Monday, January 11, 2016

What is Stephen R. Bown reading?

Featured at Writers Read: Stephen R. Bown, author of White Eskimo: Knud Rasmussen's Fearless Journey into the Heart of the Arctic.

His entry begins:
I’m always reading a handful of books at the same time, a good blend of fiction and non-fiction, mostly history and biography.

One book that particularly stands out for me this season is Bee Time by Mark Winston.

This book isn't really about bees - while not exclusively anyway. It is filled with metaphors, about life in general and humanity specifically. It isn't a quick superficial overview of the natural history of bees, or even a detailed comprehensive study of bees. But it is a wide-ranging exploration ideas related to bees and humans and the relationship between us and them, in art, food, science, agriculture. Winston is a lifelong scientist, a bee specialist not-surprisingly, who has distilled his life's work into this surprisingly erudite and fascinating book. I can't recommend it enough if you are looking something thought provoking and philosophical about the natural world. It is very rarely that a book that purports to be about a specific subject...[read on]
About White Eskimo, from the publisher:
Among the explorers made famous for revealing hitherto impenetrable cultures—T. E. Lawrence and Wilfred Thesiger in the Middle East, Richard Burton in Africa—Knud Rasmussen stands out not only for his physical bravery but also for the beauty of his writing. Part Danish, part Inuit, Rasmussen made a courageous three-year journey by dog sled from Greenland to Alaska to reveal the common origins of all circumpolar peoples. Lovers of Arctic adventure, exotic cultures, and timeless legend will relish this gripping tale by Stephen R. Bown, known as "Canada’s Simon Winchester."
Learn more about the book and author at Stephen R. Bown's website and Facebook page.

My Book, The Movie: The Last Viking.

The Page 99 Test: White Eskimo.

Writers Read: Stephen R. Bown.

--Marshal Zeringue