Review: The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It

The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It by Ricki Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*Please note I won this via Goodreads Giveaways.*

Melissa's Musings

This book is really well written. Being that it deals with gene therapy, it has a lot of scientific background in it. I've taken biology a few times. Once in high school, once when getting my BA, and once when going back to school to get an associate's degree to be able to do a work exchange program. I took it so many times not because I didn't get it, but because it is easiest science to digest, IMO. So. I learned multiple times over about brain body connections, proteins, DNA, axons, neurons, etc. All of which helped me in reading this book.

Although, I will say, that this is written in such a way that even if you don't have much scientific background, it's still easy enough to understand.

I honestly thought this would be more of a third party memoir, about Corey, the boy who's treatment "saved" gene therapy. But it doesn't focus on him nearly as much as I thought it would. Instead it's more of a combination of short chapters on a variety of people and the disorders they live with, and some of them, ultimately die from.

As easy as this was to read, I do have to admit that I was less invested in Corey's story by the end. I skimmed over the last few pages of the book. He still had a way to go in his treatment from the sound of things, since they only did the gene therapy on one eye, so it would be interesting to find out where he is at in that process these days.

Even though this was less memoir and more scientific than I was hoping, it's still a great read.

Have you ever researched gene therapy, or read any books on it?

Review: Playing the Bully:

Playing the Bully: by Esther Sokolov Fine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

*Please note, I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways.*

Melissa's Musings:

This book is very straightforward and the messages are clear:

"Bullying isn't nice."

"People don't like bullies"

"Families are all different."

The messages are good for children to learn, but I do feel that they could have been explored just a bit more. The writing felt too young for the ages of the characters. They are between 7 and 9, and the writing feels as though it's meant for kindergartners.

I was bullied and teased as a kid, because having a disability made me different from the other kids, and they didn't know how to handle it. In this case, Penny just seems mean and spiteful for no real reason, but I got the impression that the author was trying to have some of Penny's behavior and attitude mimic her dad's to show that behaviors are learned,.

There are good displays of problem solving, talking things out etc.

But, at the end of the story Penny is still a bully. Her behaviors haven't changed, and the lessons haven't sunken in. This also ends really abruptly, with no real resolution.

Were you ever bullied? How did you handle it?

Review: Mad Blood Stirring: The Inner Lives of Violent Men

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Review: The Boat People

The Boat People by Sharon Bala
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

*Please note I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways*

This book was difficult for me to engage with. I felt no emotional connection to the characters. Their story was told with a detached blandness, that made it hard to relate.

I could relate on a minor level, given that I immigrated to Canada, myself. But, I was not a refugee, so my experience was quite different.

I was also a little irked that it seemed the characters felt they should automatically be allowed to stay because they took a chance coming to Canada.

Now, I understand that these characters were escaping dire conditions. And I have absolutely no problem with people seeking asylum, let me be very clear on that. But, there are means and ways of doing that, which involve more than just paying and seeking passage on a ship.

I went through the proper process. I completed a medical exam, 2 sets of background checks (US and Canadian,) filled out a variety of forms, and even had to write a personal statement of my 12 year relationship with my husband. At final submission, my file was 102 pages. And I was still afraid that I would be turned down, for one reason or another. It's scary to think that a government can hold the fate of your life, your marriage, in their hands.

And, equally as scary, my own file was closed because of an error in the paperwork. An incorrect email address on file, and a missed communication about paying my right to permanent residence fee.

Luckily I had an excellent lawyer who fought to get my file reopened. And, almost 2 years ago, I became a permanent resident of Canada and was able to properly start my life with my husband.

So, I can relate to the characters impatience with the waiting, and the bureaucracy of the process. But, at the same time I understand the necessity of it. So impatience of the characters grated on me a bit.

I appreciated the familiarity of the setting, Burnaby, New West, and Richmond. I live on the edge of Burnaby and Coquitlam, so could visualize the physical settings of BC well when they were mentioned.

I also enjoyed the brief scenes with Sellian. He brought some color to the greyness of this story. It was refreshing to see Canada through his eyes.

Another reason I had a difficult time engaging with this story is the writing style. The jumping back and forth between three families, plus time shifts between past and present was too jarring. I also felt that the stories of the refugees were entirely too bland and detached for me to feel any emotion.

I also really felt that the chapters with Grace's perspective were uneccessary. And even Priya's for that matter. I understand the author is trying to bring multiple perspectives onto important social issues. But the intermixing of these three different stories made it feel unfocused, as though she were trying entirely too hard to make a point that just didn't come across well.

Review: Summy and Izzy in a Tizzy

Summy and Izzy in a Tizzy by THEA LYNN PAUL
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Melissa's Musings:

*I won a copy of this via Goodreads Giveaways*

This is a short and simple children's book. It has a nice rhyming scheme that works well for new readers. The story is very basic, I felt there could have been a little more to it.

The interesting thing about the illustrations is that they are done with alcohol inks, which gives them a very unique look.

I imagine I'll be passing this book on to my youngest niece when she is old enough to read.

Do you have a favorite children's book?

Review: Rose of Raby

Rose of Raby: The First and Second Books in a Saga about the Yorks, Lancasters and Nevilles, Whose Family Feud Started the Cousin's War, Now Known as the Wars of the Roses, Told by Cecily Cecylee Neville (1415-1495), the Thwarted Queen by Cynthia Sally Haggard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Date Read: December 31, 2017

Melissa's Musings:

This was a unique read for me in that I don't normally read books written in this time period. The stories were short and to the point, very simple. They were also quite informative. I didn't particularly feel any emotional attachment as I was reading these, but still enjoyed them well enough. I also appreciate that they were written in modern English, and not geared more toward the language of the time.

I certainly can't imagine what it must have been like to be promised to someone at only 9 years old, but I was grateful for Cecylee that she was able to delay her marriage as she had wished to do, and retained her childhood. I was quite surprised that she fell for the archer, especially since Richard seemed to love her.

*Please note, I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways*

Review: Frat Girl

Frat Girl by Kiley Roache
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Dates Read: December 30-31

Melissa's Musings

The sociologist in me loved this book. It features Cassie Davis, a high school student from Indiana, who comes up with an interesting way to earn the first year of a scholarship to a prestigious college. Conduct a social experiment in order to conduct research on culture inside a frat house, social norms within Greek organizations, and potentially disband the frat. What she doesn't anticipate is the far reaching effects, both on her personal life, and the lives of the fraternity brothers.

My own college experience was far removed from Cassie's. I didn't go to any frat parties, I only had a few friends. But I could definitely still relate on some levels. I lived in coed dorms all four years, so there was the general banter between all of us, that's similar to the banter between Cassie and her "brothers".

My sophmore year of college I had a roomate much like Leighton. Complete with Louis Vuitton luggage, and the haughty attitude that said she felt she was much too good to be sharing a room with the likes of me. I endured the riduculous screeching of her sorority sisters when they stopped by our room and I happened to be there. Frat boys sleeping over, and the ridiculous drama that came with too much drinking, (Hers, not mine) Needless to say, I had a single room for the remainder of my college life because the experiences with this roomate were not ones I wanted to suffer through again.

Cassie as a character is probably not too much like me personally, other than studying sociology and gender issues. I'm not a girly girl, and she seems to be one, at least on some level. But I do like her edginess. She stands up for what she feels is right, and doesn't give a fuck about it.

So much so that at one point she almost blows her entire experiment when she bursts out of an interview room to talk to one of the subjects after the recount a painful experience. The researcher in me was thinking "Oh no, what are you doing?!?! The other part was thinking "I probably would have done the same thing.

The author does a nice job of intermixing formal writing, for the research parts of the story, and the parts that deal with some of the heavier subject matter when the characters are discussing feminism, and keeping it real, and genuine. Although I really could have done without the use of the word "fuckbois". That's just an annoying textspeak term to me, but I see why she used it.

