How Starbucks Saved My Life -Michael Gates Gill

Sometimes in the winter, I drive my kids through Starbucks for a hot chocolate. We always get a kick out of the friendliness of the baristas. They say things like, "Hey, how ya doin?" " I haven't seen you in awhile". It always seemed disingenuous to me, and a bit corporately contrived. The book was published in Sept. of 2007 and I remember at Christmas last year thinking it would make a good present, especially for my brother-in-law who works in marketing. Well I guess he got something else and I forgot about the book until spotting it at the library shelved under 647? I know it wasn't with the biographies, but I have no idea what dewey decimal 647 is unless I go look. I often find it interesting how "memoir" type books get shelved for sale and at libraries. It never seems obvious to me. My friend David wrote a memoir and they shelved it with the religious material? I read the book and did not find it to be partucularly religious oriented. If you know what you are looking for you can easily find it, but some days I like to browse and see what I find. I was glad to find this book again.

Michael Gill has been fired in his mid fifties from a well paying job and tries consulting on his own for ten years when due to a divorce and new young child he finds himself in need of any paying job. He is hired by Starbucks and begins to realize what work really looks like. I must say I found it a bit humourous to think of the "suit" cleaning a downtown NY Starbuck's toilet. It brought back fond memories of my own working days of cleaning the bathroom at Burger King. If everyone in society had to clean a public restroom once in awhile, the world would be a better place. I admired his desire to do any job given him and to be on time and try his best. I sometimes wish if our younger generation could learn anything from the older generation it would be this strong work ethic. There are also lessons of corporate culture and how that affects employee performance. I found this book to also contain inherent lessons of diversity due to age and color differences of the Starbucks Employees.

The book did not make me want to rush out and get a job at Starbucks or to shop there more often, but it was a lesson in the cliche that life is what you make it. It is important to keep moving with the times and you may have to reinvent yourself , but happiness is always available if you choose it.

The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle -David Wroblewski

A seven day express checkout book from the library is always hard because the pressure is on to finish it in a week despite all of your other obligations. I picked this book up last week as it was a "New York Times Bestseller" only later, after reading it, did I also learn that it was a favorite of Oprah's. I liked the character of Edgar and the dogs, but I felt that overall the story was weak and predictable. Some of the writing is very engaging such as: "You swam in a river of chance and coincidence. You clung to the happiest accidents -the rest you let float by." I found the character of Edgar's mother to be a man's view of motherhood--not at all believable to me a mother of two. There are some surprises along the way. I loved the character of Henry. I was not spellbound by the book I was forcing myself to finish it so that I could return it.

www.edgarsawtelle.com

Stradivari's Genius -Toby Faber

I picked this book up at the library last week and have enjoyed reading the history of five violins and one cello. Antonio Stradivari of Cremona Italy died in 1737, but his leagacy of making string intruments has survived 300 years. Antonio lived for 93 years at a time when normal life expectancy was about 50 years. He outlived 2 wives and three children. The first marriage brought six children and the second marriage five.

This book is a reminder that craftmanship is important. Stradivari constantly experimented with technique and took great pride in his work. It was his lifelong passion. The book's afterword looks at the varied analysis of what the differences were is in his process. Was the wood soaked in salt water? What were the varnish secrets? I think the book is a good reminder that science can't answer some questions. Antonio simply poured his heart and soul into his work and there is no formula to account for that.

The Cellist of Sarajevo -Steven Galloway

This story involves a period when a cellist decides that he will play for 22 days; one for each life taken as a result of a bomb falling on a group of civilians waiting in a bread line. The cellist witnesses the event and plays at the center of the bomb crater. He plays and the war continues around him.

The book follows three main characters through this time period. Kenan is trying to collect water for his family, Dragan's family has left the city, but he has stayed to work as a baker, and Arrow an assassin. They all mourn the city as it was and are desperately trying to cope with the city as it is. Crossing the street and avoiding sniper fire is the new reality. They all learn about the cellist and encounter his playing in different ways. This book is a reminder of the human capacity to rise above hatred. A favorite line from the book is: "She didn't have to be filled with hatred. The music demanded that she remember this, that she know to a certainty that the world still held the capacity for goodness. The notes were proof of that." Music does have healing powers and the cellist is trying to heal himself and to honor the lives that were brutally taken. This book is a quick life-affirming read.

Mary Margaret Meets Her Match and Mary Margaret Mary Christmas - Christine Kole MacLean

I had read the two previous Mary Margaret Books a few years back and couldn't resist making my reading collection complete. I was at Treehouse Books and see that Ms. MacLean will be signing her newly released Mary Margaret book on November 1.

Mary Margaret is a wonderful character. She is nine and very full of herself. I loved the Christmas book. She is the age where presents are the main reason for Christmas. The story leads up to Christmas with the daily struggles of an elementary aged child. I loved that Ms. MacLean works into the story issues of forgiveness and peace. Sometimes giving, even at Mary Margaret's age is "almost as good as" receiving!

www.christinekolemaclean.com