kenny

What have I read, watched, listened to, and considered this week? Here's a selection:

Books:

• Stephen King's 11/22/63. No progress this week. I plan to finish this one in the upcoming week now that I'm done with Cronon.

• Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction by Samir Okasha. No progress this week.

• Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West by William Cronon. I finished! One of my favorite books of the year so far. I wish the final section would've said more about Chicago's (relative) decline throughout the 20th century, but I understand that period is well outside the scope of Cronon's work. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the American Midwest, 19th century American history, or the relationship between urban and rural areas. Cronon's writing is rigorous, well-referenced, and incorporates a good mix of theory and historical examples. I'm now tempted to read a history of Chicago from a more traditional political angle.

• Samuel Johnson: Selected Works, edited by DeMaria, Fix, & Weinbrot. My favorite essay so far has been the Rambler No. 24, where Johnson examines the age-old exhortation to "know thyself".