In Praise of Boring Books

Until recently I ran a non-fiction book group at the library. Each month we would read a biography, memoir, or other genre of non-fiction literature and meet to discuss it. To keep things exciting, we read a lot of larger-than-life stories, like Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History by Tom O’Neill; Devil in the White City by Erik Larson; and The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester. Books with stories that can be - and have been - adapted for television or film. Books that conjure the age-old expression “truth is stranger than fiction.”

But what about when the truth is not stranger than fiction? What about when the truth is just what it is, something we experience daily without giving it a second thought? Is that really so bad?

After our book club stopped meeting, I found myself with some extra time to read. No longer burdened with the pressure of choosing how my fellow book club members would be spending hours of their month, I decided to look for something a little less flashy and more down to earth – I read a book about chairs.

And then I read a book about a specific type of 18^th century pot. And then a book about clocks.

And with this, I have found myself more and more interested in boring books. Or maybe they would be more accurately described as books about boring topics. But after writing and rereading this, perhaps boring is too pejorative and I should instead be describing these subjects as mundane or typically uninteresting to the masses.

Either way, these boring books have given me a newfound appreciation for everyday occurrences. A trip to the supermarket is no longer a list of tasks to complete, but instead a chance to think about what I am deciding to eat - like where it came from, its role in history, how it got here on the shelf, how it is presented and advertised, and on and on. I sit down and think about how this chair is the result of both centuries of human evolution and technological advancement. As my phone’s clock automatically updates to adjust for Daylight Saving Time, I marvel at how we gauged time a hundred, and even a thousand, years ago.

So, if you are ready to see the world in a whole new way, read a book about chairs. Or any of these other titles to help you get started:

About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks by David Rooney

Historian and lifelong clock enthusiast David Rooney says that “a history of clocks is a history of civilization.” Starting with a Roman sundial from 263 BCE and continuing on into the 21^st century, Rooney helps us explore this history through the stories of twelve clocks, showing how time has been imagined, politicized, and weaponized over the years.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage

With the help of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola, Tom Standage tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to today. This book shows how each drink not only quenched thirst, but also advanced cultures and societies throughout our time on Earth.

The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket by Benjamin Lorr

A book for those who want to know what happens on the other side of the checkout line and behind the shelves of their grocery store. Lorr explores the history of the grocery store and the science behind advertising and deciding what a store carries, as well as the conditions faced by those who deliver our goods - the farmers, factory workers, and truckers.

Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel

Where did the banana originate? Was Eve’s original-sin-causing-apple actually a banana? Will the banana be able to withstand the unstoppable Panama disease? Koeppel combines science, history, and mystery as we take a closer look at our favorite yellow fruit.

American Comics: A History by Jeremy Dauber

Colombia professor Jeremy Dauber’s deep dive takes readers from the cartoon, to the comic strip, to today’s graphic novel. Readers are invited to look further than the comical punchlines and superhero capes that many associate with comics, and instead explore the last 150 years of American history, looking at how politics and culture have affected comics, and how comics affected them.

The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen

From the individual collections of ancient elites to the public libraries of the 21^st century, these great collections have grown in size, changed in fashion, and constantly adapted to meet the wants and needs of their users. Authors Pettegree and der Weduwen cover centuries of history for book and library lovers alike.

Now I Sit Me Down: From Klismos to Plastic Chair: A Natural History by Witold Rybczynski

Witold Rybczynski, renowned architect and writer, explores the chair throughout history, from ancient Egyptian stools to the rolling, rotating desk chairs we use today. Along the way, readers soon discover that there is more to the chair than four legs and a place to rest; there is a larger social history and what how we sit and what we sit on says about us as people.

- by Chris Y., Ewing Branch