April 2008
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
by Jane Jacobs
This book has forever changed my preconceptions about cities and how they really work. The beginning is a bit of a rant, and the overall tone is annoyingly condescending, but the information and analysis is truly astonishing. As life in the twenty-first century increasingly means “city life,” it will be imperative that we and our leaders are aware of the principles set forth in this book. A must-read, as far as I’m concerned.
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
by Jack Weatherford
Chock-full of fascinating factoids about the origins of the Mongol empire that once stretched all across southern Eurasia, and arguably created the trade routes that created the modern world as we know it. The first three-quarters of the book are fantastic, though it trails off. The good parts are well worth it!
Devil and the White City
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
by Erik Larson
This book is fantastic. It created in me a totally new fascination with nineteenth-century America and the industrial economy of the era. The book alternates chapters between the story of the architects who created the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. The former story is a must-read, the latter is gory, but intriguing as well. Easy, fast read. Highly recommended!
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan
“What should we eat?” This is the Omnivore’s Dilemma. The first section of the book is interesting if a bit meladramatic, but the middle of the book (Polyface Farm) makes it worth reading. The account of the workings of a “beyond organic” farm is intriguing and inspiring, and the contrast with the “big organic” industry is striking. The last part of the book, in which the author goes hunting with European friends in California, is the height of silly melodrama. I recommend considering the book finished after the “big organic” meal, the last chapters are torture.