Stuart Aken's Blog, page 23
March 13, 2023
Makers of Rome: by Plutarch. Translated and Introduced by Ian Scott-Kilvert #BookReview.
I’ve had this book on my shelves for so long I’d forgotten it resided there. Curiosity made me pick up this ‘classic’ to discover what I could. There is much to learn here, if you have an interest in European history. However, it becomes clear that Plutarch was not a particularly reliable historian. His interest …
March 11, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 11th March 2023
I share these pictures, taken during March, not this year, to show the beauty of our world, hoping viewers may be inspired to take action to save it from the destruction we humans are causing to nature.This one was taken in southern Wales, in 2019 as the sun went down on a cold winter day. …
March 4, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 4th March 2023
I share these pictures, taken during March, not this year, to show the beauty of our world, hoping viewers may be inspired to take action to save it from the destruction we humans are causing to nature.This one was taken way back in 2012 and pictures a footpath near Pocklington in East Yorkshire, England. # …
February 28, 2023
The Words Have Escaped!
I decided last year to spend time away from creating fiction. Why? Like all human faculties, although the creative function benefits from use, it also sometimes needs rest to be refreshed.So, what did I do? I wrote a few posts for a platform called Medium. You can find those here, if you’re curious. I also …
February 25, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 25/Feb/2023
I share these pictures, from February (though not this year), to show #ourworldiswonderful. This shot, from 28th February 2021, depicts a steep climb up a path that dissects the slope of a narrow valley carrying a small stream. Most of the trees here are larches, and buzzards have nests near the tops of a couple. …
February 18, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 18/Feb/2023
I share these pictures, from February (though not this year), to show #ourworldiswonderful. This shot, from 2021, depicts a view from one of the surfaced roads that follow old tramways and railway lines through the Forest of Dean. It’s many years since that industrial work ceased, although there remain a tiny number of free mines. …
February 11, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 11/Feb/2023
I share these pictures, from February (though not this year), to show #ourworldiswonderful. This shot is from 2020 and shows a fairly steep valley that runs down to a brook. The trees here are mostly native oaks, but the greenery is almost entirely ivy at this time of the year. The remnants of bracken can …
February 9, 2023
Enduring Love by Ian McEwan: #BookReview
A thriller written by a master of the language. Not for the faint-hearted or those lacking in education, this story relates the series of events that lead up to the stalking of the main character by a seriously disturbed and potentially violent would-be lover. The stalker is obsessive and deluded and follows the pattern of …
February 4, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 04/Feb/2023
I share these pictures, from February (though not this year), to show #ourworldiswonderful. This shot is from 2020 and shows the brook that flows through the beaver enclosure. They were introduced to help reduce the flooding caused by the brook that flows through the village. So far, that seems to be working well. The area …
January 31, 2023
Mostly Harmful, by Michael Paulkovich: #BookReview.
Subtitled ‘1001 Things Everyone Should Know About RELIGION’, this is a piece of work, as the subtitle says, everyone should read.That it is a scholarly work is indicated by the comprehensive bibliography, index and accompanying notes, which take up around 28% of the publication. The author lightens a heavy subject by being occasionally a little …
Continue reading Mostly Harmful, by Michael Paulkovich: #BookReview.
