The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre / Jack Zipes - Book Review

In Kenn Bannerman’s interview with Professor Jack Zipes, a professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota and the author, translator and editor of dozens of studies and collections of folk and fairy tales, the latter shared his attitude towards fairy tales, stating that “I think I am very knowledgeable about fairy tales. I think I have a deep interest in fairy tales and I may even be obsessed by them. I feel driven to uncover tales that few people know and to share this knowledge and pleasure with other readers.”

In his latest book, The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre (Princeton University Press; ISBN-13: 978-0-691-15338-4), Zipes asserts the oral origins of fairy tales, and, drawing from the fields of, among others, cognitive science, evolutionary theory, anthropology, psychology and literary theory, he sets about expanding on his own approach to the genre, as well as exploring new research by such renowned scholars as Michael Tomasello, Michael Trout and Kate Distin. How and why tales were told and came to form the basis of culture is explained in terms of his own understanding of the evolution of the genre. After exploring the French school of fairy tale writing that emerged in the late 17th century, Zipes focuses on Catherine Breillat’s reinterpretation of Perrault’s Bluebeard, followed by a discussion of tales about witches such as Baba Yaga. The focus on the female is continued in an unveiling of 19th century folk and fairy tales told, collected, and written by women, which leads into a discussion of the role played by great collectors of folk tales in the 19th century. Zipes then rounds out his latest research into the genre of fairy tales by showing how such tales have now crossed over into other forms of artwork, including drawings, paintings, sculptures and photographs.

In showing how and why fairy tales have become a core part of our central being, Zipes reveals his extensive scholarship in the field, as well as his skill in expounding profoundly about his key interests and concerns relating to the fairy tale genre. This scholarly masterpiece, which has emerged from decades of thought on the subject, deserves a place in all literary collections, as well as consideration by all those concerned with this particular genre.

Why Did God Give Us Emotions?: A Biblical Perspective on What Science Has Discovered about Emotions / Reneau Peurifoy - Book Review

Why Did God Give Us Emotions? A Biblical Perspective on What Science Has Discovered about Emotions (Lifeskills Publications; ISBN-13: 978-0-929437-16-3. ISBN-10: 0-929437-16-0) is most definitely not an overnight read, but rather a spiritual workbook that requires effort and insight – after all, you can’t expect an epiphany in the form of instant gratification, can you? The most outstanding characteristic of this book is its clarity. The author, Reneau Puerifoy, uses an allegory of how six blind men “see” an elephant as being a completely different object, depending on which part of its body they each feel:  a leg; its tail; its trunk; its ear; its side; and a tusk. From what they feel, they, in turn, perceive the elephant as a pillar; a rope; the thick branch of a tree; a big fan; a huge wall; and a spear. In short. They all get it wrong.

So, too, are we likely not to be able to understand ourselves and our own emotions if we focus on only one aspect of our being. Peurifoy considers our subjective, physical, mental and spiritual emotions, in terms of how they relate to our entire being, as well as how they relate to one another. A thoroughly God-centered work, this guide to emotional well-being guides you step-by-step through the healing process. And this is where your work comes in. Rejecting the role of the reader as passive bystander, Reneau asks of us that we unpack our emotions as we go, in the form of a journal. By doing so, he helps us to relate his sound advice, gleaned from many years as a practicing Christian marriage and family therapist specializing in anxiety disorders, to how we perceive the world (and, oh boy, can we sometimes see it in strange ways – see the analogy above!). He also provides suggestions on how to find a good church, how to develop a regular prayer life, and how to seek help when you really need it. For all the chapters, Peurifoy also gives several small group discussion questions, so that you can transform your personal encounter with his text into a small group therapeutic setting.

Packed with biblical references and checklists, Why Did God Give Us Emotions? stimulates us to grow, not only inwardly, but also in the relationships that we have with others around us. If you feel emotionally troubled and would love to undergo a spiritual facelift, why not buy a copy of Why Did God Give Us Emotions? It’s the equivalent of hours of therapy (and who among us can afford to pay for other forms of face-to-face counseling these days?).

