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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Peter Saucerman has commented on (13) products
Power Broker Robert Moses & the Fall of New York
by
Caro, Robert A.
Peter Saucerman
, May 20, 2013
I first read this as a grad student of City Planning at Berkeley. I was prepared for a dry, droll slog through 800+ pages. Instead, I found it to be a mesmerizing page-turner, expertly written and fully deserving of the Pulitzer it earned for Robert Caro. Now granted, one must assume the reader possesses a general interest in local politics, municipal governance, building or planning. If so, one will be rewarded with a fascinating picture of the urban renewal and massive projects that bludgeoned their way through New York - and by extension, through most American cities in the 1950's through 1980's. It is expertly researched, clearly presented and completely readable - a must for any fan of urban history.
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Art of Fielding
by
Chad Harbach
Peter Saucerman
, January 30, 2013
Ah, the boys of summer. This was a great autumn read, both for the story line and for the sheer elegance of the craft of writing. It captures all the angst and superstition that seems to cling to baseball streaks, as well as the human fragility attending the breaking of one. But it's the pleasure of reading well written prose that stuck with me. This is a great novel - winter or summer.
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Life You Can Save How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty
by
Peter Singer
Peter Saucerman
, December 20, 2012
There's nothing quite like the "Holiday Season" to bring out the uneasiness of material introspection: am I doing enough (anything) to eradicate suffering? As I sift through the piles and piles of mailed and on-line entreaties to give to charities, universities, art museums, environmental groups food banks, symphonies, rehab programs pet adoptions; I find myself overwhelmed with confusion at the sheer volume of worthy causes and with guilt - whatever I give, it won't be enough to make a difference. So it is with ecstatic joy that I read Peter Singer's small gem of a book, "The Life You Can Save". Mr Singer points out in clear terms how far humankind has come in eradicating abject poverty (the answer is heartening, though not complete). He examines the psychology of giving (and resistance to giving) through fascinating social experiments and examples from around the world. He quantifies what it would take, in theory and in fact, to end world poverty - and it is achievable. Finally, he arrives at an argument that is humane, rational and unavoidable - we can do this, with minimal personal discomfort and great benefit to humankind and to our own souls. This was the best Christmas read I've had in a long, long time.
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Global Weirdness Severe Storms Deadly Heat Waves Relentless Drought Rising Seas & the Weather of the Future
by
Climate Central
Peter Saucerman
, August 08, 2012
Okay, many of us out here on the coasts don't need any convincing that global warming is upon us - we accept it, try to change our lifestyles, worry about our children's future. But we all know someone - be it Aunt Mildred retired to Arizona, your brother-in-law or your next door neighbor - someone who remains skeptical. This little book transcends the heated politicized rhetoric that seems to engulf almost all commentary on climate change. It's simple language, clear statements, strong references and informational tone impart real and substantive knowledge without hectoring or nagging. That makes the audience for this a pretty narrow slice, however. If you're already attentive to man-induced climate change, there's not much new here. And if you're steadfastly opposed to accepting it, you're not likely to pick this up voluntarily. No, this is for your Aunt Millie, and maybe your brother-in-law. Give it to him when you see him at Thanksgiving dinner.
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The Art of Fielding
by
Chad Harbach
Peter Saucerman
, August 07, 2012
This was such a great summer read! Perfect during the lazy dog days to sink into a beach chair or a hammock and revel in the finely crafted language of good old-fashioned story-telling. Mr. Harbach knows how to turn a phrase, and I enjoyed every page.
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Gain
by
Richard Powers
Peter Saucerman
, August 06, 2012
Richard Powers has created a masterful tale, outlining the birth and genesis of a modern American Corporation. Though fiction, it has the ring of authenticity thanks to Power's command of history, detail and nuance in the Industrial Revolution, roughly from the early 1800's to present day. It was written a decade before Citizen's United and the collapse of our unsustainable economy, so it is a bit eery to see the underpinnings of our present malaise so carefully illustrated and presaged. Interwoven with the historic story of Clare Soap & Chemical is a very personal family tale of tragedy, as Laura Bodey's health and family gradually spiral downward even as the Company that drives their community is spiraling upward. Utne Reader named this one of the "ten novels most likely to change the way you see the world" - it certainly changed my view.
