2013 Challenge Wrap-Up

image via The British Library
on Flickr (amazing resource!)

2013 held a lot of reading challenges for me. I've always enjoyed taking these on even if I don't get close to finishing, although in 2014 I'll be limiting the number of challenges simply because of the scope of the Century of Books!

I didn't do too badly this year, though -- I read quite a lot. Actually I am surprised by how many of these I completed! Here is how I've done with my challenges.

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Canadian Book Challenge -- ongoing, as it runs from July 1 to July 1 (hosted by John at Book Mine Set)

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Colourful Reading Challenge -- hosted by Becca at Lost in Books
I finished this one! The challenge was to read nine books with a colour, any colour, in the title -- and I did it, just squeaking in with my last pick this week. My final list of colour books

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What's In A Name -- hosted by Beth Fish Reads
I've been doing this one for a few years now. I like the random categories and the varied reading they lead to. I finished this one, and much more quickly than usual! Here are the categories and my reads for each.

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Tea and Books Challenge -- hosted by Birgit at The Book Garden
The challenge here was to read massive chunksters. I read one supermassive tome with counted toward my goal of 2 books, Sir Charles Grandison (1600+ pages)

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RIP VIII Challenge -- hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings, running Sept 1- Oct 31
This seasonal challenge is always a delight. I chose to participate at the level of 4 books, but ended up reading 6. Here's the original challenge, and the books I ended up reading, plus a couple that I simply did not finish.

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The TBR Pile Challenge -- hosted by Roof Beam Reader

This one challenged you to read 12 books that you've had on the shelves for more than one year. I have plenty of those, so signed up and actually completed the challenge :) I even read the 2 alternate titles on my list, though didn't make it to the full 20 I'd suggested I would. All the titles are listed and linked on the original post.

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Science Book Challenge -- hosted by Jeff at Scienticity

Wow, I failed miserably on this one. I need to focus on more good science reading! Lots of ideas for where to start at Jeff's website, too, so no excuses!

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To finish up, I mustn't forget my very own challenge, the first I've hosted -- the Postal Reading Challenge! I finished up 15 epistolary books, and sent plenty of mail this year. I hope you'll consider joining in for 2014, too. You can get to all the reviews for books read by participants by following the links at the 'gateway post' (including my own). Or see the full run of my own postal reading and comments on the post here.

The Universe Within

The Universe Within: from quantum to cosmos / Neil Turok
Toronto: Anansi, c2012.
292 p.

This is the latest in the CBC Massey Lectures series, lectures given by Neil Turok, physicist and head of the Perimeter Institute just down the road from me in Waterloo (if you go to the Perimeter website, check out their extensive video library of 100's of lectures & course presentations - it's amazing -- you can watch Turok present the Massey Lectures kick-off too).

The Massey Lectures are usually pretty interesting, and this was a collection I knew I'd want to read right away, for the subject matter, a topic which intrigues me. I found more than I had expected, as Turok not only talks about the history of physics and scientific discovery, he also makes the case that new scientific discoveries will come from a melding of science with the arts & humanities, suggesting that separating the two does a disservice to both (this idea reminded me of a book I read last year, Intersecting Sets, written by a poet, Alice Major). He also strongly supports increased scientific and mathematical training for all, especially focusing on Africa (he is from South Africa) where he has helped to set up an institute, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

For me personally, I enjoyed the last two lectures the most. The first three were heavily based on explaining the development of physics and various scientific discoveries that support where physics is at now. It was nice seeing some familiar names and reading through his easy-to-understand information, but I do read quite a bit in this area so much of it was very familiar to me. I really began to get absorbed in my reading once I hit lecture #4, The World in an Equation. He talks about how many different scientists' work combines to create an equation that can be used to determine quantum probability (I think...will have to read it again to figure it all out!) Here is an image of the notation used in the book which he then explains bit by bit:

It was fascinating and I found out lots about alternate theories, as well as discovering the name of Emmy Noether, a female scientist from the beginning of the 20th century, an important theorist who I hadn't known of, despite all of my reading. Shocking. 

The last lecture of the book is called "The Opportunity of all Time", and is a meditation on the possible quantum future. If we move past our current digital age into the much deeper, faster technology of quantum computing, for example, how will that change human life? He uses science, philosophy and literature to discuss his ideas here, ranging from modern researchers to David Hume to Mary Shelley, with a lengthy discussion of her dystopian novel The Last Man. He finishes with a recommendation that we connect "heart and intellect" to bring disciplines together, and focus on making education available so that the untapped genius of the world can be brought to bear on our future. It was a good read that inspired me to muse upon the connection between science and the humanist ideal of the search for The Meaning of Life. 

Science Book Challenge 2013!

I'm very excited to see the return of one of my favourite reading challenges, the Science Book Challenge, and in time for Pi Day too, thank goodness -- how appropriate, as this challenge is "as easy as pi!" 

Rules =

Read 3 (or 3.14!) science books during 2013, then tell us and others about the books you've read--why you liked them or didn't like them--and help spread science literacy.

I found Jeff at Scienticity near the beginning of my blogging life and have always enjoyed his take on things. Joining this challenge is so easy, and it's so great to see all the Book Notes on his website culled from many readers over the years (it's been running since 2008) I love this challenge because it's pretty wide open as to reading choices, and you can go by serendipity or create a reading list beforehand, if you like lists. Then you blog about it, and send your book note to be included in the Scienticity database if you so wish.

Jeff states that the general theme this year is  "Science & Culture". 

Your books should have something to do with science, scientists, how science operates, or the relationship of science with our culture. Your books might be popularizations of science, they might be histories, they might be biographies, they might be anthologies; they can be recent titles or older books, from the bookstore or your local library. We take a very broad view of what makes for interesting and informative science reading, looking for perspectives on science as part of culture and history.

I've always chosen my reads rather loosely, but as I do enjoy making lists here is a list of 3 possibilities from books that I have on my shelves or that have been recommended by other bloggers recently.

1. The Arcanum / Janet Gleeson (I'm going to finish this darn book that's been on my list for the past few years!)

2. Colour: a natural history of the palette / Victoria Finlay (I saw this reviewed at A Striped Armchair and it looks fabulous)

3. Connectome: how the brain's wiring makes us who we are / Sebastian Seung (heard about it on Quirks & Quarks at some point)

I hope to see some of you joining in and suggesting books as well!

Fooling Houdini

Fooling Houdini / Alex Stone

Toronto: Bond Street Books, c2012.

301 p.

A book giving away the secrets of magicians, mentalists and more... a book about the tricks our own minds play on us... a book about a young man's journey through the world of magic in search of himself...

Imagine the sentences above announced in that deep movie-trailer-guy's voice, with dramatic music behind it, and you'll get an idea of the showmanship that is a huge part of this story. It's a great read -- it moves quickly and shares tons of information on the lives of modern magicians, mentalists, scientists and researchers. The author is a math geek and a physics PhD student, and his story, therefore, examines magic through the lens of math and science, including neuroscience (one of my favourite things).

The author is also a magician, however, and his knowledge of the characters who make up the modern magical subculture is extensive. He took a lot of time to observe, interview, and study with many big names. He spent time learning their techniques at the workshops and "magic schools" that many of them run, going to endless shows and watching carefully, attending the "Magic Olympics" (and the story of his attempt there is cringe worthy!), and even approaching street gangs in New York who run card cons, something he was warned against. He shares his notes with us in this book, telling us how some tricks are done, how magicians react to having their secrets shared (some really mind, some don't). The book is arranged by subject, so each chapter deals with some aspect of the wider magical world: card tricks, schools and workshops, history, mentalists, con men and grifters, psychology and neuroscience and more. One of the most fascinating things for me was the discovery that there is a Conjuring Arts Library in New York...wow! Would I love to work there? Yes, please!

The book is really the story of Alex Stone's search for his own brand of magic, for his own place in this world. As such, he has a personal touch in his telling, and endless fascinating anecdotes to share. However, at times this approach felt distracting, as his comments on his varied girlfriends throughout the book felt a little forced -- but that was my only iffy reaction to this book -- otherwise I enjoyed his tale and the arcane bits of knowledge he tossed out over and over again.

Reading this made me want to pick up some cards and start doing magic...his enthusiasm for his subject is catching, and anyone interested in close-up magic will be fascinated. This is a book that will foster further research for anyone who catches the bug, so beware of who you give it to! I particularly enjoyed the look at the mathematical principles behind card shuffling and a trick Stone develops; although you know "how" it is done, it is still impressive because of the sheer amount of time and work a magician must put into an act to make it truly astonish an audience. The psychological studies of how the brain lets us fool ourselves were also fascinating. I'd love to read more on that aspect -- it is funny how we think we are totally in control and yet there are so many things we don't even notice about our surroundings.

Going in to this read, I had no idea it was going to delve into the science behind magic so deeply, and I loved it. But Stone has also balanced both aspects very nicely and revealed equal enthusiasm for magic itself and for how it works. This was a great find that I read compusively over an entire weekend -- a very enjoyable non-fiction read that I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in any of the topics he covers. You'll be intrigued by things you didn't even know you were curious about!

Intersecting Sets

Intersecting Sets: A Poet looks at Science / Alice Major
Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, c2011.
xvi, 276 p.

I thoroughly enjoyed this set of 11 essays exploring the intersection of poetry and science. These two subjects, as well as their interactions, are two of my absolute favourite things; I love to study the neuroscience of reading literature, for example. This book was very satisfying -- literary and poetic in style, it also had a high level of "scienticity", as Major develops her themes in various areas of biology, linguistics, physics and more.

Major's premise is that for too long, Science and Art have been considered separate spheres, at odds with each other, or perhaps even antagonistic. Scientists and Artists are assumed to hold competing worldviews. Major posits, however, that the separate worlds of Science and Art are more like a Venn diagram, with lots of commonality -- points of which she explores in her essays here. Or, as the title states, she's exploring the Intersecting Sets of Science and Art.

She's a poet who was turned on to physics at a young age, thanks to reading Martin Gardner's book on Relativity, and is able to draw parallels between the literary arts and many areas of science in a very natural way. The chapters range in subject matter and tone, connecting varied areas of science and poetry, but are entirely comprehensible and sparked more and more new ideas... kind of like a fractal pattern in themselves. I really loved the chapters dealing with physics and with neuroscience (my particular areas of interest). But I learned something with each entertaining and thoughtful essay, which to me is the sign of a great read. This is one of those books I classify as "dinner party books", since you learn so many tidbits to dazzle others with at your next dinner party! (I have a whole shelf of those)

She does not claim to be a science writer, merely a poet who is interested in science, one who has kept up on developments in her layperson's role. I am also a bookish individual with a strong interest in science, and I don't think that discussions of such should be limited to "professional" scientists or science writers. Both poetry and science allow for new understandings of our world, and new ways of seeing, even if from different angles. Major's particular angle is that of a longstanding poet, and her vision of how the 'dreamy' world of poetry and the 'rational' world of science intersect was compelling. The essays do not form a rigorous argument as to any one "side" but rather range widely and expose the reader to new ideas as they arise in many contexts. I liked this approach, as it provided room for the reader to graze and discover things that they might not even realize they were interested in.

I found this book enjoyable and thoughtful. The references to scientific studies and concepts had me making notes about things to look up and learn more about. The references to creating poetry had me thinking more deeply about the collections of new poetry I've been perusing lately. And the way in which Major concludes that poets and scientists must both develop “the ability to simultaneously maintain conviction and doubt” seemed to me a description of the educated mind in general. She finishes by suggesting that the separation of poetry and science is facile, that rather than being emotion vs. rationality, both areas are full of emotion. It's an element of human life that can't fail to colour everything we do, whether we acknowledge or deny it.

(a final note: as usual with the University of Alberta Press, this book is printed on 100% recycled post-consumer paper. It also includes acknowledgement, by name, of the copyeditor & proofreader. UAP, always classy!)

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For this year's Canadian Book Challenge I've chosen as my theme "Small-Press-Palooza" Thus, for each book I'm including a link to the small press who has published it. Take a look -- there are wonderful small presses all over Canada!

More about The University of Alberta Press

Science Book Challenge 2012!

So glad to see that the Science Book Challenge is running again for 2012! I love this challenge and have tried to read for it each year since it began. It is hosted by Jeff from Scienticity, a science education non-profit in the States. The rules are easy as pi! (love that!) They begin:

Read three (or more!) nonfiction books in 2012 related to the theme "Science & Culture". Your books should have something to do with science, scientists, how science operates, or the relationship of science with our culture. Your books might be popularizations of science, they might be histories, they might be biographies, they might be anthologies; they can be recent titles or older books, from the bookstore or your local library. We take a very broad view of what makes for interesting and informative science reading, looking for perspectives on science as part of culture and history.

After you've read a book, write a short note about it giving your opinions of the book. Tell us what you'd tell a friend if you wanted to convince your friend to read it--or avoid it.......


As part of this Challenge, your reviews can be added as "Book Notes" to their database of science books recommended by readers, with a straightforward rating scheme. If you love reading science-related books and want to help build a community of reviews supporting this area of reading, please join in with this very relaxed and engaging Challenge. Also, you can join the new Facebook Group for the Challenge as well if you'd like to have ongoing discussion of books and science-y themes.

I'll be reading spontaneously for this, as the last couple of years I've failed miserably at reading the books on my premade lists! Any suggestions are welcome, although currently I'm thinking about reading The Poisoner's Handbook and/or Henrietta Lacks...

Looking forward to participating in this one once again... Join us!

Update:
READ --

Intersecting Sets / Alice Major
Fooling Houdini / Alex Stone

Einstein Wrote Back

Einstein Wrote Back / John Moffat
Toronto: Thomas Allen, c2010.
244 p.

The brief book trailer above summarizes this book nicely: John Moffat was a self-taught physicist who wrote to Einstein at age 19, and Einstein wrote back. But the book trailer can not capture the voice of the writer, an anecdotal, bemused and amused, narrator who is always passionately involved in study and discovery.

I enjoyed this book greatly; John Moffat was able to experience a world which has always fascinated me, becoming the first student in Cambridge's 400 year history to obtain a PhD without an undergraduate degree. He is always made aware of that fact, with some of his earlier teachers being a bit leery of his capabilities because of it. But he proves that he indeed is quite capable, meanwhile telling wonderful stories about some of the big names in physics, men who are nearing the ends of their careers as Moffat is beginning his. It was great; Moffat has an eye for eccentricity, and some of the biggest names were extremely eccentric! He is never cruel, however, and states that of all these strange geniuses, he only ever disliked one.... which one it was, you will have to read this book to discover ;)

The story begins with Moffat as a young man, inclined toward becoming an artist -- even living in Paris for a year before going broke and returning home. He grew up in Copenhagen, where you were examined at the end of high school to see whether you had the ability to go on to university; he was nervous and wasn't able to answer a question, and was told that he would not amount to anything.

But he spent a year reading all the science and math books he could find in the local university library and taught himself an undergraduate degree's worth of information in one year. Because he was a British citizen, thanks to his father, he decided he would try to get to a British university to study physics. Through a circuitous route of letters and recommendations, and heavily influenced by the letter he had received back from Einstein, he ended up meeting with Niels Bohr, then Erwin Schrodinger, then being accepted into Cambridge.

The book focuses mostly on his professional life after the biography of his early years. He talks a bit about the effects on his wife and his family life as they move from England to the US to Switzerland and finally to Toronto, but the book is primarily focused on his research and the people he worked with and for. Seeing as he met and interacted with Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrodinger, Wolfgang Pauli, Paul Dirac and many others, the story was a great and absorbing read. I also appreciated his acknowledgement of the sexism inherent in this field; he refers to a case in which three researchers made an important discovery but only two -- the male two -- were awarded the Nobel for their work, and he directly states that it was sexism at the root of this decision. Once in a while he is a little bit self-focused, when he's talking about his work, but that is to be expected really, from someone who had to fight his way into his preferred career. He considers himself a little outside the 'herd' in his research interests, and shows those of us not aware of what is being focused on in physics why he thinks so.

The science in this book is not too complex for the general reader to comprehend -- when he refers to a specific element of physics that is important to the book he provides an explanation in the footnotes. Even when I didn't always grasp the math in those explanations, it was enough to give the story meaning. Seeing his travels from Copenhagen to Canada was fascinating and entertaining. And now that he is practically a neighbour, being adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo and a member of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (after many years at the U of Toronto) I really had to read it.

Moffat has continued his work on physics until this day, even into his 70's. Some of his work has resulted in his MOG (modified gravity) theory, returning to his beginnings with Einstein's work. He states that he can not imagine not working, and that he is still creative in his work. He has much to say about the new climate in research, and how it may stifle new work. He concludes by stating:

I feel certain that this ongoing creativity is due in large part to my unusual path in physics. I was never subjected to the severe rigours of rote learning, which students undergo at universities as part of their early training as physicists, and therefore my creative abilities as a human being and a physicist were never quenched. Because I essentially taught myself physics and mathematics, I did not have to prove myself to the authorities at every step along the way that I was competent in successive areas of physics.

Overall, this was an intriguing read which I found added to my knowledge of the physics world, as well as entertaining me with its anecdotes about the great names of physics. There was humour, a bit of pathos, and much reflection on the world in which Moffat has spent his working life.

Challenges Ahead, 2011

And here is my list of the challenges I want to participate in next year. I love setting up reading lists and thinking about all the potential reading I could be doing!



Canadian Book Challenge

This one, hosted by John at The Book Mine Set, is ongoing: it is also a year-long challenge, but runs from Canada Day to Canada Day(July 1) rather than January-December. So I am half-way through, and will continue reading for the 4th Challenge as well as knowing already that I'll be signing up for the 5th when it rolls around!


What's in a name 4

This is once again hosted by Beth Fish Reads, and is a challenge I really enjoy participating in. The random nature of the book selections makes it a lot of fun, and I usually to read from my TBR in order to clear it up just a bit!

The rules are that you must read 1 book during 2011 from each of the following categories -- my three possibilities for each category are below, as well.

1. A book with a number in the title:

The Importance of Being Seven / Alexander McCall Smith
Four Letters of Love / Niall Williams
Fahrenheit 451 / Ray Bradbury


2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title:

The Attenbury Emeralds / Jill Paton Walsh
Gold Boy, Emerald Girl / Yiyun Li
Opal: a life of enchantment, mystery and madness/ Kathrine Beck

3. A book with a size in the title:

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party / Alexander McCall Smith
The Eleven Million Mile High Dancer / Carol De Chellis Hill
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute / Grace Paley

4. A book with travel or movement in the title:

Passing On / Penelope Lively
Far to Go / Alison Pick
Skating to Antarctica / Jenny Diski
Read: Into That Darkness / Steven Price

5. A book with evil in the title:

Soucouyant / David Chariandy
Consequences of Sin / Clare Langley-Hawthorne
My Phantom Husband / Marie Darrieussecq

6. A book with a life stage in the title:

Never the Bride / Paul Magrs
Warm the Children, O Sun (collection of stories)
The Grandmother / Bozena Nemcova



Science Book Challenge 2011

This is the fourth year of this wonderful challenge, hosted by Jeff at Scienticity I've been in on this one since the beginning, and I love it, because it makes me read more widely than I would otherwise and because it is "easy as pi" -- the rules are to read 3 (or 3.14) books over 2011. (how can you not love that slogan?) Although some years I read more than others, I enjoy this one absolutely. Here are this year's rules:

Read at least three nonfiction books in 2011 related to the theme "Science & Culture". Your books should have something to do with science, scientists, how science operates, or the relationship of science with our culture. Your books might be popularizations of science, they might be histories, they might be biographies, they might be anthologies; they can be recent titles or older books, from the bookstore or your local library. We take a very broad view of what makes for interesting and informative science reading, looking for perspectives on science as part of culture and history.
After you've read a book, write a short note about it giving your opinions of the book.

My list of possibilities includes:

Einstein Wrote Back / John W. Moffat

The Arcanum / Janet Gleeson

Decoding the Heavens / Jo Marchant

Empire of the Stars / Arthur I. Miller (I had meant to read this one last year)

Nordic Challenge
This is hosted by Zee at Notes from the North.

This blog is new to me, so this is a double delight -- a new blog and a new challenge to participate in! She states:

There is no need to make a list before hand. Any book by any author born in a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and/or Sweden) or a book set in a Nordic country. They can be from any genre (I will be reading a mixture of classics, children’s books, YA and mystery).

I'll be reading at the second level:

Freya: Read 3-5 books

But since one of the things I most love about joining challenges is making lists, I'm still going to make a list of possibilities to inspire me ;)

1. Astrid & Veronica / Linda Olsson -- I've wanted to read this one for ages, but it always seems to be out at my library!

2. Summer Book / Tove Janssen -- I read her novel The True Deceiver this year, and thought it was amazing. I'll be on the lookout for this one now.

3. The Tricking of Freya / Christina Sunley -- set partially in Canada and partially in Iceland, dealing with the main character's Icelandic heritage, this has been on my TBR for ages.

4. House of Orphans / Helen Dunmore -- set in Finland, by a British author

5. The Unit / Ninni Holmqvist -- so many book bloggers mentioned this one highly over the last year. It sounds intriguing.



Eastern Europe 2011 Challenge
This is hosted by Amy at The Black Sheep Dances -- another new-to-me blog and challenge! Another year-long challenge to take on.

These are the parameters:
Regions: Choose titles about or by an author from any of the following regions: Croatia, Ukraine, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Hungary, Belarus, Estonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Rep., Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Romania, Moldova, and Kosovo.
Titles: Can be any genre: crime, poetry, literary fiction, history, historical fiction, memoirs, etc.
Levels:
tourist: 4 books over the 12 months
ambassador: 8 books over 12 months
scholar: 12 books over 12 months

As most of my long-time readers know, I have a Ukrainian background, and love reading from that area. So I will most likely be reading primarily Ukrainian literature. I'll sign up at the tourist level, while hoping to move up to the ambassador level by the end of the year! Here is my current list of potential reads:

1. The Case of the General's Thumb / Andrey Kurkov -- set in Kyiv, though originally written in Russian.

2. The Master & Margarita / Bulgakov (ditto) I started this one when I was in Kyiv a few summers ago, but never did finish it.

3. Dead Souls / Gogol (ditto)

4. Wave of Terror / Theodore Odrach

5.READ: Warm the Children, O Sun AND/OR For a Crust of Bread

These are short story collections in the "Women's Voices in Ukrainian Literature" series by Language Lanterns

READ: Penguin Lost / Andrey Kurkov
Faithful Ruslan / Georgi Vladimov
Anna's Shadow / David Manicom
The Forest Horses / Byrna Barclay

Mauve

Mauve / Simon Garfield
London: Faber & Faber, c2000.
224 p.

I've had this book for quite a while, having picked it up because of the topic -- it tells the story of William Perkin and his discovery in 1856 of the first successful aniline dye (made from coal tar derivatives) -- the colour 'mauve'. He made this discovery accidentally; what he was really trying to do was to create a synthetic form of quinine to treat the malaria that was still rampant across the British Empire. His willingness to experiment with the actual results lead to mauve.

I thought the science of this discovery would be interesting, plus a large part of his success was due to the fashion world taking up this colour, which sounded like it could be fun. I was correct, and was pleased to find that this was an easy, entertaining, and thorough book. It focuses on William Perkin, but goes beyond simply his life, his discoveries and his business to show how the new colours (and the new industry) shaped fashion, economies, and even wartime innovations, including explosives.

The writing is very clear and comprehensible, making the life of this young chemist fascinating and the world of academic vs. commercial chemistry actually quite intriguing. Garfield covers the specific science of the dyes, but also the relevance to society as a whole, in so many areas. He also shows how it was both Perkin's actual discovery and his willingness to risk a scientific career on making a commercial success of his colour that changed the way chemistry was perceived, making it a more obvious choice for students who wanted to make money at their work. (Perkin was 18 when he discovered mauve, and his father staked everything to create a factory in which William, his brother Thomas and their father all worked -- and they made a LOT of money.)

Garfield even talks about the environmental effects of this surge in dye-making. He records that the stream outside Perkin's factory would change colour every week, and that a factory in France was convicted of poisoning villagers downstream with arsenic. He follows the industry from the moment that mauve became a fashionable mania (shortly followed by another chemical dye from France called magenta) to our present day experience of taking multiple colours for granted. Influences such as war (the desire to dye uniforms surprised me), or fashion, or hard chemistry all have a place in this story, and keep it from being too narrow or dull.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone curious about how such aniline dyes came about, or how our need to colour our world in a multitude of hues has shaped so many areas of our societies. There is one section, in which Garfield is sharing a list of registered colours via the National Bureau of Standards, Washington DC, that sounds like poetry. A gorgeous and evocative list of names and sources of colour!

Extremely well-written, not obfuscating the story with overly scientific explanations and yet not minimizing the importance of the science, this is a great general read. Lots of great "dinner party tidbits" in this one -- I always love a science book that makes you sound smart in general conversation ;) I know that I am looking at all the colours in my environment a little differently now.

Healing Spaces

Healing Spaces / Esther Sternberg
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, c2009.
352 p.

This was a fascinating and informative read, one that I really enjoyed. I've been in the mood for nonfiction over the past few weeks, and have found some wonderful books. This was the first one in my winning streak of enthralling nonfiction.

This book explores various facets of what makes a space more comfortable, more healing. Sternberg begins with a look at architecture itself, referencing a classic study which showed patients in hospital rooms with a view of nature healed more quickly than those who had no outside view. She doesn't stop at a discussion of architecture, however; she goes on to discuss all our senses and how our surrounding affect each. There are wonderful tidbits in each chapter, such as the fact that identical twins have the same scent (sniffer dogs can't tell them apart).

There is also a chapter on mazes and labyrinths, a particular interest of mine, and a reason this book caught my eye in the first place. She discusses the health benefits involved in walking a labyrinth, and shows that this is an accepted belief in the medical world by virtue of the fact that major medical centres have created labyrinths for their staff and patients to walk.

The final chapters cover topics such as healing thought and prayer, the design of hospitals, cities, and gardens, and the interplay of healing and hormones. Very intriguing facts, stories and interviews complete the book, illuminating many areas of the healing potential of our surroundings.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There was a lot of really fascinating information, and the subject is explored fully. However, it wasn't perfect; the discussion did feel a bit dry and wandering at times, and there isn't a sense of a reasoned argument and conclusion in favour of a particular kind of 'space' being more healing than another. Also, a simple tic of the author's began to drive me nuts about halfway through -- for some reason, every time she introduced a person who she'd interviewed or who was expert in the area she was discussing, Sternberg would describe their physical appearance before anything else. A few too many "tall woman with short curly blond hair and a ready smile" kind of statements and I was skipping most of those descriptions. But, quite a minor complaint for a book I found illuminating, and useful in discussions of everyday things like how to arrange the living room, or what kind of public space would be most beneficial for, say, a new library.

If you are up for a bit of an academic read with many rewards for sticking with it, try this book. If nothing else, you will discover lots of fun facts with which to dazzle people in conversation!

Challenge List the First

Here are my Challenge lists for the Challenges I am going to undertake in 2010, not forgetting the ongoing Canadian Book Challenge which is still underway, of course. I'm a big one for creating book pools rather than strict lists - don't want to feel that my reading is a prescribed chore, and this way I just have more to choose from!


Science Book Challenge -- it's as easy as pi! (love the slogan)
(3 books)

One of my favourite challenges, for 2010 I have a number of science books around the house which I really want to get to. I had all these on my list for last year, but ended up reading three totally different titles. So I'll try again with these three:


Mauve / Simon Garfield
The story of William Perkin, a young inventor in the mid 1800s who discovered how to make dyes from coal tar, accidentally. He was really searching for a way to create artificial quinine.

The Arcanum / Janet Gleeson
About the Western discovery of how to make porcelain

Empire of the Stars / Arthur I. Miller
One of my favourite topics: astrophysics and how discoveries are made or affected by the personalities involved, with all their human failings.

I'd also like to get my hands on a biography recently voted top science book of 09 by physicsworld.com, the story of Paul Dirac. It's entitled The Strangest Man, written by Graham Farmelo. (there is also a lecture available by Farmelo on this topic) This era of physics is one of my favourite scientific subjects to read about, so will have to locate a copy of this one. All I know about Dirac presently is what I learned from one of my favourite nonfiction reads of last year, Gino Segre's Faust in Copenhagen.

**updated**

Healing Spaces / Esther Sternberg

Mauve / Simon Garfield

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Colourful Reading Challenge

This is going to be totally random, probably all books I read for other challenges or just pick up for fun. The Challenge is to read 9 books all with a different colour in the title throughout the year. I have my Science Book Challenge pick above, Mauve, and one I have TBR for the Canadian Book Challenge, Vera Lysenko's Yellow Boots, to begin.

Updates:

Yellow Boots / Vera Lysenko

Green Dolphin Country / Elizabeth Goudge

Mauve / Simon Garfield

The Woman in White / Wilkie Collins
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What's in a Name 3

I've done this challenge for the last two years (though this year I didn't quite keep up!) I love its random selections. These are some of the ideas for titles to choose from - they may still change throughout the year! This year the categories are:

A book with a food in the title

Honey and Ashes / Janice Kulyk Keefer (memoir)
Plum Bun / Jesse Redmon Fauset
Daalder's Chocolates / Philibert Schogt
Read: The Spice Necklace / Ann Vanderhoof

A book with a body of water in the title

The Waves / Virginia Woolf
By the Lake / John McGahern
The Seduction of Water / Carol Goodman
Read: Cool Water / Dianne Warren

A book with a title (queen, president) in the title

Sir Charles Grandison / Richardson (also for Chunkster)
The Case of the General's Thumb / Andrey Kurkov
Mrs. Dalloway / Virginia Woolf
Read: Queen of Hearts / Martha Brooks

A book with a plant in the title

The Blue Flower / Penelope Fitzgerald
Read: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag / Alan Bradley
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily / Lauren Willig

A book with a place name (city, country) in the title

Read: The Road to Lichfield / Penelope Lively
The Enchantress of Florence / Salman Rushdie
Return to Paris / Colette Rossant (nonfiction- food writing)

A book with a music term in the title

The Ballad and the Source / Rosamond Lehmann
Music of a life / Andrei Makine
Song beneath the ice / Joe Fiorito
Read: Trumpets Sound no More / Jon Redfern

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Flashback Challenge

All about rereading. This one has different levels of reading to choose from, but I think I'll sign up at the Literati level, six or more books. This is because I want to follow their suggestion of rereading childhood, high school, and adult choices.

