During these uncertain and troubling times I look for something fun to read and this title: The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, by Eric Weiner caught my eye. I can be a bit of a grump, too, and then, when I read that the author's favorite character in the Pooh books was Eeyore (mine, too), well, I just had to read his book! The author visited several of the countries that rank high on the happiness scale (and one of the countries that ranked low) to find out what they might have in common. The answers, or at least some of them, might surprise you. This is a book that will make you think (and maybe call a friend late at night). I'll leave you with this: if you don't use a skill, you will lose that skill. Compromise is a skill and something that seems to be lacking in our society today ....

I'm listing these two books together because they have something in common. The Answer is ... Reflections of My Life, by Alex Trebek proved to be one of those 'dangerous' books, in that the entries are short so it was easy to read 'just one more' and suddenly find you are at the last page! It was fun learning about how he ended up where he did, and loving it. There's a bit about his family, and naturally, his cancer diagnosis. He's worried, though, about what is happening these days, and this is the commonality with the book above ... we have lost the art of compromise, something that is especially important in politics.

Travels with Casey: My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country, by Benoit Denizet-Lewis, was a great summer read ... travel without the hassle! ;-) The journey actually starts out in the cooler months so the author started by heading south, then west, then north, avoiding both the coldest and hottest times of the year in the 'other' part of the country. At first Casey is not all that keen on the idea of traveling in the RV, which is of some concern, but, being a dog, he does adapt. The focus here is dogs ... shelters, shows, rescue groups, groomers, trainers, parks, and so on. A warning, it's not all positive encounters. The author, who teaches writing as well as having articles in The New York Times Magazine, is good at asking questions and producing a nicely balanced account. Most enjoyable.

Reading Hermit With Dog