What do you think?
Rate this book
The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past
A vivid collection of surprising true stories that brings to life long-forgotten icons, heroes who never got their due, and ordinary people who never made it to the history books, from the creator of the popular podcast The Memory Palace. What was Dreamland, Brooklyn's most popular attraction, like before it burned down? Whatever happened to Shipwreck Kelly? What were the glistening orbs John Glenn saw from his capsule on his first trip to space? For more than a decade, Nate DiMeo has brought the big and small of American history to life in The Memory Palace, a podcast of crystalline short stories that are all completely true. In this beautifully designed collection, where DiMeo takes advantage of the visual form of a book by creating striking juxtapositions between images and text, he gathers the best of the show and adds brand-new stories exclusive to the book, which especially take their inspiration from photographs and the emergence of photography. The collection adds up to a unique take on the past that asks what gets to count as history in the first place, draws deep meaning from forgotten lives, and often dives into past crazes and the sometimes humorous and sometimes devastating fact that what or who is popular in one moment can become a barely remembered curiosity in the next. He resurrects stories that deserve to be memorialized, like that of the Surfmen of the Outer Banks who saved countless sailors' lives and the workers who risked theirs daily to dig the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. Each one of these poignant, vivid stories brings the past completely alive with the potential to shift our perspectives on the world today and to send readers out searching for all of the hidden stories it contains, just beyond the surface.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 19, 2024
322 people are currently reading
6689 people want to read
About the author
Nate DiMeo
5 books45 followersNate DiMeo is an American podcaster, screenwriter, and author based out of Los Angeles, and the host of his award-winning podcast, The Memory Palace. He is also the co-author of Pawnee: the Greatest Town in America and a finalist for the 2012 Thurber Prize for American Humor. After spending a decade on public radio, featured on programs ranging from NPR's All Things Considered and Morning Edition, to Marketplace, DiMeo decided to found his own his podcast centered around lesser-known historical narratives. Since 2008, the podcast – The Memory Palace – has been received with critical acclaim and was nominated for a Peabody Award in 2016.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
December 14, 2024
I was excited to read this -- I love collections of unusual true stories and oddball historical facts, and I'd seen a short excerpt making the online rounds and found it very affecting. Taken as a whole, however, I felt like DiMeo's style sometimes gets in the way of his content: these are written to be beautiful and profound, and while sometimes they land, on other occasions you can feel him straining.
The best chapters are compelling; the whole book might work better if you force yourself to only read a little at a time. I failed at this.
The best chapters are compelling; the whole book might work better if you force yourself to only read a little at a time. I failed at this.
August 15, 2024
A true pleasure - for fans of the podcast or anyone interested in small histories you've never heard. And as a RI and Providence transplant, I greatly enjoyed the unexpected and beautiful note to this small city and the people who live in it.
December 29, 2024
In this book named after his podcast, The Memory Palace, journalist and writer Nate DiMeo presents a collection of eclectic short stories largely on American historical figures from the 1700s to the 1900s. These stories don't have a cohesive subject matter theme but are all meant to evoke feelings; they generally landed for me between nostalgic, melancholic, and occasionally maudlin. As DiMeo explains toward the end of the book, when he verges into autobiographical stories:
The writing style is very conversational (perhaps evocative of his podcast? I'm not a podcast listener in general, so I can't say for certain), which may not be for everyone, and in several instances DiMeo lapses into speculation about what these historical figures might have thought and felt (a pet peeve of mine with nonfiction -- especially in this context since it's inauthentic to be applying 21st century norms and moralities to people of the 18th-20th centuries). Still, this is definitely a unique historical nonfiction book, with bite-sized stories that are likely more accessible to those just getting into nonfiction than, say, an Erik Larson deep dive (DiMeo writes at the end about the process of pitching and crafting this work and defying the expectation to produce a more canonical, focused work). I read the Ebook version which included many photos to illustrate particular stories, which were very insightful.