Guide to Spain for History Travellers / Bob Fowke - Book Review

Turning his talents from writing numerous well-received history and science books for children, Bob Fowke has once again come up with a real treasure – this time with the international traveller in mind. Adding to the three other books in the series of Guides for History Travellers (with the previous destinations being France, Turkey and Greece), Fowke has now turned his attention to a land that is regarded by some as austere, and by others as bathed in blood of both the human and bovine kind, namely Spain. But don’t expect an overly portentous or sombre work – far from it, in fact, as Guide to Spain for History Travellers (YouCaxton Publishing; ASIN: B007NZLV3U) is a rollicking overview of the history of that much troubled and wartorn (historically speaking) land, geared towards the traveller who seeks relief in transit from those dreaded intercontinental flights. This relatively short, but clearly well-researched, book should provide you with ample thought, while tickling your funny bone all the way there.

A very far cry from dull academic treatises, Guide to Spain for History Travellers takes you from the huntsman (or woman, as Fowke takes care to point out) of Altamira all the way through to the last unsuccessful attempt made at a coup that “diehard supporters of the old Francoist regime” launched in February 1981, rounding it all off with a helpful timeline and list of rulers, together with their dates. In addition to highlighting the most important aspects of Spanish history over the centuries, which Fowke presents in narrative sequence, the chapters contain numerous maps and line drawings that reflect not only Fowke’s multisided talents, but also his warm and highly accessible sense of good humor. He titillates our desire to venture into the unknown, while refraining from boring us with a plethora of detail, but yet having the foresight to provide us with helpful guide tips along the way.

Clearly keeping his target audience in mind, Fowke makes what might be a daunting task of trying to come to terms with another culture into a great deal of fun. For instance, after exploring the etymology of the country’s name (which he attributes to the Carthaginians’ sharp-eyed observation that the peninsula was overrun with rabbits, which they called “sphan”), he saucily adds “not to say that ‘Spanish’ means ‘rabbit like.’ That would be unfair to one of the world’s great languages.” Definitely one for fair play (as well as for a tongue in the cheek), Fowke gives us much to think about inGuide to Spain for History Travellers – that is, when you can take a break from rolling around in the aisle laughing.

Cat Sayings: Wit & Wisdom from the Whiskered Ones / Bradford G. Wheler (Compiler) - Book Review

If you love, admire and respect cats, which, all cat-lovers would be prone to admit, is only their due, then an excellent way of paying them the most appropriate homage would be to acquire a copy of Bradford G. Wheler’s composite of fine written and visual images:Cat Sayings: Wit & Wisdom from the Whiskered Ones (BookCollaborative.com; ISBN-13: 978-0-9822538-4-2). Having already gained experience of how best to present a finely illustrated collection of wide-ranging quotations on animals that he, and countless others, love, in his two works Horse Sayings: Wit & Wisdom Straight from the Horse’s Mouth and Dog Sayings: Wit & Wisdom from Man’s Best Friend, Wheler was clearly in his element when compiling this work.

Despite his slightly anthropomorphic titles, his inherent appreciation of fine writing and fine art place Wheler in an ideal position to share with his animal-loving audience not only words of wisdom from the past, but also an array of artworks from around the world, ranging from Paris, France and Germany to New Zealand and South Africa. The art media used to portay this most sinuous and graceful of beasts, both domesticated and wild, are just as varied as are the multiple sources from which Wheler draws his quotations, describing in rhetorical finery the quirkiest and quaintest of this most unique and exceptional animal. For anyone who is keen on wildlife photography, there are some fine examples of the feline race that are presented in full color, of which some of the most remarkable are by the avid traveler and explorer, Roland Anderson, for whom the rich savagery of the African plains resounds in noble contrast to its verdant background. Oils, watercolors and ceramic art are just some of the other media that are illustrated in this eclectic mix. Wheler provides very handy short biographies on all the artists, containing their contact details, so, if you like their work, you can easily access more of it. The quotations themselves are from a wide range of authors, stretching from Alexander the Great right up to such authors of the modern day as Jim Davis and Tony Ross.

Ideal for both a juvenile and an adult audience, Cat Sayings: Wit & Wisdom from the Whiskered Ones should bring a great deal of pleasure and might inspire some deeply probing thought about not only the feline race, but also about our relationship with such a delightfully eccentric and idiosyncratic animal of note. 

Arctic Voices: Resistance at the Tipping Point / Subhankar Banerjee - Book Review

Arctic Voices: Resistance at the Tipping Point (Seven Stories Press; ISBN-13: 978-1-60980-385-8) is a wake-up call to the dire threats facing the Arctic due to the exploitation of the area’s natural resources. As the world-renowned environmentalist, Subhankar Banerjee, states in his introduction to this lengthy tome: “through [the over 30] stories, in this volume…we talk about big animals, big migrations, big hunting, big land, big rivers, big ocean, and big sky; and also about the big coal, big oil, big warming, big spills, big pollution, big legislations, and big lawsuits. And we talk about small things, too…”. It comes as no surprise that Banerjee, who specifically became a US citizen so that he could have a legitimate say regarding conservation issues in the US, has focused this volume largely on Arctic Alaska, although the developing problems and risks described have bearing on the whole of the Arctic, as, indeed, they have on the rest of the world. Other areas in the Arctic that are specifically covered are the Nunavut, Northwell and Yukon Territories in the Canadian Arctic, as well as Siberia, Greenland, Svalband, and Iceland. The text is supplemented by two full-color photo inserts, containing drawings as well as photos, portraying the beauty of this magnificent landscape that was left untarnished by humankind for so many centuries prior to the depredations brought by modern exploitative practices, which are also pictured here.

Arctic Voices: Resistance at the Tipping Point, therefore, reflects, in all its somberness, the seriousness of the situation on a global scale, with all its potentially devastating impact relating to both pollution and climate change. But yet there is joy in this work, too, as the native inhabitants of these lands recount their experiences at firsthand of living harmoniously with the wildlife that peopled these vast expanses of ice long before any human set foot there. Telling the story of both the people and the organisations that are set on protecting this natural wilderness from commercial greed, Arctic Voices exhibits the strength that lies at the core of humankind when the major motivation of our behavior is not mere lust for power and avariciousness.

Indeed, it is the wish of Banerjee that the power of the voices that fill this volume should not only resonate across the miles of physical space involved, but also across the intellectual caverns that so often exist at corporate level. If strength lies in numbers, the wide-ranging nature of the multiplicity of contributors to the volume should be capable of arousing a global consciousness and awareness that there is still sufficient energy and will to activate the policymakers and the governments involved (and who among us is not) to contribute to the sustainable evolution of this planet, before nature itself rebels, and the very continued existence of mankind itself is threatened. The spirit of this work is exemplary in its brave commitment to maintaining the rightful balance on this Earth of ours—let us all learn, and be moved, by it.

What W. H. Auden Can Do for You / Alexander McCall Smith - Book Review

Sheer delight in the written and spoken word beams forth from Alexander McCall Smith’s overview of the life of the one of the greatest 20th century poets, the Anglo-American poet, W. H. Auden, and his work in What W.H. Auden Can Do for You (Princeton University Press; ISBN-13: 978-0-691-14473-3). The fluency and vigor of McCall Smith’s writing gives a strength and momentum to the text that encourages one to read the whole book through without pause. The accessible way in which the author introduces even some of the most complex topics that are covered in Auden’s poetry makes this a gem for non-academics and scholars alike.

The relatively informal nature of McCall Smith’s descriptions of the great poet is to be expected if one considers what other earthy, and yet ethically well grounded, texts the author has produced over the years, including his No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and his Isabel Dalhousie series. Unlike with his fictional writings, and no doubt partly because of Auden’s homosexual leanings, the work tends to be male dominated throughout. In contrast to the rapidity of relationship turnover that is thought by some to characterise the male gay lifestyle, Auden’s respect for the longevity of true friendship comes across strongly, in McCall Smith’s revelation of the nature of Auden’s close and long-lasting relationships with both Christopher Isherwood and Louis MacNeice. Indeed, McCall Smith appears as loyal in his devotion to the work of Auden as Auden was to his own close group of fellow writers and poets. Not that Auden’s association with the so-called literary elite of the day in any way sequestered him from the company of his fellow man, upon which he thrived—his compassion and empathy for others sounds loudly throughout his work, as it does throughout the work of McCall Smith. In short, if you already appreciate the work of either of these writers, What W. H. Auden Can Do for You is, most eminently, the book for you.

