Category Archives: Books
Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible
On the surface, Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia is a memoir of the years 2001 to 2010 when the author, Peter Pomerantsev, lived and worked in Russia. In reality, the book … Continue reading
Greenwood
I was on vacation last week and took one of my periodic side trips into fiction. Greenwood, by Canadian writer Michael Christie, is a novel about family and trees and the relationship between them. It spans four generations of the … Continue reading
On Tyranny
I’ve lived my whole life in democratic countries. I’ve never experienced what it’s like to live under a dictatorship, thankfully. But these days, I’m worried. Democracy here in the US and around the world seems more fragile that it used … Continue reading
The Economic Weapon
This book could not be more timely. Published one month before Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, The Economic Weapon: The Rise of Sanctions as a Tool of Modern War is about the origins, evolution and uses of economic sanctions during … Continue reading
The Address Book
You probably don’t think about your street address very much. These days, I imagine you use it mainly to fill out forms or to tell online retailers where to deliver your packages. In reality, your address is loaded with meaning … Continue reading
The Fabric of Civilization
What are you wearing right now right next to your skin? Do you prefer clothing made from natural fabrics like cotton, wool, or silk? Maybe you don’t mind synthetics like polyester. If you’re about to start a workout, you might … Continue reading
Entangled Life
When the author of this book about fungi started describing his participation in experiments involving LSD, I wondered if it was going to be a different sort of book than I was expecting. The author is Merlin Sheldrake, a biologist … Continue reading
Eloquence of the Sardine
As a young boy, Bill François manages to catch a wayward sardine with his toy net and pail while clambering around the rocky Mediterranean coast of his native France. I say wayward because sardines aren’t solitary creatures and they don’t … Continue reading
The 1619 Project
We’ve all been taught the United States was founded on July 4, 1776, when representatives of the 13 colonies, gathered in Philadelphia, issued the Declaration of Independence. That’s the dominant historical narrative. But what if it’s not true? The 1619 … Continue reading
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