Every day we send billions of emails, countless text message, and use the internet to access news and information. It’s difficult to imagine a world in which instant communication does not exist. But it wasn’t really that long ago when getting anything but the most local of news required waiting weeks or months for a…
Tag: non-fiction
Review: Dirty Old London
Wherever humans congregate, so too does their refuse. Prior to the 1800s this wasn’t a huge problem — there simply weren’t enough people in a single place to cause problems. Things were different by the time the Victorian era (1837-1901) rolled around. London’s population exploded, and its ancient sewers could no longer process the tons…
Review: The Plantation Mistress
Much has been written about the Civil War era, slavery, and the lives of 19th century plantation owners. But researchers have done history a disservice by ignoring — or even actively propagating — the myth of the “Southern belle.” Catherine Clinton’s The Plantation Mistress is an in-depth look at the lives of the women of…
The Long Drive: Mostly True Stuff
Non-fiction November 2015 is drawing to a close, and I should finish my last audiobook during my Thanksgiving travels. These are the books that kept me busy during my work commute this month. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (By Jenny Lawson, read by Jenny Lawson) I read Lawson’s memoir in “dead tree” form when it…
Review: The Unpublished David Ogilvy
Just like Harry Gordon Selfridge, David Ogilvy is one of the greatest marketing men you’ve never heard of. Ogilvy’s actions did not immediately take the world of retail by storm, but his philosophies on writing, leadership, and company culture have changed the way many — including myself — look at marketing, writing, and life. Ogilvy…