The lilting nature of What W. H. Auden Can Do for You radiates the sincere and well-intentioned approach that McCall Smith takes in all his work, fictional and otherwise. Remembering Auden’s contribution to his own formation of self provides invaluable insights into both writers’ work, with the former being remembered with a sense of gentle humor and quiet pathos that clearly resonates throughout McCall Smith’s work as well. Clearly, this is a most worthy addition to the Writers on Writers series so lovingly produced by Princeton University Press. And be aware that there is no buddy-buddy system in place here, the absence of which can be seen in McCall Smith’s exploration of some of Auden’s key poems, including “Spain” (which he describes as “[a]t one level…not much more than a piece of political propaganda”) and “In Memory of Sigmund Freud” (in relation to which he emphasises Auden’s fallacy, by stating “He said that poetry had nothing to teach us, but he was wrong about that…”). McCall Smith is also not afraid to criticise the occasional non-sense of Auden’s wording, showing that the latter was, at times, so fond of the lyricism of his writing that he surrendered the importance of meaning to the seductiveness of sound, as he explains in some depth in relation to a poem appearing in Letters from Iceland (to which he refers as “one of Auden’s oddest books”).

From the Sahara to the Samarkand: Selected travel writings of Rosita Forbes, 1919—1937 / Rosita Forbes (edited with an introduction by Margaret Bald) - Book Review

In From the Sahara to the Samarkand: Selected travel writings of Rosita Forbes, 1919—1937 (Axios Press; ISBN: 978-1-60419-030-4), it is somewhat ironical that Rosita Forbes is proudly and reproachfully informed by a daughter of the Hadramauti in Madi, that “I was born in this room [of the harem] and I have never left it! Women should be taken care of and given all that they can desire, but of what use is freedom?” Forbes was the archetypal adventurer in an age in which followers of the suffragette movement were still having militantly to assert their rights to female emancipation. 

Often taking on the guise of a local or Muslim woman, she traveled extensively through Arabic/Islamic lands stretching from the legendary lost city of Kufara in the Sahara to Samarkand, the capital of Tamerlane in Central Asia. From the Sahara to Samarkand: Selected Travel Writings of Rosita Forbes, 1919–1937 also includes some of her travel writings from Java and Sumatra, as well as China. Her incredible courage, with her apparent implacability in the face of often daunting odds, including horrendous weather conditions and what often threatened to be the insurmountable curiosity, if not the blatant animosity, of the locals among whom she traveled has one spellbound from start to finish of this remarkable anthology.

Forbes’ writing is remarkably fluent for the era in which she wrote, with the major difference from that of contemporary writing being the exceptional length of her sentences, which, however, in no way obscures the clarity of her meaning and the vividness of her descriptions. The sumptuousness of the settings into which she so often interjected herself evokes the exotic nature of her surrounds so lusciously that one can often imagine oneself immersed in a painting depicting the utmost luxury of finery and fabric. Her complete lack of pretentiousness is clearly evident in the way in which she occasionally admits being at a loss for the right word in one of the many languages which she mastered in her way across those areas of the world into which few women, at that stage in or history, were willing to venture. She also avoids name-dropping to such a degree that she puts other writers to shame, and is quite up to poking quiet fun at those westerners who were more biased in their colonial outlook on those races over whom they arrogantly thought that they reigned supreme at the time. One example of such is her encounter with Colonel Lawrence when she was dressed in traditional garb, who, being unaware that she was a Briton, stated to a companion that, despite her pleasing appearance, she was probably diseased, as were many tribal women.

The text is supplemented by a photographic album of a range of well-produced black-and-white photographs depicting Rosita Forbes and some of the vast array of characters whom she encountered on her travels, in settings ranging from that of a gate of Angkor-Thom in Cambodia to outside Buckingham Palace, after an audience with the royal couple in 1921. 

An inspiring volume for modern-day travelers, whether of the armchair variety or of the more adventurous kind, this book is not to be missed. If you have a yen to explore foreign lands in a way that is hard to come by these days, do read these travel writings of a most remarkable woman, who was able to approach other cultures with an openness that is exceptional even for the modern day. She is a lesson to all of us who think that whatever is foreign to us is inevitably inferior. 

Practice Safe Stress: A Guide to Using Your Inner Sense of Humor to Minimize Day-to-Day Stress / Barry Roberts - Book Review

Practice Safe Stress: A Guide to Using Your Inner Sense of Humor to Minimize Day-to-Day Stress (H.A.H.A Associates; ISBN: 0-9700246-1-4) is unremittingly positive in its outlook. How else can one regard a work that treats “LIFE” as an acronym for Laughter, Introspection, Five minute fun fling and Energy, enthusiasm and enjoyment? Trust a motivational speaker and trainer, who also happens to be President of the H.A.H.A. Association, to be able to convey in a sensible, down-to-earth style the basics of how to overcome life’s hurdles with spunk, spirit and plenty of sass!

