Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive by Eliot Stein

4.27 AVERAGE

jsibole's review

4.0
informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced
pianorunner421's profile picture

pianorunner421's review against another edition

4.75
adventurous informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

ljpalmer's review against another edition

4.0
emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced
melissarochelle's profile picture

melissarochelle's review

4.0
hopeful informative reflective medium-paced
This book takes us on a journey across the globe to discover ten customs and traditions that are slowly becoming extinct. We visit Sardinia (su filindeu pasta), Japan (kioke soy sauce), India (metal mirrors), England (telling the bees), Peru (grass rope bridge), Cuba (readers), Germany (oak mailbox), West Africa (Mande djelis), Taiwan (film poster painter), and Sweden (night watchman). Each chapter provides history of the place, the people, and the process with interviews with practitioners who are keeping the traditions going as long as they can. 

christylodder's review

4.0
informative medium-paced
Format: audio book

I don’t typically read non-fiction outside of memoirs but this title caught my eye on Libby. The book is made up of 10 chapters, each focusing on one person who is keeping a dying tradition alive. These 10 people are spread out across the world and their unique stories are fascinating. I had never heard of 8 of the 10 traditions and I still learned more than I previously knew about the 2 I had heard of.

My personal rating system:
1 - I didn’t like the book and I’m not really sure why anyone else likes the book
2 - I didn’t like the book but I can understand why other people like the book
3 - I liked the book but not enough that I would recommend it when someone asks me for book recs 
4 - I really liked the book and would recommend it when someone asks me for book recs within the genre
5 - I loved the book and would recommend to anyone regardless of their preferred genre
bookishmagpie's profile picture

bookishmagpie's review against another edition

4.0
adventurous emotional informative reflective medium-paced
Wonderful and fascinating 

shayarden's review

4.0
adventurous informative inspiring medium-paced

natalier36's review

4.0
adventurous informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

gabmarie101's review

4.0
adventurous hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

elizabethaguilera's review against another edition

4.5
informative reflective medium-paced