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rpavlacic
Hamilton Public Library
rpavlacic's Profile Shelves

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1 to 25 of 511 items
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The Hockey Sweater and Other Stories, Book

by Carrier, Roch
Book - 1979--
rpavlacic's rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Added Nov 22, 2020

Comment:

This book came about a decade after Roch Carrier's stunning novel debut, "La Guerre, Yes Sir!" More than 40 years after the original publication, the short stories depicted remain so vivid and realistic, the reader is left to ask if these are true recollections of Carrier's childhood, or figments of his vast imagination. I lean towards the former.

Nutrition in Crisis, BookFlawed Studies, Misleading Advice, and the Real Science of Human Metabolism

by Feinman, Richard D.
Book - 2019
rpavlacic's rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Added Mar 12, 2020

Comment:

This book seems to imply that only high fat, low carbohydrate diets are good (such as Atkins and Keto) and that low fat diets are bad. Not all people are the same - one or the other may work. There is a lot of data to back up the author's thesis, so it does make for a good read.

Liquid, BookThe Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives

by Miodownik, Mark
Book - 2018
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Mar 12, 2020

Comment:

Many more things - much more - than we realize, are liquids and not solids. This is a great book about the history of liquid, and how new methods are constantly being produced to shape our lives.

The Ghost Garden, BookInside the Lives of Schizophrenia's Feared and Forgotten

by Doherty, Susan
Book - 2019
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Mar 08, 2020

Night in the American Village, BookWomen in the Shadow of the U.S. Military Bases in Okinawa

by Johnson, Akemi
Book - 2019
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Mar 02, 2020

Comment:

The post-war relationship between the United States and Japan is one of those "it's complicated" kind of things, but is nowhere near more complicated than in Okinawa, where the US has the bulk of its military presence in the country. This book focuses around the lives of eight women on the island, and how military and civilian populations interact with each other; as well as the ongoing agitation among residents not just on whether the Americans should be there, but if Okinawa should secede from Japan and become its own country. Going beyond the screaming headlines of terrible crimes committed by personnel against residents, the story is one where it becomes evident the two groups of people are indispensable to each other.

Superior, BookThe Return of Race Science

by Saini, Angela
Book - 2019
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Mar 02, 2020

Comment:

"Research" into the differences between races has been going on for decades, even centuries. This book provides a good précis of the history. Several think tanks are mentioned, but one that keeps coming up in the book is the Pioneer Fund, which has financed research of some of the most notorious professors - not the least of which is Phillippe Rushton. When you read this you'll understand the thinking of the alt-right and its exponents, and why it poses a threat not just to race relations but to democracy itself.

Manual for Survival, BookA Chernobyl Guide to the Future

by Brown, Kate
Book - 2019 | First edition.
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Mar 01, 2020

Comment:

Actually, the title is a bit misplaced. It's more about how Ukrainian and Soviet officials bungled the response to the Chernobyl disaster, and how people were left to fend for themselves, coming up with creative ways to survive. An excellent companion to the book "Midnight in Chernobyl."

Mourning Has Broken, BookLove, Loss and Reclaiming Joy

by Davis, Erin
Book - 2019
rpavlacic's rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Added Mar 01, 2020

Comment:

There is not much to be said. Erin Davis, one of Canada's most popular deejays, loses her only daughter to an unexpected heart attack, and deals with the grief that comes along with it. Despite the sadness, it is also quite uplifting. Essential reading for anyone who's dealt with a loss, or is someone trying to help a friend to cope.

Peyton Place, Book

by Metalious, Grace
Book - 1999
rpavlacic's rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 20, 2020

Comment:

What is the biggest adult fiction novel of the 20th century? Not The Godfather. Not To Kill a Mockingbird. Not The Grapes of Wrath. It is "Peyton Place," which sold a stunning 20 million copies upon its publication in 1956, despite efforts of many libraries and booksellers - and even entire countries - to ban it. The book is about small town life in New England, from about 1939 to 1944. With the war in the background, the book's central character, Allison Mackenzie, finds herself increasingly disenchanted with her hometown and the hypocrisies that abound - rape, incest, abortion, extramarital relationships, and the constant backstabbing among the town's business owners and residents. All to the point where she starts chronicling the antics, first in her town's paper, then for regional and even national magazines. From today's perspective, the book is rather tame. But it is a reminder that the lack of values crosses the urban / rural divide and is a timeless problem. This book is not for the faint of heart, but is nonetheless rewarding.

Suitability

Ages 14

Anne of Green Gables, Book

by Montgomery, L. M.
Book - 2004
rpavlacic's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 16, 2020

Comment:

I first read this story at the age of 11 on a trip to Prince Edward Island and fell in love with the story and the main character. Nearly forty years later, it still has a hold on me and it's the tale that's worth the five stars. This time around I read the Sterling Publishing edition. It features illustrations of Anne at various points in her life, in a medium called scratchboard (which is described in the endnotes and is quite innovative). They are very pleasant, but my beef is the artists, husband and wife set designers for Broadway, chose to use the same painting for a series of chapters, rather than one for each of the 38. It might have added more to the experience.

We Are Displaced, BookMy Journey and Stories From Refugee Girls Around the World

by Yousafzai, Malala
Book - 2019 | First edition.
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 16, 2020

Comment:

Gives a snapshot of what it's like to be a refugee, forced out of your lifelong home and heading on the run, never knowing if you'll make it to your destination safe. Also takes a look at internally displaced persons (IDPs), people who are refugees in their own country due to war or natural disasters. This second one could become a major crisis as we deal with climate change.

Caplin Scull, BookChronicles From A Newfoundland Outport on the Eve of Confederation

by Dohaney, Myrtis T.
Book - 2017
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 16, 2020

Comment:

Life in a Newfoundland outport, on the eve of the province joining the Canadian federation. Semi-fictitious but a fun read.

The Second Founding, BookHow the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution

by Foner, Eric
Book - 2019 | First edition.
rpavlacic's rating:
2 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 15, 2020

Comment:

This book offers a brilliant solution to voter suppression efforts in many states - the never used but still valid Section 2 of the XIV Amendment. Otherwise, I found this book so much meh - stuff I mostly covered in American History in high school and university.

The Missing Millionaire, BookThe True Story of Ambrose Small and the City Obsessed With Finding Him

by Daubs, Katie
Book - 2019
rpavlacic's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 15, 2020

Comment:

An absolutely fascinating account of one of the great mysteries of our time. How is it possible that a man could make a breathtaking sale of a vastly spread theatre chain for a million dollars ($15.5 million in today's dollars), then just vanish without a trace the next day? Katie Daubs, an investigative reporter with the Toronto Star, literally follows every lead across North America. The answer is never clear, but the possibilities are endless. This read is both sobering and fun.

Suitability

Ages 14

Before the Lights Go Out, BookA Season Inside A Game Worth Saving

by Fitz-Gerald, Sean
Book - 2019
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 21, 2020

Comment:

This book follows two basic strands. One is following the season of a junior hockey team, the Peterborough Petes, once one of the most storied teams in Canada, now struggling not just to make the playoffs but to stay relevant in its community. The other is how hockey faces an existential crisis in Canada, with substantially lower participation rates than in generations past, exorbitant entry level costs, power struggles within and without associations (and even within teams), and an immigrant population who would rather play basketball, baseball or even cricket. Is the game worth saving? After reading this book, you may wonder if it is.

18 Miles, BookThe Epic Drama of Our Atmosphere and Its Weather

by Dewdney, Christopher
Book - 2018
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 05, 2020

Comment:

"18 Miles" is the boundary between earth and the 10 mile thick atmosphere that separates us from outer space. And it's the atmosphere that is responsible for the often unpredictable weather that hits our planet. This book is a good primer about the history of weather over several million years, and the people in the last 500 years that made it understandable to the masses.

The Hidden History of Guns and the Second Amendment, Book

by Hartmann, Thom
Book - 2019 | First edition.
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Dec 30, 2020

Comment:

This book takes two strands. The first is that the Second Amendment had nothing to do with gun ownership - it was about state militias keeping blacks, both slave and free, "in their place." The second is how the NRA, which once stood for responsible gun ownership, indeed called for strict gun control in the 1930s to stop the early Mafia gang wars, was hijacked in the 1970s and became the anti-anything-to-do-with-gun-control lobby that it is today. The author also digs up early drafts of the amendment, ones which would have put the role of militias as protecting democracy - not controlling slaves - and which would have specifically put conscientious objection into the US Constitution. A truly sobering and frightening read. The reader should be aware, however, that while the book is backed with solid historical and legal facts, the author is a progressive, much more to the left than many other progressives, and that slightly colours the tone of the book.

Joey Smallwood, BookSchemer and Dreamer

by Argyle, Ray
Book - 2012
rpavlacic's rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Added Jul 26, 2019

Comment:

Joey Smallwood, the man responsible for bringing Newfoundland into the Canadian federation, was arguably one of the most controversial politicians the country has ever produced. Unfortunately, this biography is adequate to the task, but hardly satisfying.

A History of Canadian Culture, Book

by Vance, Jonathan Franklin William
Book - 2009
rpavlacic's rating:
2.5 out of 5 stars
Added Jul 12, 2019

Comment:

A major bias against women in culture in Canada - e.g. there was plenty to say about the Group of Seven, but absolutely nothing in there about their female counterpart in Beaver Hall. Too exhausting a book to contemplate - but might be appropriate for an arts class in university.

Don't Tell the Newfoundlanders, BookThe True Story of Newfoundland's Confederation With Canada

by Malone, Greg
Book - 2012
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jul 09, 2019

Comment:

Makes a persuasive case that the push for Newfoundland and Labrador to join Canada, rather than become an independent country as it had been for nearly a hundred years until the Great Depression, was rigged from the get-go, even questioning the referendum results in several districts that swayed the result. Asks legitimate questions as to whether the province would have been better off as its own country again, especially in light of the collapse of the Atlantic fisheries. The book ends with the Terms of Union - part of Canada's constitution - giving the reader the opportunity to decide whether N&L got a good deal or whether it was robbed. I have no opinion either way. But the "what if" remains testy. It's worth noting that while most Canadians will say "I am from Ontario" or "I am from Alberta," etc., Newfoundlanders say "I belong to Newfoundland." Look up the worlds to the national anthem of the province, "Ode to Newfoundland," and one understands the pride that has existed there for centuries, regardless of whom governs them.

Macdonald at 200, BookNew Reflections and Legacies

Book - 2014
rpavlacic's rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Added Jul 09, 2019

Comment:

Nothing more than extended versions of speeches given at a symposium. There are a few bright lights - such as Macdonald's support for women's votes - but there is next to nothing about the "Pacific Scandal," which involved bribes at the highest levels. Reference to Pierre Berton or Gordon Lightfoot might have helped there.

#IDLENOMORE and the Remaking of Canada, Book

by Coates, Kenneth
Book - 2015
rpavlacic's rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Added Jun 25, 2019

Comment:

Anemic at best recounting of the Idle No More movement. Does talk about some of the highlights, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada decisions that bolstered the cause, but it's more of a clinical analysis, rather than a call to action to non-Aboriginals to wake up and pay attention. Found myself skimming through parts of the book to get it done.

Economics for Everyone, BookA Short Guide to the Economics of Capitalism

by Stanford, Jim
Book - 2015 | Second edition.
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jun 12, 2019

Comment:

A primer on how economics really works (not just the theory in university textbooks). Well researched and accessible, but there is a caveat: it is published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a left wing think-tank.

The Case for Impeachment, Book

by Lichtman, Allan J.
Book - 2018
rpavlacic's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jun 11, 2019

Comment:

One of the recommendations, which should be obvious: The White House doctor's office should be staffed with a psychiatrist. There is little doubt presidents over the years have had mental issues to some level, but it has truly gotten desperate in current circumstances.

Midnight in Chernobyl, BookThe Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster

by Higginbotham, Adam
Book - 2019
rpavlacic's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added May 25, 2019

Comment:

A couple of years ago, I read at the CIA's website that the spread of airborne nuclear waste from Chernobyl was so widespread, the only populated area of the planet that did NOT get trace amounts of fallout was the Falkland Islands. That certainly got my attention. This is a detailed forensic account of what happened at the Chernobyl nuclear facility in 1986 (the result of a much delayed test of the reactor in question) and the aftermath, although written as much as possible in layperson's terms (including the makeup of the various isotopes of various atoms produced by nuclear bombardment, like strontium and deuterium); and why it took three days to report the accident to the world. Also details how the neighbouring city of Pripyat - a city of plenty in a nation where rations were the expectation - became a ghost town overnight, while the city of Chernobyl itself was reduced to a skeletal population. One surprise that came out of the terrible affair is that the Soviet authorities were forced to admit a nearly identical accident had happened in 1957, but due to censorship was withheld from both the people as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency for nearly 30 years. Gorbachev, who was a lame duck as soon as Chernobyl happened, now says that it is the accident in the Ukraine - not the inherent entropy of the Marxist system - that led to the collapse of the USSR. If anyone still feels that the generation of power by nuclear means is "safe," they will be disabused of that notion after reading this book.
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