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<\/p>\nVia book reviews and Fb posts, I’m aware of 2 or 3 new nonfiction books published every week that look interesting enough to consider reading. I restrain myself; at most I buy 2 or 3 new nonfiction books a month out of those, the most important or relevant ones, or the ones I think I’ll most likely have time to actually read. And of course still don’t read all those that I buy in a timely fashion.<\/p>\n
Once in a while my calculation of which books are actually the most important to buy requires retroactive revision. My first takes are not always correct; so I correct myself.<\/p>\n
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The occasion is a book published at the end of September by an unfamiliar author, though from a reputable publisher, called When We Cease to Understand the World<\/b><\/a>, by Benjam\u00edn Labatut (from New York Review Books [not affiliated with NYT]). It was reviewed in the NYT<\/a>:<\/p>\n With his slippery hybrid of fact and fiction, Labatut slyly applies the uncertainty principle to the human pursuit of knowledge itself. Abstraction and imagination, measurement and story coexist in a multidimensional reality containing infinite destinies and interpretations. At its furthest reaches, reason and scientific inquiry lead into the unknowable.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It’s not science fiction; it’s not science, or history exactly; it’s some odd blend, perhaps an ideal blend of concepts to appeal to me as about how human beings understand the universe only up to a point. Perhaps. Or perhaps just woo? I read the review, noted it as one of those 2 or 3 per week, and moved on. (With all those 2 or 3 per week that I don’t buy, my policy is always to reconsider should they get further attention, of course.)<\/p>\n Then earlier this month, the book was included among the top 10 of New York Times’ Best Books of 2021<\/a>. Suddenly it became essential to have. I’ve followed the NYT Book Review and its annual best books lists since I was at UCLA, 45 years ago. I certainly don’t try to read all of their picks, but I do try to read those that in any way appeal to my interests and tastes; if I haven’t already read it, I depend on their independent assessments to override any of my hesitation, or make up for my unawareness.<\/p>\n So I ordered it from Amazon.<\/p>\n Amazon said, still says, it will arrive Jan. 11 – Jan. 12, 2022. No reason. The publicity has brought about so many orders, the book needs new printings? Or something about the supply-side crisis?<\/p>\n (Another book I’d ordered recently didn’t show up and didn’t show up until Amazon advised that it was likely lost and I should cancel the order to get a refund.)<\/p>\n So meanwhile, I thought I’d check out a couple physical bookstores in my area, just because. How fun to shop a bookstore looking for a particular book, something I haven’t done in decades.<\/p>\n Have not tried B&N, but I did check Pegasus in Berkeley, Walden Pond in Oakland. Not only didn’t they have it in stock, but had to look it up; they weren’t aware of it. I don’t blame them exactly; it’s still an obscure book, published only a couple months ago, that they for whatever reason simply haven’t stocked yet. Walden Pond has a whole table for Booker winners, NYT Top 10 winners of 2020… but not one yet for 2021.<\/p>\n So I’m letting my Amazon order stand.<\/p>\n Endpiece<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Meanwhile, my partner Y drove to Macy’s today, to try to exchange a couple items he’d ordered online. The in-store stock was way down, he said. Apparently they are adjusting to an online-order world. He couldn’t exchange his items, but the staff helped him order replacements, online.<\/p>\n Also, today: added some cross-reference links on sfadb.com between Sterling Blake and Gregory Benford, and between S.P. Somtow and Somtow Sucharitkul. The latter issue prompted by a physical letter from John Hertz, written in May 2021 to Locus, and forwarded to me from Locus in October. Apparently John Hertz doesn’t do email.<\/p>\n And: spent an hour working a post for a significant nonfiction book, read almost three years ago, that I haven’t yet posted about because my notes were too long! There are several books like this. Hope to finish this one tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Via book reviews and Fb posts, I’m aware of 2 or 3 new nonfiction books published every week that look interesting enough to consider reading. I restrain myself; at most I buy 2 or 3 new nonfiction books a month … Continue reading