Peter Zand Zand itibaren Non Tan, Tha Uthen District, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand itibaren Non Tan, Tha Uthen District, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand

The form of this book is as interesting as its content: It isn't necessarily linear at all. This is a completely fictional account of the disappearance of an entire culture. The land of the Khazars was geographically located at the intersection of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, and this is an encyclopedia (entry by entry) relating each religion's perspective on which of them converted the heathen race. Dreams and the supernatural are casually woven into this intricately self-referential work. It reads a lot like Arabian Nights, and I mean that in the best of ways.

I liked this book. Not surprising, since it is about London and sanitation, too subject which I am especially interested in. Thanks Kathryn for finding it! Well written, learned lots of new things about the Broad Street epidemic and Snow and others' roles in it. The author also delved into a whole lot of other subjects, and quite well, but I have to say it was maybe a bit much all in one book? That's why it gets 4 instead of 5 stars. I really liked the discussion on urbanisation and disease and the future at the end..but that could be a whole other book in itself! Anyway, good good. Learned, made me think.

Ignore the incredibly cheesey cover. Clear-eyed and hard-nosed, Steingraber is a scientist first. She asks scary and difficult questions and follows them to their (nicely documented) sources. The author does write beautifullly, and as her personal story of cancer and pregnancy unfolds, I felt connected to her struggle to "keep the faith" in the world, in the future, and in her ability to bring a child safely through it all. I'm just really sure that the cover and the title are stopping smart moms from reading this thing.