Childhood Selections: this year I want to reread the entire Anne series by L.M. Montgomery, since I just finished the new publication of the restored Blythes are Quoted.

High School level: There are a few books I may choose from -- I haven't reread To Kill a Mockingbird since high school and might like to try that. But there are non-school books I'd like to revisit, including Watership Down or maybe Elizabeth Goudge's Green Dolphin Street, of which I remember very little - I think I was too young when I first read it.

Adult choices: There are two books I'd particularly like to reread - Virginia Woolf's The Waves, and Gwethalyn Graham's Earth and High Heaven.

Updated: actually read

As for me and my house / Sinclair Ross

Green Dolphin Country / Elizabeth Goudge

Anne of Green Gables / LMMontgomery

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Chunkster Challenge

This was the first challenge I ever participated in, and I think it is time to give it another go. I'm only going to sign up for the Chubby Chunkster level, which is three books over 450 pages in 2010. I may read more but am just starting with this. Some ideas for the books I'm going to read are:


Middlemarch / George Eliot (880 p) [read]

The Terror / Dan Simmons (765 p)

Sir Charles Grandison / Richardson (1159 p)

Gold Bug Variations / Richard Power s (635 p)

Celestial Harmonies / Peter Esterhazy (841 p)

Ursula, Under / Ingrid Hill (476 p)

Updated: Actually read:

Green Dolphin Country / Elizabeth Goudge (575 p.)

Gaudy Night / Dorothy Sayers (557 p.)

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Our Mutual Read

I love the name of the Challenge, and its potential for spending lots of time with Victorian literature! I think I will sign up at



Level 2: 8 books, at least 4 written during 1837 - 1901. The other books may be Neo-Victorian or non-fiction

And here is my list which is only a starting point:

Middlemarch / George Eliot
[read]

The Woman in White / Wilkie Collins
[read]

The Way we live now / Anthony Trollope

Bleak House / Charles Dickens

News from Nowhere / William Morris

Sylvia's lovers / Elizabeth Gaskell

Two on a Tower / Thomas Hardy

Also read:
Trumpets Sound no More / Jon Redfern (NeoVictorian)

Proust and the Squid

Proust & the Squid: the science of the reading brain / Maryanne Wolf
HarperCollins, c2007
320 p.

This is another selection in my current streak of books about the purpose of reading in our lives. This one differs a little as it focuses on the neuroscience behind the process of reading, and looks at it also from the point of view of the brain which can't quite figure out that process, the brain of dyslexics.

I found it overall an engaging read; neuroscience is intrinsically fascinating to me, and to have neuroscience and reading in the same book, well, how could it get better than that?

The book is set up in three sections: the first, a look at how reading and writing evolved in history; the second, a look at how the brain deciphers written language and shapes itself to become a reading brain; and the third, a discussion of what can be learned about the brain and reading through the study of dyslexic brains.

I love this kind of writing; reading is obviously very important to me, personally and professionally, and this gave me a lot to think about. The first section, on the development of writing and alphabetic systems in human history, ties in to a couple of other books on my shelves (and doesn't reading one thing always lead to more?). I'm currently reading Joseph Gold's The Story Species, which also discusses this topic, and have Leonard Shlain's The Alphabet and the Goddess on tap. Looking at how the actual form of writing, whether alphabetic or ideographic, affects the brain, Wolf draws many conclusions about the process of deciphering text. This then leads in to the second part of the book, a discussion of how children's brains are shaped by learning to read, and how the brain adapts itself to support the reading function. Not knowing the science behind this topic, I can't say whether it is all as straightforward as is presented, but Wolf writes very compellingly, and has many endnotes to support her argument. (which of course leads to more reading...)

The last section of the book was focusing on dyslexia, Wolf's area of study. While it was interesting and certainly showed how passionate she is about this topic, it was of slightly less immediate interest to me. Educators might find it very helpful, however, and parents of dyslexic children certainly would as well. I enjoyed this book - her writing is very readable despite some of the dry research she is sharing. This is a good book to pick up if you are interested in the development of reading itself and how our physical structure supports our cultural invention of reading and writing.



If you are intrigued by the science of the reading brain there is also a wonderful website called On Fiction which is all about the psychology of reading and links to hundreds of other books and research that you might like to explore.

Other reviews:

Tom at A Common Reader sums it up very nicely

Eva at A Striped Armchair gives it her seal of approval

Jess at Start Narrative Here takes a look

A Force of Nature

A Force of Nature: the frontier genius of Ernest Rutherford / Richard Reeves

New York: Atlas, 2008.

207 p.

Another choice inspired by the Science Book Challenge, this book is part of a series called "Great Discoveries". I read another in this series last year, Miss Leavitt's Stars, and really enjoyed it. So I thought I'd read this one as well; it's written by a biographer and political correspondent, not a science writer, and is a tiny bio at 207 small pages -- how do you compress a life like Rutherford's into just so much space? Well, Reeves has succeeded admirably.

I picked this up for many reasons: I like reading about physicists at that time period, and I was interested in Rutherford because he spent a few years teaching at McGill University, my alma mater. (In fact the physics building was named after him, and you can now take a virtual tour of the Rutherford Museum - a room full of his old equipment and apparatus).

It tells us the story of a man who was described by a colleague as "a force of nature". He was an exceptionally bright New Zealand farm boy, and his career began in the 1890s, when he won a scholarship to Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University, then the premier centre for physics studies. He was always very confident and self-assured, not fitting into the genteel English gentleman scientist mould very well; he was once described as looking like an Australian shop-keeper, and when he gave radio addresses it was joked that he didn't need radio to reach the colonies (his voice was notoriously loud, so much so that in later years researchers put signs up in the labs Rutherford supervised reminding "people" to lower their voices so as not to disturb the various delicate measurements going on). But nobody ever denied his brilliance.

