A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

#82
Title: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy SoldierAuthor: Ishmael Beah
Publisher: Farrar Straus and Giroux
Year: 2007
Genre: Memoir, war, Africa
229 pages

A searing memoir by a Sierra Leonean boy soldier. He writes clearly and directly about his horrific experiences, often in simple yet beautiful passages. I've read a reasonable number of memoirs by child war victims, but few by young people who, like Beah, actively participated as combatants. I highly recommend this memoir; I will teach with it as soon as I have a chance.

Succeed in Business: Vietnam (Culture Shock!)

#81
Title: Succeed in Business: Vietnam (Culture Shock!)Author: Kevin Chambers
Publisher: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company
Year: 1997
Genre: Business
240 pages

I'm not a business person, so it's always fascinating to read a text that thinks unbridled development and commerce is good for a country. Yes, Vietnam certainly has cumbersome, Byzantine, and corrupt business and governmental practices. However, Chambers seems to be of the opinion that any regulation is a problem. Indeed, Chambers seems to have a low opinion of Vietnam in general (at least from a business standpoint), so those intending to do business in Vietnam probably should consult other sources for a less negative cultural perspective.

As Chambers notes, government offices, policies, and laws change frequently in Vietnam. Thus, with a 1997 publication date on the newest edition, much of this book is superseded. The reader's difficulty in mapping the contents onto contemporary Vietnam will be magnified by both the passage of time and Chambers' disorganized presentation (for example, basic information such as the currency is presented on page 822, though it's been referred to several times before that). The map on page 12, featuring the "Gulf of Tongking" (sic) does not inspire confidence, nor the reference to "Toule Sap" (sic) elsewhere.

The vest features of the book are the cultural observations, especially as they affect business transactions. Thus, while it's helpful to know that food taken from a communal bowl should be placed on one's own plate before being eaten, this information is available elsewhere. In contrast, Chambers' observation that "there is also the common view among Vietnamese that the terms of a contract lose validity when the original signers and deal-makers change" (p. 96) is both informative and unavailable elsewhere.

So much has changed in Vietnam in the last decade--politically, economically, and structurally--that any information in the book should be fact-checked before being acted on. As a few examples: There was no restriction on my taking a cellphone to Vietnam; there were coins; the airport tax was included in my ticket. Much (though not all) of the cultural information was still accurate. I recommend that the reader concentrate on these sections and use those likely to have changed as the basis for formulating questions about commerce and government that can be answered with more up-to-date data.

Rough Guides: 25 Ultimate Experiences: Southeast Asia

#80
Title: Rough Guides: 25 Ultimate Experiences: Southeast Asia
Author: Rough Guides
Publisher: Rough Guides
Year: 2007
Genre: Travel guide
77 pages

This is one of a set of 25 mini-guides published by Rough Guides to celebrate their 25th anniversary. For general comments on the set, please see my review of Rough Guides: 25 Ultimate Experiences: Ethical Travel below.

This volume breaks out destinations as follows:
Borneo: 1
Cambodia: 2
Indonesia: 5
Lao/Laos: 1
Malaysia: 2
Phillippines: 4
Thailand: 6
Vietnam: 3
Cross-country river crossing (Thai-Lao): 1

This count corresponds pretty well to the level of development of the tourism infrastructure in each country. Destinations and focus cover a nice range of activities, with a good representation of history and contemporary culture. The write-ups of the activities I've done and places I've been seems pretty accurate. The "miscellany" in the last section provides useful information on food, festivals, and other cultural and tourist information. The "Literature" section seems strangely sparse, with no narratives of Cambodia (despite the inclusion of Tuel Sleng in the destinations). The language section also ignores both Cambodia and Vietnam.

Oddly, there's no discussion of the exclusion of Burma/Myanmar from the guide, though Rough Guides: 25 Ultimate Experiences: Ethical Travel discusses this obliquely in its brief "Human Rights" section. Also from an ethics perspective, it's interesting to read the Ethical Travel volume, then see Grand Hotel D'Angkor listed under "Five Fabulous Hotels" in the current guide. I've stayed at the Grand Hotel D'Angkor; it's a beautiful property, but the staff are dressed in costumes, the grounds are fumigated by drifting clouds of pesticide every afternoon, and one notices the lack of local ownership on the grand hotel row in Siem Reap. Rough Guides might want to think more about this sort of within-series discrepancy.

