A talented cat

Clawdia's friend sent her this "talented cat" cartoon, which she wanted me to share on a Caturday.  Clawdia has been frustrated because I've been closing the laptop when I'm not using it.  She isn't big enough to pry it open.  At least on "her day" of the week, I'll try to remember to leave it lying around open, so she can once again write Caturday posts.  Sorry, Clawdia, for being so thoughtless.

Beginning ~ with the terminology

Beginning

The basic contentions of the argument of this book are implicit to its title and subtitle, namely, that reality is socially constructed and that the sociology of knowledge must analyze the processes in which this occurs.  The key terms in these contentions are "reality" and "knowledge," terms that are not only current in everyday speech, but that have behind them a long history of philosophical inquiry.

The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge ~ by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann, 1966, sociology, 208 pages, 10/10

In this seminal book, Berger and Luckmann examine how knowledge forms and how it is preserved and altered within a society.  Unlike earlier theorists and philosophers, the authors go beyond intellectual history and focus on common-sense, everyday knowledge — the proverbs, morals, values, and beliefs shared among ordinary people.  When first published in 1966, this systematic, theoretical treatise introduced the term "social construction," effectively creating a new thought and transforming Western philosophy.

I've read this book several times and added it to my Kindle in December.  I'm about to read it again — on my Kindle this time, obviously.  Click HERE to read what I've written about this book in the past.  I guess you've figured out I have a degree in philosophy.

Gilion at Rose City Reader

hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Face value

FACE VALUE = noun

1. the value written or stamped on the face of a commercial paper or coin.

2.  apparent worth or value, as opposed to real worth.

Short and simple ~ VOTE

Added in mid-afternoon:

Someone at my table at lunch was talking about states that "vote only by mail," and I said, "Once upon a time, all voting was by male."  Now, look at the spelling.  Voting by mail is a relatively "new" thing, but once upon a time in our country, all voting was by males.  (Yes, English is a funny language, and this wordsmith likes to play with words.)

Musing about probiotics

Word of the Day

pro·bi·ot·ics (noun, plural) = a probiotic substance or preparation; a microorganism introduced into the body for its beneficial qualities.

The most commonly used probiotic strains include the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Gram-positive microbes that have been used for centuries in food production processes (yogurt, cheese, pickles).

I usually choose vanilla yogurt, but last night I had peach yogurt and noticed (for the first time ever!) the words along the top (see up at the left?):  BILLIONS OF PROBIOTICS.  I first learned about probiotics when my doctor brought up the subject a few years ago.  Wow!  I love yogurt and cheese and pickles, so I've been eating probiotics all my life.

Sunday Salon ~ more books

The Indigo Girl ~ by Natasha Boyd, 2017, historical fiction (South Carolina), 329 pages

The year is 1739.  Eliza Lucas is sixteen years old when her father leaves her in charge of their family's three plantations in rural South Carolina and then proceeds to bleed the estates dry in pursuit of his military ambitions.  Tensions with the British, and with the Spanish in Florida, just a short way down the coast, are rising, and slaves are starting to become restless.  Her mother wants nothing more than for their South Carolina endeavor to fail so they can go back to England.  Soon her family is in danger of losing everything.

Upon hearing how much the French pay for indigo dye, Eliza believes it's the key to their salvation.  But everyone tells her it's impossible, and no one will share the secret to making it.  Thwarted at nearly every turn, even by her own family, Eliza finds that her only allies are an aging horticulturalist, an older and married gentleman lawyer, and a slave with whom she strikes a dangerous deal:  teach her the intricate thousand-year-old secret process of making indigo dye and in return — against the laws of the day — she will teach the slaves to read.

Based on historical documents, including Eliza's letters, this is a historical fiction account of how a teenage girl produced indigo dye, which became one of the largest exports out of South Carolina, an export that laid the foundation for the incredible wealth of several Southern families who still live on today.  Although largely overlooked by historians, the accomplishments of Eliza Lucas influenced the course of US history.  When she passed away in 1793, President George Washington served as a pallbearer at her funeral.

Lost Laysen ~ by Margaret Mitchell, 1996, novella (South Pacific), 128 pages

Courtenay Ross is a feisty, independent-minded woman with two young men courting her.  This novella was written in 1916, but was not published until 1996.  Mitchell, who is best known as the author of Gone with the Wind, wrote Lost Laysen when she was 15.

The Value of Honesty: The Story of Confucius ~ by Spencer Johnson, illustrated by Steve Pileggi, 1979, children's picture book, 64 pages, 10/10

The life and teachings of the Chinese philosopher are presented as a paradigm of integrity and dedication for young readers following his successes and failures.  An online reviewer wrote:  "It is easy enough to read while still getting the message across, teaching both good life lessons and establishing a broader context for learning by incorporating history and a far away place and making it relevant."

In the back of the book are historical facts about Confucius, who lived from 551 B.C. to 478 B.C.  His name was K'ung, and K'ung fu-tze means "the philosopher K'ung."  Confucius is the way it was translated into Latin and later into English.  My favorite sentences end the book:

"Although he was not religious, his ideas about morality became a religion — called Confucianism — which has been the only state religion of China.  And this man, who never claimed to be more than an imperfect human, has been regarded almost as a god.  Certainly he would be proud to know that his teachings have been so widely respected; but probably he would not at all like the idea of himself as a god" (p. 63).

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

Library Loot ~ the latest book by Jodi Picoult

Mad Honey ~ by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, 2022, fiction (New Hampshire), 455 pages

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over.  Her picture-perfect life — living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher — was upended when her husband revealed a darker side.  She never imagined that she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in and taking over her father’s beekeeping business.

 

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too.  When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.  And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need.  Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too.  With Ash, she feels happy for the first time.  Yet at times, she wonders if she can trust him completely.

 

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police.  Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent.  But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in Ash.  As the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.  Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.

Donna and I met Jodi Picoult in September of 2019, when Jodi spoke at the St. Louis County Library.  Donna's on the left, and I'm on the right.  Jodi is my favorite writer, so I put this book on reserve at my library.  And now it's my turn to read her latest book, published in October 2022.