Memento Mori / Atlas Obscura

Issue No. 62

MEMENTO MORI – SPECTACULAR BOOK OF ESSAYS AND 500 PHOTOS OF THE DEAD AMONG US

Memento Mori: The Dead Among Us
by Paul Koudounaris
Thames and Hudson
2015, 208 pages, 9 x 13.3 x 1 inches (hardcover)

Buy on Amazon

One of my most unforgettable travel experiences was visiting the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora, near Prague. This small 19-century monastery chapel would be unremarkable, except that it is decorated with thousands of human bones and skulls. There are skull- and femur-decorated columns, hanging garlands of bones, a chandelier made of every bone in the human body, and a replica of the Schwarzenberg family coat of “arms” – that also includes leg, finger, scapula, and coccyx bones! The memory of that space makes any Halloween display seem tame and unimaginative.

If Kutná Hora isn’t in your travel plans, check out Memento Mori, a spectacular book of essays and photographs by UCLA PhD and art historian Paul Koudounaris. His 500 color photographs here are arresting, both in subject matter and photographic technique. The handsome hardbound book includes a stunning centerfold of a bejeweled and gold-encrusted mummy. The detail and visual opulence of the photo justifies the giant four-page spread. I enjoyed reading the informative essays about the use of human bones as a form of remembrance in cultures around the world, from Europe to Thailand, Japan to Peru, and from ancient times to the present day. Here’s just one fun fact: there are two venerated human skulls (ñatitas) enshrined in the homicide division of the national law enforcement agency in El Alto, Bolivia. These two cranium crime-stoppers have provided “clues to difficult cases and have been credited with helping to solve hundreds of crimes.” – Bob Knetzger

ATLAS OBSCURA – THE INTRIGUING WEBSITE OF LIFE ODDITIES MOVES TO ILLUSTRATED BOOK FORM

Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders
by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton
Workman Publishing Company
2016, 480 pages, 7 x 10.5 x 2.1 inches (hardcover)

Buy on Amazon

It’s a big world we live in, full of fortune-telling fox-woman hybrids, libraries where books are chained to the shelves, rusting shipwrecks, and amusement parks at the bottom of salt mines. The website Atlas Obscura collects the most intriguing of them, and now Atlas Obscura is in book form, perfect for flipping through while waiting for water to boil. It’s plentifully illustrated, with photographs or drawings on every page.

This is not The Book of Lists, and it is not for young children. Many of the entries concern war or atrocities, and some photos are gruesome; the world is full of mummified limbs. The authors treat the subjects respectfully, and have done their research. The story of the Bicycle Tree in Washington State, for example, has both the glurgy and the factual versions.

Some entries are not location based, such as the two pages of entheogens from around the world, or the list of abandoned nuclear power plants. But most entries have the latitude and longitude for each attraction, and sometimes street addresses; you could use this as a guidebook for a particularly unconventional wanderjahr. – Sara Lorimer

Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

Garden Supplies

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 133

Best source for gardening tech

Peaceful Valley

Organic gardeners, both backyard and commercial, know this mail-order outfit as the premier source for organic farming supplies. They’ve got everything: Natural pest controls, insect traps, cover crop seeds in bulk, sticky tape in all varieties. I mean where else can you buy a gallon of milky spore disease (for Japanese beetles), or white fly parasites in quantities of a thousand, or red worm *eggs*, with a side order of bat guano? Not only do they carry mulching film in standard black, but they also have it in innovative silver, green or red colors as well — each spectrum producing different effects for different plants.

But this catalog is also useful in other ways. Non-gardeners and green householders will find hard-to-find products such as poison-free cockroach traps which use cockroach pheromones.

Best of all, Peaceful Valley collects the best gear for growers of any type. Here is your source for plastic deer fencing, the world’s best walk-behind Italian tillers, superlative hand tools, the best selection of drip irrigation supplies, and — my favorite — reusable foam seedling trays. You’ll find this source absolutely essential if you grow anything.

This catalog is a throwback to the mail order catalogs of old. 1) They tend to only sell the best stuff, not just the best-selling or most profitable , and 2) they still print it on paper. You can spend several evenings reading it with great profit. You get a short course in state of the art practices for small time farmer and serious gardening.

They have a pretty good website, too (but not as informative as the paper catalog). And they are easy to work with. — KK

Optimistic dreambooks

Garden and Seed Catalogs

Gardening catalogs are the very epitome of dreambooks. Some are quite beautiful, all ripe with the promise of fulfillment in a slightly other universe, but here are the three that make late winter in the heartland a little less bitter:

Seedsavers Exchange puts out a gorgeous catalog and promotes Earth-respecting attitudes with no preaching or guilt-laying. Their online version is, to my mind, among the best designs of its kind. Their descriptions usually include a few words about the histories and sources of their heirloom varieties — makes it hard not to feel involved with the ancient epic of how “weeds” got turned into the exquisite diversity of crop plants we take for granted these days.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds is a commercial version of a labor of love. It’s a real working catalog with limited color photos but a large and well-selected inventory of standard, heirloom, and organic veggie, herb, flower, grain, and covercrop seeds. What makes the catalog special is its generosity with information. If you need a tomato that resists some particular kind of rot, you’ll probably find it here. You’ll probably find it in other catalogs, too, but won’t necessarily know it. There’s extensive cultural, climate, and harvesting info that makes me resent almost all other catalogs for their lack of same. Johnny’s really wants their seeds to grow strong and prosper.

Gardens Alive is a southern Indiana seller of products for organic/”environmentally responsible” gardening and growing. Natural fertilizers, biocontrols (they grow critters like parasitic wasps and nematodes themselves), natural lawn magic, redworms, composting accessories — a fairly thick little catalog with basic graphics and all kinds of dreams for the garden geek. Dozen-page guides to plant diseases, nutritional lacks, bugs. I get the same kind of thrill pawing through this jammed volume that I used to get with Edmunds or American Science and Surplus or the fireworks spreads, or, well, Whole Earth Catalog — It just makes my hands itch to get out there and tinker. — David Walker

Specialty root source

Potato Garden

Ever since I encountered fingerling potatoes in European restaurants I wanted to grow some of my own. I find these small fat-finger-shaped tubers have a nuttier, richer taste than regular potatoes. Potato Garden in Colorado is a mail order source that sells a dozen varieties of fingerlings and it’s been fun trying various breeds. Potato Garden also introduced me to scores of strains in “main” potatoes. And they offer an exotic variety of live starters for other root crops, such as garlic, onions, and sun chokes. Their catalog provides enough basic info about growing and storing roots that it serves as a one-stop short course. For spring delivery you need to order early. — KK

• Sun Chokes: Native of North America, a type of sunflower whose tuberous roots have been eaten for millennia by Native Americans. The first recorded discovery of sunchokes in America apparently occurred in Native American gardens along the eastern coastline in the early 1600’s. The Indians called them “sun roots”. Sunchokes are delicious eaten raw as they have a crisp, juicy texture like water chestnuts. We like to slice or grate them for a zesty addition to any fruit or vegetable salad. We have found that steaming or boiling is the best way to cook them, with a little butter and Real Salt.

Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

Digital hygiene/The End of Children/How to Navigate the Weirdness

Recomendo - issue #457

Digital safety essentials

Andrej Karpathy’s guide to digital hygiene has practical steps for protecting your privacy and security. Here are the essentials: Use a password manager (like 1Password) to create unique strong passwords for every service; get a hardware security key (like YubiKey) as your second factor authentication instead of text messages; and use Privacy.com to create credit card numbers that are locked to one specific merchant and can’t be used elsewhere, preventing unauthorized charges. — MF