Rough Guides: 25 Ultimate Experiences: Ethical Travel

#79
Title: Rough Guides: 25 Ultimate Experiences: Ethical TravelAuthor: Rough Guides
Publisher: Rough Guides
Year: 2007
Genre: Travel guide
77 pages

This is one of a set of 25 mini-guides published by Rough Guides to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Each is in a 25-topic format. I wasn't able to find an electronic list of the set, though they're pictured on the back cover flap of volumes in the series and are listed individually at www.roughguides.com. Your bookstore may have a freestanding display. The books in this series (especially when presented face-out as a group) are best thought of as an appealing sampler tray, since more extensive or in-depth guides are available for most of the topics. Each book, in a slightly larger than 5" x 4" format, includes 25 double-page spreads; typically there's a large photo, a narrative (often a personal experience), and a "need to know" block with contact information, prices, etc. Sometimes there are additional inset photos. Following the main text is a section of more general information on the topic, with additional resources. The books are indexed, which should be a standard for non-fiction but often is not.
In general, the books are attractive and compelling. The text is easy reading; the tiny, tiny type is not, especially when one considers the likely age range of those who are willing to spend $1000 plus airfare for two weeks of helping move endangered turtle eggs, and the likelihood that they will need their stronger pair of reading glasses to read blurry white print on a dark background in Compact OED-sized type.
Most of the ethical considerations presented in this volume fall into the categories of pollution, where the money goes, and volunteerism. This is a good start, though I'd have appreciated more discussion of the ethical issues inherent in tourism in countries that violate human rights standards (as an example, there's a short section about Burma/Myanmar in the back section). Cost is a noticeable factor. A large number of the experiences are more expensive than I (or, I suspect, the typical Rough Guide reader) tend to budget on travel. I'd have liked a section within this set of 25 that highlighted the less-expensive options, including the option to spend a week volunteering in one's own community, for example. I suspect this volume is more of a dream book than a reality for many travelers with good intentions. For more affordable volunteer vacations, try the book Volunteer Vacations.

One nitpick: Yes, my carbon footprint is smaller if I walk rather than driving, no argument there. However, walking is not a "zero-carbon" activity, as asserted as the term "carbon dioxide" should reveal on a moment's reflection. If you're going to sling around terms like "carbon footprint," get your facts right.

My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel without a Cure

#78
Title: My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel without a Cure
Author: Shawn Decker
Publisher: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin
Year: 2006
Genre: Autobiography, HIV/AIDS
240 pages

Maybe I'm just turning into a horrible old woman, but I want to shake my fist at Mr. Decker and shriek, "Take care of yourself! People love you--stop your binge drinking before you kick up your hepatitis B and C!" Because, you see, Decker is a hemophiliac ("thinblood" in his parlance) who acquired HIV, HBV, and HCV through clotting factor. On the one hand, I have no problem with the idea that the goal isn't to live as long as possible; on the other, I find myself angry when people deliberately harm themselves in life-threatening ways, whether they have HIV or not. Thus, I am not entertained when Decker recounts instances where he puts himself at grossly unnecessary risk. Instead of feeling affection for him, I want to keep myself distant from him. Maybe if I knew him I'd have a better sense of what he's actually like, and what it's like to interact with him. The lack of interaction contributes to my dislike of this persona.

It doesn't help that I don't share his sense of humor, so this humorous autobiography doesn't seem funny to me. I tell myself that the guy is in his early 30s and supports himself with edu-schtick about HIV. I tell myself that he has the right to influence his destiny to the extent that he can. I tell myself that there is other humor out here related to HIV and hepatitis that I do find funny. It's possible that I've just had too many friends and family members die of HIV and HCV to enjoy Decker's self-congratulatory descriptions of his youthful danger-seeking.

The narrative jumps around a bit and is somewhat confusing to follow as well as repetitive. This is an editor's job, not the author's, but doesn't help with my lack of empathy.

