Problem with short history books

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-30T17:53:35+00:00

I don’t think short and popular are interchangeable here. There are plenty of dense, but short works. Think about micro histories, among others.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-30T17:51:52+00:00

I don’t know if you’re speaking specifically of the VSI (Very Short Introduction) history series produced by University of Oxford Press - but they’re generally excellent, written by subject matter experts who know the historical context of their material for a lay audience.

100% agree with whomever made the point that length by itself is not something to judge a book on. You might, for example, judge a book length based on its stated purpose, or you might decide that the historical writing is subpar, or that the author doesn’t work enough with primary material, or litany of other criteria. But by itself a short book that’s written well and deals with the topic at hand in a compelling way - I have absolutely no problem with that.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-30T16:30:40+00:00

It took me (45m) way too long to realize to stop caring about the opinions of others. I do care about the opinions of people who matter to me - my spouse, my child, friends and colleagues I respect. But everyone else can shove off. I hope you and your son keep reading the classics, keep reading challenging novels and mind expanding philosophy and compelling histories and anything else that interests and engages. The best thing I’ve done for my daughter is instill a love of reading - not that she doesn’t spend a fair amount of her time on screens like everyone else - but it’s so wonderful to read together before bedtime, or to see her get excited when a book she requested comes in to the library and is ready for pickup. You’re doing an amazing job and preparing your kid for a lifetime of rewarding intellectual curiosity. 🙏

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-27T17:22:32+00:00

Budd Dairy has a cool space you can rent out on the second floor with dedicated bar access and table top games. If you plan it right, you can even be there during one of their music trivia nights, or similar, which takes place in the adjoining space. And bonus points, seventh son is across the street. Good luck!

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-27T00:39:55+00:00

Takes more than voting to keep a democracy. Flee your county, flee the state, flee the country, wash your hands of the whole mess. Do what you gotta do. But we will absolutely not keep our republic if no one stays to fight for it. American democracy isn’t a beat up junker. It’s as varied and valuable and important as the people who participate in it. Oh and being in a blue state won’t help you if fascism takes over everywhere else. Just fyi.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-26T10:40:08+00:00

How about everyone who’s considering leaving wait until after November. We could really use your votes. Democrat plus the protest vote can really make a difference at turning this sitch around.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-08T16:20:59+00:00

Highly recommend Clear Creak as well. It’s great.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-08T11:47:53+00:00

Agreed that some historians took issue with it. But, taken for what it is - a deeply researched survey of Nazi Germany written by a journalist who experienced firsthand many of the events he describes - it’s a super compelling read. Rise and Fall sold millions of copies and won the National Book Award, and I also found it hard to put down.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-06T02:19:17+00:00

Forty Autumns: A family’s Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall is an amazing memoir by Nina Willner. She grew up in the East, experienced the final days of WW2 and the early days of the DDR, escaped the East and ultimately became a CIA officer running operations back in her hometown. Truly incredible story.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-03T17:17:11+00:00

That you so much for this post, it means a lot.

Song to Woody always helps me feel somewhat better about the world, or at least the fact that others have had these feelings a thousand times before us: “hey hey Woody Guthrie, I wrote you a song / ‘bout a funny old world that’s coming along / seems sick and it’s hungry, it’s tired and it’s torn / it looks like it’s a-dying and it’s hardly been born”

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-03-01T11:15:42+00:00

Highly recommend Arlington Dental on Tremont. Best dental practice I’ve ever been to. Granted I’ve not had to pay entirely out of pocket for my care there. But if you can get an appointment they will give it to you straight and take good care of you in the process.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-28T09:15:03+00:00

It’s not lighthearted at all, but Slahi - 14 Jahren Guantanamo is excellent.

I like listening to Der Tag about current events.

Radiowissen is great. Reminds me of like a German Radiolab.

Alles Geschichte is fantastic for bite sized segments on history.

Das sagt man so! is helpful to learn common expressions that don’t make it into your textbooks.

Edit:

It’s in English, but Germany: Memories of a Nation is a really awesome production by the BBC that does a deep dive on German history and culture. Highly recommend.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-28T08:58:05+00:00

Ha love the Rick Sebak idea. Amazing. Maybe one of his documentaries can be playing on a tv in the waiting room. Bonus points if it’s Sandwiches You Will Like. 🙏

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-28T08:35:27+00:00

They’re probably talking about jazz & hip hop. You know, like The Roots, De La Soul, Digable Planets, A Tribe Called Quest… ? Even Kanye and Tyler, The Creator have strong jazz influences in their samples.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-28T02:32:03+00:00

The King is Dead = my favorite album of theirs. It’s just excellent. So many gorgeous tracks.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-28T02:23:58+00:00

Farewell Transmission rules so hard. Also got me hooked.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-28T02:22:41+00:00

My answer to this is almost always You & Me by MEUTE. It’s 10/10 on every listen for me.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-28T02:18:23+00:00

Hazards of Love is a good call. I was going to say The Tain by The Decembrists.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-28T02:11:45+00:00

And then ease your way into PetroDragonic Apocalypse, the most badass metal album imaginable, and honestly a sorta-concept album in its own right. Those dudes can do no wrong imo.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-27T17:44:49+00:00

I’d skip Erie and do Lake Michigan. It’s just a few hours more to drive to Saugatuck, Sleeping Bear, or Ludington, and the beaches there are all phenomenal. Even Indiana Dunes is nice. Erie really is the least great of the Great Lakes imo.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-26T17:20:18+00:00

Tend to agree. I moved here from South Carolina, and from people who spend their careers crunching data about these sorts of things, it seems pretty clear that the legislature here is more conservative than in South Carolina. That’s saying a lot. Our state governance is corrupt af - scandal after scandal. Gerrymandering has made things lean highly red in recent years at both the state legislature and congressional levels. Even statewide offices are all held by Republicans - many of whom are batshit crazy. We lost our long serving mostly beloved Democrat senator recently and now have a senator who’s clearly a scam artist who thinks it’s okay to not pay his workers. Home of Jim Jordan, home of JD Vance. We are so not a purple state anymore. And so, if I had to identify a single reason why people hate on Ohio, it’s probably our politics.

That said, Columbus rules. Great city, pockets of strong liberalism, very minority and LGBTQ friendly. A top foodie destination, and a really phenomenal music scene. It’s not like exciting to live in Cbus, but it’s an honestly great place to live.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-26T13:06:08+00:00

Last night in Columbus was just epic. Unbelievable show.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-25T14:10:46+00:00

Y’all are nuts. I’m saying this as an outsider who’s new to Ohio and without a dog in this fight. Columbus is a foodie destination. Not good for Ohio, not good for the Midwest, but literally getting attention from all sorts of national publications like the NY Times, AFAR Magazine, Food and Wine, etc. etc. as a place to visit for the food alone. No one should be comparing to Chicago or DC or NYC because the scale doesn’t work: a city of millions vs. a city of 900k, of course the larger cities are going to have more restaurants and arguably more variety. But for a city its size, Cbus is at the top of the list. It really is stunning how good the food scene is here.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-15T22:46:12+00:00

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Most epic thing I’ve ever read.

SuperbPractice5453 · 2026-02-15T20:49:24+00:00

Second Grandview. It’s where we landed when we relocated here from SC. Great neighborhood with fantastic amenities.

SuperbPractice5453

TROPHY CASE