Muses, Madmen, and Prophets: Rethinking the History, Science, and Meaning of Auditory Hallucination, by Daniel B. Smith

This book is about the phenomenon of “hearing voices”, and I really enjoyed the way the author explored the topic from scientific, historical, cultural, religious, and psychological points of view.  There was also a personal impetus involved in Smith’s idea for the book: his father heard voices, yet kept his “affliction” hidden from everyone, even family, for most of his life.  Although largely associated with mental illness today, auditory hallucinations actually occur in otherwise “normal” people, too.  Well-written for a general audience, and quite interesting.

RATING: * * * * Very, very good
Reviewed by: lw

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Cape Wind: Money, Celebrity, Class, Politics, and the Battle for Our Energy Future on Nantucket Sound, by Wendy Williams and Robert Whitcomb

This is the story of the battle to place a wind farm (wind turbines) in Nantucket Sound to generate electricity.   Striking examples “NIMBY” political maneuvering by the rich and powerful.    The turbines have worked in other places in the world naturally generating much needed electricity.   The rich and powerful don’t want to view the turbines from their beachfront homes nor do they want to have to navigate around the wind farm when they are sailing.

The best quote was from James Roosevelt, who owns land facing Nantucket sound.   “When this goes up we’ll see it.  You’ll see probably the red lights.  You’ll probably see the turbines, etc., but in my opinion, this is a very small price to pay to begin the important steps in getting this country energy independent and addressing the question of global warming, which I think is arguably the most important environmental issue we’ll face” (p. 194).

RATING: * * * * Very, very good
Reviewed by: Nancy J.

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Senior Year: A Father, A Son, and High School Baseball, by Dan Shaughnessy

Told as a month by month chronology of the senior year experience with flashbacks to Shaughnessy’s own youth and his family’s collective prior years experiences, this book is a winner. You don’t have to be a baseball fan or really know much about baseball to follow this story. It is heartwarming and funny yet serious all the same. Lots of stories about Newton. A must read for Newton residents.

RATING: * * * * Very, very good
Reviewed by: Nancy J.

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More summer reading ideas!

Recommended summer reading from WGBH-TV’s “Greater Boston,” with Emily Rooney.  Click on the “watch video” link at the bottom of the page to view the video segment filmed at Newtonville Books with picks from Mary Cotton.

Songbook, by Nick Hornby

Do you like pop music?  Do you like to read liner notes?  Take 31 favorite pop songs, add a writer as skilled as Nick Hornby, flesh out the liner note material into essays, and you have a great book! The songs are just a jumping-off point for broader and more personal reflections–touching and humorous–on life, love, and what makes music meaningful to us.  The book discusses some of Hornby’s favorites c. 2001.  You don’t need to like the songs or even know them; neither I nor my teenage son share Hornby’s taste in music, but we both enjoyed the book.

I wish the CD included with the book had more than 11 of the songs, but the book is fun to read whether you’ve heard the songs or not.

Rating:  *** A good read
Reviewed by:  stc

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The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss

Octogenarian Leo Gursky, a refugee from World War II Poland, lost his first love.  Teenager Alma Singer lost her father to cancer.  When Alma’s mother is hired to translate a book called “The History of Love,”  the stories of the two are brought together.  A beautiful, poignant exploration of love, loss, loneliness, and the need to make oneself visible to the world. 

Rating:  **** Very, very good
Reviewed by:  stc

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