Review: Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

This is a book about a ballet dancer who started his life as a poor boy in rural China. He goes on to international ballet stardom after managing to leave China. I thought that some parts of this book really dragged but perhaps this is because it is an autobiography so can be excused a bit.

In some ways this was a remarkable story, but the tense moments with defecting from China didn't seem to really be emphasized that much. Granted, the fear of being returned to China later on did permeate many later chapter.

Cunxin is really lucky is the upshot of this story (yes, he worked hard but the chances provided him were many many parts luck). It was still a good story nonetheless.

Disclaimer: I won this from First Reads.

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Review: Holy Hullabaloos by Jay Wexler

Holy Hullabaloos by Jay Wexler

This book takes complex court cases involving religions vs the state and breaks them down into something easy to understand. Along the way, the author is quite amusing. I find him amusing probably because religiously, I am the same alignment as the author. I imagine many of those who are far "right" in their religious views will not be as amused as I was.

This book is definitely a great overview to the many court (read Supreme Court usually) cases which shape our nation's policies toward the separation of church and state and religious freedoms. It also gives a fascinating glimpse of the characters behind these court cases.

Disclaimer: I won this for free as part of First Reads.

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Review: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

A very interesting journey Ayaan takes from ignorance to devout Muslim to infidel(aetheist). It is an autobiography so the journey takes a long time and the revelation comes at the very end. The point the book makes doesn't actually require the entire sum of her experiences to drive home but definitely worth reading.

It gives a glimpse into the culture and daily life of some places in the Muslim countries. In some ways it is frightening with its poverty and restriction on freedoms. The power dynamic within families and the society which are backed up by constant quotations from the Quran gives the people within the extremist feel of New Earthers with a militant bent.

The author's life has been threatened many time after publishing her story, and I am grateful that she had the courage to write it. It's a great autobiography/story to read.

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Review: Unfinished Business by Lee Kravitz

Unfinished Business by Lee Kravitz

This was a pretty good account of Lee's one year journey to tie up regrets in his life. They range from the mundane to the more interesting as the author seems to be acquainted with a number of fairly interesting people. This book serves as a reminder of what is important in life, and I'm likely to recommend this book to a couple of my friends who might need the reminder.

It waxes quite spiritual in some parts although not overwhelmingly so. Kravitz's financial circumstances let him complete a lot of his regrets without what would seem too much worry to the cost of some of the adventures he went on. Granted any in-depth discussion of finances would have detracted from the story itself, and his brief mention is sufficient for the purposes of the book. I would hesitate to say that such jet-setting would be available to everyone seeking to settle their debts and regrets. The spirit of the book though is a good lesson.

Disclaimer: I won this from First Reads.

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