I lived in India for a few months, working for United Press International back when there was a UPI, but I did not begin to grasp what I learned from reading Boo’s new book. There are a lot of people who write about poverty and social justice but few who really spend the time with poor people to understand what their lives are like on a day-to-day basis and the web of obstacles — both self-imposed and external — that prevent them from bettering their lives. Katherine Boo is one of them and she has produced an important and riveting accounting of a Mumbai slum that will stay with you regardless of your interest in India. Boo is a beautiful writer and her book is compulsive reading. Chip McGrath did a profile of her in the Times, which you can read here and for the New York Times review, click here.
Midlife has swung between serving as an emblem of power and influence, and a metaphor for decline, yet the invention and history of this vital period of life has never before been fully told. Acclaimed New York Times reporter Patricia Cohen finally fills the gap with a book that provokes surprise, outrage and delight. In Our Prime takes readers from turn-of-the-century factories that refused to hire middle-aged men to high-tech laboratories where researchers are unraveling the secrets of the middle-aged mind and body. She traces how midlife has been depicted in film, television, advertisements, and literature. Cohen exposes the myths of the midlife crisis and empty nest syndrome, and investigates anti-aging treatments like human growth hormones, estrogen, Viagra, Botox, and plastic surgery.
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