AnneDromeda's Completed Shelf
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A Field Guide to LiesA Field Guide to Lies, Audiobook CD
by Levitin, Daniel J.Audiobook CD - 2016Audiobook CD, 2016
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Added Feb 05, 2017
The Night CircusThe Night Circus, Downloadable Audiobook[a Novel]
by Morgenstern, ErinDownloadable Audiobook - 2011Downloadable Audiobook, 2011
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Feb 05, 2017
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Feb 05, 2017
Invisible Man, Got the Whole World WatchingInvisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching, BookA Young Black Man's Education
by Smith, Mychal DenzelBook - 2016Book, 2016
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Feb 05, 2017
The Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad, BookA Novel
by Whitehead, ColsonBook - 2016Book, 2016
Added Sep 10, 2016
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Sep 10, 2016
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Sep 01, 2016
The GeneThe Gene, Downloadable AudiobookAn Intimate History
by Mukherjee, SiddharthaDownloadable Audiobook - 2016Downloadable Audiobook, 2016
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Sep 01, 2016
The Fox Was Ever the HunterThe Fox Was Ever the Hunter, BookA Novel
by Müller, HertaBook - 2016Book, 2016
Added Aug 23, 2016
Added Apr 06, 2016
The Invention of NatureThe Invention of Nature, BookAlexander Von Humboldt's New World
by Wulf, AndreaBook - 2015Book, 2015
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Apr 06, 2016
Comment:
Don't be daunted by the many, many pages and the teeny tiny font! This book - about a man who's arguably the father of the environmentalist movement - is both required and enjoyable reading for any naturalist in your life.
Wulf does a sublime job of giving enough information about Humboldt's science to illustrate his impact, without overwhelming the layperson with details. It's a beautiful introduction to a forgotten scientist who changed the course of history, and enlivened our understanding of the natural world.Don't be daunted by the many, many pages and the teeny tiny font! This book - about a man who's arguably the father of the environmentalist movement - is both required and enjoyable reading for any naturalist in your life.
Wulf does a sublime…
The Girl in the Spider's WebThe Girl in the Spider's Web, Book
by Lagercrantz, DavidBook - 2015Book, 2015
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Oct 19, 2015
Added Sep 19, 2015
This Changes EverythingThis Changes Everything, BookCapitalism Vs. the Climate
by Klein, NaomiBook - 2014Book, 2014
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Sep 19, 2015
Primates of Park AvenuePrimates of Park Avenue, BookA Memoir
by Martin, WednesdayBook - 2015Book, 2015
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Sep 19, 2015
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AnneDromeda's rating:
Added May 25, 2015
Comment:
By now, most readers of historical fiction will be aware of Sara Gruen for Water for Elephants, if nothing else. Gruen is the undisputed master of a certain kind of old-timey glamour; and her new book, At the Water’s Edge, proves why.
At first glance, Madeleine Hyde’s life story seems like a twinkling tale of upward mobility. The only child of a nouveau riche industry baron and a renowned burlesque beauty, Madeleine marries into New York society after she and playboy Ellis Hyde have a cute meet near Madeleine’s family’s summer home. She attends glittering parties, has a fabulous wardrobe drenched in 1940s glamour, and her circle grudgingly tolerates her wild behaviour as an unfortunate (but entertaining) byproduct of her breeding.
The seams of this pretty illusion come loose as America enters the war. Her husband and his best friend Hank are both deemed medically incapable of joining service. This earns them the scorn of many society members – especially Ellis’ Colonel father. To escape the derision, Ellis, Hank and Madeleine cross the wartime Atlantic in a cargo ship to search for the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland. When hardworking Scots in Drumnadrochit turn out to be even less tolerant of foppish playboys gallivanting about in pursuit of prehistoric fish, the stress begins to wear on the thin veneer of the marriage.
At this point in the novel, readers who’re particularly attached to character development as an element of literature may begin to suffer – Hank and Ellis become almost cartoonishly evil as their bromantic adventure-on-the-loch completely removes them from the reality of the war. Meanwhile, Angus the Innkeeper takes on mythically heroic proportions. If you are a woman with a taste for lumbersexuals, this brawny transition is something to behold.
