The Horse Boy

by Rupert Isaacson
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
genre: memoir, autism, spiritualism
read by the author

Too tired to blog now. Son has severe autism. Wife is vegetarian Buddhist. Author has excellent accent (British). He seeks healing for his son via shamanism. They travel to Mongolia to visit different shamans. Interesting and thought-provoking.

Just read a review here: http://the-word-of-jeff.blogspot.com/2009/07/horse-boy-book-review.html

1/15/13 note:
One thing that bothered me with this book was how he would use the Lord's name in vain and then be praying to God in the next sentence. Isaacson's theology seems to be a hodge-podge of New Age spiritualism and a dash of anything that may work for him. It was disconcerting to hear him using the Lord's name as a swearword, and then praying to the Lord for his son's healing. Anyhow, this book made me appreciate more than ever how healthy my own children are! It also made me wonder (a lot) about the causes and treatments for autism.

Benjamin Franklin: an American Life

by Walter Isaacson
read by Boyd Gaines
Carver County Library, audioCDs 7 hours
genre: biography

This was interesting, but made me want to read another point of view. The author clearly has a huge amount of admiration for Franklin and pointed out repeatedly that he had a positive opinion of & relationships with, women, and that he was NOT a womanizer. Methinks he doth protest too much . . .
In any case, whether I would have liked old Ben or not, it's clear that he was an extraordinary person who impacted our country a great deal. His diplomacy in dealing with France and Britain were especially crucial. The author's stress on Franklin's religion of tolerance got a bit old, but it was an interesting and informative portrayal. I ought to read the autobiography of this influential man.