Living Oprah

Book: Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk

Author: Robyn Okrant

Grade: C+

"The Oprah show is one-stop emotional shopping for the modern woman who wants every aspect of her life to feel satisfying and full."

The premise seems simple enough: to put the management of her life entirely in the hands of televisions of most influential woman. Okrant dedicates all of 2008 to discovering what kind of woman would emerge on New Years Day 2009. In wholeheartedly conforming to all things Oprah, would she lose her own identity? Would she suddenly exist only as an "O-bot" (a term affectionately coined for those who follow Oprah a little too copiously,) devoid of an actual personality? Would she turn into a spiritual guru; no longer occupying the mundane reality of the less enlightened unfortunates? The only way to know for sure is to try - and she does so with a vengeance.

Immediately, I was stunned and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of commands that Oprah dishes out on a daily basis. I'm no stranger to the show and am a loyal reader of the magazine (I had not previously been to her website), yet the majority of Oprah's dictates seem to have gone right over my head. What began as a fun side project for Okrant turned into a full time job almost immediately (and minimally a part time job for her poor, unsuspecting and inexplicably patient husband).

Let me take a moment to give a rundown of the characters at work here (to give you a true sense of how this insanely complicated endeavor goes beyond daily viewing of the show):

1-There is the omnipresent Oprah Winfrey herself (as seen daily on the show).

2- Then there are those blessed by the authority bestowed on them by Oprah herself: Dr. Phil, Suze Orman, Dr. Oz, Nate Birkus.

3- Then there are all the columnists of O magazine, Martha Beck, Lisa Kogan along with various makeup and wardrobe experts.

4-Finally there is the Oprah website - with 100 suggestions a day on anything from how long to kiss your husband when he walks through the door (10 seconds) to what shape your poop should take (it should look like an "S" - I swear I didn't make this up).

Okrant takes us along as she floats through meditations, overhauls of her entire wardrobe, puzzles at the contradictions between Oprah (the person) and Oprah (the personality, the brand name, the machine) and loses weight before finally almost losing her sanity: all without ever losing her sense of humor. And that is what makes this book work: its highly enjoyable to read. I finished it in a day and a half!

If, like myself, you have a sick sort of fascination with the Queen of Talk then this is the book for you! If not, I still bet money you enjoy these chronicles!

Wuthering Heights

Book: Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Bronte

Grade: Incomplete

I believe every book deserves a fair shot, however I find it unnecessary to use up my time on books that don't grab my interest and keep it. Thus, I devised a system wherein I get veto power only after having read at least 100pgs.

Surprisingly, this is the first time (in the history of this blog) I had invoke the "100 page veto" option. "Wuthering Heights" was a sputtering engine: every so often it would look like it was revving up and coming to life only to die out a few pages later. I never got beyond feeling almost interested in the plot. The characters never came to life for me. They layout of the story was immensely confusing. I found myself dreading opening this book. Its a classic and thus no doubt enjoyed by many.... However, I cannot give it rave reviews.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

Book: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

Author: Oliver Sacks

Grade: B+

Sacks presents a collection of case studies introducing patients lost in the bizarre and often inescapable world of severe neurological disorders. These patients have been largely cast away by society to spend their lives in varied institutions as a result. Treatment has vastly improved over the last decade. However, even the best case scenarios for these brave souls would be inconceivable to the non-afflicted. Given the rarity of these conditions, it would be nearly impossible for these snapshots not to arouse fascination and intrigue. Sacks sends this book into a whole new level of captivation with his beautifully heartbreaking portrayal of his subjects. He introduces and examines these patients without judgements, stereotypes or cynicism.

I walked away with a sense of awe and respect for these men and women with whom the concept of self pity has been erased from their repertoire of emotions. Popular notion revolves around teaching these patients to survive (and occasionally, thrive) in their day to day existence, but I believe there is so much more that they can teach us along the lines of acceptance, gratitude and an absolute insistence in enjoying life despite every obstacle they face.

"The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" is a must read. You'll thank me later. :)

The Republic

Book: The Republic

Author: Plato

Grade: C+

The inspiration for reading this famous work came in the form of a "100 classics you must read before you die" list I stumbled across. Those who know me, know that I am sucker for lists like these and so I fearlessly embarked on the challenge. Book number one that I must read? "The Republic." I admit to apprehension and more than a little dread upon turning to the first page. There is a translation introduction and it's been my experience that whenever translation is required, you are in for a tough read. I took a deep breath, reminded myself of my list and moved on to page two. I am pleasantly surprised to report the enjoyment I discovered in the reading. At the very least, it is fascinating critique of the education and governmental systems of Plato's time followed by a lengthy discourse on changes that must be made and the rationales behind them.

The beauty of reading an academic work such as this for pleasure is the ability to keep moving from page to page without getting caught up in agonizing over your comprehension of the material. There are a number of dense and archaic passages that threaten to bog a reader down with confusion. Let yourself enjoy the arguments put forth without succumbing to getting lost in minute details and language barriers.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in the origin of government. Push through the difficult parts and you will put the book down at the last word grateful, content and with no shortage of ideas to mull over for days.

Good luck and enjoy!!