An in-depth exploration of the bonds between siblings and their surprisingly large influence on how we develop.
Time senior editor Kluger (Freedom Stone, 2011, etc.) has experienced myriad familial and sibling relationships in his life: son, brother, stepbrother, half brother and stepson, to name just a few. Using these often humorous, but sometimes dark, experiences as a handy framework, he first explains why human siblings are unique in the animal kingdom and why, in many cases, bonds between brothers and sisters are among the most important in their lives. Masterfully weaving anecdotal passages with academic research and scientific data, the author thoroughly examines the many manifestations of the simple brother-brother, sister-sister or brother-sister relationship, and the dynamic within each. Kluger devotes chapters to such major topics as the importance of birth order in a growing family, parental divorce and blended families (which become more prevalent each day), and what happens when a parent clearly favors a particular child. The author also touches on why siblings fight, how their risky behaviors may influence one another (hint: it’s not always negatively), sex and gender and sibling relationships in old age. Kluger doesn’t neglect the “curious worlds of twins and singletons”; they get a chapter all to themselves. An entertaining, enlightening and helpful handbook for familial relations from an author who’s been through them all.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59448-831-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
Just what it sounds like. Journalist Saline (Dr. Snow, 1988) and Pulitzer Prizewinning photojournalist Wohlmuth present brief portraits of 36 sets of sisters. Wohlmuth's intelligent photographs capture a range of sisterly feeling from the severe to the giggly, while the texts function as plainspoken testimonials to the pleasures, difficulties, and duration of the sisterly bond. The sisters come in groups of two and up; some are infants, some in their 90s; two sisters are Sisters in the Roman Catholic Church; and, family values embracing transsexuality, one sister used to be her sister's brother. Some sisters are anonymous and others famous: Coretta Scott (King) and Edythe; supermodel Christy Turlington and her two sisters, Erin and Kelly; the Mandrell sisters; Wendy Wasserstein and her sibs, Sandra and Georgette. But the point isn't celebrity. The point is to celebrate the enduring relationship between girl-children.
Pub Date: Oct. 5, 1994
ISBN: 1-56138-450-X
Page Count: 136
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
A merry, if uneven, romp through an end-times conspiracy.
A novel about the end of cheap energy features compelling characters, dysfunctional families and a good dose of black humor.
Set against the lush backdrop of Tampa Bay, Fla., this novel combines the politics of peak oil and economic apartheid with characters and situations that rival Carl Hiaasen’s in their absurdity and black humor. Liz Delaney, recently widowed and inching herself back into life in a new career as a mental health professional, meets Bud Jackson, a renegade journalist whose discoveries about the truth behind the worldwide energy economy land him in a mental institution. What ensues is seven days of hectic revelations about the potential collapse of everyday life, brushes with death, social commentary, examinations of power and an arch look at our healthcare system. Added to the mix are Liz’s blackmailing and murdering quadriplegic brother, his nymphomaniac wife, an evangelical plastic surgeon who runs the Born Again Clinic and a wise professor in a mangrove swamp, among other memorable characters. And yes, there is a hurricane. Despite of–or because of–these elements, this surreal narrative works. Strong descriptions of patients and staff make the hospital and institutional settings compelling in their compassion and humanity. Wry humor in discussions of consumer behavior and greed relieves the polemic that drives the novel. While the main narrative is an apocalyptic one, larger-than-life characters and wacky situations–like the huge hired bomb maker who wears a bright yellow shirt and is interrupted, twice, while trying to set a car bomb–engage the reader. Unfortunately, humor and family dysfunction diminish as the story reaches its climax. Action-packed scenes and plot turns excite, but character development and dialogue become mired down with socio-political rhetoric: “people are placated by dreams of wealth while a distant upper stream actually benefits from their labors.” Still, a taut plot, hilarious characters and a vivid portrayal of different aspects of health–mental, environmental and cultural–provide a rollicking read.
A merry, if uneven, romp through an end-times conspiracy.Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2008
ISBN: 978-1419690648
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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