30.2 - Daphne's task: Peering really close at the world.

[Dlmrose, Moderator Emeritus]

30.2 - Daphne's task: Peering really close at the world.

Sometimes reading can give you a chance to explore the big picture or big ideas. This can sometimes happens when one looks really closely at small things. For this task, we are going to take a look at the world by focusing on one particular topic or learning about the littlest things in life
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Please read 2 books from 2 different options. Identify the options when you post.

This is a non-fiction book task.

1. In 1995, Oxford University Press decided to try a new kind of book aimed at introducing readers to big subjects in very few words. Classics: A Very Short Introduction by Mary Beard was their first foray into trying this medium. They are still publishing many books a year and there are nearly 450 A Very Short Introductions published now. Pick a book from the collection Very Short Introductions

2. Another interesting way to learn about a particular subject and how it fits into the bigger picture is through the increasingly popular "microhistory". Mark Kurlansky's incredibly interesting and insightful Salt: A World History in 2002 was one of the first and it triggered thousands of historians, science writers, and popular authors to try their hand at a microhistory. One of my favorite Listopia's ever is all about the mircohistories, and it's been a constant source of new books and subjects that I didn't even realize I might be interested in. For this task, read a book from the first 2 pages of Microhistory: Social Histories of Just One Thing

3. Here is a fact that may be hard to swallow for some: There is a very good chance that humans may have more bacterial cells in their bodies than 'human' ones. This article from Scientific American explains how we are more bacteria than human. Read a book shelved at least 4 times under Microbiology from this list Popular Microbiology Books OR read a book from this listopia: Microbiology

[Daphne]

Approved:

[Daphne]

Won't Work:

[Dlmrose, Moderator Emeritus]

This help thread is open!

[Trish]

I love the Very Short Introductions series!

[Daphne]

Trish wrote: "I love the Very Short Introductions series!"

Me too! I hope there is another fan or two of this series after the challenge too.

[Sandi]

Looks like my library network only has two of them so I'll be reading the Egyptian Myth or Russian History one ;-)

[kiki]

just throwing this out there for people looking for a book for option 2... Mark Kurlansky's earlier book Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World is amazing! i preferred it to Salt (though Salt was good, too!) :)

[JackAttack]

I think I *may* just discovered my new favorite Listopia - love the microhistory challenge!!

[Daphne]

Jacki wrote: "I think I *may* just discovered my new favorite Listopia - love the microhistory challenge!!"

I'm so happy to hear it! It's my favorite listopia :) I've found so many wonderful gems and learned so many things from the books on that list.

[Claire]

Option 2: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

Option 3: The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston