Staff Picks: Interiors | Mechanics' Institute

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Staff Picks: Interiors

School’s out for summer: maybe the kids are home, the grandkids are visiting, or you’re taking a much needed vacation.  It may not be the traditional time of year to think about feathering one’s nest, but this month’s staff picks topic isn’t only about decorating the house.  June brings to mind summer blooms and midday naps: both nature and nurture.

Mechanics’ Institute staff members will be selecting their favorite entertaining, gardening, and interior design books – as well as books that nurture the mind, from fiction to philosophy – works that help us focus on our own interiors.

Craig recommends Good Taste Costs No More by Richard Gump (747 G97)

One of my favorite books on the topic of home care was written by Richard Gump (then the head of Gump's of San Francisco) back in 1951. Today, it is still a fun read, as Mr. Gump offers a ruthless but readable appraisal of the home furnishings field, exposing the tricks of the trade (at that time) which often led the customer astray. Needless to say, it includes plenty of practical suggestions for decorating your home.

Chris recommends The Foxfire Book (390.0973 F79)

This collection of material from Foxfire Magazine is a great resource for any homesteader or history lover. Covering everything from building a log cabin to making the perfect moonshine, this how-to guide of simple living was sourced from older residents in Appalachian Georgia through oral interviews. Initially published during the heyday of the back-to-the-land-movement of the late 60's, the magazine became a crucial resource for idealists seeking foundations for a new lifestyle. As an apartment dwelling city person, only the tiniest sliver of content is of functional value to me, but it is still a fascinating collection of preserved folklore and ingenuity.

Taryn recommends The Octopus : A Story of California and McTeague by Frank Norris (FIC)

Written by Mechanics' member Frank Norris who died at the tender age of 32. The Octopus is based on an actual, bloody dispute between wheat farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880. If you enjoy realism a la Zola and Dreiser you will enjoy Norris' work.

Also, try McTeague -- brilliant, terrifying, and smells like San Francisco. You'll never sit in a dentist's chair again without thinking of this novel.

Posted on Jun. 9, 2014 by Heather Terrell