Book 320 for 2024
Book 1923 cumulatively
...it may be life itself: one of those in-between moments you don’t remember later. The in-between feelings you can’t quite put a name to. The space between the story of our lives and those lives as we live them. I love that space and the magic that seems to exist in a place between and beyond concrete facts and the well-worn language of familiar stories. I love the spark that is kindled there, to flare just long enough to help us remember that life, in the present as in the past, is more complicated and more interesting and more beautiful and more improbable and more alive than we’d realized the moment before. That notion animates every story I try to write. I want to conjure the magic that lies in the liminal spaces between the plot points in people’s lives.
The writing style is very conversational (perhaps evocative of his podcast? I'm not a podcast listener in general, so I can't say for certain), which may not be for everyone, and in several instances DiMeo lapses into speculation about what these historical figures might have thought and felt (a pet peeve of mine with nonfiction -- especially in this context since it's inauthentic to be applying 21st century norms and moralities to people of the 18th-20th centuries). Still, this is definitely a unique historical nonfiction book, with bite-sized stories that are likely more accessible to those just getting into nonfiction than, say, an Erik Larson deep dive (DiMeo writes at the end about the process of pitching and crafting this work and defying the expectation to produce a more canonical, focused work). I read the Ebook version which included many photos to illustrate particular stories, which were very insightful.
Book 320 for 2024
Book 1923 cumulatively
June 24, 2025
The Memory Palace Podcast has been a constant in my life for about 10 years, since my friend Keegan introduced me to it. I love how Mate DiMeo delivers history in bite-sized stories that pack a punch. His book did not disappoint and I cannot recommend it enough!
March 3, 2025
I loved every one of these stories so much.
November 7, 2024
***A big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this upcoming book***
What an absolute gem of a book this is! I had never heard of the podcast that shares the name of this book, but historical short stories sounded right up my alley and had I was intrigued right off the bat. Who knew that there were so few degrees of separation from Baby Ruth candy bars to the pilot who flew the Enola Gay and dropped the atomic bomb?
Each story focuses on lesser known historical figures and lesser known stories about some of the most famous people of all time. The author even provides some personal stories towards the end of the book that were touching and some of them were surprising….wait until you read the crazy family history of one of his school friends. The stories are all well written and you’ll find yourself trying to squeeze in another story before you have to go to sleep or have to put the book down. I can’t recommend this book enough! It will be a perfect read for all hardcore history buffs and people who just like reading a great true story.
What an absolute gem of a book this is! I had never heard of the podcast that shares the name of this book, but historical short stories sounded right up my alley and had I was intrigued right off the bat. Who knew that there were so few degrees of separation from Baby Ruth candy bars to the pilot who flew the Enola Gay and dropped the atomic bomb?
Each story focuses on lesser known historical figures and lesser known stories about some of the most famous people of all time. The author even provides some personal stories towards the end of the book that were touching and some of them were surprising….wait until you read the crazy family history of one of his school friends. The stories are all well written and you’ll find yourself trying to squeeze in another story before you have to go to sleep or have to put the book down. I can’t recommend this book enough! It will be a perfect read for all hardcore history buffs and people who just like reading a great true story.
May 16, 2025
No thanks. It was incredibly boring
June 7, 2025
I’m a long time fan of The Memory Palace podcast. There’s something magical, soothing and generally delightful about the way Nate DiMeo tells a story. Add to that the brief time commitment of somewhere around 15 minutes and it’s easily the first podcast I play when a new one appears in my feed. The book carries his voice, even in written form. Some stories are inspiring, some thought provoking, some heartbreaking, and some hilarious. Just exactly what I would expect from such a thoughtful story teller.
