So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. This particular one feels especially so. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
Shakespeare’s Kings, by John Julius Norwich, purports to be a historical account of Shaky Bill’s eight core history plays: Richard II, the Henrys and Shakespeare’s Kings, by John Julius Norwich, purports to be a historical account of Shaky Bill’s eight core history plays: Richard II, the Henrys and their various parts, and Richard III, with the addition of Edward III.* The author purposefully ditched King John and Henry VIII, mostly because he wants to talk about the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of the Roses (and also because Henry VIII is just bad). For the most part, it does exactly what it says it’s going to: it looks at the historical events covered by the plays and then evaluates the plays based on those events, coming to the conclusion that Shakespeare had a loose relation to timelines but generally nailed the import of the events, except where dramatic needs dictate otherwise.
Here’s where I get annoyed. First, Norwich pretty obviously hates Humphrey Duke of Gloucester and is not shy about it. Second, he also feels Shakespeare got Richard III’s personality right, which… um, we’re all aware it’s not, my dude. Finally, he refers to Henry VI frequently as “an idiot” which is for sure a choice… basically, for the stuff I’m really familiar with, it’s a lot of outdated scholarship (not surprising, the book is 20 years old), combined with scholarship that was outdated at the time. It makes me doubt the things I’m not familiar with. I’m not sorry I read the book- on the dates Norwich is solid and I find his occasional forays into literary criticism funny, if not mine- but I wouldn’t really recommend it.
*Shakespeare is at least partly responsible for a play titled Edward III, but it’s a fairly recent addition to the Shakespeare canon, so not a lot of people are really aware of it as a Shakespeare play....more
Okay, Ms. Wright. I'm calling it. We need to be friends. I am very serious about this. I want to buy you a drink, argue with you about Mary I, and telOkay, Ms. Wright. I'm calling it. We need to be friends. I am very serious about this. I want to buy you a drink, argue with you about Mary I, and tell unsuspecting strangers about horrible diseases. You are basically writing books for me. Please let's be friends.
Ahem. With that out of the way. She Kills Me is a collection of short biographies of female killers through the centuries (with illustrations!). Unlike most of the other books I've read in this vein, it doesn't stick to serial killers (though there's plenty of them, never fear). We start in serial-killer land with Elizabeth Bathory, because of course we do, but then we go through mercenaries, ruthless female political leaders, warriors, and assassins. Nor are all of these women treated as villains. Freddie Oversteegen, for example, killed Nazis, and I think we can all agree that's a worthy cause.
I do wish the stories were longer; they're two or three pages at the most. But they get most of the facts in. Plus there's a great deal of variety. You'll recognize some of these women from Lady Killers and other books about female murderers, but many of them were entirely new to me (Clementine Barnabet, anyone? Or Laura Fair?). It's a quick read, but a very entertaining one, done in Wright's usual chatty and hysterical style.
If you like true crime, if you like women's history, or you just like Jennifer Wright, pick this book up. Can't wait for the next one!...more
Liza Picard is one of my favorite historians. She tends to focus on daily life in various eras, so when I found out that a) she had a new book and b) Liza Picard is one of my favorite historians. She tends to focus on daily life in various eras, so when I found out that a) she had a new book and b) it told daily life in the late 1300s through the lives of the characters in The Canterbury Tales right when I was about to read it, I took it as a Sign. And I loved this book. Not gonna lie.
Picard takes the characters one by one and describes various pieces of life through that character. For example, the Pardoner's chapter talks about pardons, indulgences, and relics, while the Knight's chapter talks about the campaigns he was on, life as a knight, and the feudal order that made knights possible to begin with. She further sorts the characters into four big groups: city life, country life, religious life, and military life. It's great, comprehensive and fun. It does come across a bit fragmented at times, due to the way Picard sets up the book, but it's a daily-life history; you're better off having a vague idea of the outline of political and religious events before you start, though Picard does give you a quick rundown of important ones in the Wife of Bath's chapter.
It's a really fun book, and I would recommend doing what I did, reading the two books alongside one another. You get a lot more out of the Tales, and Chaucer's People is only made more fun....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is....more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is. ...more
So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a So I've begun this project in which I read about the various countries of the world: one nonfiction book, one fiction book, and one book written by a person from that country. I started it when I figured out that I had no earthly idea where Myanmar was, at least in comparison to other countries.
Anyway, I've found the Enchantment of the World series to be extremely useful. It's a series of children's nonfiction books that covers various countries of the world in pretty good detail (for children's books, anyway). They're all structured the same way. Ten chapters, starting with a short introductory one, moving through geography, flora and fauna, history (often the longest one), government, economy, population, religion/culture, arts, and daily life.
They're educational, pretty light reads with plenty of pictures, but informative nonetheless. They're also, despite being undeniably US-focused, pretty nonjudgmental regarding religion and/or current world relations. The only one I read that was openly judgmental was the North Korea one, and, uh. It's North Korea. They do talk about various atrocities, but briefly, in children-focused language, and usually only the historical ones.
