A “centaur,” in modern tech speak, is an individual who uses technology to be a more productive version of themselves. A “reverse centaur” is a person who is forced by technology to work at a pace that is thoroughly inhuman. Doctorow isn’t anti-AI, rather, he—like Pope Leo XIV—is all too aware of the cost hidden …
Once you read Ben Goldfarb’s Eager you will forever look at landscapes differently. Goldfarb explains the history and impact of beavers, from their role in indigenous cultures to their near-extinction from excess trapping for the fur trade to their remarkable recovery across much of North America. Eager shows us the beaver as not only “Nature’s …
Choose-your-own-adventures are back! And cooler than ever. Search for a Mysterious Mushroom is the perfect adventure for young readers. This book is packed full of fun facts and amazing art. The ideal book for science lovers or the perfect book to inspire! –Sophie, Hodgepodge Books & Taps, Eugene, OR Learn about the world in very …
On Wednesdays, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Bestseller List is published. Every week, we love to see what books have been most popular in independent bookstores around our region. As we peruse the list, we ponder patterns. Then we present this weekly feature: Thursday Themes. W is for winter and witches and women and water and walls and …
How do most folk end up in the jobs they’ve got? A bit like religion, parents have a lot to do with it: there’s an identity there, a self-making in the day to day ofwork. Familiarity, too, seems to matter: the idea of a life and what it could look like. It’s not just about …
I moved to Washington State more than 25 years ago. And over the years, I’ve enjoyed getting to know this place through hiking, camping, and road tripping in almost every region of the state. Of all the places I’ve visited, Olympic National Park is my favorite. Its tidepool populated coastline, its moody, mossy trails, and …
This book blew my mind! Her ingenious team was involved with both phenomenal filmings of the elusive GIANT SQUID!! I recommend this outstanding memoir to anyone even remotely interested in the deep sea. Edith Widder has passionately dedicated her life to exploring the oceans, illuminating bioluminesence specifically. She tirelessly emphasizes the tremendous importance of understanding …
Perhaps I shouldn’t admit this. But every time I write a book, it’s only at the very end that I find out what it was actually about. Somehow, I’m surprised every single time this happens. I write middle-grade narrative nonfiction, which may seem like it’s straightforward. My books all stem from questions I have or …
This book does exactly what it says in the subtitle. It talks about the female body from the first proto-mammalian appearance of nursing all the way up to (relatively) modern history. How are women’s bodies different from men and what does that mean? What are the advantages of menstruation (humans are only one of a …
It’s 1910 – do you know where the comet is and what it is going to do? Richard Goodrich presents a fascinating look at a time and event that eerily foreshadows today’s rampant mix of uncontrolled social media and “fake news”. In the absence of solid science, the media created an absolute frenzy over the …
