day 12: non-fiction book recs
13 days of happy things, day 12! Today, some non-fiction books recs. I haven't read much fiction lately, because I have the attention span of a gnat. Non-fiction is easier because I can read it in small chunks, and I don't have to try to remember plot or character names. Also, non-fiction is good brain food. Here are a few things I enjoyed recently.
109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant - a fascinating book about the ordinary and extraordinary people living in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project.
The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy - How various presidents have handled their relationships with their predecessors and those who succeeded them in office. Totally fascinating both for the history (Eisenhower, Truman and Kennedy in particular), and for the present-day tidbits. It's a little bit gossipy, but that only lends appeal.
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel - a gorgeous book about libraries, the joy of owning and reading books, and why we love our libraries. Beautifully written.
A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome: Daily Life, Mysteries, and Curiosities by Alberto Angela and Gregory Conti, translated from the Italian - A thoroughly enjoyable pseudo-travelogue, where the writer takes the reader through the streets of Ancient Rome, describing what one might see and do there, and explaining details so many other books overlook. I have read this book several times, and I continue to be struck by mundane things, like the way a Roman apartments were arranged (which is not like I imagined), and how shops did business.
LA Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City by John Buntin, and City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940's by Otto Friedrich - two books about Los Angeles. LA Noir discusses the fractious relationship between the LAPD and the Mob in the 50's; City of Nets is about the golden era of Hollywood.
The Book of Nothing: Vacuums, Voids, and the Latest Ideas about the Origins of the Universe by John D. Barrow - This is the kind of book I read slowly but with glee; it's an exploration of why we are so keen to understand and explain the presence of voids and vacuums, like space, for instance. So, so incredibly interesting and chewy, and yet written in a relatable way.
Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur, England, and the Anglo-Saxons by Francis Pryor - Basically, the author suggests that most of what we have been given to understand about British history before the 8th century is probably historically and archaeologically inaccurate. He takes issue with some very renowned historians. It's a good read.
109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant - a fascinating book about the ordinary and extraordinary people living in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project.
The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy - How various presidents have handled their relationships with their predecessors and those who succeeded them in office. Totally fascinating both for the history (Eisenhower, Truman and Kennedy in particular), and for the present-day tidbits. It's a little bit gossipy, but that only lends appeal.
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel - a gorgeous book about libraries, the joy of owning and reading books, and why we love our libraries. Beautifully written.
A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome: Daily Life, Mysteries, and Curiosities by Alberto Angela and Gregory Conti, translated from the Italian - A thoroughly enjoyable pseudo-travelogue, where the writer takes the reader through the streets of Ancient Rome, describing what one might see and do there, and explaining details so many other books overlook. I have read this book several times, and I continue to be struck by mundane things, like the way a Roman apartments were arranged (which is not like I imagined), and how shops did business.
LA Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City by John Buntin, and City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940's by Otto Friedrich - two books about Los Angeles. LA Noir discusses the fractious relationship between the LAPD and the Mob in the 50's; City of Nets is about the golden era of Hollywood.
The Book of Nothing: Vacuums, Voids, and the Latest Ideas about the Origins of the Universe by John D. Barrow - This is the kind of book I read slowly but with glee; it's an exploration of why we are so keen to understand and explain the presence of voids and vacuums, like space, for instance. So, so incredibly interesting and chewy, and yet written in a relatable way.
Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur, England, and the Anglo-Saxons by Francis Pryor - Basically, the author suggests that most of what we have been given to understand about British history before the 8th century is probably historically and archaeologically inaccurate. He takes issue with some very renowned historians. It's a good read.