What I Read This Week: September 3, 2017

Hello three day weekend! You are much welcome here. This past week was the first week back with students. It's always kind of crazy at work. At least I got to have fun with GIFs on our social media accounts.

Outside of the office, our fantasy football league's draft was this week. I did not do great... but I don't care cause it means that football is almost back... which means that hockey is almost back. Hooray!

  • Work
    • American Libraries, September/October 2017 - This is the annual library decision issue. It's a favorite of mine because I love seeing all the different ways libraries can be designed, built, and decorated. There was a great short piece on how libraries are using their maker-spaces to teach repair in our throwaway society. (An awesome idea!) This issue also included yet another story on the opioid crisis and libraries. I think it bears repeating that libraries are on the front lines of this nationwide issue.
  • Magazines
    • National Geographic, September 2017 - As much as I love NatGeo, I always find myself blase reading the issues that focus on medical things. The cover story on addiction wasn't bad, it
      just wasn't my cup of tea. I did, however, like the piece on the gorilla community protected by Dian Fossey and the look at how they're surviving today. There was also a great story about how the communities on the Baja Peninsula are protecting their waters. 
    • Real Simple, September 2017 - I was very disappointed in the cover story. It focused more on one family then general organization tips. I did, however, really like the story on noise pollution and how we can reduce hearing damage. I also liked the interview with a general contractor. As someone who is in the market to buy a place, I have a feeling that knowledge will come in handy one day. Finally, there
      was a great story about discovering the history of an old house as it was remodeled.
    • The Atlantic, September 2017 - I was surprised that the cover story was at the back of the magazine. No matter. It was a great look at how we arrived at our current political climate. I love how the author looked at previous generations and moments in US history to show the road-map to today's chaos and "fake news" your-feelings-are-your-truth era. In addition to the cover story, there was a fantastic piece on the problems of plea-bargaining in our justice system. That should be a must-read for everyone (particularly those in government and law). The article on how smartphones are ruining a generation has been bouncing around the zietgeist since it came out online. All I can say is, I'm not surprised at the findings but parenting might be the solution here.
  • Books
    • I'm about halfway through Feral. The writing on this book is simply amazing and the author's thesis is becoming clearer. I'm trying to find some time to settle in with this book for a longer reading session. Something about it just screams, "Read me while drinking tea and curled up on the couch!"

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