The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

30.2 - Daphne's task: Peering really close at the world.

Sometimes reading can give you a chance to explore the big picture or big ideas. This can sometimes happens when one looks really closely at small things. For this task, we are going to take a look at the world by focusing on one particular topic or learning about the littlest things in life
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Please read 2 books from 2 different options. Identify the options when you post.

This is a non-fiction book task.

1. In 1995, Oxford University Press decided to try a new kind of book aimed at introducing readers to big subjects in very few words. Classics: A Very Short Introduction by Mary Beard was their first foray into trying this medium. They are still publishing many books a year and there are nearly 450 A Very Short Introductions published now. Pick a book from the collection Very Short Introductions

2. Another interesting way to learn about a particular subject and how it fits into the bigger picture is through the increasingly popular "microhistory". Mark Kurlansky's incredibly interesting and insightful Salt: A World History in 2002 was one of the first and it triggered thousands of historians, science writers, and popular authors to try their hand at a microhistory. One of my favorite Listopia's ever is all about the mircohistories, and it's been a constant source of new books and subjects that I didn't even realize I might be interested in. For this task, read a book from the first 2 pages of Microhistory: Social Histories of Just One Thing

3. Here is a fact that may be hard to swallow for some: There is a very good chance that humans may have more bacterial cells in their bodies than 'human' ones. This article from Scientific American explains how we are more bacteria than human. Read a book shelved at least 4 times under Microbiology from this list Popular Microbiology Books OR read a book from this listopia: Microbiology

Approved:

Won't Work:

This help thread is open!

I love the Very Short Introductions series!

Trish wrote: "I love the Very Short Introductions series!"

Me too! I hope there is another fan or two of this series after the challenge too.

Looks like my library network only has two of them so I'll be reading the Egyptian Myth or Russian History one ;-)

just throwing this out there for people looking for a book for option 2... Mark Kurlansky's earlier book Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World is amazing! i preferred it to Salt (though Salt was good, too!) :)

I think I *may* just discovered my new favorite Listopia - love the microhistory challenge!!

Jacki wrote: "I think I *may* just discovered my new favorite Listopia - love the microhistory challenge!!"

I'm so happy to hear it! It's my favorite listopia :) I've found so many wonderful gems and learned so many things from the books on that list.

Option 2: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

Option 3: The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston