The Best American Short Stories

The few stories we read out of this book were rather depressing, if I had the choice agian to read this book I would decline the offer.

Balto (one of the stories) was rather hard to understand. Reading it was easy but when you tried to understand the motive behind the story; that is when everything gets a bit blurry. The little girl who speaks in the trial on her fathers behalf says it was herself who was driving the car when the accident happened. But why would she lie so large when she could have told a smaller lie...or told the truth instead. Some things just dont make sense.

The other three stories, "Toga Party" and the others were equally as drepressing. Toga party was about death and dying, old people think to much on that. Horseman was just to slow to actually enjoy, I couldn't get into the story. The last I cant even remember the name becuase it was so slow and boring.

I could have been enjoying a completely different book about another subject...I might even have read Happiness again just to not read this one.

My Year of Meats

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a exciting ride of emotion and action that kept me rivited and finished it on the first day. When I first picked up this book, I wasnt sure what to make of it; somehow it seemed so odd. But as I got through the pages I began to get addicted, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Was Jane going to get the chance to keep showing her own programs? Would Akiko stand up for herself?

When I finally finished I was a bit sorry to see the story go. The ending was also a bit...well I found it rushed, I believe she should have gotten a better job offer for something as good as the program she put out for the public.

I have no doubt that I would enjoy reading this book several times within the next year. When the books are good enough, I do read them over and over.

Happiness: Alternate Ending

Okay, this is my idea of an alternate ending for Will Ferguson's 'Happiness':

1. Mr. Ethics while threatening Mr. Mead in his office with the gun, fired and killed himself when the weapon back-fired.

2. Mr. Mead (Leon) and Edwin went to track down Tupak Soiree and found the man who was Jack McGreary's stand in. He was left alive in an act of compassion...after breaking both his arms.

3. Being an old man, Leon stayed out in the car while Edwin stormed the house to come face to face with a terrible sight.

4. Edwin comes to kill Jack only to find May in the man's arms. He kills Jack in a jealous rage.

5. When he goes to rescue May another shock is given to the would-be hero, May is Tupak Soiree. With that, May kills Edwin and dispatches of Mr. Mead. Insuring her secret.

6. With that she controls the world from behind the scenes.

I Can Read You Like A Book

I do not restrict myself to class reading material.

Recently and to my delight; I stumbled across a self-help book that caught my interest. Recently I have become interested in human body language, what reactions and movement we do unconciously really tells others about us. Wheither it be lying, when we flirt or just moving naturaly.

The author lets certain facts be known as false. Such as looking up and to the right is lying, not all things are so simple; humans are complex as our communication is a mix of verbal and non-verbal. (Interesting fact: as I was writing this, the movie 'Hitch' was playing. The main Will Smith plays a relationship consultant that helps guys understand women to help them with relationships. Which entails the verbal and non-verbal communication that women use).

Understanding communication on all levels will be able to help out in your life, it goes along with possible careers that you may decide to go into to. This book claims that "Step by Step, you will devolp the same skills that best interrogators and detectives use to assess spies, criminals, and witnesses". I will be looking very closely at this book because I know that most of these self-help books are just scams or ideas that will only work for one or a few people. But I am not closed minded, I will enjoy it because sometimes; a book is a book.

Happiness *within the pages*

First prompt question: Ferguson's Happiness presents the self-help book as nothing more than a packaged production meant to fill a publishing catalog. What is your opinion of self-help books, and why?

To me, self-help books are an interesting source of insight into a wide range of topics. They hit people on the psychological level, influencing their feelings and stimulating their minds. I myself do not read self-help books, sure they are interesting but I do not like sitting down and reading something that wants to tell me all the things I am doing wrong. All those chicken soup books for the soul? Never read a single one. Books such as 'Who Moved My Cheese?' by Spencer Johnson, I found that one to be odd; I could sense it was putting a point across but I just couldn't find the 'motivation' to keep reading.

My dad is a collector of self-help books and makes me read them, I guess he is trying to 'help' me in his own way. Self-help books I admit, do help some people but really it is just advice that most people already know; yet reading it suddenly makes they 'see the light'.

I see self-help books this way because I see myself being just about the way I should be. So when others are desperate for words that will magically make them feel better about themselves, I don't fully understand the human mind.