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Binge-Reading and Finding Pearls
Sarah supervises my work
Where did I find time to binge-read? Good heavens! There was our four-day trip to Kalamazoo, and after three days in the bookshop upon return I worked Sunday and Monday outdoors at home. Traveling, visiting, hanging laundry out on the line, bringing it in and folding it, cooking, washing dishes, mowing grass, digging, weeding, planting, not to mention (but here goes hours in the shop in Northport. And last year I said I didn't have time to garden, but this year is different. This year I'm making time, just as I make time to go for walks with Sarah. I want to spend as much time outdoors as possible! I won't always be able to get down on my hands and knees and dig in the dirt. Do it now! I tell myself. Do it while you can!
Yet there is still, always, time for books. Again, making time to read is crucial.
On our recent road trip, I took along Walter Mosley's The Long Fall and Louise Erdrich's The Plague of Doves, because even busy days visiting friends and family end at last with bedtime, and how is one to go to sleep without reading? Once back in Northport, I fell deliciously into John Searle's The Rediscovery of Mind one afternoon at the shop ... but not too far in, because my own mind got so busy I had to lay the book aside and try to gather my thoughts ... and then my thoughts were interrupted and would not be regathered ... and finally it was obvious that the rest of that book and its exciting inspiration must await me at home for some quiet hour. Meanwhile, however, I returned to and finished The Plague of Doves. Very satisfying!
And now I have fallen into a lovely book of essays by the late Maurice Sendak, titled Caldecott & Co.: Notes on Books and Pictures. Much to my delight, there are not one but two essays on the wonderful Beatrix Potter. In the second, Sendak recounts an experience he had serving on a panel with other children's authors, speaking to an audience of "concerned" parents. The authors had been advertised, much to their own concern, as "experts," but how were they to respond to one audience member's outraged complaints about the sweet little Beatrix Potter classic, Peter Rabbit?
A gentleman ... raised his hand and with a voice full of righteous ferver declared that no one on the panel had as yet explained how a book as simpleminded and flat as Peter Rabbit deserved its prestigious reputation. Worst of all, it seemed to him to be "neither fact nor even fancy."
Sendak and the other authors protested against pigeonholing books and suggested that both books of facts and stories of fantasy needed to be recognized as "imaginative writing." They also tried denying that they were experts. Sendak admitted that the audience was not happy with either suggestion.
I think we made it quite clear that there were no oracles seated on the platform that evening. However, for all our efforts, we were treated as experts and not too subtly condemned for being not-too-expert experts.
How does one mount a defense for a book that should never need one in the first place? Unable to come up with words on the public occasion, Sendak says he "quietly sulked," but now, in his essay, will "bravely state my case: Peter Rabbit transcends all arbitrary categories." He goes on, most delightfully, to discuss in detail various moments in the story and how the text and illustrations are perfectly integrated, stating generally:
This book, so apparently simple, smooth, straightforward, is to my eye textured and deepened by the intimate, humorous observations that Beatrix Potter makes in her pictures.
In general, he concludes, it is the sense of life in the book that makes it a classic.
This standard should be applied to every book for the young, and no book can claim the distinction of art without it. Peter Rabbit, for all its gentle tininess, loudly proclaims that no story is worth the writing, no picture worth the making, if it is not a work of imagination.
As I read this essay, I thought of the many Beatrix Potter books my son and I enjoyed when he was young and remembered also, naturally, Maurice Sendak's own wonderful children's books. The third author-illustrator who also came to my mind, over and over, was Leelanau County's own Lynne Rae Perkins. I love her most recent book, Nuts to You, so much, and can hardly wait to have her new book, Frank and Lucky Get Schooled, in my bookstore.
I feel sorry for anyone who outgrows children's books and hope I never will. But fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, essay, poetry – what reader would deny herself any of the foregoing? It's worth getting up before sunrise, if necessary, to find time for reading.
Very soon now, I will have in stock a new book of essays from another well-known Leelanau author, Kathleen Stocking, so think now about getting your name on my list of reserved copies for The Long Arc of the Universe: Travels Beyond the Pale. Like Lynne Rae Perkins, Kathleen Stocking proves that Maurice Sendak knew whereof he wrote. The sense of life these two Leelanau authors brings to their work comes from vital, intelligent, sometimes offbeat and always wonderful imaginations.
