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239 reviews for:
Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive
Eliot Stein
4.27 AVERAGE
239 reviews for:
Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive
Eliot Stein
4.27 AVERAGE
Through interviews, anecdotes, and historical context, this book shares a series of dying traditions in various parts of the world: making a specific type of Sardinian pasta, serving as a country's last night watchman, etc. Some of these examples are more interesting than others, but they're all told with great sensitivity and respect. The author does a fine job of weaving any necessary historical background into each chapter, although sometimes this involves biting off just a bit more than any book of this nature could reasonably be expected to chew (e.g., tackling an overview of Cuban revolutionary history). I particularly enjoyed the chapter about an English beekeeper "telling the bees." Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Read first chapters and skimmed other sections for my research. Informative and interesting, but the prose isn’t my style — I found it wanting of lyricism, frankly — otherwise solid reportage, if rather masculine
adventurous
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adventurous
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adventurous
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medium-paced
This was so interesting and fun and COZY while also being bittersweet. I learned so much and went down so many fun rabbit holes. The stories restored some hope in humanity and connected old histories and traditions with the modern world. I absolutely loved reading this!
I liked some of the stories in this better than others (soy sauce, Inca rope bridge) but they were all written in an engaging narrative style that was friendly to someone (me) who struggles with nonfiction
This book was a lovely reminder that magic is real and humans are responsible for creating it. There is a bittersweet edge to it, as many of the arts mentioned are fading out of existence, but isn’t that the point of life? Beautiful, but fleeting.
hopeful
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relaxing
fast-paced
hopeful
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slow-paced
Probably my favorite Non-fiction so far this year. I devoured this curious look into some of the rarest and most interesting pastimes and cultures that are on the brink of extinction. From particular pastas to braided bridges and trees with their own postal code, the author portrays the legacy of these people and their ways of life in a way that makes me want to hold them dearly and protect these cultural treasures. Truly a look at the human pursuit.