Los Angeles Central Library Fire 1986

The Library Book

Author: Susan Orlean

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: October 16, 2018

Length: 336 Pages










About the Author
Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the author of seven books, including Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation.

Fascinating History of the LA Public Library
This true story begins on April 29, 1986...the day of a devastating fire at the Los Angeles Central Library. Susan Orlean investigates a mystery that has never been solved: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library...and if so, who?

Ms. Orlean shares extensive research in this riveting book about the history of the library, the library architecture, the library employees, library patrons, the library culture and the accused arsonist, Harry Peak.

My Thoughts
I worked as a school librarian for many years, so the title of this book piqued my curiosity. The author tells of her childhood love of reading and her frequent visits to a public library in her neighborhood. She wrote this book as a tribute to libraries and the important role they play in our society.

They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and that is certainly the case with this book. In her quest to investigate the library fire, Ms. Orlean traces the history of the library back to 1926. She explores the library culture and the personalities of the people who held leadership positions at the library and the librarians who spent their days performing the duties required to serve the library patrons. She investigates the challenges the library has faced in recent years and shares her thoughts about the future of the library.

The author can't understand why anyone would intentionally start a fire in the library. She is not convinced that this was actually a case of arson. However, she admits that this is probably a mystery that will never be solved. Harry Peak, the main suspect in the arson case, was arrested but released because of lack of evidence. He later died of AIDS.

I found this book extremely informative, enlightening and even entertaining. The author did an amazing job mixing the intrigue of the fire mystery and the more unremarkable history of the library.

I believe this book will be on the shelves of many libraries and all library enthusiasts will devour the pages and be hungry for more. Highly recommended!

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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The Saint

This book provides intrigue, adventure, inspiration, spirituality and much more. The Saint (Kindle Single), by Oliver Broudy, is a short 85-page story that delivers some powerful messages.

Oliver Broudy had become frustrated with his life as a resident of New York City and his career as a professional writer. One day he met James Otis, an eccentric memorabilia collector. James was under attack by the international community because he was auctioning off five personal items once belonging to Mahatma Gandhi. James was a lifelong disciple of Gandhi and was determined to use the profits from this sale to help the poor in India and promote Gandhian principles abroad.

Oliver Broudy soon found himself admiring James and accepting an invitation to accompany him on a trip to India. This was an opportunity for Mr. Broudy to escape the routines of city life and investigate a vastly different culture. He spent the next several weeks visiting some of the poorest populations in the world.  They go to the border between India and Tibet because James wants to cross the border and peacefully protest human rights violations in the area.

The author believes that James Otis is a saint. He has given up his own dreams, ambitions and wealthy lifestyle to serve others. Yet there are times when James' actions seem to be more self-serving than generous. The author is forced to examine his own values and his views of reality. This is a true story that brings out the best and worst aspects of human nature.

I would like to share one of my very favorite quotations from this book;

Principles, in other words, are not simply acquired, like light bulbs. They're not hot-swappable. So even if we endorse (for instance) the principle of hating the sin and not the sinner, finding a way to organize our inner selves around that principle such that our every action reflects it is another challenge entirely.

You will find this book thought-provoking and challenging. The poetic writing style is a delight to read. I highly recommend this book!

An Amway Network Marketing Fiasco

Have you ever heard of Amway? I imagine each one of you answered a resounding "YES" to that question.  Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. It was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVoss.
I recently read My Father's Dream (Kindle Single) by Erik German. This is a poignant story about how Erik's father quit his job as a journalist and went to work selling Amway products as an independant network marketer in the early 1980s. Roger German's family had fallen on hard times and a close family member introduced them to the Amway "opportunity" at a time when the family was in desparate need of extra income. This business promises to make you $150,000, in your spare time, in just a couple of years. All it costs to get started is $250—and a dream. Roger worked hard and recruited over 100 people to sell under him, but instead of making a profit he amassed a crushing Amway-related debt. 
The author tells about the night when his tearful and incoherent father was standing in the kitchen of their home. The family had an empty gas tank out in the yard, an empty gas tank in the car, empty cupboards and an empty band account. It was a final culmination of bills due and no money to pay them. The family went to live in the basement of Erik's paternal grandparents home for eighteen months. His parents both worked constantly to pay off the debts. After they moved out of his grandparent's home, his father found work as a remodeling contractor and gave up journalism for good.
Two decades later, Erik German is an investigative journalist and sets out to learn how Amway works and how it failed his family. Mr. German reveals Amway's formula for recruiting and motivating sales people. The author found that the secret to making big bucks with Amway is not selling the products but by selling motivational books and tapes to your recruits.
This book brought back memories of my personal experience with Amway.

