Some recent reading & listening

I've read some really excellent books & articles lately related (at least in part) to ALI subjects... and kept thinking, "I should flag this in my blog."  There have been so many, I gave up on the idea of individual blog posts about each one -- but settled for the list below. ;)  I may be missing a few that I was thinking about, but these links should keep you busy for awhile...!  ;) 

• The National Post had an article about how governments & political parties in Canada (& no doubt elsewhere too) lavish attention & perqs on families with children but ignore the needs & concerns of the rapidly growing population of singles. (The headline in my Facebook feed read: "Attention, singles of Canada: You are being screwed!")  My one quibble about the article is that couples without children are completely ignored here. Yes, I realize the article is supposed to be about SINGLES, and I'll concede that couples' double income is a financial advantage vs single income earners -- but beyond that, there's an awful lot here that sounds familiar. At any rate, it makes some excellent points and is worth a read. (Looking at some of the stats at the end of the article, I was amused -- but not at all surprised -- to find I live in one Canada's top 10 ridings with the fewest singles.) 
• I know I'm on a quest to reduce the number of books in my library ;) but e-books don't take up physical space. ;)  So when childFULL blogger (her preferred term) Justine Froelker mentioned that her book (like her blog, called "Ever Upward") was available in e-book format for a limited time for just $1.99, I couldn't resist the opportunity. Thanks, Justine, I look forward to reading it soon!  (I have a Kobo vs a Kindle, but you can download a free Kindle app at Amazon that lets you read Kindle books on your PC, smartphone, etc.)  
• The U.K. seems to be miles ahead of North America when it comes to media discussions about ALI issues, including childlessness -- and some very good, thoughtful coverage, to boot.  The BBC recently had not just one, not just two, but THREE radio programs devoted to the topic of what happens when IVF doesn't work and how do you make the decision to stop. Blogger & therapist Lesley Pyne was interviewed on two of the three shows -- and on one of them, she's joined by her husband, Roger, who provides that elusive male perspective.  Links to the webcasts of all three shows, as well as some other interesting links and thoughtful commentary, can be found in this post from Pamela at Silent Sorority.  Lesley has also written about the experience on her blog, here.  
• I just found this & haven't had time to watch yet -- but Jody Day of Gateway Women recently interviewed Christine Erickson, author of "The Mother Within," an e-book which I reviewed here.
• It seems that governments are (finally!) starting to clue in to the fact that they have rapidly aging populations to deal with -- including a sizeable and growing number of people without children to assist them.  Gateway Women's Jody Day is a founding member of an advocacy group called Aging Without Children, which is working to raise awareness in the United Kingdom. And CNN recently ran an article on its website about the rising population of "elder orphans" in the United States. (Thanks to Msfitzita for bringing this one to my attention!)
• The lack of empathy others have for those of us with infertility & loss issues is a common complaint among those of us in the ALI community. So I was intrigued by this opinion piece in the New York Times, "Imagining the Lives of Others," which asks whether it's really possible (or even desirable) to put ourselves in someone else's shoes and see things through their eyes.  There are some interesting thoughts in the comments section.  What do you think?