"Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife" by Mary Roach

Actually I had something completely different in my mind as my next reading subject (one more addition to my "classic of the month" ) but you know, dear reader, sometimes these self-given tasks are simply not so appealing as something that sweetly and naturally comes our way - as I am forever prone to casual library browsing, this little book seemed unassuming and entertaining and it actually turned out really easy read (far easier than what I forced upon myself out of childish guilt). Classic of the month will just have to wait the right moment, while this book took me exactly two days to finish.

Mary Roach is something like female Bill Bryson - with difference that where Bryson is actually scientist, Roach is a curious (and very witty) journalist brave or crazy enough to explore odd subjects and poke her nose amongst serious scientists, asking questions and keeping a healthy dose of doubt about everything that can't be proved. In this book she tackles the subject of afterlife and in charmingly idiosyncratic, self-deprecatory way writes about something as serious as death. Come to think of it, why can't we talk about death with humour? After all, it is part of life and sad as it is, if death itself is nothing to laugh about, the way we react and perceive it can be ridiculously bizarre and irrational. From villages of India (where she witness accepted stories about reincarnation) to medical labs around USA and serious archives full of ancient news articles, Roach digs trough stories about ghosts, afterlife, white noise and such - she even discusses possibility of near death experiences, just to admit that there is nothing in medical science to actually prove these theories. The bittersweet conclusion is - we still don't know for sure is there an afterlife, is there anything at all after death and does our spirit our unconscious mind floats elsewhere or does the computer just switch off and that's it. One thing that Roach is right about it on the subject of ghosts and why would anybody stay the eternity fixed to one place, scaring living people when astral body would give them possibility to float anywhere else. Myself, I am surely sceptical about the whole issue and even if there is such a thing as other side, I understand its another dimension (kind of underwater of the lake) and two different realities unfortunately don't have contact. We might feel deep and profound sadness when our friends and relatives depart this earth, but aftermath is all about ourselves and how we cope with it - just like mythical Orpheus who could feel but not see his beloved Eurydice, I once had a clear and strong feeling that my late mother (who at that time had just recently passed away) was standing near me while I was grieving alone in my room and memory of that particular moment is still very vivid, decades later - though rationally I am aware that two worlds don't collide and it might just have been my own imagination that comforted me at the time.

"24 sata" by Vanna (2000)

Third solo album by ex-Electro Team singer who determinedly worked on her own career, finds Vanna continuing collaboration with composer/producer Ante Pecotić - the fact that same composer serves many other pop stars in Croatia might seems like a hindrance because there is a sense of certain similarity of sound between them, but this girl is such excellent vocalist that she easily outshines any competition. This time around, Pecotić surrounds her with irresistible disco that is simultaneously modern and retro, impeccably produced and performed - not every song is disco, but dance numbers are strongest, though it must be noted that rousing, gospel-style ballads (often backed with rock guitars) are perhaps equally rewarding with repeated listening. 

It is really interesting to compare this with singer's previous work - she started with celebratory, party music and it is still part of her appeal (outstanding songs here basically dance numbers "Ti Se Varaš", "24 sata" and "Zašto Baš Ja") but give her chance and Vanna confidently handles any ballad thrown at her, the perfect examples are haunting "Kao rijeka" and best of all, song that was recorded live some time previously and was carefully chosen to close this album, cover of "Tempera" by Gibonni - I always found this pretty song kind of distant relative of "More Than Words" by Extreme and its true there is some undefinable link between them, however Vanna gives it such a luxurious, soulful treatment that song that was basically just a few years old suddenly appears destined to become a classic and this is the best compliment to its composer - how rewarding, gratifying and thrilling it must be to realize that your song is going to live on in future - that Vanna actually found something original to add to already celebrated original is a sign of a great artist.

"The God gene" by Dean Hamer

Dean Hamer is a scientist with impeccable pedigree (geneticist, researcher) who has some really interesting theories about genes and their role in human sexual orientation. In this book he suggest that our DNA might be responsible for our predisposition to feel religious experience, or to be precise for tendency to feel spiritual connection with the world around us - although the title comes as somewhat bombastic, Hamer makes very clear distinction between spiritual and religion. Careful in his choice of words, author explains that spiritual is what we all have in common (connected to consciousness and sensitivity) while religion is taught as part of cultural heritage.

Hamer does not discuss God (s) or religion per se - he is a scientist and his focus is possibility that somewhere in our genes we might have been "constructed" to be religious one way or the other, in order to go trough life with hope, sense of purpose and courage. He explains that certain people were born with predisposition to be highly sensitive (attuned?) and spiritual, while others (often first cousins) are simply not - same family might produce one brother who is interested in meditation, mysticism and spiritual, another brother who is completely down- to-earth and successful in his material world. One of the many interesting things in this book is the explanation of transpersonal identification which is when you feel connected to universe, world and nature around you - this is something I believe we all sense from time to time, the sudden calm and serenity mostly achieved when we are alone somewhere in the nature - well, it is not accidental because Hamer suggest it is sign you might be one of the individuals "created" that way in your DNA and chances are you are spiritual person with higher sensitivity than your neighbor. Self-forgetfulness is another phenomenon usually connected to absent-minded professors, geniuses or creative artists who live in their own world - again, the sign of higher sensitivity that author explains was result of DNA. It happens when we are so completely focused and utterly absorbed that our concentration is complete. 

When it comes to difference between religion and spirituality, Hamer explains that religion is part of upbringing while spirituality (if we possess it) comes naturally - you might be born in certain society with religion typical for that geographical location but your inner feelings might gravitate towards completely different choice of faith. Somewhere along the line book gets bogged down with statistics and experiments but the main idea is fascinating, though with all this I must admit that it is still unproven theory and I am not 100% convinced. This kind of subject is right up my alley as I was always curious about religion, spirituality and reasons why we behave the way we do - typically, I would swing between books about historical background of religion and scientistic research of minuscule DNA, like this one in order to make up my mind but no matter what explanations are, I am aware of profound energy around certain churches, temples and various places of worship in the world. This is interesting read but than again, so its everything about alien abductions, ancient astronauts and possibility of our-of-space genetical engineering. When it comes down to it, I simply might be child of my time, raised on Erich Von Däniken, Graham Hancock and Richard Dawkins. I seriously don't think that I would ever embrace organized religion, though I accept individual spirituality and connection with the nature or even with our planet as living organism. Perhaps our so called Pagan ancestors were simply more connected to the nature than subsequent generations who got caught in too many rituals and strict rules. 

"Tužna je noć" by Doris Dragović (1987)

Croatian singer Doris Dragović may have started in soft-rock band with impeccable pedigree ("More") but mainstream success directed change of approach, masterminded by capable composer Zrinko Tutić (himself a singer/songwriter in previous incarnation) who saw charming young girl as a perfect addition to his already impressive list of collaborators - the song he previously wrote for her (Željo Moja" for Eurovision Song Contest 1986.) turned out massive hit so they continued with exactly same team (Tutić music, Marina Tucaković lyrics, Mato Došen producer, same backing band) producing not one, but two best-selling albums in the same year, cementing singer's popularity and at the time she was riding the waves of success indeed.

It is distinctly different music than the one she used to sing previously with the band: where earlier she was member of the group and as such had to work inside of the frame in order to play her part, the focus is now only and solely on her, with all the musicians and cellophane carefully placed around the main star. Luckily for her, Dragović is enthusiastic singer who don't need any extra studio wizardry and place in spotlight apparently don't intimidate her at all - she joyously dives into everything that composer serves, be it Greek melody of title song, tropical singalong "Daleko, daleko" or 1950s retro-ballad "Da te nema" sung as duet with pop veteran and king of arena concerts Mišo Kovač whose presence suggest that young singer was finally officially accepted in upper pantheon on biggest stars. Clearly, this is producers album and everything was carefully calculated to appeal to widest possible audience - we might regret that Dragović left that soft-rock behind but this kind of music successfully brought her into homes nationwide and this was intention in the first place so critics be darned. Huge seller in its days, the album does not sound any different from other work by same team in the late 1987 (Jasna Zlokić, Neda Ukraden, Mišo Kovač and Marina Perazić all had hits by them), looking back it seems they ruled the radio waves with that patented multi-chorus refrains and drum machines. 

"Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe

In his collection of essays, published as "Why Read Classics?" Italian writer Italo Calvino explains that classics are works we re-visit and re-read again - not only they create our collective memories, they never exhaust possibilities of interpretations, although they sound familiar they might surprise with new discoveries and they have power to enchant the reader although they might have been created in completely different times. "Robinson Crusoe" neatly fits all these definitions: simultaneously ancient museum piece and exciting adventure novel, it has been translated and re-created into various media to the point that we feel as we know everything about it, but if you attempt to actually re-visit this old friend, you might be surprised how strongly it still hold the spell on the reader. It is a perfect and quite unforgettable piece of escapism literature, camouflaged as adventure novel but in fact Crusoe's journeys are inward as much as outward - superficially we might see the main character just as a young and hot-headed adventurer who falls from one danger into another, however since he is stranded alone on desert island for a lengthy period of time, its just natural that he reflects and meditates about the life, destiny, faith and providence that brought him there and saved his life. 

Majority of these probably went over my head when I first read the novel as a precocious little reader and back than I was too excited about adventure aspects of desert island survivor and his daily fights with elements - aspects which are still a thrill to read, mind you - Daniel Defoe had deservedly earned everlasting fame with painstaking description of every little detail his Crusoe had to go trough in order to survive, until it actually hypnotises reader into breathless excitement about mundane survivor techniques. After years of solitude and main focus on food, grain, goats and such, the discovery of another human footprint in the sand comes as the most thrilling moment in the novel - and this is just a start of completely new turn in the story already full of surprises. Reading it again, several decades and a whole lifetime of experience later, these adventures are still thrilling but they take a second place when compared to Crusoe's inner life and journey that his lonely spirit travels between desperation and hope. Separated from any kind of human contact, he is left absolutely alone to either busy himself with basic survival or (on occasion of rainy days and illness) meditate about destiny, God and chain of accidents that brought him here - naturally he gets in low spirits and succumbs to depression from time to time, though eventually the pride in "his kingdom" takes over and at certain point he actually feels affectionately towards the place that at the beginning seemed dangerous and unfriendly. When current of the Sea takes him almost away from security of the island, Crusoe actually feels horrified - on one hand, he wants to escape from this place, on the other, this is only security he knows so he desperately finds his way back. Once Friday comes along, the story picks up though I actually loved everything that led to this moment, years of solitude and hard work. As expected the language and writing style are extremely old fashioned and flowery, which in my opinion gives the whole work even better quality, since its clearly written centuries ago and we are constantly aware this kind of prose serves almost as time capsule - from my middle-aged perspective, this gives the whole novel completely different aspect and I honestly loved it because of the way it was written.