Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 44

9 1 PAGE C4 ASBURY PARK PRESS SUNDAY, DEC. 27,1998 BOOKS Literary events Mils teaini mlm Ronald Reagan 's thoughts and writings are included in a new book by his son JAN. 4 KMri dDariuMss" kMk AtcassiM, 7 p.m.. Long Beach Island branch of the Ocean County Library, 217 S. Central Surf City.

To register, call (609) 494-2480. Mystery Discstssioa feme meeting to discuss "The Bone Collector," at 7:30 p.m., Barnes Noble, 3981 Route 9, Freehold Township, (732) 409-2929. JAN. "PUm Wand" book dtstinsioa, 10:15 a.m., at the Manchester branch of the Ocean County Library, 21 Colonial Drive. For information, call (732) 657-7600.

JAN. Book signing fey Maris Kaattr Start, author of "Bring Us the Old People." 7:30 p.m., Barnes Noble, Route 35, Holmdel, call (732)615-3933. JAN. 7 Write On! Writers Workshop, Thursdays from today through Jan. 28, Monmouth County Library headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan.

For information, call (732) 431-7222. History of Spring Lalu) discnssion by Patricia Colrick, author of "Images of America" volume on Spring Lake. 7 p.m., Wall branch of the Monmouth County Library. For information, call (732) 431-7222. "Images of America" book disanuons by Tova Navarra, author of "Howell, NJ," and Mar-gareet Lundrigran, author of "Staten Island, NY," at 7:30 p.m.

at Barnes 4 Noble, Route 35, Holmdel, (732) 615-3933. JAN. "The Glass Lake" book discussion, 1 0 to 1 1 a.m., the Beachwood branch of the Ocean County Library, 126 Beachwood Blvd. To register, call (732) 244-4573. "The Good Earth" book discussion.

1 p.m., at the Berkeley branch of the Ocean County Library, 30 Station Road. To register, call (732) 269-2144. Especially for children (in, Radio talk show host Michael Reagan, who has written a book about his father, former President Ronald Reagan, talks on the air at his radio station studio in Los Angeles. Pleasant branch of the Ocean County Library, 834 Beaver Dam Road. To register, caH (732) 892-4575.

TUESDAY "Beanstalk Beasts and Buffoons, by Tuckers' Tales, 2 p.m., ages 5 and up, at the Bame-gat branch of the Ocean County Library, 1 1 2 Burr St. To register, call (609) 698-3331. "Beanstalk Beasts and Buffoons, by Tuckers' Tales, 10:30 a.m., ages 5 and up, at the Little Egg Harbor branch of the Ocean County Library, 290 Mathistown Road. To register, call (609) 294-1 197. "Beanstalk Beasts and Buffoons, by Tuckers' Tales, 7 p.m., ages 5 and up.

the Manchester branch of the Ocean County Library, 21 Colonial Drive. For information, call (732) 657-7600. WEDNESDAY MotherDaughter Book Club discussion of "Emma," by Jean Austen, 2 p.m., Monmouth County Library, headquarters, (732) 431-7222. "That For Our Puppets," by Mock Turtle Marionettes, grades kindergarten and up, plus families at the Brick branch of the Ocean County Library, 301 Chambers Bridge Road. To register, call (732) 477-4513.

"Beanstalk Busts and Buffoons, by Tuckers' Tales, 7 p.m., ages 5 and up, the Berkeley branch of the Ocean County Library, 30 Station Road. To register, call (732) 269-2144. Tune Out For Puppets," by the Mock turtle Marionette Theater, 1 1 a.m., the Brick branch of the Ocean County Library, 301 Chambers Bridge Road. To register, call (732)477-4513. "Time Out For Puppets," by the Mock turtle Marionette Theater, 2:30 p.m., the Ocean County Library headquarters, 101 Washington Toms River.

To register, call (732) 349-6200, ext. 842. To submit items for this calendar, write to Dorothy Hinchcliff, features editor, Bookings, Asbury Park Press, 3601 Highway 66, Neptune, NJ 07754-1551, or fax (732) 922-5885. For more information, call (732) 922-6000, 4657. families creased? And mostly, what are your most memorable incidents living in a large family? Please tell us about your experiences of growing up in a family eight or more children for possible inclusion in the Remember When column.

Submit letters of words or less to Remember When-families, 3601 Highway 66, Box 1550, Neptune, NJ 07754-1551, or fax us at (732) 922-5885. ADVERTISEMENT Resolutions straight on and says, "Hey, you know why I hugged her?" I said, "No Dad, why did you hug her?" "Because she's a she." Your father hasn't been to his beloved Rancho del Cielo near Santa Barbara, for years, and it was recently sold to a conservative group. What do you remember about the ranch? Reagan: I have great memories of my dad at the ranch when I was a kid. Great memories of swimming, but probably one of the cutest memories is that my dad hates bees. He respects them and understands that they make honey and he loves the honey.

But he and Nancy were riding the horses one day at the ranch, not the one in Santa Barbara but the one in Malibu, and a bee flies around and lands right on Dad's forehead, right between his eyes. Nancy looks at him and says, "Now Ronnie, when a bee lands on you, you're not supposed to move. Just stand still. Sit still in the saddle and the bee will fly away." So Dad listened to her. The bee stung him anyway.

He just said, "Don't ever tell me to do that again." Just that look on his face, like, "I'm doing exactly what you want me to do and this bee stung me anyway." In what ways has Alzheimer's disease impacted the Reagan family? Reagan: When you have a national radio talk show, like I do, you have a tendency to have a lot of people call you with their cures. Somebody called me on my show one day and said, "As soon as you get off the air tonight you've got to do something. It will save your dad from this terrible, terrible disease." I said, "OK, what is it?" They said, "You've got to tell Nancy to quit cooking with aluminum pots and pans. You've got to call her on the phone and tell her to quit right now." I started to laugh, and the woman said she didn't think it was funny and she said, "Why are you laughing?" I said, "You know, I'm just trying to imagine Nancy cooking." So I called Nancy the next day and I told her that and she said, "You know, you're right!" Isn't it getting a little late in the game for Republicans to field a 2000 presidential candidate? Reagan: It's never too late in the game. That's what's great about Ronald Reagan, the eternal optimism of my father.

He was always optimistic and that's what the Republican Party has to be, optimistic about the things they want to do and get that message out to the American people what they want to do and be able to tell America what they've accomplished because they've had a lot of trouble trying to get out and tell America what they've accomplished. By JEFF WILSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ichael Reagan loves to talk about his famous father, and he doesn't mind chas tising Republican leaders for failing to seize the legacy of the nation's 40th chief executive and conservative icon. Besides 'ending the Cold War, Ronald Reagan's eight years in the White House restored America's economy, military and spirit, his son says. But the message has been lost since Reagan left office nearly a decade ago. "There was so much fighting within the party itself, trying to find out who was in charge, who was going to be the leader," Reagan said during an interview promoting his book, "The Common Sense of an Uncommon Man: The Wit, Wisdom and Eternal Optimism of Ronald Reagan," published by Thomas Nelson.

The collection of speeches and letters can be described as a tour of Reagan's heart and mind. "Republicans got off-base, off-center and in complete disarray," the younger Reagan said, comparing it to 1964 when Barry Goldwater lost the presidency. "The conservatives have a tendency to eat each other's lunch when they're looking for a leadership position, and Ronald Reagan is the one that ultimately came out of that fray and became the leader of the conservative movement," the syndicated radio talk-show host said. The former president has four children: Maureen, Michael, Patti and Ron Jr. Michael Reagan lives in suburban Sherman Oaks, with wife Colleen and their two children, Cameron and Ashley.

He was adopted by Reagan when his father was married to actress Jane Wyman. He wouldn't discuss the recent arrest of 20-year-old Cameron for auto burglary and theft, but he did say at one point during the interview that Reagan's illness "has been very tough on my son." Reagan's new 208-page book honoring his father is a collection of the elder Reagan's reflections and includes the Gipper's Nov. 5, 1994, let- ADVERTISEMENT Michael Johnson, a classroom teacher in Voorhees, is the elected head of 153,000 teaching staff, support staff, and retired members of the Sew Jersey Education Association. NJEAPresnjca.org TOMORROW "Beanstalk Beasts and Buffoons, by Tuckers' Tales, 7 p.m., ages 5 and up, at the Point Wanted: large emember large families? IpfT Today's average fam--11-IL ily unit is a fraction of the size of many families of a few decades ago, when eight, 10, 12 or more children with the same last name filled school registers, church pews and neighborhood playgrounds. Were you a member of a large family? What were the hazards and the benefits? Was sibling rivalry and the division of household chores, and toys, more or less complex as the numbers in ADVERTISEMENT New Year's Ext.

of of 300 P.O. The Associated Press Associated Press file photo Former President Ronald Reagan waves to a crowd as he boards a plane at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland in 1989. The plane took him back to California after he completed his terms in office. Reagan: I give Dad a hug all the time when I see him and Dad kind of, he's that generation, standoffish, you know, "This guy is hugging me. What's going on?" Ashley went up and put her arms around him and gave him a big hug and said, "I love you, grandpa." And dad looks at me books lining place.

"Millennium: A History Of The Last Years" by Felipe Fernan-dez-Armesto (Touchstone Books, $18) From the Japanese court of 1,000 years ago to the effects of plagues on Western Europe in the 1600s; from the fall of empires to the rise of Rambo, the author seems to cover all the world and a hundred centuries of history in a scholarly yet compellingly readable volume. It's got fewer pages than years in a millennium. "The Millennium Bug: How to Survive the Coming Chaos" by Michael S. Hyatt (Regenery Publishing, $24.95) Actually there are dozens and dozens of books out there telling us the world is going on the fritz because we've sold our souls to the microchip, and the best way to prepare for the glitch is to hunker down in a survivalist mode. Hyatt gives three different scenarios of the day when our computers forget what time it is.

None of them is very pretty. Get the bunker ready now, and avoid the rush. "End-Time Visions: The Road to Armageddon?" by Richard Abanes (Four Walls Eight Windows, $25.95) On the other hand, the end of the world is really no big deal, according to this authority on the religious fringe. The world is always going to end, according to some crackpot theologian's time table. Abanes tells us their stories and shows how they stay in business Publisher's Weekly enough to properly evaluate their effectiveness before demanding new and untested programs be initiated in our schools.

ter to the American people disclosing that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Michael Reagan recalled that day and the reaction of his then-1 1-year-old daughter. "Mom and Dad," Ashley said, "I'm going to love Grandpa even if he doesn't know who I am." The former president goes to his Century City office four days a week, takes walks on the beach and goes to polo matches at Will Rogers State Park, his son said, adding there are good days and bad ones. "My dad has not said my name in probably two years, but he knows me because I'm the guy who hugs him," Reagan said. In a recent interview, Reagan answered questiosn about his father: How is your father? Reagan: The good days with Dad are like when I have my kids with me because for whatever reason it is, gosh, it's the lights go on, the bells go off and what have you whenever I get my son or my daughter Ashley around him.

A good day isn't like you're in a long conversation. He speaks to you in very short sentences, and the worst thing you can do is get him off-step and go to another issue. I find with Dad that if he wants to talk about saving lives and being a lifeguard back in the 1930s, you better be on the banks of the river. Don't sit there and say, "But what do you think about Bill Clinton? That is not the direction you go." Is there a recent moment with your dad that stands out in your mind? Millennium By MICHAEL RILEY STAFF WRITER Let the rest of the world spend next year partying like it's finally 1999. You've got more gravitas when it comes to the fin de siecle.

You're going to spend the next year reading about millennia past, present and future. What follows is a list of new and recent books about time and centuries, how the future never quite meets the expectations of those who yesterday dreamed of tomorrow, and what to do when the big cal-endrical odometer rolls over to triple zeroes. You'd better get started, though. Because there is no time like the present. And tempus really does fugit.

"Millennium Mania: Fascinating Facts and Quotes for the Dawn of the 21st Century" by Stephen Fowler (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $5.95) A compact paperback of 368 pages, Fowler's book is filled with the quotes and schemes of those planning to paint the planet red at the end of next year. For instance: "One plan discussed for the Times Square celebration but rejected by festival organizers was to have a "space saucer" land in Times Square and fake an alien ab-. duction." It was probably rejected because in New York City, a space saucer would likely be stripped for parts before any actual abduction took by FICTION 1. A Man in Full. Tom Wolfe.

