Longitude

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

My thanks to my friend Scott, who recommended this to me. Before computers, satellites, global positioning systems, and before clocks could keep accurate time, explorers traveled the open seas. I think we fail to appreciate what a brave and courageous task that was. Positions were calculated by the stars, and calculations that took a great deal of time, measuring the sun's position, at night measuring the stars alignment. The inaccuracies often led to doom, either with ships wandering, having missed their destination, or floundering and wrecking on land masses where they had miscalculated their destinations.

If you had asked me prior to reading this book whether this subject would fascinate me, I would have said no. But Ms. Sobel writes so engagingly, explaining rather complex things in ways that made it possible for me to grasp celestial navigation, sextants, and the problem of longitude in a rudimentary way, and then allowing me to be amazed at not only the man who solved the problem through sheer determination, but also through the machinations of the political and scientific bodies that would ultimately decide the fate of the Harrison chronometer. A carpenter solved one of the worlds greatest problems.

A fascinating read. I couldn't put it down.

A KEEPER.

The Old Patagonian Express

The Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux. While Mr. Theroux's grouchiness and disagreeable temperament made this difficult reading at times, forcing me to take a week-long break at one point due to his unrelentingly dour take on everything, this was definitely worth the read. While he never seems to get swept away in the magic of what he is doing, there are moments of excitement that make me glad to take the ride with him. When he meets Borges and spends several days visiting with and reading to the blind author, his usual crustiness goes away.

As I read this, I felt like I was hearing the thoughts of some people I know. His disdain for human beings in general was close to unrelenting.

If you like travel memoirs, let me warn you, this isn't a tale of someone who went, found wonderful magical places, met fabulous people and had wonderful memories. His descriptions are concise and accurate, but there is never an aha moment where he understands something about himself or about people that he did not already know. If you don't need that, you may appreciate this one man's take on a journey to the southernmost tip of South America reachable by train.

This is: A KEEPER

The Beginnings

Here in Baltimore, my bookshelf is pitifully small. In fact, I don't own a bookshelf here, my few books are stacked on the floor, a pathetic state for someone who loves books as I do. My plan for this blog is to tell you about the books I read--what I like, what I don't like, whether I'm keeping it or putting it back into circulation.

I will state that my preference is for hardcovers with intact paper sleeves. Some of my favorite books I am in the process of replacing; my worn, read and re-read paperback editions held together with clear packing tape are gradually being replaced with the hardcover editions with the (sigh of rapture) paper sleeves intact.

Yet here, where I haven't found a job, have no friends to socialize with and limited funds for exploring, I can always get lost in a book. I will confess to a little secret--I like all kinds of books. I like literature, memoirs, science-fiction/fantasy, children's books, some pop literature and even, on occasion, will read a fluffy romance/women's lit book. I look at it this way. We shouldn't live on a steady diet of eclairs, fudge or cotton candy, but every now and again, you just want a little light fluffy treat. I feel that way about reading. Occasionally I just want a light fluffy read. Some of these succeed, some fail.

So let's get started: