2005 Selections2005 Selections| Location | Selection | Reaction | |
| Nov 8, 2005 7:30PM Cherry Building |
 Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of
Human Societiesby Jared Diamond Amazon |
 DC MF TI NM MW Good read, but
fails to make a case for this being a
science |
|
| Oct 4, 2005 7:30PM Matt Wilding's house |
 American Gothic: A Life
of America's Most Famous Paintingby Steven Biel Amazon |
DC A little ambiguity certainly can go a long way DG Interesting
history; not good literature SJ I have a
low bar NM MW Historiography
applied to a painting. I'm pretty sure it was
originally meant as satire. RB It could have been
a whole lot stronger TI
 MF
(book)
|
|
| Aug 25, 2005 7:30PM Steve Jackson's house |
 Freakonomics: A Rogue
Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everythingby Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner Amazon |
TI SJ There is
no correlation between what the
bookclub thought of this book and reality. MW A lot like
"The Book of Streaks" - only better. DC “Dumbed-down” a
little too much to be compelling – but a great conversation starter. MF
Prepare to be dazed. DG
What might motivate Levitt to write such a book? NM Prepare to be
underwhelmed. |
|
| July 28, 2005 6:30PM followed by CSPS concert Buckwheat Zydeco |
 Devil in the White Cityby Erik Larson |
DC Takes you back for a vivid visit to DE MF SJ NM MW The
mass-murder story was a little too creepy, but the story of the fair
was very interesting. |
|
| June 21, 2005 7:30 PM Cherry Building |
 Firehouseby David Halberstam |
MF 6 out of 10 MW Worthwhile
for the depiction of firehouse culture DC Thumbs-up for the
subject NM
Eulogy SJ
Did not live up to its potential
|
|
| May 19, 2005 7:30 PM Neil Madsen's house |
 Six Records of a Floating Life by Shen Fu (Translated by Leonard Pratt) Amazon |
DC Although it requires a significant amount
of background information, this book offers a touching portrayal of
more-or-less everyday life just before the collapse of Chinese feudal
society. Read the footnotes! DE Better
than reality TV SJ I didn't know ducks had saliva MF TI NM
Mercifully Short MW
Great discussion book if your bookclub has an Iowan who
lived in China. |
|
| April 21, 2005 7:30 PM Cherry Building |
 Postville: A Clash of
Cultures in Heartland Americaby Stephen G. Bloom Amazon |
DC Diversity finally comes to the heartland
– fascinating exploration of what happens when a traditional Midwest
town gets thrown into the deep-end of the rapidly changing world economy DE MF TI NM SJ Fascinating discussion of the Postville
Jewish community, as well as the “Iowa culture” MW I
especially liked
the "moving to Iowa" part. |
|
| Feb 22, 2005 7:30 PM Mike Fogliano's house |
|
DC Almost like meeting Clinton in person – a
striking contrast with our current president! - MF - NM SJ Is it a
good
book? It depends on what your definition of is is. MW An
excellent,
readable book with lots of interesting (and controversial) insights
|
|
| Jan 11, 2005 7:30 PM Matt Wilding's house |
 The
Killer Angels
By Michael Sharra |
DC Uncomfortably
enjoyable read of a horrible slaughter. TI MF NM
Good if you like books about war. SJ MW Having
each chapter told from one
person's perspective makes the book dramatic and very
readable. |
|
