The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager

"The Alchemy of Air" has a long subtitle that spells
out the thesis of the book.

The story revolves around the Malthusian prediction made in the late
1890s that human population will outstrip our ability to produce enough food
using only the natural fertilizers available in South America and India.

The story then backs up to the bat guano and nitrate industries in Peru
and Chile in the mid-1800s, then segues into the efforts in Germany to
chemically fix nitrogen from the air for use as a fertilizer.

But that's only the beginning of the story, as fertilizers are closely
related to gunpowder, so a dichotomy results from a product that can both
save the world and destroy it.

Another twist is how all of this naturally led to the Germans inventing
a process for converting coal to gasoline, for use during World War II. Yet
the efforts to industrialize this process well preceded the Nazi efforts to
secure a source of dependable fuel within their borders.

Oh, and this was all largely conceived and executed by a chemist and by
a chemical engineer whose names you probably never heard of.


Submitted by Jim

The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye, by Nancy Springer (Young Adult)

Enola Eudoria Hadassah Holmes is Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister. One year ago her mother ran away, then, when her brothers wanted to send her to a posh boarding school, she ran also. In this book she surfaces as a finder of missing persons, or a ‘perditorian.’ Always careful to avoid either of her brothers, she embarks on an adventure searching for the Duquesa del Campo, who inexplicable disappeared one day in the Underground.

This is a delightful mystery which kept my interest all the way to the end, and I will be sure to read the other volumes in this 6-volume series.

Submitted by Guna

A Stranger in the Family by Robert Barnard

An intriquing mystery novel that not only follows the main character’s quest to find his family, but also delves into the human psyche and family interactions, this story is set in contemporary Great Britain. I don’t want to give away too much, but it would be helpful if the reader knew the history of the Holocaust. It certainly kept my attention, but left me feeling rather unsettled and sad.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

On the coldest night of a frigid winter, someone dropped a barely 8-week-old kitten into the local library’s metal drop box. The director found it the next morning, freezing, huddled into a corner of the box, covered by a ton of books. The kitten was so cold, it could barely react.

For the rest of his life, Dewey lived at the library. This is the story of how he won the hearts of many people, patrons and non-patrons, Americans and those abroad.

The cover shows a young Dewey gravely looking straight out at us. No one who loves cats will be able to resist this book.

Submitted by Guna

Isle of Woman (1st volume in the Geodyssey series) by Piers Anthony

If this were to be made into a movie (as was Clan of the Cave Bear to which it has been compared), it would be an X-rated docudrama. Anthony traces human evolution from 3.7 million B.P. to A.D. 2021, intermixing mini social studies lectures pertaining to the eras, with the story of two main characters (and their families) who keep getting reborn in each period of time. He does not dwell on details, as did Auel in her Children of the Earth series, but is exploring a theory of his relating the evolution of humankind and its cultures to sexual development in the species. He’s included an “Author’s Note” at the end to explain what he was trying to do. Even though it covers eons, it actually was a rather speedy read.


Submitted by Cathy

Scimitar by John Abbott (Evan Hunter)

An extremely-detailed terrorist thriller published in 1992 and primarily set in NYC, this novel features extremist Muslims, the FBI, the CIA, the NYPD, and a British consulate, as well as a couple of sexy American ladies. Taking place around Independence Day, this is a fast-paced summer read. Take care, though, not to set it down too often, or you may lose the threads (and names) in this intricate tapestry of deceit and murder.

Submitted by Cathy

The Revolution (DVD) by the History Channel

Quite frankly, after viewing this production, I was shocked we ever became a nation! This 13-part series is very well done. It focuses both on the military history and the political, while trying to reveal the points of view of a variety of people -- famous, infamous, and unknown. I learned many new things about the Revolution while watching it over the span of 2 weeks – one 45-minute episode a night (there’s a much shorter, final “how it was made” section). If you don’t have the time to watch all the episodes, I recommend you watch the last 2 installments (“Road to the Presidency” and “A President and his Revolution”) as they summarize the previous 11 episodes, albeit with a primary focus on Washington. Each episode can stand alone, and you will notice some repetition if you watch them all.

Submitted by Cathy (7/15/10)