Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

 This memoir of the co-founder of Nike totally captivated me because it was like a roller coaster ride that never let up. There was challenge after challenge, and I kept wondering, how on earth can Knight stand this level of stress? I enjoyed learning more about how a company can become a cultural phenomenon, and what level of commitment and crazy that takes. I enjoyed learning about atheletic sponsorships and the feet on the ground over years of work that eventually paid off. It was interesting to read about how Knight met and hired his inner circle (the Buttfaces) that took this fledgling company into the behomoth it is today. 

What was heartbreaking to read about was how totally consuming this effort was, while his two sons languished with his wife. There's a chapter where he writes that one son refused to wear Nike's and both refused to be in sports. This was their retaliation for his absenteeism and it's a sad story. You can feel Knight's regrets, but that doesn't make it easy to read about.

He often depended on his father for encouragement and as that relationship developed over time, it was interesting to watch Knight understand some things about his own drive and impulses. It was impressive that his wife Penny stayed with him through all of the ups and downs. The Japanese characters were also intriguing to read about, and it opened a curtain on some of the cultural challenges that doing business there can uncover. 

He's definitely cut from a different cloth. I can't conceive of hanging in there when contracts were broken, when innovations didn't work, and when slapped with a 25 million dollar tax bill... Wait, what? You keep going as if it's all going to turn out well? Knight's life has not been easy! I liked how it was never about the money for him... And I liked how loyal he was to his friends and his state of Oregon and his school, the U of Oregon. All interesting things that I knew little about, and his writing style is captivating and engaging. There were lots of deals and accounting and banking things that I needed more details to understand. But if he had made them understandable, it could have been a boring and technical read. What I got was a snapshot of the issues like importing, going public, etc., and I would have appreciated more detail. Still, a good ride for sure. 

P.S. Here's a miracle! I was thinking about sending this book to Jane because I sensed she would like it, but I didn't. Then, in a recent convo, I told her about it, and she had just read it too!!! And yes, she did enjoy it and made lots of connections too, including one with her ex-husband, Larry, who wore Converse tennis shoes back in the day and laughed at her for suggesting better shoes would help his game... There wasn't such a thing as specialized shoes for specialized sports back then!

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

 This was a tough book in some ways, because of the tough situation that Demon was born to... And yet it kept calling me back to see what would happen next. Demon's character is so endearing and you're pulling for him and sense his goodness despite his challenges and his reckless choices.

Just as interested as I was in the plot, I was also captivated and totally impressed with Kingsolver's amazing ability to weave the characters that mirrored Dickens' characters in David Copperfield. They were like shadows of each other...not totally alike or predictable, but you could sense the similarities, and the names and common characteristics were like, WOW. Knowing David Copperfield's world and just waiting for how Kingsolver might interpret it for her time and place, was a real kick. I loved that aspect of this entire read. Knowing that Copperfield ended up happy helped me hope that Copperhead would too, and then kept me going despite the depressing milieu of the story. 

I also learned a lot about drug addiction and about the values of the people of this Appalachian country folk. Their culture and people are maligned and they feel it keenly. What Demon doesn't know is amazing...and this is revealed throughout the book, but mainly when he first goes to a city and a zoo. It was heart-wrenching to understand the breadth of his ignorance. 

Kingsolver is brilliant. The characters and plot were beautifully and naturally crafted and completely believable. Heartbreakingly so. For example, Angus's father, the coach, and his drinking and inability to connect much with the world outside of football. I really admired Angus as a character too, and her independence of thought and action. She was like a lifeline for Demon. The entire Peggott family was so fascinating and such a model of love and acceptance for Demon and the other "misfits" in their family. It was amazing to read about a character like June Peggott and what a fabulous influence she was...It made me hope that I could be that person for someone in my world...

All in all, an inspiring and challenging read. Will I take it on again? I'm not sure... But it definitely is enhanced by knowing Dickens' story first. A great pair of readings. 

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

 This book attracted me at Deseret Industries because it was a hard copy with an interesting, artsy cover, and when I opened it to browse, there were several paintings throughout the book. The jacket reminded me that Steve Martin is an author besides a talented banjo player and comic. The jacket also described that the story centers on art auctions and art dealers and that whole world, which intrigued me because I love art, and know little about the commercial side of it.

The characters in this book are an art reviewer and an up and coming art dealer with loose morals. She's an intriguing character, however, because of how she navigates her way through that world. There is some foul language, a few sex scenes, and quite a bit of confusion (at least in my mind) about who is dealing what and for what profit, etc., I just floated along with the story and enjoyed, for the most part, learning about this urban world. I have no doubt that most of it is fiction and that the players are not as flamboyant or free of morals as they were portrayed. It did recall for me some of the education I've had around art history and what constitutes "good art." I enjoyed pondering that question again as the characters dealt with modern art vs. Picassos and Rembrandts. It's clear that Martin knows a lot! But this book was not particularly compelling...just kind of fluffy and gratuitous... But worth the $1.00 I paid for it, just to enjoy the paintings!

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

 I have been so disappointed in my books lately that I returned to a classic for relief. I had heard that Dickens was a master storyteller, and I vaguely remember reading Great Expectations in high school and enjoying it, and...I knew that one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver, had modeled her Demon Copperhead on David Copperfield...So, I decided to take it on, all 1001 pages of it! I was going to order it on Amazon, but people complained about the size of the print, so I thought, maybe I could borrow a copy. So I put the word out on the Picturesque Ward Facebook page, and Ricqui Griffiths responded right away to offer to lend me her copy. She had read it in high school and really liked it, and was willing to give her copy up for as long as I needed it. And so...I borrowed it, taped it's loose front pages back into place and dug in!

I'm so happy I did! I cannot count the happy hours I spent deep in London and Canterbury and the surrounding communities, learning about child labor, life in the nineteenth century, and getting to know absolutely wonderful and interesting characters. There were fascinating themes that were so different to our lives here and now. For example, the absolutely seemingly worthless lives of women, the cruel discregard for the welfare of children, and of course, the differences in class. There was a rigid class structure that I'd read about before, but this added to my knowledge and understanding.

Usually I resent it when characters are all good or all bad, but it didn't bother me so much in Dickens' world. There were clearly evil people with no redeeming thoughts or actions, and good ones who did no wrong. But they were so interesting and diverse that it was not annoying to me. 

I especially enjoyed Dickens' relationship to his star character. He described his David Copperfield with great affection and gentle humor. He could see the foibles of his youth and described them eloquently. It was a joy to read his description of the angel Agnes. It was also delightful to watch the development of David's love and respect for Agnes. It was delightful to watch his Aunt develop from a crusty cranky woman into one of great heart and affection. The Pegotty family was also a treasue to learn about, and the simple way they lived. The story drew me in and kept me engaged for a couple of weeks. 

Dickens' description of his love for Dora and the way he tried to change her and then finally accept her was heart-breaking and yet reassuring. He kept his love strong by his will and integrity, despite his disappointment in her lack of development. I love that he eventually got "his reward" by enjoying a richer relationship with the mature and angelic Agnes. It was a beautiful example of a youthful, immature choice of a companion, and yet staying true to her. I found that so admirable and also so heart breaking, especially for Dora, who clearly understood she had married someone who would have welcomed more intellectual stimulation. So sad, and yet so sweet that they made it work for as long as she lived. Very instructive!