Cross posted at Into My Own

Stephane Audeguy's debut novel, The Theory of Clouds, is as full of atmospheric imagery as you might expect from the title, but the central images of the novel are disturbing ones that haunt the reader long after the book has been put back on the shelves. 

The first of these two disturbing images appears in the jungle of Borneo.  The meteorologist Richard Abercombie has undertaken to travel the world photographing clouds following the excitement of the 1889 exposition in Paris in which he presented on clouds and classification systems.  The wealthy Abercrombie then sails to all latitudes, from Cairo to the Cape of Good Hope, but upon landing in Borneo he seems to have lost his heart for the project.  In Borneo he agrees to an expedition with some adventurers he's met in the British consulate.  The men canoe into the jungle up the Sapu Gaya River.  Abercrombie becomes tired, and is left to rest in a clearing, but wakes to find himself covered in leeches.  (Cont'd after the jump)

Mitt Romney is talking about the economy.  He is talking to auto workers about how to bring their jobs back to the state.

John McCain is in Michigan today.  He's there talking about Iraq and about immigration.  He's talking about his experience.

Mike Huckabee is in Michigan, talking to his base, working the churches, getting his name out there, talking about taxes and education.

Do you know what's NOT happening in Michigan?

Note From Cliff: This Sunday we begin a new series. Call it Brave New Books (I like the sound of that), or Reviews By Ohdave if you'd like. Either way, although we love video here, reading and stuff is still, well, a good thing. So learn from the wisdom of the mighty Ohdave, whenever he finds time in his busy Sunday schedule to provide us with a review... 

Recently GottaLaff pointed us to the growing antipathy and fear of John Edwards by the corporate wing of American politics.  In their opposition to Edwards, they paint him as "litigious", nothing more than an ambulance chaser out to enrich himself with frivolous lawsuits.

But last summer, when I was becoming interested in Edwards' candidacy, I picked up his biography Four Trials, which describes not only Edwards' life and career, but discusses a few of the famous cases that Edwards tried, and shows how relentlessly Edwards fought for his clients against the corporate power structure that bore responsiblity for his clients' hardships.   The greatest trial of Edwards' life also came at the darkest time in his life, following the tragic death of his son Wade, who was taken from John and Elizabeth at only 16 years old.  The book is moving and powerful no matter whom you support in this election, and it shows why so-called "tort reform" is really just a trojan horse to protect corporations from meeting their responsibilities to injured clients. 

 After the jump, I discuss tort reform as it has been implemented in Ohio, then I review Edwards' book.  Enjoy.  I think you'll come away with a greater appreciation of Edwards' life, work, and candidacy.  He may not win his party's nomination, but he certainly deserves his party's respect and admiration.