Summer is almost here, and we end the school year the way we began it: considering what school really is for. It's a great show if you didn't hear it in the fall.
A holiday weekend is a great time to build up that reading list, and it's no exception around the TTBOOK office. I've got a stack of books on the history of beer and wine, the chemistry of flavor, and the cultural impact of yeast in my the research pile. But for fun, I'm finally wrapping up the vivid (and strange) Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. I'm late to the party, I know, but sometimes you just need to read something for you.
What about you, is there something you've been meaning to read for ages, and hope to get to over the holiday weekend? Reply and let us know.
—Mark
As for the rest of the team:
STEVE: I’ve been reading Jim Holt’s “When Einstein Walked With Godel.” Holt is a philosopher who has a gift for writing about science and mathematics. This collection of essays not only explores a lot of big ideas - from infinity to quantum physics - but also tells the stories of some remarkable thinkers. It turns out a lot of them had tragic lives. Some were simply too far ahead of their time to be accepted. Others were paranoid or delusional and couldn’t reconcile their scientific work with living in the real world. Fascinating stuff!
HALEEMA: I’m currently reading Paulo Coelho’s “Eleven Minutes.” Reading it has been a transporting experience for several reasons: I haven’t read anything by Coelho since grade school, the book is a gift from a cousin I haven’t seen in years, and it’s a fictional story about a young woman who becomes a prostitute and goes from a Brazilian village to Geneva. The glimpses into different world is absorbing but ultimately, it’s a story about self-realization and growing up.
SHANNON: Reading the epic historical novel “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee, I’m drawn into generations of family happenings in Korea and Japan that make me want to learn more about those countries and their customs. I also wondered what exactly, is Pachinko? It’s a pinball-like game that combines skill and luck, and it’s a national obsession in Japan. Here’s a video that shows the fast-paced neon world of Pachinko.
Also, you can listen to Anne interviewing Min Jin Lee here!