20.6 - Seasoned Reader - Joanna T's task: Microhistory!

[Joanna]

Dee wrote: "Behind the Veil in Arabia: Women in Oman - it appears to be about multiple women and their experiences, which could be generalized to the stricter forms of islam in other countries"

That's fine. It's not just the memoir of one woman and it makes an effort to look at the larger social context through the specific examination of women in a specific society.

[Joanna]

Kathy G. wrote: "Will this one work?
The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines"

Good choice.

[Joanna]

Chris wrote: "I notice that Bill Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life appears on the lists. Is that acceptable? (Because I already have it an audio!)"

Yes, that's fine.

[Joanna]

mstan wrote: "Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things - is this OK?"

Yes.

[Joanna]

Sarah wrote: "Wondering about both Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies and Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture."

Bunelleschi's Dome looks perfect.

Guns Germs and Steel strikes me as a macrohistory -- an effort to explain society writ large rather than through a narrow lens of a single object, but I'm willing to be convinced otherwise if you want to make an argument for it.

[Joanna]

Sarah wrote: "I'm a bit lost here, to be honest. Would a book on how a world in a series was created etc, like for instance [book:Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the H..."

A study of the creation of Harry Potter is fine - it's the examination of the phenomenon and appears to at least try to place it in a larger cultural context.

[Joanna]

Anomander wrote: "Would either or work?"

Both approved. Both of these are an effort to examine a narrow thing (vampires/science research animals) and to place them in the larger social context.

[Joanna]

chucklesthescot wrote: ""Books that fit this task focus on a specific event,but not merely a case study of a single event."

I'm just not getting this. That seems like a contradiction to me! So would a book about a specif..."

The way I see it, a book about a specific event needs to be at least trying to put that event into the larger social context. So a book that just describes a specific expedition won't work, but a book that takes a specific event and uses it as a lens for examining the larger social context will.

Thus, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, mentioned above, focuses on the actions of a few specific people trying to rescue cultural artifacts, but the focus of the book seems to be putting these actions in the larger societal context of the importance of art/cultural objects not just a biography of the individuals. It's using the story of these men to tell a larger social story.

The goal here is to differentiate between something that's just a memoir or biography of a single person or a couple of people who did something interesting and the examination of a thing or event as a way of reflecting on the larger social aspects/consequences.

But generally, an examination of a specific disaster/expedition/etc. will work if the book makes an effort to go beyond merely describing the events to thinking about the larger social issues involved (e.g., how does society deal with warfare; what resources will society put into a rescue effort; etc.)

Clear as mud?

[Joanna]

Randi wrote: "I was wondering if one of these would work. This one took me some time to narrow down! I like that. Good task, I love having to do a bit of a search. :)

Lost in Shangri-la or [book:..."

The Professor and the Madman is an excellent fit -- it's about the making of a thing and looks at the larger social context of the dictionary itself. Lost in Shangri-La is a closer call, but it seems to spend at least some time focusing on the relationship between the native tribes and larger society, so I'll approve that one as well.

[Joanna]

Denise wrote: "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson was on the GR Microhistories - Sweeping Social Histories of Just One Thing List and I just ..."

Yes, this seems to be about the history of the trail and the National Park Service as well as about the author's own journey.

[Randi]

Joanna wrote: "Randi wrote: "I was wondering if one of these would work. This one took me some time to narrow down! I like that. Good task, I love having to do a bit of a search. :)

[book:Lost in Shangri-la|9729..."

Thank you, Joanna! I was a little uncertain about Lost in Shangri-la after reading your clarification on microhistories. Those darn listopia lists always trip me up. ;) I think I might just go with The Professor and the Madman since it fits better! Thanks again!

[Joanna]

Judy wrote: "Would any of these work?

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
The Coming of the Third Reich
Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science
For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula of the World's Favourite Drink

Thanks! "

The Age of Wonder looks like either a biography or a more macrohistory to me, but I'd be willing to hear your explanation of why you think it fits.

The others all work.

[Joanna]

Nonodisco wrote: "Can I read Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void for this task?"

Yes.

[Joanna]

Kim wrote: "I'm having trouble with this one, too. Can I use The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School
or what about something poli..."

Yes, this seems to be trying to put a specific phenomena (high school cliques) into a larger social context.

[Joanna]

Chris wrote: "I thought of another one I have on my TBR shelf: Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball's Longest Game
It's about a single baseball game that lasted 33 innings."

Yes, this seems to use the single game as a way of reflecting on the minor leagues versus the major leagues and the way that baseball players come to be baseball players.

[Joanna]

Rosemary wrote: "How about Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal?"

Yes.

[Joanna]

Anwen wrote: "What about this one for a microhistory of an event? Black Hawk Down"

Yes, the tagline is "A Story of Modern War" and the book seems to try to use the single event as a way of examining the way that disparate parts of society reacted to the event and the role of the media in the event.

