"At Home: A Short History of Private Life" by Bill Bryson

Post date: Feb 13, 2017 9:56:33 PM

(Non-fiction)

Suggested by Janice

Walking through his own house, a former rectory in England, Bryson explores daily life in the 19^th century. How things like electricity, ice, cookbooks, glass windows, and salt and pepper transformed the way people lived. Each room becomes a starting point for a free-ranging discussion of rarely noticed but foundational aspects of social life. So many things that we take for granted, from comfortable furniture to smoke-free air, have gone from unimaginable luxury to humdrum routine.