How could this happen in America?

Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers
Recommend: Yes
To whom: Everyone
Why: Amazing true story about a hero that Americans should celebrate

How could this happen in America?

Those are the words New York Times book reviewer Timothy Egan wrote in response to Abdulrahman Zeitoun’s experience in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Those same words ran through my mind while I read this incredible book, Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a work of non-fiction.

I knew that FEMA’s handling of Hurricane Katrina was flawed and broadly criticized; FEMA Director Mike Brown resigned as a result. I’d heard Kanye West’s infamous statement: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” I’d seen images of unfathomable destruction and chaos. But I had never heard of “Camp Greyhound,” a makeshift prison in downtown New Orleans where Zeitoun was caged like an animal and denied a phone call to his family after his wrongful arrest for looting. Of course I'd also never heard of Zeitoun, a true American hero, who should have been praised for his actions in New Orleans, not detained.

It’s been five years since Katrina, but if you read Zeitoun you’ll remember this story for many years to come.

Egan concludes: “... my guess is, 50 years from now, when people want to know what happened to this once-great city during a shameful episode of our history, they will still be talking about a family named Zeitoun.”

Road trippin', Harry Truman's way

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip, by Matthew Algeo
Recommend: Yes
To whom: Anyone, no matter your political leanings
Why: Thoroughly entertaining and informative, and reads quickly

Imagine George and Laura Bush taking a road trip less than six months after leaving office, without Secret Service or hotel reservations.

Hard to believe, but Harry and Bess Truman did just that when Harry accepted the invitation to speak at the Reserve Officers Association convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1953. The couple piled into his brand new Chrysler New Yorker and headed out of Independence, Missouri east onto U.S. Highway 24.

Algeo chronicles the Trumans' two-and-a-half-week trip, with stops in Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Algeo visited the diners, hotels, and other places Truman visited, hoping to get a sense of what Truman experienced. Of course, Algeo didn't attract the attention that Harry did when he dined at the Princess restaurant in Frostburg, Maryland, or when he simply stopped at a gas station.

Not only does the book cover the Trumans' itinerary, it also reveals the history of the American road trip. Algeo writes that when Truman stopped at a gas station in Decatur, Illinois, he asked the attendant for a motel recommendation. "We'd never stayed at one," Truman later explained, "and we wanted to try it out and see if we liked it (p. 61)." Algeo offers a brief history of the motel, which began in 1925 with the construction of the first "motor hotel" in San Luis Obispo, California along Highway 101. The idea took off, and 20,000 motels dotted highways by 1940. The first Holiday Inn opened in 1952, introducing the national chain motel model that we know so well today. Algeo presents similar fascinating histories of roads, Air Force One, and the presidential pension.

Harry Truman was the last President to leave office without a guaranteed pension. Harry loved to drive and looked forward to this independent road trip, but the Trumans traveled by car (not by plane) to save money. Algeo explains:

"As a government employee ... Harry Truman did not qualify for Social Security. And he'd left the Senate too soon to qualify for a congressional pension. His only income was that army pension."

So Harry and Bess had to be frugal. Out of principle, Harry refused numerous job offers that came his way because he wanted to preserve the dignity of the Presidency. As Algeo points out, things have changed dramatically, with former Presidents now claiming thousands of dollars for a single speech. In 1958, the Former Presidents Act was signed into law granting the presidential pension, an annual sum of $25,000, plus $50,000 for office expenses and "unlimited franking privileges." Algeo writes: "At long last, Harry Truman was financially secure."

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson
Recommend: Yes
To whom: Everyone (although be warned, full of grisly details)
Why: Just a damn good story about a large, powerful family with unspeakable secrets and a turbulent past.

More TK.

Do your homework before applying for a congressional internship

The House: The History of the House of Representatives, by Robert V. Remini
Recommend: Yes
To whom: History enthusiasts
Why: Learn inner workings of the House from 1789 to present, and consequently the entire history of the U.S. Those early Congressmen weren't as civilized as many of us may have thought!

I checked this book out because I was considering applying for an internship in my Congressman's office. I thought it would be a good idea to truly understand the role of the House of Representatives before a potential interview.

Commissioned by the Library of Congress to write The House, Remini became the official historian of the House of Representatives as a result. While he worked on the book, he was provided with his own office in the Library of Congress and access to all of its materials. Personally, I think this sounds like a wonderful job! And I actually hear that it's about to open up: Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on June 11 that Remini will be retiring on August 31.

Anyhow, because it was LOC-commissioned, the book is intended for all interested readers, not just scholars. While I agree that the book is readable, it takes a most dedicated and engaged reader to get through it cover to cover. That's why I recommend it only to history enthusiasts. However, those that stick with it won't be disappointed. The book is full of first-hand accounts from Congressmen throughout the centuries, and incredible stories of duels, filibusters, and impeachment. Wonder how various House committees work? You'll learn more than you'll ever need to know. Throughout the book, Remini examines the evolution of the role of Speaker.

Well, I decided not to apply for a congressional internship (and for reasons that have nothing to do with this book), but I sure learned a lot about the legislative branch of government!

