*2.3
Felt like notes on the history and anecdotes of reclining. Some parts were interesting, but the book in general needs more organization. A lot of breadth, but some more depth would have been better. If you're interested in the topic, this would be a good source to dip your toes into.
Quotes:
1. "Beds have existed in every conceivable form and with every kind of decoration imaginable... One spectacular example is the ostentatious bed built by Christofle, a Parisian manufacturer of luxury goods, for the Indian maharaja Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi IV of Bahawalpur. Weighing more than a ton (including 290 kilograms [about 640 pounds] of silver), it featured a statue of a female figure at each corner. As soon as the maharaja got comfortable, music began to play and the arms of the fires began to move, stirring up a pleasant breeze at the head of the bed and shooing away flies from the foot." (88-89)