by the survivors based on interviews taken decades later.
The Fred Factor
Mark Sanborn
Our school gives it to all the teachers. You can go above and beyond expectations with just a little effort. It's a quick read with many examples and anecdotes, but one wonders how many of the stories were invented to make a point.
Our school gives out "Fred awards" at the faculty meetings every month.
Holy Lands: One Place, Three Faiths
Thomas Cahill
The first book I found in the ship's library. It is mostly a pictorial book. It describes what we know of the histories of Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Mohammed, and others. Then it discusses the history of the region beginning with Zionist immigration in the late 19th century until the current day.
Reflections of Ireland
Photos by Bernard McCabe and Alain Le Garsmeur
Text by James Joyce
I found this book in the ship's library. It is a picture book with images accompanied by passages from the books of James Joyce. We intend to visit Ireland later this summer. I thought this book might show us a little of the Dublin mindset. Reading Joyce was a bit depressing. It seems his intent is to show how Dubliners act and speak, but they don't seem too happy. We'll soon find out if they are really unhappy or if that's just Joyce projecting his own world view onto everyone.
The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript
Nicholas C. Zakas
I brought this short book with us. It's basically JavaScript for those who are used to or prefer the C++ object model. It covers types, functions, objects, constructors, prototypes, inheritance, and object patterns. My own coding doesn't usually need to go that deep into objects, but I did learn a lot.
Messages from Earth. Nature and the human prospect in Alaska
Robert B. Weeden
I bought this book from the public library in Homer, Alaska. I thought I would learn a lot about the Alaska mindset. However, this book, by a professor of ecology retired from University of Alaska at Fairbanks, is written from the standpoint of an ardent environmentalist. So his thoughts aren't necessarily those of many Alaska inhabitants.
I was put off by two things in this book. First, the writer's vocabulary is huge, and because he's a biologist, much of his vocabulary is unfamiliar to me. Sometimes it seems as if he's in a pissing contest to see how many big words he can use, and will you understand? This was definitely the most difficult book of all that I read, and at sea, I didn't have Google to look up the big words.
Second, the author uses charged language. For example, to describe how the government at Juneau dictates policy in faraway northern Alaska, and how the government in Washington dictates policy in faraway Alaska, Weeden uses the word "colonialism." To describe any business interest at all, Weeden uses the word "capitalism" in a pejorative way. This will not endear him to readers who don't buy unto his ideas 100%.
The History of the New Testament in Plain Language
Clayton Harrop
This book discusses transmission (how the manuscripts were written and copied) and canonicity (how it was decided which documents would go into the New Testament). Although I'm familiar with the topics already, I did learn a few things. I would recommend this book as an easy read for anyone interested in the topic.
If I were to teach a class on this topic (and that may happen soon), I would choose this as a textbook because it is short, accessible, and inexpensive.
Race Across Alaska
Libby Riddles with Tim Jones
I found this book in the ship's library and got it for my wife, who loved it. I didn't intend to at first, but I read it after she was done. Libby Riddles wrote the story of the journey and her preparation. Tim Jones wrote sections where he describes the race rules and history.
The race is a lonely event, one person and their dogs with occasional fleeting human interaction at the checkpoints. It is an excellent introduction to the race, its history and its challenges.
Oaxaca Journal
Oliver Sacks
From the ship's library. Dr. Sacks delivers his actual journal from a ten-day trip to Oaxaca to study ferns with a group of amateur botanists. It's amazing that he could write this much in just the breaks during a busy trip that lasted little more than a week.
As always, Dr. Sacks is delightful as he discusses Cortes and the conquistadors; tobacco and smoking; Columbus; the Inquisition; chiles; cacao and the history of chocolate; the amino acids in beans and corn; fern reproduction; crop rotation, nitrogen depletion, and synthetic fertilizers; Benito Juarez and the Mexican war of independence; Zapotec vs. Aztec culture; chemistry jokes; Flatland; castor beans, Castrol, and castor oil; police corruption; and the Catholic church.
If you are interested in any of these topics, or even if not, this is a quick and insightful read.
Dr. Steve's Almanac of Christian Trivia
Steve Wilkens
Dr. Wilkens is a professor of theology at Azusa. This mad romp carries you through 2000 years of history in no particular order and with tongue in cheek. Sample topics include how to pronounce God's name, snake handling, the Gideons, Henry VIII, St. Patrick, the Serenity Prayer, the Amish, the origins of Sunday School, Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel, the Salvation Army, Martin Luther and Katie, and when is Easter.
Every day on the ship, there was a meeting for "Friends of Bill W." In this book, I learned who those friends are.
