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How the Post Office Created America, by Winifred Gallagher.
I was a logistics / transportation major as an undergrad, and worked in both the rail and trucking industries, so anything involving the movement of people and goods catches my attention. But this is not a work for the technically-oriented "rivet counter" types.
It is a well organized story of how the American postal system assumed a mission -- uniting a diverse and dispersed population via a common goal, and in doing so, both far eclipsed the efforts of its European contemporaries, and played an important role in the development of our infrastructure. A sometimes challenging read, but populated with a number of important personalities not that well-remembered today; and the ladies will likely enjoy a chapter devoted to the evolution of "the personal post".
This caught my eye- will see if I can reserve at the library. My to be read list is so expanding.
I am currently reading The Happiness Hypothesis but it's a bit like a text book but not really. Anyway so we you see me on here taking breaks. ( lots of them).
The Socorro blast : a Sasha Solomon mystery / Pari Noskin Taichert, c2008, U. NM Press.
Subjects
Women public relations personnel -- Fiction.
Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.
Religious tolerance -- New Mexico -- Fiction.
Socorro (N.M.) -- Fiction.
New Mexico -- Ethnic relations. -- Fiction.
Length
310 pages : map
Very interesting writing. The 40-ish single protagonist struggles with her work, her social life, & with her family in NM. Charming local color, & an interesting insider's view of Jewish family. Our library has 2 more of the series - excellent light reading, & I'm learning stuff as I go.
Wow, I couldn't put this book down! It was a fascinating glimpse into the disenfranchisement of the American working class, and the challenges of upward mobility (both good and bad). It is also a fascinating character study and look into the hearts and minds and emotions of people who feel perpetually victimized by life as they know it.
The author really has street cred too - it's not like reading some psychobabble about "the poor" and what we should do to help them, and why or why not our tax dollars should go into this coffer, or that coffer yada yada yada.
It's first hand experience. Anyone - of ANY political stripe or bent, or any religion (or lack thereof) should read this book before going to the polls, or getting up on one's high horse about "what's wrong with America."
If you are middle class, working class, working poor, non working poor, or come from any of those backgrounds, you will probably recognize a lot of people in these pages.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,018,915 times
Reputation: 28903
I read this sweet, lovely, little book: The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain.
I seem to like these short European stories. The Red Notebook -- although a COMPLETELY different type of story -- reminded me of The 6:41 to Paris by Jean-Philippe Blondel, which I also enjoyed VERY much. It must be something these Frenchmen are drinking. Well, I guess that's wine. So charming.
I enjoyed it so much that I also got The President's Hat (also by Antoine Laurain).
Just so that I don't OD on Monsieur Laurain, though, I'm going to read (or try to read) The Vegetarian by Han Kang first.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,018,915 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnMTL
I read this sweet, lovely, little book: The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain.
I seem to like these short European stories. The Red Notebook -- although a COMPLETELY different type of story -- reminded me of The 6:41 to Paris by Jean-Philippe Blondel, which I also enjoyed VERY much. It must be something these Frenchmen are drinking. Well, I guess that's wine. So charming.
I enjoyed it so much that I also got The President's Hat (also by Antoine Laurain).
Just so that I don't OD on Monsieur Laurain, though, I'm going to read (or try to read) The Vegetarian by Han Kang first.
Yeah. Well. I got to page 12 of The Vegetarian, called it done, and made myself a piece of chicken. Hello, Monsieur Laurian, we meet again. The President's Hat is sure to be a better fit.
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Cross-cultural mystery
