The Age of Comfort by Joan DeJean is packed with information about the place where surroundings and intellect intersect. DeJean takes the reader on a tour of French history by way of its furniture.
Does comfortable furniture make a man more civilized? The French certainly thought so; and most of Europe agreed with them during the 1700s, a time when everyone but the English wanted to be as French as possible. Does indoor plumbing affect a person's mental state? Undoubtedly. These questions arise as we see the change in the way people express themselves and even view their own bodies depending on the furniture they sit on.
Occasionally dry, but unfailingly interesting, The Age of Comfort is a treat.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Michael S. Hart, creator of Project Gutenberg
Click here for the obituary of Michael S. Hart, creator of Gutenberg.org. This site is one of my favorites as it provides free ebooks.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Reading as leisure
According to The Age of Comfort by Joan DeJean, reading was not something people did for enjoyment until comfortable furniture was invented. Once there was upholstered furniture large enough for people to stretch out on, they grabbed their books and letters and began to read them for pleasure, not just for the purposes of study or business. This change began in France around 1700 and is one of the many ways furniture affects our life.
If you have any interest in France, the modern home, and the way our surroundings affect us, I recommend The Age of Comfort.
If you have any interest in France, the modern home, and the way our surroundings affect us, I recommend The Age of Comfort.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Why Read Moby Dick?
Nathaniel Philbrick has already made a gigantic contribution to Melville studies by providing us with In the Heart of the Sea, about the whaleship Essex. The story of the Essex provided Melville with a real-life basis for some of the fantastic events in Moby Dick.
Soon, Philbrick's new book, Why Read Moby-Dick?, will give us more of his valuable insight into this great American novel.
Soon, Philbrick's new book, Why Read Moby-Dick?, will give us more of his valuable insight into this great American novel.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Uncommon: A Book Review Haiku
Uncommon finds truth
in lives lived well, paths straightened.
God and football themes.
Uncommon by Tony Dungy is a book aimed at helping men and boys be the best they can, but most of its lessons apply with equal simplicity and depth to anyone who cares to read it. Dungy draws on the lessons learned coaching professional football and seeing what effect a life of privilege can have without a strong moral compass.
in lives lived well, paths straightened.
God and football themes.
Uncommon by Tony Dungy is a book aimed at helping men and boys be the best they can, but most of its lessons apply with equal simplicity and depth to anyone who cares to read it. Dungy draws on the lessons learned coaching professional football and seeing what effect a life of privilege can have without a strong moral compass.
The Constantine Codex
The Constantine Codex is one of the most dreadful books I've read in quite a while. The plot would have been fascinating in the hands of a more skilled author. But Paul L. Maier manages to squeeze all the entertainment out of the story with his insipid dialogue.
The two main characters are a married couple--Jon, a Harvard professor and Shannon, an archaeologist--who talk to each other in bad jokes and long-winded explanations of things both of them should already know. Maier is clearly trying to get his readers up to speed on all the history they need to know in order to understand the story, but he doesn't seem to understand that not all factual information has to come out of a character's mouth. A few well-placed paragraphs of historical background would do wonders. Instead, readers will start to wonder how the main characters manage to hold down such prestigious jobs when they are clearly both morons. Jon and Shannon spend page after page trading information back and forth that should be so obvious to them that it need not be stated.
It would be like having the following conversation with your spouse:
Husband: I'm hungry, love of my life. What's that thing called where you combine bread and meat?
Wife: I believe you're thinking of the sandwich.
Husband: I think you're right! Did you know bread is considered a carbohydrate?
Wife: That's right! How could I have forgotten?
Husband: There, there. We can't all be as brilliant as I am...now does the bread go on the inside or the outside?
I'm only exaggerating very slightly. Read the book for yourself if you don't believe me, but don't say I didn't warn you.
The two main characters are a married couple--Jon, a Harvard professor and Shannon, an archaeologist--who talk to each other in bad jokes and long-winded explanations of things both of them should already know. Maier is clearly trying to get his readers up to speed on all the history they need to know in order to understand the story, but he doesn't seem to understand that not all factual information has to come out of a character's mouth. A few well-placed paragraphs of historical background would do wonders. Instead, readers will start to wonder how the main characters manage to hold down such prestigious jobs when they are clearly both morons. Jon and Shannon spend page after page trading information back and forth that should be so obvious to them that it need not be stated.
It would be like having the following conversation with your spouse:
Husband: I'm hungry, love of my life. What's that thing called where you combine bread and meat?
Wife: I believe you're thinking of the sandwich.
Husband: I think you're right! Did you know bread is considered a carbohydrate?
Wife: That's right! How could I have forgotten?
Husband: There, there. We can't all be as brilliant as I am...now does the bread go on the inside or the outside?
I'm only exaggerating very slightly. Read the book for yourself if you don't believe me, but don't say I didn't warn you.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Craving Grace
Craving Grace is the second book by Lisa Velhouse, author of Saving My First Kiss. Velthouse takes readers through about three years of her life in this memoir and details her attempts to find Christian perfection, professional perfection, and a relationship that lasts longer than the second date.
The chapters jump back and forth in time and, though well labeled, are still likely to leave the reader confused by all the similar emotions and situations described again and again. Velthouse's thoughts also jump around quite a bit, but not in a displeasing way. Her style is personable and endearing.
I found myself wanting very much to meet this charmingly flawed young woman who strives so hard to be so many wonderful things. By the end of the story, readers with any heart will find themselves silently cheering at the hint of romantic success in Velthouse's future.
The chapters jump back and forth in time and, though well labeled, are still likely to leave the reader confused by all the similar emotions and situations described again and again. Velthouse's thoughts also jump around quite a bit, but not in a displeasing way. Her style is personable and endearing.
I found myself wanting very much to meet this charmingly flawed young woman who strives so hard to be so many wonderful things. By the end of the story, readers with any heart will find themselves silently cheering at the hint of romantic success in Velthouse's future.
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