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Air date: Sept. 29, 2024
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JESSICA:
Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I’m the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.
Today's two reading recommendations are both nonfiction titles; one looks into the world of perspiration and the other reveals a chilling history of race and mental health.
First, we’re going to hear from Hattie, library associate for Library on Wheels, for an exploration of a basic bodily function. Over to you, Hattie.
HATTIE:
We humans may not be the fastest, the strongest, or the biggest animals kicking around earth. But! We can proudly hold the title of ... the sweatiest! And you can discover all its mysteries in “The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration” by Sarah Everts.
Why is sweat salty? Why do we sweat when stressed? And should you worry about Big Brother tracking the hundreds of molecules that leak out in your sweat?
Strap in as Everts takes readers on a world tour of perspiration — from sweat-sniffing match-making in Moscow, to New Jersey, where companies hire trained armpit sniffers to assess the efficacy of their anti-sweat products. And on to the Netherlands where she slips into the sauna theater scene, compete with special effects and towel dancing. Along the way, Everts traces humanity’s long quest to control sweat, culminating in today’s multibillion-dollar deodorant industry.
I loved learning about all the ways people struggle with, or embrace sweat, and gained a new sense of pride and confidence in the weird and wonderful workings of my human body. Deeply researched and written with great zest, I delighted my friends and family with sweat trivia for weeks after reading. You may not know it yet, but you are going to love this taboo-busting romp through the shame, stink, and strange science of sweating!
JESSICA:
Thanks, Hattie! Who knew that sweat could be so joyful?
Next, let’s switch gears to hear about the historical account of a segregated asylum, from Abby, librarian at the Arlington Library. Take it away, Abby.
ABBY:
“Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum” by Antonia Hylton is the biography of a unique institution in United States history – a place originally called “Hospital for the Negro Insane of Maryland,” later re-named Crownsville State Hospital. This institution was literally built from the ground up by its first patients who were tasked with clearing the land and constructing the buildings they would later be confined to.
From 1911 to 2004, Crownsville was where the greater Baltimore area funneled its African American citizens whose minds or bodies worked in ways that society didn’t know how to deal with. The stories of patients within its walls are described in equal parts horrifying and humanizing detail as the author digs through archives to discover the early histories hidden within the walls of the institution.
What I particularly loved about this book was the author’s successful quest to connect with the people who staffed the hospital before its closure in 2004. Her kind interview style and insightful questions led one of Crownsville’s retired nurses to connect the author with a network of former colleagues, creating a uniquely fascinating oral history of the evolution of mental health care both for the patients in Crownsville, and the U.S. at large. “Madness” by Antonia Hylton will stay with you long after you read it.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Abby! That sounds like a powerful and eye-opening read.
Our recommendations this week are: “The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration” by Sarah Everts and “Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum” by Antonia Hylton.
Join us next time, when we’ll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.
Until then, I’m Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries.
Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz on KSER.
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