This semester I am taking a graduate class on the history of human rights. It has been fantastic even though snow has interrupted it twice now. One of our first books was Inventing Human Rights by Lynn Hunt. She examines the language of human rights as it emerged with the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the American Declaration of Independence. She argues that before and during that time period we see a change in thinking and a rise in empathy towards other people. This coincided […]
The Luminaries
Oh my word. I have no idea where to begin with The Luminaries. It is amazingly complex, overwhelming, and a readable mystery all at the same time. I finished this 800 page tome and wondered what the heck I had just experienced. I’m not sure if that is a criticism or a compliment. Set in Gold Rush era New Zealand of the 1860s, it begins with a young man’s arrival to a small back water town on the south island. Relaxing in a hotel lounge, […]
After the Music Stopped
Blinder provides a very clear explanation of the events leading up to and after the Great Recession. Everyone should read this to understand why it happened and what we can do to avoid the next disaster. The review is here: http://lyndamkreads.wordpress.com/2014/01/04/after-the-music-stopped-by-alan-s-blinder/