The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II (Denise Kiernan)

****

         In 1942, thousands of Americans were hired by the US government.  The job description: a project that will help to end the war.  All they knew was that they would be paid well and the government would provide for everything they needed.  What they didn't know was what they would be doing or where they'd be doing it.  Among these people were many young women who, for various reasons, packed their bags and hopped on a train.  The train took them to Oak Ridge, TN.  There, they took on jobs from secretary to machine operator, janitor to scientist.  They worked in late-night shifts and slept in houses that had been slapped together just before their arrival.  Though the government hadn't planned for it to happen, the women made their mysterious gated city home.  

         This was such an interesting book.  I've always liked learning about all things WWII, and this was a great perspective on the war.  The author did a nice job of gathering a balanced account of life in Oak Ridge.  I liked how she switched between stories of the women who lived and worked in Oak Ridge and the scientific facts behind the work that they were doing.  The result was an interweaving of facts and personal details that made for a cohesive story.  Because Kiernan went into detail on the accounts of individual women, I felt like I got a good idea of the challenges they faced in all aspects of life in Oak Ridge.  I was really struck by the fact that Oak Ridge residents couldn't even tell their spouses what they did at work - it was that secretive.  The information on the development of the Gadget itself was written at a level that wasn't too overwhelming.  I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in the Manhattan Project.  

Rating: 4/5

Completed: April 10, 2013

The Happiness Project (Gretchen Rubin)

****

         Gretchen Rubin wasn't depressed when she started her Happiness Project; she just realized that she wasn't as happy as she wanted to be.  So she made a one-year plan to become happier, complete with resolution chart and monthly goals.  This book takes you through what she learned and decided over the course of her Happiness Project.

         I loved this book!  It was so interesting and informative.  There was a good blend of factual information and Gretchen's opinions based on her personal experiences.  It wasn't too dry, either.  I found her classification of clutter completely hilarious (probably because my house is pretty cluttered).  One of my favorite parts of The Happiness Project was that, unlike many other "self-help" books, Gretchen doesn't try to sell her system.  She doesn't claim that her way is the best or only way.  In fact, she emphasizes that everyone's happiness project will be different from hers.  I think many of the things she did could be applicable in my life, but I appreciate that she didn't try to force anything on me.  The Happiness Project makes me want to make positive, happiness-inducing changes in my life.  For a while, I even wanted to clean my closet like Gretchen did, which is really saying something.  You are very likely to find something in here that resonates with you.  Anyone who's interested in the concept of happiness will enjoy this book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: September 21, 2012

Self-help books can be really great (like this one), or really terrible.  Personally, I despised The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Robots . . . er, Teens because it came across as condescending and was full of no, duh kinds of advice.  What's your experience with this genre?  Helpful and inspiring or unrealistic and condescending?