December 23, 2024
didnt read all of it because its a gift for my brother so had to pack’er up! if you aren’t a podcast fan you may not know what to expect and you may not like the writing style. I think if you are familiar with how Nate speaks you can tell he writes how he talks. I enjoy that because in my mind its just like listening to his podcast. I can hear his voice while picturing the scene. if The Memory Palace has no fans…well then i am simply dead. I think this book is great for people who like to move around because theres a new topic every few pages annnnddd i think the stories are fascinating! love having a bunch of random knowledge in my brain
March 30, 2025
I’m a sucker for short stories and capturing on the surface level, seemingly insignificant moments. But moments are like pebbles in a pond with ripples that keep moving out towards the shore. That’s what this book felt like to me. As you read it, you can sense the author’s Adoration and devotion to storytelling. That warmth creates a gateway to engage with every character and every turn of events.
November 21, 2025
Completely charming, illuminating and staggering. But these stories should be enjoyed one at a time, to give room to breathe and be pondered. The audiobook is highly recommended for podcast listeners. Of course Nate narrates many, but there is a rich cast that all do a marvelous job breathing life into these vignettes of our past.
March 2, 2025
just okay- the short stories were fine but my reading slump is so bad right now I couldn’t pay attention reading this.
April 17, 2025
A quirky little history book. The last part of the book, which was heavy on personal narrative, seemed slightly out of place but the stories were compelling.
August 31, 2024
a wonderful recreation of nate dimeo’s magical podcast. i’ve been a faithful listener since 2014, one of three of the first podcasts i ever started and the only one to persist. i have heard book updates on episodes here and there and finally: here it is! i recommend listening, but this book delivers as well.
many thanks to random house publishing group and netgalley for the advance reader copy. this title is set for release on 19 nov 2024.
many thanks to random house publishing group and netgalley for the advance reader copy. this title is set for release on 19 nov 2024.
September 12, 2025
What is it: stories to remember.
----
Why 5 stars: I've referenced Nate DiMeo and The Memory Palace podcast in other reviews I've written here, so I'm happy to now have the opportunity to praise his writing directly.
Collected here are a mix of some essays from the podcast and some new essays written for the book, ranging across the set of topics and themes typical for DiMeo--art, science, civil rights, animal rights, invention, oddity. The scope of subject matter might seem so broad as to permit only shallow skimming over the surface, and the style of storytelling seems similarly so--DiMeo bringing a casual voice to relatively short-form structure, where insights are delivered almost as briefly as punchlines in some cases.
And yet, taken in aggregate, collected as they are here (or similarly when examining DiMeo's work in the podcast), something more important becomes clear. These aren't really essays about those various topics. These are all essays about people. An essay about a piece of art is actually about an artist, or about someone encountering that art, someone affected by it, someone affecting it. An essay about invention is actually about what circumstances, chance, and compulsions lead an inventor to it. An essay about rights is actually about a person whose life evidences, complicates, nuances the experience of those rights.
It sounds like a simple distinction, but it's an impactful one. These essays are meaningful not as instruction or education, not as information about the history or histories involved. They are meaningful as exercises in empathy, educational or informative about the means and ends of caring about people.
This is a useful reminder, I think, of what history is. It is a kind of caring about people. To use a phrase from DiMeo, it is "noticing and remembering," but made important by who is noticed and remembered and why. It is easy to notice and remember George Washington, but have you noticed and do you remember his cook whom he kept enslaved and who ran away? It is easy to notice and remember the sculptors of bronze and marble in museums, but have you noticed and do you remember the woman who sculpted butter? We know the plane that dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, but what about the man who piloted it? What other experiences did he have with planes that led him to that role? We know of famous naturalists and celebrities of animal science, but what about the man and woman who changed the course of animal ecology by studying prairie chickens? How did they feel about that legacy, and how did they feel about each other? The questions that drive this collection are not "big" questions about capital-H "History." They are small questions about the particular persons whose particular lives comprise that history. When those small lives are noticed and remembered, they prove as impactful and insightful as any larger story.
Perhaps the best evidence of this is the set of essays that conclude the book, essays not about big topics or universal themes but, ostensibly at least, essays merely about DiMeo's family and his own life. There's no pretense of grand history but, rather, a foregrounding of exactly that importance and insight from even the small lives noticed and remembered by DiMeo within his family.
