Cervantes
From reading the two volumes in college, I seemed to remember that I felt the second was better; more solid. Written about 10 years after the first volume, Cervantes obviously takes the criticism he received from the first volume into account in writing his second. To me this means less chapters where a wandering shepherd quijote and panza meet on the road tells an unrelated love or adventure story and more dialogue and adventures where DQ and PS take part. These last bits are what makes the novel funny and deep.
One brief observation on Volume Two regarding the age-old analysis of these novels and the give-and-take between reality and fantasy. Throughout the novels, the characters see DQ as crazy and so play games to make him think he is actually sane. In the last few chapters as DQ approaches death, he "becomes" sane. The surrounding characters try to convince him of the reality of fantastical claims/events/etc. This is very clever by the author because at this point he has made DQ sane and all the rest crazy.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Amazing Potato (Milton Meltzer)
(A Story in which the Incas, Conquistadors, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Wars, Famines, Immigrants, and French Fries All Play a Part)
This short book renewed my appreciation for the humble papa (the Spanish word came from Incan). It's a New World food, first found in 1530s Peru, in many varieties. It crossed the Atlantic to Europe on Spanish ships, put on board to feed the sailors. Although the Spanish were fond of it, it took a while for the potato to catch on in Europe. The Irish embraced it in the wake of war with the English, as it kept them from starvation. They brought the potato to North America when Irish immigrants planted potatoes in New Hampshire in 1719. So dependent were the Irish on the potato that the blight in 1845 caused a famine which one historian called the end of Old Ireland, because so many Irish either died or left the country.
Today the potato is the fourth most important food in the world, after wheat, rice, and corn. Russia is the top grower, followed by China. By weight it is the fourth most important food in the American diet. Idaho grows the most, followed by Washington State, Oregon, Maine, and North Dakota. However, potatoes are grown all across the country.
Wonderful nutrition is to be found in a potato: the average spud has 100 calories and is virtually free of fat and sodium. It also provides 50% RDA of vitamin C; 20% of vitamin B6; 15% of iodine; 10% of niacin, iron, and copper; 8% of folic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, and thiamin; as well as zinc, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. Additionally it contains potassium and fiber (which lowers cholesterol). It has better-quality protein than the soybean.
The International Potato Center (CIP) is located in Peru. Its mission is to preserve "the full genetic diversity of the potato." In North America, for example, 80% of potatoes grown are one of six varieties. It is important to ensure that the other varieties continue to exist, so CIP has identified over 5000 native potato varieties in Latin America which it maintains either in the field or in storage. (The Shining Path attacked a busload of CIP workers in 1988, even killing one. The next year, three storage buildings were dynamited. Now there are storage locations in two other countries.)
So, go out and eat a potato - a FRESH potato. It's good for you! Also, I learned from this book: store them in a dark, dry place, NOT the fridge, because cold turns the starch to sugars. But too much warmth can cause them to sprout and wither. Happy potato eating!
This short book renewed my appreciation for the humble papa (the Spanish word came from Incan). It's a New World food, first found in 1530s Peru, in many varieties. It crossed the Atlantic to Europe on Spanish ships, put on board to feed the sailors. Although the Spanish were fond of it, it took a while for the potato to catch on in Europe. The Irish embraced it in the wake of war with the English, as it kept them from starvation. They brought the potato to North America when Irish immigrants planted potatoes in New Hampshire in 1719. So dependent were the Irish on the potato that the blight in 1845 caused a famine which one historian called the end of Old Ireland, because so many Irish either died or left the country.
Today the potato is the fourth most important food in the world, after wheat, rice, and corn. Russia is the top grower, followed by China. By weight it is the fourth most important food in the American diet. Idaho grows the most, followed by Washington State, Oregon, Maine, and North Dakota. However, potatoes are grown all across the country.
Wonderful nutrition is to be found in a potato: the average spud has 100 calories and is virtually free of fat and sodium. It also provides 50% RDA of vitamin C; 20% of vitamin B6; 15% of iodine; 10% of niacin, iron, and copper; 8% of folic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, and thiamin; as well as zinc, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. Additionally it contains potassium and fiber (which lowers cholesterol). It has better-quality protein than the soybean.
