Summer Reading Reviews

Eduardo Galeano Patas Arriba: La Escuela del Mundo al Revés (1998)

Galeano tells it like it is. I think this book was also published in English: read it. In his unique style Galeano describes a world through the looking glass that hauntingly resembles our own.

Carlos Castaneda Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan (1972)

Castaneda is an anthropologist interested in studying the cultural and spiritual issues surround the use of peyote. He meets Don Juan who teaches him everything he needs to understand before he can begin to study the use of hallucinogenic plants. Don Juan is an unconventional and often cryptic spirit guide for Castaneda’s journey to find his own identity. Provides an interesting paradox between anthropological studies and the subject; even though it is Castaneda who is conducting a study, he appears to be the subject in his relationship with Don Juan.

Noam Chomsky Chomsky on Anarchism (1969)

This is a collection of Chomsky’s writings and interviews pertaining to anarchism. This anthology provides a broad spectrum of definitions for anarchy. Chomsky proposes that it is a way to escape oppression of information control and a manner of organizing society in which each person fulfills his or her full potential. He writes, “Freedom of thought and enlightenment are not only for the elite” (109).

Noam Chomsky Hegemony or Survival: The America’s Quest for Global Dominance (2003)

I almost had this book taken away from me at airport security; read it before it gets censored. This book is a part of The American Empire Project along with several other Chomsky book as well many book by other authors. Chomsky describes the war crimes of the U.S. that have served to maintain the U.S. hegemony of money, power, government, economies, etc. Chomsky introduces his thesis, “There has never in history been anything remotely like the near-monopoly of means of large-scale violence in the hands of one state- all the more reason for subjecting its practices and operative doctrines to extra careful scrutiny” (36).

Paulo Coelho El Peregrino: Diario de un Mago (1987)

I got into a discussion with someone recently who thought Coelho was overly simplistic; however, I think his writing is simply universal. In El Peregrino, Coelho presents autobiographical ideas of identity, meditation, destiny, and journeys through his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Roald Dahl Going Solo (1986)

I liked Roald Dahl’s children’s books more than his autobiographical text. Dahl tells about his adventures as an Exxon oil employee in Tanzania and his experiences as a fighter pilot in WWII. Imperialistic yet sweet.