As Cassie gets more involved both with pledging, and with her project, you can tell that its going to be difficult to see how this all will turn out. She gets personally involved, which I know would be hard not to do, social experiment or not. But, because of the experiment, her experiences and friendships are based on mistruths.

The "relationship" she has with Connor is stereotypical. He only wants one thing, and turns into an ass when she says no. Her relationship with Jordan is sweeter. Though I didn't find it overly ridiculous, like it could have been. It felt just right.

I also really liked Duncan's character. He's the perfect mixture of a macho football player but someone who also cares about people. Cassie really seems to have an impact on him, as is apparent in one of his last scenes in the book.

The serious subjects of the book are important, and dealt with well. This also gave me some serious laughs. Since this is an ARC, I can't quote directly, because I can't compare with the finished book, but lets just say there is a scene where the frat brothers talk about "laying eggs" that had me laughing pretty hard.

The twist from Peter at the end isn't really one I had expected, but I definitely appreciated it. On the level of the impact of Cassie's influence, and on a personal level, I agreed with what he had to say.

Given that Cassie has to propose a new project each year to maintain her scholarship, I think there's room for Roache to continue with these characters and I wouldn't be disappointed to see more of them, but I imagine it'd be difficult to maintain the quality and keep it fresh like this was.

Does anyone have any college stories they'd like to share? Do you think you might consider reading Frat Girl?

*I won a copy of this via Goodreads Giveaways*

Review: How To Kill A Narcissist: Debunking The Myth Of Narcissism And Recovering From Narcissistic Abuse

How To Kill A Narcissist: Debunking The Myth Of Narcissism And Recovering From Narcissistic Abuse by J.H. Simon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Melissa's Musings

Narcisissm is an ugly beast.The reason I decided to enter the giveaway for this book in the first place is because there are some people in my life who display narcissistic tendencies, and I'm sure I've been affected by them. So, I was looking for information on how to resolve some of the issues my experiences with these people have created for me.

 While the author does an okay (albeit overly repetitive) job of explaining the cycle of the narcissist and their shame feeding cycle, this book left me feeling disappointed. There is entirely too much repetition of how a narcissist pulls in a "target" shames them, ridicules them, gives them a little bit of love to keep them coming back and then starts the process all over again.

I had a feeling that I might not enjoy this quite so much when there was an actual clarifying sentence in the book that this book was not actually about killing someone. That killed the hope for me. If you have to take time to clarify that, it seems that you're making the assumption that readers aren't intelligent enough to figure that out themselves.

I was hoping that this would focus more on how to overcome the influence of a narcissist, and how to heal from that, since that's what the main claim of the book is. But, it feels like this portion of the book was shortchanged. The information is very general, and not supported by discernible research. The author also doesn't appear to have any formal credentials of their own, which may account for the lack of research.

There is a list of resources at the back of the book, which I appreciated, but I recall only maybe one or two of these being mentioned.

My attention started to wane around page 90. I pushed through because I was curious to see the practices that were going to be explored for the purposes of healing.

Again, these are very general and simplistic. The tone of the book felt very pushy, rather than informative.

If you don't have much experience with narcissim, and are looking for a general place to start, and an easy read you might try this. But, if you're looking for concrete research, or more than general platitudes, this isn't the book for you.

Does anyone have any other books they'd recommend? Or personal experiences they'd like to share on the subject?

*Please note, I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways.*

Review: The Cottage at Glass Beach

Title: The Cottage at Glass Beach

Author: Heather Barbieri

Series: N/A

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: May 15,2012

Format: ARC

Pages: 302

Dates Read: March 13-16 2016

Source: Won via Goodreads First Reads

Add on Goodreads

My Rating: 3 Stars

Snippet That Stuck With Me:

Synopsis:

Married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts state history, Nora Cunningham is a picture-perfect political wife and a doting mother. But her carefully constructed life falls to pieces when she, along with the rest of the world, learns of the infidelity of her husband, Malcolm.

Humiliated and hounded by the press, Nora packs up her daughters—Annie, seven; and Ella, twelve—and takes refuge on Burke's Island, a craggy spit of land off the coast of Maine. Settled by Irish immigrants, the island is a place where superstition and magic are carried on the ocean winds, and wishes and dreams wash ashore with the changing tides.

