reviews

From Boa to Bass Bait... Author:  Thor Hanson It’s such a simple object that it rarely receives a second thought.  Taken in isolation, an ordinary bird’s feather really isn’t that impressive.  But its simplicity is deceptive.  When combined with thousands of other feathers on a living, breathing, flying bird – be it osprey, hummingbird or barn swallow – a feather becomes a natural wonder, amazing for both its exquisite aerodynamic qualities and its astonishing insulating abilities.  In Feathers, nature writer Thor Hanson explores this seemingly miraculous avian invention, revealing many of its mysteries.          Starting at the beginning, Hanson lays [...]

Out of this World... Author:  Tracy K. Smith I don’t know how anyone decides who deserves a poetry award.  Since they’re giving out awards for every kind of writing under the sun, maybe the members of the Pulitzer Prize Board don’t know any more about poetry than I do, which isn’t much.  But when a poet’s work is awarded one of the prestigious prizes, I figure it’s a least worth a look.  That’s why I picked up Life on Mars, by Tracy K. Smith, which received the award in 2011. The fact that the collection takes its name from one [...]

What's in your grocery cart? Author:  Bill Keaggy We all do it.  Given the inevitable turmoil of modern existence we all make lists to help us keep track of life’s myriad crucial details.   But there’s one place where list making reaches the apex of utility.  The grocery store.Whether one needs to be sure to remember the cauliflower, the Tabasco sauce or the chocolate Malt-O-Meal, it’s likely that a grocery list is part of every shopper’s routine.  But there’s only one guy who’s turned the ubiquitous grocery list into an obsession. The grocery store business is growing and is predicted to [...]