My G Author

Bully for Brontosaurus: Reflections in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"From his best-selling Wonderful Life to his splendid essays on the endlessly interesting variations of evolution. Stephen Jay Gould has raised the art of scientific writing to new heights."
~~back cover

I adore good scientific writing, and Stephen Jay Gould certainly ranks up there amongst the masters of the genre, in my opinion. It's hard to choose my favorite from this palette of essays -- spoiled for choice seems to cover it. I enjoyed the "historic" sections a bit more than I did the parsing of greats and not-so-greats in the field, but all were interesting, and gave me much to think about.

F Author

A traveller's history of Scotland by Andrew Fisher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"The Traveller's History seies is for anybody who wants a comprehensive view of a nation's past history from earliest tme right up to the present day.

A Traveller's History of Scotland begins with Scotland's first people and their culture. Before the Vikings in 900 it was a land of romantic kingdoms and saints, gradually overtaken by more pragmatic struggles for power. Centuries of strife led up to the turbulent years of Mary Queen of Scots, the Calvinistic legacy of Knox, and the bitterness of final defeat.

The dreams of the Jacobites are contrasted with the cruel reality of the end of the Stewarts and the Act of Union with England. Scotland now saw an age of industry and despoliation. The result was much emigration and an obsession with the nation's past which glorified the legends of the Highlander and the Clans. In this century, a loss of identify and a drift to the south has been followed by a new surge of national pride with higher aspirations for the future.

A Traveller's History of Scotland explains the roots of Scottish history and is an invaluable companion for visitors."
~~back cover

I was so impressed by this book! The author was brilliant at distilling the rich tapestry of Scottish history into its essence -- all the important battles and assassinations and plots and historic coincidences are there. But it's a slim volume, for all of that -- easy reading for a historic tract. I highly recommend it if you're at all interested in Scottish history.