In Others' Words

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by: NeonNurse

One of the best things about having a used book store is the way sorting through potential stock on a regular basis multiples your chances of coming across unusual books. I thought it might be fun to start sharing some of the best finds (that are Pols appropriate) here.

My first bookpost is a kids’ book that tickled me red, white and blue.

How to Bake An American Pie, Karma Wilson, (illus Raul Colon), Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster) 2007, 978-0-689-86506-0

A fantastically fun oversized kids’ book, probably aimed at early to mid elementary grades. The imaginative watercolor illustrations show a dog and cat chef working together on making an American Pie. The tale is told as a poem, not overly long but full of truths presented warmly, with memorable imagery.

“Preheat the world until fiery hot

With a hunger and thirst to be free.

Now find a giant melting pot

On the shores of a great shining sea….”

If you need a new family Fourth tradition, get a copy of this to read aloud to the kiddos before the fireworks fest begins. It’s fun and appropriate any time of year, though.

***

So what have you been reading lately?

14 thoughts on “In Others’ Words”

DavidThi808 says:

July 30, 2012 at 8:45 pm

Every bit as fantastic the second time around.

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1. NeonNurse says:
  
  July 31, 2012 at 4:13 am
  
  Total classic. We get them in the store only rarely, and they go out the door in a hurry. Foote had some screen time in Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary as well, and he’s just as interesting to listen to.
  
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dukeco1 says:

July 31, 2012 at 6:38 pm

truthfully, this blog, mostly.

Seriously..I am reading a fascinating book I mentioned in another thread. “Democracy at the Crossroads”, by Craig S. Barnes.

It concerns the development of democracy since 1215 AD (Magna Carta) and the recent efforts in the U.S. (primarily by Cheney et al) to promote the “Unitary Executive” thereby re-establishing the feudal principle of autocratic rule. A great read.

Before that…”Confidence Men” by Ron Suskind.

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1. NeonNurse says:
  
  August 4, 2012 at 7:05 am
  
  If you want to add more detail, feel free. I always like hearing about something new and good.
  
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  1. dukeco1 says:
    
    August 4, 2012 at 3:13 pm
    
    If this thread is still up in a couple of days, I will sit down and write a bit more on the book review.
    
    til’ then…happy trails!
    
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    1. NeonNurse says:
      
      August 5, 2012 at 6:45 am
      
      I am going to try to do this once a week, so you will have plenty of chances! Have fun in Texas…if at all possible. 🙂
      
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      1. dukeco1 says:
        
        August 6, 2012 at 2:50 am
        
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SSG_Dan says:

August 1, 2012 at 4:26 am

System D – or the informal economy.

From the author’s blog:

I spent most of the past four years hanging out with street hawkers, smugglers, and sub-rosa import/export firms to write Stealth of Nations, a book that chronicles the global growth of System D–the parallel economic arena that today accounts for half the jobs on the planet.

http://stealthofnations.blogsp…

The Book is here:

Stealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy

An eye-opening account of the informal economy around the globe, Stealth of Nations traces the history and reach of unregulated markets, and explains the unwritten rules that govern them.

Journalist Robert Neuwirth joins globe-trotting Nigerians who sell Chinese cell phones and laid-off San Franciscans who use Twitter to market street food and learns that the people who work in informal economies are entrepreneurs who provide essential services and crucial employment. Dubbing this little-recognized business arena with a new name-“System D”-Neuwirth points out that it accounts for a growing amount of trade, and that, united in a single nation, it would be the world’s second-largest economy, trailing only the United States in financial might. Stealth of Nations offers an inside look at the thriving world of unfettered trade and finds far more than a chaotic emporium of dubious pirated goods.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/…

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1. NeonNurse says:
  
  August 4, 2012 at 7:16 am
  
  I’m starting to see a problem I didn’t think of when I decided to finally start a weekly topic on books. I’m already years behind on things I want to read. If I pick up two or three new wants for every book I mention….
  
  Anyway, have you read enough to have an opinion on What It All Means?
  
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2. parsingreality says:
  
  August 5, 2012 at 4:08 pm
  
  I read the offered intro on B&N. Very much the vendors at Venice Beach, CA that I recall.
  
  I’m amazed that no organized crime has muscled in there in Sao Paulo. What an opportunity.
  
  I’ve not figured out why it is “System D.”
  
  There’s another system I’ve seen described as a “Shadow economy.” Briefly, it’s the shoving off of functions from what institutions used to do to the consumer. Think of your pay-at-the-pump, the ubiquitous phone systems that have YOU navigate the corporate heirarchy, the library checkout now fully computerized, and so on.
  
  Subtly, like the proverbial frog in the pot, we have taken on many jobs that used to be done for us.
  
  So there’s one possible answer for the modern question of,”Why do I not have any down time?” Honey, you are working many jobs!
  
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  1. SSG_Dan says:
    
    August 6, 2012 at 6:45 pm
    
    …”l’economie de la debrouillardise.” To say a man or woman is a debrouillard(e) is to tell people how resourceful and ingenious he or she is.
    
    This turns into a street term “Systeme D.” The author has anglicized the term.
    
    Chapter 7 talks about the informal economy in cell phones. It’s only a matter of time before the off-shift production of “Sansung” and “Motorloa” Android mobile devices start showing up in flea markets and small shops in the US.
    
    Which will (hopefully) start driving down the price of legit cell phones….
    
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    1. parsingreality says:
      
      August 7, 2012 at 12:08 am
      
      My first car phone cost $1700.
      
      You can buy a throw away for some $20 or so. That boggles me.
      
      Of course, you will pay more for the latest bells, whistles, and “must haves.” And that’s perfectly understandable from the manufacturer’s end.
      
      Go on eBay, and you will find any number of cell phones and mp3 players that there is no Nokia/Android/Verizon, etc. equivalent of. And if my experience with such an mp3 player is typical, pure junk. Both in the execution and the hardware.
      
      “
      
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    2. parsingreality says:
      
      August 7, 2012 at 12:08 am
      
      My first car phone cost $1700.
      
      You can buy a throw away for some $20 or so. That boggles me.
      
      Of course, you will pay more for the latest bells, whistles, and “must haves.” And that’s perfectly understandable from the manufacturer’s end.
      
      Go on eBay, and you will find any number of cell phones and mp3 players that there is no Nokia/Android/Verizon, etc. equivalent of. And if my experience with such an mp3 player is typical, pure junk. Both in the execution and the hardware.
      
      “
      
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      1. parsingreality says:
        
        August 7, 2012 at 12:09 am
        
        ….are made in and come from China.
        
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