Mistakes Were Made

Tavris, Carol, and Elliot Aronson. Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. I thought I knew all about self-justification, but no, my understanding didn't begin to account for the 90% of that iceberg, submerged and out of sight.

The introduction is titled Knaves, fools, Villains, and Hypocrites: How Do They Live with Themselves? The answer is-- the same way we do. They justify their actions.

When we make a mistake or do something foolish or hurtful, we experience cognitive dissonance. Since we think of ourselves as basically good people, when our behavior threatens our self-concept, we are almost compelled to justify our actions in order to reduce the dissonance. For most of us, our transgressions are relatively small, but what about those who have proceeded to much larger and more serious errors? How did they get there, if they really are decent people? Tavris and Aronson state it very simply: one step at a time. One lie can lead to another, and bigger, lie. One act of dishonesty can lead to another. If we justify the first, it is easier to justify the second. The individuals in the Milgram study began with small shocks and proceeded upwards. From ten volts to 450 volts. This study has always fascinated me, but Tavris and Aronson conclude that not only do we move toward bad/corrupt/cruel/foolish behavior one step at a time, but we also tend to blame our victims...they deserved it, they were stupid, they were stubborn. Because those individuals who were administering the "shocks" were decent people, they had to justify their willingness to "inflict" pain.

This is a fascinating book, and the authors take the reader through example after example, study after study. Why would a prosecuting attorney refuse to change his opinion after DNA proved that the accused was not guilty? Why can't psychologists, doctors, police, politicians, husbands, wives, teachers, students, bosses, employees... admit they made mistakes? What procedures and strategies are at work? The authors reveal the process, revealing how easy it is to compound and magnify our errors because we are so busy justifying our decisions.

From marital disagreements to war crimes, almost without exception individuals try to justify their behavior to ease cognitive dissonance. The latter part of the book concentrates on acknowledging mistakes rather than excusing them, being aware of the process and consequences of self-justification, keeping an open mind, and not "jumping to convictions."

There is way too much in this little book for me to cover, but I recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological and sociological studies. Sometimes floored, sometimes angry, sometimes sad, sometimes amused, but always interested, I can only hope that I will be able to apply some of what I learned in my own life. This book was an Advanced Reader Copy, and my thanks, again, to Anna Suknov for sending it.

Nonfiction. Social psychology. 2007. 236 pages.

An Assortment of Goodies

Have you ever wanted a literary umbrella?


Well Luminary Graphics can provide you with one of several different
versions! Or great bookmarks, or bookbags, mugs, playing cards, or journals.

I love the Magritte bookmark!











Here is a review of new YA fantasy novel that sounds interesting. It is the final volume in the series, but the review gives background on all of them. Also, here at January Magazine there is a link to the Guardian article Defining the Decades and in the post Margaret Atwood and the Defining Books of Our Era, you can scroll down to see the complete list.

On Choosing Books

Want to read an entertaining book review? Hop on over to Naked Without Books and scroll down to her review on Outsider.

Chris asked how I choose my books, and I gave a partial answer in the comment section of my last post:

I have several long lists of titles, subjects, and authors (gathered from all kinds of sources including blogs!) that I work from, I also choose a great many from the new book shelves at the library and browse through the stacks as well.

In the case of the Honor Harrington books, I found Off Armageddon Reef on the new book shelves at the library and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to read others by Weber. One book often leads to another--by the same author, on the same topic, or on something mentioned in the book.

It is an interesting question, however, and one we've all discussed at different times. I'm also intriqued by titles. I remember one book from quite a few years ago that I chose for the title alone: Malice Domestic which comes from a speech by Macbeth:

Duncan is in his grave.
After life's fitful fever he sleeps well.
Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing
Can touch him further.

I remember absolutely nothing about that little mystery except the title. Any title that originates from a line of poetry or has some allusive text (that I recognize) will cause me to pull it out for further examination. Certain words attract me for some reason; titles with the words snow, or winter, or bones in them make me pause. Beautiful phrases catch my attention.

Covers. A beautiful cover will draw my interest. A cover that doesn't appeal to me will cause me to ignore the book, often to my own detriment.

Not one of these methods is a reliable indicator of how much I'll like the book, but each method has a definite way of catching my interest. If another blogger mentions it and it sounds interesting, it goes on the LIST. If I read about it in the paper or on LitMinds or KR or Arts & Letters Daily; if I hear it reviewed on NPR; if a friend mentions it...

