A clever concept -- using 10 species to illustrate how humans and birds have interacted throughout history. These species help illuminate stories of cA clever concept -- using 10 species to illustrate how humans and birds have interacted throughout history. These species help illuminate stories of conservation, mythology, extinction, exploitation, vanity, evolution, nationalism, and more. In the background of all this history is how we and various bird species have fared in these interaction. One guess as to which species always seem to come out on top.
The titles promises to show how these species changed the world, but it's more accurate to say that this book uses these species as a framework to show we have changed the world -- and rarely for the better. It's not all doom and gloom, but not exactly the most uplifting read. Still, I got a lot of it....more
I'd read Jennier Niven's The Ice Master about this same story a while back. A bit dismayed to realize that "a while back" was over 20 years ago...
StilI'd read Jennier Niven's The Ice Master about this same story a while back. A bit dismayed to realize that "a while back" was over 20 years ago...
Still, it's a great story, and it deserved to be revisited. I'm amazed at the incompetence and/or indifference of Vilhjamur Stefansson that lead to the Karluk being stranded in the arctic, and the determination of the survivors to find land and survive. The true heroes are Captain Bob Bartlett who had to make a harrowing journey for help, and the Inuit family (including two young girls), who had a large role in keeping most everyone alive. Also, to think that a kitten accompanied them and survived is kind of amazing.
Another thing that sets this story apart from others of arctic survival, is that it didn't happen that long ago (1913/1914), and that the last survivor died only in 2008. It's also extremely well documented through photographs and journals kept by many of the survivors.
A horrifying but ultimately uplifting story of survival against incredible odds....more
I'd never heard of these two queens who dominated late 6th century European politics, 200 years before the time of Charlemagne. How could that be? PuhI'd never heard of these two queens who dominated late 6th century European politics, 200 years before the time of Charlemagne. How could that be? Puhak fixed that with this excellent history of Brunhild and Fredegund, sisters-in-law and fierce rivals, who lead and manipulated the church, nobles and military leaders to make sure that their sons, daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren kept and increased their influence across central Europe.
Brunhild was the daughter of the King of the Visigoths in Spain. Fredegund was a slave in the household of her future royal husband. So very different -- yet they had so much in common. They both had to fight institutions and customs that didn't recognize their intelligence, cunning and diplomatic skills. Fortunately, Puhak does.
I'm amazed at how much Puhak is able to glean from the few chronicles, letters and other documents available. I appreciated her statement at the end of the book saying general readers might be annoyed with her use of the word perhaps in speculating about the actions of these two queens, but that historians might think she hadn't used it enough. The balance felt right.
And she wins major points with this librarian/reader by acknowledging the hard work of her city library's interlibrary loan department in helping her gather sources for this excellent book....more
Wow -- what a ride. If you like well written historical overviews, and the topic is up your alley -- read this.
Kirchick covers the people, attitudes, Wow -- what a ride. If you like well written historical overviews, and the topic is up your alley -- read this.
Kirchick covers the people, attitudes, movements and politics that shaped gay Washington from FDR through Clinton, although both the G.H.W. Bush and Clinton eras aren't covered as deeply as earier administration. And the books is arranged by administrations, covering the good and the bad.
I knew of a lot of these people (Oliver Sipple, Gerry Studds, Leonard Matlovitch, Frank Kameny, Jean O'Leary), some of whom made the news in my youth, but others, like gangster Odessa Madre, were knew and fascinating. Kirchick acknowledges the pressure that gay people lived under during the late 20th century, and bring to light the dissonance between public and private life that citizens of the "secret city" had to endure. But also, he shows the contortions that administrations and bureaucrats went through, choosing when and when not to "see" them.
The best parts, I think are the ones about the McCarthy era and the Reagan administration. I had no idea how gay that administration was! Don't get the idea that this is a sordid tell-all, though, it's well-written and incredibly researched. Kirchick's care and passion for the subject really comes through. And he can be quite funny at times. Here's a few lines from p. 639 concerning Pete Williams, a Defense Department spokesman during the Reagan administration:
"It would be nice to find him a wife," said Williams's assistant, Carole Manlove, whose unimprovable surname hinted at why he had yet to find one.
