Title: The Bioarchaeology of Tuberculosis: A Global View on a Reemerging Disease
Authors: Charlotte Roberts and Jane Buikstra
Rating: 5
A thoroughly researched account of the evidence of tuberculosis found in human remains from eons gone by. Very much an academic oriented book, but incredibly interesting.
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Salt: A World History
Title: Salt: A World History
Author: Mark Kurlansky
Rating: 4
An incredibly interesting look at something most of us use everyday and take for granted. Those interested in the history of food should definitely read.
Author: Mark Kurlansky
Rating: 4
An incredibly interesting look at something most of us use everyday and take for granted. Those interested in the history of food should definitely read.
Monday, December 21, 2009
And You Shall Know Us by the Trail of Our Vinyl
Title: And You Shall Know Us by the Trail of Our Vinyl: The Jewish Past as Told by the Records We Have Loved and Lost
Author: Roger Bennett and Josh Kun
Rating: 4
Part history of Jews and 20th century music, part coffee table book full of album covers, this was an enjoyable read.
Author: Roger Bennett and Josh Kun
Rating: 4
Part history of Jews and 20th century music, part coffee table book full of album covers, this was an enjoyable read.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'N' Roll
Title: How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'N' Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music
Author: Elijah Wald
Rating: 3
While I had high hopes for new revelations in rock history with this book, that was not the case. Widely researched and containing interesting side notes, but for someone with my background in music it provided little in the way of things I didn't already know. I did appreciate the anecdote regarding Leonard Bernstein comparing The Beatles to Schumann and Ned Rorem comparing them to Chopin, Monteverdi, and Poulenc.
A final quote from the book:
"Between downloading, burning, and file sharing, there is no way to form even a rough estimate of how many people are acquiring any particular recording these days, and what gets played on the radio is no indicator in a world where most young people are listening to their own digital playlists."
Take that radio stations that continue to play bad music and lose listeners to satellite radio!
Author: Elijah Wald
Rating: 3
While I had high hopes for new revelations in rock history with this book, that was not the case. Widely researched and containing interesting side notes, but for someone with my background in music it provided little in the way of things I didn't already know. I did appreciate the anecdote regarding Leonard Bernstein comparing The Beatles to Schumann and Ned Rorem comparing them to Chopin, Monteverdi, and Poulenc.
A final quote from the book:
"Between downloading, burning, and file sharing, there is no way to form even a rough estimate of how many people are acquiring any particular recording these days, and what gets played on the radio is no indicator in a world where most young people are listening to their own digital playlists."
Take that radio stations that continue to play bad music and lose listeners to satellite radio!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sisters of Salome
Title: Sisters of Salome
Author: Toni Bently
Rating: 3.5
A book about four women who dared to dance the dance of the seven veils in the late 19th and early 20th century. While it appears to be written as someone's thesis, it did have some interesting bits.
Author: Toni Bently
Rating: 3.5
A book about four women who dared to dance the dance of the seven veils in the late 19th and early 20th century. While it appears to be written as someone's thesis, it did have some interesting bits.
Friday, September 25, 2009
How the States Got Their Shapes
Title: How the States Got Their Shapes
Author: Mark Stein
Rating: 4
A nice, easy to read fact book. My only complaint is that instead of alphabetical order, I would have liked the states presented in the order they entered the union.
Author: Mark Stein
Rating: 4
A nice, easy to read fact book. My only complaint is that instead of alphabetical order, I would have liked the states presented in the order they entered the union.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Indifferent Stars Above
Title: The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride
Author: Daniel James Brown
Rating: 4
Not exactly light vacation reading, but a riveting look at a much speculated part of the settlement of the west. Very well researched and highly recommended for the history buffs among us.
Author: Daniel James Brown
Rating: 4
Not exactly light vacation reading, but a riveting look at a much speculated part of the settlement of the west. Very well researched and highly recommended for the history buffs among us.
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