MS. HENEGHAN’S PICKS May 27, 2008
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Reading Recommendations.trackback
Here is the full text of Ms. Heneghan’s reviews of her summer reading suggestions. We didn’t have room to print all of it in the our booklet.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
Three Cups of Tea is the inspiring journey of mountain climber Greg Mortenson, who develops a relationship with the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan following his failed attempt in 1993 to summit a peak in the Karakoram Mountains. Mortenson loses his way on the journey down the mountain and is brought back to health by villagers in Korphe, Pakistan. Mortenson returns home and works as a nurse and fledgling fund-raiser in order to raise $12,000 to build a school in Korphe. Since the struggle to build that first school, his organization, The Central Asia Institute, and an off-shoot program, Pennies for Peace, has worked to build over fifty-five schools in an area that has been dominated by the Taliban. The school building projects have a strong focus on educating girls and balancing out the religious extremism taught by Taliban led schools. The work and life of Greg Mortenson is fascinating and inspiring.
My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud ‘homme
The memoir of American born French chef Julia Child is an amazing story. Child was an unlikely candidate for the print and television star she became with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and tv show The French Chef. She was born in 1912 to an upper middle-class, conservative family in Pasadena, California. Because she had an adventurous nature, she joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS, the precursor to the CIA) in 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She then accepted jobs with the OSS in Washington, D.C, Sri Lanka and China. Child met her husband, artist and intellectual Paul Child, in Sri Lanka during World War II and together they accepted a post in 1948 in France. The memoir focuses on their years in France from 1948-1954 in Paris, Marseille and Provence. At the age of 36, newlywed Julia Child knew nothing about cooking and did not speak French, but she fell in love with French food and culture. A wonderful, fun and engaging book that takes us on a journey into post-war Europe, to the famous Cordon Bleu cooking school and through the writing and publishing process of a cookbook that revolutionized American cuisine. In this memoir we have the opportunity to witness the creation of a fascinating person and great master chef.
Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness by Donna Farhi
Donna Farhi unites teachings from various schools of yoga in this book. She presents the basic principles of yoga philosophy, breath work and physical practice. Farhi is a gifted yoga instructor and writer who gives detailed instruction on moving in and out of yoga postures. The book provides clear anatomical drawings and photographs that illustrate proper alignment – the text and illustrations are great for beginners and experienced yogis. Donna Farhi offers her insights about meditation, the nature of the mind and the process of engaging the whole body. A book to read eagerly the first time, and then to refer back to for many years to come.
Also, a yoga student in my morning class is reading Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler and suggested Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I have already added those two novels to my summer reading list. I want to read more novels since tend to get caught up in biographies and other non-fiction.
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