Sunday, June 25, 2017

In Praise of Used Book Stores and David McCullough

Used bookstores are my favorite. What could be better than a store full of cheap books? Not much.

When I'm bored, looking for gifts, or in a new place, I usually search the area for a used bookstore. It's interesting to see how interests change from one area to another and to see how the books are arranged.
Garth at our local used bookstore in downtown Lafayette.
Look at those farmers' market fresh tulips!
Last winter, when I was in Bismarck, ND waiting to meet up with someone, I searched the area for a used bookstore. I came across one not too far from the mall and wandered the small shop for interesting finds. Unsurprisingly, I made a beeline for the nonfiction section and came across a book by American historian, David McCullough. I had heard rave reviews about McCullough's writing in the past but had never picked up any of his books to read. Three dollars later, I owned Brave Companions: Portraits in History and now, an immense appreciation for McCullough's incredible history writing. 
My bedside copy of Brave Companions.

Brave Companions is a compilation of short stories written by McCullough on American historical figures. Each story is ten to twenty pages long and is penned in a way that makes the history vibrant and interesting. After each story I feel an immense appreciation for the figure/place written about and usually end up doing an intensive Wiki search on what I've just read. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This spring, McCullough appeared on C-SPAN's Q&A to talk about his upcoming book, The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For. 

McCullough on Q&A, April 2017
Halfway through the interview, McCullough is asked how his age has impacted him. The historian admits that of course it has; it's changed the way he thinks about time. After the admission, he makes it crystal clear that the passion for his craft, of writing, learning and uncovering details of the past has not waned at all with age. 

Then, McCullough says something that has stuck with me ever since: "I like to finish the day thinking I've done, that if I hadn't been around, it wouldn't have happened. And I'm pleased that I did it, pleased that I've spent my day, or much of my day, doing that."

What great insight. I keep thinking about that, what can I get done today, or what can I make, write or think about today that wouldn't have been created had I not done it? I think about this often. 

With that, I have a goal of reading every book McCullough has authored. I won't get around to reading all of them in the next year or so but I look forward to the reading journey. The list: 
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