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The Egyptologist
by
Arthur Phillips
Peter Saucerman
, November 29, 2011
With all due respect to the cheerleaders - this book was like castor oil for me. I took three runs at it, could not stomach it beyond page 100. Not a single likeable character, not a mystery that engaged, full of pomp and bombast - I could not care less about any of the so-called characters. The memo dates, jumping backward, forward, one day, twenty years, two months - one would need a dedicated white board to chart this fluff, and still what would be the point? Anyone want a nice clean copy? you can have it for postage.
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Cadillac Desert The American West & Its Disappearing Water
by
Marc Reisner
Peter Saucerman
, September 01, 2011
25 years on, Marc Reisner's Cadillac Desert remains the seminal record of water wars in the arid West. As we experience volatile climate change and staggering public debt, the follies of more than a century by the Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation set the stage for the mess we are in today out in the West. This remains one of the finest examples of non-fiction writing of our time; it is a joy to read and re-read.
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(5 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
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Moment in the Sun
by
Sayles, John
Peter Saucerman
, July 08, 2011
There is something exceptionally aggressive about a hardbound novel as big as a Webster's dictionary - 'What does this guy have to prove?' one might ask. Two or three chapters in, and the story is beginning to fly along, the exquisitely crafted prose is flowing, characters are coming to life and historic scenes are being shaped in vivid detail. John Sayles writes great screenplays and has supported his independent film-making career with lots of screenplay writing for others, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the man can write very well. It's not so much the story line as the finely wrought character studies that make this a great and pleasurable read. But there is the matter of that massive tome - hard to prop up in bed, impossible to carry on a bike, conspicuous - ostentatious even - to be seen in a library, coffee shop or public park reading such a thing. If you have strong wrists for supporting a 5-pounder for hours on end, this is a great summer read.
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Consider the Lobster & Other Essays
by
David Foster Wallace
Peter Saucerman
, April 13, 2011
David Foster Wallace - a succinct and distinctive name and brilliant talent, not unlike Vincent Van Gogh. And like VVG there has been a public rush to discover who this genius was that we largely overlooked before his suicide. Consider the Lobster is a great introduction to his brilliance in the essay format - a format that he eviscerates with great skill and energy. 'Up, Simba' is probably the most searing and original piece of political writing since Hunter S. Thompson came off the campaign trail with Fear & Loathing. I learned more about how presidential political campaigns work (circa 2000) than from all of the other reporting churned out in that period. And I was fully entertained by every page. Non-fiction in the 21st century does not get any better than this. Mr. Wallace's work will only grow in stature, in spite of his untimely death. Sorta like Vincent.
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1491 New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
by
Charles C Mann
Peter Saucerman
, April 06, 2007
Revisionist history with a scientific backbone. Charles Mann has succeeded in knitting archaeological and anthropological findings together to turn our orthodox beliefs about the Americas, pre-Columbus, on their heads. Much of this science is not really new and many of the findings are regional and incremental. But his skill in connecting the dots presents a startling new picture of the New World, one quite at odds with the conventional textbook stories of a vast, empty continent. He starts each section with a clear overview of the new view he will be charting, then descends into sometimes complex, sometimes arcane pieces of anthro- or archaeological work. Just as it's getting pretty dense for the lay-reader, he has the good sense to link back to the bigger picture. I learned a good bit about the work of these history detectives, as well as getting a very, very different picture of the peoples that lived here for millennia before Columbus.
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Ordinary Wolves
by
Seth Kantner
Peter Saucerman
, November 13, 2006
This is a great read touching on complex subjects. First, the environmental component - people living simply, escaping from a consumer-crazed society. Second, the coming-of-age aspect of a young man who doesn't fit in, but with a novel twist. I read this book with pleasure, recommended it to an enviro-reading group who also enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to curling up with it again this winter.
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(14 of 29 readers found this comment helpful)
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Pattern Recognition: Blue Ant 1
by
William Gibson
Peter Saucerman
, August 16, 2006
Gibon's prose is relaxed and confident, though the newness of his cyber themes is worn a bit thin. At heart this is a simple mcguffin concept and the ending left me a bit disappointed. Still, a good summer read.
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(28 of 47 readers found this comment helpful)
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