[Joanna]

Kim wrote: "what about something political, like liberals vs conservatives or how media communicates or favors certain politics, or some such?"

More generally, for a politics book to work, it needs to examine something pretty specific. So a book about liberals vs. conservatives generally is probably not specific enough. But a book about the creation of a specific political party or trend might work (e.g.,
The Making of Pro-life Activists: How Social Movement Mobilization Works).

The idea here is to take a very specific thing or event or idea and trace it through the larger social context where it fits. This is easiest with a "thing" (like Salt), but can also be done with an event or activity.

[Joanna]

Ok, I think I'm caught up. If I missed you, please raise your hand again.

[Anne (Booklady)]

Hi Joanna,

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History is about meteorologist, Issac Cline and the devastating September 1900 that literally drowned Galveston TX.

Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 is the devastating hurricane that almost destroyed the FL Keys.

Will they work? Thank you,
Anne

[Cheri]

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America A murder with the backdrop of the making of the Chicago World's Fair

The City of Falling Angels the history of Venice told using the Venice Opera House as a current event.

Thunderstruck murder amid the invention of wireless radio communications.

[Dee]

Thanks Joanna! FYI - I love your name, my sister is a Johanna, but just goes by Jo most of the time ;) )

Joanna wrote: "Dee wrote: "Behind the Veil in Arabia: Women in Oman - it appears to be about multiple women and their experiences, which could be generalized to the stricter forms of islam in other..."

[Sarah]

Joanna wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I'm a bit lost here, to be honest. Would a book on how a world in a series was created etc, like for instance [book:Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Lif..."

Whee, thanks Joanna, glad I have at least 1 book at home that fits the challenge ;)

[chucklesthescot]

RE message 59-I think I'm getting there! So something like The Beckoning Silence or
K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain would be ok? I've copied the appropriate bits from the GR book descriptions to save you some time!

In a narrative that takes the reader through extreme experiences from an avalanche in Bolivia, ice-climbing in the Alps and Colorado and paragliding in Spain -- before his final confrontation with the Eiger -- Simpson reveals the inner truth of climbing, exploring the power of the mind and the frailties of the body through intensely lived accounts of exhilaration and despair. The subject of his new book is the siren song of fear and his struggle to come to terms with it

In K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain, Viesturs explores the remarkable history of the mountain and of those who have attempted to conquer it. At the same time he probes K2's most memorable sagas in an attempt to illustrate the lessons learned by confronting the fundamental questions raised by mountaineering–questions of risk, ambition, loyalty to one's teammates, self-sacrifice, and the price of glory.

[Karen Michele]

I think I better check mine. It's a new one from national geographic:

Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem

I have a lot of other options, but am hoping this is right because I'm reading The House of the Seven Gables and I'm really interested in reading more about the history of Salem and the trials.

[JennRenee, Moderator]

is Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier ok

[Wendy UK]

I'm a bit unsure about this genre, so just checking:

London by Tube: A History of Underground Station Names

Will this work?

[MJ]

Would Barbara Ehrenreich's Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy work?

Thank you!

[Carla]

would this work? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

If I understand the description correctly it's about the evolution of medical use of the HeLa cells as well as Henrietta's death and her family through the years

[Joanna]

Carla wrote: "would this work? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

If I understand the description correctly it's about the evolution of medical use of the HeLa cells as well as Henrietta's deat..."

Already approved.

[Joanna]

MJ wrote: "Would Barbara Ehrenreich's Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy work?

Thank you!"

Yes, this works.

[Joanna]

Wendy UK wrote: "I'm a bit unsure about this genre, so just checking:

London by Tube: A History of Underground Station Names

Will this work?"

Approved.

[Wendy UK]

Joanna wrote: " Wendy UK wrote: "I'm a bit unsure about this genre, so just checking:

London by Tube: A History of Underground Station Names

Will this work?"

Approved."

Thanks Joanna

[Anne (Booklady)]

I think you missed me Joanna. Post #71.
Thanks, Anne

[Joanna]

Karen GHHS wrote: "I think I better check mine. It's a new one from national geographic:

Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem

I have a lot of other options, but am hoping this is r..."

That looks fine. Since it's targeted at middle-grade students, it probably has less analysis of societal implications, but seems to orient in that direction.

[Joanna]

chucklesthescot wrote: "RE message 59-I think I'm getting there! So something like The Beckoning Silence or
K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain would be ok? I've copied t..."

K2 looks perfect!

For The Beckoning Silence, it looks more like an individual account/memoir, but if that's the one you want to use I'll look at it more closely.

[Joanna]

Cheri wrote: "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America A murder with the backdrop of the making of the Chicago World's Fair

The City of Falling Angels the history of Venice told using the Venice Opera House as a current event.

Thunderstruck murder amid the invention of wireless radio communications. "

All okay.

[Joanna]

Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Hi Joanna,

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History is about meteorologist, Issac Cline and the devastating September 1900 that literally drowned Galvesto..."

This one looks perfect.


Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935

I couldn't find enough description of Storm of the Century to tell whether it makes any effort to place the storm in the larger social context or to examine what the reaction to the storm or the way it was handled has any larger social implications. If you have the sense that it does, then it's fine. If it's really just a chronicle of the storm, it doesn't fit this task because it doesn't take the extra step of trying to answer larger questions through the lens of a small event.

[Karen Michele]

Joanna wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "I think I better check mine. It's a new one from national geographic:

Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem

I have a lot of other options, but ..."

Thanks, Joanna,
It has an 1190 Lexile score, so I'm feeling pretty good about it being sophisticated enough for the task. It's a great task and microhistory is really the trend in young adult nonfiction right now for middle school and high school.

[Joanna]

Jenn Renee wrote: "is Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier ok"

This doesn't look like a history of gratitude -- it looks more like a self-help book.

I'm going to say no to this one.

[Chris]

Cheri wrote: "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America A murder with the backdrop of the making of the Chicago World's Fair

[book:The City of Falli..."

If you like audiobooks, I highly recommend the audio version of City of Falling Angels. I found it absolutely fascinating and it started me on a run of novels based in Venice.

[Emily]

The books have already been approved, but I just want to say that I have read both Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History and The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America and loved them both. If anyone is still looking for something to read, I recommend either one.

[Anne (Booklady)]

Hi Joanna,
I found more information regarding .

On Labor Day in 1935, a hurricane that produced the record low barometric pressure reading of 26.35 inches hit Florida's upper Keys, destroying virtually everything in its path. In his meticulously researched work, Drye gives a vivid, detailed account of the storm's approach and impact when it made landfall. Drye was drawn to the story of the unnamed hurricane not only because of its intensity, but also because it killed nearly 260 World War I veterans who were building a highway as part of a federal construction program. Living in flimsy huts built in low-lying areas, the veterans' only chance to survive the storm was evacuation, a move officials were too slow to order. The first two-thirds of the book, which includes a terrific description of the Keys around the turn of the century (when Key West was Florida's largest city), is especially gripping, punctuated with first-hand survivor accounts of the storm's fury. Responsibility for the deaths of the veterans became a political football, and the blatantly partisan investigation that ensued will have a timeless resonance for followers of American politics. But Drye overreaches when he suggests that full disclosure about the disaster could have caused problems for FDR's reelection bid; the author is on far safer ground as a weather historian than as a political commentator.

Overview
"On Labor Day Weekend, 1935, America took a body blow. Already reeling from the Great Depression, the battered nation was just starting to get back on its feet when nature delivered a knockout punch: the greatest hurricane ever recorded on our shores. This nameless, violent killer blasted buildings to smithereens with 200-mile-an-hour winds and a raging storm surge that overwhelmed everything in its path. The wonder is not that so many died in the Florida Keys, but that anyone survived at all." Author Willie Drye deftly weaves an hour-by-hour, often moment-by-moment tapestry of first-person accounts of the fateful storm. He evokes the frugal life of the handful of families who inhabited these tiny, low-lying islands and explains why good intentions and political expediency sent hundreds of veterans to New Deal labor camps in one of the most remote places in America. He describes the storm gathering fury off Cuba, as it eludes the U.S. Weather Bureau's detection systems and finds the S.S. Dixie, a passenger liner, which unwittingly sets out from New Orleans on a collision course with the heart of the gale. As the storm warnings mount, government bureaucrats dither while the hurricane zeroes in on the Keys, striking its shocked and terrified victims with unimaginable force.

If this won't work, I'll read that you approved for me.
Thank you very much for answering my questions.

[Anne (Booklady)]

Kate wrote: "The books have already been approved, but I just want to say that I have read both Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History and [book:The Devil in the Whit..."

I have both books. Thanks!

[Becky]

Would this work? It's about the cholera epidemic in London in 1854.

[Janice]

I wanted to make sure my choice fits. Thanks.

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

[chucklesthescot]

Joanna wrote: "chucklesthescot wrote: "RE message 59-I think I'm getting there! So something like The Beckoning Silence or
K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain wo..."

The K2 one will be great for me to use. Thank you so much for all your help and patience! I really appreciate it! I look forward to doing your task x

[Tani]

Would Woman: An Intimate Geography work?

[Joanna]

Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Hi Joanna,
I found more information regarding .

On Labor Day in 1935, a hurricane that produced the record low barometric ..."

Great, thanks for tracking down the additional info. This is approved as well since it appears that the author tries to reach the larger political consequence of the storm.

[Joanna]

Rebecca wrote: "Would this work? It's about the cholera epidemic in London..."

Excellent choice.