A heartfelt and visually appealing window into Regine's last year.
“My ultimate dream for this blog is that it will be published as a book after my death,” wrote Norwegian teenager Stokke, who blogged about her experience living with leukemia.
Regine's blog, which became popular in Norway, was first published as a book by a Norwegian press in 2009 and is here translated into English. In direct, emotionally open prose, Regine describes the details of cancer treatment, her optimism and frustrations, her excitement about rock music, and her relationships with friends and family. Regine's photographs, from self-portraits to nature shots to pictures of rock stars, are printed in full color, sometimes overlaid with song lyrics or original poetry. Her blog posts begin in fall 2008 and end with “The Last Autumn” of 2009, with concluding remarks from friends and loved ones in the final “After Regine” section. Regine's voice is matter-of-fact and honest, with a tone that is occasionally raw (“I wish someone other than me had gotten this cancer instead”). Selections from the blog's many comments, which appear after some of the posts, sometimes become repetitious, but the posts themselves are brief and varied enough to stay engaging. Short, accessible footnotes provide context for readers unfamiliar with cancer treatment or Norwegian culture.
A heartfelt and visually appealing window into Regine's last year. (Nonfiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-936976-20-1
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Zest Books
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
A timely discussion of the potential future of pandemics.
An examination of the weaknesses revealed by Covid-19 in the world’s ability to respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Based on our experiences with Covid-19, Allen frankly explores the concerns of scientists and public health experts with respect to future pandemics. Despite the fact that many governments were not prepared to handle Covid-19, the author maintains a hopeful outlook as he explores the ways experts are taking measures to make future responses more effective. Divided into four chapters, the book explores the need for early warning systems to track and predict outbreaks, noting concerns related to privacy with increased government surveillance via connected devices; the need for improved and more widely available testing and treatment options, including at-home testing; and the need for precisely tailored, broad-based, and expanded vaccines as well as improved delivery of vaccinations. In the final chapter, the author explores reasons for the increase in zoonotic viruses crossing from animals to humans, including how such transfer happens. Throughout the book, Allen employs a conversational tone and clarifies many advanced terms and concepts, including through the utilization of sidebars and full-color images. The extensive discussion of ongoing research makes this work appropriate for more sophisticated readers. Unfortunately, the book ends abruptly, leaving readers in want of a summary or conclusion.
A timely discussion of the potential future of pandemics. (source notes, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-67820-172-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A chilling look at a time when the government waged war on civil liberties, with the public a complicit ally.
Brimner brings to life a shameful episode in American history when citizens working in the film industry were accused of disloyalty and subversion and persecuted for defending their First Amendment rights.
In 1947, tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States were at an all-time high. The House Committee on Un-American Activities, which included members with ties to the KKK, called Hollywood actors, directors, producers, and screenwriters to answer accusations that they were Communists. Ten who appeared refused to answer questions, citing their Constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly. The “Hollywood Ten” were afterward denied work by all Hollywood studios. Brimner vividly chronicles the hearings and their fallout, braiding stories of individuals into the overall narrative. Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo worked under pseudonyms; director Edward Dmytryk, unable to work covertly, later cooperated with the committee and named names. Drawing heavily on hearings transcripts, Brimner also includes a great deal of historical background to put the story in context. He notes that the origins of HUAC were rooted in America’s first “Red Scare” following the Russian Revolution, and he challenges readers to consider if things are all that different today, citing contemporary examples. The many archival photographs included are testament to the overwhelming whiteness of both Hollywood and Congress.
A chilling look at a time when the government waged war on civil liberties, with the public a complicit ally. (bibliography, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62091-603-2
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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