For more information about the House historian, visit http://historian.house.gov/.

What's behind the First Lady's radiant smile?

American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld
Recommend: Yes
To whom: Fans of The West Wing, people fascinated by the American presidency, and those who appreciate strong character development
Why: Riveting. The progression of Alice and Charlie Blackwell’s relationship is real, complicated, and delicious.

When I got online to update this post, a timely headline showed up on Yahoo! News: "Bush twin's surprise remark". Barbara Bush revealed on Fox News that she's glad health care reform passed. The article also mentions that former First Lady Laura Bush recently said she is pleased that another woman, Elena Kagan, has been nominated to the Supreme Court, and she told Larry King she supports gay marriage and abortion rights. Of course, Barbara and Laura's views are not popular with the Republican majority.

How does this relate to American Wife? I was excited to find this novel at my local library's used bookstore. I am a big fan of the TV show The West Wing. I had recently watched the final season on DVD, and was eager to find a book that would give me a similar fictional inside glimpse of the White House. Once I started reading, I was a bit disappointed to learn that only one of four parts of the novel would take place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I also discovered right away that Alice Lindgren was based on Laura Bush.

While reading the first half of the book, I cringed to think what Mrs. Bush must have thought about the book, assuming she read it. Sittenfeld spares no detail in describing Alice's surprisingly scandalous sex life. (I am still looking to see if there are comments from Mrs. Bush out there!) The book had unfortunate (but deliberate) timing for Mrs. Bush; it was released just months before the end of her husband's presidency. I knew I was reading fiction, but there are many parallels in the lives of Alice and Laura, including the devastating car accident that killed a high school classmate. I often wondered what was fact and what was fiction.

But from the beginning, Sittenfeld makes you truly care about Alice and despite his character flaws, Charlie Blackwell is likable the moment he is introduced. We all know that the Bush Administration could do nothing right in the eyes of the press for most of its tenure. But Sittenfeld humanizes Alice and Charlie Blackwell, and as a reader I felt sympathy for the couple's challenges. The article I mentioned above is a reality that Alice struggles with as First Lady; she has different views from her husband, but is unable (with a few notable exceptions) to express them.

Although I had hoped the entire book would focus on the First Lady in the White House, I loved getting to know Alice as she grew up in Wisconsin, seeing her relationship with Charlie develop, and watching them became America's most powerful couple. The section devoted to Alice's life as First Lady focuses on a single day, which masterfully ties up remaining loose ends. Alice's feelings about her public responsibilities and expectations as the president's wife are fascinating -- and probably spot on.

I'm looking forward to reading Laura Bush's autobiography, Spoken From the Heart, that came out last month.

Oprah's grittiest book recommendation yet?

Some Things That Meant the World to Me, by Joshua Mohr
Recommend: Yes
To whom: Not everyone, but to non-squeamish individuals who have a moderate to high tolerance for obscene language and gritty detail
Why: Full of interesting characters, and so unconventional, I never knew what was going to happen next.

Joshua Mohr’s first novel Some Things That Meant the World to Me made Oprah’s “10 Terrific Reads of 2009” list, but I heard about the book from the author’s sister, my friend Jessie. I bought the book to be supportive, but I devoured it in less than 48 hours. In case an endorsement from Oprah isn’t enough to cause Some Things to fly off the shelf, I’ll add mine.

Much of the book is disturbing and painful to read, but if you can stand it, you’re in for a fascinating and unusual story. The narrator, Rhonda, who endured an unbelievably cruel childhood, must confront his past at age 30, at a particularly low point in his life. Mohr alternates his narration between reality and delusion, and allows Rhonda to take high-stakes risks, so that I never knew what was going to happen. When I finished reading, I felt I had experienced something intimate and truly unique.

Never Miss an Opportunity to be Fabulous

What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, by Tina Seelig
Recommend: Yes

To whom: Job seekers and soul searchers

Why: Made me feel better about not having a full-time job.

A few weeks ago my mom brought a couple of self-help books for me home from the library. She knows I've been struggling since I graduated from college to "find my place in the world". One of those books was What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, by Stanford professor Tina Seelig, who strives to help floundering souls like myself. And I think she does this quite successfully, as she addresses many of the fears I have had since graduating without much of a career plan.

Here's some advice and reassurance that interested me the most:

- “All the cool stuff happens when you do things that are not the automatic next step,” says one of Seelig’s former students.

- Having a baby does not kill a woman’s career, but presents unique opportunities. Seelig shares Sandra Day O’Connor’s story as an example of a mother who took time off from her career to raise her kids and volunteer part-time, and rose to Supreme Court Justice!

- Courses graded on a curve encourage fierce competition, and discourage teamwork. Seelig explains how we all benefit from working together and helping each other out.

- “Never miss an opportunity to be fabulous.”

The last point is the essence of Seelig’s entire book. She shares many inspiring stories and pieces of advice, but ultimately, we are in charge of seizing the opportunities that, as she points out, are waiting for us everywhere.