Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide

Susan Weis-Bohlen (Althea Press)

This debut book from Susan Weis-Bohlen—former owner of Breathe Books in Hampden and now an Ayurvedic practitioner and meditation instructor—serves as a primer on Ayurveda, an ancient, holistic system of medicine, as well as an abbreviated cookbook to complement the lifestyle. She lays down a strong foundation before delving into the more creative and playful aspects of daily rituals—crafting meals, yoga sequences, breathing exercises—based on your dosha (don’t worry, you’ll have a firm handle on what a dosha is—and what your dosha is—after reading this). Though Ayurveda is 5,000 years old, Weis-Bohlen also addresses modern health and dietary concerns, like environmental toxins. Through the lens of this ancient science, she covers everything from the importance of scraping your tongue in the morning to the importance of Ayurvedic-style sex. The warmth and serenity of Weis-Bohlen comes through on the pages. At times, reading it feels like a meditation in and of itself, especially if paired with a hot cup of spiced milk.

Chance Particulars

Sara Mansfield Taber (Johns Hopkins University Press)

Sara Mansfield Taber’s latest is part workbook and part how-to, and though it bills itself as an instructional guide that’s suited primarily for writers and artists, anyone wanting to more deeply understand his or her world will find its ideas useful. In fact, the book’s subtitle is fairly inclusive: A Writer’s Field Notebook for Travelers, Bloggers, Essayists, Memoirists, Novelists, Journalists, Adventurers, Naturalists, Sketchers, and Other Note-Takers and Recorders of Life. The phrase “chance particulars” is borrowed from Thomas Mallon, who says that writers should include any peculiar observations in their work. Taber, who has taught writing at Johns Hopkins University and the Bethesda Writer’s Center, builds on that idea and breaks down the methods for doing so, like talking with people, keeping records of such seemingly mundane things as gas prices and grocery lists, and using descriptions that evoke all five senses. She writes about the practicality (and joy) of keeping a commonplace book wherein you jot down any musings, snippets, or other useful information you come across. As the saying goes: God is in the details.

Evergreen: The Garrett Family, Collectors and Connoisseurs

(Johns Hopkins University Press)

From its beginnings as a symbol of Baltimore’s gilded age to its golden years as a crown jewel of The Johns Hopkins University campus, Evergreen has remained an icon of Baltimore’s history. This book takes us inside the home of the Garrett family, which is now a museum and library. (If you don’t recognize the name, know that Mary Elizabeth Garrett was a guiding force behind funding Hopkins’ graduate medical school and insisting that women be included—in 1892, no less.) Its sumptuous pages give us a glimpse of Evergreen’s splendid architectural detail and the family’s impressive 20th-century art collection, including the likes of Degas and Picasso. You can see the magnificence yourself when Hopkins hosts a launch party May 21.

Urban Forests

Jill Jonnes (Viking)

Even for those of us who live in cities, it likely doesn’t take long to think of a tree we’ve loved for its shade, accessible branches, or beauty. That’s thanks to dozens of scientists, politicians, and activists who worked for hundreds of years to ensure that each of us had access to species that were pretty to look at, but also hearty enough to withstand urbanization and the pollution and development that come with it. Jonnes—a local writer and founder of the Baltimore Tree Trust—chronicles the urban forestry movement, and how it reflects our history, with well-researched depth and detail.