Nora spent her first five years on the island but has not been back to the remote community for decades—not since that long ago summer when her mother disappeared at sea. One night while sitting alone on Glass Beach below the cottage where she spent her childhood, Nora succumbs to grief, her tears flowing into the ocean. Days later she finds an enigmatic fisherman named Owen Kavanagh shipwrecked on the rocks nearby. Is he, as her aunt's friend Polly suggests, a selkie—a mythical being of island legend—summoned by her heartbreak, or simply someone who, like Nora, is trying to find his way in the wake of his own personal struggles?

Just as she begins to regain her balance, her daughters embark on a reckless odyssey of their own—a journey that will force Nora to find the courage to chart her own course and finally face the truth about her marriage, her mother, and her long-buried past. 

Melissa's Musings:

This book has an easy, rolling quality to it, like the waves coming in with the tide.

It's easy to get pulled in to the world, and to lose yourself in the story as Nora steals away with her daughters, Ella and Annie, to Burke's island to try and protect them from the scandal of her husband, the youngest attorney general in their state.

The island and the inhabitants were probably my favorite part of the book as a whole. There are a lot of interesting characters here, and the fact that there is a lot of Irish history tied to the island gave the supporting characters easygoing, likeable qualities. The island itself is described beautifully, and is easy to picture as you read.

The story moves back and forth, telling bits of the present day, intermixed with pieces of Nora's past. I liked the sequencing, but I honestly wish there had been more buildup of Nora's past. I felt that there was too much kept behind closed doors, so that at the end, you were left dangling, trying to believe too much of what happens in the last chapter is Noras story coming full circle through her daughters, when you don't get enough of a sense of her story in the first place. 

There are elements of magic to the story, but I don't feel that they resolve themselves, so you're left trying to fill in the blanks yourself.

I am curious to know what happens to these characters, but this story isn't really the kind that lends itself to a sequel, unfortunately.

Have you read this? Any other beach reads that you would recommend?

Say it with Success: Foolproof Ways to Improve Your Presentation by Shannon Alter CPM

Title:  Say it With Success:  Foolproof Ways 

to Improve Your Presentation

Author: Shannon Alter, CPM

Publisher: Infinity Publishing (PA)

Published: May 21, 2010

Format: Paperback

Pages: 90

Source: Won Through Goodreads First Reads

Read:  November 8-9 2012

In A Few Words: Short and to the Point

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add This Book to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Even if public speaking isn't your day job, fear can get the better of you. Approximately 75% of Americans fear public speaking over just about anything else. Whatever your goals are, you too can learn to become calm and relaxed in front of any audience. No matter whether you are a business professional, association executive or a college student, this book will give you the skills you'll need to become comfortable delivering any type of meeting, talk, speech or presentation to any size group. It's true that there is an art to making presentations-and you can master it!

Melissa's Musings:

This review will be short and to the point just like this book was. 

This was a valuable resource for someone who is relatively new to public speaking. There are a lot of different aspects of tips and tricks that are explored. This covers everything from the amount of time you should put into presentations, to body language, to speaking engagements in foreign countries.

The book is broken down in easy to read sections. They all have clear, concise information, including well noted statistics.  The most valuable section to me seemed to be the section that talked about how to go about presenting/speaking when in a foreign country. There are a lot of useful ideas about the small details that help presentations run smoothly.

The one thing I was disappointed about has to do with one of the authors' main points. She states a few times that presenters should weave examples and anecdotes from their own lives into their presentations, but I found that the book was lacking this very thing. She gave a few really general examples, but I was hoping for something more personal or something I could more easily relate to.

I wouldn't say that I learned anything mind bending by reading this but a  lot of ideas from past experiences were reinforced like the method of organizing a speech to : Tell them what you're going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.

If you have a presentation to do you could pick this book up for some quick ideas on how to organize it.

