Larry’s Comments (group member since Nov 23, 2020)

Larry’s comments from the Nonfiction Reading - Only the Best group.

Ron, you are becoming our Indigenous Peoples expert.

I love the poem, like Carol, those colons don’t bother me. I don’t use many colons … but I sure do use a lot of ellipses.

Ok, the nominations for October Book of the Month - Members' Choice are these books:

The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer.

From Kirkus Reviews: "A welcome modern rejoinder to classics such as God Is Red and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. An Ojibwe novelist and historian delivers a politically charged, highly readable history of America’s Indigenous peoples after the end of the wars against them."

Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts.

Also from Kirkus Reviews: "Andrew Roberts’s book, Napoleon: A Life, is a long but mostly pleasant reading experience. The book is a stunning 920-page overview of Napoleon's rise and almost as dramatic fall. It is incredibly entertaining and overstuffed with events, yet it is briskly paced and reads effortlessly. The prose is not fancy, but clear, and Roberts does a good job narrating the many set pieces of Napoleon’s life."

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong.

From the NYT: "‘An Immense World’ Is a Thrilling Tour of Nonhuman Perception -- Ed Yong’s book urges readers to break outside their “sensory bubble” to consider the unique ways that dogs, dolphins, mice and other animals experience their surroundings. ... If there is a benefit to trying to imagine ourselves into the experiences of others, maybe it lies in the enormous difficulty of doing so; the limits of every species’ sensory bubble should serve as a reminder that each one of us has purchase on only a sliver of reality. Yong’s previous book, “I Contain Multitudes,” was an exploration of microbes and microbiomes; his writing for The Atlantic on the Covid-19 pandemic has frequently shown how the response to the crisis has been limited by our assumptions about the world and our place in it. Yong would like us to think more expansively — something that humans are, it turns out, equipped to do."

Please vote by simply stating your choice in this thread.

Three great nominations so far ...

Barb, not to worry about the length of time ... The thing about Beard is that her attention to historiography ... what we know and how we know it. That can make for some dry reading indeed. I find the same thing to be true in The Normans: Power, Conquest and Culture in 11th Century Europe by Judith A. Green. I can't say that I love this book, but I do appreciate how she explains what we know about the Normans, even things like whether William the Conqueror really believed he had a legitimate claim to the English crown to justify an invasion.

The number of scavenger types and their nomenclature surprised me. I imagine it's a function of the society and the economy ... and the size of London and the way the river Thames was used. It does make me think that having read a bit about the people who go through the rubbish heeps in Mexico City and some Indian cities whether there is specialization in their pickings.

John wrote: "I just don’t go to movie theaters any longer. My days of concerts and movies are in my rear view mirror. ..."

We have gotten to that same state, John. It's mainly because of my wife's health situation. But with all the streaming options we have, I don't feel very limited at all.

Carol, somewhere (it might have even been Facebook and not here on GoodReads) we were discussing Napoleon and books on Napoleon. I mentioned that I had not read the Andrew Robert biography but that I had read his Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Gamble (Making History. In fact as I purged my library of many paper books, it was one of two books on Waterloo that I kept, the other one being Tim Clayton's Waterloo: Four Days that Changed Europe's Destiny.

Here is a great article on the best books on Napoleon: https://fivebooks.com/best-books/napo...

A great nomination, Ron.

Cynda wrote: "Ron one more thing. There are free classes often given by various instructors on reading and studying topics students can benefit from. Go and learn.

In the mid to late 80s I worked at the writing..."

Cynda, great specific advice.

Ron wrote: "Thanks for this, Larry."

Absolutely. I wish I had the time to add it to my own reading list, but I bet I'll gain a lot by following the discussion between you and Cynda.

NONFICTION READING - ONLY THE BEST

Newsletter -- SEPTEMBER 2023

* BOOK OF THE MONTH - MODERATOR'S CHOICE
* BOOK OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE

* UPCOMING BOOKS OF THE MONTH - MOD'S CHOICE
* UPCOMING BOOKS OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE
NOMINATIONS & VOTING

* BUDDY READS ...

***
SEPTEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH - MODERATOR'S CHOICE

A Planet of Viruses: Third Edition by Carl Zimmer

LINK TO THE DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

From Science News back in 2011 ... and maybe even more relevant now than when it was published twelve years ago. Again, this was twelve years ago.

"Reading a book about microbes leaves no doubt about who is in charge: They are. Some of Zimmer’s previous books have placed parasites and bacteria at the top of biology’s pecking order. In his latest book, they are viruses. The tiny microorganisms that challenge our notions about what is alive are found in every nook and cranny on Earth, making this truly a planet of viruses. ... Zimmer’s collection of essays takes readers on a guided tour of some of the wonders of this viral world, from ocean-going to bacteria-eating viruses, plus stops for the world’s biggest virus and viruses that put horns on rabbits. There’s also plenty about humans in sections on HIV, the common cold, influenza and other viruses that infect and inhabit the human body."

But the third edition of this book (published in 2021) makes it even better and more relevant to our world of today: "Fully revised and updated, with new illustrations and a new chapter about coronaviruses and the spread of Covid-19, this third edition of Carl Zimmer’s A Planet of Viruses pulls back the veil on this hidden world. It presents the latest research on how viruses hold sway over our lives and our biosphere, how viruses helped give rise to the first life-forms, how viruses are producing new diseases, how we can harness viruses for our own ends, and how viruses will continue to control our fate as long as life endures." (From the GoodReads review.)


SEPTEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

LINK TO THE DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Another book from the past. Published in 2006, The Ghost Map continues to be widely recommended and often cited. Perhaps this paragraph from the Harvard Business Review explains why: "The Ghost Map shows how information actually works in the world. The book is about something as messy as information, excrement, and how its disposal caused an outbreak of cholera in Victorian London. The excitement of the book is how one man understood how to cure this plague and how he used a new way to display information to do so."

*****

AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH - MODERATOR'S CHOICE

The Normans: Power, Conquest and Culture in 11th Century Europe by Judith A. Green

LINK TO THE DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE

Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig

LINK TO THE DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...



*****

UPCOMING BOOKS OF THE MONTH - MODERATOR'S CHOICE

October 2023 - Elizabeth Pisani - Indonesia, Etc: Exploring the Improbable Nation

November 2023 - Peter Zeihan - The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization

December 2023 - Michael Ruhlman - Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America

January 2024 - Michael Herr - Dispatches

February 2024 - Michael J. Sandel - Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?

March 2024 - Isabel Wilkerson - The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America's Great Migration

April 2024 - Camilla Townsend - Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs

May 2024 - Bill Buford - Among The Thugs

June 2024 - Michael Lewis - The Fifth Risk

July 2024 - Usherwood & Tinder - The European Union: A Very Short Introduction, 3rd Ed. by John Pinder - The link is to the third edition ... the recommendation is for the 4th edition, which so far has no link.

August 2024 - Malcolm Harris - Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World

***

UPCOMING BOOKS OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE
The nominations process and voting are open to all members ... I only ask that you nominate and/or vote for a book that you think you may read.

I would hope that the person who nominates a book that is chosen will actively participate in the discussion. You don’t have to lead that discussion, but if you do, that’s great.

Beginning on September 1, I will call for nominations for the Monthly Reading - Members’ Choice for October. On September 11, I will call for votes among the books nominated from any and all members. On September 21, I will announce the winner. That book will be the October Members’ Choice Book of the Month. In case of ties, I will choose the winner.

LINK TO THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE OCTOBER MEMBERS' CHOICE: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

***

BUDDY READS - If you want to read any (or almost any ... I have some limits) books with someone else here, I will set up folders for doing just that. Just propose a book that you would like to read as a Buddy Read along with any details, e.g. when you want to start and how long you want the discussion to continue.

I'll set up a topic/thread for a proposed buddy reads when someone proposes a book and someone else opts in for the shared reading experience ... or in some cases, even before someone accepts the invitation.

Here's a link to the Buddy Reads folder, with a number of ongoing Buddy Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...


Good Reading!

Larry, Founder and Moderator

Cynda and Ron will read The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America by Andrés Reséndez Others are welcome to join the discussion.

The nominations process and voting are open to all members ... I only ask that you nominate and/or vote for a book that you think you may read.

I would hope that the person who nominates a book that is chosen will actively participate in the discussion. You don’t have to lead that discussion, but if you do, that’s great.

Beginning on September 1, I will call for nominations for the Monthly Reading - Members’ Choice for October. On September 11, I will call for votes among the books nominated from any and all members. On September 21, I will announce the winner. That book will be the October Members’ Choice Book of the Month. In case of ties, I will choose the winner.

Use this thread to nominate a book.

From Science News back in 2011 ... and maybe even more relevant now than when it was published twelve years ago. Again, this was twelve years ago.

"Reading a book about microbes leaves no doubt about who is in charge: They are. Some of Zimmer’s previous books have placed parasites and bacteria at the top of biology’s pecking order. In his latest book, they are viruses. The tiny microorganisms that challenge our notions about what is alive are found in every nook and cranny on Earth, making this truly a planet of viruses. ... Zimmer’s collection of essays takes readers on a guided tour of some of the wonders of this viral world, from ocean-going to bacteria-eating viruses, plus stops for the world’s biggest virus and viruses that put horns on rabbits. There’s also plenty about humans in sections on HIV, the common cold, influenza and other viruses that infect and inhabit the human body."

But the third edition of this book (published in 2021) makes it even better and more relevant to our world of today: "Fully revised and updated, with new illustrations and a new chapter about coronaviruses and the spread of Covid-19, this third edition of Carl Zimmer’s A Planet of Viruses pulls back the veil on this hidden world. It presents the latest research on how viruses hold sway over our lives and our biosphere, how viruses helped give rise to the first life-forms, how viruses are producing new diseases, how we can harness viruses for our own ends, and how viruses will continue to control our fate as long as life endures." (From the GoodReads review.)

Published in 2006, The Ghost Map continues to be widely recommended and often cited. Perhaps this paragraph from the Harvard Business Review explains why: "The Ghost Map shows how information actually works in the world. The book is about something as messy as information, excrement, and how its disposal caused an outbreak of cholera in Victorian London. The excitement of the book is how one man understood how to cure this plague and how he used a new way to display information to do so."

Ron, I am so happy for you.

Ron, my youngest granddaughter has autism and is one of the best parts of my life. Have you read Naoki Higashida's The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism?

It really is an excellent article, John.

John, I'm not sure you can read the article unless you have Apple News+ ... it's a discussion of the little metal spheres that Avi Loeb has been collecting:


Metallic spheres found on Pacific floor are interstellar in origin, Harvard professor finds

https://apple.news/A66Sbzy9ERCWaTrSeM...