Welcome to a new section of the SOAP (Sacramento/Oakland Acupuncture Projects) news: The Book of the Month! Each month we will post about a book recently read and enjoyed by one of the punks at SOAP. These are not merchandise plugs, SOAP will make absolutely no money by doing this. We encourage you to pursue any books you find interesting at your local library or keep an eye out at your local Little Free Library for the title, and only if need be, search it out at a local independent bookstore.
You may be wondering how this has anything to do with acupuncture, and the answer is… it doesn’t. We just like books! One of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the culture of SOAP is our shared love of reading, and sharing our loved reads with each other. We thought it would be fun to bring all of you into the loop. So here goes!
Review by Evelyn Williamson
“What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World” By Dorothy Lazard.
We are starting off the Book of the Month with a memoir written by local legend Dorothy Lazard. Never heard of her? Well you’re about to! Dorothy was a librarian at the Oakland public library for 21 years, running the Oakland History room for 12 of those years. Her knowledge and skills as a historian have earned her a fan club, spearheaded by journalists who have found her help invaluable to their research. But this book isn’t about her time as OPL. Instead Dorothy talks about her early life, starting in St.Louis in 1968, followed by a move to San Francisco, and finally to Oakland where she graduated from Castlemont High School. This book weaves together a rich interpersonal narrative, telling the stories of her family, their relationship to place, and their place in the world. It also tells the story of how reading took Dorothy outside of all those things, helping her to see the worlds beyond what she knew. It is beautifully written and easy to read, even when the story isn’t easy to hear. Check it out from your local library (naturally, they have it in stock.)