Transcending categories, transcending genres -- those are the very best books of all!
Labels: Beatrix Potter, children's books, essays, fiction, illustrated books, Kathleen Stocking, local authors, Lynne Rae Perkins, Maurice Sendak, Michigan authors, nonfiction, reading
Morning light shimmers on Grand Traverse Bay
In the year 1600, Elizabeth I was queen of England, and James VI the king of Scotland. Shakespeare's "Hamlet" was (probably) performed onstage for the first time.
That isn't snow -- it's cherry trees in blossom
In Japan, Ieyasu set up as "unquestioned ruler" and was advised on shipbuilding by navigator William Adams of England (see The Timetables of History). Rubens was at work in Italy, and Giordana Bruno was burned as a heretic in Rome. The magic lantern was invented (by Athanasius Kircher) and the London East India Company founded. Wigs became popular.
Blooms at St. Wenceslaus Church
Today's is the sixteen-hundredth post of Books in Northport, a blog quietly inaugurated in the fall of 2007. Who knew I'd keep at it this long? Kind of like, when I first opened Dog Ears Books in 1993, who know I'd still be selling books in 2016?
Forget-me-nots remind me of friends
Time goes by, one day at a time.
First supper outdoors in 2016
Seasons come and go
Labels: blogging, blogs, bookselling, cherry orchards, flowers, friends, history, miscellaneous, time
On Not Being Gone, Being Gone, and Coming Back Again
January orchard
Did you know we didn't go away this winter? That the farthest we got from home was Traverse City? That Dog Ears Books was open four days a week straight through January, February, March, and April? I am mildly disturbed by the number of people (at least half a dozen) who have exclaimed, "You're back! Will you be opening soon?" I told one of my loyal summer customers and year-round blog readers that I sometimes think people miss me more when I don't go away! She suggested that would make a good theme for a blog post. It will not be the theme of today's entire post, but I'll lead off with it and see how far it will carry me into other themes.
When we live in one place month after month, it's easy to think we'll find the time "pretty soon" to get together with a special friend or visit a new restaurant or walk a trail we have yet to explore. The friend, the restaurant, and the trail aren't going anywhere, are they? There's plenty of time. And so time slips away, one day and week after another.
What a shock when a friend dies! How disconcerting (though not as deeply shocking) when that restaurant closes. Then we visit the trail at last and find it alarmingly crowded with other walkers. "We should have come here this last fall," we say sadly.
Going back to visit the town where we used to live is different, because we know long before arrival that our time there will be limited. There are only so many people and places we can revisit, and we make the most of our time.
We expect the places we see every day to exhibit a certain degree of stability and sameness, and when changes occur, most alterations to the landscape seem to come about gradually, and gradually we adapt. Again, it's different visiting scenes of former lives. We did not see the gradual changes that took place there. Instead, we are confronted with massive, disorienting newness in every direction. Even the old neighborhoods seem different, somehow changed, in the time since we knew them.
And then there are the memories.
An old friend once commented that he had "ghosts" on every street in town. This house, that house, this and that street or road, the field where sheep used to graze – a thousand memories rushing forward!
Change and memories come together in family and friends, too. How is it possible they have been married fifty years? That he planted that tree from a seed? That that little girl is now a science teacher?
But wherever we travel in our home state, whether to an adjacent county or farther afield, I always fall in love all over again with Michigan. There are all the wonderful little rivers -- the Pere Marquette, the Crockery, the Thornapple, the Rabbit and the Gun rivers, to name only a few. The larger rivers – the Grand, the Kalamazoo, and the St. Joseph – are exciting to see again, too, as are the lush, rich pastures of Barry, Allegan, and Kalamazoo counties, with cattle of all breeds grazing contentedly.
Plant life is noticeably different from that of Leelanau County, too.
Central to southwestern Michigan have abundant mayapples, bluebells, and tree dogwood (above), along with this little member of the mint family (below) that neither I nor any of my friends could identify with any greater precision.
Foremost reason for this spring's trip, however, were these adorable little guys. Could not get enough of them!!!