I know Chris (Stuff as Dreams Are Made On) has a penchant for science fiction and fantasy, but his blog title is a Shakespearean reference. So...how do you choose your books, Chris, within your favorite genres and in general?

And how do you choose your books? If you decide to answer on your blog, would you please leave me a link in the comment section so I can read it, too?

2 for 1: On Basilisk Station & The Honor of the Queen

Weber, David. On Basilisk Station. The first book in the Honor Harrington series proved to be a lot of fun. Based on the Horatio Hornblower series, a daring young woman is given command of a space ship that has been refitted with experimental weapons that she knows will not be practical. When the experiment ultimately fails, she and her crew are sent to one of the most unpopular posts available, Basilisk Station. Faced with an almost impossible task, Honor puts everything she has into making the situation work.

What to call the specific sub-genre? Another reviewer called it a cross between "space opera and military science fiction." That works well for me. A highly entertaining read, if you like this sort of thing. I enjoyed it enough to read the second in the series.

fiction. Science Fiction. 1993. 419 pages.

The Honor of the Queen. Two years have passed, since Honor's success at Basilisk Station. Another assignment (with much more prestige), and lots more space battles and high adventure. An interesting feature in this one is a religion that decided to eschew technology, and an even more fundamentalist off-shoot of that. This intertwined religious/Luddite theme is developed in Weber's new series that begins with Off Armageddon Reef.

The characters in these novels are somewhat stereotypical, but the emphasis is on the fast-paced action. Honor is really, really good-- strong, confident, smart, fair, innovative, decisive: A paragon of the space commander. It is good fun and highly entertaining to see the Heroic Woman take charge and kick ass.

fiction. Science Fiction. 1993. 422 pages.

I Feel Like a Celebrity!

Oh, wow, my interview on Litminds is up! I'm really honored to have been interviewed and to share the company of bloggers like Sam Houston at BookChase and Stefanie at So Many Books! Litminds is a great place to visit to find out what is going on in the world of books, authors, and book bloggers. A great community - drop by and register!

A Blogging Scavenger Hunt ?

Oh, dear, I've succumbed. I signed up for the Blogging Scavenger Hunt. If I keep up fine, if not fine; it should be fun anyway. Cheya, noticed your name there, too!

I've finished On Basilisk Station and The Honor of the Queen by David Weber and need to review them. Still working on Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) and have started rereading All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. From the excitement of science fiction/space opera through the nonfiction of social psychologists explaining how and why we rationalize our mistakes and justify our actions, to the heartwarming stories of a Yorkshire vet during the late 1930's.

Had a lot of fun with the first two novels about Honor Harrington and her exciting space adventures, am learning some interesting stuff in Mistakes Were Made, and am chuckling over the experiences of James Herriot and Sigfried and Tristan Farnon (Sigfried and Tristan's father was a Wagner buff). All Creatures Great and Small is just as funny and charming as it was the first time I read it all those years ago.

Neglected Books

Book Plate by Paul Korky


In a comment, Bybee over at Naked Without Books mentioned The Neglected Book Page, and I decided to check it out. On Florence King's list, I've only read Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristow and Katherine by Anya Seton (years and years ago), but I noticed Maggie-Now by Betty Smith. One of my favorite books as an adolescent was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Smith, so Maggie-Now will go on my list. I haven't read any of those listed on Terry Teachout's list, but boy, all of them sound interesting. I want to read all of them, especially Randall Jarrell's Pictures from an Institution and Bruce Marshall's Father Malachy's Miracle.

Also on the King/Teachout site, I found A Reader's Delight by Noel Perrin. "There is, as Noel Perrin writes in the prologue to A Reader’s Delight, “a large category of books just short of classic status that are known only to a handful of lucky readers. Almost anyone who reads a lot is apt to have come across at least one such book–something not in the canon, not
famous, probably not even in print–but all the same sheer delight to read. Many lifelong readers have a whole collection of such books…. This volume describes my own collection …”

"A Reader’s Delight collects 38 articles Perrin wrote over the course of several years as an occasional columnist for the Washington Post. Only two rules applied in selecting the books covered: “No book less than about fifteen years old was eligible;” and “no book that more than two or three of my colleagues had read got considered.”

