I've been reading quite a bit lately. Granted, there is rarely a time when I don't read quite a bit, so perhaps I mean more that I've been getting through books more quickly that usual. I've been sick all weekend, and the cable's out, so I actually read four books in two days. Those were for my reviewing gig, though, so I can't write about them here. I thought I'd share three books that I read on my own, all of which are worth a look.
The first was Examined Lives: From Socrates to Nietzsche by James Miller. In it, he looks at twelve major philosophers and their lives. I enjoyed reading it because I learned a little bit more than just the Monty Python "Philosophers' Drinking Song" about names I know I should know. The chapters on the Greeks were particularly interesting, but I also really enjoyed reading about Ralph Waldo Emerson. The book is accessible, but dense, and I definitely felt more comfortable reading about the philosophers I was already at least passingly familiar with. I also finally learned something about Nietzsche. Not a fan, by the by.
I'm a big fan of the Penguin Lives series -- they're always well-written and well-researched -- and the one about Robert E. Lee, by Roy Blout, Jr. was particularly fantastic. Blout has a gift for writing in a way that's funny but nuanced. I will try to model myself after his style in my non-fiction work. Anyway, while I sought out Examined Lives after seeing it at a bookshop, this one I just stumbled upon at the library and thought, "Oh, heck, why not?" It was very interesting to learn so much more about Lee. I really knew very little about him, and found him to be quite a tragic, and moving, figure. I was particularly affected by his habit, towards the end of the Civil War, of trying to insist that he would lead his troops into battle (and certain death). Blout tells the story of his men refusing to follow him, chanting, "Lee to the rear! Lee to the rear!" until he gave in and allowed them to charge without him. Sad, noble stuff.
I also really enjoyed Alec Wilkinson's The Protest Singer, about Pete Seeger. It's a very slim volume, but it hits all the high points of Seeger's life and career. I'm in awe of Seeger's life and work, and this was a great introduction/reminder of why. I think I'll read one of the longer works about him now. If you're a little interested in Seeger, this is a great read.
It's just occured to me that I basically read the biographies of 14 old white men. Hmm. Well, next up is Dorothy Wickendon's Nothing Daunted, which is about her grandmother and friend's adventures in the Old West. Two ladies, written by a lady. I'll let you know how it was!
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