As soldiers really live it

Tell us the title:

War

Who penned this work?:

Sebastian Junger
How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

This book was given to me for free at a library convention as an advance reading copy.  Which I did not read until long after the book was officially published.
Number of pages:

268
Time passed from start to finish?:

About 4 days
Describe the cover:

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Nonfiction, Current Events
Summary of the basic plot:

This story follows a single platoon in the most dangerous valley in Afghanistan during their 15-month deployment.
Background information on the story/author:

Sebastian Junger is a journalist who also wrote The Perfect Storm.
What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

This was nothing like what I expected.  I put off reading this again and again because I didn't think it would be interesting.  When I actually began reading, I was sucked in for days.  I became attached to all of the soldiers, and my mind strained to pretend this was fiction when people died.  It was a different experience than any I've had with nonfiction books.  After I finished, someone told me about the documentary about the same men (created by the author) -- called Restrepo.  I then watched that one afternoon.  It was very compelling, as I already knew the stories of the men, and I was putting faces to names, making it that much more in your face.  These are real men, not characters in a story. 
Which page was your favorite? Share why:

I don't know that I would call any of the pages "favorites," but I did find it very interesting when Junger discussed the biology of war.  He talks about what occurs in your body during war-time experiences such as firefights and attacks, and how those biological responses sometimes produce the opposite effect of what you need to be doing, bringing in the element of self-control.  He discusses what makes men good soldiers, how much of that is innate.  He also talks about how war is so much different now than it was historically, and how we have not evolved to survive automatic weapons (our reactions times cannot respond faster than bullets can fly). 
If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

This story can never effectively be a cinematic movie with people pretending to be these men. I recommend watching Restrepo.
Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

(Pretty self-explanatory, I feel):

"Civilians balk at recognizing that one of the most traumatic things about combat is having to give it up.  War is so obviously evil and wrong that the idea there could be anything good to it almost feels like a profanity.  And yet throughout history, men like Mac and Rice and O'Byrne have come home to find themselves desperately missing what should have been the worst experience of their lives.  To a combat vet, the civilian world can seem frivolous and dull, with very little at stake and all the wrong people in power.  These men come home and quickly find themselves getting berated by a rear-base major who's never seen combat or arguing with their girlfriend about some domestic issue they don't even understand.  When men say they miss combat, it's not that they actually miss getting shot at -- you'd have to be deranged -- it's that they miss being in a world where everything is important and nothing is taken for granted.  They miss being in a world where human relations are entirely governed by whether you can trust the other person with your life. 

It's such a pure, clean standard that men can completely remake themselves in war.  You could be anything back home -- shy, ugly, rich, poor, unpopular -- and it won't matter because it's of no consequence in a firefight, and therefore of no consequence, period."
Choose your rating:
Changed. My. Life.
I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
A definite page-turner
Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
Why did I waste my weekend on this?
A disgrace to paper everywhere
Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

"Toward the end of their tour they'd go through entire firefights in nothing but gym shorts and unlaced boots, cigarettes hanging out of their lips."

"A comedy of ill-mannered gods and bad-hearted mortals..."

Tell us the title:

Anansi Boys
 

Who penned this work?:

Neil Gaiman

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

Anything with Neil Gaiman's name on it will eventually find its way onto my reading list.  Pretty sure I've read all the adult-aimed novels now.  I was holding on to this one, saving it for a lull in my passion for reading, for I knew it would spark me back up!

Number of pages:

400, if I get to count the excerpt from another book at the end, which I have already read but of course read again. 

Time passed from start to finish?:

Since I had to go to work during the week....about a week.  AKA about a day and a half.

Describe the cover:

Three men's shadows appear against a red-orange sky, with spider web cast about the background.  One man appears to have a lovely umbrella.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

For reasons I may never actually understand, science fiction.  I guess since there's not a section called "best stuff ever".

Summary of the basic plot:

From the back: "Far Charlie Nancy's normal life ended the moment his father dropped dead on a Florida karaoke stage.  Charlie didn't know his dad was a god.  And he never knew he had a brother..."

