What I am reading: September 13, 2022

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Last week’s post is here.

As usual, I am reading too many books at once.

I finished:

• Nothing this week.

I am still reading:

• Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer by Steven Johnson. In 1920, after WW I was over and after the Spanish flu had passed, the life expectancy at birth in the USA was 40 years. Now, it is about 80 years. Johnson tells how this happened. Very clearly written and informative. (Hint: Vaccines and sewage). I am on page 64 of 252. No progress this week.
• The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020 edited by Diana Gabaldon. My favorite annual anthology of SF was the one by Gardner Dozois, but he died in 2018. The “Best American” series is pretty good, ihn terms of story quality — I like some more than others, of course — but it is just the stories with a brief introduction at the beginning. Dozois was much more comprehensive, with extensive introductions and an introduction to each story. I am on p. 192 of 388. 19 pages read this week.
• How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery in America by Clint Smith. An interesting variation on how to tell about slavery. Smith visits seven sites associated with slavery, and uses those places as jumping-off points to discuss slavery and how…