Book Review: U2

Katie January 16, 2019 1 Comments

U2 is rock-and-roll royalty. U2: The Definitive Biography is the first unauthorized biography of the band to document their career. The book contains previously unpublished photographs and interviews with the band’s friends and business associates.  It also goes into the bands humanitarian work.

I’m not a huge U2 fan so while there are some myths about the band “debunked”, I really didn’t know there were myths to begin with.  This book goes pretty in depth with the history, from the band just starting out to more present day.

The photos included in the middle of the book are pretty fantastic, beginning with photos of Bono when he was 15 or 16 years old!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.  This book was released May 8, 2018 by Thistle Publishing.

About the Book

John Jobling takes readers beyond the myth in this unauthorized biography to present the first comprehensive account of the illustrious Irish rockers in 25 years. Drawing on extensive interviews with insiders including record label scouts, studio presidents, politicians, music critics, and childhood friends, Jobling investigates the U2’s most personal relationships and controversial business practices, delivering a vivid portrait that traces the rock phenomenon from its conception to post-punk champions to political crusaders. Filled with captivating revelations, reader will learn:

– How Bono, the Edge, and Larry Mullen, Jr. worshiped with a Charismatic Christian church that practiced speaking in tongues during the band’s early days

– Insider stories of the genesis and recording of classic albums such as The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby

– Creative tensions within the band and power struggles among management

– How the disappointments of the Rattle and Hum film and PopMart Tour spurred the band to greater creative heights

– Both the successes and controversies of Bono’s wide-sweeping philanthropic and political ventures

– The disconnect between the band’s personal lives and public personas

Sure to inspire debate with every music lover, U2: The Definitive Biography humanizes the band and paints an honest picture of a band’s rise to the top, plunging into the heart and underlying soul of this iconic rock and roll band.

Book Review: It’s a Question of Space

Katie January 15, 2019 0 Comments

It’s a Question of Space is an astronaut, Clayton C. Anderson, who lived in space for 167 days answering questions sent to him via social media about what it’s like to be in space and be an astronaut. Growing up I always wanted to be an astronaut so I was drawn to this book to find out what it would really be like.  There’s also a fun mention of Lance Bass in the book, so that is always a plus.

This was a very interesting read and I liked it as a Q&A moreso than just a book to read through since if I wasn’t particularly interested in a question (though I will admit there weren’t many of those) I could just skip over it to the next question.  I learned a lot and really enjoyed this book!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated. This book was released July 1, 2018 from University of Nebraska Press.

About the Book

Having spent over 150 days on his first tour of the International Space Station, it’s safe to say that Clayton C. Anderson knows a thing or two about space travel. Now retired and affectionately known as “Astro Clay” by his many admirers on social media and the Internet, Anderson has fielded thousands of questions over the years about spaceflight, living in space, and what it’s like to be an astronaut. Written with honesty and razor-sharp wit, It’s a Question of Space gathers Anderson’s often humorous answers to these questions and more in a book that will beguile young adults and space buffs alike.

Covering topics as intriguing as walking in space, what astronauts are supposed to do when they see UFOs, and what role astronauts play in espionage, Anderson’s book is written in an accessible question-and-answer format that covers nearly all aspects of life in space imaginable. From living in zero gravity to going to the bathroom up there, It’s a Question of Space leaves no stone unturned in this witty firsthand account of life as an astronaut.

Book Review: Mascot Nation

Katie January 14, 2019 0 Comments

Mascot Nation focuses on the controversy over Native American Representation in Sports.  To be honest I watch a decent amount of sports but have never really thought about how Native Americans are represented especially at the mascot level.  I know that news picks up every now and then about wanting to change some of the mascots to something different, but change never really seems to happen.  This book goes into more detail about that and how there are polls that seem to be skewed to say that Native Americans aren’t offended by it – and if they aren’t, why should anyone else be? But most of these polls taken can’t prove that only those voting were Native Americans.