If you like well-written gay history, read this. It's going to win some awards, I'm sure.
Archaeologist Cat Jarman uses a bead found in a Viking dig site in Britain to illustrate the spread of culture and commerce during the Viking age. WorArchaeologist Cat Jarman uses a bead found in a Viking dig site in Britain to illustrate the spread of culture and commerce during the Viking age. Working backwards from where the bead was buried, she traces movements back into Scandinavia, Russia, the Byzantine Empire and on to India. We often think of Vikings as expanding westward, but this little artefact is a focal point showing the complex trade routes and politics that shadowed the Vikings' eastern expansion....more
This biography of Hannibal is perfect in so many ways. In just a few hundred pages, Freeman outlines his life story, particularly in the context of hiThis biography of Hannibal is perfect in so many ways. In just a few hundred pages, Freeman outlines his life story, particularly in the context of his role as the Roman empire's greatest threat. His admiration for Hannibal as a planner, commander, strategist and Carthaginian patriot shines through -- all the more an achievement as many of the surviving sources about him are Roman, and thus, not exactly unbiased.
Chapters are arranged around major battles and troop movements, which helps put these names into context (I think). I'm not the biggest fan of military history -- things like flanks and centers and different types of formations don't always make sense to me. But Freeman doesn't get bogged down in the details, but keeps things at a simple level, and thus held my interest. Freeman's service is to the larger story of Hannibal as a person and his role as champion of his people, so the minute details aren't that important here. There is a timeline and list of characters to keep the characters straight -- important in cultures that seemed to have a limited pool of name options! But - just a general map of the Mediterranean or even just Italy with the major battle locations highlighted would have been helpful. I found myself jumping out of the story quite often to scan the internet for a bit of geographical context.
A great book on this topic - a quick read. Plus -- elephants....more
I'd had this book on my list for a while -- not sure why I didn't get around to it. I'd really enjoyed Weidensaul's A World on the Wing a while back. I'd had this book on my list for a while -- not sure why I didn't get around to it. I'd really enjoyed Weidensaul's A World on the Wing a while back. I think the fact that it was 13 years old maybe put me off? That's a pretty stupid reason though -- this is a great overview, as relevant today as it was when published.
Weidensaul, with his approachable writing style and usual good humor, looks at birding in American, from it's colonial roots where every bird was new and strange to Europeans, up through the modern age of high-tech listing and communication. It's not just about the names (Audubon, Bailey, Peterson), but also the publications, especially the development of field guides and the innovations that developed through them. I found it fascinating what a small world birding was for so long -- and how amazingly huge it's become. While readings this I kept wondering what my life would have been like had I started paying closer attention to birds earlier in my life...
Toward the end, Weidensaul discusses two approaches to birding he sees -- one that focuses on lists and locations and chasing the next big thing. As a fairly new birder, I've fallen into this mind set from time to time, for sure. But the other is about just enjoying birds -- learning as much as possible about their habits and habitats, life cycles, and ranges, just generally enjoying being around them and watching them do their thing -- and above all, actively working toward their conservation. Because without birds, there is no birding.
A fantastic overview of a hobby I've only come to embrace lately (and rather late in life). For anyone interested at all in how birding has developed and the characters who were involved, I can't recommend this book (or this author) enough....more
Brunner looks at how Europeans considered the idea of "northern-ness" from the middle ages up to the present, starting with a discussion of a cabinet Brunner looks at how Europeans considered the idea of "northern-ness" from the middle ages up to the present, starting with a discussion of a cabinet of northern curiosities curated by Ole Worm in the early 17th century. The German author, understandably, spends a lot of time exploring how many German intellectuals and politicians explored and exploited the country's northern-ness, turning away from classical literature and towards Scandinavia for inspiration.
