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Post by rikita on Jul 15, 2013 13:09:50 GMT
currently reading "herbstmilch" (autumn milk) by anna wimschneider, memories of a bavarian farmer woman born in 1919.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2013 15:15:41 GMT
That sounds intriguing Rikita. Do let us know how you like it. I love the title. (both the German and English translation of).
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2018 12:23:49 GMT
While in NY I began reading a biography of Pablo Neruda. Neruda; the Poets Calling, by Mark Eisner. Thus far, it is the best biography of Neruda that I have encountered.
Unfortunately, because it was on loan from the local library I didn't have time to finish it. I plan to seek it out at the local library here.
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Post by Kimby on Aug 30, 2018 13:24:51 GMT
I hate when that happens! Thank goodness for libraries!
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 30, 2018 14:30:23 GMT
I guess by a stretch this might fit into the category of Biographies: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_libraryAfter reading Kimby's last sentence, I was prompted to go look up the history of public libraries. It's interesting & somewhat surprising reading.
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Post by Kimby on Aug 30, 2018 15:01:44 GMT
Andrew Carnegie gave money to establish thousands of public libraries to accommodate the literacy needs of adults, since children were being made literate in public schools. Almost 1700 of these libraries were in the US. Many towns have a distinctive building funded as a Carnegie library. Ours was built in 1903 (and expanded to 2 stories in 1913), and now functions as a museum of contemporary and Native American art, since the library relocated in 1974. Ground was recently broken for a new library, since Missoula’s well-loved library is bursting at the seams. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_library
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2018 18:04:22 GMT
I hate when that happens! Thank goodness for libraries! The libraries here are so inadequate compared to NY. I will likely have to order this book from another branch if they even have it at all as it is so new.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 30, 2018 18:32:59 GMT
I read a biography several months ago that I thought was very good, but if I reported on it, it would have been in the reading thread, since I'd forgotten this one existed. Thanks for reviving it, Casimira. Anyway, the book was Creation, by Randal Keynes. It appears to be available also under the title Darwin, His Daughter, and Human Evolution, which is the same book. The book really brings Darwin's & his family's characters and personalities to life, along with imparting a strong sense of his times.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2018 19:05:42 GMT
That sounds like something that both T. and I would enjoy. Thanks for the report on it.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 30, 2018 19:52:32 GMT
I knew I'd been more expansive the first time I reported on it, so found the original post: I keep meaning to review a book I finished recently, which was Creation: The True Story of Charles Darwin, Randal Keynes. It's an absolutely fascinating look at Darwin and the Darwin family. I've seen a trailer for the movie made from the book and it looks as though the movie presents Mrs. Darwin in a poor light, as someone religiously rigid, whereas my impression was that she was a supportive companion to her husband. This may be out of print, but maybe you can find it as a used book, as I did. Creation: The True Story of Charles Darwin, Randal Keynes, Annie was Charles and Emma Darwin's adored first daughter. Her death at the age of ten broke their hearts. At the time, Darwin was working secretly on his theory of evolution and the pain of his daughter's death sharpened his conviction that natural laws have nothing to do with divine intervention. But he became racked with anxiety about his ground-breaking theories in The Origin of Species, and the controversy they would cause. As Darwin's theories continue to shape so much of our thinking about human nature today, Creation gives us fresh insight into the private life of a man who viewed the world in a new and extraordinary way. source
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2018 1:00:37 GMT
Thank you for that Bixa.
I shall most surely seek it out.
(As an aside, I perused the previous 4 pages of this thread and found myself taking note of several other biographies that merit worthy reading. I remembered some of them, some I have read yet, others, this time I jotted others down in order to try and find and read).
(All the more reason I'm finding how if one has the time, how worthwhile it is to go delving into the treasure trove of "lost" threads on here.)
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 31, 2018 18:21:59 GMT
Hey ~ thanks for that, Huckle! I immediately navigated over to Amazon and pounced on that deal.
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Post by bjd on Aug 31, 2018 19:16:29 GMT
All of Kapuscinski's books are worth reading. The Football Wars about a war in Central American between Honduras and El Salvador (this is from memory, so I might be wrong), Imperium about the Soviet Union, another book about the Shah of Iran, as well as Ebony, about his being a journalist in Africa.
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Post by casimira on Dec 14, 2018 20:01:33 GMT
I am in the middle of reading a biography of Mary Tudor, England's First Queen by Anna Whitelock.
Thoroughly researched and intriguing (if you're into biographies of British monarchs).
Highly recommended.
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