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This week, we feature a 1930s children’s classic that inspires optimism, and an insightful analysis of how modern globalization has come to its end.
Fiction
A Mother’s Loving Message
‘Our Missing Hearts’
By Celeste Ng
Bird Gardner is 9 years old when his Chinese American mother leaves. His mother is a poet, and her words resonate in a world where patriotism has turned to paranoia. When he’s 12, he leaves his quiet existence and goes in search for her, finding clues in the library.
Penguin Press, 2022, 352 pages
A Portrait of Michelangelo
‘The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo’
By Irving Stone
This thick novel was the most popular, and likely the most enduring, of Irving Stone’s biographical novels. To prepare, he worked in an Italian marble quarry, read the great artist’s letters, and studied his studio techniques. The result? A marvelous depiction of the man who sculpted the Pietà and the David and painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Stone also vividly recreates the tempestuous and often violent days of the Renaissance during the Medici family’s reign. A great read for long winter nights.
Berkley Reprint edition, 2004, 784 pages
Transportation
A Fascination With Railroads
‘Last Train to Texas: My Railroad Odyssey’
By Fred W. Frailey
Frailey was obsessed with railroads as a child and maintained that interest thereafter. He turned his obsession into a career without once working for a railroad. This book collects his magazine essays—some thoughtful, some humorous—starting in the late 1960s, when the railroads were in collapse, through its transformation and into the 21st century. This book traces modern railroading, warts and all, via a fascinating set of stories.
Indiana University Press, 2020, 232 pages
History
World War II at Sea
‘Victory at Sea: Naval Power and the Transformation of the Global Order in World War II’
By Paul Kennedy
Renowned marine artist Ian Marshall planned a new collection of his paintings, and historian Paul Kennedy agreed to write the book’s text. Then, Marshall died. Since the paintings were completed, Kennedy finished the book as a tribute to his friend. The result is magnificent. Kennedy’s fine exploration of the sea power that influenced the Allied victory complements Marshall’s paintings to offer a breathtaking view of World War II at sea.
Yale University Press, 2022, 544 pages
Current Affairs
Mapping the End of Globalization
‘The End of the World Is Just the Beginning’
By Peter Zeihan
A leading geopolitical strategist presents a convincing case that the modern world is about to start moving backward. Zeihan identifies numerous global problems, including dwindling populations and hyper-finance. Global trade will be impacted, leaving some countries self-sufficient and others searching for answers.
Harper Business, 2022, 512 pages
Classics
A Remarkable American’s Story
‘Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant’
By Ulysses S. Grant
Dying just a week after finishing his memoirs and writing in haste out of concern for his wife’s financial welfare, President Grant hoped his reminiscences would “meet the approval of the reader.” His autobiography more than met that hope, becoming a best-seller then and still being regarded as a classic of American history and literature to this day. He covers his early life through the Civil War, giving accounts of battles and tactics, but also giving a remarkable picture of 19th-century military life. A complete and annotated edition.
Belknap Press, 2017, 816 pages
For Kids
An Ancient Chinese Inventor
‘Zhang Heng and the Incredible Earthquake Detector’
By Randel McGee
Storyteller, artist, and puppeteer Randel McGee gives us Zhang Heng, the Chinese inventor who long ago devised the first machine to detect earthquakes. Inspired by shadow puppets, the unusual artwork adds to the charm of this tale.
Familius, 2021, 32 pages
Perseverance and Self-Confidence
‘The Little Engine That Could’
By Watty Piper
You probably know this tale of the little engine struggling to get up over the mountain. A must for every child’s bookshelf, this story illustrates important traits of perseverance, fortitude, self-confidence, and tenacity.
Grosset & Dunlap reprint, 2001, 48 pages
