This is the story about Uranium, from its humble beginning when no one paid attention to it, to its glorious days even after the the two atomic bombs were dropped in Japan that ended the World War II.

The author spent a lot of time developing the story about how the atomic bomb was developed. It started from the theory about the tremendous force postulated when the uranium nuclei are punctured by neutrons, then the race to find sufficient Uranium and its purification, the start of the Manhattan Project, and finally the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan. This first part of the story was captivating.

The second part of the book is about the race to become nuclear superpower in the post-World War II era. I was shocked to hear that Eisenhower was giving away the atomic bomb secret (atoms for peace) to spread the know how in order to keep peace. It’s counter-intuitive but may be effective. But it also propel countries like Pakistan, India to trade their hard earned money for a namesake in the nuclear hall of fame.

The uranium rush was not much different from the gold rush. There were speculators, winners and losers. The politics and economics behind the uranium ore are both mind boggling and outrageous.

The book is long but interesting, at least the first part of it. The second part about the politics of Uranium is informative but less interesting. Overall, it is very educational. Never thought an element besides gold could play such a big role.

Picked up this book from Overdrive library. The introduction was so interesting that I picked this, thinking that I may learn something from the wisdom of an old woman.

Maya has lots of opinions about ring piercing, vulgarity, being truthful when people asked you “how are you?”, no sugar-coating of violence/rape, and etc.

Maya was very honest about her beliefs, her past mistakes (giving birth after a meaningless sexual encounter, encounter of a psychotic boyfriend, called Two-finger Mark, who almost killer her), her thought about suicide, her story about a party where she stepped on the tablecloth, mistaken as rug, and her perception of the prejudices against black and women. Each chapter is an essay of a certain topic.

My favorite quotes are:
On Chapter 1 “Memory,” “I am convinced that most people do not grow up…. I think what we do is mostly growing old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are still innocent and shy as magnolias… We fee safest when we go inside ourselves and find home, a place where we belong and maybe the only place we really do.” How true and beautifully put!

On Chapter 2 – “Philanthropy” After giving a smile to her own mother, she said, “I learned that I could be giver by simply bringing a smile to another person… I’m happy to describe myself as charitable.”

On Chapter 16 – “Eternal Silver Screen” “I came to understand that I can never forget where I came from. My soul should always look back and wonder at the mountains I had climbed and the rivers I had forged and the challenges which I still await down the road. I’m strengthened by that knowledge.”

On Chapter 25 – “Commencement Address” – “Of all your attributes, youth, beauty, wit, kindness, mercy, Courage is your greatest achievement, For you, without it, can practice no other virtue with consistency.”

Maya’s mother was a rich lady. In order to maintain her independence, she insisted on living within her means and not taking charity from her mother. This took a lot of courage, as she put it, “independence is a heady draft, and if you drink it in your youth it can have the same effect on the brain as young wine, … it is very addictive and with each drink the consumer wants more.”

In a way, Maya was lucky to have a loving family, a grandmother who brought her up in her childhood and taught her the basic value, a mother who provided for her and supported her even after giving birth to her son out of wedlock and thereafter, and of course a loving son, who never caused her to regret raising.

This is a wonderful, short book. Lots of wisdom is contained within.