How long has it been since my son was that young?! He and I had brunch together on Monday morning and visited the bookshop next door afterward. With every visit, time raced by way too fast....
David and I made a lightning (less than one hour) visit to the expanded and breathtaking Kalamazoo Institute of Arts to see the latest Area Show, where several friends had taken prizes.
Sarah also had her share of socializing. The lovely Nadine was her gracious hostess.
We only left last Sunday and returned on Wednesday, but before going to sleep Wednesday night we agreed that our trip seemed like a major expedition. A "big trip." All the visits, the family and friends, the changes, and the memories made it major. A very big, very good trip!
Although darkness was falling as we neared home, and we had put the car windows up against the cold, I could smell the perfume of the cherry blossoms through the closed windows! How wonderful this morning to see the trees flowering in the sun!
May orchard
So yes, we actually were gone for a few days. Now we're back, looking to a busy, full summer in gallery and bookstore.
Labels: art, bookstores, family, friends, Kalamazoo, Michigan, plants, spring, travel, wildflowers, winter
What Do You See (in Michigan)? What Do You Imagine (Here and in the Larger World)?
For only a moment --
Now is that precious time of year – newborn, impressionistic, and all too fleeting. Open your eyes and drink it in. Get up before the sun so as not to lose a single moment!
Serendipity pretty much sums up my approach to reading – what comes my way, what catches my eye. No big, overall plan. And so it was that I found myself reading by chance two books set in Michigan -- one nonfiction, one fiction; the essays by an Illinois author, the novel by a Canadian -- without expecting the similar settings to have the synergistic effect on me that they did.
First came Cabin Fever: A Suburban Father's Search for the Wild, by Tom Montgomery Fate. I'll admit straight off that I didn't care for the title or the cover design. How many "Cabin Fever" books and movies are there? In this case, I felt the title short-changed the book terribly, while the cover image of a water-filled ditch through a treeless landscape was no indication whatsoever of either the author's Michigan cabin or his suburban Illinois home. But friends had read the book, friends whose reading tastes I respect, so I took it home and discovered it to be modern meditations on Thoreau.
Tom Fate reads Thoreau through the lens of his own experience (as all of us generally do read everything that comes our way) and also contemplates and questions his own life through the lens of Thoreau's writings. As he is determined to take the time to see his surroundings, sometimes it is the smallest things that lift his prose to lyrical heights.
A long, black file [of ants] marches across the soft wood like a sprawling prehistoric sentence. Each jointed body is an unpronounced letter, or an unspoken word, on its way to an idea hidden somewhere deep in the green mind of the woods. I follow the ants with my eyes until they hit their end mark, a dead sweat bee, where they heap up into a writhing mass of legs and mandibles.
Fate's family cabin is down in the very southwest corner of Michigan's mitten. In his essay titled "Coyotes at the Mall," the author muses on the human love-fear relationship for wild things, ending with what an Amtrak line from Chicago to New Buffalo could mean for his family's "wilderness" cabin.
...I had never thought that Chicago would stretch north around the lake this far. Or that this little cabin we cobbled together here in the woods might someday be part of a Chicago suburb. But I think it's possible, which is ironic, and depressing, and a bit amusing. Particularly now, as I walk through the woods, watching and wondering when the new neighbors will arrive, when the coyotes will move in.
The larger world encroaches, and time hurries on....
Life is fleeting, as spring itself
Turning next to a novel, Station Eleven, by Canadian writer Emily St. John Mandel, a National Book Award Finalist, I found myself in post-apocalyptic fictional Michigan, rather than the state I know and love as it moves into the uncertainty always characteristic of time not-yet. Actors, musicians, people in business...jump cuts backward and forward in time...a world pandemic...Shakespeare and fresh-killed venison. A synopsis would hardly convey the magic of Mandel's story. Did I perhaps read it differently, coming to it from Fate's essays? Looking in it for Michigan?
Traverse City is mentioned, a place called New Petoskey, but then there are the post-apocalyptic settlements of St. Deborah on the Water and, farther to the south, Severn City, where by Year Fifteen after the collapse of civilization three hundred people are living. It is Severn City airport the Traveling Symphony has set out to reach, hoping to reconnect with two of their former members left behind in earlier years.
Where precisely are we?
