Book Review: Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir

Losing Mum and Pup is Christopher Buckley's retrospective on the life and death of his famous parents, the iconic conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. and his socialite wife, Pat Buckley.

I found the book interesting because it is a poignant and well-written study in the changing of generations and because it provides a glimpse into the personal lives of an iconic American family.

While the book communicates a number of unflattering details about Buckley's parents, he avoids the self-pitying plea for the reader to agree that his parents did him wrong. His motive for writing seems to be (a) that he's a writer himself and processes life on paper and (b) his parents were intensely interesting people and his relationship with them, particularly his father, is the stuff of an interesting book. How many people, for example, had friendships with Ronald Reagan, David Niven, Barry Goldwater, George McGovern, Gordon Liddy, and, well, nearly everybody whose name appeared in headlines from 1970 to 2009.

Christopher Buckley is a political satirist and can't help but find the ironic moments in the tragic year in which both his parents died. For example, the phone call from the mortician saying, "Your dad is looking much better now." The writing is often humorous, thought not so hilarious as his novels.

Buckley does reveal a number of negative things about his parents and himself, including Mum's penchant for telling whoppers (she invented at least 8 different reasons for her leaving college after two years) and Pup's self-medication with Ritalin and sleeping pills, and Buckley's own dilemma about whether to assist his father in suicide (he didn't and he didn't).

This book is a poignant read for baby boomers--and perhaps others--who are dealing with passing of their parents' generation. It's humorous, revealing, poignant, and very well written. Fans of either Buckley will enjoy it.
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Book Review: The Power of Respect

The Power of Respect
Benefit from the Most Forgotten Element of Success
By Deborah Norville
Hardcover; 205 pp.; $19.99
★★★☆☆

This book is somewhat interesting but by no means compelling. The central point--that our lives would be better if we showed greater respect to others--is worth hearing again, though it may have made a better magazine article than hardcover book.

Deboarah Norville, best known as a television personality, currently the host of Inside Edition, has collected an array of anecdotes and statistics that support her thesis. She applies the theme to six arenas:

• Home
• Relationships
• School
• Work
• Leadership
• Self

One strength of the book is the practical tips offered for cultivating respect in these areas of life; for example: Define rules for your children; Brag about your partner in front of others; and Give employees a voice in the workplace.

The weakness of the book is that there seems to be nothing new or uniquely insightful. The thesis itself is the book.

Also, the font size is particularly small making it a bit difficult to read.

I hope Norville's message succeeds, yet I rate the book itself is a so-so read. Buy it if you want a helpful reminder of our need for civility in relationships. If you're looking for a more in-depth study or a highly practical manual for relationships or leadership, take a pass.
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