Rose-Colored Memories

In this exhaustively-researched book, Stephanie Coontz takes us on a trip down memory lane, with the purpose of pointing out the ruts in the road, washed-out bridges, and repeated flat tires. She disabuses the notion that despite what people think they remember, things weren't always so peachy around the old dinner table/'hood/job. It was a bit of a slog, however, as the facts and studies piled up. Remember in high school classes how at the end of a chapter there would be "Key Points"? I wanted that. But alas. There were a few nuggets I'll remember and take away, but the swirl of information was so incessant that I'm afraid much of it has already leaked out of this sieve I call my brain. If you want to skip the 409 pages, here are some spoilers.

1. The "welfare queen" churning out babies is a myth. The birth rate decreases as assistance increases.

2. There was one abortion for every 5 live births in the 1850s, and 1 for every 3 in the 1870s.

3. Two-thirds of historical societies for which evidence is available have condoned homosexual relations.

4. Black fathers not living in the house with their children tend to be more involved and spend more time with their children than white fathers in the same situation.

5. Memories are skewed. An interesting study revealed that immediately after summer camp, kids will, when asked, remember equal numbers of positive and negative things about their experience. As the days and weeks pass, however, the bad things tend to disappear, and what they remember are the good things.

6. The assertion that "half of all marriages end in divorce" is misleading. In the old days, people died at much younger ages, reducing the length of marriages in a different way.

Some of that was directly quoted from the book, and I apologize to the author for my plagiarism. She's a master, and I'm a hack. You get the idea, though. If you have a mind to remember data, dive in! It's comprehensive and impressive.

Sink Your Teeth Into It

Having always been fascinated, horrifyingly so, by the fact that the character we know as Dracula was inspired by a real person, I had to pick this one up. The author has aptly named the book, because although it is directed at her protagonist, it absolutely applies to her. This is a meaty (nothing intended there), solid account of the history of Vlad de Tepes, or "The Impaler", but interwoven with a story of pursuit, mystery and romance. And, of course, tragedy. If I was horrified by the guy before, he's absolutely terrifying to me now. I can't imagine the depth of such cruelty, and I'm sure that's how his legend was born. Or is it a legend? Turns out I know someone who is descended from him. Hmmm . . . I might start carrying garlic.

Guilt-Free No-wledge

Don't we all feel overwhelmed at times by obligations? The push/pull of family expectations? Extra tasks at work? Friends who just want that bit more of you than you're comfortable giving? I was given this book by my daughter-in-law, who said she'd really enjoyed it. Since it was a gift, I had to read it, right? Truth be told, it's probably not one I would have picked up at a bookstore, despite it's diminutive silhouette. (I'm a sucker for any extreme in book construction, be it a pocket cutie or something more suited to be carted around by wheelbarrow.) Anyway, its cute little size and whimsical cover suggest a lighthearted finger-wag at people who can't set boundaries, and honestly, at first, I kind of thought that's what it would be. All it would be. But as the book progressed, I began to see the author's wisdom and "no"-nonsense (!) way of prodding the reader to learn to decline almost any invitation, directive, suggestion, etc. in an honest, kind, and unapologetic manner. She holds firm that recipients of said declinations usually rise to the occasion and act like mature adults, and if they don't, well, is that really an issue for which you are responsible? Nope. Although this book absolutely gave me permission to quit reading at any point, I found myself enjoying every little bit of it.