Does the Center Hold? by Donald Palmer

Donald Palmer's first history of philosophy, Looking at Philosophy, took the reader through the subject in chronological order. His second book, Does the Center Hold? arranges much the same material by subject and adds references to other fields and a little personal opinion. It is wonderfully well written and has amusing cartoons sprinkled throughout. Nevertheless, it is still basically a textbook and needs serious attention to get the most out of it.

Leaving the Saints by Martha Beck

In Expecting Adam Martha Beck described spiritual experiences she had while pregnant with her Down Syndrome son, and Leaving the Saints continues with more spiritual events. Subtitled How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith, Beck's memoir is rife with inside information about the Mormon Church, although she insists she has not given away any secrets. It's a fascinating book of religious and family struggles that center around alleged child abuse. Beck is a highly intelligent and very successful woman who lives in Arizona and works as a life coach. However, her story of abuse is challenged by some family members and I found myself wondering if her story is accurate or tinged with paranoia.

The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper

Liberia is a country founded by former slaves settled there by Americans who felt that it was a good idea to send ex-slaves back to Africa. Helene Cooper captures some of that history in her memoir as she recounts the participation of her forebears in the event; then she moves on to describe more recent political events in Liberia. As a member of one of the country's wealthy families, she was able to escape the place when the political situation got nasty. She transitioned into an American college student and eventually became a reporter who traveled all over the world. The House at Sugar Beach is an interesting memoir, both as character study and as a recounting of historical events most of us know little about.