Pathogenesis: a History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy

August 1, 2025

Pathogenesis: a History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy

A history of the world and our species based on the evolution of bacteria and viruses. As the author notes, most of what we call history is based on the exploits of a few "great" white men and how they shaped the story, much of which is wrong. The ultimate life form turns out to be microorganisms. Some of the plagues he discusses are not what you expect, like poverty and obesity. Recommended for readers who enjoy science-based nonfiction.

The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

July 16, 2025

The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

A young lawyer, Paul Cravath, is drawn into the hundreds of lawsuits that Thomas Edison brought against George Westinghouse, claiming patent infringement. Westinghouse didn't claim to invent the light bulb or electricity, but to have improved on Edison's design to the point that it was a different invention. Westinghouse claimed his alternating current was safer and more reliable, while Edison continued to champion direct current.

Let me lead off with this: there is a scene of animal cruelty at about the midpoint of the book that I found extremely upsetting. It is historically accurate: Edison's spin doctor actually performed these demonstrations publicly, so animal lovers and dog lovers in particular may want to skip these pages. The opening scene in the book is also disturbing, as is the description of the first execution by electric chair at about the 2/3 mark which is extremely brutal.

With that said, this is historical fiction based on the Edison vs. Westinghouse lawsuits, which was the war between direct current and alternating electrical current (alternating current prevailed as safer and more reliable and is used for power grids today, while direct current is used for batteries and electronic devices - this isn't a spoiler, go look it up in Google or Wikipedia).

There are quotes at the beginning of each chapter, many of them from Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, which makes it almost impossible for the reader not to draw comparisons between the Edison/Westinghouse electric war, and the Microsoft/Apple technology battle a century later. Nikola Tesla gets in on the action too. Around page 105, there is a good explanation about how alternating current works and why it is less likely to kill you than direct current. Overall the characters are interesting and well-developed. Chapters are short, which makes the narrative a little choppy. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a scientific slant.

Examples of two of the first light bulbs

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

April 8, 2024

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell and her partner and lover Stoker are busy restoring Lord Rosemarran's extensive collection of curiosities, when they receive a delivery of a life-sized waxwork figure known as an Anatomical Venus. They wonder who created the figure and its intended purpose, but the mystery only deepens when they attempt to unlock its secrets.

The ninth adventure in the Veronica Speedwell/Stoker mystery series, filled with questionable science, potential scandal, and eccentricity among the aristocracy. The relationship between Veronica and Stoker deepens. Love the covers. Clever, action-packed and great fun as always. I would advise reading the series in order.

An Anatomical Venus - there were also Anatomical Adonis models

Death by Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings and Broken Hearts by Kathryn Harkup

May 14, 2020

Death by Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings and Broken Hearts by Kathryn Harkup

Certain critics persist in claiming that the historical William Shakespeare could not have been the author of Shakespeare's works, due to his common origins.  Shakespeare was an actor and playwright born in the town of Stratford to a moderately affluent family, educated at the local grammar school, and he never attended Oxford or Cambridge. One of the areas that critics cite as evidence that Shakespeare's plays must have been written by someone else is that Shakespeare could not have had the extensive knowledge of medical science that is displayed in many of his plays.   Author Kathryn Harkup sets out to prove that not only would Shakespeare have had this kind of knowledge, but that the Elizabethan audience that he was writing for would also have had intimate knowledge of disease and the many ways to die in the 16th century.  Most of them would have been aware of poisons like mercury, antimony, and lead (lead poisoning was known even as many Elizabethans were slathering lead on their faces to achieve that stylish white complexion favored by Queen Elizabeth I).  Although not every play includes a death, every Shakespeare play and quite a few of his poems make reference to at least one disease.

Death in today's world has been largely sanitized, but in the 16th century, a family member or close friend would have been nursed at home, with family members caring for them all the way up to preparing the body for burial.  Professional medical care was limited at best, with doctors available only for the rich and aristocratic. The lower classes had to make do with a barber-surgeon or local woman healer.  Even with a trained doctor, the patient's chances of survival were poor.  The average Londoner in the 16th century would have seen public executions, plague victims, and horribly wounded soldiers returning from war.  Shakespeare would have had the same experiences, and if he didn't have personal knowledge, Harkup points out that London was a cosmopolitan city and he certainly could have found someone to tell him about wounds sustained during a sword fight or when to suspect murder.

This turned out to be an interesting choice to read during the COVID-19 pandemic, since there were many parallels between the current preventative measures and the restrictions that were put in place during the 15th and 16th century plague outbreaks.  During the plague, theaters were closed, festivals and public processions were cancelled, and even the king's coronation was held without an audience.  With the theaters closed, Shakespeare turned to writing sonnets and narrative poems to earn money.  Pamphlets published the latest plague news and proclaimed cures or preventatives for the plague (much like the Internet articles today claiming that all you need to do to avoid COVID-19 is fill-in-the-blank).  One difference is that churches remained open.  The author notes that after the plague outbreak of 1582-1583, it took two years for life to return to normal.  Aargh.

Overall, this is an interesting and different look at Shakespeare and the 16th century that will appeal to anyone interested in Elizabethan history as reflected in Shakespeare's plays.  Harkup's style is intended for the general reader than for a scholarly audience.  

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in return for a review.

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

September 4, 2019

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

In mortician Caitlin Doughty's experience, kids aren't afraid to ask the questions that that their parents are too polite to ask (even though they want to know the answers just as much).  Doughty gives the answers and explains the science behind what happens when someone dies.

Well-researched with extensive documentation, you'll probably find the answers to some of your own questions in here (and yes, your cat might eat your eyeballs - it's a natural instinct).  If you haven't read Doughty's previous book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, about her time working at a crematory, you should read that one, too.  I think she's a hoot and would be a lot of fun to have drinks with.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an e-ARC in return for a review.