So see for yourself whether I'm just a horrible buzz-killing shrew and Decker is da bomb; his website is www.mypetvirus.com and his blog is http://blogs.poz.com/shawn/. Let me know.

Thanks for Reading (Comment from the Author)

Hello, it's Shawn the author here.

Sorry the humor missed the spot with you, in writing the book I tried to tackle certain areas of my life with the honesty in which I lived them at the time. From my bumbling forays into mixing my sexual awakening with my HIV diagnosis, to my bumbling late teens when an HCV diagnosis hit around the same time I started drinking socially.

I'm not really a huge risk taker at all, and of course I now look back at my early 20's and understand why my parents were worried when I got "sloshed" and then post the results on the internet. In writing those stories, I knew they were stupid but wanted the reader to deduce that on their own level, without me pointing down in judgment of myself.

The tone of the book is also shaped by the fact that I started writing the book at 25. I'm 32 now, and am sure that I'm going to rewrite My Pet Virus somewhere down the line, might be a nice 40th birthday present. My lack of sloshing these days will increase my already excellent odds of getting there.

I've lost a lot of friends to HIV/AIDS as well, and I do my best to honor their spirit. Again, my apologies if the humor offended, but it's been my greatest ally in enjoying this strange trip we call life.

Positively Yours,
Shawn

Reply

Hi Shawn,

Thanks for your reply. I hope that my review adequately conveys my impression that my responses probably derive from my own history, relationships, and sense of humor, and that people should go directly to your work to form their own opinions rather than relying on me. I admire you for telling your story; though it doesn't connect for me as well as some of your POZ columns have, I was happy to read it and will read your future work. If it's okay with you, I'd like to post your reply in the main entry for the book so it's immediately visible to anyone reading this LJ. Would that work for you? Thanks. 

A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal

#77
Title: A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
Author: Anthony Bourdain
Publisher: Ted Smart/Bloomsbury
Year: 2001
Genre: travelogue, cuisine
280 pages
I think I'm supposed to find Bourdain a hot, hip, un-PC bad boy of culinary and gustatory adventures. I think he's actually most appealing when he isn't trying so hard to be insulting, and to my ear his tales of vomiting, smoking, and eating animal testicles ring a bit false. This may be more the editor's fault than the author's; Bourdain's voice doesn't always hit authentically.
I enjoyed this compendium of cross-cultural feasting primarily for the food pornography aspect of hearing each meal lovingly described (even when Bourdain thinks the food is disgusting, he's clearly fascinated by it). It was a particular pleasure to read the chapters on Vietnam before and after a recent visit there, as well as the chapter on Cambodia, where I traveled recently. As for Bourdain the man, like durian, I would rather regard him from a distance.

Culture Smart! Vietnam: A Quick Guide to Customs and Etiquette

#76
Title: Culture Smart! Vietnam: A Quick Guide to Customs and Etiquette
Author: Geoffrey Murray
Publisher: Graphic Arts Books
Year: 2006
Genre: Business, culture, travel
168 pages
There aren't a lot of books focused on customs and etiquette in the economically emergent nations of Southeast Asia. This is too bad because the information is sorely needed but the available materials tend to be somewhat cursory and either overly broad or too narrow. The present volume tends in the "overly broad" direction, spending a reasonable proportion of its text on general historical, anthropological, and tourist information rather than addressing specific points of custom and etiquette. I hasten to add that this overview is generally well-written and useful, but it is not "customs and etiquette," which is what the title promises and what I needed. Still, this is the best of the very small bunch, and has the virtue of being a small book, easily packed.
The chapters "Business Briefing" and "Communicating" contained the most germaine information for my purposes. These chapters provide a general context of Doi Moi ("rennovation") and recent historical factors that affect business dealings in Vietnam. Though the advice is generally good, one is certain that Mr. Murray would not opine that "a dress would be cooler at most times of the year" (140) if he had ever actually tried to wear a dress at 104 F and 100% humidity. The basic information on business cards, protocol for drinking a beverage, speech patterns, body language, eye contact, etc. appeared to be accurate, though everyone shook hands with me in the Western manner (though less crushing than is sometimes the case in the US) and by the end of the trip those who had spent a lot of time with me were not averse to a goodbye hug.