Catastrophically Consequential is Catastrophic Alright

Title: Catastrophically Consequential

Author: Stephen C. Bird

Publisher: Hysterical  Dementia

Published: February 16 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 152

Source: Won in a Goodreads Giveaway

Read: August 19, 2012

In A Few Words: Weird, Slightly Offensive

My Rating: 1 star

Goodreads:  Add this to your TBR pile

Goodreads Synopsyis:

This prequel-sequel to "Hideous Exuberance" incorporates non-linear plots; comical rants and disturbing inner monologues; stream of consciousness dream sequences; psychedelic, surrealistic scenarios and time-traveling characters.  Revel in the chaotic confusion of sociopathic celebrities, suburban swingers, suicidal trust fund girls, decadent jet setters, D-list standup comics, medieval princesses, sinister passive-aggressive jokers, "Evilangelists", and a host of other lost souls and disreputable, vindictive losers, as they search in vain for metaphysical clarity.

Please refer to the Blog Posting on the Stephen C. Bird Author Profile Page for Quotes from Goodreads Reviews for "Catastrophically Consequential".

Melissa's Musings:

This book is bizarre. Almost as bizarre as The Sugar Frosted Nutsack. Almost. Catastrophically Consequential, at the very least didn't make me want to bang my head into a wall because it basically repeated itself all the way through.

No,  this book had a variable story. But it failed to catch my attention.

It's full of ridiculous puns. Not even clever ones. Just a bunch of words that are misspelled and made to look like they're clever. There are plenty of random name droppings and strange associations too.

And then there's an entire chapter that's written in text-speak. That made me want to gouge out my eyes. And the chapter after that is written in redneck speak. Just as bad.

I understand that the book is supposed to be satirical, but in some spots this was just down right offensive, covered in thinly veiled jokes. I won't go into specifics because I don't want to upset any readers, but I'll just say be warned. There are also some semi-gruesome violent descriptions in this book as well.

It definitely lives up to it's name being that it's catastrophic, but as for consequential, I'm not sure....

I don't even know who I would recommend this to other than someone who likes bizarro fiction, which, I guess I'm learning from reading this, that I don't.

Review: The Sugar Frosted Nutsack by Mark Leyner

Title: The Sugar Frosted Nutsack

Author: Mark Leyner

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published: March 26 2012

Format: Hardcover

Source: Won from Goodreads

First Reads

Read: July 17-23

In A Few Words: Utterly ridiculous and bizarre

My rating: 1 star

Goodreads: Add it to your to-read shelf

Goodreads  Snyopsis: High above the bustling streets of Dubai, in the world's tallest and most luxurious skyscraper, reside the gods and goddesses of the modern world. Since they emerged 14 billion years ago from a bus blaring a tune remarkably similar to the Mister Softee jingle, they've wreaked mischief and havoc on mankind. Unable to control their jealousies, the gods have splintered into several factions, led by the immortal enemies XOXO, Shanice, La Felina, Fast-Cooking Ali, and Mogul Magoo. Ike Karton, an unemployed butcher from New Jersey, is their current obsession.

Ritualistically recited by a cast of drug-addled bards, THE SUGAR FROSTED NUTSACK is Ike's epic story. A raucous tale of gods and men confronting lust, ambition, death, and the eternal verities, it is a wildly fun, wickedly fast gambol through the unmapped corridors of the imagination.

Melissa's Musings:

I don't even know how to begin this review. First off, let me tell you that this book is one of the most ridiculous, pointless things I have ever read.

The first thirty pages talk over and over about various gods who are in charge of random things, like chicken tenders and fibromyalgia, and who are all in some sort of weird lust competition with each other. Honestly, I don't know why I even kept going beyond the first 30 pages.

As you read, you learn about XOXO another god, who secretly is trying to sabotage this whole epic story, by inscribing on your brain whatever it is that he wants you to know. (Where the epic of it is, I honestly don't know. I'm not being snide or snarky here either, it's just the fact that this 'story' makes no sense.)

The story then gets into the background of Ike Karton, a strange man from New Jersey, who already knows that he's going to be assassinated in a week's time by some secret militant group.

