In "By the Way," John Toren offers an eclectic portrait of modern life in essays ranging in subject from river-running to pre-Columbian astronomy, with stops along the way at a World Press conclave, a naturalists' convention, a concert pianist's master class, a booksellers' trade show, and a Louisiana crayfish festival. In one essay he reflects on the advisability of accumulating books, in another he reports on the whimsical goings-on at an ice-shanty village. Whether it's analyzing the challenges of buying firewood from ...
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In "By the Way," John Toren offers an eclectic portrait of modern life in essays ranging in subject from river-running to pre-Columbian astronomy, with stops along the way at a World Press conclave, a naturalists' convention, a concert pianist's master class, a booksellers' trade show, and a Louisiana crayfish festival. In one essay he reflects on the advisability of accumulating books, in another he reports on the whimsical goings-on at an ice-shanty village. Whether it's analyzing the challenges of buying firewood from itinerant merchants or parsing the distinction between the absurd and the impossible, there's something for everyone in this wide-ranging, thoughtful collection.
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