Today’s treble-T is the oldest-published books on our TBR list but that sounds like work and I’m in grad school so I abstain. (Courteously.) Instead, I’m going to ask AI for ten random numbers, check those numbers against my Goodreads wanna-read list, and comment on them. But first, a tease.
Ze Tease!
“Rules are rules. It is illegal to dispose of cameras on a hill.”
“BUT IT’S NOT A HILL!” Lucas says, possibly in all capital letters.
“It is illegal to shout at a city official,” the man informs him. (THE ANSWER IS NO, Frederick Backman)
Ze LIST!
(1) The Myth of Santa Fe: Creating a Modern Regional Tradition. I went to Sante Fe in 2018. I was fairly besmitten with the place. I want to go back. Added in 2018.
(2) The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness. Added in 2023. I’m always reading about human flourishing, so this book should be no surprise.
(3) The Children of Henry VIII, Alison Weird. Added in 2011 for….some reason. Flash forward a few years later and I’d guess I was interested in learning more about Queen Mary. Honestly, do any of Henry’s kids beyond she and Elizabeth matter remotely?
(4) The Well-Tuned Brain: The Remedy for a Manic Society, Peter Whybrow. One of the first books I read during the tenure of this blog was Whybrow’s American Mania: Why More Isn’t Enough. It was a neurological and anthropological assessment of American consumerism.
(5) Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe. Disasters, Niall Ferguson….
(6) Becoming C. S. Lewis: A Biography of Young Jack Lewis (1898-1918), Harry Lee Poe. In retrospect, this is not a particularly interesting period of Lewis’ life, at least not compared to the twenties. Still, any Jack is better than no Jack.
(7) Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education. I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree because of credentialism, but I’ve long lost faith in higher ed.
(8) Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth’s Extinct Worlds. Sounds interesting from a nat-history perspective.
(9) Little Platoons: A Defense of Family in a Competitive Age. Obviously interesting from a Burkean/communitarian POV. The title is a direct reference to Burke.
(10) Downtown America: A History of the Place and the People Who Made It. No surprise to those familiar with my obsession with pre-WW2 American urbanism!
Reading Freely 
Fun twist! I’m interested in your #6.
Here is my regular list: https://wordsandpeace.com/2024/11/19/the-top-10-oldest-books-on-my-tbr/
I’m sure I’ll get around to it eventually!
Becoming C.S. Lewis sounds interesting. He had a tough childhood from what I’ve read!
Thanks for stopping by earlier.
Lydia
Oh, yes. Mother died, father was awkward and sent him to a series of dismal and sometimes abusive boarding schools.
This was such a fun idea, I might have to use it someday!
I’d like to go to Santa Fe too, or anywhere on California 👀 the travel bug has been so restricted the past few years! These sounds like a few good nonfict picks!