An old favorite. I wrote about it for two university assignments: one for sociology of gender and the other for sociology of intentional communities.
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Anne Merrill rated Parable of the Talents: 5 stars
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of depravity. Taking advantage of the situation, a zealous …
Anne Merrill rated Games People Play: 3 stars
Anne Merrill reviewed Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Herland is a utopian novel from 1915, written by American feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The …
Review of 'Herland: A Lost Feminist Utopian Novel' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Anne Merrill reviewed Ishi in two worlds by Theodora Kroeber
Naiomi Alderman described the book as follows in the Guardian Newspaper; "On 29 August 1911, …
Review of 'Ishi in two worlds' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
One of the most impactful books I have ever read. I draw life lessons from it all the time.
Anne Merrill reviewed Always coming home by Ursula K. Le Guin
Review of 'Always coming home' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A terrible slog to actually read, but so wonderful to have as a memory in the back of my mind forevermore.
Anne Merrill rated Memoirs of Hadrian: 5 stars
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
Both an exploration of character and a reflection on the meaning of history, Memoirs of Hadrian has received international acclaim …
Review of 'Dirt' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A friend handed me this book about 20 years ago and said I would love it. I did. I've lost most of the details, but I still remember the bit about the topsoil in the Amazon basin being very thin and wind carrying dirt from the Sahara across the ocean fertilising the rainforests there. Big picture stuff!
Anne Merrill rated Ecological Imperialism: 5 stars
New discoveries about the textile arts reveal women's unexpectedly influential role in ancient societies. Barber …
Review of "Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years " on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I've read this book twice. Essential reading if you want to understand the lives of women in the past. To summarise: the industrial revolution freed women from the full time job of keeping their families clothed. What I take from it: evolving a sustainable garment industry is essential to maintaining the social gains women have made in the past century.
Anne Merrill rated The Blue Zone: 4 stars
The Blue Zone by Dan Buettner
With the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are that you may live up to a decade longer. What's the prescription …
Anne Merrill rated Charms for the Easy Life (P.S.): 3 stars
Anne Merrill reviewed Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power
Review of 'Education of an Idealist' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Main lesson I took from this book: there are plenty of warning signs before genocides. Just like pandemics, we don't hear much about the genocides that are prevented. Sam Power was the US Ambassador to the UN during Obama's second term. She met Obama when he was a senator, after she sent him a copy of her first book, an investigation into whether it is possible to prevent genocide. This book is her memoir from childhood up through the end of the Obama administration. It's probably too long for most people, but I am particularly interested in so many of the themes in her story: emigration from Ireland to the US, dealing with a strong ethical sense in a corrupt world, being female and smart in a male dominated world, being proud of what's best about the US and horrified by what is worst about it.
Anne Merrill reviewed The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis
The Serpent and the Rainbow: A Harvard Scientist's Astonishing Journey into the Secret Societies of …
Review of 'The Serpent and the Rainbow' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I loved this book back when I read it in the late 80's! I bought it at Atticus Books in Middletown, Connecticut. I think it was part of a display, but maybe I just found it on the shelf. My mom was getting her Master's in Archaeology and Art History, and of course I'd seen the Indiana Jones movies. so adventurous anthropological field work wasn't totally new to me. This story was so thrilling, though. I guess what I loved was that he continues to relentlessly pursue the truth, even when it is so unpopular. It's been thirty years, so I don't know how I would feel about it now.
