5/31/13

Armchair BEA topic of the day--Non-fiction

An Armchair BEA post.

I read a lot of non-fiction that I never talk about here.   I read scholarly, historical, archaeological stuff for work, and I read adult non-fiction for pleasure as well--it cleanses my reading palate when I feel glutted with sci fi/fantasy.

For instance, I've just finished The International Bank of Bob: Connecting Our Worlds One $25 Dollar Kiva Loan at a Time, by Bob Harris.   It tells how Bob started lending money to Kiva, and then travelled the world to see just what his money was up to.   He tells of the logistics of his travels, the lives of the people that he meets, and the historical and social contexts that have shaped those lives.   And he gives some nice economic lessons about the potential impacts of micro-loans, without making it dry and boring.

I was inspired to pick this up because I have a young Nerdfighter in my home, and the Nerdfighters are busily decreasing "world suck" via Kiva-- 40, 244 of them (including my son) have loaned almost $2,500,000 to date (here's the Nerdfighter Kiva page).  So I thought it would be useful for me to have details to share with him, and even hoped that if I left the book around the house, he'd pick it up....

He did, but it's a bit dense for him; fortunately, I have now been educated, informed, and entertained, and we can have nice little chats about the break-up of Yugoslavia and its horrible consequences, every day life in Rwanda today, the vast complexity of India, etc.

Next up on my non-fiction reading list--Quest for Kim:  In Search of Kipling's Great Game.  I know Kipling must be read critically viz English Imperialism, but still I love Kim very very much (I've been to Lahore, and seen the canon Kim sits on at the beginning of the book, shown on the cover--very exciting for me!).   As I type this, I'm wondering to what extent Kim influenced writers of children's fantasy.  So many of the things that are now common tropes of middle grade speculative fiction are right there--the plucky orphan with special gifts who must play a role in an epic greater than he had ever dreamed of, the quest through fantastic lands, the adults who help and hinder....

Please feel free to share any good non-fiction recommendations of a sciency/historical type! I'm always on the look-out for more.

14 comments:

  1. I will try to think of a good one I have already read, but I did just pick up The Riddle of the Labyrinth, about deciphering Linear B...v. excited to read it. Have not read enough Kipling, only the Just So Stories, which I did love. My paperback copy of Kim had a dreadful cover and I could never get into it--I missed out!

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    1. Oh my goodness. You must read Riki Tiki Tavi, if you read no other Kipling....and Puck of Pook's Hill. And probably the Jungle Book too.

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  2. I've always loved 'Kim' as well.

    I even like the movie version with Dean Stockwell as Kim.

    You do have to keep English Imperialism in mind when reading Kipling but he was such a skilled writer. His short stories are tops. 'The Gardener' stays with you long after reading it.

    C.

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    1. I am now well into Quest for Kim, and it is fascinating as all get out! It is making me appreciate Kim even more.

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  3. Bob sounds awesome, especially since I've done a few Kiva loans myself.

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    1. It was a good read for filling in odd moments, because he moved from place to place...

      Kiva is awesome!

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  4. Bank of Bob sounds very interesting. I love nonfiction, especially of the historical type. I recently finished The Professor and the Madman and I completely loved it :)

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    1. I read that one a while ago, and found it fascinating!

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  5. Don't know why, but the Bank of Bob makes me think of a documentary I saw on Imax about the travels of a butterfly. It was so astounding to see how one scientist was able to track the butterflies from Canada to a small, secluded place in Mexico.

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    1. I am growing milkweed for them this year....

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  6. great book intro to your personal involvement with kiva !
    glad you shared..

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  7. I hadn't heard of The International Bank of Bob but it sounds really good. I love Kiva and what it does. Microfinance rocks!

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  8. I know this is awful, but I've never read any Kipling apart from the Just-So Stories, which I love of course. I keep meaning to! I have Kim in my room and am going to read it soon I swear -- and then I can read the Hopkirk book too (unless you report that it turns out to be awful).

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