Waking Giant: America in the Age of Jackson by David S. Reynolds If you want a general overview of life in the early 19th century in America, this is a good book for you. Comprehensive and informative, it covers a broad swath of subjects, from politics to religion to health and medicine. Reynolds also includes …
Tag: history
Dec 12
Book Review: The Swerve
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt This book has been on my “to read” list for so long that I can’t remember how it was or who recommended it to me. I had some idea that it was like GUNS GERMS AND STEEL or another one of those “history of technology” …
Oct 31
Book Review: Consider the Fork
Consider the Fork: How Technology Transforms the Way We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson I do love books that delve into the history of a small subject, like the book on Salt, or Oranges, or red dye. I also like those that wander a bit, but still talk seriously about the mundane necessities we …
Jul 12
Book Review: And the Band Played On
And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts This book has just about everything I like in a non-fiction. It’s got science, medicine, high stakes, historical significance, and modern relevance. Trying to figure out why it wasn’t more compelling to me, I had to look no further than the …
Mar 20
Book Review: The Emperor of All Maladies
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee My friend recommended this book, and I so value the strength of her recommendation that I bought it as an audiobook despite the daunting 20 hour length. It did occur to me that a book about cancer is perhaps not the best book for a hypochondriac to …