He was recognized as a great experimental physicist and a mentor, involved in hundreds of atomic discoveries (like the orbital structure of atoms, the concept of the half-life of radioactive materials, and the achievement of Cavendish Lab being the first to split the atom). His own work as well as his particular genius at mentoring other young men make his place in physics a vital one. However, he championed not only other men: in 1920, Cambridge University was experiencing a post-war boom, and to reduce the number of students it was suggested that women be refused admission. Rutherford, along with chemistry professor William Pope cowrote a letter to the London Times, stating:

For our part, we welcome the presence of women in our laboratories on the ground that residence in this University is intended to fit the rising generation to take its proper place in the outside world, where, to an ever increasing extent, men and women are being called upon to work harmoniously side by side in every department of human affairs.... at the present stage in the world's affairs we can afford less than ever before to neglect the training and cultivation of all the young intelligence available. For this reason, no less than for those of elementary justice and of expediency, we consider that women should be admitted to degrees and to representation in our University.

Go, Ernest!

I enjoyed this short history of Rutherford's life, even though I know there is much more about him to learn. That's what the bibliography is for, I suppose: now I will have to look up a longer biography and read it too. This was well written, and talked about a scientific life in the way that I enjoy, full of gossip and personal tidbits which make the person real to me. (His wife telling him at dinner, in front of important guests, "Ern, you're dribbling again" just made me laugh). The science is very clear, both the explanation of various experiments and of their significance -- plus there are some great photos of the labs and the scientists involved. Entertaining to see the relatively unsophisticated equipment they used to make these extraordinary discoveries! I like this series for its engaging approach to scientific lives, and recommend them to anyone looking for a brief but fascinating introduction to various characters such as Rutherford. I think they might be particularly appealing for science minded high school students, but as someone far away from the teenage years I can state that I found this thoughtfully written and a satisfying read.

Sourcing Seeds with Vavilov

Where our food comes from : retracing Nikolay Vavilov's quest to end famine / Gary Paul Nabhan
Washington: Island Press, c2009.
223 p.


I received this book from Island Press via its Canadian distributor, UBC Press. I was interested for two reasons, both for its theme of agricultural biodiversity and for the part that Russian scientist Nikolay Vavilov plays in this story. Also, it is one of Treehugger's 9 Must Read Books on Eating Well. I was not disappointed! Nabhan is an ethnobotanist, conservationist, farmer, and a prolific author, with many other titles I now want to read as well. Here he focuses on local seeds and regional agricultural practices as a vital resource in maintaining the world's food supply. In this book he's decided he will follow in the footsteps of Vavilov and see how agricultural biodiversity has changed since Vavilov's world travels in the early 1900's.


Nikolay Vavilov was a Russian scientist with a massive case of wanderlust and a brilliant mind. He was head of the Russian Department of Applied Botany and travelled around the world in the early years of the last century, researching seeds and local farming practices, and developing a theory of genetic plant origins known as Vavilov Centres of Diversity, still used in scientific circles. He was gathering plant genetic material for his comprehensive seed bank in Leningrad, the first in the world, intended to stockpile seed to avert worldwide famine in case of any regional crop failures. The seed bank suffered under the Siege of Leningrad in WWII -- while the Hermitage had all of its art treasures removed and protected elsewhere, the seed bank was left to its own devices. Stalin felt that the science being done there was elitist and not for the good of the people, and he also held a personal grudge against Vavilov. The scientists of the Department barricaded themselves inside the seed bank to protect it against the starving citizens of Leningrad, with one of the researchers actually dying of starvation in the midst of all the seeds. Vavilov himself was finally sent to a work camp by Stalin, where he died of starvation.


Gary Paul Nabhan retraces the wide ranging travels of Vavilov in order to measure the status of local agriculture and genetic diversity remaining in the areas Vavilov studied nearly a hundred years ago. What he found was that in most places, genetic diversity has diminished as agriculture has become more top-down: governments and organizations trying to increase crop yields neglected traditional farming practices and acclimatized seeds, and bought in to a Westernized, "scientific" method of using genetically modified and/or heavily pesticide reliant new crops. He makes a strong case for the necessity of returning to old folkways in growing and marketing local food sources.


Each chapter of the book takes him to a different locale, from North and South America, to Ethiopia, to Kazhakstan, among many others. It reads like an intriguing combination of biography and travel writing, alongside the fascinating science behind biodiversity and its ties to cultural diversity. Not only does he make a strong case for the necessity of crop diversity from the perspective of a secure world food supply, he also makes an emotional appeal: the beauty and the individuality of the many regions of the world he visits need agricultural security to remain distinct civilizations. Consider this locale -- would we want to lose this forever?

The fragrance of the Kazakh forest was unlike any I have ever known, for the pervasive smell of ripening and rotting apples and pears filled my nostrils. At my feet, russet reds, blushing pinks, vibrant roses, and creamy yellows mottled the ground, where wildlife had half consumed many of the fruit that make this forest so bountiful. I had arrived in the place that was the ultimate source of the apples and pears I had eaten since childhood, a place I had tried to imagine since I first read about these "wild apple forests" while still a student many years ago.


He details the many ways humanity gets in our own way when it comes to sustaining our food supplies. One of these things is war, as he recognizes when he visits the Levant, a region his family comes from:

When I arrived [in Lebanon] eight months after the "end" of the war, most of the major bridges between Beirut and Damascus were badly damaged or altogether impassable, and drive-by assassinations were still common. The Lebanese economy was in ruins, and a new virulent rust disease that was attacking grain crops threatened to change the crop mix forever. Nevertheless, I had no trouble finding a great deal to be hopeful about in Lebanon's food and farming systems, amid all the obvious tragedy. I am not sure that Vavilov left the country with such an optimistic impression. What he did describe, however, was the tragedy that occurs whenever a country trades away its food security for export markets of cash crops, leaving it to gain most of its staples from beyond its own borders... Yet Lebanon at the start of the twenty-first century is a sober reminder that war is the worst enemy of food biodiversity and nutritional security. Few scientific reports from anywhere in the world have adequately documented how warfare devastates agro-biodiversity and security, but no firsthand observer could doubt that grave effects are evident in every battle-scarred landscape.


