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Showing posts from April, 2026

Believe Recast Be-Live

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Believe Recast as Be-Live by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President “Believe! Be live! What a word!” exclaimed Amy Krouse Rosenthal in the  Anthropocene Reviewed . This collection of essays by John Green uncovers fascinating insights into everything from lawns to the Monopoly game. He rethinks the commonplace world with new perspectives. My grandson and daughter got me the book and I can recommend it as interesting with a healthy dose of humor. Each essay is self-contained so you can choose the ones of interest, when you can find a few minutes to read.  One chapter credits the Council on Books in Wartime as a crucial use of books to bolster morale during World War II. In 1942 the Council sent thousands of pocketsize paperbacks to U.S. soldiers because "Books are weapons in the war of ideas." For example, Betty Smith's  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn  and the F. Scott Fitzgerald's  Great Gatsy  were among the selections. A soldier reported that the books were "as popular...