Biographies of Things... and a Few Concepts

a list by Leah Smith, librarian and avid reader

1. Totally immerse yourself in a seemingly mundane subject.
2. Beautifully communicate all that is fascinating about that subject.
3. End up on this fascinating, albeit, incredibly esoteric, list.

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/History_of_the_Breast');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0345388941'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/History_of_the_Breast');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0345388941'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">History of the Breast

by Marilyn Yalom

Amazon readers say:

"Fabulous."
"A sweeping view of western art and attitudes about breasts."
"Good popular history that doesn't cheat history."
"Easy to read."

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/History_of_the_Breast');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/History_of_the_Breast');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0345388941'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 352 page paperback |$17.10 |6 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Cod_A_Biography_of_the_Fish_That_Changed_the_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140275010'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Cod_A_Biography_of_the_Fish_That_Changed_the_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140275010'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World

by Mark Kurlansky

Amazon readers say:

"An enjoyable book - for history buffs a must read."
"In cod we trust."
"Intriguing look at the the history and influence of cod."
"One of the best historical records I have read."

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Cod_A_Biography_of_the_Fish_That_Changed_the_World');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Cod_A_Biography_of_the_Fish_That_Changed_the_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140275010'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 304 page paperback |$9.75 |114 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_Dirt_on_Clean_An_Unsanitized_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0374531374'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_Dirt_on_Clean_An_Unsanitized_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0374531374'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History

by Katherine Ashenburg

Amazon readers say:

"A sordid history."
"Interesting history of hygiene."
"A survey of changing attitudes towards what constitutes cleanliness."
"Well researched and enjoyable reading."

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_Dirt_on_Clean_An_Unsanitized_History');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_Dirt_on_Clean_An_Unsanitized_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0374531374'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 368 page paperback |$10.20 |9 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Robbing_the_Bees_A_Biography_of_HoneyThe_Sweet_Liquid_Gold_that_Seduced_the_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0743250222'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Robbing_the_Bees_A_Biography_of_HoneyThe_Sweet_Liquid_Gold_that_Seduced_the_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0743250222'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Robbing the Bees: A Biography of Honey--The Sweet Liquid Gold that Seduced the World

by Holley Bishop

Amazon readers say:

"Neither a beekeeper nor a gardner but I loved this book."
"Who knew bees could be such a fascinating topic?"
"Sweetness and insight!"
"Don't miss this sweet treat of a book!"

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Robbing_the_Bees_A_Biography_of_HoneyThe_Sweet_Liquid_Gold_that_Seduced_the_World');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Robbing_the_Bees_A_Biography_of_HoneyThe_Sweet_Liquid_Gold_that_Seduced_the_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0743250222'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 336 page paperback |$11.03 |24 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_Mirror_A_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0415924480'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_Mirror_A_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0415924480'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">The Mirror: A History

by Sabine Melchoir-Bonnet

Amazon says:
This engaging and witty cultural history traces the evolution of the mirror from antiquity to the present day, illustrating its journey from wondrous object to ordinary trinket. With its earliest invention, the mirror allowed us to gaze upon ourselves, bestowing a power both fascinating and terrifying. Drawing on rich sources of history, literature, art and philosophy, Melchior-Bonnet recounts the story of intrigue. Through the works of such writers as Dante, St. Augustine, Flaubert, and Henry James, and its representations in the works of artists like Durer, Van Eyck, Leonardo, and Magritte, the author reveals our enduring fascination with reflection, the image that is at once the same, and not the same, as ourselves.

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_Mirror_A_History');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_Mirror_A_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0415924480'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 224 page paperback |$22.00 |2 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Oak_The_Frame_of_Civilization');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0393327787'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Oak_The_Frame_of_Civilization');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0393327787'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Oak: The Frame of Civilization

by William Bryant Logan

Amazon readers say:

"Well-burnished love of knowledge."
"Compelling creative non-fiction read."
"Oaks compose the frame of civilization."
"Read this book through, and it will always be with you."

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Oak_The_Frame_of_Civilization');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Oak_The_Frame_of_Civilization');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0393327787'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 320 page paperback |$10.85 |8 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/A_History_of_Pi');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0312381859'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/A_History_of_Pi');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0312381859'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">A History of Pi

by Petr Beckmann

Amazon readers say:

"Great history of one of the most important concepts."
"A mathematics book for the book shelf!"
"A wonderful book for anyone who has ever memorized pi."
"History of pi, history of progress."

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/A_History_of_Pi');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/A_History_of_Pi');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0312381859'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 208 page paperback |$10.17 |55 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Salt_A_World_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0142001619'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Salt_A_World_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0142001619'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Salt: A World History

by Mark Kurlansky

Amazon readers say:

"A must-read for foodies and non-academic history buffs."
"Salterrific!!!!!!! An enjoyable and enthralling read!!!!!"
"Great book for history and trivia junkies."
"A whirlwind tour of one of mankind's most important products!"

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Salt_A_World_History');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Salt_A_World_History');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0142001619'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 498 page paperback |$10.29 |106 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Sheep_The_Remarkable_Story_of_the_Humble_Animal_that_Built_the_Modern_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1905047681'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Sheep_The_Remarkable_Story_of_the_Humble_Animal_that_Built_the_Modern_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1905047681'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Sheep: The Remarkable Story of the Humble Animal that Built the Modern World

by Alan Butler

Amazon says:
Despite everyday beliefs, civilization as we know it couldn't have existed without the humble sheep. The sheep's importance in providing meat, milk and wool, the basis of our food and clothing for millennia, has never been appreciated. Twenty years ago, Alan Butler set out on a period of research to redress this balance; Sheep is the consequence of that work. His book marries religion, economics, history and cultural studies and demonstrates the remarkable fact that without sheep we may not have spread around the world in the way we have. A fascinating study of the world's single most crucial domestic animal that is an eye opener and a pleasure to read.

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Sheep_The_Remarkable_Story_of_the_Humble_Animal_that_Built_the_Modern_World');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Sheep_The_Remarkable_Story_of_the_Humble_Animal_that_Built_the_Modern_World');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1905047681'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 240 page hardcover |$19.95

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_History_of_the_Snowman');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1416940669'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_History_of_the_Snowman');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1416940669'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">The History of the Snowman

by Bob Eckstein

Amazon readers say:

"The Snowman is very cool."
"Everything you always wanted to know about the snowman but were afraid to ask."
"An unexpected hoot."
"Who knew?"

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_History_of_the_Snowman');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/The_History_of_the_Snowman');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1416940669'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 177 page hardcover |$13.11 |18 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Bittersweet_The_Story_of_Sugar');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1865086576'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Bittersweet_The_Story_of_Sugar');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1865086576'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Bittersweet: The Story of Sugar

by Peter Macinnis

Amazon readers say:

"Bittersweet history."
"Well researched."
"Lively and engrossing history of the social impact of sugar."
"An evenhanded introduction to an important food."

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Bittersweet_The_Story_of_Sugar');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Bittersweet_The_Story_of_Sugar');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1865086576'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 216 page paperback |$15.95 |6 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Contested_Waters_A_Social_History_of_Swimming_Pools_in_America');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/080783100X'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Contested_Waters_A_Social_History_of_Swimming_Pools_in_America');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/080783100X'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America

by Jeff Wiltse

Amazon says:
As sites of race riots, shrinking swimsuits, and conspicuous leisure, swimming pools reflect the tensions and transformations that have given rise to modern America.

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Contested_Waters_A_Social_History_of_Swimming_Pools_in_America');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Contested_Waters_A_Social_History_of_Swimming_Pools_in_America');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/080783100X'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 288 page hardcover |$21.86 |3 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Wanderlust_A_History_of_Walking');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140286012'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Wanderlust_A_History_of_Walking');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140286012'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Wanderlust: A History of Walking

by Rebecca Solnit

Amazon readers say:

"A personal and erudite survey of three centuries of walking."
"Read this book, and go for a walk."
"An excursion into fascinating territory."
"Guide book to the restless."

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Wanderlust_A_History_of_Walking');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Wanderlust_A_History_of_Walking');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140286012'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 336 page paperback |$10.88 |19 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Zero_The_Biography_of_a_Dangerous_Idea');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140296476'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Zero_The_Biography_of_a_Dangerous_Idea');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140296476'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

by Charles Seife

Amazon readers say:

"A book with a deceptively simple title."
"It turns out that nothing is really something."
"A brief history of time for the number zero."
"A very engaging, interesting, and enlightening read."

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Zero_The_Biography_of_a_Dangerous_Idea');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Zero_The_Biography_of_a_Dangerous_Idea');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/0140296476'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 256 page paperback |$9.75 |132 reviews

 
 
onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Milk_The_Surprising_Story_of_Milk_Through_the_Ages');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1400044103'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Milk_The_Surprising_Story_of_Milk_Through_the_Ages');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1400044103'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages

by Anne Mendelson

Amazon says:
Part cookbook -- with more than 120 enticing recipes -- part culinary history, part inquiry into the evolution of an industry, "Milk" is a one-of-a-kind book that will forever change the way we think about dairy products.

onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Milk_The_Surprising_Story_of_Milk_Through_the_Ages');" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> onClick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/to_amazon/Biographies_of_Things_and_a_Few_Concepts/Milk_The_Surprising_Story_of_Milk_Through_the_Ages');" onMouseOver="window.status='http://amazon.com/dp/1400044103'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;"> 352 page hardcover |$19.77

This book also appears on Amazon's Best of 2008: Food and Cooking
 

A note from Flashlight Worthy:
It's brilliant lists like these that make it so much fun to run Flashlight Worthy. We're very appreciative to all the lists Leah send us -- if you enjoyed her work, please do take a moment to visit Leah's blog to drop her a note saying thank you.

And if you know any books we should add to the list above, .

 
 

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