'The Tao of Bill Murray' by Gavin Edwards

The Tao of Bill Murray, Gavin Edwards (3.0)

This is an interesting little book for any big Bill Murray fan. The book consists of many stories (mostly told second hand) of Murray antics and encounters throughout the years.  They vary from how he has not had a manager for many years so one is required to call a 1-800 number to reach him and hope for the best, to the many occasions which he has wondered into an event or joined a party unannounced (much to delight of the hosts). Mr. Edwards has taken the time to validate numerous rumors of this legendary crazy behavior. The last section of the book is a filmography with descriptions and critiques of each of Mr. Murray’s films. I wrote at least 3 down that I either wanted to re-watch or happened to have missed.  I should note that the book does not appear to be sanctioned by Mr. Murray, but the stories are not so earth-shattering to be doubted.

'Maus' by Art Spieberger

Maus, Art Spieberger (3.5)

This is a graphic novel that tells the tragic tale of Mr. Spieberger’s parents’ experiences as Jews in Poland before and during WWII. He has made a unique artistic choice by making the Jews mice, the Polish people pigs and the Nazis cats. These affectations take a slight edge off an otherwise hard to read narrative. As his parents try to hide from the Nazis, they don fake pig noses to blend in with the other Polish people. The story begins as the son visits the father and begins to hear the detailed story of his survival. Spieberger has captured the frustration of parents and children from remarkably different times as, through the story, the son tries to understand why his father behaves the way he does. Graphic novels are not for everyone, but this one is memorable.

'Hidden Figures' by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures, Margot Lee Shetterly (3.0)

After seeing the movie based on this book, I was surprised by several things in this non-fiction account of many people involved in the flight and space programs in Langley, VA. First, the book covers a larger period of history. It starts after WWII and finishes well past the moon landings of the late 60’s. I was also surprised by the number of people and experiences covered in the book that were basically attributed to the three main characters of the movie, though it understandably made for a more dramatic film. Lastly I was somewhat disappointed in a few things left out of the film, mainly the implication of Virginia’s blatant disregard for federal desegregation laws. Who knew that some counties in Virginia had closed their public schools for 5 years so that white children would not go to school with African American children! Which is even more shocking given the number of scientists and engineers working in Langley at the time. Overall the book had some interesting points and the subject is an important part of history. I liked the plot drivers in the movie, but reading the book pointed out typical Hollywood touches (flaws?) in the movie that were added to increase the drama and increase sympathy for the characters.