Novels as a "Social Glue"

Is it possible that contemporary novels influence society in a way that we resist impulses and behave in a way that benefits society? A study at the university of Missouri, St. Louis, took a look at storytelling across time and cultures. The conclusion is that "the basic opposition between communitarianism and dominance behaviour is a universal theme" and that our judgement of characters to be either good or bad has a bearing on human adaptation. "Novels have a function that continues to contribute to the quality and structure of group life." Source: New Scientist, Jan. 23, 2009

Dedicated to Joe Muraca

On the loss of a friend: "Though I hadn't seen much of him of recent years, we had a sort of permanent relationship.
I feel myself as if I had been suddenly robbed of some part of my own personality ~ since there must have been some aspect of myself that had been developed in relation to him."

~ Edmund Wilson to Zelda on Scott Fitzgerald's death.

Agatha Christie's "Greenway House"

Agatha Christie's summer home has been opened to the public. After a 9.4 million dollar renovation under the National Trust, "Greenway House" has been furnished with many of the author's personal belongings. Located near Dartmoor in Devon, Southwest England.

Margaret Atwood's: "Payback Debt"

Margaret Atwood's five Massey Lectures on debt are collected in her 2008 book, "Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth." From the stories we tell, to the way we form social relationships, Atwood claims that debt plays a role. In her fifth and final lecture, she addresses the notion of our debt to NATURE and the need to find a new way of interacting with the natural world before it is too late.

Stem-Cell Trials Renewed

Stem-cell research that has been on hold for years under the Bush administration has been renewed according to an article in the February 6 issue of New Scientist. Stem cells can transform themselves into any of the 200 tissues of the body. Treatment involving injection of stem cells gives promised hope to patients with spinal injuries.

"Yes I Can"

CNN noted this morning that the American President, Barack Obama has been in office for 35 days. In September, 1965, Sammy Davis Jr. published a book titled, "YES I CAN." Sound familiar? Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

lovereading.co.uk

lovereading.co.uk is a book-lovers site worth a glance. This website comes to us out of Sussex, England. Three founding members with different interests review and recommend books.