It's a quick read, with neat, tidy chapters, some of which run only a few pages. I liked how Brunner might use an essay or a painting as a way of illustrating his points....more
A fascinating and heartbreaking story about a trans man's fight to keep a family title and what the suppression of his case meant for development of tA fascinating and heartbreaking story about a trans man's fight to keep a family title and what the suppression of his case meant for development of trans rights in the UK.
Ewan Forbes' story starts in the early 20th century. His astute (and wealthy) mother realized that there was something different about her child and went to great lengths seeking out treatments across Europe to make him healthy and happy. At some point, Ewan was able to get his birth certificate changed, and he went on to a career as a physician and a farmer, living on his family lands in Scotland. But when his older brother died, and Ewan inherited the family title of Baronet, his cousin objected, and took him to court. The entire case was held in secret and most records of it sealed, since it might have an affect on future cases involving trans people and inheritance within the British peerage system.
Playdon digs into this history, and uses it to illustrated the horrible way the medical, psychiatric and legal systems in the UK (and elsewhere) have treated trans people. There are a lot of groups and acronyms to track, but Playdon does show how inadequate the law is in keep up with actual social change, and how the House of Lords has torpedoed legislation that could improve people's lives, all in the name of preserving their place and traditions....more
A very thorough examination of current science and thought about humanity's recently deceased relatives.
Sykes covers the archaeological evidence of hoA very thorough examination of current science and thought about humanity's recently deceased relatives.
Sykes covers the archaeological evidence of how Neanderthal's went about their lives -- hunting, tool-making, eating, cooking, social structures, and even built structures. Each chapter opens with an imagined and rather poetic impression Neanderthals might have had about their environment, and then launches into the science. A lot of the detail about stone tools and the various ways they are knapped went over my head, but I stuck with it. It's really a good book, if at times it goes on a bit. Can't really blame the author, though. The aim was to be thorough and she absolutely is. She does our fellow humans proud.
(A note about the e-book version. I read a Kindle version, borrowed from my public library. There was a very detailed map showing major Neanderthal archaeological sites at the front of the book, but it didn't render well when enlarged. It was impossible for me to read and kind of frustrating. )...more
Such a powerful examination of how slavery is (and mostly, is not) addressed by America and Americans. Smith visits several sites that represent the bSuch a powerful examination of how slavery is (and mostly, is not) addressed by America and Americans. Smith visits several sites that represent the best and worst of how we think about and portray slavery's central role in American history. Some of these places include plantations like Jefferson's Monticello, which is making efforts, and the Whitney plantation in Louisiana which has chosen to make slavery and the people enslaved there central to the story.
Smith also visits Confederate cemeteries, the site of New York's slave market, the place in Galveston where the first Juneteenth occurred, and the Louisiana State Penitentiary on the site of a former plantation, known as Angola. At each location, Smith strikes up conversations with people who discuss their experiences with the story of American slavery in the context of that location. It's such a fascinating way to learn about what people have learned -- and what they haven't.
As the book was ending, I found myself wishing that he'd shared more of his personal story -- and then the Epilogue focused on stories of growing up in the segregated south as told by two of his grandparents. They added so much to the book, and I'm glad he made this choice.
Also, his background as a poet really shines through when describing these sometimes beautiful, but always haunted spaces. From his trip to Galveston, he writes, "I half sang and half looked around the room, observing the way people's mouths moved over the words, how the vowels at the center of each lyric stretched out and hung like the laundry on a warm day." And from his description of his grandmother, "Her voice is the front porch of a home with everyone you love waiting inside." ...more
I think maybe the title is a bit bait-and-switchy. The book purports to be about Jemima Boone, but she and her story are more of a starting point arouI think maybe the title is a bit bait-and-switchy. The book purports to be about Jemima Boone, but she and her story are more of a starting point around which the larger conflict in the late 1700s among Native Americans, Britain and American settlers are explored. Her story is compelling, but the kidnapping wraps up pretty early in the book.
What Pearl does so well is to illustrate the complexity of the relationships among these groups and the individuals that shaped them. At times, native people are treated as enemy, at others as family. Pearl makes the case that many of the native leaders and perhaps some of the settlers were seeking a middle way around settlement, one in which the natives could continue their nomadic existence, while the settlers could still move in to the area, coexisting more or less peacefully. It's a pretty good case.
Daniel Boone is more of the hero of this book than his daughter Jemima. And the author acknowledges his flaws as well as his skills as a hunter, soldier and negotiator. This is a good history of the tumultuous time and place in American history....more
This book covers a lot of ground, but throughout, Grinker gives examples -- some quite personal -- of how culture defines mental illness and how socieThis book covers a lot of ground, but throughout, Grinker gives examples -- some quite personal -- of how culture defines mental illness and how society approaches it. A less constant thread, but one that pops up here and there, is capitalism's role in defining mental illness. He writes that a lot of our thinking around mental illness centers around patients' "worth" -- what they "contribute" to society, or conversely, how much they and their illness "cost."
One of the best examples comes early in the book in the discussion of a mentally ill tribal member in Namibia. When he goes into town and seeks treatment and medication, he's labeled and treated as schizophrenic. But when he's in his community, his troubles are considered to be caused by malevolent spirits - it's not his fault, and his community supports and cares for him.
There's a lot going on this book -- the evolution of the DSM, medication vs. talk therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, institutionalization vs. community integration. But ultimately, it's about our attitudes to mental health -- how they've changed over time, and how we can do better.
This author also has an interesting background, descending from three generations of neurologists and psychiatrists, including a grandfather who was analyzed by Freud. He is also the father of an autistic child....more
I mean, the title isn't lying, but my expectations were for something quite different. Can't really blame the author or book for that.
Adamson writes aI mean, the title isn't lying, but my expectations were for something quite different. Can't really blame the author or book for that.
Adamson writes about the concept of craft, crafting and craftspeople in the context of the large overarching themes in American history -- the Revolution, industrialization, the labor movement, civil rights, the counterculture movement. While using examples of particular craftspeople and how they fit into these histories, Adamson focuses on how the concept of craft, and how it's used economically, socially and politically, rather the describing in detail any particular one.
And the concept of craft is wide here -- it includes what you might expect -- needlework, pottery, metalsmithing, carpentry, etc. But it also encompasses the Zoot Suit craze, hotrod culture, communal living, items created in Japanese-American concentration camps. There's a lot here to consider as "craft." The idea of "craftwashing" -- akin to "greenwashing" -- using words like "handcrafted" and "artisan" by large corporations to give their products a bespoke or homey feel -- was definitely something I'll take away from this.
I really did appreciate my idea of craft being expanded, but much of this book was a bit over my head. Still quite readable and interesting, if not exactly my handcrafted cup of tea....more
Whew! I knew I was cutting it close, but didn't realize how close. About 45 minutes after finishing it, I got a notice from my public library that my Whew! I knew I was cutting it close, but didn't realize how close. About 45 minutes after finishing it, I got a notice from my public library that my digital loan had ended.
I did ultimately enjoy this book, but it was a bit of a slog for me.
Things I liked - learning about some of the key characters involved in the political, religious, mountaineering and natural history of the Himalaya. The author, who has a mountaineering background, clearly loves this aspect of the regions, and really, his enthusiasm was infectious. I also liked some of the historical name-dropping (Lola Montez, anyone?) but since I was reading this on a tablet, it was far too easy to jump out of the book to find out more, and these many rabbit-holes bogged down my progress. That's not the author's problem -- it's a me problem.
Things I grew a bit weary of -- trying to keep up with all the names, especially Indian political figures, both British and Indian. It was a lot to keep up with and I confess I didn't do a great job of it. Also, I was annoyed that, while there were maps, there were many locations (rivers, valleys, monasteries, etc.) that didn't appear on them. I'd pore over them and stare and for the life of me couldn't find these places.
All in all, a great overview, I think, by someone who clearly has a passion for the geography, people and history of this region.
(One thing I wish publishers would do is disperse the photos and other media that appear in a section in the printed editions. In an ebook, is there any reason why the photo or painting being referred to in the text can't be displayed near it?)...more
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