And those final essays are a reminder, too, that perhaps the value of a collection of essays like this is not just the noticing and remembering of the persons whose stories are told within it. Perhaps there is value too in noticing and remembering the person collecting those stories. That these essays might be impactful and insightful because they show us not some objective and static view of the past but show us a particular person's view of that past--DiMeo's view of it, DiMeo's understanding of whose experiences and what moments and which challenges make for stories worth noticing and remembering. An exercise in empathy not only toward the people he writes about but toward the author himself.
----
You might also like: Evan Puschak's Escape into Meaning.
----
Why 5 stars: I've referenced Nate DiMeo and The Memory Palace podcast in other reviews I've written here, so I'm happy to now have the opportunity to praise his writing directly.
Collected here are a mix of some essays from the podcast and some new essays written for the book, ranging across the set of topics and themes typical for DiMeo--art, science, civil rights, animal rights, invention, oddity. The scope of subject matter might seem so broad as to permit only shallow skimming over the surface, and the style of storytelling seems similarly so--DiMeo bringing a casual voice to relatively short-form structure, where insights are delivered almost as briefly as punchlines in some cases.
And yet, taken in aggregate, collected as they are here (or similarly when examining DiMeo's work in the podcast), something more important becomes clear. These aren't really essays about those various topics. These are all essays about people. An essay about a piece of art is actually about an artist, or about someone encountering that art, someone affected by it, someone affecting it. An essay about invention is actually about what circumstances, chance, and compulsions lead an inventor to it. An essay about rights is actually about a person whose life evidences, complicates, nuances the experience of those rights.
It sounds like a simple distinction, but it's an impactful one. These essays are meaningful not as instruction or education, not as information about the history or histories involved. They are meaningful as exercises in empathy, educational or informative about the means and ends of caring about people.
This is a useful reminder, I think, of what history is. It is a kind of caring about people. To use a phrase from DiMeo, it is "noticing and remembering," but made important by who is noticed and remembered and why. It is easy to notice and remember George Washington, but have you noticed and do you remember his cook whom he kept enslaved and who ran away? It is easy to notice and remember the sculptors of bronze and marble in museums, but have you noticed and do you remember the woman who sculpted butter? We know the plane that dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, but what about the man who piloted it? What other experiences did he have with planes that led him to that role? We know of famous naturalists and celebrities of animal science, but what about the man and woman who changed the course of animal ecology by studying prairie chickens? How did they feel about that legacy, and how did they feel about each other? The questions that drive this collection are not "big" questions about capital-H "History." They are small questions about the particular persons whose particular lives comprise that history. When those small lives are noticed and remembered, they prove as impactful and insightful as any larger story.
Perhaps the best evidence of this is the set of essays that conclude the book, essays not about big topics or universal themes but, ostensibly at least, essays merely about DiMeo's family and his own life. There's no pretense of grand history but, rather, a foregrounding of exactly that importance and insight from even the small lives noticed and remembered by DiMeo within his family.
And those final essays are a reminder, too, that perhaps the value of a collection of essays like this is not just the noticing and remembering of the persons whose stories are told within it. Perhaps there is value too in noticing and remembering the person collecting those stories. That these essays might be impactful and insightful because they show us not some objective and static view of the past but show us a particular person's view of that past--DiMeo's view of it, DiMeo's understanding of whose experiences and what moments and which challenges make for stories worth noticing and remembering. An exercise in empathy not only toward the people he writes about but toward the author himself.
----
You might also like: Evan Puschak's Escape into Meaning.
March 7, 2025
Nate DiMeo is one of the reasons I write the stories I write.
Truly.
I was introduced to his podcast, The Memory Palace, when I was probably eleven or twelve, and I’ve been enthralled with it ever since. I think I’ve listened through all the episodes at least twice. It’s not a typical podcast—it’s just Nate, telling a story. A true story. A story about history.