In a fictional world, geographical precision is not required, but we are south of Traverse City and north of Chicago, not far from Lake Michigan (inland is uncharted and dangerous wilderness), so it's possible to imagine post-apocalyptic Severn City occupying the same region as Tom Fate's family cabin. Only now there are no state lines, no country borders, and no laws. No electricity and no gasoline. Cars are rusted hulks, coffins for skeletons of people who died in the pandemic. The Traveling Symphony's caravans are pulled by horses. Whether in settlements or on the road, the protein human beings consume comes from hunting.
And yet, and yet – what comes through most forcefully in this beautiful, lyrical novel is how the author cherishes the world and everything and everyone in it. Details of life and artifact are set forth with equal love. Here is one example:
The signs for the airport led them away from the lake, out of downtown, up into residential streets of wood-frame houses. A few of the roofs had collapsed up here, most under the weight of fallen trees. In the morning light there was beauty in the decrepitude, sunlight catching in the flowers that had sprung up through the gravel of long-overgrown driveways, mossy front porches turned brilliant green, a white blossoming bush alive with butterflies. This dazzling world.
That passage alone, however, could give you the wrong idea. You might think Emily St. John Mandel despises civilization and technology. But you would be wrong. Here is another passage to set the record straight:
In the en suite bathroom, Kirsten closed her eyes for just a second as she flipped the light switch. Naturally nothing happened, but as always in these moments she found herself straining to remember what it had been like when this motion had worked: walk into a room, flip a switch and the room floods with light. ... She ran her fingertips over a blue-and-white china box on the bathroom counter, admired the rows of Q-tips inside....
And another, from an earlier time, only days after the collapse:
On silent afternoons in his brother's apartment, Jeevan found himself thinking about how human the city is, how human everything is. We bemoaned the impersonality of the modern world, but that was a lie, it seemed to him; it had never been impersonal at all. There had always been a massive delicate infrastructure of people, all of them working unnoticed around us, and when people stop going to work, the entire operation grinds to a halt. No one delivers fuel to the gas stations or the airports. Cars are stranded. Airplanes cannot fly. Trucks remain at their points of origin. Food never reaches the cities; grocery stores close. Businesses are locked and then looted. No one comes to work at the power plants or the substations, no one removes fallen trees from electrical lines. Jeevan was standing by the window when the lights went out.
Clouds and cool mornings are beautiful, too
It is so easy to get caught up in all that's wrong with our world. Easy to fear the future. Easy to resent the swift passage of time, though impossible to make time hold still. What does the future hold for our beloved Michigan, our precious Great Lakes, our still-young country?
"I have walked all my life through this tarnished world," writes the character Kristen in her graphic novel, Station Eleven, from which the author's larger novel takes its name. Tarnished but precious, it is the only world we have. Must we not cherish it?
Emily St. John Mandel's novel of tragedy, death, and destruction paradoxically gives back to us, in this flawless novel, the beauty of the flawed world before our eyes.
Labels: book review, essays, fiction, Michigan, National Book Award, nature, nonfiction, novels, technology, Thoreau
Please Mind Your Manners in the Lake District
Sheepdog in her dreams
The farms and the flocks endure, bigger than the life of a single person. We are born, live our working lives, and die, passing like the oak leaves that blow across our land in the winter. We are each tiny parts of something enduring, something that feels solid, real, and true. Our farming way of life has roots deeper than five thousand years into the soil of this landscape. - James Rebanks, The Shepherd's Life (NY: Flatiron Books, 2015)
The Shepherd's Life tells about sheep-farming in the Lake District of England season by season. The reader encounters details and arcane terminology for sheep that are a thousand or more years old. Dogs, too, as should go without saying – smart little border collies, dogs that can make all the difference between a farmer's success and failure when it comes to gathering the sheep from the fells.
Think you're not interested in farming? Read on.
Rebanks the farmer and shepherd is a beautiful writer, and whatever subject such a writer chooses is worth reading. My farmer friends (and those, like me, with an inner farmer) will learn from and love this book, but so will my poet friends, world-traveler friends, and anyone curious about the world who appreciates good stories well told.
