Now, I've heard of people spending their entire vacation looking at stones in Egypt, going from one incredible monument to another. I've heard of people going to Great Britain to visit the extremely popular site known as Stonehenge, but I've never heard of anyone spending an entire long vacation looking at stones across the island.
Before reading this, I had three reasons for wanting to look at this book. I have a fascination with prehistoric structures (I studied them in art history). My brother Michael publishes a magazine (KMT) that features all types of man-made stone structures. Several years ago, there was an exhibit at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. A series of beautiful, richly colored large paintings of megaliths were on display. Ever since I saw the first photograph of a pyramid, I was hooked.
M. Scott Peck and his wife did just that, and it's chronicled in his book, In Search of Stones (#150.92 PEC). Supplied with a guide book and a map, go on an expedition looking for stones. These aren't ordinary stones, though. These are stones that for some unknown reason have been moved and placed in particular patterns or locations. Some are carved onto specific shapes, some are decorated with fanciful animals and abstract shapes.
Although he does talk about the excitement of finding another site, it's more than just a journal of his travels. On this trip, he does a lot of thinking. This is one of those books that takes a while to get through. I have to read this in segments, not because I'm bored, but because he gives me something to reflect on. He's able to find all sorts of relationships between disparate ideas. He openly reveals several aspects of his life: religious beliefs, addictions, marriage, and infidelity are just a few. Even though he is the first to admit that he's far from perfect, he's a person I would really like to know.
Who knew a book about stones could be so fascinating?
c Waterloo Public Library 2007
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