Whiteman- Tony D’Souza

Another out of Africa book and typical Peace Corps read. This book is a fictional story about an NGO worker in Cote d’Ivore during tribal conflict. Most of the story the narrator recounts his village life and the goings-on there. Like many of the other books I read I felt as though I was reading about my life here….only this was written from a guy’s perspective and their lives are a little more….how would I describe it? “Colorful” than the lives of us gals. In any case it was a decent story and a I’d recommend it to guys and girls alike.

The Lost Continent- Bill Bryson

Yep. I liked Bill Bryson so much that I went ahead and read another book of his. This is his witty take on America as he takes a roadtrip across the country in search of the perfect small town. His descriptions of some towns are dripping with sarcasm that will make you laugh out loud, but during the parts of his trip he was bored, he bored me the reader as well. I guess that's fair enough. I liked best reading his thoughts on places I have actually been. I was laughing hysterically at his description of Mackinac Island. And for my LA friends, I can't resist including his bit on it here:

As I was so close to Los Angeles, I toyed with the idea of driving on in,
but I was put off by the smog and the traffic...I think it's only right that
crazy people should have their own city, but I cannot for the life of me see why
a sane person would want to go there.

A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson

If you're looking to tap into your inner science geek, this is the book for you. It's actually a short history of nearly everything "scientific." Bryson has done an amazing job putting the most complex scientific topics in layman's terms. In fact, if you're someone who never really got what science is all about, then this is a good book for you as well. I found it incredibly mentally stimulating and entertaining at the same time.

Bryson adds personality to well-known and unknown scientists of all disciplines by including anecdotes and personality quirks. My only bone of contention would be that each chapter seems to cover a topic (i.e., geology, astro-physics) almost entirely independent of the others. To his credit Bryson did create some linkages between the topics, but more than once I would be reading something I was positive contradicted something else I'd read earlier (i.e., how long ago earth was created). Then again, for all the information we know/have in science, there's nearly just as much we don't so maybe the contradictions are the reality rather than an oversight by the author.

Be Honest- You're Not That Into Him Either- Ian Kerner

First and foremost, I am completely embarrassed to be including this title in my list of reviews next to books like The Great Gatsby, but since I read it, I guess I feel obliged. I think the pink cover sucked me in. Believe it or not, there is some substance in this book beyond fluffy confidence boosters for women with no self-esteem. Kerner describes, in detail, the chemical processes at work in both males and females as they relate to sex and relationships. Girls, next time you feel psycho over a guy, you can rest easy. You're not actually psycho, you've just got too much oxytocin in your system (incidentally, it's released during orgasm so quit sleeping around). He also includes a brief history on the sexual revolution of women.

I disliked the "wrap-up" sections at the end of each chapter; "'Be Honest' functions as a two A.M. phone call from your best friend, the voice of reality. 'Raise and Reach,' provides some ideas on how to raise your standards and reach for the love you deserve." Yeah, umm, both sections were the fluff I was talking about and a total waste of time. If you read nothing else, girls, do yourself a favor and read the Conclusion (at the end of the book obviously) written by the author's wife. It's hilarious.

Dear Exile- Hilary Liftin / Kate Montgomery

If we are good friends, please, please read this. It is a series of letters written between best friends when one joins the Peace Corps with her husband while the other gets her life together in the city that never sleeps. The back and forth dynamic of two lives in very different parts of the world was spot on and made me think of the lives my friends are living in LA while I'm here in Burkina (i.e., They can't find an apartment for reasonable rent while I can't cook because my propane tank is empty and the whole city is out of gas).

The Motorcycle Diaries- Che Guevara

Not quite the inside scoop on Hell's Angels one might assume, but it was still good enough to be made into a movie. This is the diary of one of two friends who tour South America by motorcycle. It begins in their native country of Argentina in 1951 and the men are in their 20's. It's a quick read as diaries always are. It's a way to see the better part of South America through someone else's eyes. Che's excursion in Peru made me especially happy to be friends with Marco. If you know who I'm talking about then tell him he has to read this.

The Constant Gardener- John le Carre

This is another typical Peace Corps read. Everyone I've talked to that's read it really liked it, but it wasn't my favorite. It had an extremely slow start and never really picked up even after the story started getting good. It basically presents the idea that populations of undeveloped countries are used as guinea pigs for clinical trials before big pharmaceutical companies get approval to sell their drugs in developed nations. The main character's wife was murdered and he sets about to discover why. He learns of scandal and corruption in the pharma biz from as high up as British Parliament and extending down to the drug distributors. It's kind-of-but-not-really like a John Grisham novel but definitely not as quick.