Honestly, I don't even know what to say about this. It resembles the ramblings of a highly schizophrenic person. If not that then another way I could describe it would be to say that maybe it's someone on a bad acid trip or something. The main character Ike, smokes highly potent gravy, (not a code word for drugs here, it's actually described as normal brown gravy) throughout the book, so the bad trip theory is at least feasible.


I don't know if the author was trying to be somehow philosophical or deep with all of this mumbo jumbo and these random references, and just failed miserably, or if it was just supposed to be funny. Also a big fail there, by the way.

 It's described in weird  fits and starts that really make no sense and seem to have no real connection to each other. There's A LOT  of name dropping, particularly famous name dropping. There's probably well over 100 famous people mentioned.  Since Ike has a list of celebrities that he hates, maybe this is the authors personal celebrity dislike list?

The fact that the book is so repetitive really made me want to bang my head against the wall. I put this down several times because I just couldn't take the nonsense. I would give you an example, but I don't even want to open this book and read any of it again, it's that strange. Just trust me when I say it'll give you a headache.


One of the definitions of insanity is : a foolish or senseless, action, statement, policy, etc. Let me tell you this book is full of insane statements. Some people say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In this case it would be reading the same thing over and over and expecting something different to happen the next time you read it. Maybe that means I'm insane for reading this book, I don't know.


This book only made me laugh once. And the joke wasn't even all that funny. I won't ruin it, but I will tell you that it has to do with Dick Van Dyke.


At this point you're probably wondering why I even finished the book. For one, I hate not finishing books. For another thing, I was really hoping this book would redeem itself somehow. Maybe there would be some deeper meaning, some lesson to be taken away from it. (If there was one, I didn't find it.)


Plus, I'd never read anything by Mark Leyner before, and I heard he's really funny. But, I guess his sense of humor is the kind that you "just get" or you don't. It appears that I'm in the "don't get it" group. I might try another one of his books at some point in the future but that won't be anytime soon.


That's what I get for picking the books with the quirky titles I guess.


I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a challenge, or who might like a lot of random name dropping in their books. Just a warning to anyone who might read this, there's some language that might be offensive and a lot of sexual references.


Has anybody else out there read this? If so what did you think of it?

Review: All The Right Stuff by Walter Dean Myers

Title: All The Right Stuff

Author:  Walter Dean Myers

Publisher:  Amistad

Published: April 24 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 224

Source: Won from Goodreads First Reads 

Read: July 14-15

My Rating: 4 stars

In A Few Words: Meaningful and Insightful

Goodreads: Add it to your to-read shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:  A provocative new novel from the national ambassador for young people's literature and the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Monster"

Who's on top of the social food chain? How do you get ahead? Who makes the rules? Who needs to follow them?

Paul DuPree is working at a soup kitchen in Harlem the summer his father dies, just trying to get by. But Elijah, the soup man, won't stop talking about the social contract and asking Paul questions about heavy-duty things. Paul has never thought about this stuff. He'd rather hang out with Keisha, an unwed teen mom whose basketball skills rival his own.

Then Sly, a notorious Harlem big shot, shows up. Paul is both intrigued and intimidated by Sly and his conspiracy theories, and for once he starts contemplating how you really get ahead in life. As the talk of what-ifs turns into reality, Paul realizes his summer is about more than getting by--it's about taking charge of your life.

Melissa's Musings:

This was a really well written book. Being that I have my BA in Sociology, this was right up my alley.I could really relate to the story in it's entirety. Not just with the characters, but with the themes and lessons as well. The book is all about Paul Dupree's struggle with coming to terms with what social contract theory is, and how it impacts him and the people in his life.

Paul's transformation is slow and gradual, but the change in him at the end is really noticeable. At first, he really doesn't want to have anything to do with Elijah, or what he has to teach him about social contract theory. He claims that "he really doesn't need to know about all that stuff" and that it hurts his head to think about it.

(I agree, social theory often gave me a headache too, when I was learning it!)

