Episode 258 - West With Giraffes - Thoughts On The Past And Future
I read a lot. It fuels my writing, gives me a better view of the world, and is a great way to travel through time and space. Every once in a while, I run across a book that really hits me as a must-read. Episode two was about Sam Kean\u2019s book, The Disappearing Spoon; Episode eleven was about The Age of Wonder, by Richard Holmes; and Episode 255 was about William Least Heat-Moon\u2019s Blue Highways. In this program, I\u2019m going to talk about Lynda Rutledge\u2019s novel, West with Giraffes, which I finished last night. Sabine recommended this one to me; as I closed the back cover, I realized that there were tears on my face. This is one great book.\n\nBut there\u2019s more to the story of this episode. The book made me think about current events in the context of past events and made me realize that we\u2019re far better off now than we were in 1938\u2014or any year hence. Those who feel otherwise and who look to the past to find \u201cthe good old days\u201d won\u2019t find them, because they don\u2019t exist: \u201cThe Good Old Days\u201d is a dangerous and misleading myth. Better days only lie ahead, in our collective future, and it is our job to make them real. Please have a listen\u2014this is an important message.\nNote: Image copyright San Diego Zoo Global.