Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil

#849
Title: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil
Author: Tom Mueller
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Year: 2011
238 pages

A very enjoyable natural and political history of olive oil. It has inspired me to spring for a can of Merula and begin to sample oils at a local specialty store.

On the down side, the audiobook reader is not up to par. He mispronounces words like "cuneiform" and engages in sporadic yet really annoying voice characterizations. The last hour or so of the audio is the glossary and website list being read aloud. Attach it as a PDF and be done. Please.

This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President

#848
Title: This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President
Author: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2009
315 pages

Memoir and history intertwine here, usually engagingly and sometimes with a degree of detail that's a little boring to those not conversant with recent Liberian politics. Still, Sirleaf has had an amazing life with surprisingly good outcomes, considering how chutzpahdik she's been when confronted by threats of imminent torture, rape, or death. It's quite an astonishing story.

Read with Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones to see how the Charles Taylor years affected nearby countries, and with The House at Sugar Beach for another, and different, story of a "Congo" woman surviving the Liberian conflicts.

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks

#847
Title: Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks
Author: Ken Jennings
Publisher: Scribner
Year: 2011
276 pages

It's about, well, maps. And a little about the history of cartography. And the geography bee. And Jennings's childhood. If you thought one of the best aspects of Dungeons & Dragons was creating the terrain on hex paper, you'll enjoy this.

I was shocked to discover one day that my recently-purchased world map was missing Bahrain. Over time, I determined that 6 countries had been omitted. I'm not talking Palestine or the then-not-yet segmented Sudan, but countries like Cape Verde. I tore it down and bought a new world map. If you'd have done so, too, you'll enjoy this book.

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

#846
Title: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
Author: Jeanette Winterson
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic
Year: 2011/2012
230 pages

A fascinating autobiography that illuminates the author's Oranges are Not the Only Fruit. Winterson knows how to turn a phrase, and though this story sometimes spends too long on philosophical abstractions and psychodynamic interpretation as it nears its end, it still holds together nicely. A good adoption narrative in its own right, and one requiring a level of detective perseverance on the author's part that is reminiscent of Homes's in The Mistress's Daughter. 

Distrust That Particular Flavor

#845
Title: Distrust That Particular Flavor
Author: William Gibson
Publisher: Putnam
Year: 2012
272 pages

Essays, with afterwords, on a pretty good range of topics. There are some fun ideas, but the best reason to read this collection is Gibson’s quirky and pleasing language. After reading this I’m more likely to re-read some of his post-Sprawl novels, many of which have struck me as similar to leafing through a Williams-Sonoma catalogue while waiting for a plot to arrive.

Golden Bones: An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America

#844
Title: Golden Bones: An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America
Author: Sichan Siv
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Year: 2009
352 pages

Siv’s memoir begins in his childhood; by the time of the Khmer Rouge takeover he was an adult. Thus, his memoir provides a different perspective from those of writers such as Loung Ung, whose stories of this period reflect a child’s perspective. I enjoyed reading about Siv’s trajectory from refugee to government official in the US. Of less reading pleasure was his jingoistic conservatism and Bush boosterism. I wonder how he would feel if, reading my hypothetical memoir, he read that I agreed with President X’s values of xenophobia and not spending US dollars on refugees; perhaps he’d know then how I felt when reading his praise of the Republican version of “family values” that exclude my family.

Understanding Everyday Setswana: A Vocabulary and Reference Book: Tlotlofoko Le Kumako Buka (5th ed.)

#843
Title: Understanding Everyday Setswana: A Vocabulary and Reference Book: Tlotlofoko Le Kumako Buka (5th ed.)
Author: Pam Wilken
Publisher: Maskew Miller Longman
Year: 1994/2009
100 pages

This appears to be geared to English-speaking South Africans. There are some puzzling vocabulary choices and omissions, and no grammar notes at all, which was surprising. There's very little vocabulary that reflects the practices (for example, foods or aspects of village life) of Batswana. However, it's functionally the only somewhat easily accessible Setswana guide.