"The Empire of the Beetle" by Andrew Nikiforuk a frightening look at the causes and effects of the climate change on forests and people, Very disheartening but totally educational and alarming.
-------------- "Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
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-------------- "Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
^^^^ Anything by Nikiforuk is excellent, I've read several, including that one. He's probably the most knowledgeable journalist in Canada re the tar sands, fracking, and the politics of oil in general.
Utopia Avenue, about a rock group in London in 1967. By David Mitchell author of The Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks. Great if you lived through that era.
-------------- "You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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-------------- "You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
Finalist for the 2020 Boardman-Tasker prize. Been waiting for it to be published in this country, finally came into stock at Powell's after a printing delay.
-------------- Go! Take a gun! And a dog! Without a leash! Chop down a tree! Start a fire! Piss wherever you want! Build a cairn! A HUGE ONE!
BE A REBEL! YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!
(-bootpathguy)
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-------------- Go! Take a gun! And a dog! Without a leash! Chop down a tree! Start a fire! Piss wherever you want! Build a cairn! A HUGE ONE!
BE A REBEL! YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!
"Douglas Fir: the Story of the West's Most Remarkable Tree" by Stephen Arno and Carl Fiedler
A lovely straight forward book about the tree, it's history, places to see fine examples of the two species. I really enjoyed it.
-------------- "Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
0
-------------- "Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
I've read some collections of Sherlock Holmes stories that are mostly quite short in format. Just picked up "The Hound of the Baskervilles" from the library, one of the few Sherlock tales that is a novel.
The Hound of the Baskervilles was kinda odd, Sherlock was missing from the action for about 2/3 of the book. Centered mostly around Watson. It was okay, but I didn't love it. Probably done w/ Sherlock and Poirot for the foreseeable future.
My dad recommended the author Stephen P. Kiernan to me. I'm reading and enjoying "The Baker's Secret." Set in a small coastal village in France, occupied by Nazi troops during WWII. It's about the villagers' resistance, both passive and active, to their occupiers.
This Is Your Mind On Plants. Michael Pollan takes us deeper into the world of mind-altering substances, with essays on opium, caffeine, and mescaline. The first, in which he cultivates his own poppies, appeared in Harper's a few decades ago, minus a few key sections. The mescaline chapter goes deep into the spiritual significance of the peyote cactus to native tribes. The book wasn't quite as eye-opening as his previous (How To Change Your Mind), but still a fun and quick read. Definitely makes one a little curious, less fearful, and more angry over the "war on drugs". Found in the library's "peak picks" section.
I select a staff pick a few times a year and have always enjoyed them. I make it a point to do that; I figure it gets me reading something I may not normally choose. I think the best was The Nix, by Nathan Hill. I liked it so much I read it again a couple years later.
Here's one that I finished recently. I had to wait a month or two on the Hold list from the Seattle Public Library.
Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding, David Lieberman, Pantheon Books, New York, 2021. The author is a professor of biological sciences and human evolutionary biology at Harvard University. This is well written with a few photos and graphs. The science is accessible.
Here's a few short reviews from the Harvard website. Also from the About the book section--quote:
...Exercised is a myth-busting natural history of how we never evolved to exercise –– that is do voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. Using the author’s original research and experiences all over the world, Exercised recounts without jargon how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other physical activities when they were necessary and rewarding but otherwise avoid needless exertion. Exercised’s engaging stories and explanations will revolutionize the way you think about exercise not to mention sitting, sleeping, sprinting, weightlifting, playing, fighting, walking, jogging, and even dancing.
I enjoyed the book--great design, typography, and paper in the hardbound edition. ~z
"A Most Remarkable Creature" by Jonathon Weiburg. A wonderful book about the caracara....a falcon family member with peculiar habits. Well written and fun....I've been thinking about it for days after finishing it.
-------------- "Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
0
-------------- "Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen, HarperCollins, New York, 2016. I got the hardbound edition from the Seattle Public Library. It's beautifully designed with many illustrations, photos, and color plates. This is the story of two men who trekked to the jungles of Central America in 1839 to explore and document lost cities of the Maya. These men, John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood later published their findings in books that became best sellers in their day. They made a return trip to the Yucatan in 1841. The author Carlsen delves into their lives before and following their adventures. It's a fascinating read of the era, the politics, natural history, and the beginnings of American archaeology. They got caught up in civil wars in Guatemala and later Chiapas and Yucatan, Mexico. More info on the author's website and the Kirkus Review page. Highly recommended. ~z
The Premonition by Michael Lewis, W.H. Norton & Co., New York, 2021. Finally finished this one--because I was reading it twice--which I sometimes do if the material is complex or very interesting and I want to remember more. This is an excellent book that when I first finished it I was not ready for it to end. Michael Lewis tells a great story of behind the scenes of the Covid-19 pandemic and how the United States deals with it. I got this from the Seattle Public Library who has multiple copies and a waiting list to boot.
Here's a rather interesting review in The Guardian and a short article on NPR which includes a short interview with the author. All I can say is that we are very fortunate to have had certain stalwart individuals (and institutions/enterprises) in the wings who stepped up when our government let us down. This is not so much about politics but about institutions like the CDC who floundered helplessly. Nonetheless, the book is inspiring and hopeful. ~z
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