This is the first book that I downloaded with my new membership with audible.com.  I enjoyed it.  It gave me alot of interesting things to think about and talk about.  I did have a little trouble, in that I had planned to listen to it in my car, and it is NOT appropriate for little ears.  Although interesting, the information about prostitutes was not for my children.  It is a great economics book for the layman.  It is not bigger or better than the last one (Freakonomics), but just more of the same.  If you liked the first, you’ll probably like this one.  If you haven’t read either, you probably should.

This book came to me highly recommended.  I think it would be a great book for you doctors and nurses out there, or other science buffs. I am not one of those. I was a bit weighed down by the subject matter and kept wishing it was over. I finally just stopped - which I never do! It is an account of the research done on the 1918 flu. I had no idea there was a 1918 flu, so it was all new to me. If you are interested in how doctors figure out what is making us sick and then how they decide what to do about it, you will like this book. I, however, am glad to be through with it.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is very good. I have heard about it like crazy and finally got around to reading it. It is the true story of Walls’ childhood. Walls’ father was a raging alcoholic and her mother is an “artist” who couldn’t be bothered with work. Walls has one brother and two sisters. They managed to scrape by and eventually got themselves out of the horrible living situation with their parents. It’s very inspiring. I think this would make a great book for a book club. I wouldn’t describe it as a page-turner, but it is worth reading.

Mothers of the Prophets
Revised Edition
by Leonard J. Arrington, Susan Arrington Madsen, and Emily Madsen Jones
275 pages.
Bookcraft, c2001.
$18.95Mothers of the Prophets has a chapter for each mother of a latter-day prophet, starting with Lucy Mack Smith and going all the way through to Ada Bitner Hinkley. The book also includes family photos of many of the women and their families. The book was originally written by Leonard Arrington and Susan Madsen, but was revised and updated by Susan Madsen and Emily Jones.
While this book is interesting and fact-filled, it is hard to get through. The lives of these women are often inspiring, but I felt that much of their experiences were sugar-coated. I read the word “perfect” one too many times. It is also mostly just a listing of facts. Facts that I would not normally have access to, granted, but dry nonetheless.
The most redeeming quality of the book was the glimpses into different generations of time. It was easy to see how we (mothers) are all connected. We all want what is best for our children and strive to achieve that at all costs. These mothers endured hardships unparalleled to push forward the restored gospel and instill the desire to do so within their children.
I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in genealogy or history – but probably not so someone looking for a fast read, or entertainment.