
February: Stamped from the Beginning / Ibram X Kendi
#12BooksOf2025
@TheEllieMo

February: Stamped from the Beginning / Ibram X Kendi
#12BooksOf2025
@TheEllieMo

This is a well-written, thoughtful, and engrossing book. It looks at African religions, deities, and mythologies, and how they influenced the lives of enslaved people trafficked to the Caribbean and the US, and how they are still present and relevant today. It covers everything from slave plantations to Jim Crow to Kamala Harris‘s election loss, with discussions on midwifery, medicine, blue jeans, hairdressers, and more.

#12Booksof2025 @TheEllieMo
The definitive history of Henry V by probably the best writer of English history (non-fiction).

Rome was very advanced for its time in the 1650s to deal with the plague. Although they weren‘t aware fleas were the manner of spreading the disease, they took all sorts of steps like those mentioned here, which as a practical matter reduced the amount of flees spreading plague. This is a fascinating chapter.

Second #wordoftheday
“Plague had hit Rome. The Roman authorities immediately sequestered large buildings located away from the bulk of the population in which to immure plague victims, keeping them separated from those who remained healthy.”

#wordoftheday
“Several cardinals asked the pope when he would bring his family to Rome and which positions they would fill. Alexander replied that Fabio Chigi had had relatives, but Alexander VII had no family other than the church…. The cardinals were shocked at this reply and warned him that if he didn‘t show affection for his family, he would look pusillanimous, selfish, and cheap…. ⬇️

“…a pair of the fabled ‘demon pants‘…or ‘corpse pants.‘ For these, you made an agreement with someone who was about to die. Once they did, you dug up their body, skinned it from the waist down while making sure not to cut any holes in the skin, and made a pair of pants. These you wore like tights until they grew onto your own skin. You also had to steal some money from the poorest of poor widows and put that money in the pants…👇🏻

may your days be merry
and bright, and may all your
Christmases be white. 🎄
Merry Christmas to my Litsy family! Hope everyone has a wonderful day! 🤗
#haikuhive #Christmas #whitechristmas