Slighly cartoonish characters aside, readers who come for the atmosphere will thrive. Drumnadrochit becomes a wild, misty, looming force of a place where superstition becomes impossible to separate from reality. Gruen’s attention to historical detail becomes heady. Little details like victory curls, air raids, ration cards and even stocking seams (real, for Madeleine; or drawn on with eye pencil for everyone else) make the gritty reality of wartime Scotland absolutely palpable. And, like any other Gruen book, the tension builds at a furious pace until the danger and drama reach a breaking point with lethal potential. With glamourous appeal worthy of Danielle Steel and Downton Abbey, At the Water’s Edge is a high-drama beach read that is positively steamy.By now, most readers of historical fiction will be aware of Sara Gruen for Water for Elephants, if nothing else. Gruen is the undisputed master of a certain kind of old-timey glamour; and her new book, At the Water’s Edge, proves why.
At first…
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Apr 21, 2015
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Dec 23, 2014
Comment:
10:04 is a spectacular novel about nothing much, and you need to read it.
As much memoir as novel, 10:04 documents the struggles of its author, Ben Lerner, to create a second novel. Lerner identifies as a poet primarily, and only embarks on a second novel after having been offered “a strong six figures” to do so. If his best friend hadn’t asked him to donate sperm and possibly coparent a child, Lerner might have turned the offer down; but she asked, so he takes it.
This fractured family narrative - needing to be a breadwinner for a family that only liminally exists and has no cultural framework - is one example of the kind of broken mythic narrative Lerner explores in 10:04. The novel is bookended by a pair of unseasonal hurricanes striking New York City, and the inability to any longer pinpoint oneself in the year using seasonal markers shared by the culture is another narrative thread. Even the title, 10:04, refers to a moment in several times and no time - it’s the moment in Back to the Future when Marty McFly travels from the 1950s “back” to 1985.
The entire novel is woven from the warp and weft of Millennial relativist anxiety - in a world that’s deconstructed all its cultural, spacial and even environmental meaning, how does one place oneself, know oneself, or build a kind of meaning into one’s life? What sort of narratives can survive time, or exist outside of it?
This is the first novel I’ve ever read that could only have been written by a Millennial, and if this is what Generation Y will bring to literature, then I’m no longer afraid for the written word. The sheer luminous beauty of Lerner’s lost prose gave me chills - actual chills - and kept me awake at night rolling his words around, seeking new meaning. 10:04 is highly recommended to anyone wondering if the novel will survive the age of the 140 character limit.10:04 is a spectacular novel about nothing much, and you need to read it.
As much memoir as novel, 10:04 documents the struggles of its author, Ben Lerner, to create a second novel. Lerner identifies as a poet primarily, and only embarks on a…
Tags (1)
Summary:
10:04 is a spectacular novel about nothing much, and you need to read it.
As much memoir as novel, 10:04 documents the struggles of its author, Ben Lerner, to create a second novel. Lerner identifies as a poet primarily, and only embarks on a second novel after having been offered “a strong six figures” to do so. If his best friend hadn’t asked him to donate sperm and possibly coparent a child, Lerner might have turned the offer down; but she asked, so he takes it.
This fractured family narrative - needing to be a breadwinner for a family that only liminally exists and has no cultural framework - is one example of the kind of broken mythic narrative Lerner explores in 10:04. The novel is bookended by a pair of unseasonal hurricanes striking New York City, and the inability to any longer pinpoint oneself in the year using seasonal markers shared by the culture is another narrative thread. Even the title, 10:04, refers to a moment in several times and no time - it’s the moment in Back to the Future when Marty McFly travels from the 1950s “back” to 1985.
The entire novel is woven from the warp and weft of Millennial relativist anxiety - in a world that’s deconstructed all its cultural, spacial and even environmental meaning, how does one place oneself, know oneself, or build a kind of meaning into one’s life? What sort of narratives can survive time, or exist outside of it?
This is the first novel I’ve ever read that could only have been written by a Millennial, and if this is what Generation Y will bring to literature, then I’m no longer afraid for the written word. The sheer luminous beauty of Lerner’s lost prose gave me chills - actual chills - and kept me awake at night rolling his words around, seeking new meaning. 10:04 is highly recommended to anyone wondering if the novel will survive the age of the 140 character limit.10:04 is a spectacular novel about nothing much, and you need to read it.
As much memoir as novel, 10:04 documents the struggles of its author, Ben Lerner, to create a second novel. Lerner identifies as a poet primarily, and only embarks on a…
Added Nov 10, 2014
Comment:
Time, now, for your librarian to admit a bias: If Caitlin Moran releases a book, I put a hold on it to see about giving it a review. I can’t help myself – I love her infectious, positive, raucous energy, and I want everyone to know it’s out there for you to hold.
If you enjoyed *Moranthology*, or her previous book *How to Be a Woman*, chances are strong you’ll love *How to Build a Girl*, too. Although *How to Build a Girl* is a work of fiction, it’s just as punk rock as anything she’s written before.
Protagonist Dolly Wilde has a lot in common with Moran – she comes of age overweight and poor, living in subsidized housing in the post-industrial wasteland of Wolverhampton, UK. Like Moran, she finds a ticket out by becoming a clever music columnist for an indie music weekly in the 90s. Also like Moran, she finds freedom in going on “lady sex adventures” and generally behaving like all the boys in her field, steadfastly trying to ignore the scurrilous judgment that comes when a girl adopts that lifestyle. So. This book may not be for everyone. If you like a nice, gentle read, you should back away now.
That said, if this book is for you, it’s really for you. Dolly’s struggles to create herself in a male-dominated field and world will ring true to any woman with a wild side who’s just trying to have as much fun as the boys. Moran’s prose doesn’t dwell on the injustice, though, so much as celebrate the attempts to circumvent it. It also lavishly celebrates the 90s, revelling in Britpop, grunge, Riot Grrrls and zine culture. For any woman who wants to relive the 90s as a lady rock critic underdog who takes on the boys and wins while having all the fun, your chance has arrived. I suggest you take it.Time, now, for your librarian to admit a bias: If Caitlin Moran releases a book, I put a hold on it to see about giving it a review. I can’t help myself – I love her infectious, positive, raucous energy, and I want everyone to know it’s out there…
Summary:
Time, now, for your librarian to admit a bias: If Caitlin Moran releases a book, I put a hold on it to see about giving it a review. I can’t help myself – I love her infectious, positive, raucous energy, and I want everyone to know it’s out there for you to hold.
If you enjoyed *Moranthology*, or her previous book *How to Be a Woman*, chances are strong you’ll love *How to Build a Girl*, too. Although *How to Build a Girl* is a work of fiction, it’s just as punk rock as anything she’s written before.
Protagonist Dolly Wilde has a lot in common with Moran – she comes of age overweight and poor, living in subsidized housing in the post-industrial wasteland of Wolverhampton, UK. Like Moran, she finds a ticket out by becoming a clever music columnist for an indie music weekly in the 90s. Also like Moran, she finds freedom in going on “lady sex adventures” and generally behaving like all the boys in her field, steadfastly trying to ignore the scurrilous judgment that comes when a girl adopts that lifestyle. So. This book may not be for everyone. If you like a nice, gentle read, you should back away now.