The Girl in the Picture: The Story of Kim Phuc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War

#75
Title: The Girl in the Picture: The Story of Kim Phuc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War
Author: Denise Chong
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 1999
Genre: Biography, Vietnam
372 pages
A satisfying and often gripping account of the life of Phan Thi Kim Phuc, whom you would recognize in Nick Ut's famous AP photo as the naked Vietnamese girl running down the road screaming after a misplaced napalm attack on her village. What is most striking about her life story is the set of coincidences, random conjunctions, and slight shifts in policy or practice that took her from the obscurity of the unknown victim of war to a UNESCO spokesperson. In many ways, the book is a testament to the power of photojournalism. Chong successfully conveys the tension, urgency, and careful emotional balancing required to navigate war and totalitarianism.
It seems appropriate that the copy I read was a pirated Southeast Asian version, purchased for $6 though I could have had it for $3 if I'd haggled. A signature is missing, so two sets of 12 pages each are not reproduced. As a sign of the changing times in Vietnam, it is easily purchased and openly displayed.

A Prayer for Owen Meany

#72 (reviewed out of sequence)
Title: A Prayer for Owen Meany
Author: John Irving
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Year: 1989
Genre: Fiction
640 pages
I know that people love this, and I did find it moving at times. However, I also experienced it as reasonably clunky, with a strained plot and awkward prose. The point I thought was most compelling--How did the narrator become such a timid, rigid, doubting man?--was not answered by his developmental narrative. Perhaps the point is that even in the face of incontrovertable evidence, we still lack faith.
This novel has characters and plot elements that will be familiar; as an example, the gruff yet attractive female relative who inspires incestuous longings is easy to spot, as are many other Irving archetypes. I find this tedious; perhaps others find it enjoyably familiar.
Without spoiling the plot, I will say that most of the pleasure I derived from the book had to do with reading (and leaving) it in Vietnam.

Insight Pocket Guide: Hanoi and Northern Vietnam

#74
Title: Insight Pocket Guide: Hanoi and Northern Vietnam
Author: Samantha Coomber
Publisher:  Insight Guides
Year: 2005
Genre: Guide book
104 pages

A pretty good city-specific travel guide, though anyone over 40 will need a magnifying glass to read the maps. I didn't follow the itineraries provided, but did visit many of the sites listed. I particularly enjoyed the water puppet theater and circumambulating Ho Hoan Kiem (the lake where a sacred tortoise gave Le Loi a magic sword with which to beat off the Chinese invaders). The book includes a color-coded, full-sized map, which is useful.

The guide is somewhat deficient when it comes to accommodations and food, though it does cover some landmark institutions. It ought to have stuck with that rather than take on low-cost hotels, for example. That's what Lonely Planet is for.

I did eat cha ca at Cha Ca La Vong (featured both in this guide and in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die), though I've got to say that the cha ca across the street was better.

Stay Alive, My Son

#73
Title: Stay Alive, My SonAuthors: Pin Yathay with John Man
Publisher: Silkworm Books (Thailand)
Year: 1987/2000
Genre: Memoir, war, Cambodia
268 pages

Many narratives of the Khmer Rouge time in Cambodia are retroactive accounts by then-children. Pin Yathay was an adult with a family in April, 1975, which gives his account a different focus and flavor than, say Him's When Broken Glass Floats or Ung's First They Killed My Father. For example, Pin's analysis of events includes his understanding of the political climate of Cambodia at the time of the Khmer Rouge takeover. In addition, as an adult he is responsible not just for himself and his extended family, but also for his children, a burden not faced by child narrators. He and his wife Any are faced with a Sophie's Choice-like decision, one that, as far as I can tell on the net, still has repercussions today. I should mention that the cover above is for a new edition with an afterward by David Chandler, which I haven't read and which may provide some more recent follow-up.

Haiku U: From Aristotle to Zola, 100 Great Books in 17 Syllables

#71
Title: Haiku U: From Aristotle to Zola, 100 Great Books in 17 Syllables
Authors: David M. Bader
Publisher: Gotham
Year: 2005
Genre: Poetry, parody
112 pages

Haikus for Jews: Great.
This book: Not so good. Tiny
synopses: Flopses.