Farrar Straus Giroux, $27.50 2. Rainbow Six. Tom Clancy. Putnam, $27.95 3. Bag of Bones.

Stephen King. Scribner, $28 4. The Simple Truth. David Baldacci. Warner Books.

$25 5. When the Wind Blows. James Patterson. Little, Brown. $25 6.

The Vampire Armand. Anne Rice. Knopf, $26.95 7. Mirror Image. Danielle Steel.

Delacorte, $26.95 What we hope for 1999. Each year, many of us make New Year's Resolutions. While we may not always be able to stick to them, the process is a good one because it helps us review the pastear and look forward to a better future. In that spirit, I offer the following resolutions: That every child who attends a New Jersey public school receive the best education possible. That the media carefully evaluate test scores, reports, and studies of the effectiveness of our That every child come to school well fed, ready to learn, and eager to excel.

That every New Jersey public school be wired for Internet access and that every classroom have the shelves when the world keeps on turning after their doomsday scenarios fizzle. "Uncle John's Indispensable Guide to the Year 2000" (Bathroom Reader's Press, $5.95) The title may not be hyperbole. Brought to you by the same folks who put out the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader's Series (12 volumes so far), this book is chock-full of facts and failed predictions from seers at the turn of the last century (we're all still waiting for the arrival of "The Amazing Mechanical Valet," a robot butler). It also includes short essays on Nostradamus. A must-read for any millenniumphile.

"The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential People in History" by Michael H. Hart. (Citadel Press, $22.50) Hart is a senior staff scientist with the Systems and Applied Sciences Corp. in Maryland. He's come up with an idiosyncratic look at history's movers and shakers.

This is a book guaranteed to start discussion and provide insight. Just ask yourself or your friends, "Who is the most influential person who ever lived?" It's not an easy question to answer. Hart, of course, has no problem listing his top 100. His first three choices are fascinating and provocative: 1. Mohammed.

2. Sir Isaac Newton. 3. Jesus Christ. The Dilbert Future: Thriving on Business Stupidity in The 21st Century by Scott Adams (HarperBusiness, $12.95) Workers are still oppressed.

Bosses are still idiots. The more things change public schools before publishing conclusions. That community, business, and political leaders support the efforts of our public schools and work in a positive manner with the education community. That our students enjoy the support and encouragement of their family members in their pursuit of education. That local boards of education will recognize and respect the contributions their employees can make to the educational program in our local schools.

Clearly, neither I nor NJEA by itself can accomplish all these noble resolutions. They can be accomplished only if the citizens and the corporate, media, education, and community organizations of New Jersey join in the sincere resolve to make them reality. As we end 1998 and move closer to the new millennium, I wish every member of the New Jersey community a healthy and happy New Year. access to the incredible educational benefits of the information super highway. That every child enjoy the benefits of reading with an adult each and every day.

That every child come to school well fed, ready to learn, and eager to excel. That every NJEA member work in a school that provides all the resources needed to meet the needs of the students for whom we work. That every parent attend back-to-school night and parent conferences. That every parent feel comfortable enough to visit with a teacher when there is a question or concern about his or her child's education. That the N.J.

Department of Education allow current programs to progress long 4. The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom. Suze Orman. Crown, $23 5. Blind Man's Bluff.

Christopher Drew and Sherry Sontaa. Public Affairs, $25 6. For the Love of the Game. Michael Jordan. Crown, $50 7.

The Professor and the Madman. Simon Winchester. HarperCollins $22 I. Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules. Cheri Carter-Scott.

Broadway Books, $25 9. Conversations With God (Book 3). Neale Donald Walsch. Putnam, $22 95 10. Something More.

Sarah Ban Breathnach. Little, Brown, $20 8. The Poisonwood Bible. Barbara Kingsolver. HarperCollins, $27.50 9.

All Through the Night Mary Higgins Clark. Simon Schuster, $17 10. Memoirs of a Geisha. Arthur Golden. Knopf, $25 NON-FICTION 1.

The Greatest Generation. Tom Brokaw. Random House, $24.95 2. The Century. Todd Brewster and Peter Jennings.

Dou-bleday, $60 3. Tuesdays with Morrie. Mitch Albom. Doubleday, $19 95 I.