Recent books

So what has Keith been reading lately?

I saw this in the library, but already had a few things picked out already and figured I could get it on the next trip because this is a thick book. A very thick book. It might well be sub-titled 'digressionary and alternate views of history'. Lots of digressions. It's well enough written, but it's almost more conversational than anything else, having grown out of conversations between the two authors. It was still there when I dropped off some books the following week so I got it. I figured it would take a while to get through and I was right.

It's interesting, almost more a philosophy of history, but good Lord does it go on, and around and around, taking multiple runs at various events. They needed a ruthless editor.

If you saw The Good Place, which we have, and liked the bits where Chidi is explaining various philosophy points of view, then you'll enjoy this book. A fast and easy read.

There's lots of books about the 'best' or most important photos. You've probably seen them, and maybe even you've read those books. You've almost certainly seen some of the photos. Except this book doesn't show any of them. It dives a bit deeper into the photographic history, and talks about some of the other developments. (I hope you see what I did there.)

It was interesting in places, but I'm not THAT interested in the history of photography. A quick read and back it went.

So I actually met George Webber the other day. The Camera Store was hosting a seminar on black and white photography, and he dropped in. I'd read several of his books, and after the seminar made a point of telling him how much I enjoyed them. (The only thing more flattering to an author than saying you liked their book(s), is that you'd bought them, and for most, asking them to autograph it is a dream come true.) I'd been to any number of the places he had photographed, and in some cases the 'there' in the photograph wasn't there any more. We chatted about darkroom printing, and the next day I looked up his books in the library.

I hadn't read this one so I borrowed it. I've been to a few of these places, and know the names of many of them from oil and gas work. But overall it's a sad book. The future for Saskatchewan looked so bright 100 years ago. Buildings were put up, some of them quite handsome brick structures, proudly looking to the future. I've seen some of them. Then the Dirty Thirties happened, and a world war, and mechanization, and the corporateization of the family farm, and the kids moving to the big city for fame and fortune. We're left with the relics of a bygone time, slowly fading away, or falling down. 

The thought occurred to me while reading, what if a bunch of well off retired but active people moved to a small town? They bought homes and fixed them up. They brought their pension cheques and tried to spend locally. What businesses would be revitalized or be started? How many people does it take to make an economic base?

And speaking of books, my first one arrived here the other day. It's a test book, done purely to see how photos look on the printed page, and take a run through the process of putting it together. I've already started on the second one.

Of the Day

Driftwood (NZ)

Driftwood (BC)

Peony

Flower

Yukon

Film (new)

Film (old)