A few months ago, I read “In Defense of Food: an Eater’s Manifesto” by Michael Pollan, one of the titles on this year’s American Library Association Notable Books list.
Pollan explains how decades of nutrition science, as covered in the media especially, have confused us about how to eat healthfully. Pollan wants people to eat food, and by eating a variety of food, they will receive the nutrition that they need.
I probably agree with his advice overall. I parted ways with him when he veered toward advice that seemed illogically anti-science or anti-modern. For instance, “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” My great-grandmother grew up in a sodhouse in rural Nebraska. I don’t believe that limiting myself to her range of foods constitutes a good way for me to choose what to eat.
Even so, something about this book was oddly compelling. Especially in the first half of the book, I had that “I can’t wait to get back to that book” feeling about it. Pollan held my attention. In the time since I read this, I’ve thought of it often.
This year’s Notable Books includes a couple of titles about everyday things–eating and driving, for instance. I appreciate these books that lead me to know more about these things that I already ought to know well.
A library promotional campaign is underway–Geek the Library.
It celebrates that streak of nerdiness-curiousity-obsession in who-knows-what that many of us harbor. Of course, your public library is the place to indulge this inner Geek.
I had a Geek spell just the other night when I was researching some authors. For a talk I’m preparing, I was searching for quotes by authors with books on the One Book One Lincoln list, and on this year’s American Library Association Notable Books list.
Lo and behold! Geraldine Brooks, the author of the One Book One Lincoln finalist, “People of the Book,” is MARRIED to Tony Horwitz, who wrote “A Voyage Long and Strange,” one of this year’s Notable Books, and one that I enjoyed quite a bit.
I can’t tell you how VERY pleased I was to learn this.
I’ve noticed that people feel like they know my husband because they’ve heard his voice on their radio, and they believe that they’ve welcomed him into their kitchens, bedrooms, and even bathrooms. I feel a little like that about authors whose books I’ve enjoyed. I have a sense that they’ve visited my home. In my why-yes-I-did-grow-up-in-a-small-Nebraska-town way, I love learning about the connections between those people. Even though I don’t know them.
So what do you geek? Consider yourself invited to indulge YOUR geek at Lincoln City Libraries!
My Facebook status today states that I don’t feel compelled to finish books that I don’t find compelling. Many people seem to agree with me on that.
The book that inspired my status is “American Made: The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work” by Nick Taylor. I was reading it because it’s on this year’s American Library Association Notable Books List.
VERY interesting and timely topic. The first 100 or pages set the tone for what our nation was facing at the start of the Depression, as FDR was preparing to take on the presidency. The questions raised at the time, such as the role of the federal government, the effectiveness of massive spending, and the ability to know when the economy was turning around, seemed SO applicable to 2009.
My complaint is that Taylor misses the opportunity to make this book really sing by weaving in the stories of actual people whose lives were impacted by the Works Progress Administration. I want to be upfront in saying that I usually prefer a book where I care about somebody. I’m generally interested in the history of this time period, but not interested enough to keep reading, without that connection to people. “The Worst Hard Time” by Timothy Egan, the One Book One Lincoln featured title from 2007, weaves stories throughout the book, and I’d say this is what made it readable despite its brutal topic.
So I’m putting this one down. Often, I set books aside with the idea that I might return later, thinking that maybe when I’m in a different mood, a book will work for me. I don’t think that’s going to happen here.
I’ll move along to either the final One Book One Lincoln selection that I haven’t at least sampled, “What Is the What?” by Dave Eggers, or perhaps to another of the thick nonfiction titles on the Notables List–maybe “Defying Dixie: the Radical Roots of Civil Rights, 1919 to 1950” by Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore.
How okay are you with putting a book down once you’ve started it? Is what you’re reading now compelling? Share!
I’ve been out of state, celebrating my father’s 80th birthday at a family reunion.
I was away when the Mayor’s office announced that the budget he’s presenting to the City Council includes both Bethany and South Branch Libraries. I’m tickled that it looks as if we’ll continue to provide the distinct services that make neighborhood libraries so popular.
As it turns out, the Lincoln City Libraries budget will be cut in the neighborhood of $100,000, not the $781,000 cut that our original budget took into account. The City Council will take their final budget vote in August. Whatever the amount, we’ll work hard to make the dollars go as far as possible.
My thanks to everyone who expressed their support for libraries. Every day, I’m proud of the service that our staff provides to our community, and I’m thrilled that our customers spoke up in response. Thanks again.