But, little by little, he starts to absorb the information, really thinking about it, turning it over in his head, and applying it to his own life and the lives of those around him. He makes some pretty stark and meaningful realizations, the main one being that no matter the hand you're dealt, you are responsible for your own life, and what you do with it.

Here's a quote that really stood out while I was reading and helps support my point above:

"Life is going to be harder for some people. It's going to be harder at different times in our lives.  But, if you're not ready to die today, then you're going to be responsible for tomorrow whether you like it or not." (pg.149)

 I think almost anyone can relate to this. We've all gone through tough times in our lives. But, we are the ones that are responsible for what happens, we are responsible for changing our situation. It may not always be easy, but it can be done.

This is something that I can relate to personally, as I've gone through some trying times as of late. It hasn't been easy and it hasn't been fun, but I'm trying my best to change things. To learn from these things,  grow, and use what I've learned to help me with whatever life throws at me.

And that's what Paul does as well. You can see him struggle as he really tries to decide where certain people    fit in terms of  social contract theory, particularly his father. He doesn't always like the thoughts that he has about him, but you start to see that as a whole, the concept of social contract theory actually gives him something to grab onto, a way to digest and relate his experiences and make it work for his life.

There's also a kind of pay it forward element here too, which I really enjoyed. Paul takes what he's learned and passes it on to Keisha,  the girl he's mentoring, to try and help her out as well.

I think that this book is helpful for young and older adults because the analogies are easy to relate to. I sure could have used this particular story when I was taking Social Theory, it would have helped me have a few less headaches that's for sure.

On a less philosophical, more fun note, there are a lot of delicious soups in here that I would love to make sometime. The fact that Paul is learning all these things through his summer job in a soup kitchen is one of the parts of the book I like most, because I really think that you can learn a lot about life, and about yourself when you learn to do something as simple as cooking under the guise of a wise teacher.

Review: Citizen Scientists Be a Part of Science From Your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns

Title:  Citizen Scientists: Be A Part of Scientific Discovery

From Your Own Backyard

Author: Loree Griffin Burns

Publisher: Henry Holt &Co. (BYR)

Published: February 14, 2012

Format:  Paperback

Pages: 80

Source: Won from Goodreads First Reads

Read: July 9-10th

My Rating:  5 Stars

In A Few Words:  Engaging and  fun

Goodreads: Add it to your To-read shelf

Goodreads Synopsis
Anyone can get involved in gathering data for ongoing, actual scientific studies such as the Audubon Bird Count and FrogWatch USA. Just get out into a field, urban park, or your own backyard. You can put your nose to a monarch pupa or listen for raucous frog calls. You can tally woodpeckers or sweep the grass for ladybugs. This book, full of engaging photos and useful tips, will show you how.



Melissas's Musings:


I have to say right off the bat that this is a great book. It's informative, well written, and most important of all,  fun.

The first thing that caught my eye was the author's definition of citizen science. It's a very basic definition but still important. Burns defines citizen science as: "The study of our world by the people who live in it."

This resonated for me in particular because having my degree in Sociology, I can really relate to that. Granted, Sociology is more narrowly defined, being that it's the scientific study of society and the way it works, but broadly, the two are very similar.

Although the book is meant for children, to help foster their love for learning and studying animals, I really think adults can learn a lot from it too.

The language is easily broken down and well illustrated by lots of pictures and examples of the activity that the author is describing. The author also really promotes getting outside, and doing these different tasks in order to help the various species and the research efforts for each one.

I really enjoyed the structure of the book. It's divided into four sections, one for each of the four seasons, with each season highlighting a different animal. Fall is dedicated to butterflies, Winter to birds, Spring to frogs, and Summer to ladybugs. There are also quizzes at the end of each section. Plus there's an extensive list of resources and an excellent glossary at the back of the book as well.

I believe that this book is geared toward ages 10-12 but I really think that any age child can enjoy it, even if it just means looking at the photos. The photos, by the way are beautiful and varied.

I'd recommend this to anyone who has a curious youngster (or who may just be curious themselves) who wants to learn about these animals.

*Please note that I won this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads Program*