Bob's Book Reviews: Nick Valvano's faves

RALEIGH, N.C. — Author and book reviewer Bob Cairns caught up with The V Foundation for Cancer Research president Nick Valvano to find out his favorite older books. Here's what Valvano had to say:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is beloved by millions of readers worldwide and critics credit its appeal to the depiction of childhood innocence, its scathing moral condemnation of racial prejudice and its affirmation that human goodness can withstand the assault of evil.

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. One of the most celebrated books of all time. A very funny book about  Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy – it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: A man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.”