Background information on the story/author:

Neil Gaiman is the best writer ever.  Done.

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I loved it, just like I love every story by Neil Gaiman.  If you're hoping to fall in love with his stories, I'm not sure I would start with this one, but if you're already convinced of his awesomeness, read on, my friend.  As always, a tale is weaved (woven?) when you're not even looking, and those pesky little life lessons pop out at the end in ridiculously non-obvious-yet-completely-apparent ways.

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

Apparently I didn't mark such a page, so I can't give a number...although that would be a bit of a spoiler for anyone who wanted to read ahead anyway.  My favorite page was when Fat Charlie finally realized the truth about his brother.  And that statement is exactly as cryptic as I wanted it to be.

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:
 For once not a funny one:
"Each person who ever was or is or will be has a song.  It isn't a song that anybody else wrote.  It has its own melody, it has its own words.  Very few people get to sing their own song.  Most of us fear that we cannot do it justice with our voices, or that our words are too foolish or too honest, or too odd.  So people live their songs instead."


Choose your rating:

- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it 
- A definite page-turner
 - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
 - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
 - A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page:

"Only..."

Aspergers, patient mother, and murder. Dun dun dunnn

The title: 

House Rules

Who penned this work?:

Jodi Picoult

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

I'd heard she was a good author.  That's all there is to it.

Number of pages:

532

Time passed from start to finish?:

Two weeks, maybe?

Describe the cover:

A boy crouching near a lake, writing in the sand.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Fiction  

Summary of the basic plot:

Jacob is an 18 year old with Aspergers, he has a 15 year old brother, and his mother who works from home.  He's obsessed with forensic criminology, and likes to crash crime scenes to tell the police what happened to the victim.  It's all harmless until a victim is someone he's close to, and the crime scene makes every clue turn into making him into a suspect.  So most of the book is finding out what really happened to the victim.  Each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, which I thought was neat.

Background information on the story/author:

She is also a #1 bestselling author, who lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three kids.  Is that good enough?  

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I actually liked it.  I wanted to turn the pages to find out what happens next! I didn't know much about aspergers, so it was neat to learn about something. 

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

I need to remember to keep track of that kind of stuff when i'm reading. because i couldn't tell ya. 532 pages is a lot to go back and find out which was my favorite.

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

i bet leonardo dicaprio, back in the day when he was in gilbert grape, would have been good as jacob.  I don't know many 18 year old actors that could pull off that right now.  

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

Again, i forgot to take notes, but looking one up online, here's a good one:

"I don't know what he means by that, but I nod and smile at him. You'd be surprised at how far that response can get you in a conversation where you are completely confused."   It shows how Aspergers works in his mind.  The line before that was most likely a metaphor, and Aspie's take everything 100% literally.  

           Choose your rating:

          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

It's the child who's supposed to cry, and the mom who makes it all better, not the other way around, which is why mothers will move heaven and earth to hold it together in front of their own kids.

Politics, paranoia, and country music

~ Tell us the title: The Liar's Lullaby

~ Who penned this work?: Meg Gardiner

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: Library Convention

~ Number of pages: 388

~ Time passed from start to finish?: About 3 days

~ Describe the cover: Black background with orange and white text, a cut off image of a woman's face and the city in the background.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Fiction, Murder Mystery, Thriller

~ Summary of the basic plot: From the back: Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett is called upon to investigate a celebrity's shocking death in hopes of averting a national catastrophe.

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): It was another page-turning story by Ms. Gardiner.  The plot line in this book was a little less interesting than her first two books with Jo Beckett, but was still a good read.  There were less dramatic twists, which I was pleased about, and instead the twists were completely unexpected. 

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: In this book, President McFarland (President of the US) is from Montana.  About dang time!

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Dr. Beckett is the same as in previous reviews.  President McFarland is probably Bill Pullman, and for crazy Tasia I think of Heidi Montag.

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: "Her guardian angel shot her a salute and said, Good luck with that, honey.  You're on your own."  I just thought it was funny.

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: "Mark."

