Books: Leisure reading

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Oct 15, 2004

'How to Say It to Seniors'

By David Solie

Prentice Hall, $15.95.

Dr. David Solie, an expert in geriatric psychology, is interested in "closing the communication gap with our elders."

Solie underlines the need to listen to an older adult and respond accordingly. He adds that every older adult feels "the need to control" and "the need to be remembered."

He also emphasizes a new idea -- that people getting older are not "declining" -- rather they are making "a transition" in their lives. Part of that transition may be the need to "revisit moments in their lives that provided exceptional value" to them and to establish how they wish to be remembered. "The brain's physiology changes in ways that promote the person's need for reflection, insight and innovation."

That means, Solie writes, that people between the ages of 70 and 90 often contribute some of the most important innovations to society -- i.e., the composing of "Otello" by Verdi, the founding of the Christian Science Monitor by Mary Baker Eddy and the design and construction of New York City's Guggenheim Museum by Frank Lloyd Wright. -- Dennis Lythgoe

'America's Game'

By Michael MacCambridge

Random House, $27.95.

Subtitled "The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation," Michael MacCambridge, a journalist and specialist in popular culture, has written about the evolution of the sport.

Beginning with the World War II years, MacCambridge notes how the game has become better managed and expertly marketed, turning it into an "entertainment colossus" ideally suited to television.

He concentrates on six key franchises -- the Rams, Browns, Colts, Cowboys, Chiefs and Raiders -- and how their successes reflect the growth the game of football. He also profiles some of the most interesting "characters" of the game, such as Pete Rozelle, George "Papa Bear" Halas, Bert Bell, and Lamar Hunt.

He explains the competitiveness, the scandals and the disputes that have highlighted the past 25 years of pro football -- from the locker room to the boardroom. -- Dennis Lythgoe

'Inventing Beauty'

By Teresa Riordan

Broadway, $17.95.

Teresa Riordan, a specialist in writing about invention and patents, has written a quirky book about so-called beauty innovations, including the story behind the bra, the origin of silicone injections, the world of wrinkle cream, nail polish, the mascara wand, eyelash curlers, kiss-proof lipstick, surgical facelifts, nylon stockings and a lot of other things.

Using history, science and business, the author tells of the ways in which women have purposely attracted the attentions of men -- and she effectively uses drawings and old pictures to tell the stories of corsets, shaving legs and "having the hair done."

Most interesting is all the methods, machines and strange practices used in the pursuit of beauty. -- Dennis Lythgoe