Ho hum, another Monday morning. Reminded me of that one day in 1979. And we’re probably going to see the exact same thing in 2169. So tedious. But seriously, wasn’t that spectacular? Like you probably were, I was pretty well prepared to see something special. I got hold of a copy of David Baron’s American Eclipse weeks ago. I …
A fascinating book that charts not only the brief history of hip hop as a musical genre, but also the changing cultural tides of America over the last forty years. Filled with hilarious illustrations and deep insight, this book is an excellent addition to the array of brilliant music history books already available. –Elias, Fireside …
A fascinating look into the total solar eclipse of 1878 and the lives of three scientists who traveled to witness the rare event. Baron paints this moment in American history in full color, complete with train robberies, rival astronomers, and Thomas Edison and his newest invention, the tasimeter. –Mary Jo S., Powells.com Are you planning …
by Peter Kelley for UW News, June 5, 2017 A popular podcast by Joe Janes of the University of Washington Information School is now a book. Documents that Changed the Way We Live is being published … by Rowman & Littlefield. Since 2012 Janes, an iSchool associate professor, has written and produced episodes of a podcast about the origin …
One of the reasons I love this book is because the heroes of the story are badass bookish people. The other reason is that it explores an often overlooked aspect of World War II. With the many other atrocities committed by the Nazis, it’s easy to forget that they were waging another, quieter war on …
Focusing on the Lewis Chessmen, Nancy Marie Brown explores a famous female chiseler and the history of her chess pieces. Interestingly, their histories are based on Viking sagas, histories, architectural digs, and forceful involvement of the Roman Catholic Church in Sweden, Norway, and Greenland. The book brings forward the talented 12th century artist who carved …
A travel feature by Jim Harris I am 75 years old and a retired book professional with nearly forty years of book selling for publishers, as a retailer and for a book wholesaler. Most recently, I have been a volunteer at a regional writers’ association and written book reviews. My wife and I completed a …
This was a book that I definitely judged by its title when I ordered it. A true tale about skydiving beavers??!! Really. And yes, REALLY! This true tale took place in McCall, Idaho just after WWII. Up until then, before people “discovered” the natural beauty around McCall and populated it, it was an area home …
Did you know that Einstein’s brain saw more of the US than he did? True story. Forty years after he died, a piece of his brain took a road trip with a journalist and the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Einstein in 1955 (and kept his brain! What?). You can read about it in Driving …
This is not a history book. This is not an etiquette book. This is a well-researched (and laugh-out-loud funny) time travel book. Forget everything you think you know about life in Victorian times. Living the Brontë, Jane Eyre, Gone with the Wind life was anything but glamorous. In fact it was downright disgusting at times. From …
