Books, reviews, and writings

  I’ve seen the end of you – W. Lee Warren, M.D .   I’ve seen the end of you , by W. Lee Warren, M.D. is a stirring narrative, somewhat morbid yet very engaging. In this memoir book, Dr Warren tells us of some of his glioblastoma patients, which is in and of itself quite an emotionally demanding read. Alongside (or, rather, underneath) these stories, is the narrative of how he managed to re-engage with his faith despite all the pain he encounters. Dr Warren has to face an intrinsic dilemma: how can he believe in the power of prayer, how can he have faith, when he has to face the irreversible death sentence of a brain tumour diagnosis? As he introduces each case, creating a window into the lives of these people on the brink of destruction, he presents repeated instances of spiritual struggle. How can God be merciful, how can he claim to be listening, if all those good people have no hope of survival? Eventually, as he has to deal with personal loss, w...

  People of the Book – Geraldine Brooks   Geraldine Brooks’ People of the Book is a meta-literary, meta-historical story. It follows Hanna Heath, a rare book conservation expert, and her interaction with a wondrous tome, the Sarajevo Haggadah. Then, it unfurls like a flower, and the stories of those touched by the Haggadah come to life to suck us into a condensed, human experience of some of the most difficult times in European history. Brooks imagines the lives of her characters with beautifully accurate historical detail, interweaving the fiction with the fact nearly seamlessly; all the characters have their own traits to both sink and redeem them. The message, it seems, is that nobody is perfect, life is tough, but what matters is how we choose to live and the legacy we leave behind.   Who would enjoy this This book is not pulp fiction, but solid literature. Therefore, I highly recommend it for people who like history, who like narrative...

  Serial Killers: The World’s Most Evil – Nigel Blundell   Nigel Blundell’s Serial Killers: The World’s Most Evil continues his ‘World’s Most’ series. In itself, the volume is a made up of chapters, each one dedicated to a serial killer/pair of serial killers whose cruelty, as ranked by Dr Michael Stone’s “Scale of Evil”. However, the author only refers to either Dr Stone or his work in a couple of instances. There is also a very summary review of what are the measuring factors to the scale, making it nigh on irrelevant pseudo-justification. It makes one wonder: is this collection really a representation of the Most, as per the ranking; or is the ranking a mere excuse, and most of the cases are dealt with to meet Blundell’s fancy? Similarly, the cases only represent a range of countries, without in-depth research beyond the most accessible cases (US, UK, Canada Australia, and some continental European) – hardly ‘the world’.   The rationale behi...

  The California Immigrant -   Barbara Anne King   Barbara Anne King brings us a condensed saga on the success of the hardworking, God-fearing Croatian immigrants in California as they become ideal Americans. Allegedly inspired by her own family history, Ms King tells the story of Martin Petrovich, a man of constant moral superiority, who leaves his native Croatia a pauper, but once in California works hard to establish successful businesses, inspire his family and community, serve in WWI, have his sons become WWII heroes, and eventually become major of his town. This is a tale exemplifying the importance of freedom, aspiration, historical relevance, mettle, and the values of the Western world – never clearer than at the end of the story, when successful Petrovich returns to visit his struggling elderly sisters in Communist Yugoslavia.   Who would enjoy this This is a book for those who want a feel good, from rags to riches American D...