NEW ORLEANS: A Concise History of an Exceptional City, lovely-looking introduction to unique place

NEW ORLEANS: A Concise History of an Exceptional City
CHARLES D. CHAMBERLAIN
LSU Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$19.95 ebook, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Intended for general readers, Charles D. Chamberlain’s New Orleans: A Concise History of an Exceptional City offers a broad, reliable overview of the city’s history. Although many excellent books are available that focus on specific eras in the Crescent City, this book is the first fully inclusive scholarly history that is engaging and easy to follow.

In addition to a general historical narrative, each chapter provides a list of relevant historical sites and a carefully selected recipe to make the city’s history come to life through site visits and culinary pursuits. Chamberlain encourages readers to experience the spirit of New Orleans first-hand by exploring its landscape and interacting with its cuisine.

New Orleans: A Concise History of an Exceptional City is a trusty reference for tour guides and a valuable, interactive resource for general readers interested in the fascinating history of one of America’s most unique cities.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: New Orleans, like New York City, is an alien body inside the US as a whole. Places like LA and Miami are, at heart, very American in spite of being significantly non-white in population. New Orleans does not *feel* American. It's been that way ever since the US incorporated it into the expanding empire in 1815. (There was a battle there, if you don't remember from history class.)

This overview of its history after colonization is thorough, within its limits as a popular text not a scholarly deep dive. If I was heading for the Big Easy for the first time this is exactly the book I would want to read. I was particularly impressed with the author's culinary additions to the history...recipes and food history in with political and other cultural stuff is exactly the kind of information I'd look for in a place new to me. It's especially relevant to any discussion of New Orleans. It's a good tour of the city, too, as the Table of Contents shows:

It's always good to look at the map before getting into the territory, so both pages are here. There are also illustrations throughout the book to highlight what's being discussed:

A central truth of New Orleans is shown in the last illustration, the map. Your compass has little relevance in this place. The directions are Uptown, Downtown, Lakeside, and Riverside, not north south east west. It reflects the real geography of the place; it's also a reinforcing factor in New Orleans' unique, counterintuitive culture.

I recommend this book in either ebook or paperback because it reads as well and has logical formatting in either edition. I recommend it to armchair travelers most especially; as heartily to trip-planners; and to the mildly curious, borrow a paperback from your library. Well worth your time and treasure regardless of format.

THE BIG BOOK OF TAROT SYMBOLS: The Beginner’s Guide to Decoding the Cards

THE BIG BOOK OF TAROT SYMBOLS: The Beginner’s Guide to Decoding the Cards
LIZ DEAN
Fair Winds Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$26.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: The Big Book of Tarot Symbols is a beginner’s guide to the most fun and mysterious aspect of tarot written by bestselling tarot author, Liz Dean. Discover the magic of tarot symbols with bestselling author Liz Dean.

Ever noticed a symbol on your tarot card—like the cat with the Queen of Wands, the moon with the High Priestess, or even the number X on the Wheel of Fortune? You’re not alone! These symbols speak directly to our intuition, making them key to unlocking deeper meanings in your readings. Symbols are the “language” of tarot, and each one—whether it’s a pattern, a plant, an animal, or a color—holds its own unique significance.

In The Big Book of Tarot Symbols, bestselling author Liz Dean guides you through over 200 tarot symbols, showing you how to interpret them for powerful insights and personal guidance. By understanding these symbols, you’ll not only strengthen your connection to the cards but also enhance your ability to give more intuitive, meaningful readings.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

A beginner-friendly introduction to tarot symbols, plus easy-to-follow instructions on how to use the book.

A comprehensive explanation of the symbols and their meanings for all 78 cards in both the Major and Minor Arcana.

Practical tools to help you master tarot’s symbolic “operating system” and provide more accurate, insightful readings.

Dive into the world of tarot symbols and elevate your readings with this essential guide!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I've used tarot cards for over fifty years.

What the hell, you old materialist, hiding a spiritual side all this time?, some who know me well will think, or say if they feel bold.

Nope. It's all randomness. The iconography is totally invented, not that long ago (the eighteenth century saw the rise of purpose-made cartomantic decks of cards); the symbology draws on ancient sources, but what does not? We take old things and repurpose them all the time. No difference in this case.

Doesn't lessen relevance and usefulness of the symbology...we're pattern-finding creatures, us humans, and patterns are random chance put through our perceptual filters. Constellations, for a wonderful example; those beautiful designs of bright twinkly stars are tortally inventions of humans looking up at the sky without knowing the stars are all unimaginably far away from us and from each other. Doesn't mean you can't steer your way across the world by using the made-up patterns.

So does tarot tell, predict, or eventuate events in our lives? Nope. Does it afford you the chance to externalize the issue most perplexing, upsetting, angering, frightening you? Yep. Easily manipulable symbols make organizing complex or charged thoughts less fraught.

Liz Dean has written a lot about her system of divination by tarot. Always take your own ideas and insights more seriously than those of people selling things to you until you've determined for yourself how well the system they're recommending to you fits into your needs. That does require asking yourself the hard question, "what is it I'm looking for by asking for this answer I seek?"

That is the value that tarot can offer to you.

take a gander at where we're going

I think you're smart enough to figure out how to use this symbological system responsibly.

the Major Arcana

some Minor Arcana cards