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I'm interested in any recommendations for non-fiction books for my elderly live in mother in law. We want her to read more positive uplifting books. She watches too much CNN and gets into these "Tapes" where all she can talk about is murder and crimes. We're trying gently to redirect. We as a family are rather agnostic so something too spiritual or religious won't fly. Something with an extreme disaster in it would only set her off with a new "tape". For example, I was thinking of the book How Starbucks Saved my Life. She also has read Michael Moore's biography. She also likes politics. We are more left than right in terms of politics. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
How about biographies/autobiographies/memoirs, particularly of famous women? I have enjoyed Madam Secretary, by Madeleine Albright; Personal History, by Katharine Graham; Kate Remembered (about Katharine Hepburn), by A. Scott Berg; and Closest Companion: The Unknown Story of Intimate Friendship Between FDR and Margaret Suckley, by Geoffrey C. Ward.
Hey, thanks! Will look into these. She does love a good biography.
How about a book by Micheal Pollan about food. I liked them because he is not into drama but some common sense. We listened to them on a trip and both came away with new thoughts about food and what we are eating and we did not feel like we were preached at.
Every now and then I like to read about the Amish. Not so much for religion but for their life style and what they consider important, family and community. There are fiction and nonfiction books with an Amish theme. The books are not into mayhem or murder.
How about a good book about the Shakers?
I second the biographies. The ones recommended are interesting.
Why aren't you recommending fiction?
We joke about the family having a protestant non-fiction book ethic. Reading fiction for my husband's family is not considered "useful". I myself love fiction. Thanks for the advice.
How about Diane Ackerman's books? Many fascinating topics.
See, I'd just enable her with a true crime reading list--like there are a couple of NF books purporting to solve the Jack the Ripper mystery. I hope when I'm "elderly" (any day now), no one will try to corral my curious mind. Blood and Money (Tommy Thompson) is rollicking true crime with lots of colorful characters. Randy Shilts' books are good, the Harvey Milk bio and the wrenching early days of the AIDS epidemic (if she's not squeamish about GLBT issues). Nothing upbeat about either of those, though. Anne Lamott is entertaining, and pretty innocuous. I just snagged all three of the Simon's Cat cartoon books, and they're certainly feel-good media. I've read good reviews of Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine, and Bush on the Couch, Revised Edition, by Frank was entertaining. Can your MIL navigate a library? I admit I haven't read much compelling NF lately, and I really must go browse the stacks and come up with some. If I were charged with finding reading material for her, Id choose books from all over the place, from 001 (UFOs and Bigfoot) to 900 (travel and history), with a strong bias toward entertainment value.
Bastelmutti
5-8-12, 5:06pm
Jon Krakauer's books are great. There is a bit of murder and mayhem in some, but it's in there to help explain and understand a larger point. Very interesting, particularly the Mt. Everest book (I got on a bit of an Everest kick a while back and read several books about various expeditions). <- oops re-read the original post. Maybe that's too much disaster.
A bit dated, but The Smartest Guys in the Room is fascinating. It's an account of how the Enron meltdown happened. Still pretty on point today.
What about some of the more recent stunt journalism books? (in the vein of Julie & Julia) - those can be interesting.
Bastelmutti
5-8-12, 5:08pm
Also, maybe she would enjoy a subscription to the New Yorker magazine - it has a little bit of everything: longer news-driven investigations, profiles of interesting people, cartoons, short fiction, poetry. Everyone in my family from 12 to 72 reads it.
Thanks for all of your advice. She's had a stroke and I think she spirals into worry and mayhem because of the TV she watches. We are not trying to corral her curious mind, we're trying to bring balance to her brain. Does that make sense? Am I not on the right track?
Stroke often produces (usually short-term) emotional lability in its victims, so it's possibly entirely independent of her TV watching.
ETA: She might want to read books by people who have rebounded from stroke damage, and there used to be an on-line support group called Stroke Survivors. Not sure if it's still active.
Allow me to raise a different point to consider. Often, small print or shiny or glossy pages limit what an older person can read. The variety of large print books is quite wonderful and if you can think about it, possibly an ereader that reportedly includes quite a few thousand free books and one can increase the size of print and back lighting.
loosechickens
5-8-12, 9:34pm
This is not non-fiction, it's a novel, but The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a great book, has elderly protagonists, is uplifting, interesting and might get her out of herself for a bit.
This is not non-fiction, it's a novel, but The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a great book, has elderly protagonists, is uplifting, interesting and might get her out of herself for a bit.
That's a movie I'm looking forward to seeing!
I was thinking that TV might be the problem. There is not much on non-fiction TV (wonder what that really is?) but murder and mayhem. Even the news like FOX, which my elderly parents had on all the time, causes all kinds of crazy conversations. I can scroll thru a hundred channels and not find much in the way of education.
Even the documentary channels sometimes dwell on mayhem, like end of the earth or disasters of all kinds. Feel for you.
See, I'd just enable her with a true crime reading list--like there are a couple of NF books purporting to solve the Jack the Ripper mystery. I hope when I'm "elderly" (any day now), no one will try to corral my curious mind. Blood and Money (Tommy Thompson) is rollicking true crime with lots of colorful characters. Randy Shilts' books are good, the Harvey Milk bio and the wrenching early days of the AIDS epidemic (if she's not squeamish about GLBT issues). Nothing upbeat about either of those, though. Anne Lamott is entertaining, and pretty innocuous. I just snagged all three of the Simon's Cat cartoon books, and they're certainly feel-good media. I've read good reviews of Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine, and Bush on the Couch, Revised Edition, by Frank was entertaining. Can your MIL navigate a library? I admit I haven't read much compelling NF lately, and I really must go browse the stacks and come up with some. If I were charged with finding reading material for her, Id choose books from all over the place, from 001 (UFOs and Bigfoot) to 900 (travel and history), with a strong bias toward entertainment value.
Ditto for me on this. People should be encouraged to read, watch and discuss (and yes, even rant) about the things that interest and excite them. I think this is especially important the older one is. Growing up, my Mom was always trying to "not-so-gently" encourage me to change my interests because she felt they were too masculine, wild, and not good for a proper young lady. I didn't listen to her (or anyone) then, and I hope that no one tries to make me change my interests when I am old.
I saw that picture of you on a motorbike. she was right. lol ;)
I saw that picture of you on a motorbike. she was right. lol ;)
Ha Ha - Aren't Moms always right? (NO!!). Yes, in her world I would have been an actress, model, or airline stewardess ( before I married and had 3 kids and lived in white pickett fenceville). She was sadly disappointed that I choose riding dirt bikes as a young girl over being a cheerleader. If that had happened you'd probably find me hanging from the neck by my Pom-Poms :-)! Rah-rah-Rah!!
How about borrowing DVDs for free from the library? You can probably request holds on the library's website for free.
Some of my favorites:
The Tudors - British TV series
Foyle's War - ditto
Shooting the Past (about photography so not violent at all)
Pride and Prejudice (the one with Colin Firth is the best)
Sabrina (both versions)
Anything with Helen Mirren
Mona Lisa Smile
Harry Potter movies
Feel goods:
The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock
August Rush
I've been listening to audiobooks on CDs that I get free at the library.
Authors include
Laurie R King
MC Beale - Hamish MacBeth books are fun
Louise Penny
Harry Potter books (amazing reader!)
I ask the librarians for reccos all the time. Good luck!
domestic goddess
5-30-12, 4:05pm
Merski, I feel your pain. My mom used to watch Fox News all day long, and then would call me, all upset because Medicare or Social Security was broke, and she was going to lose part of her income, and have no health care. No matter how many times I explained to her that people were projecting into the future (farther ahead than she would probably be around for), or voicing opinions rather than current fact, she would call me back in a couple of days going on about the same thing. The fact that she couldn't hear well and missed a lot of what was said didn't help.
If her stroke was recent, this may diminish as time goes on. After dh's stroke, he was so emotionally labile that he would sit in front of the TV and just wail about something he had seen. I combatted that with Groucho Marx movies. Believe me, I owe that man a debt of gratitude!
If your mil has trouble seeing, don't forget about books on tape. Good Luck!
Ha Ha - Aren't Moms always right? (NO!!). Yes, in her world I would have been an actress, model, or airline stewardess ( before I married and had 3 kids and lived in white pickett fenceville). She was sadly disappointed that I choose riding dirt bikes as a young girl over being a cheerleader. If that had happened you'd probably find me hanging from the neck by my Pom-Poms :-)! Rah-rah-Rah!!
Wouldn't that be "She-rah-rah-Rah?" Apparently, our mothers were separated at birth. Mine thought I should be a perky television personality of some kind. I bet she would have liked me anyway, if she ever really knew me. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/artists/laie/Laie_100.gif
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