The Manual of Detection

Dreamy. Jedediah Berry’s debut novel, The Manual of Detection, provides willing readers with a quirky and odd story of a clerk, Charles Unwin, who becomes a detective. The balance between order and disorder, and between dreams and reality remains off kilter for Unwin and for readers. The Manual of Detection presents a puzzle in a form that isn’t what most mystery readers are accustomed to, but for me, became absorbing as the story unfolds. Berry allows us to engage our brains with him as we enter Unwin’s world and try our best to make sense of what is happening. Adventurous readers are likely to find much to enjoy: a new author, and a genre that may defy the limitations of an orderly niche.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

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NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children

Contradictions. Are common assumptions about good parenting backed by good science? Not really, according to Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman in their book, NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children. While it will come as no surprise to parents that kids of all ages (as well as adults) are bundles of contradictions, it was surprising to me to read in this book about all the ways in which scientific studies have turned commonly held notions about children and child rearing upside down. Lying can be a sign of intelligence, and deception seems like a necessary part of developing identity. Those Baby Einstein DVDs: throw them out since they seem to do more harm than good. Whether you’re a parent or not, there’s loads of fascinating information in NurtureShock, especially about the ways in which strategies for nurturing children are backfiring because we’ve overlooked key elements of what science is telling us.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)

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The Magicians

Story. One reason for reading fiction is to listen to a well-told story. Lev Grossman tells a story quite well with his new novel, The Magicians. The book may fall into a genre of its own: fantasy for adults who rarely read fantasy. Protagonist Quentin Coldwater leaves his family in Brooklyn to attend college at the mysterious Brakebills Academy where he has been selected for an education in magic. At some points of the story, the characters and action felt like normal college life. The magical land of Fillory, and the exploits of Quentin and others in that land remind readers regularly of how different a world Grossman has created. The characters are delightful, there’s plenty of conflict between good and evil, and no matter how magical the setting, the relationships seem real. If you can overcome any aversion to fantasy novels for adults, you’re likely to enjoy The Magicians.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

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Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture

I picked up this book and was impressed by the extensive footnotes and bibliography. When I reached page 3, Shell referred to “Michael” Madoff, when she meant Bernie. (Perhaps she had Michael Milken on her mind, but it was the Madoff ponzi scheme to which she was making reference). The error struck me the wrong way, and made me think that her approach to data and facts might not be as precise as the detailed footnotes led me to believe. So, having lost confidence, I stopped reading.

Shelf of Ennui.

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Reset: How This Crisis Can Restore Our Values and Renew America

Optimism. No matter how little time you have available for reading, you’re likely to find the time to read the 70 or so pages of Kurt Anderson’s new book, Reset: How This Crisis Can Restore Our Values and Renew America. Anderson proposes that we have a window of opportunity in the current financial crisis to carefully reset our values, both personally and communally, to make different choices going forward. He delivers his optimistic message stridently with clear opinions that can border on the preachy. He gets his message across quickly, and that left me with plenty of time to reflect on his message, and to think about my own values and the degree to which I may have drifted from the values I hold.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

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