That said, if this book is for you, it’s really for you. Dolly’s struggles to create herself in a male-dominated field and world will ring true to any woman with a wild side who’s just trying to have as much fun as the boys. Moran’s prose doesn’t dwell on the injustice, though, so much as celebrate the attempts to circumvent it. It also lavishly celebrates the 90s, revelling in Britpop, grunge, Riot Grrrls and zine culture. For any woman who wants to relive the 90s as a lady rock critic underdog who takes on the boys and wins while having all the fun, your chance has arrived. I suggest you take it.Time, now, for your librarian to admit a bias: If Caitlin Moran releases a book, I put a hold on it to see about giving it a review. I can’t help myself – I love her infectious, positive, raucous energy, and I want everyone to know it’s out there…
Potty WhisperingPotty Whispering, DVD
DVD - 2006DVD, 2006
Added Mar 11, 2014
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Mar 03, 2014
Comment:
If you’re a reader of dystopian literary fiction (think Margaret Atwood’s most recent book, *MaddAddam*), then I have something to keep you happily occupied while spring gets its act together. Acclaimed author Chang-Rae Lee (Pulitzer Prize finalist for *The Surrendered*) is back with a beautifully rendered, deeply creepy work of speculative fiction. *On Such a Full Sea* follows the travails of a young woman named Fan, raised since birth in an incredibly strict factory town. B-Mor was founded by Chinese immigrants fleeing their homeland’s environmental destruction. B-Mor was established on Baltimore’s remnants, following an invasion that drove out the city’s 21st century inhabitants (subsequently called “the natives”). This appears to have taken place after the United States suffered a social and environmental crisis of its own. On an otherwise nondescript day, Fan’s boyfriend Reg disappears without a trace. Rumours speculate he’s been kidnapped by a pharmacorp after his genes were found to be completely resistant to cancer, now rampant in the world’s population. As with disappearances in other totalitarian societies, Reg’s merits little official comment, and his family and friends must suffer his loss without much acknowledgement. Fan, however, breaks free of B-Mor into the wild surrounding Counties, where no fixed government reigns and there’s no protection from toxins. The narrator tracks Fan’s compulsive, haphazard movements through the Counties searching for Reg. In fact, the narrator is one of this novel’s greatest curiosities. He or she is plainly a resident of B-Mor who is decreasingly interested in appearing to have consumed the proverbial kool-aid. So, then, how does the narrator know what’s happening to Fan? Why trust the narrator? It’s never resolved, and this adds to the weird, panopticon-like tension experienced by the reader. Part action novel, part social study, On Such a Full Sea is a richly realized cautionary tale offering no easy answers. It is very highly recommended to any readers of literary fiction who don’t mind an occasional tour into murky dystopia.If you’re a reader of dystopian literary fiction (think Margaret Atwood’s most recent book, *MaddAddam*), then I have something to keep you happily occupied while spring gets its act together. Acclaimed author Chang-Rae Lee (Pulitzer Prize finalist…
Tags (1)
Summary:
If you’re a reader of dystopian literary fiction (think Margaret Atwood’s most recent book, *MaddAddam*), then I have something to keep you happily occupied while spring gets its act together. Acclaimed author Chang-Rae Lee (Pulitzer Prize finalist for *The Surrendered*) is back with a beautifully rendered, deeply creepy work of speculative fiction. *On Such a Full Sea* follows the travails of a young woman named Fan, raised since birth in an incredibly strict factory town. B-Mor was founded by Chinese immigrants fleeing their homeland’s environmental destruction. B-Mor was established on Baltimore’s remnants, following an invasion that drove out the city’s 21st century inhabitants (subsequently called “the natives”). This appears to have taken place after the United States suffered a social and environmental crisis of its own. On an otherwise nondescript day, Fan’s boyfriend Reg disappears without a trace. Rumours speculate he’s been kidnapped by a pharmacorp after his genes were found to be completely resistant to cancer, now rampant in the world’s population. As with disappearances in other totalitarian societies, Reg’s merits little official comment, and his family and friends must suffer his loss without much acknowledgement. Fan, however, breaks free of B-Mor into the wild surrounding Counties, where no fixed government reigns and there’s no protection from toxins. The narrator tracks Fan’s compulsive, haphazard movements through the Counties searching for Reg. In fact, the narrator is one of this novel’s greatest curiosities. He or she is plainly a resident of B-Mor who is decreasingly interested in appearing to have consumed the proverbial kool-aid. So, then, how does the narrator know what’s happening to Fan? Why trust the narrator? It’s never resolved, and this adds to the weird, panopticon-like tension experienced by the reader. Part action novel, part social study, *On Such a Full Sea* is a richly realized cautionary tale offering no easy answers. It is very highly recommended to any readers of literary fiction who don’t mind an occasional tour into murky dystopia.If you’re a reader of dystopian literary fiction (think Margaret Atwood’s most recent book, *MaddAddam*), then I have something to keep you happily occupied while spring gets its act together. Acclaimed author Chang-Rae Lee (Pulitzer Prize finalist…
Added Jan 23, 2014
The Camping BibleThe Camping Bible, BookThe Essential Guide for Outdoor Enthusiasts
by Holtzman, BobBook - 2013Book, 2013
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Jan 02, 2014
Comment:
Hi, there. It’s minus twenty degrees outside and last week it was colder in Winnipeg than on Mars - I bet all you can think about is getting out of town for a few days to sleep in a tent and take in the glories of nature, am I right?
Okay, maybe this review is a touch oddly timed. The thing is, a lot of you are probably starting to think about booking your 2014 vacations right around now. A few of you might even be wishing you did more camping. You might say to yourself things like “I camped when I was a kid, but I’m not sure I remember everything my parents did,” or “hiking seems like fun until I try to read topographic maps. Then, rage,” or even “I have tiny humans depending on me for meals. How do I make fire happen?” For everyone who’s been wishing they could camp but feels woefully underprepared, *The Camping Bible* is here for you.
This surprisingly compact reference guide is split into a number of sections, including the intricacies of planning (including meal planning and gauging the trip to your own fitness level); the gear you’ll need; some helpful techniques -- like how to organize your gear, make fire, cook meals and ride out the weather; hazards you may encounter; basic hiking skills and tips; and how to camp with kids. There are even checklists of all the gear you’ll need for different kinds of trips. As a bonus, the author includes a few basic camping recipes -- although I’d recommend checking out a couple dedicated trail cookbooks (we have those, too - try the *Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’* series for recipes that suit a variety of trips and dietary needs) if you’re planning a trip longer than an overnighter.
Any camping trip contains a few surprises; the more prepared you are when you set out, the more likely you’ll get a fun story instead of a catastrophe. *The Camping Bible* is a great resource for anyone who wants to get outside and play without that nagging feeling they’ve forgotten something important. With planning tips for trips ranging from glampy car camping excursions to multi-day backcountry hiking trips, *The Camping Bible* can help you unplug and unwind as much as you so desire.Hi, there. It’s minus twenty degrees outside and last week it was colder in Winnipeg than on Mars - I bet all you can think about is getting out of town for a few days to sleep in a tent and take in the glories of nature, am I right?
Okay, maybe…
Tags (1)
Summary:
Hi, there. It’s minus twenty degrees outside and last week it was colder in Winnipeg than on Mars - I bet all you can think about is getting out of town for a few days to sleep in a tent and take in the glories of nature, am I right?
Okay, maybe this review is a touch oddly timed. The thing is, a lot of you are probably starting to think about booking your 2014 vacations right around now. A few of you might even be wishing you did more camping. You might say to yourself things like “I camped when I was a kid, but I’m not sure I remember everything my parents did,” or “hiking seems like fun until I try to read topographic maps. Then, rage,” or even “I have tiny humans depending on me for meals. How do I make fire happen?” For everyone who’s been wishing they could camp but feels woefully underprepared, *The Camping Bible* is here for you.
This surprisingly compact reference guide is split into a number of sections, including the intricacies of planning (including meal planning and gauging the trip to your own fitness level); the gear you’ll need; some helpful techniques -- like how to organize your gear, make fire, cook meals and ride out the weather; hazards you may encounter; basic hiking skills and tips; and how to camp with kids. There are even checklists of all the gear you’ll need for different kinds of trips. As a bonus, the author includes a few basic camping recipes -- although I’d recommend checking out a couple dedicated trail cookbooks (we have those, too - try the *Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’* series for recipes that suit a variety of trips and dietary needs) if you’re planning a trip longer than an overnighter.
Any camping trip contains a few surprises; the more prepared you are when you set out, the more likely you’ll get a fun story instead of a catastrophe. *The Camping Bible* is a great resource for anyone who wants to get outside and play without that nagging feeling they’ve forgotten something important. With planning tips for trips ranging from glampy car camping excursions to multi-day backcountry hiking trips, *The Camping Bible* can help you unplug and unwind as much as you so desire.Hi, there. It’s minus twenty degrees outside and last week it was colder in Winnipeg than on Mars - I bet all you can think about is getting out of town for a few days to sleep in a tent and take in the glories of nature, am I right?
Okay, maybe…
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Dec 06, 2013
Comment:
Are you looking for an excuse to curl up somewhere with a mug of hot chocolate and do nothing for a few hours? Of course you are! It’s awful weather. Plus, snuggling in with a good book beats getting bodychecked by someone else who desperately needs Santa to bring a Tickle-Me-Cabbage-Bratz-Kid or whatever. Hey, your friendly librarian is here to help.
