Northwest Weeds: The Ugly and Beautiful Villains of Fields, Gardens, and Roadsides by Ronald J. Taylor, 4/5
A casual guide whose color photographs provide a good starting point for identifying the most ubiquitous of plants in the northwest United States.
Why I read it: a thrift store find.
Gregory Heisler: 50 Portraits: Stories and Techniques from a Photographer’s Photographer by Gregory Heisler, 5/5
I read a lot of books that I consider to be 5/5, but this is one of those rare ones that feels like it deserves a category of its own. I was absolutely blown away, not just by the portraits (many of which did not appeal to me, actually), but by Heisler’s incredible storytelling, photographic expertise, experimental mind, and problem-solving skills.
Why I read it: a recommendation from the Strobist, David Hobby.
Great Pianists on Piano Playing: Godowsky, Hofmann, Lhévinne, Paderewski and 24 Other Legendary Performers by James Francis Cooke, 5/5
Persevere through the tediously didactic introductory chapters and you will be rewarded by a generous series of short biographies and fascinating interviews with the most renowned pianists of the 19th-century. Some still claim fame today, and some have been lost to time, but all provide their unique perspective on a variety of musical topics, while providing a glimpse into the rarified world of piano virtuosi.
Why I read it: a thrift store find.
Humblebee Bumblebee: The Life Story of the Friendly Bumblebees and Their Use by the Backyard Gardener by Brian L. Griffin, 5/5
This charmingly illustrated book is written with such warmth and solicitude toward the humble bumblebee that one soon comes to share the author’s view of it as a beautiful and sophisticated creature, not a mere lowly insect.
Why I read it: a thrift store find.
George Washington’s Expense Account by Gen. Geo.Washington and Marvin Kitman, 3/5
Any romantic notions about the American Revolution that still lingered in my mind after reading the eye-opening A Respectable Army were diffused by this cringe-inducing account of George Washington living like a literal king on the country’s dime–spending the equivalent of millions of dollars in today’s money–while his ragged soldiers were frequently hungry and unpaid. I eventually tired of Kitman’s tongue-in-cheek commentary and now-obscure political references, but perusing the included facsimile in George Washington’s tidy but inscrutably cursive handwriting helped me appreciate the accessibility of a modern transcription with context.
Why I read it: antiques expert Peter Combs mentioned it in one of his weekly YouTube videos.
The Traveling Photographer’s Manifesto: A Guide to Connecting with People and Place by David Hobby, 5/5
When a book is written well by someone with personality who is passionate about a topic on which they have expertise, the subject becomes almost irrelevant. In these circumstances, I can and have enjoyed reading about everything from botanical art to infrastructure. But when a book checks all of these boxes and is also about two of my passions–photography and traveling–what a treat!
Though I am not (and do not aspire to be) a street photographer or photojournalist, I enjoyed absorbing the author’s practical advice, technical guidance, interesting anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes perspective. Perhaps most influential of all is the well-developed, people-first photography philosophy that permeates every page and is clearly the product of an open and enquiring mind.
I knew beforehand that this independently-published book contains no photos and, by the end, had even convinced myself that it doesn’t need any because it is so philosophical in focus. Then I came across the author’s PetaPixel article about the book, saw the accompanying photographs, and immediately changed my mind. The photos were so beautiful and, having read so much about their context, so meaningful, that I felt it was a crime that none were included in the book. Yes, there is a helpful Supplemental Visual Notes document, which the author e-mailed to me (along with a kind, personalized note) almost immediately upon request. But this book deserves to be picked up by a publisher, expanded, given a proper cover design, and filled with photographs.
Why I read it: I learned about the author through his popular website, “Strobist.”
Charles Harper’s Birds & Words, 5/5
Charming bird portraits in Harper’s trademark “minimal realism” style combine with witty text to create a feast for both the eyes and the nature-loving mind.
Why I read it: A Christmas gift from my sister-in-law.
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, 5/5
These poems are utterly charming, sophisticatedly silly, and exquisitely illustrated by the inimitable Edward Gorey. I read the entire collection in one go and found myself practically tapping my toe to the flawless rhythms, which beg to be read aloud.
Why I read it: a thrift store find.
The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha (NRSV 5th ed.), edited by Michael D. Coogan, 5/5
The Apocrypha is one of those literary works that is impossible to approach without some pre-conceived expectation, since the very name is steeped in mystery. Raised Christian, I cannot remember ever being explicitly told to avoid these noncanonical ancient writings, however they were not included in my Bible and I had a vague conception of them as useless at best, and untrustworthy at worst. At some point in my spiritual meandering, I started to suspect that the Bible may have been compiled by a bunch of card-carrying HOA Karens and maybe the Apocrypha was simply too fun and awesome to be included. At any rate, I expected to encounter bizarre prophecies, entertaining stories about Jesus as a child, and lots of enticing, controversial ideas.
Not for the first time, my preconceptions turned out to be wildly inaccurate. I was surprised to find that most of these ancient writings fit pretty clearly and uncontroversially into the categories of history, storytelling, or praise, and, while I enjoyed reading these works, the Bible feels complete to me without them. My favorite book was Sirach, with its deeply relatable and often snarky proverbs. There were a couple quotes that I wished were in the Bible, but it was clear from context that Ben Sira had a lot of his own ideas and issues to work through. Overall, I found the Apocrypha to be a fascinating and occasionally inspiring collection of historical writings, regardless of any Biblical associations.
Why I read it: My husband was listening to the Book of Enoch and it sounded so wild that I wanted to check it out for myself. I just assumed it was in the Apocrypha and didn’t realize it wasn’t until I was about 80% done. Next stop–pseudepigrapha, I guess.
Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness by Itzhak Bentov, 3/5
It would be too easy to dismiss this book, with all its talk of holograms, vibrations, and altered states of consciousness, as mere LSD-fueled, new-age nonsense. I think it deserves a closer look, if only to appreciate the author’s admirable accomplishment of developing a comprehensive theory of life, the universe and everything.
Using clear language, helpful chapter summaries, and a reasonable progression of thought, Bentov exploits the mysterious and seemingly unnatural uncertainty that exists at the extreme ends of a pendulum-like or oscillating movement in quantum mechanics to formulate a conception of reality as “a void filled with pulsating fields” (167) that form an “interference pattern or hologram of knowledge information we can call the ‘universal mind'” (157). Into this framework neatly slot the implausible yet persistently-reported human phenomena of telepathy, clairvoyance, out-of-body experience, enlightenment, reincarnation, etc.
Based on my own summary above, this seems the exact type of book that I would mercilessly flay as worthless woo-woo garbage. So why do I think it is actually something special? For one thing, I admire the author’s humble curiosity and undeniable intellect. While acknowledging the deeply unconventional nature of his own ideas and that “few scientists will read this book to the end” (2), he is not defensively anti-science or anti-anything (which is more than can be said for many people). Adding to its appeal, for me, is the fact that this book is the product of living-room discussions with friends and published with their encouragement, not in an attempt to sell something or gain prestige. How many people do you know with whom you could discuss the shape of the universe and the meaning of existence? I, for one, am envious. Any lingering doubts I might have had about this book and its author were dispelled by reading his Wikipedia page, which I refrained from doing earlier to avoid bias. He seems to have been a truly remarkable mind and a contributor of practical value, as well as theoretical, to humanity.
Why I read it: the title caught my eye in a used bookstore, but I didn’t want to spend money without knowing if it was utter nonsense, so I got it from the library later. Now, I wish I had bought it.
OmniRambles 