The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History- John Ortved

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2009
Pages:  332
ISBN:  9781553657965
Genre:  Nonfiction, TV history/criticism

Started:  Dec. 9, 2011
Finished:  Dec. 13, 2011 (4 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  I'm a Simpsons aficionado and love the cultural history books on the show.

Summary:  A compilation of interviews and author commentary on the development of The Simpsons and its behind-the-scenes dramas.

Review:

John Ortved obviously has a passion for The Simpsons and for clarifying misguided lore of its ludicrous media coverage, both before and during the advent of the Internet. Ortved provides an "oral" history of sorts by cleverly editing quotations from prior magazine, TV and radio bits with the three wise men of the show's creation: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon, and snippets from his own interviews, mostly with staff readers likely won't recognize by name, let alone place in the show's history, and very few heavyweights.  With that impression, you should know that this book is definitely not for casual viewers or readers.

Some chapters were worthwhile and would have been even better if they had been expanded to supercede the more gossipy, less focussed chapters with he said/she said speculations that start becoming redundant.  The chapters most worthwhile were on the writers, the guest voices, and the process of writing funny gags and clever or touching stories with the right dash of cultural reference and satirical irony. 

Conan O'Brien provides hilarious anecdotes of his time (post-Saturday Night Live, pre-late night talk shows) as a Simpsons writer--he is responsible, along with writer George Meyer, for the funniest episodes in the show's history, and Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane graciously acknowledges the Simpsons' influence on his show's success.  Ortved also breaks mythological barriers surrounding stories of Groening being the sole creator and mastermind behind the show--his legendary Midas touch is not without the influence of producers Brooks and Simon, both of whom had prior success jumpstarting Taxi and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. 

Conflicts over money and shareholder rights leave you feeling like not all is well in Springfield when everyone's hands dive into the money pit for their fair share of the show's success and the bottom tier of animators, colourists, and other contributors receive less adequate compensation than network executives.

Ortved references my favourite book on The Simpsons, Chris Turner's exhaustive but fantastic Planet Simpsons, which is more in-depth on the show's significance in pop culture, seasonal trends, individual episodes, quotations, and even gag descriptions, most of the above being fan favourites, and characters ranging from the recognizable Simpsons clan to the more anonymous Comic Book Guy, Bumblebee Man and Squeaky-Voiced Teen.  However, long-time fans of The Simpsons will probably be as powerless to resist this book as Homer is to a sprinkle-covered donut.

Rank:  (B)- Good, Maybe Read It

Night- Elie Wiesel

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1958 (translated: 2006)
Pages:  120
ISBN:  139780374500016
Genre:  Memoir

Start Date:  Aug. 16, 2011
Finished Date:  Aug. 21, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list

Read For:  Back to the Classics Challenge (7/8)

Summary:  A Holocaust survivor gives a detailed account of the escalating horror he endured as a teenager shifting through several concentration camps during WWII.

Review:

I began reading Night immediately after finishing the historical fiction novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a bold move that I was afraid would be depressing, but turned out to be one of the most important reading experiences I've ever had.

For such a gargantuan scope as the Holocaust, Wiesel has been quoted as a minimalist writer.  But that is not the right word to use.  He writes as much as needs to be said.  His account is a slim volume without a single embellishment or unnecessary thread--every word suggests a cautious but deliberate style that gives readers room to pause and reflect in thought if not discussion.

Wiesel guides with a firm hand, sequencing his time in concentration camps with (at first) a subtle escalation from the beginnings of encampment at Sighet with the barbed wire and wearing a star of David, rising intensely as he transfers to Auschwitz, the crematoriums ever closer and the starvation, enforced labour, beatings, and deaths magnified, until he is sent to Buchenwald where on the evening of April 11, 1945, the prisoners are liberated.

I found it interesting that both Night and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas were written from the first-person perspectives of children.  It sheds fresh light on a period of time that no matter how many renderings are printed cannot be exhausted, otherwise its memorial is forgotten.

Count this amongst the most important books you should read in your lifetime.

