Guns, Germs and Steel is by Jared Diamond, originally published in 1997, revised 2003, 2005.  It won a Pulitzer Prize, and was made into a ‘Major PBS Special!’ (That last is intriguing – I wonder what a dramatization of this content would be like.) I read GGS because of Mistress Jadi’s recommendation – I’d heard about it years ago via Readerville, and took the blurb at face value: "why the peoples of certain continents succeeded in invading other continents and conquiring or displacing their peoples."  This wasn’t terribly interesting to me as a Cherokee descendant – I’ve heard quite enough … Continue reading Book Review – Guns, Germs and Steel

Everyone’s familiar with the Luttrell Psalter, right?  Er, um, I have to admit here that I was on passing terms with it – when mentioned in context I thought ‘oh, right, medieval manuscript’ but didn’t know any more. Well, these folks are learning it very well – they’re re-enacting it, and filming their efforts.  It’s very nice, because you learn so much when you try things.  Like in the milking the sheep (milk sheep?) film, was there a first draft of the wattle sheep corral that wasn’t high enough, as implied by the jumping sheep at the end?  It’s easy … Continue reading Luttrell Psalter videos

I took advantage of the Hafla at RUM to ask Mistress Jadi about places to start researching permaculture notions from the Middle East.  Then promptly wished I wasn’t so tired as to have forgotten my notebook before I asked.  What I do remember is that she kindly told me to look at several books, two by Jared Diamond: Guns, Germs and Steel, and Collapse.  Both of these are at my local library, and I can’t wait to work on them.  Then there’s Daniel J. Boorstin: The Discoverers, and The Creators.  (He’s got a third book, but she didn’t mention it, … Continue reading Book reccs from Mistress Jadi

The Rare Book Room.  A place where you can page through Very Old Books.  Pictured below, Turner’s Herbal, 1568, the contributors on the left, and the beginning of the entry on Absinthium, or Wormwood.  No wonder it’s used in the Draught of Living Death. [/Potter geekness] Thank you, whipup. Continue reading The Rare Book Room

Brilliant.  Not to mention yet another application of Carmina Burana. Continue reading Animated Bayeux Tapestry

Does everyone know about BookMooch?  You list your books, other people request them, and you mail them off.  You request other people’s books, and they send them to you.  No money involved, but lots of positive karma. I’m going to get via BookMooch, but also Amazon: Medieval Europe 400 – 1500 (History of Europe) A History of Private Life, Volume II, Revelations of the Medieval World Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Dark Ages Economic and Social History of Medieval Europe Music in the Medieval World Card Weaving Learn Calligraphy: The Complete Book … Continue reading New Books