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241 reviews for:
Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive
Eliot Stein
4.26 AVERAGE
241 reviews for:
Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive
Eliot Stein
4.26 AVERAGE
*4.5 stars
This book was so magical. I didn't quite know what to expect going in to this read, but I loved it. All the tales were so unique and shared customs and traditions I had never heard of! I want to visit each and every one of these places now. It breaks my heart that many of these traditions are on the verge of ending as times change.
Each of these 10 "tales", were so diverse and well-written. I loved that the author went to the actual locations and did interviews. I found myself looking up photos online to picture everything alongside the author's tale. I felt some of these chapters went a bit off topic occasionally, or were a little long but overall, such a fantastic read.
To the author - please find and write about more custodians of wonder! I couldn't get enough.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc of this book.
This book was so magical. I didn't quite know what to expect going in to this read, but I loved it. All the tales were so unique and shared customs and traditions I had never heard of! I want to visit each and every one of these places now. It breaks my heart that many of these traditions are on the verge of ending as times change.
Each of these 10 "tales", were so diverse and well-written. I loved that the author went to the actual locations and did interviews. I found myself looking up photos online to picture everything alongside the author's tale. I felt some of these chapters went a bit off topic occasionally, or were a little long but overall, such a fantastic read.
To the author - please find and write about more custodians of wonder! I couldn't get enough.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc of this book.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
In praise of those who keep traditions from extinction
What a relief it was to discover that I am not the only person who latches on to arcane or offbeat things to do as part of my travels! Author Eliot Stein is a travel journalist who wrote a column for the BBC called Custom Made which focused on finding and interviewing people around the globe who engage in an art or occupation that is firmly based in tradition but who may be the last people who will ever do it. As a person who when traveling to Belgium was determined to not only sample (lots and lots) of chocolate but also to seek out a place to buy handmade lace in Bruges, for example, I could not wait to read about the people interviewed by Mr. Stein as well as learn about what it was they did...and why. The book did not disappoint! From near-alchemist makers of a particular type of mirror in India to the last women in Sardinia who craft an amazingly intricate pasta, a man who in Peru who oversees the yearly crafting of the only remaining bridge (woven from plants!) that dates back to the Incas and the last night watchman in a small Swedish village, imbedded in each person's story is how their craft or occupation came to be, how its existence is woven into the history of their people, and how many such pursuits may be on the verge of extinction as modern civilization and technology encroach upon traditional life. Part travelogue, part sociological study, part biography, and part "things that make you go hmm", each story enthralled me and tempted me to add a few new trips to my wishlist. Every now and again the author gets a little deeper into the weeds than I felt I wanted to go, but not enough to stop me going on to finish each of the chapters. If you are someone who has enjoyed books (and in one case podcasts) by Mark Kurlansky, Aaron Mahnke and Frances Mayes, then you really must pick up a copy of Custodians of Wonder. If those authors don't strike a cord with you but you are prone to be fascinated by life's minutiae, again I highly recommend that you give this book a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me early access to a copy of this engaging read in exchange for my honest review.
What a relief it was to discover that I am not the only person who latches on to arcane or offbeat things to do as part of my travels! Author Eliot Stein is a travel journalist who wrote a column for the BBC called Custom Made which focused on finding and interviewing people around the globe who engage in an art or occupation that is firmly based in tradition but who may be the last people who will ever do it. As a person who when traveling to Belgium was determined to not only sample (lots and lots) of chocolate but also to seek out a place to buy handmade lace in Bruges, for example, I could not wait to read about the people interviewed by Mr. Stein as well as learn about what it was they did...and why. The book did not disappoint! From near-alchemist makers of a particular type of mirror in India to the last women in Sardinia who craft an amazingly intricate pasta, a man who in Peru who oversees the yearly crafting of the only remaining bridge (woven from plants!) that dates back to the Incas and the last night watchman in a small Swedish village, imbedded in each person's story is how their craft or occupation came to be, how its existence is woven into the history of their people, and how many such pursuits may be on the verge of extinction as modern civilization and technology encroach upon traditional life. Part travelogue, part sociological study, part biography, and part "things that make you go hmm", each story enthralled me and tempted me to add a few new trips to my wishlist. Every now and again the author gets a little deeper into the weeds than I felt I wanted to go, but not enough to stop me going on to finish each of the chapters. If you are someone who has enjoyed books (and in one case podcasts) by Mark Kurlansky, Aaron Mahnke and Frances Mayes, then you really must pick up a copy of Custodians of Wonder. If those authors don't strike a cord with you but you are prone to be fascinated by life's minutiae, again I highly recommend that you give this book a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me early access to a copy of this engaging read in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely love learning new things, and this book, whew, hit the mark and then some. Compelling to read, each and every chapter is full of amazing, vividly detailed stories. I read this slowly, enjoying each chapter.
As I was reading this, I kept wishing I could send this to my dad for Christmas. He would have found this as fascinating as I did, and I know that we would have enjoyed talking about our favorite chapters.
This is one I’ll be buying a physical copy of for my own bookshelves.
A truly excellent book, and one I strongly recommend.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Well, you will have to pardon the pun, but Custodians of Wonder by Eliot Stein is quite a wonder of its own. I went into this book with the expectation of learning about interesting traditions that are in danger of being lost, but I came out of it with not only that knowledge, but a great deal of knowledge about the cultures involved, the history of the geographic locations, and the unexpected feeling of investment in the future of the people Stein talked to.
I am a historian and anthropologist by training and trade, so I suspect I may be more of a kid in the candy store with this book than some; but I do truly believe that this is a wonderful book for anyone who want to find some unique beauty in this world. Even the couple of stories that I already had some insight on were broadened for me.
The other unexpected feeling I came out of this read with was one of connection. Even though the tasks and products in these chapters are specifically important to the cultures they are a part of, I couldn’t help but see how they have the potential to affect people outside of that sphere. Stein not only educates and entertains with his work; he give the reader hope in the strength and resilience of humanity.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I am a historian and anthropologist by training and trade, so I suspect I may be more of a kid in the candy store with this book than some; but I do truly believe that this is a wonderful book for anyone who want to find some unique beauty in this world. Even the couple of stories that I already had some insight on were broadened for me.
The other unexpected feeling I came out of this read with was one of connection. Even though the tasks and products in these chapters are specifically important to the cultures they are a part of, I couldn’t help but see how they have the potential to affect people outside of that sphere. Stein not only educates and entertains with his work; he give the reader hope in the strength and resilience of humanity.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this on and definitely learned a lot! In Custodians of Wonder, Stein tells the stories of 10 people around the world who have jobs that are the last of their kind. From the last Inca bridge master who weaves a new grass bridge every year, to the last Cuban cigar factor "reader", to one of the last women who knows how to make the rarest pasta in Italy, to the postmaster of the Bridegroom's Oak tree in Germany, these stories are so fascinating! Stein not only interviews these keepers of disappearing traditions but he also gives us a short history lesson revealing how these jobs came to be and what they mean to the current culture.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eARC!
A New York musician with west African roots. A bridge builder in the high Andes. A mirror maker in India. What do these people have in common? They, and others featured in this book are practitioners of ancient, and, in many cases, dying arts. The author traveled the globe to talk to these people about their lives, their skills, and what it means to their communities. The man in the Andes makes grass bridges in the ancient Incan tradition. The building of the bridge is a community affair, with the local populace coming together to gather the materials and braid the grass under his supervision. A woman in rural India is one of the few people who knows how to make valkannadi mirrors, an important component of many Hindu rituals. The musician is part of the African griot tradition of story telling and singing going back for centuries.
The author is respectful of the artists and artisans he talks to. He assures his subjects that he won't reveal anything without their stated approval (and one of those subjects smiles and tells him she didn't tell him everything, but she appreciates his promise). This book is a peek into world cultures, what they value, and what may be lost.
Recommended for medium to large public libraries, and where in interest in world cultures is high.
The author is respectful of the artists and artisans he talks to. He assures his subjects that he won't reveal anything without their stated approval (and one of those subjects smiles and tells him she didn't tell him everything, but she appreciates his promise). This book is a peek into world cultures, what they value, and what may be lost.
Recommended for medium to large public libraries, and where in interest in world cultures is high.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Stein does an excellent job of balancing between the custodian and the wonder! I enjoyed that there was in depth exploration of how these dying traditions were born - but I, even more, loved how careful Stein was to include the human aspect of these traditions. The prose was a little dry for my taste but I did have fun learning new things!