He tells interesting stories, but he also tells them so well. He makes you feel the emotions along with these people who lived a hundred years ago. He employs clever storytelling devices. The last sentence of each story always leaves me a little in awe.
These stories make you think, make you question the world you knew, the history you learned. Helps you see history as real things that happened to real people.
He is probably the reason I love history—and why I write historical stories.
.
All that to say, I love this short story collection. Most of these stories I was already familiar with, since many come from his podcast. But I was pleasantly surprised at the end to find ones I hadn’t heard—ones that are about Nate’s life and his family’s history.
A note that I will recommend the audiobook first, because Nate is so good at reading his stories–as are the other people who narrate this audiobook. Some stories just need to be heard.
Each story is beautiful and impactful. Many made me tear up and moved in ways I can’t fully articulate.
History matters—it matters a lot.
Nate DiMeo convinced me of that.
Maybe he can convince you too.
.
(Content Consideration: language)
Truly.
I was introduced to his podcast, The Memory Palace, when I was probably eleven or twelve, and I’ve been enthralled with it ever since. I think I’ve listened through all the episodes at least twice. It’s not a typical podcast—it’s just Nate, telling a story. A true story. A story about history.
He tells interesting stories, but he also tells them so well. He makes you feel the emotions along with these people who lived a hundred years ago. He employs clever storytelling devices. The last sentence of each story always leaves me a little in awe.
These stories make you think, make you question the world you knew, the history you learned. Helps you see history as real things that happened to real people.
He is probably the reason I love history—and why I write historical stories.
.
All that to say, I love this short story collection. Most of these stories I was already familiar with, since many come from his podcast. But I was pleasantly surprised at the end to find ones I hadn’t heard—ones that are about Nate’s life and his family’s history.
A note that I will recommend the audiobook first, because Nate is so good at reading his stories–as are the other people who narrate this audiobook. Some stories just need to be heard.
Each story is beautiful and impactful. Many made me tear up and moved in ways I can’t fully articulate.
History matters—it matters a lot.
Nate DiMeo convinced me of that.
Maybe he can convince you too.
.
(Content Consideration: language)
September 13, 2025
I love The Memory Palace. I love Nate's incredible and distinct voice. I love the challenge of flattening real, amorphous human history into narrative arcs. I love the absurd and heartwarming and bittersweet and even devastating stories this series conjures up.
As Nate puts it in the introduction, its such a beautiful thing to read about someone 50 or 100 or 300 years ago going about their life and catch that glimpse of a full person with fears and joys and friends and lovers just like yourself. Its a funny paradox to flesh out people of the past through reducing their struggles to a 5 or 10 page story in an anthology, but it somehow works here.
Theres so many great stories id never heard in this collection, but I especially found the stories included from Nate's own life to be fascinating and funny. We are all living in history, blinded by the present moment.
As Nate puts it in the introduction, its such a beautiful thing to read about someone 50 or 100 or 300 years ago going about their life and catch that glimpse of a full person with fears and joys and friends and lovers just like yourself. Its a funny paradox to flesh out people of the past through reducing their struggles to a 5 or 10 page story in an anthology, but it somehow works here.
Theres so many great stories id never heard in this collection, but I especially found the stories included from Nate's own life to be fascinating and funny. We are all living in history, blinded by the present moment.
February 24, 2025
“Delightful” is the only word I can think of to describe this book.
I’ve been a follower of Nate DiMeo’s podcast The Memory Palace for many years now, and this book captured the magic of the show so well. I love his storytelling voice and ability to craft beautiful imagery for each story. He makes you care about each person and historical event that he writes about in a way that few people are able to do. Also, the accompanying pictures and illustrations was a delightful way to learn more about each story.
I’m really grateful that Nate was able to tell a bit of his own story and family history in the last section of the book. It demonstrates how passionate he is about history and how the greatest stories out there are often closer to home.
I’ve been a follower of Nate DiMeo’s podcast The Memory Palace for many years now, and this book captured the magic of the show so well. I love his storytelling voice and ability to craft beautiful imagery for each story. He makes you care about each person and historical event that he writes about in a way that few people are able to do. Also, the accompanying pictures and illustrations was a delightful way to learn more about each story.
I’m really grateful that Nate was able to tell a bit of his own story and family history in the last section of the book. It demonstrates how passionate he is about history and how the greatest stories out there are often closer to home.
June 24, 2025
I love The Memory Palace podcast and have basically operant conditioned myself into feeling emotional at the sound of Nate DiMeo's voice by listening to him tell so many touching stories, so passages of this audiobook were very moving in the exact same way the podcast is. I enjoyed the experience overall, and parts of it were top-tier compelling.
However, it is basically the podcast, but with more variation in narrator (not always an improvement). Like the podcast, sometimes a story just doesn't land as well as the others for whatever reason, but in a book there is more pressure for the whole thing to be of a certain quality, since you've paid for it and there aren't a hundred other stories/episodes you can skip to. It's also an experience best in small doses, since the tone and style can start to flatten a bit if you listen to several in a row, which I knew, but didn't really stick to.
In summary: I don't think this a huge improvement on or step-change from the podcast (er, admittedly might be if you read it on paper), but I enjoyed it as an extension of the podcast experience.
However, it is basically the podcast, but with more variation in narrator (not always an improvement). Like the podcast, sometimes a story just doesn't land as well as the others for whatever reason, but in a book there is more pressure for the whole thing to be of a certain quality, since you've paid for it and there aren't a hundred other stories/episodes you can skip to. It's also an experience best in small doses, since the tone and style can start to flatten a bit if you listen to several in a row, which I knew, but didn't really stick to.
In summary: I don't think this a huge improvement on or step-change from the podcast (er, admittedly might be if you read it on paper), but I enjoyed it as an extension of the podcast experience.
November 21, 2024
Nate DiMeo’s The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past is a brilliant tapestry of history, emotion, and storytelling. As a fan of his podcast, I had high expectations—and this book exceeded them. Each story is like a time capsule, crafted with care and infused with the poignant humanity that makes DiMeo's work so distinctive.
The beauty of this collection lies in its brevity and depth. DiMeo takes moments from history—some grand, some seemingly mundane—and breathes life into them with vivid prose and a touch of poetry. These aren’t just stories about events or figures from the past; they’re meditations on the human experience, exploring themes of love, loss, resilience, and wonder.
What stands out most is DiMeo’s ability to make the past feel alive and relevant. His writing evokes a powerful sense of place and time, immersing readers in moments they might otherwise never have encountered. Whether he’s recounting a fleeting moment in the life of an unsung hero or delving into a well-known historical event from a fresh perspective, DiMeo’s storytelling is both intimate and profound.
This book is perfect for those who love history but crave something more personal and poetic. It’s not just a book—it’s an experience. I found myself rereading passages to savor their beauty, and I know it’s a collection I’ll return to again and again. The Memory Palace is a treasure, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
The beauty of this collection lies in its brevity and depth. DiMeo takes moments from history—some grand, some seemingly mundane—and breathes life into them with vivid prose and a touch of poetry. These aren’t just stories about events or figures from the past; they’re meditations on the human experience, exploring themes of love, loss, resilience, and wonder.
What stands out most is DiMeo’s ability to make the past feel alive and relevant. His writing evokes a powerful sense of place and time, immersing readers in moments they might otherwise never have encountered. Whether he’s recounting a fleeting moment in the life of an unsung hero or delving into a well-known historical event from a fresh perspective, DiMeo’s storytelling is both intimate and profound.
This book is perfect for those who love history but crave something more personal and poetic. It’s not just a book—it’s an experience. I found myself rereading passages to savor their beauty, and I know it’s a collection I’ll return to again and again. The Memory Palace is a treasure, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
January 13, 2025
What a splendid treasure this book Nate DiMeo has created. His unique writing, historical insight and most of all the heart and humanity behind each of his illuminated stories, leaves the reader (or podcast listener) better for having read them. I never wrote him telling him to write a book, but I certainly telepathically transmitted the message. If only there were a collection, a tangible physical thing, I could hand someone to explain the Memory Palace. If ever there were a (relatively unpublished) writer that needed to be in print, DiMeo fits the bill.
September 11, 2025
This is one of my favorite books that I've read this year. Nate DiMeo has written a unique collection of stories told with empathy and awareness. The thing I have loved the most about this book is the way that it is written to allow the reader to put themselves in another person's shoes. Very rarely have I read a book that tells short, historical stories AND gives you a window into someone's life in such a compelling way. A truly wonderful and emotional experience that I didn't know I needed.
March 10, 2025
I’m not sure how much of this is imagined vs real, but the purpose of creating an image in our mind to remember these humans from history was great. I found myself excited reading only to turn the page and be devastated. Loved nearly every story and just added no less than 20 books to the TBR to get a deep dive on these folks from history. Do recommend this be read by anyone!
April 29, 2025
Captivating short non fiction stories that would otherwise be lost to history. Brilliantly written with a wit and lyricism that is a reflection of genuine compassion for the human experience. Must read for all! Also listen to the podcast for Nate Dimeo’s enchanting rhythmic cadence that leads you down paths overgrown with time.
June 13, 2025
I think this was a charming book of little histories that Dimeo has gathered odd info on and written about. It's all stuff I never heard before and some of it concerns famous people like Marconi, Alec Bell, the Wallendas, and more. Dimeo has a friendly way of writing that made me feel like I was in a room with just him and me talking. I've never heard any of his podcasts so this personality of his was new to me. But I enjoyed the whole thing.
June 18, 2025
What a cool book and a wonderful concept. Will write a more articulate review when I’m not on a bus!
“Engaging actively with history - with stories of the past, of lives with beginnings and middles and ends, with periods of strife that felt unending but weren’t, or peace and joy that couldn’t hold - kept present the most valuable thing I knew: the fact that we were all going to die. And living in awareness of that made me live better.”
“Engaging actively with history - with stories of the past, of lives with beginnings and middles and ends, with periods of strife that felt unending but weren’t, or peace and joy that couldn’t hold - kept present the most valuable thing I knew: the fact that we were all going to die. And living in awareness of that made me live better.”
June 4, 2025
Pure and unvarnished delight. If you've ever been caught off guard by a seemingly menial moment which makes the space between heaven and earth feel thinner, then you will enjoy this book. It's chock full of them.
Here are a few lines from the author's intro which give the jist:
"Something move me once... somehow managed to cut through the whirl and sputter of life and moved me. Why, in the rushing, rolling stream of information that inundates pretty much all of us, pretty much every day, pretty much all day long, was this bit of the past the thing that glinted and caught my eye and connected, snapped me into presence, filled me with wonder?... in that moment, I knew that that thing about the past was real."
Here are a few lines from the author's intro which give the jist:
"Something move me once... somehow managed to cut through the whirl and sputter of life and moved me. Why, in the rushing, rolling stream of information that inundates pretty much all of us, pretty much every day, pretty much all day long, was this bit of the past the thing that glinted and caught my eye and connected, snapped me into presence, filled me with wonder?... in that moment, I knew that that thing about the past was real."
January 21, 2025
So many charming or tragic moments in history that you’d likely never hear otherwise. Does a great job finding entertainment and meaning in the lives of people widely forgotten to history. Loved it.
February 5, 2025
So good!!! This book is filled with interesting nonfiction short stories! I don’t even read a lot of nonfiction and this had me hooked. I definitely recommend!
April 8, 2025
Pristine, found on a whim browsing new library books and so glad I did.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews