Books-of-the-week

Last night at work I took part in a customer service presentation for most of the bookstore's employees. I talked a bit about handselling and presented a bunch of books I liked. Below are the three I think are most fun.

This book answers such earth-shaking questions as, "Why must some fatty substance be used in sauces bound with flour?" and "Why won't the egg white closest to the yolk cook?" Actually, if you're at all interested in how cooking works, this little volume is a fascinating read. No recipes, just lots of easy-to-understand science.

For any gal who grew up loving the Little House books or TV show. Projects include curing meat, spinning yarn, making bread-and-butter pickles, darning a sock, and milking a cow. I could see using this book as a sort of "life list" of things to accomplish.

This weird little paperback is a list of unusual books published over the years. Among the oddities: The Supernatural History of Worms, Lesbia's Little Blunder, Psoriasis at Your Fingertips, Masturbation in the American Catholic Church, and Do-it-yourself Coffins: For Pets & People. I actually own a copy of that last book.