A Thousand Days in Venice (Ballantine Reader's Circle) Review

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(More customer reviews)Details, the essence of domesticity, shine in this story. There are the travelogue-esque descriptions of Venice: Napoleon's observation about Piazza San Marco and viewing works of art sequestered in ancient churches. There's a discussion of making house, once in the Midwest in a little house I would love to see and again in the grotty chaos of a bachelor's digs. And throughout are delicious descriptions of food and drink and the ways and places to enjoy them.
Like youth, this book may be somewhat wasted on the young. The small ruminations, the reflections on how we find a place and make a place in life may seem over-wrought. Until the onset of my own middle-age, I felt the same way about such memoirs. Now, I greet writings like this with a mixture of recognition and enthusiasm: recognition of the silly ways we fumble along and enthusiasm for another's discovery that it is not too late to savour what is delicious about life. In that, I find a parable of encouragement.

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Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture Review

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(More customer reviews)Like Longitude, one of my most favorite books, Brunelleschi's Dome is a small gem. Author Ross King tells the story of the building of the dome atop Santa Marie del Fiore in Florence and along the way, treats you to a rich slice of Renaissance history. Much more than a great story (filled with details about everyday life in 15th century Italy, i.e. what they were eating, how they shopped, how bricks were made) this is a story of a man who used his intuition, faith and genius to propose a revolutionary method of building this famous dome. He used no wooden centering or flying buttresses which was totally radical for the time and he really had no way of predicting whether his plan would work or not. But it did and beautifully. If you're planning on visiting Florence, climb the steps to the top of the dome to see Brunelleschi's handiwork first hand. For example, he and his bricklayers used a unique herringbone pattern when laying the bricks that is clearly visible today. The story is also a human story. All the naysayers, competitiors, political enemies are here along with backbiting, and plotting. Brunelleschi himself had a wily streak and wasn't above lashing out at his competitors. One of the joys of this book is you actually feel like you're getting up each morning to see a day's work on the dome. And it's a very enjoyable way to spend some time. If you're interested, you can visit http://www.vsp.it/cupolalive/ and get a live view from atop the dome in Florence. A fascinating book.

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Letters from a Stoic (Penguin Classics) Review

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(More customer reviews)The first time I read this book I was amazed and excited, and entering middle age. Seneca's thoughts on the human condition seemed like they could have been written today. Except for some dated Roman references, here is a man trying to define how to live, in what we today would call "the secular society." The series of letters reads like a personal guidebook to ethics. It still speaks to us across the centuries. Seneca was priveleged, ego centric, and all too aware of the fleeting nature of life. He was also a tutor of Nero, a dramatist, philosopher, slave owner, etc. But his essay-like letters - by turns glib and medatative - reveal a man struggling to make sense of a world of power, wealth and abundance, oestensibly ruled by reason, suffused with uncertainty and enveloped in paganism. He was also no doubt polishing his image for future generations. Nonetheless, he talks of god and spirituality, and the early Christians were said to have valued his wisdom. I've read this two or three times. Each time I've given it away to a friend. Once you read it, you'll go back to it again and again. His maxims are famous. His commonsense advice still rings true.

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A philosophy that saw self-possession as the key to an existence lived 'in accordance with nature', Stoicism called for the restraint of animal instincts and the severing of emotional ties. These beliefs were formulated by the Athenian followers of Zeno in the fourth century BC, but it was in Seneca (c. 4 BC - AD 65) that the Stoics found their most eloquent advocate. Stoicism, as expressed in the Letters, helped ease pagan Rome's transition to Christianity, for it upholds upright ethical ideals and extols virtuous living, as well as expressing disgust for the harsh treatment of slaves and the inhumane slaughters witnessed in the Roman arenas. Seneca's major contribution to a seemingly unsympathetic creed was to transform it into a powerfully moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind.

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Waterfall: A Novel (River of Time Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)The book begins in the present day as two sisters wander, bored, around an archeological dig their mother is working on in Italy. Gabi, the eldest sister, is annoyed to be spending yet another summer at an Italian dig site, and is eager for a normal teenage experience. When she and her sister, Lia, discover a set of ancient handprints in an old tomb that are the exact dimensions of their own hands, however, the two are sucked into a time-warp adventure that is anything but normal.
Gabi and Lia are separated during the shocking jerk back through time, and Gabi emerges from the tomb into the middle of a fierce battle between two Italian houses, the Castellos Forelli and Paratore, in medieval Italy. When the Castello Forelli takes her under their protection, she not only meets the handsome--and spoken for--Marcello Forelli, she also becomes the main target of the dangerous Castello Paratore.
Gabi's shock at finding herself in another era must be pushed aside quickly in order to ensure her survival; and she soon finds herself giving medical advice to save a Lord's son, sword fighting, and actively participating in war schemes (all while wishing she had access to Wikipedia or Google to get some answers to her historical questions). When it is discovered that the cruel Lord Paratore is holding Lia captive, however, Gabi's somewhat good-natured romp through medieval Italy suddenly becomes a nightmare.
When I first picked up Waterfall, I was a bit skeptical. Unfortunately, a lot of Christian fiction for teens is--in my opinion--poorly written, too preachy, or heavily coated in sugar. I was dubious that Waterfall, a book that fell into my lap unexpectedly, would be any different.
Thankfully, however, Waterfall not only exceeded my expectations, it actually sucked me into the adventure to the point where I couldn't put it down. I was thrilled to discover realistic, three-dimensional characters in this story, and thoroughly enjoyed the tension of the romantic thread. Bergren takes the reader on an adventure that is not sparing in the harsh realities of the time, and yet the author skillfully keeps the story from becoming overtly graphic or inappropriate. I appreciated the characters' honest struggles throughout the novel, from the moral vs. survival issues of war and torture, to the yearning to experience life fully, and the deep uncertainty that so often plagues our faith. Bergren's work is honest without being overly preachy or despairing, and allows the reader to engage fully in a story that is both wonderfully exciting and thoroughly relatable.
Waterfall is an excellent read for teens and adults alike. I am eager for the rest of the series!


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Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.

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