Favorite books of 2007 Part III

My favorite books of 2007 don't form any clear pattern. They are here because I liked them, or found them influential, or because they made me think. Some are still making me think months after I read them. The top five are presented here in no particular order.

Why Kerouac Matters: the Lessons of On the Road (2007), by John Leland. I read On the Road 40 years ago; I can hardly remember the characters anymore and certainly not the events. But Leland reminded me why Kerouac mattered to me then. His critique is insightful, sympathetic and scholarly. His writing (better than Kerouac’s) is hip, sharp and surprising. But that’s not the only reason this book makes my list. Lots of people ask why bother with Kerouac at all. He was a lush and a misogynist and not a very good writer. It’s because he caught the ghost of an America we all feel, but can’t quite catch. He believed it was possible to work hard, hold a job, raise a family (though he was lousy at all of the above) but still have a be-bop soul that wasn’t constrained by traditional thought. In his words: “We were embarked on a tremendous journey though post-Whitman America to find that America and to find the inherent goodness in American man. It was really a story about two Catholic buddies roaming the country in search of God. And we found Him.”

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan reminds us of how venal, selfish and pig-headed humans can be and at the same time how steadfast, honest and admirable in the face of inconceivable hardship. The stories are compelling and the writing is good, but the big, black cloud that looms over this book is the idea that we really haven’t learned a damn thing about messing with nature. The dust bowl was driven by economics and hubris and as soon as the price of wheat went up, people forgot the lessons of the dust and went back to making the same mistakes. We are making the same – or similar – mistakes still. And we are always surprised when nature bites us in the ass.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006) by Michael Pollan, has changed my eating habits and that earns it a place on the list. Few books affect behavior. I hope this one affects the nation’s food policies, not just mine.

The History of Love (2005) by Nicole Kraus is a novel structured like the two halves of the yin-yang symbol. The stories come together at the end in a Dickensian way, but it seems not only natural but inevitable. The characters are true enough to break your heart and the writing does them justice. As you can see from my lists, I don’t read many novels. In fact, I quit reading two highly recommended novels in the middle this year because I got too bored with them. Nicole Kraus had an answer every time boredom knocked.

I am still reading Blessed Unrest (2007) by Paul Hawken, but I have a notion that it will become the next Omnivore’s Dilemma. Here’s how the publishers describe it: The dawn of the 21st Century has witnessed two remarkable developments in our history: the appearance of systemic problems that are genuinely global in scope, and the beginning of a worldwide movement that is determined to heal the earth with the force of passion, dedication and the force of collective intelligence and wisdom. Across the planet, groups ranging from ad-hoc neighborhood associations to well-funded international organizations are confronting issues like the destruction of the environment, the abuses of free-market fundamentalism, social justice, and the loss of indigenous cultures. While they are mostly unrecognized by politicians and the media, they are bringing about what may one day be judged the single most profound transformation of human society.

OK, I showed you mine, now show me yours. What were your best books of 07?