This book focuses more on the academics of the issue and it definitely opened my eyes a bit and will have me looking at this controversy in a different way now.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.  This book was released October 8, 2018 through University of Illinois Press.

About the Book

The issue of Native American mascots in sports raises passions but also a raft of often-unasked questions. Which voices get a hearing in an argument? What meanings do we ascribe to mascots? Who do these Indians and warriors really represent?

Andrew C. Billings and Jason Edward Black go beyond the media bluster to reassess the mascot controversy. Their multi-dimensional study delves into the textual, visual, and ritualistic and performative aspects of sports mascots. Their original research, meanwhile, surveys sports fans themselves on their thoughts when a specific mascot faces censure. The result is a book that merges critical-cultural analysis with qualitative data to offer an innovative approach to understanding the camps and fault lines on each side of the issue, the stakes in mascot debates, whether common ground can exist and, if so, how we might find it.

Andrew C. Billings is a professor and Ronald Reagan Chair of Broadcasting in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media at the University of Alabama. He is the coauthor of Olympic Television: Broadcasting the Biggest Show on Earth and Media and the Coming Out of Gay Male Athletes in American Team Sports. Jason Edward Black is chair and a professor of communication studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a coeditor of Decolonizing Native American Rhetoric: Communicating Self-Determination, the author of American Indians and the Rhetoric of Removal and Allotment, and a coeditor of An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk’s Speeches and Writings.

Book Review: How To Date Men When You Hate Men

Katie January 13, 2019 0 Comments

I was really looking forward to reading How to Date Men When You Hate Men.   Except that the book ended up being not at all what I was expecting and it ended up taking me forever to actually finish it.  As someone who is using dating apps and is ‘over it’ and definitely in a state of ‘hating’ men… I thought I would be able to relate more to the book and was looking to laugh a little bit more with someone who is dealing with the same crap that I am.  Except it doesn’t seem like the author is dealing with the same crap at all (yet all my friends using the apps seem to be) and she is actually going out with guys but then kind of seems to write off that it isn’t a date.  *shrugs*  The plus was in the end she didn’t reveal that she had found a guy that she was dating, that would have just been a stab in the heart if it was how it ended.  There were a few things that hit home and made me laugh but for the most part I felt like this book missed the mark.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated. This book was released January 8, 2019 from Flatiron Books.

About the Book

Book Review: Girls Resist!

Katie January 12, 2019 0 Comments

Girls Resist! is an activism handbook for girls who want to try and make some change in the world.  One of the ways to fight back mentioned in the book was to see what kind of unconscious bias you have. I took the Career & Family test and was told “Your data suggests a moderate automatic association for Male with Career and Female with Family.”  Some of the others I took did not give me the answers I “expected” to get.  You can see your biases for yourself at implicit.harvard.edu!

At the end of each chapter where it discusses an issue that girls might face, there is always a way to “fight back!” listed and ways to do it and be involved within your community to help fix some of these issues.

I think this book is a great read for young girls who might feel like they don’t matter and their voice is not being heard. It gives a lot of ways to help get them to realize that they do matter and they can be heard as well as some ways to get out there and resist!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.  This book was released on August 7, 2018 from Quirk Books.

About the Book

An activism handbook for teen girls ready to fight for change, social justice, and equality.

Take on the world and make some serious change with this handbook to everything activism, social justice, and resistance. With in-depth guides to everything from picking a cause, planning a protest, and raising money to running dispute-free meetings, promoting awareness on social media, and being an effective ally, Girls Resist! will show you how to go from “mad as heck about the way the world is going” to “effective leader who gets stuff done.” Veteran feminist organizer KaeLyn Rich shares tons of expertise that’ll inspire you as much as it teaches you the ropes. Plus, quotes and tips from fellow teen girl activists show how they stood up for change in their communities. Grab this handbook to crush inequality, start a revolution, and resist!