Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Real Life Nightmare Material

Pandora's Lab by Paul A. Offit, MD

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Pandora’s Lab is one scary book. It includes seven times when so-called scientific advances led to disasters, most of which are still affecting the world today. There’s a chapter on opioids, of course, and one on lobotomies. He also discusses the DDT ban, trans fats, chemical fertilizers and mustard gas, eugenics, and vitamins and supplements. All of these things seemed like great ideas at the time, but had far-reaching and, in many cases, terrifying consequences. The one that struck me the most was the chapter […]

Look up….all the way up….. and the stars will tell you a story about a curious boy

Look Up with Me: Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars by Jenifer Berne

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I am not a fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson mostly because I am unfamiliar with his work (and I have heard rumors about a less-than-friendly personality). However, putting aside any bias I might have, I tackled Look Up with Me: Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars as if it was any other book. After all, Jenifer Berne’s book did not interest me because of the subject, but because of Lorraine Nam’s illustrations. Paper artist Lorraine Nam’s cover is fascinating. The bold color of […]

Why are chemists great for solving problems? A: They have all the solutions.

Charlotte the Scientist Finds a Cure by Camille Andros

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First, I consider myself a feminist and for girl power and helping kids be their best. However, I also believe do not make things an “us and them” situation. The not subtle fact that our title character Charlotte, in Charlotte the Scientist Finds a Cure, is a girl doing science is great, but subconsciously it might turn off boys. Therefore, putting itself solidly in the “this is a girl book” category and boys might be less likely to pick it up. Camille Andros has created […]

Folies á Deux

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

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Happy Women’s History Month! John Carryrou’s Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup taught me a new phrase – folies á deux – a shared psychosis by two people in close proximity. Elizabeth Holmes and her (secret) boyfriend,  Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, ran the company she founded like their own fiefdom. They enforced Elizabeth’s version of reality, kept information siloed, and silenced anyone who questioned or criticized them. I do not know if Elizabeth Holmes started out with good intentions and then was derailed by […]

Why sing ONE song when you can sing four?

The Blue Songbird by  Vern Kousky

Bird Watch by Christie Matheson

Bird Builds a Nest: A First Science Storybook by Martin Jenkins

Warbler Wave by April Pulley Sayre

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Even though the weather has other plans, the calendar is saying that Spring is around the corner. Therefore, the Spring/Easter displays are in full bloom. And on said display for children’s books at work, we have several bird books. Therefore, a lovely theme of birds grace the below reviews. The first book I want to mention is The Blue Songbird by Vern Kousky is a sweet book about finding your “personal song”, it is obvious this story has been done before (cue: Happy Feet I and II). However, […]

Compelling And Satisfying

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

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Best for: Anyone who enjoys a true story about shady people who (for the most part) get what’s coming to them. In a nutshell: An experienced Elizabeth Holmes convinces a lot of people that she is on to the next big thing in biotechnology. She isn’t, and she gets VERY touchy when people point that out. Also, lots of powerful old white guys make some absurd financial decisions. Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I listened to the podcast “The Drop Out,” which is […]



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