The Measure of my Powers

This memoir of food, misery and Paris was mouth watering, delightfully descriptive, and poignant.
In her Eggplant Bharta chapter, author Jackie Kai Ellis shares how she was brought up with outspoken women who's opinions she took on rather than her own. Her parents were always busy managing the household, so she was conscious of not being a burden. She makes an introspective observation that from this, she learned how to not speak, and after awhile, forgot to speak entirely.  

Her sad marriage to G was the constant melancholy tune throughout The Measure of my Powers. There were several heart wrenching moments detailed, with her back and forth thoughts in the Tell Me I'm Beautiful chapter bringing it all together. It's the rationalization, followed by coming to terms with what's been going on, the understanding that your spouse would rather play mind games than give you what you need and want. 

Something wonderful to read was how Ellis overcame a painful eating disorder by travelling to Paris. It was refreshing to read her honesty about not enjoying the restaurants in Paris at first. She went to the touristy spots, and it wasn't until she discovered the markets that she had good food. 

Some miscellaneous things that also stood out: her discovery that it's not the destination, but the journey. We all are in such a hurry to find happiness, but not enjoying the now moments. 

I cheered for her for making the elusive croissant. That takes dedication, and perhaps some obsessiveness, to keep at it, and perfect the difficult recipe. 

I totally relate to needing a career that satisfies. The desire to do good and provide joy is strong. 

While the recipes sounded delectable, and the photographs were lovely, for me, they were not the focal point of the book. It was Ellis' lovely descriptions of ingredients and meals that I found memorable. She takes such care when describing food, just like she must with her cooking. I felt happy for her reading how much pleasure she gets from creating and eating her dishes. 

I received The Measure of my Powers  in a GoodReads giveaway. 

Until next time,

Kara

Ranger Games

I wasn't sure what to expect from Ranger Games - I'm anti war and not into the military, so would I even be interested? 
It turns out Ranger Games was a compelling story about a regular guy next door who always wanted to serve his country, but got caught up in participating in a crime which he wasn't fully aware of. 
We've all watched soldiers movies so we think we know what basic training is... but Alex Blum, through his cousin author Ben Blum, explains in detail not only about the pain inflicted upon recruits bodies, but their minds. It was painful to read because what happens to these young men is not far fetched, but easy to imagine. The body heals, but it's the psychological trauma that lasts and is so difficult to get past. 

In Ranger Games, we are shown what it takes to make a soldier. Alex said Basic Training and Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP) made him into a mindless follower. After the fourth week, he said he could feel his mind shut down. He no longer had an opinion, and couldn't tell right from wrong or understand emotions. He did everything his superiors asked of him because he was taught to trust and obey. This brainwashing that he describes is what makes a good soldier. No objective, independent thinking, just a blind follower. From all this, you can believe Alex didn't have the sense to comprehend they were actually robbing a bank. 

In his interviews with the mastermind of the bank robbery Luke Elliott Sommer, it felt like he was putting on a performance, being a character in a movie. Such was his wild personality. I can see a Ranger Games film in the near future. 

Interesting was psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen's lack of empathy theory Zero-Positive for those with Asperger's syndrome. He says they can't read emotions well but feel badly when told they hurt others - which could be remorse. It was something Blum contemplated in his theorizing about Elliott. 

While what lead to the crime was intriguing to read about, this book was too long, and Blum often goes into too much detail.

In this decade + long process from the crime to the researching, interviewing and writing of the book, Blum's attitude towards Alex shifts. He always defended Alex, but began doubting him towards the end. It ended up sounding like a long journey for him, a look into family, truth and fiction. 

I received Ranger Games in a GoodReads giveaway. 

Until next time,

Kara