As I was born in the middle of the 20th century (!) when gourmet food meant toasted breadcrumbs on top of macaroni and cheese, garlic was completely edgy, and zucchini was an exotic vegetable, I was intrigued by this humorous and fascinating look at the culinary evolution/revolution of the past sixty years. Celebrity chefs, artisanal …
David Anthony tells the story of the origin of Proto-Indo-European language—the “mother tongue” of English, Spanish, Greek, Sanskrit, and Slavic languages spoken by billions of people today. Drawing on his own archaeological field work in the Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan, Anthony argues that horses were domesticated as early as 4800 BC, not for transportation but …
For those who have spent any time in India (or even in Indian restaurants!), the popularity and ubiquity of lushly-illustrated images, especially of gods and goddesses, is impossible to ignore. I picked up Kajri Jain’s Gods in the Bazaar: The Economies of Indian Calendar Art (Duke, 2007), in the hopes of finding a history and …
Gender Trouble, by Judith Butler, seems to be the book that started it all. Since my Freshman year at Bowdoin, the name Judith Butler and the concept of performativity have appeared with a surprising frequency in academic discussions–it seems as if her work can be factored into anything from music theory to communication and media …
In January of 1978, Rob Taylor and his climbing partner, Harley, attempt the unclimbed Icicle Route on Kilimanjaro’s Breach Wall. The Breach Wall has been compared to the North Wall of the Eiger. The story takes you to the mountain, the accident, the rescue, and the healing, which is more then just physical. I really …
Heading for study abroad in Beijing in the fall, I thought it might be wise to read up a little on the culture that I’m about to immerse myself in. The fact that “Waiting” by Ha Jin is one of the most banned books in China made it just that much more intriguing. As I …
I really like this book because I like to take long walks On The Road. In fact, lets go for a walk now. No, wait, lets have a snack, then go for a walk, then chase some squirrels. Then have another snack, and a nap, then go stare out the front window until somebody goes …