The International Potato Center (CIP) is located in Peru. Its mission is to preserve "the full genetic diversity of the potato." In North America, for example, 80% of potatoes grown are one of six varieties. It is important to ensure that the other varieties continue to exist, so CIP has identified over 5000 native potato varieties in Latin America which it maintains either in the field or in storage. (The Shining Path attacked a busload of CIP workers in 1988, even killing one. The next year, three storage buildings were dynamited. Now there are storage locations in two other countries.)
So, go out and eat a potato - a FRESH potato. It's good for you! Also, I learned from this book: store them in a dark, dry place, NOT the fridge, because cold turns the starch to sugars. But too much warmth can cause them to sprout and wither. Happy potato eating!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Reading Magic by Mem Fox
Apparently "experts" say that children should hear 1000 books read aloud before they learn to start reading themselves. One thousand may sound like a lot, but literacy guru Mem Fox points out, it's easy - just read three books a day, and in a year, you'll reach that number. The ideal three books are one favorite, one familiar, and one new. If you start early and follow a routine, your child will most likely be reading on his/her own when he/she starts school.
So the best thing you can do for a young child's development is easy and fun - read books with and stories to him or her!
So the best thing you can do for a young child's development is easy and fun - read books with and stories to him or her!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Milton Meltzer
Milton Meltzer is the author, not the title.
I first got to know of him when I read Hear That Train Whistle Blow! How the Railroad Changed the World (Random House, 2004) for my adolescent literature class a couple of months ago. I enjoyed the book, loved the writing style, clear and with a populist bent. It called to mind Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.
Now that I am finished with the course and off the required reading treadmill, I have read a couple more of his books- he's apparently written around 100 books for young adult readers. It's the perfect level for me, not overly in-depth like those scholarly adult audience tomes, but not juvenile and generalistic as a child's book may be. In the middle, just right. And makes for relatively quick, informative reading.
I just finished Ten Queens: Portraits of Women of Power. Before that I read - you gotta love this title - Gold: The true story of why people search for it, mine it, trade it, steal it, mint it, hoard it, shape it, wear it, fight and kill for it.
If you want to read some quality history on interesting topics but don't want to spend half the year on one book, I recommend you check out the work of Milton Metzer.
I first got to know of him when I read Hear That Train Whistle Blow! How the Railroad Changed the World (Random House, 2004) for my adolescent literature class a couple of months ago. I enjoyed the book, loved the writing style, clear and with a populist bent. It called to mind Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.
Now that I am finished with the course and off the required reading treadmill, I have read a couple more of his books- he's apparently written around 100 books for young adult readers. It's the perfect level for me, not overly in-depth like those scholarly adult audience tomes, but not juvenile and generalistic as a child's book may be. In the middle, just right. And makes for relatively quick, informative reading.
I just finished Ten Queens: Portraits of Women of Power. Before that I read - you gotta love this title - Gold: The true story of why people search for it, mine it, trade it, steal it, mint it, hoard it, shape it, wear it, fight and kill for it.
If you want to read some quality history on interesting topics but don't want to spend half the year on one book, I recommend you check out the work of Milton Metzer.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE
hoping to drum up some internal enthusiasm for doing some hiking in the southeast this spring, i read this guy's writings about hiking the appalachian trail from georgia to maine back in the 1970's. interesting, the book is narrative but not told chronologically as would be assumed in recounting hiking a trail but rather topically so that one chapter might be about animals he encountered and another chapter about the various aches and pains he would get.
by contrast, "a walk across america" is a great chronologically-told hiking narrative that really grabbed my attention when i read it. i think this guy really shot himself in the foot by not writing like jenkins.
the impression that the book left me with was a fragmented one that makes me not want to hike the AT now despite the guy praising his experience every few pages. humorously, he includes the time after the "thru-hike" when he felt out of place in society, could not find a job, had to live with his parents, and got really behind on his career development.
by contrast, "a walk across america" is a great chronologically-told hiking narrative that really grabbed my attention when i read it. i think this guy really shot himself in the foot by not writing like jenkins.
the impression that the book left me with was a fragmented one that makes me not want to hike the AT now despite the guy praising his experience every few pages. humorously, he includes the time after the "thru-hike" when he felt out of place in society, could not find a job, had to live with his parents, and got really behind on his career development.
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