On Perrin's long list, there was only one book I recognized, A Fine and Private Place by Peter Beagle- a book I've intended to read for several years (title from a line in Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress," one of my favorite poems).

Thanks, Bybee, for pointing me toward such an interesting site!

Working my way through Carl's Challenge

Once Upon a Time Challenge
(* are the ones I really enjoyed)

*Mimus
*Off Armageddon Reef
*The Book of Lost Things
The Silent Tower
The Book with No Words
Evil Genius
The Amulet of Samarkand
*Spirit Gate
Summers at Castle Auburn
Coraline

These are the ones I've completed.

I don't know if The Road counts...it seems less science fiction than science future. I didn't review Coraline because I think I'm the only person who has read it that wasn't all that taken with it.

I'm reading another David Weber, On Basilisk Station (the first in the Honor Harrington series, and by the way, hate the cover) and enjoying it. Almost finished. Also reading Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) : Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts, a nonfiction ARC book that I am enjoying...although cringing at some of the absurd political examples with which we are all familiar. It answers the question, "What in the world was he/she thinking?" when we read another news article about political/celebrity foolishness. Although I've wondered why we don't do a better job of understanding other cultures when involved in diplomacy, the book reveals some of the difficulties.

Strangely, David Weber seems to have twigged on to the authors theories as many of his characters acknowledge their own attempts at self-justification.

Tid-bits

Don Quioxote and The Narrative Self A very interesting article - about the influence of story-telling in our lives.

booksprice.com asked me to post a comment about their site and even offered a free copy of Water for Elephants, although they said the offer was not contingent on my comment. I ran a few books through to see comparative prices, and Amazon was in the running for all of the books I checked. It might be very useful in searching for out of print books and receiving comparative prices in one place. I checked on Jubilee Trail, a book my mother received from a book club in the 1950's and was surprised that it was not out of print. Best price - Amazon - $6.50. Ordered it... because remembering how much I loved that book made me want a copy.

Mimus

Thal, Lilli. Mimus. This YA novel opens with a young prince and his friends taking part in some typical escapades in the kingdom of Moldavia. Then word arrives that Prince Florin is to join his father who has been involved with peace negotiations with Vinland and will be escorted there by Moldavian soldiers. Florin is thrilled to be a part of this historic event--the whole idea is exciting. On the trip to Vinland, however, the young prince sees the devastation caused by years of war and his romantic visions receive their first jolt.

Worse is to come. King Philip, Florin's father, has been betrayed and imprisoned with his surviving retainers in the dungeons of King Theodo of Vinland. Florin is forced into apprenticeship with Theodo's jester, Mimus. The prince is stripped physically and emotionally as he moves from the exalted position of prince, to the one of the lowest positions in this medieval society. His head is shaved, he is fed gruel once a day, and he is forced to behave like a Fool. His one attempt at escape brought a terrible punishment on his father, so Florin can not even hope to make another attempt.

Survival comes at a great cost and requires great courage, but Florin does survive. And learn-- about revenge, friendship, the humanity even of enemies, the inhumanity that can result from too much power, the effects of war, and more. There are some harsh realities in this YA novel, but there is great compassion as well.

Although I've barely mentioned Mimus, his character is vital, complex and fascinating. There is no novel without him, but you need to meet him for yourself.

This is an excellent YA novel that doesn't skimp on development and doesn't condescend to its readers. I found it on the YA shelves at the library and had never heard of it before, but after 3 disappointing YA fantasy novels, I really wanted one that I could like.

I just found this study guide for teachers which looks excellent.

Fiction. YA/fantasy. 2003. Eng. trans. 2005. 394 pages.

The Road

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. In a post apocalyptic world, a father and son struggle for survival. McCarthy provides a frightening look at a world gone grey, sterile, and deadly. Survival becomes the by-word. Throughout the horrors of this new world, the father's gentle care of his son touches the core of existence. It reminds me of the existentialist view in many ways... If man's own existence defines him, then this father, in his love for his son, is creating a positive existence in the midst of circumstances that are echoes of hell. He is "one of the good guys." A moving book. Do read it; it doesn't take long.

Fiction. Futuristic. 2006. 241 pages.

Off Armageddon Reef

Weber, David. Off Armageddon Reef. The story begins in 2378 with the first assault of the Gbaba, an alien species intent on wiping out the entire human race. There is no communication, no negotiation, just a ruthless attempt at extermination. By 2421, mankind has realized that there will be a final battle and that they will lose, but they have one final card up their sleeves. Operation Ark is man's last effort to preserve their species.

Operation Ark is a colonizing expedition sent deep into space with the intention of building a new civilization that avoids technology that might attract the Gbaba. The planet selected is called Safehold, and the majority of those who make the trip have been re-programmed to forget all of the technological advances they knew before this last desperate attempt. Invention and innovation are frowned on, and the Church of God Awaiting keeps a strict eye on any possible infractions.

Charis is a rich, powerful, and innovative country on planet Safehold, and the Church interferes in a number of ways to keep the country under control. As the Church begins its campaign to curtail Charis' power, a PICA (Personality-Integrated Cybernetic Avatar or android) who has been sleeping for centuries, awakes and determines to aid King Haarald and his son Cayleb in defying the corrupt machinations of the Church. Although the mind and memory of the PICA belonged to a young woman who perished in the final battle against the Gbaba, Nimue Alban realizes that a woman would have no influence in the society that has developed on Safehold, and through the technology that has been lost to the Safeholdians, the PICA re-invents itself as a man, taking the name Merlin.

I have to say I enjoyed every minute of this massive saga. There are a passel of characters to keep track of and that is a bit confusing because of the names: Zhansyn, Ahdymsyn, etc. However, after a few pages, it becomes clear that they are simply unusual spellings of common names--Johnson, Adamson, etc. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment!

Fiction. Science Fiction. 2007. 592 pages.

Shel Silverstein links...

In honor of National Poetry Month, do visit this site and listen to Shel Silverstein read some of his poems, with animation, no less. I loved Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too - (click on Where the Sidewalk Ends) deee-lite-fulllll!! My gosh, I read enough of these to my daughters that I should have them all memorized. There's even a new book available, Runny Babbit; I especially liked Runny and Sea Poup. Of course, The Giving Tree always gave me a bit of trouble, but what a wonderful little book. Here's The Official Site for Kids...with all kinds of activities.

Finally got the last two mysteries reviewed, and I'm almost through with Off Armageddon Reef , a real saga. I'm also busy browsing through a new quilting book, looking for inspiration and good tips.

The Lizard's Bite

Hewson, David. The Lizard's Bite. Set in Venice, Nic Costa, Gianni Peroni, exiled detectives from Rome, and their boss Leo Falcone are asked to "confirm the findings" of Venetian police when two members of a glass-making family are found dead after a foundry fire. Corruption and secrets help make the case more difficult and the ending has a definite twist. Not a bad mystery.

Fiction. Mystery. 2006. 417 pages.

The Orchid Shroud

Wan, Michelle. The Orchid Shroud. Mara Dunn is renovating a French mansion in Dordogne when the workmen discover the partially mummified body of an infant in one of the walls. The baby in the wall has been a strangely popular plot device in mysteries. Julian Wood is a landscaper who is in search of a wild orchid that may no longer exist; his interest is heightened by the fact that the infant is wrapped in a shawl with a beautifully embroidered image of the very orchid he's been seeking. The story has these two main branches, the identity of the baby and his murderer and the discovery of a wild orchid that may or may not still exit. The story shifts between the present and 1870. Then the author inserts a new twist to the mystery--that seems a bit too fantastic. On a scale of 1-5, I'd probably give it a 2.

Fiction. Mystery. 2006. 336 pages.

Miscellaneous Musings

There has been a lot to deal with around here lately, and I've gotten off my blogging stride. Catching up on emails and comments and blog-reading is difficult.

Good things:

• Laddie is recovering nicely from the fall he took last week.

• I received the poetry chapbook by Frank Bidart - Thanks so much, Stefanie!

• I've gotten two more ARC books in the mail that I hope to get around to soon.

• Mailed Eragon to Melanie at Tea Reads and Candide to Susan at Pages Turned for recognizing the parody of Henry Reed's The Naming of Parts. I'm still impressed at how quickly you knew it!

• Amelia and Chris have returned from their cruise ( they had a wonderful time) and now I can get my copy of The Habit of Being back and give Amelia her copy, which arrived the day they left.

• I've mailed a copy of Anne of Windy Poplars to my Aunt Mary who will enjoy it and have ordered her a copy of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small. She's 88 and frail in body, but never in mind.

• Nice weather has returned.

• The roses bushes are all in bloom.

• I got a little work done on a baby quilt that has been sitting way too long.

• Have finished two mysteries that I need to review and am reading Off Armageddon Reef by David Webber and enjoying it tremendously.

• Got a brand new vacuum cleaner, a Dyson, that will make a mundane chore semi-entertaining for a while. Love that clear cannister and the fact that there are no bags.

• Have my yearly checkup out of the way and, as always, am grateful that Dr. B. is such a nice person. Liking and trusting your doctor is a very good thing.

There have been some sad things in the past week, as well; my Aunt Janice died, and although not entirely unexpected, it is hard to see that generation slowly passing away.

The Book of Lost Things

Connolly, John. The Book of Lost Things. This book fits best into the fairy tale genre and is a book that might have pleased Jung. David is twelve when his mother dies, and he has spent a lot of time performing various rituals, hoping to prevent her death: putting first his left foot on the floor when he gets out of bed, then his right; counting to twenty when he brushes his teeth, touching faucets and door handles a certain number of times, trying to keep numbers even.

It is through his mother that David has formed his attachment to books; the love of reading was one of their shared bonds, and "Before she became ill, David's mother would often tell him that stories were alive."

The language at the beginning of the novel, as David first fears, then grieves his mother's loss, is particularly beautiful:

"Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in our world. They were like seeds in the beak of a bird, waiting to fall to earth, or the notes of a song laid out on a sheet, yearning for an instrument to bring their music into being. They lay dormant, hoping for the chance to emerge. Once someone started to read the, they could begin to change. They could take root in the imagination, and transform the reader. Stories wanted to be read, David's mother would whisper. They needed it. It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours. They wanted us to give them life."

And this is a book where the stories do come alive, if turned on their heads. The stories, altered from their original forms, are part of a journey, a quest that must be undertaken for David's survival. There is much more at stake than a material treasure; this is a hero's journey in which David acquires knowledge that will benefit both himself and others.

Of course, one thing I was glad to see was that unlike Nathaniel and Cadell (from The Amulet of Samarkand and Evil Genius), David is likable in spite of his difficulties and does receive help from mentors and parental figures along the way. His original goal is worthy, if unrealistic, and when he recognizes what the true point of his journey is, he embraces it.

Fiction. Fairy tale/fantasy. 2006. 339 pages.

The Silent Tower

Hambly, Barbara. The Silent Tower. The first in a series, TST was published in 1986. I don't think I'll be pursuing the series. The mixture of modern computers (even those of the 1980's) in one world and the medieval/industrial (another anomaly) in another world, just didn't quite work for me. Joanna, a computer programmer, is kidnapped from the modern world and carried into a world of wizards, a mad king, a mad prince, a mad mage.

Although I wouldn't mind finding out what happened to Antryg, Joanna, and Caris, I doubt that I ever will...

Fiction. Fantasy. 1986. 369 pages.

"in such lovely language"

This poem by D. H. Lawrence is for Danielle, who is undertaking a study of Shakespeare.

When I Read Shakespeare

When I read Shakespeare I am struck with wonder
that such trivial people should muse and thunder
in such lovely language.

Lear, the old buffer, you wonder his daughters
didn't treat him rougher,
the old chough, the old chuffer!

And Hamlet, how boring, how boring to live with,
so mean and self-conscious, blowing and snoring
his wonderful speeches, full of other folks' whoring!

And Macbeth and his Lady, who should have been choring,
such suburban ambition, so messily goring
old Duncan with daggers!

How boring, how small Shakespeare's people are!
Yet the language so lovely! like the dyes from gas-tar.

D. H. Lawrence

What's Goin' On...in the South and Elsewhere

Maggie has a new challenge-- The Southern Reading Challenge 2007 and she has several interesting posts in connection to the challenge, including one called Dueling Southern Authors.
I'm still pondering the question of which Southern author is the Southernest, but man, I do love that bottle tree, Maggie!

Cheya at A Reader's Journal has reminded me that I haven't read any of Anne Perry's WWI novels (I've read most of her Victorian novels; I especially like the William Monk and Hester Latterly series). WWI novels have always interested me, so I'm going to have to find time to catch up with Anne Perry's new historical/mystery series.

If I were going to be in New York on May 2, I wouldn't miss this for the world -- Charles Vess will be giving a lecture on the art of the fantastic!