Tag Archives: books

What happens when a library burns? Depends on what the books are made of

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Ralph Hanson

How big of a book nerd am I? While researching book history this morning, I pulled these three volumes out of my personal library. Here’s some of what I found: Canadian railroad economist Harold Innis wrote one of the most … Continue reading →

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When did I realize I was all-in on e-books?

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Ralph Hanson

Last night. I had previously read and really enjoyed the first two volumes/decades of former Python/travel host Michael Palin’s diaries, but had held off reading the thick third volume, Travelling To Work, for several years.  I mean, the book has literally … Continue reading →

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Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

Why did it take so long for Quaker Oats to abandon Aunt Jemima as a pancake brand? Aunt Jemima has a new name: the Pearl Milling Company. Quaker Oats announced it would drop the name Aunt Jemima last summer after … Continue reading →

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What does the 1st Amendment mean? Stories from the the insurrection, Part 3

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Ralph Hanson

The violent insurrection in Washington, D.C.  Wednesday was both utterly predictable and unimaginable. My feelings about those events go well beyond the scope of this blog, so instead of laying out my feelings, I’m going to share a variety of … Continue reading →

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Taking a look at the current textbook marketplace

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Ralph Hanson

Textbooks are different from other books in one major respect—the people who select the books aren’t the same as the end users, the people who must buy and pay for them. Students charge that, because of this disconnect, faculty members … Continue reading →

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Guest Blog Post: Little Women Spoiler Alert

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Ralph Hanson

This guest blog post is from my Dear Wife, author Pam Andrews Hanson.  In the past she has blogged here and here. Needless to say, this guest blog post contains Little Women spoilers. Spoiler Alert: Beth dies in Little Women and … Continue reading →

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Remembering Stephen Hawking on Pi Day

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Ralph Hanson

Dr. Stephen Hawking died today, on Pi Day (3.14), having outlived by decades any expectation for someone with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease).  Trapped inside a failing body lived one of the great minds ever in theoretical physics. … Continue reading →

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Questions Worth Asking (Maybe) – Fire and Fury Edition

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Ralph Hanson

Writer/journalist Michael Wolff has a the new book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House being published imminently, and it’s attracting lots of Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)! Sounds interesting.  Where can I read it without buying the book? A … Continue reading →

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Annie Proulx in praise of the happy ending

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

Annie Proulx just won the National Book Award Medal for Distinguished Contribution, and she gave a wonderful acceptance speech in praise of the happy ending.  Here are some highlights, but you can read the whole thing over at Vulture: “Although … Continue reading →

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Remembering Anne Frank – How her story lives on long after her death

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Ralph Hanson

It was 75 years ago this summer that a young Jewish girl named Anne Frank started keeping a diary in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.  During the course of her diary, the teen ager would be forced into hiding in a … Continue reading →

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