Ginger Strand

Strand (Killer on the Road: Violence and the American Interstate) beautifully illustrates the juxtaposition of the Vonnegut brothers, Bernard and Kurt in this compelling narrative of their lives and contributions in their respective fields. During WWII while Kurt was hunkered down beneath a slaughterhouse surviving the firebombing of Dresden (later a basis for his bestselling novel, Slaughterhouse Five), his brother Bernard, a scientist, was flying in the air testing out cloud seeding and show more producing rain. The brothers led vastly different lives, but shared the similar experience of both working for GE (General Electric), which back then was lovingly referred to as the "house of magic." While there, Bernard studied the sky and experimented with weather control and Kurt reveled in all the fantastic things he saw and heard, many of which become the basis for his later novels and short stories. What happens when science is no longer used for good, but for evil; are scientists compelled to be moral or just make progress for progress's sake, regardless of the consequences? Strand breaks down Bernard's science and Kurt's stories and it produces a fascinating look at two different, yet very similar, brothers. Compellingly narrated by Sean Runnette, this eye opening read is perfect for both fans of science and Kurt Vonnegut. A must read. show less

A really fascinating, engrossing book, not dry at all, with sections about the development of industry in Niagara Falls, urban development, encounters between Native Americans and explorers in the area, the Power Vista, nuclear weapons production, Love Canal, the Honeymoon Industry, and the extensive engineering projects that have completely remade the Falls. It was especially interesting for me because I grew up in Niagara County and it addresses the little stories people here always tell show more about the Bomb, Love Canal, engineers turning the Falls on and off, etc... I've been to the Falls a thousand times and I'm dying to go back and look at all the places Strands talks about. The chapter about the creation of the atomic bombs was a completely vital retelling of that history which highlights the casualties at home. show less

This dual biography of the great writer Kurt Vonnegut and his lesser known brother Bernard tells the story of two very different, but at the same time similar, brothers. While Kurt was a man of letters and Bernie was a man of chemicals, both worked for the corporate behemoth General Electric. Kurt despised the corporate world but did what he had to do to nurse his writing career along while supporting a growing family. Bernie was lost in the clouds, literally trying to prove the theory that show more water vapor could be created in clouds with the use of chemicals, specifically silver iodide. Both men grew weary of GE as the company became less paternalistic and more conservative and demanding of its scientists and other workers. The book gives the reader a clear idea of how difficult it was for Kurt to make it as a revered writer. He could have filled a file cabinet with his rejections. I’ve always admired Vonnegut, a fellow Hoosier, and this book helped understand and appreciate him better. He was a true national treasure. show less

Author Kurt Vonnegut was deeply influenced throughout his life choices and within the pages of his books by his older brother Bernard. This dual biography touches briefly on their upbringing and then explores the years that the two brothers spent working together (but separately) at GE. Bernard filled his days researching the weather and how to change it as Kurt plugged away in the PR department while gathering fodder for his short stories and novels. The daily influence of science in Kurt's show more life lead him into writing science fiction.

This book is fascinating and I learned a great deal. Strand is a more than competent writer and appears to have done reams of research. The book reads easily and fairly quickly, despite being rather dense with facts and scientific knowledge. In fact, while the book is technically a biography of sorts, it's more in line with titles like Hidden Figures or The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks in that there's a great deal of history and context being explored as well.

In keeping with the book's focus, each title is named after some type of weather pattern. The book more or less ends with the conclusion of the Vonnegut brothers' time at GE, although Strand does provide some quick details about the ends of their respective lives. I highly recommend this book for Vonnegut fans to get a better understanding of his works. However, I also recommend for readers who enjoy history and/or science, regardless of their feelings about Vonnegut. show less