The Amway Opportunity Knocks On My Door
In the mid-1990s, a couple from our church approached my husband and I about an opportunity to improve our standard of living. They asked if they could come to our home and share this valuable information. We had a feeling that this was about selling and we are NOT salespeople.  Honestly, my husband and I could not sell a fur coat to a naked Eskimo in Alaska.  We are really that bad. The couple was very persistent and we didn't want to hurt their feelings so we agreed to a meeting with them.
On the appointed evening, the couple showed up at our door. They made some small talk and then started sharing the fabulous opportunity that Amway offered. The husband was a very smooth talker and said that it looked like we were doing pretty good but it was now time for us to go to the next level...a nicer house, new cars, vacations, FINANCIAL FREEDOM! 
Well, I told him that I was really satisfied with my life and that I would rather down-size instead of taking on the responsibility of more material possessions!  I wish you could have seen the look on Mr. Smooth Talker's face.  He was speechless.  I just shot down his entire sales presentation.  The couple left soon after and I am so glad that we did not take advantage of this "opportunity". 

The Book
I highly recommend My Father's Dream (Kindle Single).  This book contains 30 pages and can be read in an hour or less.  It should be required reading for anyone considering a network marketing opportunity. Read it and weep.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Hydrofracked? A Kindle Single

Hydraulic fracturing is a process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks. The most important industrial use is in stimulating oil and gas wells, where hydraulic fracturing has been used for over 60 years in more than one million wells. Man-made fluid-driven fractures are formed at depth in a borehole and extend into targeted formations. Hydrofracked? One Man's Mystery Leads to a Backlash Against Natural Gas Drilling (Kindle Single), by Abrahm Lustgarten from ProPublica, tells the story of one man's fight to find the cause of the polluted water well on his Wyoming property. ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. This true story is offered as a FREE Kindle Singles book. The book is approximately 40 pages long and can be read in about an hour. 
Louis Meeks, a Vietnam War hero, has lived on his 40-acre plot of land near Pavillion, Wyoming, for over 35 years. In the spring of 2005, Meeks' water had turned bad. His tap ran cloudy, and the water shimmered with rainbow swirls across a filmy top. The scent was sharp, like gasoline.  Mr. Meeks suspected that environmental factors were to blame. Since the mid 1990's, more than 1000 gas wells had been drilled in the region.  Meeks learned that in hydraulic fracturing, a brew of chemicals is injected deep into the earth to lubricate the fracturing and work its way into the rock. How far it goes and where it ends up, no one really knows. Meeks wondered if that wasn't what ruined his well.

This is a heart-wrenching story about one man's struggle to fight big government agencies and the oil and gas industries. The Meeks family has endured endless financial and personal defeats but they continue to fight. They have joined forces with some of their neighbors who also have polluted water. In November, 2010, Mr. Meeks had a heart attack. His doctors told him it was probably caused by stress. Mr. and Mrs. Meeks are still living on their ranch near Pavillion. They are drinking bottled water but do not have clean water to bath in, or to water the garden or to feed the animals.  A realtor said that because of the water problems, the property is worthless and could not be sold.
This story makes me feel very angry. This could happen to anyone.  I live in a rural area and I am dependant on a water well.  How could you deal with something like this?  How would YOU feel if no one would accept responsibility for a disaster like this?  Why are government agencies that are supposed to protect us turning their backs?  How much influence do the big oil companies really have?

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.