Desert Island Books by G. G. Kellner

 

Hello and welcome back to Desert Island Books on the blog. I am thrilled to have G. G. Kellner joining us this month.

You may remember that I reviewed Gayle's book, Hope: A History of the Future, a couple of weeks ago. If you would like to read my review you can do so by clicking here. You can also find some interesting information all about Gayle herself.

The newly released book Hope, A History of the Future imagines a peaceful, just, verdant future world that could arise. It is a novel based on scientific projections and historical precedence. 

Gayle, how do you think you would manage life on a desert island?

It’s not often that being a nerdy introvert is handy, but I think I’d love being on a desert island with eight of my favourite books! I actually live on an island in real life and love it. Of course, I’m not here entirely alone. This is a fun question for me too because some of the characters in my book Hope, A History of the Future get stranded on a deserted island! 

If the imaginary island had a good swimming hole, a hammock in the shade, and a few fruit trees I’d settle in happily with my books for quite a while. My nerdy side is about to be exposed. 

The History of the World by J.M. Roberts &Odd Arne Westad

At 1260 pages with five dozen maps History of the World is large enough to double as a pup-tent. I am currently rereading this for the second time (it took me a year and half the first time.) It is a fascinating account of what we know of the beginnings of humankind from prehistory 600,000 years ago to the present. It is organised in such a way that the reader is taken on a spiralling path around and around the world stopping at each continent and civilisation as the authors wind up and around the globe chronologically moving forward in time. The first-time I read this book it knit together history for me like a patchwork quilt. I began to comprehend how historical events and civilisations are deeply intertwined. At four inches thick it will also make a good weapon or a decent pillow. 

Encyclopedias Brittanica

First you must know, I have trouble with insomnia sometimes. I love reading old encyclopedias just before bed or if I wake in the night. The internet has pretty well made encyclopedias obsolete but there is no better way for me to pass an hour or two than filling my head with nearly useless and certainly out of date information like the population of Nebraska in 1950 (1,327,000; I wouldn’t have guessed that high). Or I can wonder around the topography of Italy, climbing the hills of Tuscany in my mind. I especially like the set of encyclopedias I inherited from my grandmother. I can find out the major exports of long forgotten countries and the names of little remembered now dead presidents. Nothing seems quite as serious through the filter of time. And when I’m done reading them all I can make them into the deck of a raft. 

A Dictionary

Yeah, a big one. One that can double as a footstool. My current toe stubber is The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language third edition by Houghton Mifflin. I really like it because it has little pictures. Like the one I’m looking at right now of two flamenco dancers intertwined mid-step. On the opposite page is a long-legged flamingo bird (before I looked, I thought these were the same words!) When I’m not learning new words, I can stand on top of it and look far out to sea or reach that perfectly ripe avocado. If a fellow castaway was to wash up, we would be able to play Scrabble with a reliable word referee.  

Love & Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality by Edward Frenkel

I was over 50 years old when I learned that I loved math. I like it so much, if I live long enough, I may be tempted to get a degree in mathematics someday. So, if I was stuck on a desert island I’d wake up and read this book in the morning right after a refreshing swim. The inner workings and mysteries of math and the world around us is so much more interesting than most teachers in school ever let you know.  

Hope: A History of the Future & A Blank Book

Books five and six would have to be a copy of my own book Hope, A History of the Future and a blank book. I could probably spend years reworking parts that I currently think could be better and if nothing else it would make a good fire starter. In the blank book, I could write the sequel to Hope, A History of the Future. I’d have to choose my words carefully. With no word processors, I’d likely be writing it with a homemade charcoal pencil like the character Mia in my story.  

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

I haven’t read this in years, but it is on the top of my “read again” list. I remember being mesmerised by his descriptions of nature and the small things which I’m guessing by month four or five on a desert island would begin to take on a whole new significance. 

Thirst by Mary Oliver

I could easily just bring poetry books and forget everything else! So, for my last selection I would have to bring a book from one of my favourite poets Mary Oliver. I think I’d bring Thirst. It seems a fitting title for a companion book on a desert island. How many things one can thirst for besides water? Quite a few I bet! In this book is one of my all-time favourite poems, The Uses of Sorrow, which I included (with special permission from Mary Oliver’s estate) in Hope, A History of the Future. It is very short. Like a kaon, it could be something to think about whilst sitting in the sand day after day,

“A friend once gave me a box full of darkness 

It took me years to understand 

that this too was a gift” -Mary Oliver 

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Now that I've made this list I don’t think one lifetime is enough for me on a desert island! I’m going to go find my swimming suit and start building a raft. 

I love the way that many of your choices have a practical element too.  Thank you, Gayle, for sharing your choices.

If you are an author and would be interested in taking part, then please get in touch by emailing me at leftontheshelf1@gmail.com.

All That Remains: A Life in Death by Sue Black

Sue Black confronts death every day. As Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology, she focuses on mortal remains in her lab, at burial sites, at scenes of violence, murder and criminal dismemberment, and when investigating mass fatalities due to war, accident or natural disaster. In All that Remains she reveals the many faces of death she has come to know, using key cases to explore how forensic science has developed, and what her work has taught her.

Do we expect a book about death to be sad? Macabre? Sue’s book is neither. There is tragedy, but there is also humour in stories as gripping as the best crime novel. Our own death will remain a great unknown. But as an expert witness from the final frontier, Sue Black is the wisest, most reassuring, most compelling of guides.

Sue Black first came to my attention when I saw her on television. She presents as an exciting person to watch and  listen to so when I saw this book I had no hesitation about reading it despite its potentially macabre and depressing topic. 

However, nothing could be further from the truth. For those of you who have not seen her on television she is a red-headed Scot who is full of enthusiasm for her subject and who brings the subject of forensic anthropology to life in her own unique way. As an anatomist she has much to say on the subject of death. However, her very down to earth manner ensures that this book is uplifting and positive to read. I was absolutely gripped by her writing and finished this book within a couple of days.

It is true that there are some difficult subjects to consider in this book. The author has worked in areas of mass fatalities such as Kosovo, Thailand following the tsunami in 2004 and also London following the bombings on the 7th July 2005. All horrendous situations but she talks about her work with compassion, sensitivity and knowledge.

Sprinkled amongst all this is evidence of Sue's infectious humour. However, I do not in any way want to suggest that she is light hearted about death, identification of the dead or those who bequeath their bodies to science. Rather she demonstrates tremendous respect for the dead and those left behind but she writes about this in a way that enables the reader to understand the science, medicine and challenges behind what she does in a way that makes it fascinating to read about.

I highly recommend this book. It will appeal to anyone who is interested in science as well as those who enjoy crime fiction. The author works closely with Val McDermid and other crime writers and her influence on books of this genre can be seen in this book. 

Do let me know your thoughts on this fascinating book when you read it.

ISBN: 9780857524928

Publisher: Random House UK

About the Author:

Sue Black is Professor of Anatomy and Anthropology at the University of Dundee. She graduated from the University of Aberdeen and later studied for her PhD there. 

She was awarded an OBE in 2001 for her services to forensic anthropology in Kosovo. In 2016 she was listed in the Queen's Birthday Honors for her continued services to forensic anthropology.

She lives in Scotland with her husband and three daughters.