CBA Record July-August 2020

ALL THE PIECES MATTER: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE WIRE by Jonathan Abrams There is arguably no activity better suited to quarantine than streaming television. For my money, there is no better show to watch (or re-watch) than HBO’s TheWire , not fully appreciated in its time but given second life by its continued streaming availability. Abrams’ oral history of the series is the perfect companion piece, provid- ing depth, insight, and anecdotes about the making of the series, as well as its impact on the culture at large. Recommended by Daniel Berkowitz

THE WATERWILL COME: RISING SEAS, SINKING CITIES, AND THE REMAKING OF THE CIVILIZEDWORLD by Jeff Goodell This book provides a scientific assessment of rising sea levels and what that means for all of us. It addresses the choices communities face now and will in the future. The book drives home the fact that if we don’t take dramatic steps now, hundreds of millions of people could be displaced from their homes by the end of the century, and trillions of dollars of coastal infrastructure could be lost. It reminds us that sea level rise is a critical concern in the U.S. and worldwide. Recommended by E. Lynn Grayson, CBA First Vice President

FAMOUS FATHER GIRL: A MEMOIR OF GROWING UP BERNSTEIN by Jamie Bernstein Conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein’s daughter Jamie’s memoir covers her own interesting life quite well, but she covers her famous father’s life even better – his genius and his flaws. The story revolves around the New York life the family lived from her birth in 1952; who they knew, their summers in Connecticut, and their travels. At the end, I felt the sadness one feels when looking back on a life: her dad’s. Dead at 72 in 1990 but never forgotten. Recommended by Bonnie McGrath

THE WAYWE EAT NOW: HOW THE FOOD REVOLUTION HAS TRANSFORMED OUR LIVES, OUR BODIES, AND OUR WORLD by Bee Wilson Wilson writes that we are in the best of times – the rapid decline in global hunger – and the worst of times, with diet-related illnesses on the rise. Food is more than just fuel; by studying what people across the world grow and eat, we learn more about our priorities and the health of the planet. Recommended by Amy Cook

BORN A CRIME: STORIES FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDHOOD by Trevor Noah As a biracial child growing up in South Africa under apartheid, Trevor Noah’s very existence was evidence of his parents’ crime. The comedian and Daily Show host recalls how he could never walk next to his white father without risking arrest under the racist regime. Noah tells stories from his childhood that play up the serious side of apartheid, as well as entertaining recounts of his youth – his DJ business with a dancer named Hitler, going to senior prom, and petty crime in the township. Recommended by Kathleen Dillon Narko

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