SoMinn THE BOOKWORM SEZ

Path Lit by Lightning, American True Crime and more

Path Lit By Lightning:

The Life of Jim Thorpe

by David Maraniss

c.2022, Simon & Schuster $32.50 659 page

You’re a lot stronger than you think.

Physically, you can run faster, jump higher, land firmer, and throw farther than others. You take your place among the winners. Psychologically, you’re resourceful, smart, decisive, wise. You’re a lot stronger than you think, no matter what – as in the new book “Path Lit by Lightning” by David Maraniss – anybody tries to tell you.

One can almost imagine the kind of childhood that Jim Thorpe had.

He was born in Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma in 1887 to a “wayward father” who had multiple wives. Life then was “volatile,” says Maraniss, but the Thorpe family was “better off than most,” because they had a farm with a large farmhouse. That changed shortly after the Dawes Act was passed, which allowed government distribution of Native lands to non-Native people, and the assimilation of Native Americans into EuroAmerican life.

Thorpe was just seven years old when his assimilation began at a “government institution.” He was introduced to football at Haskell, a school in Kansas, when he was eleven; at the end of his time there, he spent a year working in Texas before arriving at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. Thorpe didn’t like Carlisle, and he didn’t generally like working on nearby farms for Carlisle’s “Outing Program.”

He ran away more than once.

Some time before he did, though, Carlisle had begun a focus on athletics, and had hired Pop Warner, a young hotshot football coach to lead the program – which meant nothing to Jim Thorpe, until...

Legend has it that Thorpe was never much for sports until one day, he was on his way from one job to another, wearing work clothes and “borrowed gym shoes” when he saw the Carlisle track team at practice. He asked if he could try the high jump and the team scoffed.

They didn’t scoff when he easily topped their best.

Neither did Coach Warner, who snatched Thorpe on the spot for his football team.

If you are a reader of certain kinds of non-fiction books, “Path Lit by Lightning” may disappoint you from the getgo.

Just by looking at it, you can tell that it’s not only about the life of athlete Jim Thorpe. No, author David Maraniss spreads his hands far and wide in a century-and-a-half tale of America, sports, and then-current events, spanning the world, politics, and injustices that are impossible to read now without cringing. This makes a great story but so wide is its presentation, that it’s almost as if there are multiple books between the covers of this volume. Readers may find that Jim Thorpe occasionally gets lost in the telling, which could be concerning for someone who prefers spare, lean biographies and just the facts.

But can you miss the delicious extras? If you prefer rail-thin biographies, that’s a decision to make. If you’re looking for a tale that sweeps around the world, though, and lands in the news just a few weeks ago, “Path Lit by Lightning” is a strong contender.

Slenderman:

Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls

by Kathleen Hale

c.2022, Grove Press $27.00 348 pages

Your favorite scary movies almost make you jump out of your skin.

The characters send gooseflesh up your arms, the hairs on the back of your neck rise, and you shiver – admittedly, with delight because a lot of people just like you enjoy having a good scare now and then. You jump – and then you breathe easier, knowing that it’s just a story and, as in the new book “Slenderman” by Kathleen Hale, nobody will ask you to kill.

Though she was an only child and she rarely played with other children at school, nine-year-old Morgan Geyser “was never really alone.” That’s because she had two constant “friends” who stayed inside her head where they lived. She also had Bella Leutner, who was the best friend other people could see, the best friend Morgan always wanted.

In a way, writes Hale, Bella was Morgan’s “caretaker” at school. For three years, she made sure Morgan didn’t do anything rash or self-injurious, and she indulged Morgan’s flights of fancy and “pretended to hear” the same voices in Morgan’s head. But as they grew up, Bella’s social circle grew, while Morgan’s stayed almost the same.

And then Morgan met Anissa, who introduced Morgan to a website that was filled with middle-schooltame stories and tales of murderous beings and alien entities. One of them was called “Slenderman.” who was supposedly fourteen feet tall with exaggeratedly long arms and legs, no discernible face, and a penchant for murder.

Within a very short time, both girls became obsessed with Slenderman and decided to become his “proxies.” In order to save their families from sure death, a sacrifice needed to be made; after that, the girls would live with “Slender” in his mansion, which they figured was about 300 miles away from their hometown in Wisconsin.

They’d walk to the mansion to live with Slender forever – but first, Bella had to die....

In her introduction to this book, author Kathleen Hale says that, although she grew up near the area in which the crime happened, she was stymied by a near-total shut-out of information. No one wanted to talk with her except Morgan Geyser, and so Hale mostly used reports, transcripts, and public information to craft this book.

Though that could mean a deep sense of familiarity with the story – it may be info you’ve heard or read already – readers will be surprised that the lack isn’t an issue.

The reason, perhaps, is because Hale uses “Slenderman” to delve into the mental health aspect of this incident, peeling it apart from the crime and examining it as a separate subject-within-a-subject. This doesn’t mute the shock of it all – Hale reminds readers many times that the attempted murder was committed by “two little girls” – but it updates and adds another side to a tale that will continue to unfold for decades to come.

This is a book for true crime lovers, but it’s also perfect for anyone who enjoys courtroom dramas, too. If that’s you, then find “Slenderman” and jump on it.

Taxi from Another Planet:

Conversations with Drivers about Life in the Universe

by Charles S. Cockell

c.2022, Harvard University Press $26.95 288 pages

You’re somewhat of a captive audience.

The guy up front, the one who’s driving, really has all the power. He can speed up or slow down, yammer or stay silent. To get where you need to be, you have to go with his flow until you actually get there so you may as well just sit back. As in the new book “Taxi from Another Planet” by Charles S. Cockell, you might learn something.

At the ends of long flights to conferences, symposiums, and home, former NASA scientist Charles Cockell says he looks forward to a cab ride to finish his journey. One reason is that taxi drivers are “particularly interesting to engage in” philosophical conversations because cabbies are “exposed to the bountiful and colorful menagerie of humanity.”

The questions he poses to cab drivers, and subsequent discussions, are as wide as they are deep.

The evolution of “churning, swirling matter” answers one question, for instance, when a driver asked Cockell if he thought he might have a doppelganger in another universe. An explanation gave the cabbie – and the reader – a reminder of our “rare haven” of a planet.

Or, let’s say aliens suddenly came to Earth tomorrow afternoon. Would we flee in horror, or would we welcome them with curiosity and a willingness to make peace? How aware are we of the cautions of finding out?

Will you ever have the chance to travel to Mars? Once we can, should we use the Red Planet as our “Plan B” if Earth becomes too crowded and polluted? The answers beg for patience and a reminder that “Earth is the best planet we have for the foreseeable future.”

Is it possible that the aliens already “own” us? Will we be able to communicate with them, if they ever arrive? Would we really be able to live our entire lives on Mars? And if we decide to forego space exploration in favor of “fixing” what’s wrong on Earth, are we prepared to forego the things space exploration teaches us?

So, it looks like another American moon trip is probable again, and the possibility of one day living on Mars is on the table. But were those old 1950s Martian-and-monster sci-fi movies at least a little right?

Take a deep breath, and read “Taxi from Another Planet.”

Then relax. Author Charles S. Cockell gives readers a good, basic (and easy-to-understand) refresher course on life on Earth as he prepares to discuss life outside Earth, and it’s not at all scary. Cockell instead shows how science is relevant in his reader’s lives, with fun examples and popculture references. “Impossible,” in fact, isn’t a word that Cockell uses often; you’re invited to let your ideas roll, let your imagination go wild, and to dream... carefully.

While this is surely a book for adults, older teens who study the skies and make plans for a home on the moon will appreciate it, as well. Place your copy of “Taxi from Another Planet” near your telescope. You might find it captivating.

Getting Along: How to Work

with Anyone (Even Difficult People)

by Amy Gallo

c.2022, Harvard Business Review Press $30.00 304 pages

Mister Least-Favorite-Coworker came around today, and you wanted to run.

You couldn’t hide beneath your desk; he saw you before you saw him. The boss frowns on loud screaming so, with options limited, you listened to him talk but you weren’t happy. The guy just irritates you to no end, and in “Getting Along” by Amy Gallo, you’ll learn how to survive him, and others.

It’s an almost universal thing: in one recent study, ninety-four percent of workers polled said that they worked with someone who was difficult to get along with. If someone ever offered a “Dealing with Jerks” class, in other words, it would be crowded.

And yet, many workers strive to get along at work because they like the job and everybody else there, or they’re (sometimes) patient enough to give the toxic person the benefit of the doubt. They might also realize that they’re not totally innocent in every situation. They understand that, bottom line, work is mostly about relationships.

Brain science explains a lot, says Gallo, which offers a first step to peace. Your brain isn’t perfect, neither is your adversary’s, and it helps to remember that.

It also helps to know the various types of difficult people you might deal with at work.

First up: try to imagine the stressors an insecure boss faces, and cut them some slack. Try to see a pessimist’s dire words as warning, not as whining. Ask yourself if a victim is really being persecuted. Enlist the help of your team when dealing with a passive-aggressive coworker. Learn how to stop a know-it-all in his tracks. Remember that generational issues may be why you’re having problems with a tormentor. Know the risks of speaking up and not speaking up about a biased coworker. Learn how to showcase your work, get credit for it, and thwart the political operator. Know the basic principles for simply just getting along.

And finally, know when to throw in the towel. Take care of yourself but know that quitting is okay, and there’s absolutely no shame in it.

So, with “Help Wanted” signs everywhere and jobs plentiful, is there even a need for a book like “Getting Along” anymore? Yes, suggest author Amy Gallo, because there’s more to every picture and the jerk in this situation could be you.

But let’s say you’re a flawless human being or you work from home – which warrants several entire paragraphs in this book – or you don’t have to work. “Getting Along” is still a valid read because Gallo’s advice will work for family, frienemies, neighbors, nearly anybody you can’t avoid and who rankle you mightily. The lessons you’ll learn are useful as a compassionate, intelligent, Zen way of looking at conflict and humanity, while also protecting yourself and honing your flexibility.

While this book is specifically about getting along with bosses and coworkers, it’s not a bad idea as a gift for a teen or new college student. As for mindful conflict resolution, “Getting Along” is a book they’ll run to often.

American Demon: Eliot Ness

and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper

by Daniel Stashower

c.2022, Minotaur Books $29.99 342 pages

You think you know who dun it.

Sometimes, murder mysteries are like that: you get a few pages in, and the killer is obvious to anyone with eyes. And then sometimes, there’s a sense of the unsettled and unfinished left to a story – especially if it’s true – and those are the best kinds of books. With that in mind, here are two great true crime books for you to read this fall....

It had been a beautiful early-fall day that September of 1934, a great day for a leisurely stroll along the shores of Lake Erie, to watch the water and the area’s wildlife, to ponder life’s little mysteries. Surely, however, the lower half of a female body was the wrong kind of surprise for the beach-walker who stumbled upon a crime scene but the “Lady of the Lake,” as the woman was quickly referred to, was just the beginning.

Over the course of the next 48 months, a dozen more, similar bodies would be found throughout the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Each corpse was drained of blood and all were dismembered, as if a surgeon was practicing his art. Investigators could tell that some of the women died in the most gruesome manner.

Understandably, every single person in the entire city was horrified and the mayor of Cleveland called for help from the best person one could then imagine: Eliot Ness, who came large to the city after a successful take-down of Al Capone in Chicago. Readers can almost imagine Ness, stalking like a boss into Ohio.

Could the “Untouchables” take down another criminal – this time, a killer?

Find out in “American Demon” by Daniel Stashower.

And speaking of Chicago, if you love a good true crime book, reach back a century ago and reach for “Nothing But the Night” by Greg King and Penny Wilson. It’s the tale of a most gruesome murder that shocked America for its scandal.

Indeed, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb both had splendid futures ahead of them: they were educated, privileged, and their families were relatively well-off, even on the cusp of the Great Depression. They could have been leaders but no, they murdered fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks, and they did it just for kicks.

Immediately after the senseless murder happened in 1924, scads of rumors, misinformation and half-beliefs circled through every conversation about the boys, about their lawyer, and about the depravity of their crime. People couldn’t stop talking about it.

And King and Wilson say today that none of that is true.

In this book, readers learn the real story of Leopold, Lowe, Clarence Darrow, and the “Crime of the Century,” and it’s a story that’ll chill you even now...

If these are not absolutely the perfect books for your true crime-reading pleasure, then be sure to throw yourself at the mercy of your favorite bookseller or librarian. They’ll know exactly what you want, what will interest you, and what will chill you on a chilly night.

Librarians and booksellers are like that. They’ve dun it all.