Colin Dickey—Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places (Book Review)
From author Colin Dickey, Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places is just the kind of book choice readers make in October. It combines history, travel, architecture, urban legend, and philosophy. But I also have to say it wasn’t nearly as gripping as I...Robin Wall Kimmerer—Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants (Book Review)
From indigenous American botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass is absolutely beautiful in concept and execution. It’s the perfect antidote and balm for the world of 2020. Kimmerer takes indigenous wisdom and marries it with both science and social...Stacy Schiff: Cleopatra: A Life—Shifting Sands of Power (Book Review)
Stacy Schiff looks for hidden details about the world’s most famous female monarch in Cleopatra: A Life. And, believe me, those details hide among gobs of information about the men she loved. In order to tell Cleopatra’s life, Schiff really tells the stories of Caesar...From Rachel Carson: Silent Spring, an Environmental Classic
Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962, and it’s an environmental science classic. She was one of the first authors to expose the realities of pesticides to the general public. Now, the world has always had natural pesticides. Sometimes it’s a protective...In Nomadland from Jessica Bruder the American Dream
goes Houseless (Book Review)
In Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century Jessica Bruder explores the subculture of houseless individuals. She primarily addresses the decisions that people make in their 50s and 60s and greater. Lacking pensions or savings, they need to take extreme...
Book Review: The Book of Soul by Mark Nepo
Mark Nepo is the only author with a spiritual bent that I consistently read. And his May 2020 book, The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What Matters is no exception. It’s a peaceful, warm, and caring respite from a world on fire. Nepo talks about topics such as how...Book Review: Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America’s Xanadu by Les Standiford
Les Standiford writes a compelling history of the very rich in South Florida, in his 2019 book Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and the Rise of America’s Xanadu. Picking up a book like this is pretty out of character for me. But I lived in Palm Beach County for eight years back...Book Review: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön
In the midst of anxiety and uncertainty, I turned to Pema Chödrön and her 1997 book, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times. Truthfully, I should probably listen to it on an unending loop right now. Chödrön is an American Buddhist nun, and has been...Book Review: The End of Ice by Dahr Jamail
Dahr Jamail is an adventurer and journalist. His 2019 book, The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption, is both objective and deeply personal. Jamail has spent plenty of time exploring various parts of our world’s outdoors,...Book Review: Material Value by Julia Goldstein, Ph.D
Julia Goldstein is a Ph.D. materials engineer. And her passion is exactly in line with the subtitle of her book: More Sustainable, Less Wasteful Manufacturing of Everything from Cell Phones to Cleaning Products. Goldstein takes readers through a journey that is part...Book Review: You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy
Kate Murphy is a journalist who makes her living with her listening skills. No skills, no article. For the rest of us it’s not so straightforward. In her new book, You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters, she makes a case that listening is...Book Review: Writing Creative Nonfiction by Tilar J.J. Mazzeo (The Great Courses)
Writing Creative Nonfiction is an audiobook course taught by Tilar J.J. Mazzeo. As such, I understand this review won’t interest everyone. But for me, a part-time, casual writer and author with a bachelor’s degree in business, it was a terrific foundation in...Book Review: You Are Awesome by Neil Pasricha
Neil Pasricha followed a unique path to fame and fortune. He tells plenty of his own story in his latest book, which focuses on resilience. You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life was a mixed bag for me. Ultimately...Book Review: On Writing by Stephen King
Stephen King offers a memoir and discussion of the creative life in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I tried to judiciously underline, but found so many valuable nuggets that my book is marked up like a high school English textbook.The book is divided into two major...Book Review: Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari
Johann Hari did so much more than enlighten me in his book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs. I met all the players in this war, from the government officials to the cartels and dealers, to those on the global leading edge of...Bookshop.Org Affiliate
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