J Lau: 11 books

In the thirty-five years since the publication of The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter’s reimagined fairy tales have inspired an impressive body of criticism. Yet none has addressed the ways her fairy tales grapple with and seek to overcome the near impossibility of heterosexual love and desire under...

It started out as a what-ifif you had a chance to do something completely new and different, a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience, what would it be? Well, this experience certainly was new and different: hazardous weather, almost slavish work conditions, and tension verging on war throughout the...

* WINNER, "BEST" Award - 2011 San Francisco Fringe Festival * WINNER, Dorrit Sibley Fiction Prize (Stanford University) A coming-of-age story--part mystery, part adventure, part comedy, part horror. Eleven-year old Louise suspects her grandmother is trying to kill her....

In April 1968, we were a country at war with ourselves and increasingly with a small country halfway around the world: Vietnam. I don’t recall ever thinking about Vietnam when I started college in 1963. By 1968, it was all any of us could think about. The book begins with my being drafted into the...

At some point in our journey from cradle to grave, we all ponder the meaning of life. This seems to be—insofar as we can know such things— a uniquely human trait. Presumably, the other animals we share the planet with don’t feel they have a need to know. Hard to say who are the lucky ones. These...

I spent a couple of years writing a blog on climate change called Planet Restart, the idea being we needed to push the "restart" button to begin a new way of thinking about how we should be living on the planet. I did it for my children and grandchildren because I knew in my bones that the...

Looking for a great read on a crisp autumn afternoon or on a long winter's night snuggled up in front of a cozy fire? This could be it. The Magpie's Secret is a thriller with a heart, the perfect combination for whiling away a few hours. They say it is better to have loved and lost than to...

Requiem for Ahab is a 30,000 word novella set in 1863, using Herman Melville's Moby-Dick as a springboard for a tale about fathers and sons, war and its warriors, suffering and reconciliation. Anyone who has read Moby-Dick knows that Captain Ahab and his crew die hunting the white whale, Moby...

The pursuit of health and wellness has become a fundamental and familiar part of everyday life in America. We are surrounded by an enticing world of products, practices, and promotions assuring health and happiness—cereal boxes claim that their contents can reduce the risk of heart disease, bars...

Bill 6, the government of Alberta’s contentious farm workers’ safety legislation, sparked public debate as no other legislation has done in recent years. The Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act provides a right to work safely and a compensation system for those killed or injured...

A valuable guide on creativity and critical thinking to improve reasoning and decision-making skills Critical thinking skills are essential in virtually any field of study or practice where individuals need to communicate ideas, make decisions, and analyze and solve problems. An Introduction...