Rank:  (A+)- Necessary Reading

A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2003
Pages:  544
ISBN:  0385660049
Genre:  Nonfiction, Science

Start Date:  May 31, 2011
Finished Date:  June 17, 2011 (18 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list; also, I was curious about Bill Bryson's brand of nonfiction

Read For:  What's in a Name 4 Challenge (5/6)

Summary:  The origins of the Earth through the lenses of various fields of science are explained in layman's terms, laced with ironic humour and an enthusiasm for discovery.

Review:

Now this is a science book like no other.  Textbooks from science class were never this interesting.  Bryson's thesis is simple:  to explore and explain the origins of the Earth through various scientific fields of research and translate them for those of us who didn't go beyond mandatory high school science class.  These fields include astronomy, meteorology, geology, biochemistry, physics, mathematics, volcanology, seismology, cellular biology, paleontology, and anthropology, not to mention sprinklings of natural history and psychology.

The result is like exploring an unfamiliar cave with a flashlight whose bulb gets brighter as you go through it.  At first, the jargon was a bit...jarring (he he), even with Bryson's often hilarious use of analogies that could give this book the subtitle Science For Dummies (guilty as charged, says moi).  Once past the initial chapter on astronomy, which is interesting but sometimes difficult to manoeuvre, you become used to Bryson's style and even start to like his eccentric intellectual humour.

Facts are given a back story, which in turn often has a back story, with a focus on biographical information of its discoverer and his or her eccentric lifestyle, struggles for public understanding & acceptance of findings, and oftentimes, an impoverished means.  Theories are not completely diluted just to appease the reader and make us feel smart enough to understand them, but are compared to recognizable things and often analogized by scientists for pleasure, much like the hilarious meanderings of characters on TV's The Big Bang Theory.

By Part III, I was hooked and all the factoids became less random (i.e. fodder for Uncle John's Bathroom Reader) and served more of a purpose for passionate learning about the formation, gestation, and constant fluctuation of planet Earth.  Home sweet home.  It would be terrific if this book was required reading in a course for humanities undergrads needing a science credit.  Otherwise, it certainly fills many gaps in the average person's science education.  I highly recommend reading it.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Audacity of Hope- Barack Obama

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2006
Length:  362 pages
ISBN:  0307237699
Genre:  Nonfiction, Political

Start Date:  Sometime in 2008-9
Finished Date:  Sometime in 2008-9

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  I originally bought this for my Dad for Xmas 2007 and after he read it, I took it on.

Summary:  A compelling manifesto of then-Senator Barack Obama with an historical and social democratic lens on issues such as health care, education, economy, and political leadership.

Review:

On the event of the midterm elections in the U.S., I feel compelled to offer this review. I am Canadian and cannot vote, however I encourage all Americans to register and execute their right to vote.

Prior to being elected to the Oval Office, Obama had a plan and this book is the best guide to his mission as President. It is a wise voter who wishes for the government to be run by individuals with more education, integrity, and enthusiasm than is found in the average person—in other words, a true leader comes from an extraordinary place.

Obama’s use of political science jargon may go over the heads of the general public, but the structure soon gels from Chapter 3 on, and coasts from there, creating excitement in his ideas on many hot-button issues. There is tremendous respect for his Presidential forefathers, a breadth of knowledge about political and cultural history, and a passion for strong leadership that resonates long after the last page.

Shortly after the book’s release, Obama announced his candidacy for President. You know the rest.

Rank:  (A)- Highly recommended

Story- Robert McKee

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1997
Length:  419 pages
ISBN:  0060391685
Genre:  Nonfiction, Writing

Start Date:  Sometime in 2008-9
Finished Date:  Sometime in 2008-9

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  I loved Robert McKee’s cameo in Adaptation and his advice is cited from Story, a copy of which Nicolas Cage also reads in the movie.

Summary:  A critical, structural reference guide to the art of writing with a focus on movies and necessary components, such as setting, genre, character, and conflict.

Review:

Everyone from your neighbour to your dentist is writing a screenplay. At least that’s how it seems with the taste of fame and fortune ever beckoning, despite the many Hollywood writers who still remain anonymous. Here’s a little quiz: Do any of these names sound familiar? Dustin Lance Black. Mark Boal. Tony Gilroy. Peter Morgan. Stephen Gaghan. These are just some of the most recent Oscar-nominated (or Oscar-winning) screenwriters. Your score out of 5 for recognition will tell you just how famous they are (and how knowledgeable you are).

If your ambition is to be a novelist or you want to know how a good writer makes his/her work come alive, this is the book. Even if you have no such ambitions, the most ardent readers will find McKee’s book, known as “the screenwriting bible” insightful, incredible, and inspiring.  No topic of writing structure is left uncovered, from the conception of ideas to the building of plot, the development of characters, the strengthening of details—it’s all there and is thoroughly explored with plentiful examples (be aware that films are given precedence over books) as part of a single big idea: the story.

Robert McKee may be amongst the unfamiliar names given above, but his reputation as the foremost writing instructor and former USC professor of creative writing gives him clout in Tinseltown. He made a hilarious cameo appearance in Adaptation in which he offered Nicolas Cage (in a warped dual role as screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin, Donald) harsh, sober, and above all, honest advice about his story about flowers. Yup, that’s it. Flowers. McKee sure ripped into him about that. Who wouldn’t?

By the end of this book, I felt so confident in the multitude of strong, satisfying stories, both the existing titles and the ones yet to be written. It’s quite a feeling!

P.S.  Expect some funny looks and long pauses in phone conversation when you give this title to a book seller ("I'm looking for a book called Story").  I experienced both :oD

Rank:  (A+)- Excellent resource for writers!

Ghosts of Mississippi- Maryanne Vollers

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1995
Length: 386 pages
ISBN: 0316914711
Genre: Non-fiction—Legal/Civil Rights

Start Date: Sometime in 2003
Finished Date: Sometime in 2003

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: High school history project

Summary: A historical account of the 1963 assassination of Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Evers and the 30 years it took to convict Byron De La Beckwish in the heat of KKK influence in the U.S. South.

Review:

This was the first book I remember reading on my own in order to complete a school project without being told I had to read it. It was the best resource I found in the library and was genuinely interested in reading it, so I snatched up my own copy (no, I didn’t pinch it from the library!).

Medgar Evers was active in Mississippi’s NAACP and advocated for African-American voter registration despite a number of death threats and a previous attempt on his life. Byron De La Beckwith was raised to hate all races but his own, had local KKK connections, and was untreated for schizophrenic paranoia. Despite obvious motives, a lacking consistency in his alibi, a clean fingerprint on the murder rifle, and a tendency to run his mouth about the murder, two 1960s trials of all white, all male juries ended in mistrial or deadlock and the D.A. put the case to rest as media attention ebbed, any further evidence dried up, and racial biases stacked up.

In 1989, upon learning of an investigation into illegal background checks on jury members during the two trials, Assistant D.A. Bobby DeLaughter and his team of former cops and PIs, spent 2 ½ years rebuilding the case against the elderly Beckwith, still actively promoting the Aryan cause with outspoken conspiracy theories and explicit admittance of the murder. Beginning with a skimpy police report and the will to persevere despite a number of dead or unwilling witnesses, the third trial in 1994 with a mixed race/gender jury brought a 30-year case to justice.

The story is told through a scope of justice yet is unbiased in the sense that Vollers traces the hateful influences of Beckwith’s life and the hateful climate of the 1960s South. She writes a highly detailed, factual account with thorough background checks on all personalities in the case and how a combination of unearthed evidence and the limitless, tireless efforts of DeLaughter’s team saw a reversal of racially charged injustice in the most Confederate-minded state in U.S. history.

The 1996 movie was underrated, often considered overly emotional.  The problem with that is you can't help but make it emotional--it was an agonizing 30-year wait for justice to be had against a hateful assasssin that not only had evidence stacked against him, but spent years bragging about how he got away with it.  The movie was very true to the book, only omitting some background information Vollers gives of Evers' and Beckwith's childhoods, but hits the all the right notes.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

Planet Simpson- Chris Turner

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2004
Length: 449 pages
ISBN: 0679313184
Genre: Nonfiction, Pop Culture

Start Date: Sometime in 2004
Finished Date: Sometime in 2004-5

Where Found: Campus bookstore
Why Read: I’m a Simpsons fangirl :oD  See also my review of My Life as a 10-Year Old Boy by Nancy Cartwright, voice of Bart.

Summary: A cultural history of The Simpsons with episode-referenced, character-focused critiques of cultural representation, merchandising commercialism, celebrity pop culture, technology, and philosophy of TV’s funniest show ever (you know it’s true).

Review:

I was compelled to respond to an Amazon review of this book titled “Fanboys Should Not Be Authors.”  Au contraire. When it comes to pop culture, specifically cultural critiques & histories of movies, music, or TV shows, who would have more enthusiasm for these topics than a fan?  Don’t let the fact that Chris Turner is obviously a long-devoted worshipper of the show, because I am too. It’s an impressive book. As for my review…that’s up to you :oD

Planet Simpson is a comprehensive history of the show starting with its precursors (claiming influences include Lenny Bruce, Second City, and SNL), its antecedents (including Ren & Stimpy, Beavis & Butthead, South Park, and Family Guy), and its roots as a bit sketch on The Tracey Ullman Show before its mammoth influence as a half-hour cartoon-sitcom that saved Fox’s Sunday night timeslot.

While the historical preamble of Chapter 1 can drag after a while, the following chapters ooze cultural relevance with a character focus: Homer as average Joe American, Bart as anarchist, Lisa as intellectual, Mr. Burns as industrial elitist, Marge as maternal naïveté, Apu as immigrant outsider, and Comic Book Guy as the ultra fan, followed by topical chapters on celebrity guests, philosophy, and ending with the show's reception & future. Topics revolve around characters and cultural reception of episodes with quoted lines and hilarious gags (every time I read one, I laughed remembering the episode) that sell The Simpsons as the pop cultural vacuum of North America.

Turner sprinkles his engaging, journalistic prose with sidenotes that further explain episodes referenced or neat tidbits that even the most ardent Simpsons fan may take as newly discovered gold. Chapters may be somewhat overlong, but as soon as one ended, I couldn’t wait to start the next as his scope widens with each one.  I recommend one chapter per sitting as he writes as fervently as the Energizer Bunny.

Respect or pity his knowledge of The Simpsons that has to make a great book, cultural studies course, or party conversation (but remains otherwise useless), Turner makes good on his years of TV-watching and line-dropping to create a deep, loving but critical tome on one of the most influential TV shows in cultural history. Along with a plethora of other books on The Simpsons and [insert related topic, such as Philosophy, Religion, etc. here], Turner’s book stands out as exhausting a multitude of topics, much as his beloved Simpsons have done over a span of 20+ years.

Supplement this read with a visit to The Simpsons Archive, the most minutely detailed web site on the show.  It's the most involved fanbase since the Trekkies. 

Rank: (A)- A must-read for Simpsons fans; a could-read for everyone else

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat- Oliver Sacks

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1985
Length:  256 pages
ISBN:  9780684853949
Genre:  Nonfiction, Medical (Neurology)

Start date:  July 2010
Finished date:  July 2010

Where from:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  Fascinating title & became interested from seeing Awakenings

Summary:  A nonfiction account of true case studies involving complex brain injuries or disorders that both challenge & baffle well-known neurologist Oliver Sacks as he attempts to diagnose, research, find precedent, treat, and either "cure" (though its a rare outcome) or at least pinpoint with assurance the cause & care that a patient requires.

Review:

I had heard of famed neurologist Oliver Sacks’s work with severe brain injuries, being best known for his miraculous Awakenings before attempting this instantly fascinating work.  I mean, the title alone has to interest you…how can that be, you think?  His insightful writing is a comfortable mix of medical jargon & human feeling, offering a series of case studies, including the titular character of Dr. P., whose visual agnosia (likely caused by a brain tumor) can describe but fail to identify basic objects or familiar people.

Other cases include a WWII veteran who cannot form new memories since 1945, a woman who cannot relate to her own body parts or even place them correctly, twin autistic savants who can name multi-digit prime numbers, and a medical student (whom Sacks later reveals to be his own case) who suffers from a highly sensitive sense of smell after taking a number of illicit drugs.

The stories are written like academic papers but go beyond his medical prognoses to offer human insights that he picks up from colleagues, mentors, and even the patients themselves. I appreciated Sacks’s candor about the case studies, and how he doesn’t leave a single unfamiliar term unexplained. Even if you have very little background in science, you will find yourself drawn into the stories and hoping a cause and/or cure can be found.

Rank:  (A)- Highly recommended