Welcome To My Country by Lauren Slater

I am drawn to memoirs, especially associated with mental illness. To be inside the head of someone suffering from a disorder allows for a level of understanding that is unmatched by textbook facts on symptoms and treatments.

"Welcome to my country" is 80% wonderful. Lauren is a first-year counselor in a group home for schizophrenic men. Her fears-to-concerns-to-comfort spectrum show the emotions we've been warned first-year counselors go through "is this good enoug" "can i really help" "why are there no results".....

The problem with a memoir is that there's a part of a person that you really don't care about-- you still get it in writing, and have to schlep through it to get to the parts you like. Flashbacks to her adolescent, eating disorder years and her own desire for control just as her patients strive for it as well worried me-- not that everyone magically becomes perfect when they've gotten an MA or PhD, but that if these issues are resolved, tehy should not play so actively into the counseling relationship.

The family history her patients present makes you worry and think all at once. Some mental disorders are so engranded in envornment, others spring up randomly. Makes you never want to have kids, really.

Bottom line: I have total respect for those who do, but no desire to work with scizophrenics. Or in a group home. A dorky delicacy, but not for typical consumption..

Into the Wild: the Conclusion

So today is the march for life, so a lot of students are out. Because of this I am allowing my students to have a reading day. I think reading is important, and if we don’t model it for them, they see no reason to do it, so there I am, in my chair, front of the room, reading with them. I just finished Into the Wild for the second time, and I’m nearly crying. There are few surprises in the book, especially after having already read it, but there is still something that speaks to the reader, particularly if the reader feels for Chris McCandless.

As the cover states, in April of 1992, Chris McCandless walked into the Alaskan Wilderness after tramping around the country for two years. His body was found four months later. The mystery that builds is not a question of what happened to McCandless as much as why did it happen, and why did he do it. The story of McCandless has resonated with my students, but a large number of them cannot fathom why a man would do these things; the first answer is almost always “mental illness”. What could inspire a man to leave his family, give up his money and most of his belongings, for some grand dream of … something? Krakauer looks to the story of Chris, the people he met along his “quest”, the journal he wrote throughout, as well as the accounts of other men who’ve gone on similar journeys to try to get an answer; he goes so far as to tell his own story of hubris in trying to climb The Devil’s Thumb.

I have to say I admire what McCandless did. I could not leave my wife, or abandon my family the way he does; I also, however, see this as one of the downsides of relationship in general. I am big on freedom and choosing ones own path, but with that comes the realization, at least for me, that I must give up some of my freedoms for other things. McCandless simply does not do this, and the reason most would disagree with him is because it is easier for them to identify with the victims of this choice: the family and friends that are left behind. By becoming angry with McCandless for being selfish in his decision only supports the selfish views of the people that say he is selfish. “How could he do that do his family” could easily be argued with “how could his family prevent him from doing what he needed to do.”

I don’t think I would ever go off into the wild to live by myself, on my own, or even could. I would however love to find out how to live a bit more independently, and I don’t think my wife would completely disagree. We like having access to people, but don’t like having them around all the time, and McCandless, at his roots, believed the same thing (as witnessed in his constant relationships and repeated returns to society).

I would love being able to live independently; without a need for a job, or so many of the requirements that we really seem to put upon ourselves. And I, like the man, Rosellini, from the book, believe that humans may have gone too far (at least Americans) in that we can no longer live solely off the land. We have become a powerful tribe that needs the people around them to survive. I don’t like needing; I’ve always preferred wanting.

Who is Cacciato?

I'm really confused... I know, I know... Book #5 was supposed to be lighter and all, but it is definitely not. Exhibit A is the fact that its been almost a week since I finished my last book, because it has really taken some effort to get into Going After Cacciato, which I'm really only about 20% of the way into right now. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that it has taken some effort to get Going After Cacciato. I thought it would be a nice contrast to The Eden Express, since they both happen at essentially the same time, they're both pretty male-centric, and most of the story happens in the woods. I didn't realize that they both also have pretty heavy themes of distinguishing reality from perception. It is definitely not a book to only read just before bed. Partly because I need more brain power than I typically have by that time of night, and also partly because its not at all good for having pleasant dreams. I really like Tim O'brien and his descriptions of the humanity of the Vietnam War, which makes it significantly easier to get into, and I trust that it'll start to come together as we go along here... But at the moment, I'm confused.

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

I think that we all know good design when we see it, but what are the basic visual principles that are common to good design? And how can I become more creative with my own work?

The Non-Designer's Design Book, by Robin Williams, is one of the most practical, useful books I have read in my entire life. I refer to it just about every other week, and it never fails to inspire and inform me to new heights of visual creativity. Whether you create documents for business or pleasure, you would do well to read this accessible and charming guide to the basics of typography and document design. The book is filled with easy-to-understand illustrations of the principles she teaches, and the author even provides you with quizzes to test your understanding.

The first part of the book is organized according to the four principles of design: Proximity, Alignment, Repetition, and Contrast. In the second part, she addresses the basics of type setting, such as how to achieve “contrast” instead of “conflict.” After reading this book, I use font size more boldly and occasionally accent my handouts with scripts. The author’s promise, made on the back of the book, has actually come true for me: I feel that my documents look more professional, organized, unified, and interesting. And I myself feel more empowered!

Philosophers and pseudo-intellectuals out there will also find the book refreshing. Is art truly in the eye of the beholder? What does font choice say about a person, a time period, a culture? To what extent can layout be used to make an argument, and how does it affect the way we read text?

I used to think that personal preference played a much larger role in determining the appeal of an image or design, but the author provides insights that seem universal. In the examples she provides, it’s hard to disagree with her rationale for choosing one layout over another, and yet you still leave the book feeling that there are infinite possibilities for creativity. (After all, if it really were that cut and dry, there would only be a few good designs out there, right?)

This book has lead me to the broader realization that many plans and projects fail not by effort or ability, but by design. And this is why you cannot afford to miss out on advice like the kind provided in this book.

- Charlie

Introducing... Charlie!

I have accepted the invitation of Matt and Kate to join this project, because I admire their intentions and because I had already planned on reading a few books myself this year. You might think of me as their sidekick – they will take on 25 books each, and myself more like 10. Although I begin without anywhere near the same level of commitment, I hope that my posts will be worth the time it takes to read them.

I should note briefly why this is such an unusual project for me. I tend to read like a scavenger – bits and pieces, a chapter here, ten pages there – from about ten or fifteen books at a time. Finishing an entire book, for me, is quite rare.

Anyways, on to the readings!