Slick

~ Tell us the title: THE MEMORY COLLECTOR

~ Who penned this work?: MEG GARDINER

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: LIBRARY CONVENTION

~ Number of pages: 354

~ Time passed from start to finish?: 2 OR 3 DAYS

~ Describe the cover: BRIGHT PRIMARY YELLOW WITH BLACK CAPS TEXT AND A FAINT OUTLINE IMAGE OF THE CITY

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: THRILLER, MURDER MYSTERY, FICTION

~ Summary of the basic plot: JO BECKETT, THE CHARACTER ALSO FROM THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB, IS CALLED IN TO ASSIST WITH AN AIRLINE PASSENGER GONE CRAZY. HE APPEARS TO BE SUFFERING FROM SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS, BUT THE REASONS TURN OUT TO BE QUITE SINISTER.

~ Background information on the story/author: THIS IS THE SECOND IN A 'SERIES' IF YOU WILL FEATURING THE CHARACTER JO BECKETT. EACH BOOK INVOLVES A DIFFERENT STORY LINE, BUT A CONSISTENT SMALL CAST OF CHARACTERS.

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): IT WAS GOOD, A VERY INTERESTING PLOT LINE. THE CHARACTERS WEREN'T QUITE AS ENGAGING AS IN HER LAST BOOK, AND ALTHOUGH YOU NEED NOT HAVE READ THE FIRST, IT CERTAINLY HELPED TO KNOW WHO THE MAIN CHARACTERS WERE GOING INTO IT. AGAIN, THERE WERE A LOT OF TWISTS IN THE STORY LINE, A LITTLE TOO MANY FOR MY TASTE, BUT THEY DEFINITELY WEREN'T PREDICTABLE.

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? SEE POST ON 'THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB'

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: I DIDN'T NOTE ANY QUOTES AS I READ. THE STORY ISN'T REALLY A STOP-AND-THINK STORY QUITE AS MUCH AS IT IS A CAN'T-PUT-IT-DOWN SORT OF TALE. I READ IT VERY FAST AND IT WENT BY SMOOTHLY WHICH SAYS GOOD THINGS ABOUT HER WRITING STYLE (SINCE THAT'S THE AIM FOR THIS TYPE OF BOOK, NO?).

~ Choose your rating:

- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A DEFINITE PAGE-TURNER
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: "BUT IF THIS CHECKPOINT HAD BEEN A PERSON, IT WOULD HAVE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER."

Welcome to the Dirty Secrets Club

~ Tell us the title:
The Dirty Secrets Club

~ Who penned this work?:
Meg Gardiner

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:
Library Convention

~ Number of pages:
394

~ Time passed from start to finish?:
2 days

~ Describe the cover:
Shiny deep red with bold black letters

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:
Fiction, thriller, murder mystery

~ Summary of the basic plot:
Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett is hired by the SFPD to help solve a string of mysterious deaths.

~ Background information on the story/author:
This is the first in a series of novels involving Jo Beckett.

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):
It was a nice quick read, definitely unique in the world of 'thriller' stories. The main characters were fleshed out pretty well, and all really likable. There were a LOT of twists, especially at the end, and to be honest it felt like one too many. A few is a pleasant surprise, but by the end of the story I kept saying 'seriously??? Another one?' It was also nice to read a story with current references (Ms. Gardiner is younger than the typical thriller writer), but they also went a little too far and it felt like she was emphasizing them just a touch too much. All in all an enjoyable read, though.

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?
Jo Beckett would be played by Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen. Yes, she's a dutch soap opera star, and I just googled brown curly hair actress and she popped up, but she actually looks exactly like I imagine that the character does.

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:
The author really likes to use ridiculous analogies, which I kind of enjoyed. For example "He was so clean and so sober that you could scrub him against a brick wall and scrape off graffiti."

~ Choose your rating:

- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page.
"Bodies, clothing, jewelry, lives -- all went horribly awry in the milliseconds of impact."