Above all, Roberts is keen on imparting the numerous techniques that he has developed over the years for not only coping with, but indeed for reveling in, stress. After exploring the value of humor in minimizing the negative impact of those stressors that we encounter in our daily lives, he describes several well established techniques for stress relief, including those of visualization and imagery, as well as journaling.  Seeing productivity and creativity as two of the major benefits to be gained from using our sense of humor, Roberts advocates the use of such humor in the workplace to boost levels of productivity, job satisfaction, morale and employee loyalty.

Part two of Practice Safe Stress provides more than 210 possible Five Minute Fun Flings, which is Roberts’ term for brief time outs, for introducing humor into your day. Though some such suggestions relate directly to those in an office environment (such as ‘Create new, fictitious job titles for people at work’ – a good one that, especially when you wish to bring your seniors down a notch or two!), others, if you wish to retain your gainful employment, would be better off practiced at home (one such is ‘Turn on your favorite music and dance like mad’). What I also find pleasing about this light-hearted self-help manual is that Roberts acknowledges the contributions that others have made to it. (The latter contribution, for example, came from Patty of Anduska in New Jersey.) His recommendations for fun flings are illustrated with several humorous drawings, which help to bring the pages to life.

Roberts’ approach is well illustrated throughout with examples of situations in which he has successfully been able to defuse tension. Who amongst us, for example, has not at some stage been involved in some form of automobile accident? Roberts shows how, even when many of us might stand there cursing (or, at least, muttering to ourselves), by cracking a joke at what most of us would consider to be the most inopportune of times, one gains the necessary breathing space that allows one to place the incident in perspective – far better than having a flaming row in peak hour traffic!

In brief, Roberts lays all his cards on the table, being unafraid to reveal personal encounters with difficulties. Practice Safe Stress is highly recommended for all those who sometimes feel overwhelmed by the plethora of urban mishaps that threaten to infringe on one’s sense of individuality, let alone to undermine one’s very sanity, in the rush and scurry of today’s cosmopolitan lifestyle.

Hitchhike the World. Book I: America, Europe, Africa / William A. Stoever - Book Review

Hitchhiking is not the ideal means of transport for many, but when you are young and intrepid, it is a way of gaining self-confidence, as long as you approach it sensibly and clearheadedly. As Stoever points out in Hitchhike the World. Book I: America, Europe, Africa (CreateSpace; ISBN-13: 9781461173977), “most people couldn’t adjust to the uncertainties and discomforts I experienced. I’m tremendously glad to have done the things I did, but they wouldn’t be right for most people.”

What Stoever did was to travel through 86 countries by the time that he was thirty, and, since then, to have visited 21 more. During his 20’s, he got around mainly by hitchhiking, on a strictly limited budget, staying at some of the cheapest accommodation available. In the two volumes of Hitchhike the World, Stoever relates how, in order to master “the excitement of going new places, seeing new things, having new experiences” he took to the road, first in the U.S., and then later in Mexico, Europe, and Africa (descibed in Book I), followed by in the Middle East and Asia (described in Book II). On the way, he came to learn a great deal about himself, about his fellow travelers (including many an apostolic Bible-thumping missionary, as well as some fairly risque mavericks), and about the places through which he traveled. This he regales his readers with at some length, recounting verbatim many of the conversations that he had with those who gave him lifts, as well as with those he met at the numerous stopovers where he stayed.In addition to the multiple instances of dialogue, with some pleasant, and some not so pleasant, people whom he met along the way, he conveys a great deal of advice to youngsters on how to handle different situations that they might encounter if they decide to make use of this form of transportation. The topics covered most notably include toilets, dangers, photography (the only part of Book I that contains several photos is that on East Africa, although Stoever does provide rudimentary maps, on which all his journeys described are traced), meals, prices, and weak currencies and black markets, among many others.

Half reminiscence, half guidebook, Hitchhike the World makes a truly worthwhile read, whether you are interested in recalling similar experiences that you might have had in your own youth, or whether you are still young and adventurous in both mind and body, and wish to embark on such exploits yourself. Even though Stoever’s travels mainly occurred in the 1960’s, he has included many asides updating the details that he provides with salient information concerning the modern-day situation in the countries that he describes, so the work is still relevant today.