Another way we imperil crop diversity is through meddling with plants from an economic, corporate standpoint. GMO corn has greatly affected Mexican crops, including the original mother of all corn varities, teosinte:

Unfortunately, GMOs have not only contaminated processed corn foods coming into the Sierra Madre, but there is growing speculation that they may have also contaminated the indigenous fields of diverse maize varieties there, as well. ... Pedro Turuseachi, a Tarahumara spokesperson with Chihuahua's Consultoria Técnica Comunitaria, had this to say about why the possible presence of transgenic corn is so threatening to his people: "Our seeds -- of our own maize varieties -- form the basis of any food sovereignty we have for our communities. Maize for us is much more than a food; it is part of what is sacred for us, part of our history, our currency, and our destiny."

The dynamics of natural hybridization between maize and teosinte are perhaps peculiar to Mexico and Guatemala, but genetic contamination of ancient cereal grains, vegetables, and fruits by transgenic cultivars is a new dynamic and one that is becoming increasingly commonplace. Farmers may temporarily enjoy higher yields when they adopt certain GMO crops, but more and more case studies indicate what they are losing, not just what they gain. Whether they are canola farmers in North America, sorghum farmers in Africa, or rice farmers in Asia, more food producers around the world now see that by uncritically adopting any transgenic crop that becomes available to them, they may lose control of the way their crops and certain weeds have positively interacted over many millennia.



This book is extremely readable: fascinating locales, heartbreaking biography and political machinations, and some beautiful photos. Reading it provides so much compelling scientific evidence of the ever increasing importance of being aware of just where our food comes from. Highly recommended.




** Some of the organizations mentioned in this book, many of which Nabhan is involved with, in case you want to look a little further into this topic**



GaryNabhan.com

Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry

Global Crop Diversity Trust

Renewing America's Food Traditions

Bioversity International

Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity Conservation

Conservation International

Native Seeds/SEARCH

Seed Savers Exchange

And a blog by Vavilov...

Challenges!

It's time to decide which Challenges I want to take on next year...like many others, I am feeling that I am reading far too many new books/ARCs lately and not getting to all the books on my own shelves. So, I will only be taking on a few. I rarely finish Challenges anyhow; but I do like signing up.

So far next year I will be doing:

The Science Book Challenge

I've just posted about this year-long challenge in which you only have to read 3 books; I can do that! And so can you -- for ideas about book choices, try looking through the existing Ars Hermeneutica book notes or Eva's huge list at A Striped Armchair.

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Annie's What's in a name 2 Challenge

I did this last year and really enjoyed the random nature of it. This year it works the same way: there are six categories and you have to choose a book with that thing in the title for each one. Here are 09's categories and my book choices (I'm choosing 2 in each to give me options)

A book with a "profession" in its title:

The Zookeeper's Wife / Diane Ackerman

The Yiddish Policeman's Union / Michael Chabon

A book with a "time of day" in its title:

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built / Alexander McCall Smith (tea time is a good time of day!)

Late Nights on Air / Elizabeth Hay

A book with a "relative" in its title:

Cousin Phyllis / Elizabeth Gaskell or My Cousin Rachel / Daphne DuMaurier

The Time Traveler's Wife / Audrey Niffenegger

A book with a "body part" in its title:

The Case of the General's Thumb / Andrey Kurkov

Oh Pure and Radiant Heart / Lydia Millett

A book with a "building" in its title:

The Magic Toyshop / Angela Carter

The Post Office girl / Stefan Zweig

A book with a "medical condition" in its title:

Consumption / Kevin Patterson (also counted toward the Canadian Book Challenge II)

Fever / Sharon Butala

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I'm still moving along with the Canadian Book Challenge (which runs July 1-July 1) which I love -- I'm not quite halfway done but there's still lots of time.

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I am also considering the Support your Local Library challenge. I read many, many books from the library in any case -- I work there so it's kind of unavoidable for me! I think I will sign up, and choose the 50 book option. I'll keep a running list here on the blog throughout the year.




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There's another group event I'm signing up for which isn't exactly a challenge, rather, it's a charitable side to the year's reading. More on that shortly.

Einstein's famous Equation (or why the universe has more energy than I do)

E = mc2 / David Bodanis
Toronto : Anchor Canada, c2001.
352 p.

Talking about 2009's Science Book Challenge made me realize I hadn't yet reviewed my 3rd choice for the 08 challenge! This is the third book I read as part of the challenge, and it is one I have had on my shelves for many years. I received it as a Christmas present in 2002, I think, and have been intending to read it ever since. I do not move at the speed of light! I wish I had picked it up sooner because it was very entertaining, at long last.

Anyhow, Bodanis takes a look at the most famous equation of them all in this book, and each unit of the equation has a section of its own. He talks about the history of the concept represented, whether energy, mass, the speed of light, or even the = sign and the idea of 'squared'. He explains the science which built up to the equation, and the people involved in all its varied parts. For example, when he is talking about "C", he explains how the concept of the speed of light was developed, and what exactly it means. I felt like I clearly understood for the first time the reason why the speed of light is an absolute measurement.

He is a clear writer who also has a feel for the telling anecdote. From my last physics read, you will know that I adore gossip about the figures involved in all these discoveries. Bodanis includes here the story of Voltaire and his mistress and intellectual superior, the brilliant Emelie du Chatelet; the tale of a group of Norwegian saboteurs who skiied into a Nazi stronghold to prevent atomic technology from reaching Germany (this reads like a thriller!); and more tales of my old Copenhagen acquaintances.

The science is explained well, with not too many equations etc. to confuse the non-scientist. I really appreciated how this book shows the interplay between individual discoveries and minds from all countries and centuries. It illuminates the fact that a great discovery, like Einstein's, does not appear out of nowhere, despite Einstein's god-like status. Everything builds on what came before, and the whole line of minuscule steps leads to our present state.

I must admit I didn't find this as exciting and enthralling as I might have otherwise, only because I've just finished Faust in Copenhagen, one of my favourites of the year. Still, this is a captivating read, and covers a lot of historical and scientific ground. I'd recommend it for the general science reader!