The Federal Landscape: An Economic History of the 20th Century West

Well, Since I don't have much time for reading Pillars of the Earth (only up to page 80 or so), I thought I should blog about the book I did manage to read! Gerald Nash is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of New Mexico.  I had to read this book for my History of the West, since 1900 class I'm taking here at the University of Idaho.  This is not a book review, but merely my own thoughts after reading his book.  For a description of the book click here:  http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/BOOKS/bid1271.htm

There is a perception of the rugged, individualist Westerner - out make it on their own, do it their own way, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, etc.  However after reading Gerald Nash’s book that perception erodes away rather quickly.  In fact just reading this book, I realize how much the Federal Government has shaped my own life as a westerner.  My grandfather was stationed in San Diego, bought one of the federally subsidized suburban homes.  And even now sixty years later, I am using a FHA loan to buy a 1950’s rancher style home. 

It has also had very large effect on my professional experiences as well.  Before working for the University, I worked for companies that sold private health insurance.  Henry J. Kaiser, an industrialist who helped to found the Kaiser Permanente medical plan also received millions of dollars in government contracts, building ships and homes among other things (pg 45, 58) I also work at a research University, which may have benefited from the public private partnerships that grew in the West during the 1950s.  And I know that we are currently benefiting from that as so much of our budget comes from federal grants and contracts.

The town I grew up in was in the Tahoe National Forest.  People flocked to each summer to raft, fish, camp, and hike – all a part of the federal landscape.  In the 1970s a dam was in the beginning stages of being built.  Construction was halted due to a number of reasons including the need for additional ground/earthquake studies and quickly escalating costs that the Federal Government could no longer afford.  It became one of those projects that were a casualty of loss of enthusiasm by Congress.  However, all those who now enjoy the canyons and whitewater don’t mind so much.

The growth and economic successes and failures in the west have been intricately linked with the Federal Government.  The development of the highway system, which Nash touches on throughout the book, but probably could have devoted a little more time too, shaped the western culture in the 20^th century, it also shaped much of the way we current eat (McDonald’s for example). 

Nash’s book summarizes and links together just how much the West relied on Federal support, somethingthat while living in the middle of this support I don’t think most people realize.  I know I didn’t. 

School + Work + Buying a House = no pleasure reading time

I started reading The Pillars of the Earth, but I've only got about 50 pages into because I've been having to read so much for class.  I'm taking two history courses this semester at the University of Idaho.  History of Secret Societies and Conspiracies... COOL class, and History of the American West since 1900 which I am also enjoying.  But this means that I don't get to do as much pleasure reading as I had hoped. 

I am reading:

The Federal Landscape: An Economic History of the Twentieth-Century West, Gerald Nash
City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles, Mike Davis
Foucault's Pendulum, Umberto Eco
Los Angeles and the Automobile, Scott Bottles

And a few others.  Good thing I like to read.

Memoirs of a Geisha

I didn't quite know what to expect from this book.  I had a friend once tell me that they were glad they had read the book because the movie was bad.  Not seeing the movie I was just hoping the book was good as well. 

Just based on the title, and truly not knowing what a Geisha was I jumped in.  Even though it is written as a memoir it is truly fiction.  I'm just amazed that Arthur Golden was able to capture some of the thoughts of a little girl or an apprentice Geisha.  The book starts when young, grey eyed Chiyo is just a fisherman's daughter in a rural Japanese fishing village.  As her mother is ill, and her father is unsure how to take care of two young daughters, she and her sister are sold, Chiyo to a Okiya to become a Geisha, and her sister into prostitution. 

Set in Japan, starting just before WWII gets heated, I loved the prospective this novel gives.  How did WWII affect the lives of a Geisha?  Their lives, like everyone else's changed dramatically during this time.  But even throughout the book the narrator, Sayuri,  clarifies that while their lives had changed, it was obviously not as much as those around them. 

Not knowing the history of Geisha, I felt like I was reading a swan song to the time of the Geisha. Even she ended up in New York City.

This book really is one of the better books I have read.  Of course it is 20th century historical fiction - of course I love it.

Although, I wonder if as a feminist I'm 'not supposed' to like it.  I mean, it is all about the objectification of a woman.  Sayuri's sister is sold in straight prostitution, and eventually runs away, but we never find out how her life turned out.  The story leads you to believe that Sayuri leads a better than she would have had she stayed in her fishing village and lived her life as little Chiyo.  Instead, the man of her dreams saves her from a horrible life as a maid, pays for her training, and even eventually (through a VERY roundabout manner) takes her to NYC for her to live out her life there.  Something of a "Pretty Woman" or  "Cinderella" story, just set in the geisha district of Gion in Kyoto Japan. 

I've already started another book.  This time I will be reading Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth.  It is a rather long book, so I'll try and post more often as I'm reading it.