Book Report From New Zealand
One of my favorite activities when I’m on vacation is to read. On this trip I brought along two books by Bill Bryson, an American-British journalist and author. Both books were national bestsellers.
The first book, At Home, is a marvelous read – all 532 pages. If you are at all interested in British history, I recommend that you put it high on your list of books to read. In fact, I’d make the same recommendation even if you don’t care a bit about history – British or otherwise. Bryson is a masterful storyteller.
The second book, One Summer—America 1927, is also narrative nonfiction that is both informative and highly entertaining. It’s filled with amusing anecdotes and a fascinating cast of characters. I laughed out loud when I read this about Babe Ruth:
Babe Ruth was driving a car in New York one afternoon and was pulled over by a traffic cop.
“This is a one way street,” the cop said.
Ruth replied, “I was only driving one way.”
I don’t read many books that change the way I think about life, but each of these books qualifies. For example, here is a particularly insightful passage on the impact of American movies around the world:
“Moviegoers around the world suddenly found themselves exposed, often for the first time, to American voices, American vocabulary, American cadence and pronunciation and word order…The psychological effect of this, particularly on the young, can hardly be overstated. With American speech came American thoughts, American attitudes, American humor and sensibilities. Peacefully, by accident, and almost unnoticed, America had just taken over the world.”
Enough said. I hope you’ll have the opportunity to read each book.
Daveen and I are traveling on the new Viking ship Mars. We love the ship and, perhaps unfortunately (for my waistline), the food is outstanding.
I’ve thought for many years that today is the best time in history to be alive, and the best place to live is in the United States. Of course, I haven’t had the opportunity to live elsewhere, and who knows what the next century may offer. It could be even better. But I’m a practical guy. Apologies to Daveen, but why not love the one you’re with?
I love all of you as well, but now I’m off to dinner.
Alan