At least, I’m here to help if a long, charming ramble through Scotland and Russia with a smoldering Scotsman sounds appealing. If not, you can probably get off this boat here.
Still here? Grand! Grab your cocoa.
By day, Nicola Marter works in an arts museum in London, England. By night, however, Nicola struggles with a rare gift that lets her divine the provenance of the rare items she curates simply by touching them. Her grandfather had been viciously prosecuted in Russia for his gifts, so Nicola faces strong family pressure to suppress her second sight and live a more normal life.
However, a chance encounter with a destitute woman forces Nicola to reconsider her gifts and their role in her life. Before Nicola really thinks about it, she goes to Scotland in search of Rob, whose own keen gifts could help her find the proof she needs that this woman’s family holds a rare artefact, given to them by Empress Catherine of Russia. Rob, naturally, would be our smoldering Scotsman – one with whom Nicola had an intense connection in university, and with whom she has unfinished business.
The two depart on a whirlwind tour of the Scottish coast and St Petersburg, hot on the trail of the firebird artefact. As with any Susanna Kearsley novel, there’s plenty of steamy tension rendered so carefully that you can share this book with your mother without blushing. I’ve recommended other Kearsley books in this space as readalikes for fans of Diana Gabaldon’s *Outlander* series - the sexual tension, historical research, and time travel elements make Kearsley’s books a perfect match for any Sassenachs looking for a great next read. *The Firebird* is no exception. This book is highly recommended as a shopping procrastination tool, or as an excuse to get out of anything else you’d like to avoid this holiday season.Are you looking for an excuse to curl up somewhere with a mug of hot chocolate and do nothing for a few hours? Of course you are! It’s awful weather. Plus, snuggling in with a good book beats getting bodychecked by someone else who desperately needs…
Tags (1)
Summary:
Are you looking for an excuse to curl up somewhere with a mug of hot chocolate and do nothing for a few hours? Of course you are! It’s awful weather. Plus, snuggling in with a good book beats getting bodychecked by someone else who desperately needs Santa to bring a Tickle-Me-Cabbage-Bratz-Kid or whatever. Hey, your friendly librarian is here to help.
At least, I’m here to help if a long, charming ramble through Scotland and Russia with a smoldering Scotsman sounds appealing. If not, you can probably get off this boat here.
Still here? Grand! Grab your cocoa.
By day, Nicola Marter works in an arts museum in London, England. By night, however, Nicola struggles with a rare gift that lets her divine the provenance of the rare items she curates simply by touching them. Her grandfather had been viciously prosecuted in Russia for his gifts, so Nicola faces strong family pressure to suppress her second sight and live a more normal life.
However, a chance encounter with a destitute woman forces Nicola to reconsider her gifts and their role in her life. Before Nicola really thinks about it, she goes to Scotland in search of Rob, whose own keen gifts could help her find the proof she needs that this woman’s family holds a rare artefact, given to them by Empress Catherine of Russia. Rob, naturally, would be our smoldering Scotsman – one with whom Nicola had an intense connection in university, and with whom she has unfinished business.
