Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
Set during the end of the Scientific Revolution we get a historical-fiction look into the lives of members of the Royal Society and Louis XIV’s court as well as happenings around the world. Court intrigue. Vagabond action and adventure. Scientific discovery. Technical advancement.
Long. Very long. 944 pages in print. But I enjoyed the story. Not sure how much appeal it would have to someone with no existing knowledge of Newton, Hook, Huygens, Leibniz, Louis XIV, etc.
A Burglar’s Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh
Nominally a discussion on urban design and architecture and its impact on criminology, but I was a little disappointed in the depth. Can’t put my finger on exactly what was missing, but I wanted more.
Quicksilver took up most of June and after Burglar’s Guide I started the 2nd book in the Baroque Cycle which I haven’t finished by the end of July.