This afternoon, at the Dorchester Historical Society, historian Charles Swift gave a first-rate presentation to an overflow crowd about the famous-in-some-circles architect, Edwin J. Lewis Jr.; check out Swift’s summary in his blog, including four of his beautiful photos.
Month: April 2006
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
I often find that I’m in the midst of reading two books at once, especially if one is fiction and one is non-fiction. That’s what happened to me recently, finishing both Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner,… Read More ›
Freakonomics
Just finished reading Freakonomics, the much-discussed popularization of applied statistics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, economist and writer respectively. Although Levitt won the Nobel Prize for Economics, this best-seller really is about “applied statistics” rather than economics…. Read More ›
Math and Magic
The Weston High School Math Club just returned from an enjoyable and informative talk on “Mathematics and Magic Tricks,” presented by Prof. Persi Diaconis of Stanford University and sponsored by the Clay Mathematics Institute. As always — well, as we… Read More ›
To the Power of Three
Just finished listening to Laura Lippman’s To the Power of Three on audiobook. This post-Columbine mystery presents a school shooting that’s partly predictable but mostly not so, starting with the fact that the shooter is a girl and concluding with… Read More ›
The Rosengarten Report
I’ve been a subscriber to The Rosengarten Report for about a year now. I recommend it — with some reservations. According to David Rosengarten, this is a “fiercely independent, passionately written newsletter on the best foods and wines in the… Read More ›
The importance of blogging
“Blogging is good for your career,” said reporter Penelope Trunk in a Boston Globe article on April 16. This is a bit surprising, given all the stories about people who have been fired or not hired because of what they… Read More ›
Separated by a common language
First I was told that Churchill said it. Then I was told that it was Wilde. But actually it was Shaw who described England and America as “two countries separated by a common language.” Language is part of culture, so… Read More ›
London
We’re staying at 22 York Street, a lovely B&B just off Baker Street in London. Of course it’s foolish to try to make a dent in the to-do list when one has only a short stay in London, but we… Read More ›
The Sunday Philosophy Club
Just finished reading The Sunday Philosophy Club, by Alexander McCall Smith. This quirky mystery isn’t for everybody, as it’s more an exploration of applied philosophy than a mystery novel. Complete with an explicit reference to Sissela Bok’s Lying, it creates… Read More ›
Learning Strategies 