Desire: Lack of agenda

I know it's very fashionable right now to bash McDonald's and fast food and pesticides and corporate farming and bioengineering and all of it.

I mean, I read Fast Food Nation. I re-read The Jungle and mareveled at Upton Sinclair's grasp of the exploitative nature of the food industry. I did the requisite three months of vegetarianism and, truth be told, I still can't bring myself to eat at a fast food joint (with the notable exception of Chipotle, which, it is a well-documented fact, puts crack in the guacamole).

But something always bugged me about Fast Food Nation. Shlosser doesn't even pretend to be objective. He leaves out facts, he tells only one side of the story, he casts anecdotes in such a way that no self-respecting jury would deny probable doubt.

In short, were he a newspaper reporter, his editor would have shredded his story so quickly it would have ignited.

So I approached Michael Pollan's Botany of Desire with some trepidation. The book's back covers summarizes Pollan's thesis such: "...plants have evolved to satisfy humankind's most basic yearnings. And just as we've benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating who?"

Despite the pulled-punch of a jacket, the book is incredible. Pollan achieves the trifecta of entertainment, education and amazement. Essentially, his thesis is that human desires over the last few millenia have done as much to shape the evolution (or devolution) of four plant species as did millions of years of climate changes and natural selection.

And, in the course of our domestication of these plants, the plants themselves have played an incredible role in the development or destruction of human society. Consider the apple's role in making Ohioo pioneers feel more comfortable with their wild surroundings and thus greasing the wheels of manifest destiny as no other plant could. Or the way the modest, Apollonian tulip brought the commodities market of Holland to a screeching halt, introducing the idea of "the bubble" to economic theory. Or how research into marijuana, sponsored by the U.S. government to counteract reefer madness sweeping America's beat generation, has led to a greater understanding of human neuroscience than perhaps any other course of research. And, finally, how the social impacts of potato cultivation drastically altered the power structure of the European continent and later changed the literal face of the United States.

But all that aside. Pollan infuses his theories with ACTUAL fact. By actual fact I mean he gives all versions of the facts. His sections on genetic engineering and the impact it will have on evolution of plants, pests and people do not take on the predictable pallor of an Al Gore argument. Rather, he admits that genetic engineering may well be, as the scientists at Monsanto would have you believe, the next step in the human-plant evolutionary dance. But he also points out that he's just not comfortable, for whatever reason, eating a salad made with Monsanto vegetables.

There is no Supersize Me blanket condemnation of agriculture (although Pollan does advance the seed (sorry) of the anti-monoculture idea he further explores in his next book, The Omnivore's Dilemma). Instead, The Botany of Desire simply offers food for thought (again, sorry).

Next: How about a little eco-terrorism? Monkeywrench Gang. I might be the only college educated Westerner who hasn't read it. Think I should catch up.

Bondage and stuff

I've also read _Of Human Bondage_. It's crazy how something completely irrational, like an obsession with a wretched human, can become so binding as to completely immobolize human consciousness. As a reader I began to feel bound to the masochistic tendencies of Mildred, the main character's dastardly love-interest. Every 50 pages or so, Mildred would pop up and you just knew that she was going to wreck Philip's life. No matter how smart Philip thought he was and no matter how over Mildred he claimed to be, she would appear and in minutes he would turn into a snivelling shell of humanity completely "bound" to her manipulative whims.

I've often wondered if the author is trying to argue that mature relationships are only possible when a soul has been obliterated and when that same soul comes to expect nothing more than a comfortable normativity. Only then can one love? Only then can one appreciate a relationship? That seems to be how the books ends, even though it is a "happy ending." On the other hand I think that Maugham is dead-on in his analysis. Most people give up their dreams for companionship. They give up the wanderlust for a steady outpouring of affection (and yes nookie too). There just never seems to be that middle path. Of course I could be biased, but I think that Philip should have traveled to Spain. Sally might have waited; after all, she knows him better than anyone. Plus, Spain represented the mystery of existence, and Philip never even got to explore that mystery. He abandoned the search for existential answers for the love of an amazing woman. Crazy!

Perhaps I've misread the the last 200 pages, but the travesty of bondage seems much broader than the malicious Mildred. The travesty of bondage is being chained to a constricted, if comfy, concept of normal life. Is Mildred really any worse than the life represented by Sally? I don't know, but it's worth considering if you ever get the chance to read _Of Human Bondage_.

Peace.

Nausea

There were times reading this book that I felt physically ill. There was more than one occasion where I had to put the book down and breathe shallowly so as not to vomit. Probably the worst was when Johnny finally figured out how to communicate and tell the doctors what he wanted, only to be told that it was against regulations. After all the struggle and anguish of becoming human again, which was very real to me as a reader, it was mind-blowing how easily Johnny's humanity was stripped away.

And that I think is the point of the book - war strips away humanity. War can make soldiers inhuman, but the more importantly war can affect the humanity of those whose job it is to be humane, i.e. doctors, nurses, etc. And if war can change doctors for the worse, imagine what it can do to everyone else. It's not as if the doctor or Johnny's first nurse, the one who cradled him against her breast without realizing his attempt to communicate, were actively malevolent. No, they thought they were doing good. But that's because war is a tricky thing. It convinces you that you are working for the common good when you are doing the opposite. The US military does this all the time with soldiers. When you join you have to be broken down and the built back up. At least the military is honest about it. But what about the family who lives in the suburbs. How does war affect them? What happens when they are broken down? When they forget about the weapons of mass destruction? When they start to believe that America needs to make the world safe for democracy through war? What happens to the people who think like this? What happens to you and me?

One other thing about the book affected me. Many of Johnny's memories were sad. But for Johnny they stopped being sad and became sacred. His everyday life became sacred. It became sacred in retrospect. Compared to war, a broken heart was something to be cherished. Compared to mutilation, growing apart from your father was a step to manhood. Compared to having your face blown off, arguments with your best friend became the spice of life. Trumbo definitely forces you to think more deliberately and to live more deliberately. For me, that made this book one of the best I've ever read.

The Human Condition

Over the past few years I have had several opportunities to witness and examine the human condition at very basic levels. Poverty, tragic trauma, and emotional duress seem to expose fundamental human characteristics and emotions that are otherwise hidden in our daily lives. My experiences with marginalized and poverty-stricken communities across the globe has given me glimpses of these universal human conditions. Until Johnny Got His Gun, I didn't expect to gain transformative insight into the very basic core of human existence through anything but personal relationships and eye-witness accounts. Sure, throughout my life literature and film have greatly influenced my perceptions on many different levels, but nothing really compares to this work. Reading this novel transformed my core, my soul, and the lens through which I perceive the world. From examining the basic levels of how we, as humans, connect with one another...to being consumed by the intense concepts of time, self, and war...I was challenged thoroughly and often.

How refreshing!

And how pertinent to the current landscape of our fucked up world. As I write, thousands of vigils are materializing around the country to recognize, commemorate, and denounce the death of the 2,000th US soldier killed in Iraq. And what of the wounded? And what of the Iraqi civilians? And what of the depleted uranium? The cancers? Water? Clean needles? Torture? "Do we scream in the night when it touches our dreams?" Mr. Trumbo poses a great question.

I love how the author brings in the beautiful (and tragic) story of Mary and Joseph in the manger. It seems to me that taking a child away from her parents is one of the most gut-wrenching realities of war. Is this the answer to truly mobilizing for peace in our world? We see a very successful attempt everyday from a true American hero, Cindy Sheehan (http://www.gsfp.org/). Perhaps it's simply having this novel be required reading for every desperate soul being nabbed by recruiters with flashy promises of hummers, shoot-em-up lifestyles, and a college education.

"What Do You Want?" -- Years of analysis building up to answer that loaded question. Too bad when they finally ask you...after years of trying to be heard...they simply put you under. A simple drug and a "no thanks, we don't need any of that." Amazing. Truly, amazing.

I look forward to everybody's reflections...

New Book for October

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo.

find it at amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553274325/qid=1128014224/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2900708-4453734?v=glance&s=books

If shipping is cheap, check out the used and new option at Amazon. You might be able to get the book for $4 or less. Almost every bookstore carries the cheap version, and libraries usually have two or three copies.

I'm thinking we should read until October 25 and then discuss the book until November.

Idea

Instead of posting long rants like Joe and I, another way to enter the discussion could be to comment on something someone else has written. You could agree, disagree, pick a fight, etc. Just an idea to get some more dicussion on _The Alchemist_.

