Child of the Revolution by Wolfgang Leonhard

Child of the Revolution by Wolfgang Leonhard became one of my favorite books ever. Probably the best memoir about life under communist regime.                              

Since early childhood, Wolfgang Leonhard was exposed to Marxist ideology. His mother was a member of communist party, and introduced her son to the system. After they escaped to Soviet Russia, she became victim of Stalin’s purge and was sentenced to 12 years forced labor.

After his mother had been sent to the gulag, Leonhard joined one of the Soviet schools. He caught attention of The Party and was selected for the fast- track training. Consequently, he became a member of the Soviet intelligentsia. He then came back to East- Germany with the ''Ulbricht group'' to pave the way for communist state. When he finally realized that he did not want to play his part in bringing Eastern Europe under Stalinist control, he escaped to Yugoslavia and then to West Germany. He became an academic and worked at Yale University.

Although the system took his mother from him, he still was blindly believing in the rightness of the system. On one hand, he was suffering, on the other he believed that was the way it should be because the communist system could not be wrong. Individual lives could not compromise the communists’ vision for the world order.

Leonhard offers deeply- informed account of every facet of life under communist regime. The book is a vivid picture of evolution of Marxist ideology, rules of Soviet communism, indoctrination and political blindness. Despite manipulation, brainwashing and omnipresent fear, Leonhard was able to break up with Stalinism and to choose his own vision of socialism.

I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in history and communism. This highly informative book not only gives insight into life under communist regime but also shows the mechanism of political indoctrination in general. I wish The Child of Revolution received more coverage because it truly deserves it.

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg- Huge Disappointment

I am always skeptical about books written by celebrities. Usually, I do not buy books which became bestsellers because of author’s well-known name and expensive promotion campaign rather than its value. Lean In is another book proving my theory. It was good decision to borrow it from company library rather than to buy it. Big disappointment…                                   

Lean In is about need for social and structural changes to fights against inequality between men and women in a workplace. Sheryl Sandberg tells women to change their behavior and to believe in themselves, if they want to succeed in their professional life.

While Lean In is very readable book and includes references to many important studies on women in work market, it has serious flaws and does not deserve the praise it gets. Despite Sandberg’s position, experience and knowledge she did not succeed with this publication. What she offers is self-gratification and call for social and structural changes without suggestions how to introduce them. She created a long list of “we should”, “we must”, “we can” without explaining how to change people’s behaviors. I guess many of us have long list of should- be- done things, but we do not become best-selling authors. Sandberg became one because of her celebrity status. I could not believe when I was reading review of Lean In in one of “reputable” newspapers; the author was praising Sandberg like she was a writer of the decade!

She graduated from Harvard, worked for American government, then for Google, and currently she is a chief operating officer of Facebook. She says she wants to transform the role of women in the workplace. With all due respect, what does she know about situation of average woman in the workplace? Does she have any idea what life looks like when you are not graduated from Harvard, you do not have millions on your bank account, and you do not work for Google Schmoogle or Facebook? There is a huge rift between her, the privileged and rich, and women around the world who need to fight like lions to succeed in their lives. Sandberg reveals that she got admitted to Harvard not because of her intellect but personality. Well, maybe her personality made her successful at Harvard but it did not help her to write avaluable book.

For me, Lean In is about Sandberg’s privileged and fabulous life, perfect husband, and prestigious companies she have worked for. She did not meet my expectations, she was not even close to that. How she wants to change the workplace for women, while she is unable to offer any practical advice for working women? Sure we “should”, “must” and “can” a lot but the question is how to do this???

What really surprised me is that she never mentioned how she became such a successful woman. When I was reading the book I was thinking that her life was so easy: she got to Harvard, then worked for government, Google and Facebook. Why she did tell us about her struggle? What was her way to do all of this? Or, maybe it is all about being privileged. You get everything so easily and then you cannot even explain your fight because there wasn’t any fight actually. Maybe that is why the book lacks of depth; it is just simply superficial.

I believe she has good intentions and vision of change but she does not have the slightest idea how to introduce the social and structural changes into life.

I want Sandberg to consider all reviews and comments and rewrite the book after few years. If she really wants to transform workplace for women so instead of making long list of wishes, she should propose the solutions. So many women admire and respect her, she should not disappoint them.

And a few words as a conclusion. What is really annoying is that there are so many female writers who actually have something important to say and they do not get enough attention. We live in the world of celebrities, where nobody cares about those who are wise and smart. People cherish what is shallow and what doesn’t have any value. Actually, it is not annoying, it is pathetic.

Bookish horror!!!!

Sometimes horrible things happen to the booklover. Things that only other booklovers can understand.

When my husband was going for business trip, he asked me to lend him one of my books. He is not a booklover, therefore I wanted to give him interesting and absorbing book that would caught his attention from the first page. So I gave him my beloved Snowman by Jo Nesbo. Before his departure, I repeated multiple times that he should take care of the book and bring it home safe and sound. Needless to say that I had the gut feeling that something bad was going to happen to my treasured book. 

After my husband arrived to his destination he said that something really bad happened and begged me not to get angry. Here was what happened to The Snowman. After plane had touched down, my husband left laptop and the book on his seat and was trying to collect his hand luggage. In a short moment of inattention, The Snowman was gone in mysterious way! Nobody knew what happened, nobody seen anything!

I felt like somebody kidnapped my child. I do not have any kids, but I assume if I had one I would feel like this.  Terrified, scared, angry and powerless. There was nothing that I could do. There is no booklovers police that I could call and tell them that some heartless person committed bookish crime.

The book was not priceless or rare. I bought it in second hand book store but this was my beloved book though… it had torn cover and a beautiful old book smell.  Ohhh, The Snowman and I been through so much together! Evenings of passionate reading and fear to switch off the light afterword! I was covering the book with other books before I went to the bed because I did not want to see those penetrating eyes of the woman on the cover. And, I always was watching the entrance door, the killer would come anytime!

 Till today, I am asking myself, what kind of person could steal somebody’s book? Without a doubt, that person was not a booklover. A real booklover would never do that.  That thief was selfish and heartless book criminal. Every booklover knows what kind of feeling it is when you lose your beloved book.

 So this is my message to that heartless book theft, whoever and wherever you are…

You deprived me of something so precious. You took from me not only a piece of paper, but you also kidnapped my dear companion, Harry Hole! Even if I buy identical copy of The Snowman, it won’t be the same. Despite all negative feelings that arouse in me after this horrible incident, I decided to forgive you. I hope you enjoyed the Snowman as much as I did. Be good for this book, it really deserves it…

And, small advice to everybody. Never lend your books! Terrible things might happen if you do!

My 10 favourite quotes on books and reading

 Last week I was searching for inspirational quotes on books and reading for my work assignment. This motivated me to gather my favorite and inspirational quotes of writers, politicians and businessmen.  Definitely, some of the below quotes are not the most famous but they are special for me... humble booklover.                                                        

1. “Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light”      Vera Nazarian

2. “Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today” Mark Zuckerberg

3. “I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot” Bill Gates

4. “At that moment that we persuade a child, any child, to cross that threshold, that magic threshold into library, we change their lives forever, for the better. It’s an enormous force for good” Barack Obama

5. “A good day is one where I can not just read a book, but write a review of it. Maybe today I’ll be able to do that. I get for some reason somewhat stronger when the sun starts to go down. Dusk is a good time for me. I’m crepuscular” Christopher Hitchens

6. “I love the smell of  book ink in the morning“ Umberto Eco

7. “Sometimes I sensed that the books I read in rapid succession had set up some sort of murmur among themselves, transforming my head into an orchestra pit where different musical instruments sounded out, and I would realize that I could endure this life because of these musicales going on in my head” Orhan Pamuk

8. “If you only read the books that everyone is reading, you can only think what everyone is thinking” Haruki Murakami

9. “I think we ought to read only the kind of books that would or stab us. If the book we’re reading doesn’t make us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for?” Franz Kafka

10. “If people buy my book for vanity, I consider it a tax on idiocy” Umberto Eco 

Let's read, booklovers!

Gypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh

I have hesitated to write about this book for a very long time… Talking about a child relentlessly abused is the hardest thing to do.       

Mikey Wash is a Gypsy boy, living in a closeted community. He barely knows world outside the caravan camp and people other than Gypsies. Since he can remember he has been beaten by his father every single day. He has been beaten because he could not fight like other Gypsy boys, he wet the bed or…he dared to live. When Mikey’s mother tries to defend him, she is beaten too. Father is not the only one that abuses Mikey, pedophile uncle makes child's life even more miserable. 

When Mikey realizes that he is gay he does not want to be a part of the community and keep secrets anymore. The only way is to escape…

I suppose that every racist and bigot would use The Gypsy Boy to support their arguments against Gypsies communities. Indeed, the book is pandering all the stereotypes regarding Gypsies: child and women abuse, lack of education, earning money in illegal way etc. In other words, the book focuses only on negative aspects of life in Gypsy community. Moreover, while Gypsies know very well what it means to be discriminated and rejected, they are racists themselves against Georgians and Irish Travelers. Nobody can deny that racism and discrimination against Gypsies do not exist and that they are not regarded as social outcasts. However, it is also true that Gypsies live as they please and do nothing to improve their conditions and make their children’s lives better.

Mikey’s story is heartbreaking and devastating. You attach to the boy very quickly, he makes you part of his small but terrifying world through honest and detailed description of what he went through. Cruelty of his father could not break him tough. He always was good, lovely and funny child.  I was reading Gypsy Boy in the mornings on the way to work. Then, during a day I was unable to not focus on my job! I was thinking only about Mikey and what he was going through. I could not get rid of the picture of his father beating him every single day! Some people might ask why he did not escape earlier, why he stayed for so long. When you are a part of closed community, escaping is very hard. If you know only that small group of people, you do not know outside world, and you do not have place to go, your choices are very limited. And, his father made him believe he was nothing!

One might argue that Mikey’s father was violent because he was Gypsy and all Gypsies are the same. I would say that somebody is violent because he chooses to be this way. He beats his child or wife not because he is Gypsy but simply because he is evil. Even in so- called best families abuse and bullying happen. Somebody can be well- educated, having good job, but still can be violent toward others.

I am surprised that author did not try to make people understand Gypsy community better. He focused on violence issue only. I would like to read more about Gypsy history and the way they live. Author gave some insight into customs and traditions though. In my opinion, it is not enough.

Nevertheless, I think that it is important read because this is one of the few book about Gypsies. It is hard to find other books written from insider’s perspective. Moreover, even in academia you cannot find enough research on Gypsy community. As though nobody thinks Gypsies are worth to write about them…

Far to go by Alison Pick

It is all about survival

Discrimination and attacks reach Jews in Czechoslovakia. Bauers, an affluent Jewish family, realize that the only way to survive is to flee the country. Unfortunately, it is too late for Pavel and Anneliese to escape. Still, their six year-old son Pepik has a chance to get on Kindertransport to go to the United Kingdom, where he can find shelter until the danger is over. There is also Martha, Pepik’s governess, who has nobody in this world and treats Bauers like her own family.

Pavel, Anneliese and Martha are very well written characters. Pavel is a self- confident businessman who learned his entrepreneurship from his father. He worked hard for what he achieved and for long time is unable to believe that Jews really would be held inside the country against their will... like animals in the cage. Anneliese lives in her luxury world; she never experienced hardship of real life. She does not even take care of her son, who is closer to his governess rather than his own mother. However, this was her idea to put Pepik on Kindertransport; she wanted to protect him at any cost. You will be surprise what other choice she made to survive. The most interesting protagonist is Martha though. She comes from pathological family, never had anybody that she could rely on. That is why she makes bad choices regarding men. She attaches to Bauers like to her own family, but when they escape and leave her on her own she does terrible thing, which changes their lives forever…

And little Pepik, sweet and innocent boy…symbolizes every child put on Kindertransport. His future was determined by that terrifying experience. He was the only War survivor of Bauers family.

Many people would ask why Jews did not escape when they had a chance, why some of them were so stubborn to stay although danger was so huge. In fact, many of them had exit visa but they did not use it. Firstly, they did not expect that Hitler would put them to death camps… nobody would anticipate it. In Czechoslovakia Jews enjoyed decades of prosperity and peace and could not believe in Nazi’s extermination plans. Secondly, they were Germans, Czechs or Poles and why should they give up on their homelands and homes they built for many years. The last but not the least, for centuries Jews got used to living through various hardships and they always survived. When War started they thought that time would be the same. 

The connection between narrator and the story is so astonishing and makes this book so special.

Cover of the book is amazing! Humble and meaningful, at the same time.

Far To Go seems innocent at first, but in fact it is very powerful book. There are two kinds of books: those that only entertain and those that teach. Far To Go teaches about history and human nature. I am so grateful that I had a chance to read it.

Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann

“He did not believe in nothing, said Humboldt tickly. He believed in the abundance and richness of nature”

                                                                                           

I simply fell in love with Measuring the World! A book about science but written like a fairy tale. This historical novel made me wreathed in smiles. Who would imagine that a book can give so much joy?  

                                                                                      

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, two scientists set out to measure the world. Alexander von Humboldt was a naturalist and a geographer. He spent his life on travelling and measuring everything on the planet. Every mountain, hill, cave, volcano, even leaves on the trees were of the most importance for him. He would sacrifice his own body for the sake of science. That is why he drank poison to determine its toxicity.  On the other hand, Carl Friedrich Gauss was a mathematician and a physicist focusing on number theory, geometry and magnetism. Working at home was his way of exploring the world. He preferred to use his imagination over experiment to prove theories.

The approach to "the measuring the world" was not the only thing contrasted those two geniuses of Enlightenment. Humboldt was an aristocrat, who received the best education. Gauss was son of an illiterate parents and his village teacher was not a highly intelligent man. Further, they could not be more different in terms of relations with women. There was nothing more important than science for Humboldt; women could not distract his attention from measuring another piece of the Earth. In other words, he preferred romance with science rather than romance with women.  On the contrary, Gauss could not imagine life without women; he had a lover and he married twice. Nevertheless, science was the biggest love of his life. He postponed his wedding night to write down the idea that just came to his mind.

So what Humboldt and Gauss had in common besides love for science? Both of them were extremely lonely. There was no one in their lives to share their passions with. Simply, nobody was smart enough to become their companion. When Gauss proposed to Johanna for the first time, he was refused. She said that it was not personal, but “she doubt anyone could exist side by side with him”.  In fact, home “meant nothing to him”. He was deeply disappointed with his six children who were nothing like him. Another thing connecting two scientists was terrifying vision that they would not go any further; the limits were sources of their unhappiness. There is nothing worse for scientists than the inability to do more research.

Measuring the World is comic and ironic. When Gauss realized that barber pulled wrong tooth he thought “he would have given his soul to live a hundred years when there would be medications for pain and doctors who deserved the name”.  When Humboldt was in intimate situation with a woman he was asking himself “how she could fail to understand he was in hell”…the only thing he was concerned with “was a tree he had never inspected until now”. Since their lives were all about science they had to question the existence of God: “God created you the way you were, but then you were supposed to spend your life perpetually apologizing to Him. It wasn’t logical”.

I am deeply impressed with Kehlmann’s writing skills. His humor steals your heart and the only thing you can do is to smile. It is worth noting that he published Measuring the World when he was only 32.

There is something magical and sweet about this novel. Wouldn’t the world be better place to live, if we could read more books like this?