Prague Winter by Madeline Albright

Prague Winter by Madeline Albright

Publication Date: February 19th

Publisher: Harper

Source: Publisher – Thank you!

Rating: I really liked it!

Before Madeleine Albright turned twelve, her life was shaken by the Nazi invasion of her native Prague, the Battle of Britain, the near-total destruction of European Jewry, the Allied victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War. Drawing on her memory, her parents’ written reflections, interviews with contemporaries, and newly available documents, Albright recounts a tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring. In Prague Winter, Albright reflects on her discovery of her family’s Jewish heritage many decades after the war, on her Czech homeland’s tangled history, and on the stark moral choices faced by her parents and their generation. At once a deeply personal memoir and an incisive work of history, Prague Winter serves as a guide to the future through the lessons of the past—as seen through the eyes of one of the international community’s most respected and fascinating figures.

The Skinny: An incredible memoir and riveting read

I majored in political science in college, so I am quite familiar with Madeline Albright’s political legacy. I have always admired her ability to influence policy and hold her own in an institution that is saturated with masculinity. Reading PRAGUE WINTER was an illuminating experience. I learned more about the woman behind the Secretary of State, and I was surprised to read that she was affected by the Nazi invasion of Prague. It is curious that we learn so much about a person’s profession but hardly take the time to learn more about her personal life and experiences that often shape one’s career choice.

Madeline Albright’s candor makes this memoir one of the most fascinating that I have read. PRAGUE WINTER is written in a way that invites readers into a life that has been well-lived, if that makes sense. I felt as if I were sitting with Madeline and drinking a cup of tea with her while she spoke about her time in a Swiss boarding school and about her father’s role as an ambassador. Madeline’s story is conveyed crisply and cleanly – I did not have to decipher facts from fictionalized tales.

I highly recommend PRAGUE WINTER for readers who are interested in politics, war, and policy. The history lessons that are embedded within the text are detailed, and I greatly enjoyed Madeline’s insightful comments. PRAGUE WINTER is thoughtful, thorough, and a must-read.

 Madeleine Albright served as America’s sixty-fourth secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. Her distinguished career also includes positions on Capitol Hill, on the National Security Council, and as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She is a resident of Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

 

TLC Book Tour: I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands: The Other Side of OCD by J.J. Keeler

 The Skinny: A fascinating memoir of a woman and her challenges with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

When most people think of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), they often imagine a person who repeatedly checks the locks or washes her hands. In reality, OCD is characterized by unwanted and intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive, driven behaviors (compulsions). Various behaviors and thoughts are manifested as a resulted of obsessive-compulsive disorder. I know a significant amount about obsessions and compulsions, because I suffer from OCD.

I am always hesitant when reading memoirs about individuals who suffer from OCD, because I feel like it kicks my own obsessions and compulsions into overdrive. Unlike other memoirs, I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands was an enjoyable read, and I recommend it, if you are interested in psychology and honest accounts.

Keeler describes her harming obsessions and uses humor to balance a story that could have played out like a stressful episode of Hoarders. Harming obsessions involve thoughts that a person might harm someone or that harm may come to the individual. We read as Keeler copes with thoughts that she may have hurt someone or her conviction that she somehow contracted AIDS.

Keeler’s voice is honest, raw, and open. As an individual who suffers from OCD, I know how difficult it is to open up about this subject, and I commend her ability to provide vivid descriptions of her feelings, actions, and thoughts. This is a well-written account of a disorder that is often misunderstood.  

I enjoyed reading I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands. It is an accurate portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder that is not sensationalized. If you are interested in nonfiction and psychology, this is the perfect book for you.

Well, it’s been about an hour since I have washed my hands. I am going to do that now.

 

Check out the rest of the tour!

Tuesday, July 10th: A Bookish Affair

Monday, July 16th: Tiffany’s Bookshelf

Tuesday, July 17th: Oh! Paper Pages

Wednesday, July 18th: Surviving the Madhouse

Thursday, July 19th: 50 Books Project

Friday, July 20th: Peppermint PhD

Monday, July 23rd: Lolly’s Hope

Tuesday, July 24th: I’m a mom. I have OCD.

Wednesday, July 25th: Bringing along OCD

Thursday, July 26th: she treads softly

Monday, July 30th: Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, July 31st: The Beat OCD Blog

Wednesday, August 1st: 71° & Sunny: One Christian’s Odyssey 

Thursday, August 2nd: Adventures in Anxiety Land

Friday, August 3rd: OCD BloggerGirl’s Blog

Monday, August 6th: Expoing OCD

Tuesday, August 7th: OCD Talk

Friday, August 10th: An Unconventional Librarian

Date TBD: A Musing Reviews

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (And Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas

The Skinny: The perfect book for Francophiles, foodies, and New Yorkers (or bloggers attending BEA!).