Evolution to Bible Babble

It's amazing how one can construct their own realities...construct their perception of a certain person, idea, or entity. This perception is often constructed based solely on a simple discussion, a brief scan of a biased news clipping, or a passing misinformed comment picked up by an innocent bystander. Recently I've attempted to be extremely cognizant of how each of my perceptions, my reality, has been constructed...what is the genesis of the foundation of my world, my ideology. It is through this process that I realized I started reading "The Alchemist" in an entirely different state of mind than when I finished the story. I originally selected the novel because I had heard great things about it from numerous people who I respect entirely. I had wanted to read the book for quite some time and was pretty excited for the lessons I might gain from it. Based on these couple of comments from respected peers I had created a space where I might have grown immensely from its lessons. A turning point occurred when I randomly discussed the book with another couple of mentors I respect entirely. One of these individuals mentioned that the novel was subpar and not at all life changing, in short disappointing. The other mentioned that the novel was well respected in conservative Christian circles. Because of biases and prejudices present in my life today I completely changed the approach I took to this book...I immediately became more skeptical and ready to bash the novel accordingly. It is with this mind that I warily came to the following conclusions:

Like Marc-Paul I was intrigued by the miracles happening to the boy and by the lessons he learned from them throughout the novel. I was also very disappointed with the transgression from simple lessons about ego and self to lessons involving fate, destiny and large leaps of faith. I was so frustrated in fact, that in my ranting I coined the term "bible babble" about 2/3 through the book. I hope this doesn't offend anyone in the group, but I found it hard to relate with Paulo Coehlo's references to "the hand" creating a "Master Work" in six days. I thought it was special how the boy moved from being a naive, egotistical youth hoping to impress a girl with borrowed stories told as his own to realizing that he wasn't the only shepherd that could read and tell her exciting stories. I was also quite disappointed in the focus on money as the ultimate goal in the boy's journey. I was excited at the possibility of Fatima and true love being the boy's treasure and still thought it could conclude with that realization. Albeit unintentionally, the novel did give the valuable lesson that money and greed are able to rule entire lives. In short, the novel was subpar, predictable and difficult for me to finish. I look forward to the next novel and to more discussion from others in the group!

Holy Compensatory Religion Batman!!!

It's difficult to like a book that tells you so many things contrary to what you believe you know. America is a very practical country, not a very dreamy or mysterious one. After all, the philosophy of pragmatism arose here and nowhere else. As children we're taught that hard work is rewarded, and in many cases we're taught that hard work brings happiness. Even if we don't abandon our dreams or our personal legends, we're often forced to modify them in the name of practicality. And to read a book that calls these so-called truths into question in the name of magic, alchemy, or religion can be quite provocative.

No one feels comfortable when called upon to abandon the security and the surety of daily life for the sake of mystery. Not many will even admit to hearing such a call, and quite often such calls are ignored altogether. On the rare occasions when such calls are not ignored, in the best of our pragmatic heritage we often modify the calls to suit our needs or our wants. We tend to follow our dreams in our own unique and inspirational ways. We rarely follow the dream itself, choosing instead the dream insofar as it can be shaped by our immediate needs and wants. But _The Alchemist_ wants us to follow the dream itself, trusting in providence to guide us safely. It's a difficult thing to do, just as liking this book is difficult for a seasoned skeptic like myself.

The story builds to a crescendo as the boy summons the creative forces of the universe itself. We learn that miracles can only be performed by the hand that wrote all. We learn that if we only have enough faith or try hard enough we will discover that our soul and the soul of God are one. We learn that miracles can be performed by alchemists and the pure-at-heart. We learn that it is possible to communicate with God through prayer and love.

And we learn that we too can be financially rewarded by following our dreams and having faith.

What a letdown!

Aside from being a bit trite, I thought the book was okay until the end when it became the prequel to _The Prayer of Jabez_. It almost sounded like a late-night get-rich-quick commercial. And it had such promise, too. After all the amazing things that happen to the boy I was surprised, and a bit frustrated, when the book ended with a chest of gold. (The promise of love part I rather liked...because I'm a romantic. Plus, isn't it every man's dream to have a woman who will wait for him to fulfill his destiny before coming back to her? Ha! I'm also a realist.) What better way to celebrate mystery than to become one with the forces of nature. What better way to ruin it than with pillaged treasure. Still though, it would be amazing to see the pyramids.

next book

Seeing as Marc-Paul has been the most diligent book club member thus far, I nominate him to select our next book (as my duty for being the last book selector). We'll halt discussion on The Alchemist on the 25th and start discussing whatever he chooses thereafter. Please yell out with any objections.

booksnotbombs

Seeing as only two people have said anything about the book at all, I second the motion to extend the discussion deadline for The Alchemist. Let's say that the discussion should finish by September 25th. My thoughts on the book will be posted soon...I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to bash it or praise it. I look forward to others' thoughts.

Finished...?

I have finished the book, though I chose the pull-the-band-aid-off-slowly approach which really is more painful, and I can think of nothing more accurate to say than to reaffirm the pollyana-likeness of the book in question. Of course that's giving away nothing. It's pretty clear by about page 10. But the idea of the alchemist is pretty interesting - like a personal trainer for the soul - if completely unrealistic. (I personally think more pastors, counselors, and psychologists should just tell people to STOP.) I shall wait until more people finish, but I suspect that I will react to this book like Hunter S. Thompson might on a weeklong bender in Puerto Rico - sans gun of course.

_The Alchemist_ in the world

I have started reading the book and find it somewhat average. What most intrigued me about the book was that it has been recommended to me numerous times over the years by close friends who tend to be pretty conservative Christians. I have always wondered what made _The Alchemist_ so popular with that particular group of like-minded folks. I'm about half-way finished and still pondering. Generally speaking, the book speaks pretty strongly about individual spirituality, but it touches upon that spirituality in fairly specific religious terms. Yet, the antagonist lives in a borderland. Christianity and Islam have a long history of interaction in both Spain and Northern Africa. That history has been both peaceful and constructive as well as incredibly violent and discriminatory. These are some of the ideas that came up in my reading, and I thought I'd mention them in case they happened to spark a conversation.

On another note, in terms of structuring the bookclub, I think the person who picks the first book should also pick the next facilitator. For example, since Joe picked _The Alchemist_ he should also pick the next facilitator who will pick the next book and lay out a timeline. Each facilitator could get one month and could work out the time however they wanted. If it was a long book, they could have three weeks of reading time and one week of discussion. A shorter book might need only a week or two of reading time and longer for discussion. Anyway, it's just an idea I thought I'd throw out for people to consider.

numero uno

i've taken it upon myself to suggest our first book..."the alchemist" by paulo coehlo. quite a famous text with supposed great lessons and insight. i'm not entirely excited about the fact that we have to read it as a translation because i think it probably lost a lot in the process, but i think it will still be a good first choice for the group. it's a short novel, so i propose that we follow the timeline below:

- Complete the book by September 15
- End the discussion by September 20

i look forward to your reflections.

what the hell are we getting ourselves into?

So...I've been consulting with a few of my great, amazing, sophisticated, intellectual, inspiring friends and a clear need for thoughtful literary discussion became apparent. A longing for challenging analysis of novels and deeper reading is present. Thus, the creation of this magnificent book club, which will be used as a tool to hold each of us accountable to bringing our reading practice to a higher level. This blog will be the platform for bringing intention and intellectual reflection into our everyday literary exploration. After much deliberation the following terms of a brand new book discussion group have been created:

1. Only fiction books (and memoirs) are to be read and discussed in this group. Now...this is a touchy subject and open to more deliberation, but after much debate a consensus was made between three of the "OG" members of this group to only allow fiction and memoirs due to the amount of stupid shit that people read that we all really won't be interested in as a whole. The consensus being that these two genres will almost always appeal to many different types of people and will enable varying interests to be appeased. Thoughts?

2. A person in the group chooses a book of their desire for the entire group to read. Once a person has selected a book for the group to read that person cannot pick another book until everybody else in the group has selected a book as well.

3. A loose timeline will be assigned to reading the suggested book, as determined by the book selector. A sample timeline might be...read to page 150 in "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by September 15, complete the book by September 30, and continue to discuss the novel until October 7. This timeline should be fairly flexible with the understanding that once the "discussion" deadline expires, postings regarding the expired book should no longer be published, with full attention given to the newly selected book.

4. Discussion, analysis, questions, rants, rambles, etc. are allowed at any time, as long as they are pertinent to the current book being read. This is really the key ingredient to the success of this group, seeing as we need discussion in order to deepen our reading.

5. Self-accountability will be used, but feel free to call out a slacker at any time and heckle worthless members at any chance you get.

6. Celebration (moving beyond tolerance, respect, and acceptance) of difference, experience, thought, lifestyles, ambitions, background, etc. is vital to this groups ability to flourish.

Additional thoughts, suggestions, challenges, adendums?