What I'm Reading...

The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream

Also available as an Audio Book

I came across this book while watching a recent History on BookTV show on CSPAN. The author was an excellent speaker and he shared stories of the California Gold Rush that I have never hear before. He also has some interesting ideas regarding the Gold Rush and its effects on California, the Nation and the World. You can watch the entire show at BookTV.org using RealPlayer.

Highly Recommended.

The Lobster Chronicles: Life on a Very Small Island

I highly recommend Linda Greenlaw's first book, The Hungry Ocean, her recounting of a typical month in the life of a swordfishing boat and her crew.

Her second book is a deeply personal recounting of her return to her hometown of Isle au Haut, Maine to begin a new life as a lobster fisherman. Greenlaw has the ability to bring you into her world, no matter how foreign it might seem when you begin. As someone who grew up in a small town, I can relate to the personal and public issues she faces trying to find a balance between her personal, professional and public lives.

Highly recommended.