Wicked and Son of a witch by Gregory Maguire

Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Son of a witch

Gregory Maguire has written anumber of re-told fairy tales, but they are unlike anything else I have read in the category. Not feminist re-imagining. Not fairy tales for adults. Definitely not for kids. The wicked witch is not a heroine, or if she is, she is a very flawed and human one. The inhabitants of Oz and related lands are very human, but just alien enough to remind us we aren’t in Kansas anymore. In many way, his world-building is very similar to that used by the best SF authors.

Son of a Witch follows Lear, who may or may not be the Witch’s son, as he makes his way through a post-Wizard Oz.

A great read-alike for those who liked Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, adults who liked the Harry Potter series  and those who like wildly inventive and fantastic fiction
To quote:

The book has both idealism and cynicism in its discussion of social, religious, educational, and political issues present in Oz, and, more pointedly, present in our day and time. The idealism is whimsical and engaging; the cynicism is biting. Sometimes the earthy language seems appropriate and adds to the sense of place; sometimes the four-letter words and sexual explicitness distract from the charm of the tale. The multiple threads to the plot proceed unevenly, so that the pace of the story jumps rather than moves steadily forward. Wicked is not an easy rereading of The Wizard of Oz. It is for good readers who like satire, and love exceedingly imaginative and clever fantasy. Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

The travels of a t-shirt in the global economy : an economist examines the markets, power and politics of world trade / Pietra Rivoli

The travels of a t-shirt in the global economy : an economist examines the markets, power and politics of world trade / Pietra Rivoli.

Rivoli is a college professor who saw an anti-globalization rally on campus and decided to gather the facts by following a T-shirt from field to the end of its life. What she found surprised her. In almost no time did market forces determine the course of events. Cotton is a heavily subsidized crop, whose producers have insulated themselves from weather, labor costs and even the price of the commodity. The making of thread, cloth and apparel are all subject to intense international regulation, with rules changing almost weekly. At all steps, the main factor is not a theoretical competitive advantage, but the amount of political muscle that can be brought to bear. A good read for anyone who wants to understand how the global economy really works.

Strong sections include:

• Why African cotton growers will never catch US producers, even if their labor is nearly free.
• Why many small undeveloped countries desperately want trade limits.
• How textiles have been the historical path to industrial development.
• The one place where the free market controls the fate of the T-shirt.

Table of Contents

The Bounty : the true story of the mutiny on the Bounty by Alexander, Caroline

The Bounty : the true story of the mutiny on the Bounty  by Alexander, Caroline.

 

A serviceable account of the mutiny, its antecedents and results. Alexander does a very good job at explaining the times, the semi-noble background of some mutineers and how their families (especially the well connected Christians/Fletchers) helped shape the narrative. Many of the fraudulent themes developed by them have echoed through the ages, reinforced by films. Bligh was pretty much an average captain of his day, better than most in shipboard discipline and concern for his crew. Fletcher Christian was ready made romantic hero, down to his name. Bligh didn’t stand a chance is the resulting media battle.