Now there's a fourth book listed under currently reading. It's a reread actually, probably the third or fourth time I've read this book, Labor's Untold Story by Richard Boyer and Herbert Morais. I'm diving back into it for a fast refresher course as part of my preparation for the class I'm giving next weekend on labor's upsurge in the 1930s. This is a great book, probably the best for anyone looking for an introduction to or a basic survey of U.S. labor history up to the 1950s or so. It's not the be-all and end-all and it's not perfect politically, but for anyone who didn't learn anything in school about the rich history of labor struggle in this country, and that means everyone since none of us were taught this, it's a great way to correct that gap.
A fifth book may even be looming. One evening this coming week I'm going to an information session at the local offices of the Alzheimer's Association with my lover Teresa because a beloved member of our family has the disease and we need to understand it better in order to help as best we can as the crisis worsens. We've already been reading some of their printed material, handouts on this and that aspect, but my guess is that we're going to ask for and they're going to suggest some book titles for deeper insight. Voila, a fifth volume, if I feel compelled, as I expect I might, to delve immediately.
Multi-tasking as applied to book juggling? Attention diffusion? Brain sharpening? None of the above? Who knows, we'll see, and anyway it won't last, this odd moment in my reading life. I'm quite sure that within a couple weeks I'll be back to my normal one book at a time.