The two depart on a whirlwind tour of the Scottish coast and St Petersburg, hot on the trail of the firebird artefact. As with any Susanna Kearsley novel, there’s plenty of steamy tension rendered so carefully that you can share this book with your mother without blushing. I’ve recommended other Kearsley books in this space as readalikes for fans of Diana Gabaldon’s *Outlander* series - the sexual tension, historical research, and time travel elements make Kearsley’s books a perfect match for any Sassenachs looking for a great next read. *The Firebird* is no exception. This book is highly recommended as a shopping procrastination tool, or as an excuse to get out of anything else you’d like to avoid this holiday season.Are you looking for an excuse to curl up somewhere with a mug of hot chocolate and do nothing for a few hours? Of course you are! It’s awful weather. Plus, snuggling in with a good book beats getting bodychecked by someone else who desperately needs…
The Once and Future WorldThe Once and Future World, BookNature as It Was, as It Is, as It Could Be
by MacKinnon, J. B.Book - 2013Book, 2013
AnneDromeda's rating:
Added Nov 08, 2013
Comment:
So, um, who needs a palate cleanser after watching Toronto and Ottawa these past couple weeks? I mean sure, it’s been riveting stuff, but when the 24 hour news cycle sucks you down the rabbit hole faster than scripted reality TV, we could all use a little break to get in touch with the bigger picture. JB MacKinnon, co-author with Alisa Smith of *The 100-Mile Diet*, is back with a new book that’s just the thing for a shift in perspective. *The Once and Future World* is a solo venture, but it retains the graceful writing, personal reflections and social conscience that made *The 100-Mile Diet* a hit. MacKinnon grew interested in the changes humans make to our landscapes when he began to learn more about the prairie on which he was raised. To his surprise, the foxes that were ubiquitous in his childhood were imported; grizzly bears used to roam there freely, before being pushed back to the wild, mountainous terrain with which we currently associate them. It made him wonder - in what other ways had we changed the landscape, and what does this loss of wilderness means for nature, for society, and for our psyches? *The Once and Future World* explores all these themes, drawing from disciplines and sources as varied as paleontology, geology, archaeology, climate and social science, and even journal entries from early explorers. *The Once and Future World* could be a depressing book, and I suppose it is in some ways. In many other ways, though, it is a book full of wonder and hope. (Did you just look at your Twitter feed? You need wonder and hope.) MacKinnon investigates rewilding - the idea of reintroducing species to their native habitats, and even back into cities. He’s not wearing rose-coloured glasses about the potential consequences of this; he does document some instances in which corrective rewilding has gone horribly wrong. He doesn’t dismiss its potential, though, and his reasoning is at least compelling, if not convincing for the pessimists and misanthropes among us. *The Once and Future World* is a bona fide dose of sober second thought, highly recommended for anyone whose divine spark is starving on a steady diet of mayoral misadventures and senate shenanigans.So, um, who needs a palate cleanser after watching Toronto and Ottawa these past couple weeks? I mean sure, it’s been riveting stuff, but when the 24 hour news cycle sucks you down the rabbit hole faster than scripted reality TV, we could all use a…
Tags (1)
Summary:
So, um, who needs a palate cleanser after watching Toronto and Ottawa these past couple weeks? I mean sure, it’s been riveting stuff, but when the 24 hour news cycle sucks you down the rabbit hole faster than scripted reality TV we could all use a little break to get in touch with the bigger picture.
JB MacKinnon, co-author with Alisa Smith of *The 100-Mile Diet*, is back with a new book that’s just the thing for a shift in perspective. *The Once and Future World* is a solo venture, but it retains the graceful writing, personal reflections and social conscience that made *The 100-Mile Diet* a hit.
MacKinnon grew interested in the changes humans make to our landscapes when he began to learn more about the prairie on which he was raised. To his surprise, the foxes that were ubiquitous in his childhood were imported; grizzly bears used to roam there freely, before being pushed back to the wild, mountainous terrain with which we currently associate them. It made him wonder - in what other ways had we changed the landscape, and what does this loss of wilderness means for nature, for society, and for our psyches? *The Once and Future World* explores all these themes, drawing from disciplines and sources as varied as paleontology, geology, archaeology, climate and social science, and even journal entries from early explorers.
*The Once and Future World* could be a depressing book, and I suppose it is in some ways. In many other ways, though, it is a book full of wonder and hope. (Did you just look at your Twitter feed? You need wonder and hope.) MacKinnon investigates rewilding - the idea of reintroducing species to their native habitats, and even back into cities. He’s not wearing rose-coloured glasses about the potential consequences of this; he does document some instances in which corrective rewilding has gone horribly wrong. He doesn’t dismiss its potential, though, and his reasoning is at least compelling, if not convincing for the pessimists and misanthropes among us. *The Once and Future World* is a bona fide dose of sober second thought, highly recommended for anyone whose divine spark is starving on a steady diet of mayoral misadventures and senate shenanigans.So, um, who needs a palate cleanser after watching Toronto and Ottawa these past couple weeks? I mean sure, it’s been riveting stuff, but when the 24 hour news cycle sucks you down the rabbit hole faster than scripted reality TV we could all use a…
Comment: