January 24, 2006
"The Beak of the Finch" by Jonathan Weiner
When Darwin first published On the Origin of Species in 1859, he conceded that the evolution of a species by natural selection was so slow as to be impossible to observe directly. Ever since, critics have used science’s inability to observe selection as a weapon against evolutionary theory. Over the past several decades, however, dedicated teams of scientists conducting long-term studies of various populations of organisms have, in fact, observed evolution at work. Jonathan Weiner’s The Beak of the Finch tells the story of the most famous of these studies: Peter and Rosemary Grant’s decades-long work with the finches of the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Peru. Returning to the same islands year after year, carefully trapping, measuring, and banding thousands of birds, the Grants demonstrated that changes in the finches’ environment resulted in changes in the physical characteristics of the finches themselves – often with surprising speed. Weiner tells their remarkable story in clear, simple language, carefully explaining the intricacies of evolutionary theory in terms understandable even to non-biologists. Although it’s now over ten years old, both the questions it poses and the Grant’s answers remain relevant to understanding evolutionary theory today.
-Scott M., Science
Posted by jnardine at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2006
"The Historian" by E. Kostova
The Historian is a great mix of vampire lore, academic settings (lots of research in archives and old libraries), family secrets, and Eastern European history. Like The Da Vinci Code and The Rule of Four, The Historian is an adventure that covers large periods of time, mysterious lore and danger to the main characters. This is a long book, but beautifully written and worth the effort (of both lifting it and taking the time to read it).
UGL PRON: 999 KO-59 *H
Grad: PS 3611 .O84 H57 2005
AAEL FUN: F KOS
Pam M., reserves
Posted by jnardine at 11:39 AM | Comments (2)
January 16, 2006
"The City of Falling Angels" by John Berendt
Of all the non-fiction books I've read in the past few years, this is
one of the very best reads! The author, John Berendt, arrived in
Venice for an extended stay a few days after the spectacular fire that
consumed La Fenice, Venice’s magnificent opera house. His book is a
fascinating look at the fire, the investigation of the fire and the
rebuilding of La Fenice. Equally fascinating are his portraits of the
city, and the people and organizations he came to know during his stay
and his research into the fire. The writing, the characters, and the
suspense make this a real page-turner.
Linda T., Head
Posted by jnardine at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)
"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis
I'm currently reading, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. I've probably read it 20 times before, but with the movie coming out, I decided I wanted one last read before my imagination was tainted by a movie version of what the characters look like, etc. That said, I'm excited to see the movie--it has been getting good reviews, and one of the positive comments is that it's faithful to the book.
I do think that it's interesting-- and this has been mentioned in several reviews as well--that christian groups are taking their children to see this movie, when many of these same folks are up in arms about Harry Potter. The Narnia religious themes are more blatant, but the Harry Potter books and the Narnia books have many similar magical themes and symbols...
But I've gone off on a tangent. If you somehow missed The Lion, The
Witch, and The Wardobe as a child, I highly recommend a read as an
adult!
Amanda F., Reference and Instruction
Posted by jnardine at 11:34 AM | Comments (1)
"The World in a Phrase" by James Geary
Remember who said, "The art of being a slave is to rule one's master"?
How about, "I shop therefore I am"? Rediscover these and other
aphorisms in James Geary's instructive and entertaining "The World in a
Phrase: A Brief History of the Aphorism." Geary delivers a whirlwind
tour of the lives and times of aphorists and their terse sayings from
various cultures. From Buddha to Dr. Suess, this book presents a trove
of marvelous witticisms that invite readers to explore the bare
essentials of life in a single insight. In the words of the French
aphorist Joseph Joubert, "A thought is a thing as real as a cannonball."
Renoir G., Reference
Posted by jnardine at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)
"The Known World" by Edward P. Jones
The Known World, by Edward P. Jones is beautifully written. I was drawn in by the language of this 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning debut novel. The book tells the story of Henry Townsend, a freed-slave turned slave owner, and his family. Set in Virginia in the 1840s, the story covers Henry’s father buying the family their freedom, the falling out between father and son over Henry owning slaves, and the lives of the people Henry and his wife, Caldonia know. The Graduate Library has a copy of this book (call number: 828 J7638kn)
-Pam M., Reserves
Posted by jnardine at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)