Intro to global depopulation

Many people are having trouble wrapping their heads around the fact that global depopulation and not overpopulation is our challenge. The childless trend has been underway for 50 years but has accelerated dramatically recently. We are at the cusp of deaths outnumbering births on the planet, with no change in sight. I recommend this very, very long New Yorker article – “The End of Children” – as the very best introduction and explainer. It focuses on particular programs, people, and events in South Korea, which is leading the world in depopulation, much faster than the Japanese. The piece is beautifully written, expertly reported, and informed. I think everyone should read it; paste the article url link into 12FT to read it in full. — KK

How to Navigate the Weirdness

This two-part talk, How to Navigate the Weirdness by Erik Davis, gave me such great comfort and clarity on how to ground myself in the complexities of our current societal consciousness. The intention behind these talks is to honestly assess the present moment and share navigational tools for sanity, sense-making, and creative engagement. Davis gives historical context and talks about the transformative cultural shifts that have led us to this point, while also addressing the psychological impacts of media saturation, among other things. His strategies emphasize flexibility, mindfulness, and critical thinking. Here is part one and part two, and here is some of his advice (paraphrased):

• Ground yourself in physical sensations and direct experiences to counterbalance the effects of media saturation and overwhelming information.
• Use foxhole or gallows humor as a tool for resilience—find connection and levity even in difficult situations.
• Embrace an “emotional remix,” allowing opposite emotions like grief and joy to coexist, fostering a flexible emotional state.
• Practice situational pluralism by recognizing that multiple valid frameworks exist for interpreting reality.
• Deepen your capacity to embrace uncertainty, mystery, and doubt without searching for fact or reason—not everything fits into a fixed narrative.

—CD

Assisted backpacking

I love multi-day walks, but not hefting a loaded backpack the whole way. The solution is to have my luggage bag forwarded each day, so I only walk with a tiny daypack. This liberation is heavenly, and makes me glad to walk a week or more. Luckily there are outfitters that will arrange luggage forwarding in great places to walk in the countrysides of Europe and Asia. There are no guides; you pick the route you want, and the dates you want. They arrange modest lodging, the luggage forwarding, and then give you a map on your phone. The fees are very reasonable, not much more than the lodging itself. For example, last week I used MacsAdventures to help me walk the last 100km of the El Camino de Santiago in Spain. I’ve used the same outfitter to walk several self-guided week-long rambles in the Cotswolds, England. The arrangements and luggage pickups were flawless. — KK

Favorite Products

In Kevin Rose’s recent newsletter, he shares the results of his semi-annual survey of Favorite Things. With more than 27,000 votes across 24 categories, the results paint a clear picture of the top tools people are favoring right now. Kevin runs this survey to track the rapidly evolving AI landscape and keep his community informed on emerging trends and products. Like the results reflect, I still use most Apple and Google products for things like email, calendar, and browser, but I’ve permanently moved on from Google Search to a paid Perplexity plan, and I can’t imagine ever going back. — CD

USB-C to USB-A Adapter

These tiny Syntech USB-C to USB-A adapters let me connect my older USB devices to my newer laptops. The pack comes with two adapters that plug into the computer’s USB port. — MF

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Book Freak 177: The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho's Masterpiece on Following Your Dreams

Get The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho is a mystical story about a young shepherd named Santiago who embarks on a journey to find his “Personal Legend” — his true purpose in life. Through his adventures across the desert, encounters with mysterious characters, and lessons in alchemy, Santiago learns profound truths about listening to his heart, reading the signs of the universe, and pursuing his dreams despite obstacles. This short book has inspired millions of readers worldwide with its simple yet powerful message about having the courage to follow one’s destiny.

Four key pieces of advice from the book:

When You Want Something, All the Universe Conspires to Help You

“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream,” said the alchemist, echoing the words of the old king. The boy understood. Another person was there to help him toward his destiny.”

Fear of Failure Blocks Your Dreams

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

Live In the Present

“Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. You’ll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now”

Life Tests You Before Big Dreams

“Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'”

US Immigration Searches/Georgia (Country) Prices/Waterproof Walking Shoes

Nomadico issue #150

*We recently hit two big milestones. This is the 150th weekly edition of the newsletter. Also, we won a “Best Travel Newsletter” GOLD award earlier from the North American Travel Journalists Association. Thanks for your support in getting us here!

Wipe Your Phone When Entering the USA?

In another example of politics impacting travel, we’re now seeing international headlines like “Has the USA Become a Hostile Environment for Tourists?” and “Police State Immigration Intrusions Deterring Travel to U.S.” Flight bookings from Canadians are down more than 70% on some air routes and we’re seeing research studies saying the U.S. will probably lose at least $18 billion in tourism revenue this year alone due to political factors. The latest immigration actions aren’t helping: every major media outlet is reporting on phone and laptop searches when entering the country and advising people—even natural-born citizens—on how to avoid the snooping. This Wired article is the most comprehensive I’ve seen about what to do.

A Month of Pollution Left in Thailand

If you’ve been watching White Lotus and are thinking of flying over to Thailand where it takes place this season, you might want to wait at least another month. Throughout Southeast Asia, farmers burn their fields after harvesting crops and it’s especially bad in Thailand. Most of the burning is in the north but when I was there once at this time of year, the haze extended all the way down to Malaysia, spoiling any island views on either coast. Here’s a rundown on the timing from Nomadic Notes.

Travel Bargains in the Republic of Georgia

I was leading a group tour in the country of Georgia last month and spent a lot of time researching prices for food, drinks, transportation, and more while I was there. The country is a terrific value for travelers and if you decide you want to stick around, citizens of more than 75 countries can stay for up to a year on a tourist visa, no extensions required. See the details in my report here: Prices for Travelers (and Residents) in the Republic of Georgia.

Waterproof Walking Shoes

From the northern hemisphere down to the tropics, late spring and summer tend to be rainy season and an umbrella is not going to help your feet much in a downpour. If you want to still pack light but be prepared for rain, get a pair of waterproof hiking shoes or trail running shoes that look and function the same as the normal versions but have a waterproof membrane to keep your feet dry. Common shoe brands making them include Columbia, Adidas, Keen, Skechers, Oboz, and Merrell.

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

What’s in my NOW? — Justin Taylor

issue #209

I’m a marketing executive who’s worked at Nike, Activision, Twitter and WWE currently consulting helping brands big and small. In my spare time I like to garden, spend time with my daughter, and build LEGO’s.

The Landing Pad is my Substack newsletter helping marketers with their job search with weekly job listings, tips & tricks, and helpful articles from experts.

PHYSICAL

• Ledger Flex: I’ve been buying Bitcoin as a long term investment regularly, and prefer to own it myself rather than hold it on a centralized exchange like Coinbase. Recently purchased the Ledger Flexwhich is a beautiful hardware wallet that gives you added security and makes transactions easy because of its touchscreen.
• Puzzles: Between meetings, after work, while I’m deep in thought. I’ve been spending a lot of my time on puzzles. I find it’s soothing, helps me focus and think, and just really enjoy a good break from screens for a change to do something enjoyable
• Reigning Champ Hoodie: I’m at that point in my life where I’m basically wearing a uniform everyday, and my Reigning Champ hoodies are an almost everyday look. I’ve done a ton of research and I’ve found them to be my favorite BY FAR and them in a bunch of different colors

DIGITAL

• I’m currently a marketing consultant, and I help lots of early stage companies with their branding, product positioning, and early marketing activities. I always recommend this video by Simon Sinek about how businesses that have a “why” that you can communicate is so important. Highly recommend this for entrepreneurs and business leaders.
• Telegram – More and more of my business and group chats with friends are moving to Telegram recently. The features are much more robust then text group chats, it’s very popular internationally, and earlier stage companies are using it more than Slack from what I’ve noticed.

INVISIBLE

Keep learning.

A new topic, language, about a sub culture, whatever it is. Having a thirst for knowledge is the most powerful way to continue to grow

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What’s in my NOW? — Justin Taylor