Solitude, Peace, Beauty and Truth
Everyone, at one time or another, has wished for the world to disappear, if only for a moment. We’ve wished for space to breathe, for a clarity only available when the harsh glare of the everyday disappears, for a silence so clarion in its call that time slows as we try to discern the meaning in an absence. The experience of these moments is fleeting in our modern world of cacophonous resonances that echo everywhere, endlessly.
But, perhaps, it isn’t as endless as it seems. The unironically entitled documentary, Happy People (available at Acorn), is about a group of people happily living the most basic of existences in the Siberian Taiga. The main focus is on a trapper and the life he ekes out for himself and his family in one of the harshest biomes in the world. The unforgiving nature, and the unrelenting beauty, of the area act as touchstones by which to measure the true nature of human existence, peace and true happiness.
For me, however, the ultimate definition of true solitude, peace, happiness and beauty comes by the way of a man named Dick Proenneke. He left the world behind and never looked back. He spent decades living alone in the Alaskan wilderness and he captured it all in a series of diaries and on film. Alone in the Wilderness and its sequel, Alaska, Silence and Solitude, capture the heart of humanity laid bare. What truths the human heart and mind and body hold are all here: the meaning of living versus existing; the power of true beauty to blur the human eye and touch the human heart in unimaginable ways; the triumph of the spirit when survival is at stake; and the ingenuity and resourcefulness inherent to the unbroken, billion-year line of human heritage that connects us all.
So, join me in a celebration of spirit, solitude, beauty and peace, if you will…oh, wait, you already have.
Danielle, Tech Services
A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen
An international bestseller recently released in the US, A Street Cat Named Bob tells the real-life account of a recovering heroin addict barely scraping by as a street musician in London, when he comes across a wounded stray cat in his apartment building. Bowen (who charmingly resembles a cleaned-up Kurt Cobain with a thoughtful-looking cat perched on his shoulder on the book's cover) can hardly take care of himself and initially resists the added responsibility and expense of caring for a pet, but quickly the two form a unique and remarkable bond. Their relationship inspires Bowen to continue putting his life back together after several years of addiction, poverty and feelings of inadequacy and invisibility. Though Bowen's circumstances are not entirely relatable for everyone, his feelings and emotions are, as is his bond with Bob. You can follow Bob on Facebook and Twitter, and pick up this great read at Acorn!
-Jen, Youth Services
An international bestseller recently released in the US, A Street Cat Named Bob tells the real-life account of a recovering heroin addict barely scraping by as a street musician in London, when he comes across a wounded stray cat in his apartment building. Bowen (who charmingly resembles a cleaned-up Kurt Cobain with a thoughtful-looking cat perched on his shoulder on the book's cover) can hardly take care of himself and initially resists the added responsibility and expense of caring for a pet, but quickly the two form a unique and remarkable bond. Their relationship inspires Bowen to continue putting his life back together after several years of addiction, poverty and feelings of inadequacy and invisibility. Though Bowen's circumstances are not entirely relatable for everyone, his feelings and emotions are, as is his bond with Bob. You can follow Bob on Facebook and Twitter, and pick up this great read at Acorn!
-Jen, Youth Services
A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links between Leadership and Mental Illness by S. Nassir Ghaemi
Ghaemi makes some pretty interesting claims in this 2011 nonfiction title. He thinks world leaders with mental illness or those that have a history of mental illness lead better under duress that those who are considered normal. While those who have mental illness are more unpredictable in their behavior, their point of view is more realistic and complex, allowing for them to solve problems more successfully.
Ghaemi makes some pretty interesting claims in this 2011 nonfiction title. He thinks world leaders with mental illness or those that have a history of mental illness lead better under duress that those who are considered normal. While those who have mental illness are more unpredictable in their behavior, their point of view is more realistic and complex, allowing for them to solve problems more successfully.
While I’ve only listened to part of it so far, Ghaemi writes about the mental history of famous figures in a very intriguing way. He makes examples of Churchill and Chamberlain, Robert E. Lee and General Sherman, and even George W. Bush. (Apparently George W. was unsuccessful as president because he was too sane. Go figure.)
It’s an enlightening point of view to hear especially because it talks about the positive aspects of mental illness, something that we definitely do not hear about nowadays. It’s available as an eBook & eAudiobook through Media On Demand and through SWAN.
-Judy, Reference
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann
I’ve only read a third of the book, but it’s been an interesting read. The first lesson to take is that much, if not most, of what you learned about pre-Columbian America is not considered inaccurate. Important discoveries have been made in pre-Clovis sites in South America, the hemispheric population was potentially more than that of Europe, and disease may have killed nearly half of the population before the first successful settlements were established. Mann is a journalist, not a historian and the book is written for a wide audience. If you’re interested in pre-Columbian history, it is a great place to start. Bonus: The nonfiction book club will meet to discuss it on September 5th at Olivers Bar and Grill. We have copies available at the Reference Desk. It is also available as an ebook.
I’ve only read a third of the book, but it’s been an interesting read. The first lesson to take is that much, if not most, of what you learned about pre-Columbian America is not considered inaccurate. Important discoveries have been made in pre-Clovis sites in South America, the hemispheric population was potentially more than that of Europe, and disease may have killed nearly half of the population before the first successful settlements were established. Mann is a journalist, not a historian and the book is written for a wide audience. If you’re interested in pre-Columbian history, it is a great place to start. Bonus: The nonfiction book club will meet to discuss it on September 5th at Olivers Bar and Grill. We have copies available at the Reference Desk. It is also available as an ebook.
-Mike, Reference
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