Best for: Those looking for a bit of inspiration in tough times; those who want to learn more about a group of WWII women (the Rabbits) who haven’t received a lot of coverage. In a nutshell: Three women’s lives intertwine – Caroline, a retired US Broadway star who volunteers at the French Consulate in NYC, Kasia, a Polish teen who is just starting to assist the resistance, and Herta, a German Doctor who experiments on young girls in a concentration camp. Worth quoting: “To make […]
It’s Up to Us
Best for: Those of us feeling a bit hopeless as we see that facts don’t seem matter to so many people. In a nutshell: Over five brief but information chapters, author Matthew D’Ancona walks us through what has been happening lately (focusing on Trump’s election and Brexit), offers some ideas of how we got here, and suggestions about what we can do to keep the hole from deepening. Worth quoting: “Yet political lies, spin and falsehood are emphatically not the same as Post-Truth. What is […]
Flags Are Fascinating
Best for: People interested in world politics. In a nutshell: Tim Marshall examines many (though not all) of the flags of nations, as well as flags of political movements and other organizations as a way to examine what these symbols mean to people. Worth quoting: “The people of the nations of Europe have stubbornly resisted becoming one, not because they don’t like each other but because they like themselves.” Why I chose it: I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Marshall’s examination of how geography influences world politics, […]
Reading About Writing a Dictionary is FASCINATING. No, Seriously.
Best for: People who love words. So, you know, ALL OF US. In a nutshell: Mirriam-Webster Dictionary lexicographer Kory Stamper shares a behind the scenes look at what goes into that tome so many of us take for granted, the dictionary. Worth quoting: “The fact is that many the things that are presented to us as rules are really just the of-the-moment preferences of people who have had the opportunity to get their opinions published and whose opinions end up being reinforced and repeated down […]