Impacting Everywhere Soon

~ Tell us the title: Blonde Bombshell (A comedy of intergalactic proportions)
~ Who penned this work?: Tom Holt
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: It came from the lovely library convention
~ Number of pages: 378
~ Time passed from start to finish?: About a week?
~ Describe the cover: A pretty bright blue with bold black and white writing. Plus a giant bomb heading towards Earth.
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Fiction, comedy, science fiction
~ Summary of the basic plot: A bomb equipped with artificial intelligence is on a mission from the planet Ostar (inhabited by dogs) to destroy planet Earth. Apparently the musical emissions the Earth sends into space are driving the dogs insane.
~ Background information on the story/author: Tom Holt is from London, England. His biography in the back of the book says that "At Oxford he studied bar billiards, ancient Greek agriculture and the care and feeding of small, temperamental Japanese motorcycle engines...", among other silly things.
~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): I thought it was rather hilarious. The plot line was innovative and fun, and the dialogue was witty and engaging. Books that are considered 'comedy' rarely make me laugh more than a few times, but I was amused throughout pretty much the entire story.
~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: Page 25-26. One of the main characters takes a walk in the woods and sees a unicorn. The ensuing internal dialogue is hilarious.
~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Cameron Diaz would definitely be Lucy Pavlov. And Aaron Eckhart would be a smashing Mark Twain. Beyond that I'm not sure.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: There are several quotes that I read twice. I enjoyed the sheer randomness and humor of them.

"Not every day you hallucinate members of the medieval bestiary. But it wasn't a hallucination. Figments of the imagination don't shit in the woods. And if they do, their shit doesn't smell so confoundedly realistic. therefore, it was a unicorn."

"There's a lot of things it could be, she said. Amnesia, incipient dementia, mercury poisoning, exposure to high levels of epsilon radiation. Or it could just mean you've been married for longer than eighteen months."

""Sometimes, she said, we choose to blot out whole chunks of our past, simply because they bother us, and we decide we don't want to carry that stuff around with us any more. It's a choice, not a medical condition. For example, I can't recall a single detail of the first time I met my future brother-in-law. Judging by the fact that it was also the last time I met him, and every time my husband suggests we get together my brother-in-law says, 'Keep that crazy bitch the hell away from me,' I gather that we didn't get on."

"She spent the afternoon fixing a small problem with the PavSoft grammar-and-spelling elf -- the poor thing had reacted badly to the latest compatibility upgrades, with the result that it'd taken to wandering forlornly across spreadsheets, curling up in a corner and sobbing uncontrollably..."

(referring to Earth) "On a planet still mostly powered by flammable goo derived from the crushed corpses of long-dead krill..."

"She had a suspicion that she was falling in love. If true, that could prove to be a real nuisance, given that the man (to use the term loosely) constituted the biggest threat that humanity and the Earth had ever faced. It was a bit like getting romantically involved with the Black Death, or having a crush on George Bush."

~ Choose your rating:

- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. "And, since she'd had no part in putting the clever brains inside the pretty body, but was merely the beneficiary of the result, she saw nothing she could justifiably take credit for."

Truth is more fascinating than fiction

~ Tell us the title: Louder Than Words: A new teen memoir series (sampler)
~ Who penned this work?: Several girls. This sampler contains excerpts from the stories by Chelsey Shannon, Marni Bates, and Emily Smucker
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: Picked up from the library convention
~ Number of pages: 44
~ Time passed from start to finish?: About an hour
~ Describe the cover: Photos of the books by these three authors. Each book has a picture of the author on the front.
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Memoir/Biography or Teen
~ Summary of the basic plot: These are excerpts from three teen girls' stories of their unique lives. Chelsey's father was murdered. Marni has a disease where she compulsively pulls out her own hair. Emily learns she has West Nile.
~ Background information on the story/author: See above.
~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): These excerpts were incredibly well-written and conveyed emotional accuracy. I am very eager to read the full stories. These are three from a series that contains at least 4 other books I believe.
~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: That's difficult to say without getting to read the entirety of each story. Perhaps the first page of the sampler, because it caught my attention enough to take it.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: (from Marni's story): "Eyelashes have a completely different feel to them." She is talking about her disease (where she compulsively pulls out her own hair, eyelashes, eyebrows..) in great detail. I found such a fascination in this honest discussion. When I was in highschool, I knew a girl who had this disease. It was never talked about, however, which I always found frustrating because I wanted to understand it, to know what it felt like to her, and why she did it.
~ Choose your rating:
- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner (and I want you to read it)
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere
~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. "It was sort of like deforestation."