They can also be, by virtue of the publishing cycle, somewhat dated. I think the latest any of them go is 2015. Still, that's pretty damn recent for a published book, and I'm searching out the second editions where I can, since they're the most up-to-date. I'd definitely recommend these for kids, and also for people who have no earthly idea where, for example, Myanmar is. ...more
Much like The Five by Hallie Rubenfold, Jack The Ripper's Forgotten Victims attemps to refocus the conversation around Jack the Ripper to focus on theMuch like The Five by Hallie Rubenfold, Jack The Ripper's Forgotten Victims attemps to refocus the conversation around Jack the Ripper to focus on the women who actually died instead of the men who could possibly have killed them. This book is both more extensive and less in-depth than The Five, and is less interested in the canonical five victims that Rubenfold discusses, though it does talk about their lives.
Instead, the authors go through the lives of a list of women who, at one time or another, have been claimed as Ripper victims. When they cannot talk about the woman herself (as in the case of some dismembered bodies located but never identified), they still do their best to focus the discussion on the victim and on the life she must have lived. The book is emphatically not interested in the killers, even when they were identified. Instead, the authors want to talk about the lives women in the 1880s lived and the deaths they might have died. It's a very satisfying and very easy read.
If you're interested in killers, why they kill, and who might have been responsible for the deaths of these women, you will not like this book. If you're more interested in the victims, everyday life in the 1880s, and life and death in Victorian cities, this is right up your alley....more
I generally like Ann Rule books. She does her best to center the victims of a crime while still exploring how and why the crime was committed. She rarI generally like Ann Rule books. She does her best to center the victims of a crime while still exploring how and why the crime was committed. She rarely if ever allows a killer's motive to excuse the crime, but she does let those motives be heard. Her shorter works tend to be better than her longer ones, since she can go on a bit. And most of A Rage to Kill is fine, if you ignore the back cover claiming that all the cases in this book feature a sudden homicidal rage when it's basically just the first one.
Buuuut then we got to That Was No Lady and I can't, you guys.
That Was No Lady is violently transphobic. There's no other way to put it. Jackie Emerson is probably a sociopath and definitely a murderer, but she is also a woman, and she did not deserve to be misgendered and misnamed through the entire fucking story. And sure, this was written in 1999, but this is transphobic for 1999. For 2021 it is nothing less than an act of violence. Ann Rule, you're better than this.
Skip this one, guys. Go read The Stranger Beside Me instead. ...more
Being Mortal is a medical doctor's view on growing old and dying, and how our current medical system fails both the elderly and the dying. I won't lieBeing Mortal is a medical doctor's view on growing old and dying, and how our current medical system fails both the elderly and the dying. I won't lie, it's a pretty rough read, especially for someone whose parents are getting up there (69 and 66). Gawande talks about nursing homes and assisted living treating the elderly like children and refusing to let them live their own lives in the name of prolonging their lives, and then segues into heroic medical interventions meant to keep a person alive that actually decrease their quality of life and seem to kill them faster.
He makes a very compelling case for end-of-life care: simply ask the patient what they want. What are their fears? What are their priorities? What do they want out of their remaining life? Then, once you have answers, figure out how to best treat the patient so those priorities are met and those fears assuaged. It sounds very simple, but it's not at all how modern doctors are trained. Hopefully by the time I age doctors will be trained differently, but I am doing a lot of thinking now about how to have those difficult conversations and advocate for my parents when it's their turn.
Hard to read, but I think necessary, especially if you or someone you love are aging or dying. ...more
I picked this book up because I was on a true crime kick, so I was expecting a story that talked about, well, the crime. The book is more about the leI picked this book up because I was on a true crime kick, so I was expecting a story that talked about, well, the crime. The book is more about the legal processes and the trial of the murderer in question, though. Only the first couple of chapters deal with the crime itself, while the rest of the book was about the investigation and primarily the trial. Ordinarily I would have put the book down after discovering that, but Dekle has a way of writing about legalities that is both clear and fascinating for a layman like me. He discusses what portions of the trial were mistakes, what portions were actual legal party fouls (so to speak), and what could have caused a mistrial had it been performed in a courtroom today. So while the crime itself is sort of depressingly familiar- a man talks a woman into a secret marriage and murders her over it later- the legal shenanigans were interesting, not something I'd read or seen a hundred times before. I'd actually recommend this book, particularly if you're interested in Gilded Age law or trials.
Side note: the summary says that the book highlights the second-class status of women and how that contributed to the crime, and it does, but only on the last couple of pages. Dekle is interested in the trial and events surrounding it, and makes that quite clear. The summary is a lie. ...more
A big and bright book, lavishly illustrated, with 101 short, page-long descriptions of the jewels pictured. The book is really more about jewelry thanA big and bright book, lavishly illustrated, with 101 short, page-long descriptions of the jewels pictured. The book is really more about jewelry than jewels per se: the author wanders into hammered gold, lacquered jewelry, and even a couple of art styles. But that's fine with me. I got to see a lot of very pretty pictures, including some images of things I've seen in person (including an image of the place where I broke my foot), and learn some intriguing new things. For example, Elizabeth Taylor owned a famous pearl that once belonged to the Spanish royal family.
I do have a quibble: the book design. The pictures often seemed to be more of interest than the text, to the point where the text had awkward breaks in sentences and sometimes even in the middle of words in order to better accomodate an image. They were pretty images, but sometimes I just want to read the dang words....more
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