History seemed to be Nevermore’s theme this week. The first book mentioned was Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5 Billion Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin. Our reviewer found it a fascinating look at how various human organs and structures have their beginnings in very different forms of life: a fish, a sponge, or a fly. Shubin is a paleontologist and professor of anatomy, but the book is written so that a layperson can understand it. Another member decided to read it as well.
A Cultural Handbook to the Bible by John J. Pilch is a collection of essays which tries to expand our understanding of the Bible by explaining the culture at the time. Our reviewer wasn’t certain that was relevant; that it was written so that it would be applicable no matter the time or culture. Other members found it to be both entertaining and enlightening.
Two new books about Thomas Jefferson also drew comments. In Master of the Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves, author Henry Wiencek makes a compelling case that Jefferson had realized that agriculture was not the way to wealth. Breeding and selling slaves was far more profitable. Our reviewer noted that this is not the picture we like to see of Jefferson, but it’s important that people see historical figures in full context. Jud mentioned the award-winning YA book Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, which dealt with Jefferson and his relationship to his slaves in a fictionalized way, but fiction backed up by much research. Jon Meacham’s Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power is a more conventional portrait, emphasizing the intelligence, the passion for the new nation, and the appreciation for fine things, like books and wine. Our reviewer called this the traditional view, seeing Jefferson as a product of his time.
Stranger to History: A Son’s Journey Through Islamic Lands by Aatish Taseer is a book that’s both personal and global. Taseer’s mother was Sikh, but his father was a Pakistani Muslim. After his father’s assassination, Taseer embarked on a tour of Islamic countries as a way to try to understand his father and his father’s faith. Taseer offers some fascinating insights into the various cultures and beliefs. The author is a journalist who has written for Time, The Financial News, and Esquire.
Our last reviewer was impressed by Domingo Martinez’s memoir of growing up Mexican in Texas in the 1980s. In Boy Kings of Texas, the reader is introduced to a macho culture that often lures young men into traps, causing them to repeat mistakes. Even with the same country of origin, the Texas Mexican community is far different than its California counterpart, but both struggle with identity as both Mexicans and Americans. The book serves as both a coming of age story and a sociological examination of a culture.
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