Word: Biophilia

I have a word stuck in my head, and that word is biophilia. I was introduced to it in Eric Weiner's The Geography of Bliss in a chapter on Switzerland:

The Swiss are a humorless, uptight nation. Everything works, usually, and envy is squelched, but at a cost: You’re always being watched, monitored, judged. Where’s the bliss? “It’s simple,” says Dieter. “Nature. We Swiss have a very deep connection to nature.”

Biophilia hypothesis: the more connected to nature, the happier we are.

Biophilia. Pronounce it. It's lovely to say. So lovely that it's become an earworm that is stuck in my head! Carrying the word around in my head for the past two weeks has lead me to surfing the web for it.

Introduced by Edward O. Wilson in his book Biophilia (1984), biophilia is a theory that humans have an instinctual bond with other living beings and systems including nature, landscapes, weather, and animals. Here is the Wikipedia version, and for those of you more hard-core and analytical, here's Bjørn Grinde and Grete Grindal Patil's study Biophilia: Does Visual Contact with Nature Impact on Health and Well-Being? published in September 2009 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Did I mention björk has an album titled Biophilia? Actually... it's more than an album. It's a multimedia project and educational project - as best as I can sum up. Björk's version of biophilia is a whole other research project on to itself!

Prepping for Popcorn

In preparation for an upcoming storytime at Fulda Memorial Library, I was browsing through A Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems. The title is a inspired by a the poem "Song of Popcorn" by Nancy Byrd Turner. I couldn't find what year this poem was published, nor could I find a picture of Turner. This poem is also found at poetry websites under the title "A Pop Corn Song." For a PDF print-out, click on the picture.

Song of Popcorn
by Nancy Byrd Turner (1880-1970)

Sing a song of pop corn 
When the snowstorms rage; 
Fifty little brown men 
Put into a cage. 
Shake them till they laugh and leap 
Crowding to the top; 
Watch them burst their little coats 
Pop!! Pop!! Pop!! 

Sing a song of pop corn 
In the firelight; 
Fifty little fairies 
Robed in fleecy white. 
Through the shining wires see 
How they skip and prance 
To the music of the flames; 
Dance!! Dance!! Dance!! 

Sing a song of pop corn 
Done the frolicking; 
Fifty little fairies 
Strung upon a string. 
Cool and happy, hand in hand, 
Sugar-spangled, fair; 
Isn't that a necklace fit 
For any child to wear? 

Review: Orphan Train

Orphan Train
by Christina Baker Kline

Like many of the reviews, I felt the modern relationship lacking. But the history behind this book is fascinating. Still, it's a good introduction to a little known period in our nation's history. (Originally posted at GoodReads.com.)

If you ever get a chance to see Kline live at an author's event, do so! She is personable, knowledgeable, and seems to love meeting people and talking books. I met her on my last day of work at my previous job (shout-out for Central Lakes College Theatre in Brainerd, MN). She was one of the most engaging authors I've met - both onstage and off.

Review: Book by Book

Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs

by Cindy Hudson

A well thought-out, practical, and lively how-to guide. Pros? Lots of ideas are introduced. The author tackles a variety of problems that may arise, and she acknowledges and encourages evolution of the group as the girls age and change. Best of all, the author pragmatically reminds the reader that every group is unique... use solutions and choices that work for your group.

Cons? Quotes that introduce each chapter all seem to be from mothers. Where are the daughters' voices? Plus, I could've done without the chapter on recipes - that's just me. I would've rather had a section on communicating with all the group members. How to coordinate between meetings and keep everyone up-to-date on logistics... email? telephone? social media - using Facebook, GoodReads, or a blog? But all in all, I can't wait to join a book club with my daughter. (It will be a few years, though!) This book glows with enthusiasm. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com)