The Ice at the End of the World

The Ice at the End of the World: An Epic Journey into Greenland's Buried Past and Our Perilous Future by Jon Gertner. This very interesting book is both a history of the exploration of Greenland and an assessment of the global climate change crisis. The author describes the social history of Greenland and its exploration, and also the stories of the intrepid early explorers who added so much to the knowledge of large ice caps. Its striking how 'no 2 glaciers are alike' according to this author. His writing is clear and descriptive, and the build up from exploration to scientific research of the large ice fields of the world is an exciting, and at the same time disturbing narrative. From the Inuit and the early Norse settlers, to the use of satellite technology to analyze the ice melt, the story plunges us into the remote areas that will change all of our worlds.

The Vegabonds by Jeff Guinn

The Vegabonds by Jeff Guinn Henry Ford, John Burroughs, Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone took trips to the 'wilderness' in the beginning of the 20th century. A way to 'get away' that was well publicized because they were actually very well coordinated publicity stunts to promote the products and initiatives of all 4 men. Later sometimes accompanied by their wives, the 'roughing it' trips consisted of a caravan of cars with servants and cooks to setup camp and prepare meals. Edison batteries provided lights for the tents, and they sometimes gave up the rouse and stayed at luxury hotels. This is an interesting snapshop of the times, from about 1910 to the late 1920s. When all of these men were very well known, and Burroughs and Edison in particular not young men. Into the commerce that they peddled with their 'camping' trips they also wove the politics of the day. So nothing new that the publicity machine can get to the public and create images that are still known today, even though it all came out of a marketing campaign.

The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World

The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World by Adam Gazzaley This book outlines a lot of the research that has gone into how we get distracted and why we are wired to be distracted. The consequences of being distracted can of course be very bad. Driving of course, but in everyday life where people think that 'multi-tasking' is a real thing. It actually is a very bad way to operate in the world, and ruins efficiency. The authors offer many strategies and ways of trying to cope with our distracting environments. I found it interesting that the idea of having an extended tech break, days without technology, can actually back fire. When you return to your tech world from the break you often dive in and are even more distracted than before. The strategies outlined really require a way of changing our behavior and changing the proximity of where are tech is at. Even it is not right in front of us, we are always aware that it is somewhere, offering us the latest update on 'vital' information. Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body By Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson

Running to the Edge

Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed by Matthew Futterman. This is a history of competitive running, from the 1950s to the present. It outlines the ways people train, used to train and how that evolved. The academic and economic forces that shaped running. This follows the personalities that helped to shape modern competitive running. Of course the shoe companies have had a big influence on this culture, and the fight to not let them control everything makes this a more interesting story.

The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777

The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson. This is a lot of the history that we know, but told in a non-academic way that makes it a great way to refresh our memories of the start of the American Revolution. This is the history of the revolution up to 1777. It has been easy to forget how much happened before July 4, 1776, and a lot did happen. This is a military history of the beginning of the revolution, not a political history, but of course it is impossible to completely separate the two. The familiar names of places and people are brought to life: Bunker Hill, Washington, Franklin, Princeton. And in an odd twist, I have never read a book where the word sanguine was used so frequently.

Black Death at the Golden Gate

Black Death at the Golden Gate by David Randal. This tells the medical history of the plague in the US. The first outbreak came in the early 1900s in the San Francisco area. This also tells the story of the National Hospital Service, which would later be the National Institutes of Health. In particular Rupert Blue who's ground breaking work helped to contain the plague and keep if from becoming a national catastrophe. Of course woven throughout the story are the politics that were involved. City and State officials in California not wanting to have the state economy affected by a reputation of being a plague state, while at the same time trying to stop an epidemic from taking hold. The pathology of the plague is interesting in that the american version proved slightly different than the epidemics that hit asia before it came to the US.

Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir

Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl. This charming memoir is mostly about the authors stint as editor in chief at Gourmet magazine, which lasted until the magazine folded. Some also about her early life and experience as food critic for the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. Her experience at Gourmet tells the story of a lifestyle that will probably never some back, living opulently in New York with lots of expense account money. Basically a life that the internet destroyed. There are lots of funny anecdotes and great descriptions of meals and trips. The Paris excursion of the entire staff of Gourmet is a story of excess that cannot be matched.