The Secret History of The World

~ Tell us the title:
Aftershock & others -- 19 oddities
~ Who penned this work?:
F. Paul Wilson
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:
It was a Christmas gift from my mom. Wilson is one of our shared favorite authors.
~ Number of pages:
352
~ Time passed from start to finish?:
I would say 36 hours. I didn't have much to do after Christmas
~ Describe the cover:
Images of the city, lots of black, purple, and golden tones. Nice and shiny!
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:
Fiction, maybe sci-fi?
~ Summary of the basic plot:
That's hard to say. It's a collection of short stories, all with wildly different plot lines. The author provides info on how the stories came about, and what was happening with his career at the time. I really like when authors do that.
~ Background information on the story/author:
F. Paul Wilson is a doctor...turned writer. He doesn't make his education very well known, and there is nothing about it listed on the back flap. I find this fascinating. I had no idea until I read this particular book, and I've been reading his stories for years.
~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):
I loved it. I always love his work. It was very interesting to see a different side to his writing, since most of the books I've read by him all contain the same characters and continued plot line. I learned that he writes a lot like my favorite author, Neil Gaiman.
~ Which page was your favorite? Share why:
It seems more appropriate here to pick a favorite story, and that would be called Foet. It's a very thought-provoking twist on the fur and animal product industry and people's attitudes toward the living creatures they are wearing. Truly, you won't see this one coming.

~ Choose your rating:
- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere
~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page.
"You engineered me for human cells, yes, but not for just any human cells."

"The Book That Petrified The President"

~ Tell us the title: The Cobra Event
~ Who penned this work?: Richard Preston
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: I found it in a huge used bookstore in North Carolina back in October. I think it cost a dollar.
~ Number of pages: 432
~ Time passed from start to finish?: About four days
~ Describe the cover: I giant picture of a creepy looking eye. It makes sense if you read the story :)
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: In the fiction section or possibly a science section if there is one.
~ Summary of the basic plot: A crazy man has created a new biological weapon (A recombinant virus consisting of a butterfly virus, smallpox, and something causing Lesch-Nyhan-like symptoms, if that's interesting to you) and is planning to release it into New York City. Several government agencies discover the virus when he tests it on individuals, and it's a race against time to find the man and stop him before he launches his weapon.
~ Background information on the story/author: Richard Preston also wrote The Hot Zone (about Ebola) and Demon in the Freezer (about smallpox). These were nonfiction stories, but The Cobra Event is fiction. He is well known for writing exciting nonfiction about diseases. He has a PhD in English. I'm not sure what his qualifications are for writing about science, but he is quite accurate.
~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): It was interesting, and alarming. What he presented seemed quite realistic and plausible. He provided background info throughout about bioweapons, that actually is nonfiction in nature. It was an interesting format for the book. I can't decide if it helped or slowed the whole thing down, however. (On a side note, if you don't know what Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is, look it up. It's a horribly horribly sad genetic disease, that hardly anyone knows about. It's research needs more funding.)
~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: Yeah...this isn't really that type of book.
~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?: Alice Austen would be Natalie Portman. Ashton Kutcher (think serious Ashton, not Punk'd Ashton) is Will Hopkins. Tommy Lee Jones would play Frank Masaccio. Beyond that, I'm not sure. Maybe Bill Pullman would be Mark Littleberry.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: Again, this wasn't really that kind of book, but I can use a quoted quote from within. "...hope is an expensive commodity. It makes better sense to be prepared." I know a lot of people may want to disagree with such a notion, but from the standpoint of bioweapons, it makes an awful lot of sense.
~ Choose your rating:
- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere
~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: The other half of the monkeys lived, and remained healthy.