Amy, an advertising executive, is chosen to take over her firm’s Louis Vuitton account for a year… in Paris. Amy moves to The City of Light to immerse herself in French culture and desserts.  In addition to creating adverts for Vuitton, Amy is a chocoholic and is determined to try every delectable dessert in the city. Lists are provided of the best dessert locations in New York and Paris. A combination of desserts and French culture comprise this fun, easy read.

The descriptions of deserts and her transition to French life are mouthwatering and interesting, respectively. Though I enjoyed reading pages and pages of pastry conquests, I assure you that my new trousers do not. Whenever I read Paris, My Sweet, I had to eat a bit of chocolate or nibble on a gluten-free biscuit. If you are on a diet, you should probably avoid this book. It is weight-loss kryptonite.

The one feature of the novel that I did not enjoy was the constant use of French. Although I was able to understand a good portion of the dialogue, I would have appreciated English translations. This book made me sad that I learned Spanish and Italian while neglecting French.

Paris, My Sweet will definitely occupy a small space in my suitcase during my next visit to France. I do not recommend this book for readers who are looking for an insight into expat life or culture transitions. It is more suited to those interested in eating yummy treats.

*Copy received from publisher

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks explores the life of a woman whose cells are used in medical laboratories worldwide.  Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman living in Georgia, discovered that she was terribly ill and sought the help of doctors. In the 1950s, when segregation was loud and proud, Henrietta received treatment from white doctors. While Henrietta slowly died, her doctors discovered that her cells were immortal. That is to say they needed no assistance in multiplying. Her cells could be multiplied and used repeatedly in various research efforts. Before and after Henrietta’s death, doctors collected tissue samples from her, without her or her family’s consent, and began using her cells in medical research. Doctors would eventually sell her cells for hundreds of dollars while her children and family lived in poverty. The total amount of money generated from sales of the HeLa cells is in the billions.

Rebecca Skloot spent years researching and writing this text. Her dedication to telling Henrietta’s story is evident, and readers will appreciate her commitment to presenting the facts in an accurate and bias-free manner. Many of the concepts discussed in the text are complex, but Skloot breaks down the issues so that individuals who have a loose grasp on science can understand. This book examines medical ethics and race and how the two intersect. It is a compelling read that will encourage readers to think about their medical rights and how little control we have over the tissue samples and blood taken during routine medical examinations. Skloot's debut novel is thoughtful and engaging.

You should read this book, because it is a fascinating account of a mother who died tragically, but whose cells continue to thrive today. The text will help you understand how African Americans have been used in medical experiments for years. If you are interested in learning more about medical experimentation and bioethics, this is the book for you.

"The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women" by Valerie Young

Valerie Young’s The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women is a guide to help women recover from the Imposter Syndrome, a psychological phenomenon that describes the self-doubt that successful women experience. In 1978, Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes discovered that high-achieving women trivialized accomplishments and attributed success to luck, hard work, or favoritism. The Imposter Syndrome “involve[s] a deep sense of inauthenticity and an inability to internalize [] successes” (Kalinosky).  Young’s work seeks to help women “own” their success and alleviate the constant stress that these outliers feel.

Reading the The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women was a lot like reading a book of quotes and anecdotes.  Every other paragraph contained words said by a well-known individual that emphasized a sense of illegitimacy. Although interesting, these quotes and stories are unnecessary in a self-help book. A few stories can be used to highlight a point or topic, but Young saturates her work with words written and said by others. Perhaps the inclusion of these quotes is targeted at individuals who feel better about themselves when they know that famous people suffer from the same syndrome.  The text would have been more convincing if studies were cited or researchers discussed. Reading quote after quote was really tiring.

The most irritating aspect of this book was the constant questioning of the audience. Every section included numerous questions that asked the audience if it has felt a certain way. Have you ever felt like you didn’t deserve your successes? Do you think your professors give you good grades because they like you? Do you feel like you’re not smart enough to be here? Yes, yes, and yes. How many times are you going to ask me? I ascertained my relationship with the Imposter Syndrome during the first three pages.

If you suffer from the Imposter Syndrome, you are better off googling the topic and reading a few articles. Just knowing about the Imposter Syndrome can probably help you more than this book.

Kalinosky: http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/22/imposter-syndrome-professional-fraud-forbes-woman-leadership-psychology.html

I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads.