MaryZee was a longtime member of BookCrossing who passed away in 2012. She loved to share her books with others through themed bookboxes, and one of her favorites was the Biography of Things Bookbox.
Here's MaryZee's definition of what she what she wanted to see in the bookbox: "This box is all nonfiction, and more specifically biographies of things. Many books will be classified as science, and some will be history. If the book does not qualify as science or history it may not be right for this box. (If in doubt, don't hesitate to check with me.) No reference books, please."
Even after her death, her books and boxes continue to circulate among BookCrossers. GoryDetails sent out the latest iteration of the box in April. He writes, "So, what are biographies of things? Non-fiction books dealing with the history, science, and/or cultural aspects of a single (non-human) topic or a group of related topics. We're not looking for reference books here - no "catalog of saw-blades," for example - though a book about the history and culture of saw blades would definitely count. [Is there one? I want it!] These are sometimes called "micro-histories" for their (relatively) narrow focus."
I see a biography of things book as one that takes on a topic that initially I would have said that I had little interest in reading about. Oranges by John McPhee is a classic example, and it might have been one of the first biographies of things when it was published in 2011. A biography of things should also be written like a novel, not like a textbook.
The Biography of Things Bookbox arrived at my house last week, and that inspired me to write this post.
So what have been some of my favorite Biographies of Things?
Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond.
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
The Disappearing Spoon and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean
Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang.
Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori.
American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee.
A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca: The Extraordinary Tale of a Shipwrecked Spaniard Who Walked Across America in the Sixteenth Century by Andrés Reséndez.
Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy by Stephen Carter.
Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green.
Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat.
The Common Good by Robert Reich.
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson.
Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel.
The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea by Jack Emerson Davis.
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King.
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore.
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson.
Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players by Stefan Fatsis.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.
“Around the World in Eighty Trees” arouses my interest.
ReplyDeleteI love that some bloggers/book crossers have such an impact that after they die, they continue to influence us. What a wonderful legacy. I've read a few of the books you listed and do enjoy this genre of books where I feel like I'm reading a story, but I learn about a topic that is completely new to me.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me the first lesson I used to do in my world history class based on the book The Extraordinary Origins of Ordinary Things (or something like that). I had student guess when, where, and why a list of every day items were "discovered/invented." Then we talked about them with me tying it into the history they were going to learn in the course.
Wish I had you for a history teacher!
DeleteI bet you were amazing, Helen!
DeleteI think I would have really liked MaryZee. Thank you for telling us about it.
ReplyDeleteMaryZee sounds amazing. What an impact she made on your life!
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
Great post and what an awesome impact she had! I really need to read Everything is Tuberculosis because I see it everywhere
ReplyDeleteI've read quite a few of these, and a couple of others on my list! Roach is fun author, if gross sometimes.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting idea -- the biography of things. I love some of the books you've list, so I need to pay attention to the books on your list which I haven't. Adding to my TBR: Common Ground; I contain Millions; Patient Zero.
ReplyDeleteStiff sounds fascinating, Deb, as well as a few others.
ReplyDeleteNow you've done it, lol. I MUST go thru my reading logs and see how many I've read! I have read Radium Girls, Everything is Tuberculosis & Isaac's Storm. Plus, I gave my son 80 Trees. Word Freak is on my TBR. What a good, thought-provoking post!
ReplyDeleteHere is a good link to my list: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2026/04/ttt-what-i-was-reading-freebie.html
ReplyDeleteI love this topic!! I'm adding Candy Freak to my reading wishlist.
ReplyDeleteI have "Gathering Moss" and "Around the World in 80 Trees" on my (very long) reading list and I'm adding "The Gulf." I really need to read faster to get to all these books!
ReplyDeleteAnd you need to review them on your blog! lol
DeleteHappy Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a great list of books. All very interesting books.
ReplyDeleteI very rarely read biographies. I am supposed to read one for our next book club meeting, but I won't be at the meeting, so I probably won't read the book, LOL.
ReplyDeleteA biography of things is such an interesting concept. I read a book a couple of years ago that may count, but I'm not sure. It's called Sweet Land of Liberty: A History of America in 11 Pies. It discussess these pies and the role they played in life at the time they were "invented" from the colonists to the Civil War to the fight for Civil Rights..
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT for the week: https://readbakecreate.com/the-xs-ys-and-zs-have-it-ten-titles-starting-with-x-y-or-z/
A fascinating mix of reads.
ReplyDeleteI love microhistories, and you’ve offered a great list. I’ve read a few but want to read more
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your #TTT
Seeing Everything is Tuberculosis reminds me I need to find that book!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these.
ReplyDeleteAhhh yes, I love this kind of book! And the whole idea here of the bookboxes, wow.
ReplyDelete