How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics by Michael Pollan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
not a subject that’s in my wheelhouse but it’s really good- takes a bit to get to the neuro science which was why I wanted to read it, but I wound up finding the whole book and subject fascinating.
The Backup Men by Ross Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’m still enjoying the characters but I didn’t enjoy this one’s mystery as much. Maybe I should move to some other Ross Thomas’ books for a spell. This one did have some great passages that I enjoyed and highlighted.
I’m not giving anything away – but in the book the finale takes place in San Francisco. And it’s hard work for the characters to get there. One of the main characters was born in SF and mentions it in the book (In the series he’s ex-army and lives in Germany and DC, I don’t remember him talking about SF before). Anyway, here are the passages I thought were interesting:
I decided that over the years both the city and I have changed, perhaps neither of us for the better. San Francisco reminds me of nothing so much as a middle-aged hooker relying solely on technique now that her looks have gone. But I suspect that my real antagonism stems from being taken for a tourist in my own home town. There’s nothing much worse than that.
And
“I used to come up here from L.A. on weekends sometimes,” Padillo said. “I knew a girl who lived on Russian Hill. She got mad when I called it Frisco.” “The natives have a lot of civic pride,” I said. “She was from New Orleans.”
The Food of a Younger Land: The WPA’s Portrait of Food in Pre-World War II America by Mark Kurlansky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
People should read the intro to learn about the WPA Writer’s Program and how ambitious this project was and what the author did to get the most of the original writing organized and published. It’s also important to learn how regional our cooking used to be. I’ve been skipping around with the chapters and have been pretty engaged.
The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation by Mark Kurlansky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sheesh, a more complex history than I thought I knew. I knew the Iberian peninsula was a crazy place, but I didn’t realize how much of a loose puzzle things had always been over there with pieces barely fitting together.
Shut Up, Legs!: My Wild Ride On and Off the Bike by Jens Voigt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An entertaining read for fans of Jensie.