BOOK REVIEW: The Train Was On Time

Today, I finished reading a relatively unknown classic of German literature: The Train Was On Time by Heinrich Boell.

The Train Was On Time is set during World World II and explores the perspective of a German soldier, Andreas, riding on a train to be delivered to the battlefield who feels an absolute certainty about his impending death. Along the way, he befriends two other soldiers and a Polish girl from a brothel, as well as heavily contemplating whether his fate is avoidable or inevitable. He also struggles with coping with opportunities lost, what it means to win a war, and what experiencing feelings of love for another person means in one's life.

The book has no chapters and is told in a stream of consciousness narrative style from Andreas' perspective. This gives Andreas a unique voice as a character and really helps one empathize with his plight and growing sense of dread. The lack of a pause for a chapter transition wasn't found to be too burdensome or weary as the book is very short: rounding out at about 120 pages.

I would recommend The Train Was On Time to anyone interested in German history, culture, or literature; World War II history; or anyone just interested in hearing an empathetic war story. Hearing Andreas' calmly panicking thoughts and remarks on the world around him keeps the reader riveted and curious about his ultimate fate and that of his friends. I found the ending to be quite a surprise as well. It is an inexpensive and short venture, yet it is a novella that will keep you thinking long after you've finished it.

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BOOK REVIEW: Salt, Sugar, Fat

I finished Michael Moss' Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us today.  This is a nonfiction journalistic piece describing the American processed food industry.  It dabbles into the history of the processed food industry from the, rather recent, founding of the industry all the way through to the conglomeration of these small companies into mega-corporations, and on to the increase in market demand and competition between these corporations concurrent with the rise of the Digital Age.
Moss' fundamental thesis is that the processed food industry is founded on producing quick yet nutritionally deficient food.  Relying on this food will kill us, but trying to change the formula of ready-made food renders it fundamentally inedible.  Therefore, our only hope as consumers is to avoid processed food as much as possible and to cook food from scratch whenever possible.
I feel this is a very important message that all people should know about the food in their local grocery store, and Moss delivers it in a clear, easy to comprehend manner.  My only qualms are that he at times would be better suited being a bit more concise; and by dividing the book into the three categories of Sugar, Fat, and Salt, he sometimes is a little repetitive  This doesn't stop me from highly recommending this book to anyone concerned about nutrition.
You can support me by purchasing Salt Sugar Fat from amazon:

Introduction

Hello all!  I'm Mackenzie.  I'm currently 25, and although I've worked pretty hard at starting some sort of career since I was in single-digits, it's not quite worked out yet...  Aww well!  It used to get me down, but I have some great friends and family in life to motivate me to keep striving for such things.

However, in pursuing these potentially-lucrative goals, my old hobbies and habits kind of fell by the wayside, but I hope to rekindle them a bit by using this blog.  Please wish me luck, and I hope you find some of my thoughts insightful!