Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Next Month's Book
February starts tomorrow and with that comes a new book to the book blog. We will be discussing The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson. The Christopher Killer is a forensic mystery starring Cameryn Mahoney, a 17 year old coroner's assistant. It is the first in a series and makes for really interesting reading. If you would like to read this book, you can place a hold on it by calling the library or visiting our website (which you should all know by this time).
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Sorry for the lack of posting
I seem to have misplaced my list of intended posts. I have spent the week frantically searching for this list, but to no avail. I promise to get back on track on Monday. In the meantime, what is everyone reading right now?
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
a movie you might enjoy
if you are interested in ghosts and/or enjoy the films of Tim Burton, be sure to check out Beetlejuice!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
another book you might enjoy
Death's Acre by William Bass
Read this review, from Publisher's Weekly
In this memoir, Bass, a premier forensic anthropologist, recounts how a life spent studying dead bodies led to the creation of "The Anthropolgy Research Facility" (aka the Body Farm), a plot of land near the University of Tennessee Medical Center where Bass and his colleagues monitor the decomposition of human corpses in various environments. The book is structured around the 1981 creation of the Body Farm, and the early chapters focus on some of Bass's trickier cases to demonstrate his need for more information about the science of forensics. The later chapters take a closer look at how the scientific analysis of Body Farm corpses has helped Bass and other anthropologists solve some of the toughest and most bizarre cases of their distinguished careers. Though professional and conscientious when describing the medical facts of each case, Bass, writing with journalist Jefferson, proves to be a witty storyteller with a welcome sense of humor. He also does a nice job balancing accounts of death and decomposition with decidedly not-so-morbid tidbits from his personal life. Furthermore, the poignancy of how he reacts to the deaths of his first two wives reflects the compassion he feels for the dead and their surviving family members he encounters in his working life. Bass may deal with the dead, but he has a lust for life that comes across in his writing. While the grisly details may not make this a must-read for everyone, those who do pick it up might just be pleasantly surprised by how Bass brings death to life.
Read this review, from Publisher's Weekly
In this memoir, Bass, a premier forensic anthropologist, recounts how a life spent studying dead bodies led to the creation of "The Anthropolgy Research Facility" (aka the Body Farm), a plot of land near the University of Tennessee Medical Center where Bass and his colleagues monitor the decomposition of human corpses in various environments. The book is structured around the 1981 creation of the Body Farm, and the early chapters focus on some of Bass's trickier cases to demonstrate his need for more information about the science of forensics. The later chapters take a closer look at how the scientific analysis of Body Farm corpses has helped Bass and other anthropologists solve some of the toughest and most bizarre cases of their distinguished careers. Though professional and conscientious when describing the medical facts of each case, Bass, writing with journalist Jefferson, proves to be a witty storyteller with a welcome sense of humor. He also does a nice job balancing accounts of death and decomposition with decidedly not-so-morbid tidbits from his personal life. Furthermore, the poignancy of how he reacts to the deaths of his first two wives reflects the compassion he feels for the dead and their surviving family members he encounters in his working life. Bass may deal with the dead, but he has a lust for life that comes across in his writing. While the grisly details may not make this a must-read for everyone, those who do pick it up might just be pleasantly surprised by how Bass brings death to life.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Monday, January 08, 2007
Friday, January 05, 2007
another book you may enjoy
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
A sort-of prequel to Spook, Stiff looks at what happens to your physical body after you are done with it. A very keen and thorough look at all of your options for the post-life, including some you've heard of (burial, cremation, etc.) and some less well-know options (get turned into plant mulch). Not quite as gory as it sounds, but still probably not for the faint of heart. This book was nominated for the Abraham Lincoln Award.
A sort-of prequel to Spook, Stiff looks at what happens to your physical body after you are done with it. A very keen and thorough look at all of your options for the post-life, including some you've heard of (burial, cremation, etc.) and some less well-know options (get turned into plant mulch). Not quite as gory as it sounds, but still probably not for the faint of heart. This book was nominated for the Abraham Lincoln Award.
Cemetery Photos
Click here to visit the website of the Streatham Cemetery in England. The website features photos of the cemetery in all four seasons fo the year. The photos are really quite beautiful.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Video of Mary Roach
Click here to find a video of Mary Roach discussing the ideas in her book.
(If the link doesn't work, you can google research channel and Mary Roach. It should be the first website that comes up)
(If the link doesn't work, you can google research channel and Mary Roach. It should be the first website that comes up)
Welcome!
Welcome to our Book Blog! This month we will be discussing Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach. As the title suggests, this book takes a look at what happens to us after we die. It is a very interesting book that investigates several ideas regarding what might happen (or not) in the great beyond.
If you are interested in reading this book, we have copies on shelf in the library (as of this writing) or we can always put a hold from another library.
Check back to the blog often. There will be new postings often. You may find something interesting even if you are not reading along.
If you are interested in reading this book, we have copies on shelf in the library (as of this writing) or we can always put a hold from another library.
Check back to the blog often. There will be new postings often. You may find something interesting even if you are not reading along.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)