January 2024 MBR Reviewer's Choice

Reviewer's Choice

Busting the Bankers' Club
Gerald Epstein
University of California Press
www.ucpress.edu
9780520385641, $26.95, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Busting-Bankers-Club-Finance-Rest/dp/0520385640

Synopsis: Bankers brought the global economic system to its knees in 2007 and nearly did the same in 2020. Both times, the US government bailed out the banks and left them in control. How can we end this cycle of trillion-dollar bailouts and make finance work for the rest of us? Busting the Bankers' Club confronts the powerful people and institutions that benefit from our broken financial system -- and the struggle to create an alternative.

Drawing from decades of research on the history, economics, and politics of banking, with the publication of "Busting the Bankers' Club: Finance for the Rest of Us", economist Gerald Epstein shows that any meaningful reform will require breaking up this club of politicians, economists, lawyers, and CEOs who sustain the status quo. Thankfully, there are thousands of activists, experts, and public officials who are working to do just that.

Clear-eyed and hopeful, "Busting the Bankers' Club" centers the individuals and groups fighting for a financial system that will better serve the needs of the marginalized and support important transitions to a greener, fairer economy.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Appendix (The Banker's Assault on the New Deal Regulatory Structure), thirty pages of Notes, thirty-two pages of References, a thirteen page Index, "Busting the Bankers' Club: Finance for the Rest of Us" is an extraordinary and timely study that will have immense value to readers with an interest in the relationship of banks, the U.S. economy, and the methods used by the banking industry to influence governmental policy makers. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Busting the Banker's Club" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Economics & Finance collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Busting the Bankers' Club" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Gerald Epstein (https://peri.umass.edu/economists/gerald-epstein) is Professor of Economics and a Founding Codirector of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is the author of The Political Economy of Central Banking: Contested Control and the Power of Finance.

The Chapter
Nicholas Dames
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691135199, $35.00, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/History-of-the-Chapter/dp/0691135193

Synopsis: Why do books have chapters? With this seemingly simple question, and with the publication of "The Chapter: A Segmented History from Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century", Professor Nicholas Dames embarks on a literary journey spanning two millennia, revealing how an ancient editorial technique became a universally recognized component of narrative art and a means to register the sensation of time.

Professor Dames begins with the textual compilations of the Roman world, where chapters evolved as a tool to organize information. He goes on to discuss the earliest divisional systems of the Gospels and the segmentation of medieval romances, describing how the chapter took on new purpose when applied to narrative texts and how narrative segmentation gave rise to a host of aesthetic techniques.

Professor Dames also shares engaging and in-depth readings of influential figures, from Sterne, Goethe, Tolstoy, and Dickens to George Eliot, Machado de Assis, B. S. Johnson, Agnes Varda, Uwe Johnson, Jennifer Egan, and Laszlo Krasznahorkai. He illuminates the sometimes tacit, sometimes dramatic ways in which the chapter became a kind of reckoning with time and a quiet but persistent feature of modernity.

Ranging from ancient tablets and scrolls to contemporary fiction and film, "The Chapter" provides a compelling, elegantly written history of a familiar compositional mode that readers often take for granted and offers a new theory of how this versatile means of dividing narrative sculpts our experience of time.

Critique: A simply fascinating history of the literary invention of the chapter from its origins in antiquity to today, "The Chapter: A Segmented History from Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century" is an original work of meticulous scholarship and of immense interest to students of the evolutionary history of literature down through the millennia to the present day. Highly recommended as a unique contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections, it should be noted for students, academia, historians, and dedicated bibliophiles that "The Chapter" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.25).

Editorial Note: Nicholas Dames (https://nicholasdames.org) is the Theodore Kahan Professor of Humanities at Columbia University and an editor in chief of Public Books. He is the author of The Physiology of the Novel: Reading, Neural Science, and the Form of Victorian Fiction and Amnesiac Selves: Nostalgia, Forgetting, and British Fiction, 1810 - 1870.

Wisconsin Supper Clubs: An Old-Fashioned Experience
Ron Faiola
Agate Publishing
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572843318, $38.00, HC, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wisconsin-Supper-Clubs-Fashioned-Experience/dp/1572843314

Synopsis: Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "Wisconsin Supper Clubs: An Old-Fashioned Experience " by Ron Faiola is an indispensable and comprehensive resource for and about the supper clubs of Wisconsin and includes charming photographs of their unique supper club interiors, proprietors, and customers, as well as fascinating archival materials. Also recorded in this new edition of "Wisconsin Supper Clubs" are the regional specialties served at these clubs, ranging from popovers and fried pickles in the northern part of the state to Shrimp de Jonghe in the south. One Northwoods supper club even features fry bread, a traditional Native American dish uncommon to most restaurants.

In this updated second edition of "Wisconsin Supper Clubs: An Old-Fashioned Experience ", Faiola revisits many of the clubs across the Dairy State that starred in his first edition, recording their struggles and triumphs in the years following widespread pandemic shutdowns. New to this edition are fifteen extra clubs that have entered the scene in the past decade, striving to be a part of this custom that is hugely popular with Wisconsin locals and regularly frequented by all midwestern foodies in the know.

The "supper club experience" is a tradition embodied by many long-standing restaurants scattered throughout the small towns of Wisconsin. It is based around a bygone idea that going out to dinner should be an experience that lasts an entire evening, emphasizing food made from scratch, slow-paced dining, and family-run businesses. Combine this with stately dark-panel decor, complimentary relish trays, and the best brandy old-fashioned sweet you'll ever have, and you have barely scratched the surface of the Wisconsin supper club's appeal.

Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.75 x 11 inches, 2.8 pounds) hardcover edition of the newly published second edition of "Wisconsin Supper Clubs: An Old-Fashioned Experience" is profusely illustrated throughout with full color photos and informatively descriptive commentaries making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community library, and college/university library Midwestern Culinary History collections in general, and Wisconsin Supper Club collections in particular. Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in both organization and presentation, "Wisconsin Supper Clubs: An Old-Fashioned Experience: 2nd Edition is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).

Editorial Note: Ron Faiola (https://www.ronfaiola.com/about.html) is an author and filmmaker who has produced and directed numerous critically acclaimed documentaries. He is the president and founder of Push Button Gadget Inc., which has been specializing in audio visual and business theater production for nearly 20 years. He is the author of "Wisconsin Supper Clubs", "Wisconsin Supper Clubs: Another Round", and "The Wisconsin Supper Clubs Story" -- all of which are published by Agate. He currently resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Rise of the Reader
Nick Hutchison
The Reading Revolution Publishing
9798988090922, $19.99, HC, 287pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Reader-Strategies-Mastering-Applying/dp/B0CHFD5YQJ

Synopsis: Are you devouring every personal development bestseller out there but still finding it hard to apply what you're learning to everyday life? Reading for self-improvement can be powerful as long as you're effectively implementing the right information. You can become a more successful problem solver and transform your life in as little as 15 minutes a day!

Nick Hutchison, founder of the popular book review site BookThinkers, read over 400 personal development books, but implementing their valuable lessons was tougher than just finishing the next chapter. Nick knew self-help books could help him do things like master his social anxiety and fear of public speaking, opening the doors to a successful career in business. Through trial and error, he developed an easy-to-follow framework to retain the knowledge needed to transform his life completely. Now with the publication of "Rise of the Reader: Strategies For Mastering Your Reading Habits and Applying What You Learn" he is giving you over 100 habits to implement into your own reading journey and fulfill your dreams.

With "Rise of the Reader" you will learn:

How swapping 15 minutes of social media scrolling for 15 minutes of reading can dramatically impact 20 different areas of your life.

The power of intention when it comes to choosing the right books for you and how much you retain from their knowledge.

How to avoid bias and situational advice in the self-help industry.

Methods for note-taking and information implementation.

More than 100 new habits to improve your health, wealth, and happiness.

With relatable anecdotes and engaging stories, "Rise of the Reader" will inspire and motivate you to take action and embrace the power of reading. Whether you are a student, a professional, or someone who just wants to reach their full potential, "Rise of the Reader" is your guide to self-actualization and embracing change through reading.

Critique: Original, fascinating, inspirationally motivating, "Rise of the Reader: Strategies For Mastering Your Reading Habits and Applying What You Learn" is of special interest to anyone concerned with reading as a means of memory improvement and personal transformation, While also available for in a paperback edition (9798988090908, $14.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Rise of the Reader" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.

Editorial Note: Nick Hutchison (https://nickhutch.com) is the visionary force behind BookThinkers, a company dedicated to bridging the gap between authors and readers. He hosts the popular book podcast, BookThinkers: Life Changing Books, where he chats with the authors of his favorite self-help and business publications. As a speaker and coach, he's helped thousands of people achieve their personal and professional goals through the power of positive reading. He can also be followed on Instagram: @BookThinkers

Saints and Skeletons
Ana Manwaring
Indies United Publishing House, LLC
www.indiesunited.net
9781644566169, $14.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle, 338pp

https://www.amazon.com/Saints-Skeletons-Memoir-Living-Mexico/dp/1644566168

Saints and Skeletons: A Memoir of Living in Mexico presents the foundations of Ana Manwaring's JadeAnne Stone thriller series, but holds the potential to reach both these readers and newcomers who may hold little familiarity with Manwaring's works.

This vivid memoir of her travels through Mexico and Central America, which began in the summer of 1991, traverses other cultures, capturing the rich flavors of foods, romance, and adventure as armchair readers follow in her footsteps. More so than almost any other travelogue about Mexican experience, the nation comes to life as readers walk the gritty roads of countries steeped in the cultures and flavors of non-Western influences.

From winding (and often uncertain) travels through the mountains of Michoacan to budding romances and relationships, the evocative flavors of Manwaring's life are compellingly, vividly portrayed. The resulting "you are here" exploration is exceptionally enlightening in its revelations, encounters, and experiences, whether they be cultural misunderstandings or expressions of enlightenment.

Libraries and readers interested in a travelogue that explores relationships, food, and cultural perceptions, injecting adventure into every moment, will find Saints and Skeletons outstanding in its presentation, revelations, and attractions.

Confederacy of Monarch: Pirate's Honor!
Everett Watson
Dorrance Publishing Company
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781637642894, $56.00, PB, 222pp

https://www.amazon.com/Confederacy-Monarch-Pirates-Everett-Watson/dp/163764289X

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Confederacy of Monarchs: Pirate's Honor!", author Everett Watson presents counter-arguments in response to the eruption of protests that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Civil War statues across the United States. Why were people so upset about the statues revering our famous soldiers? Was there a Civil War cover-up for a more serious crime committed against the United States?

"The Confederacy of Monarchs: Pirate's Honor!" provides a fascinating depiction of actual events in our nation's history to discover the answers to these questions and more.

This is an American history story that will captivate the reader while explaining true events that prove that crimes were, in fact, committed against the United States, and the men who committed these crimes were freed after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. After they were pardoned, these men had no remorse for their crimes. After the war they published lies, blaming the war on the dead president, and these stories have caused discourse throughout American history.

It is Everett Watson's fervent hope that the reader will agree that America is indebted to the Civil War's deceased, and the truth about the acts of treason committed in 1864 should be told!

Critique: A timely and much needed response to the 100 years of post-Civil War propaganda in the form of literature, movies, and today's documented insurrectionist attempts to overthrow the Constitution of the United States, "The Confederacy of Monarchs: Pirate's Honor!" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, political activist, and college/university library Contemporary Social Issues and American History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Everett Watson is an electrician and HVAC technician by trade, and has worked all over the world. He will soon be a college graduate with a degree in construction management. He is a war veteran who is passionate about the history of our great nation and the brave soldiers who have fought for our freedom.

When Wisdom Arrives
Rosalyn Rourke, MSW
rosalynrourke.com
Muse Literary
https://museliterary.com
9781960876218, $24.99 Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/When-Wisdom-Arrives-Imagined-Unworthiness-ebook/dp/B0CFYWRWT1

When Wisdom Arrives: From Imagined Unworthiness to Freedom pays tribute to healthy self-image, love, and the power of adaptation through a blend of fable and memoir. It reviews the life of eleven-year-old Gem, who feels ashamed of her body weight, and thus hates herself. Underlying spiritual and psychological notes permeate Gem's story to provide enlightenment and words of wisdom to all ages who read her story.

Some thirty years as a psychotherapist lends authenticity and wisdom to Rosalyn Rourke's account, which charts a path out of suffering and into freedom which is specific, rather than idealistic or ethereal. From shattering the illusion that self-worth is tied to body size to the looping self-destructive thoughts that limit Gem's opportunities, and the assistance of a wise leader who teaches her a more positive path forward,

When Wisdom Arrives represents an accessible fable that can reach a wide audience with insights and practical applications of revised approaches to life. Rourke's concept of the 'True I' and how its realization and acceptance can move people away from being stuck into more proactive and positive pathways and choices translates to a series of insights that will prove invaluable to readers interested in tapping into the life-force of authenticity and revised self-image to thwart many negative messages and teachings.

If this story sounds personal, that's because it comes from more than the author's training; but from her own life experiences. These are incorporated into Gem's story, along with case history examples of others who have walked similar paths to wisdom and self-empowerment. "Do not touch or add to hurtful thoughts."

This lesson, deeply incorporated into Gem's story and explored throughout variations in the theme through others' experiences and case histories, makes for a powerful tool for discussion, enlightenment, and empowerment.

When Wisdom Arrives ideally won't be limited to library lending shelves in self-help or spiritual circles, but will be used as discussion material for book clubs, psychology readers, and those interested in examining and reforming better approaches to life. Highly recommended for its succinct, accessible message of transformation, When Wisdom Arrives's promise and delivery of routes to real freedom is invaluable.

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