Those of us who live, as the author does, in a vacation paradise can draw more particular lessons from the book, because what Rebanks lays before the reader is an entire way of life. This part of England, he tells us, was unknown to the outside world until "discovered" by poets and hikers and made famous by Wordsworth, Thomas West, Beatrix Potter, and Alfred Wainwright. After these people came and fell in love with the region, they told others about it. The Lake District became a famous holiday destination. Outsiders came to buy vacation homes, and these outsiders loved the Lake District in their own way and wanted to "preserve" its wild areas but did not always appreciate livestock on the commons.
As a farm boy who had never thought of his home territory "as a place of books or for leisure," Rebanks one day sat high on a fell neighboring his own family's land with a Wainwright guide in his hands,
...looking down at the landscape farmed by my father's friends, and cross-checking it against the guide. It struck me powerfully that there was scarcely a trace of any of the things we cared about in what Wainwright had written. Apart from the odd dot on the map for a farm or a wall, none of our world was in those pages. I am wondering whether the people on that mountain see the working side of that landscape, and whether it matters. In my bones I feel it does matter. That seeing, understanding, and respecting people in their own landscape is crucial to their culture and way of life being valued and sustained. What you don't see, you don't care about.
It is a curious thing to slowly discover that your landscape is beloved of other people. It is even more curious, and a little unsettling, when you discover by stages that you as a native are not really part of the story and meaning they attach to that place. There are never any tourists here when it is raining sideways or showing in winter, so it is tempting to see it as a fair-weather love. Our relationship with the landscape is about being there through it all. To me the difference is like the distinction between what you felt for a pretty girl you knew in your youth, and the love you feel for your wife after many years of marriage. Most unsettling was the discovery that the people who thought about this place in this way outnumbered us by many hundreds to one. I found that threatening to our very existence....
That's a lengthy quotation, but I didn't feel I could cut it any shorter, because it speaks of the shepherd's life in all its aspects: the farm families, their committed attachment to the place and way of life, the invisibility of that way of life to holiday-makers, and the feeling that the newer kind of love threatens the survival of the older.
Readying Leelanau fields
I am not a farmer, as you know. (Farming is yet another youthful dream path, like music, that my life did not take.) People say, in the Lake District, that it takes three generations to make someone a local. Well, at that rate, I can hardly even call myself American. One of my grandfathers was born in Ireland! My mother was born in California, father in Ohio, and I was born South Dakota, growing up (insofar as I ever did) in Illinois, coming to make a home Michigan only in 1967.
A recent meeting of the village planning commission grew tense when an audience member pointed accusingly to "newcomer" faces on the board, prompting several of those "newcomers" to defend themselves with statements of how many years they'd been "coming up here" (i.e., on vacation or for summers) and how many years they had now lived in Northport fulltime. Native American people make wry faces over such discussions, as well as the common statement, "In America, we're all immigrants." I had a customer once in my bookstore looking for a book about "local Indians" but not, she specified, modern-day Indians. She wanted anthropology, history, legend, not current real life.
Who counts? Who is visible? Whose lives and ways of life matter?
More than a few locals here in Leelanau County sport bumper stickers that read, "My home is your vacation." (I think that's how it goes. I always felt it would be punchier as "Your vacation is my home," but we all get the point.) I remember a t-shirt from a couple decades back that warned, "Don't mess with me – I'm a local!"
Bees at work in Leelanau orchard
I live here, but there have been a few winters (we can't afford to do it every year) when my husband and I have fled to an easier clime. A couple of my farmer friends themselves (one a fourth-generation local) are world travelers. And here's what I want to say. If we travel at all – any of us -- wherever we travel (unless it's to Antarctica, the only continent on earth home to no historical or traditional human culture) we will be visiting someone else's home. And if we move to make a home in a new place, we're going to live where other people had lives before we got there.
When the irate local at the meeting called newcomers on the commission "an invasive species, like star thistle," I touched him gently on the arm (he's a friend) and said, "That's me, too. I didn't grow up here." "No," he said earnestly, "you can be a transplant without being an invasive species." His distinction, as I understand it, is between newcomers who try to fit in and those who try to take over. Like the shepherd in the Lake District, he feels his existence threatened. But those he perceives as a threat felt threatened by his anger and became defensive in their turn. They feel they are helping the local community -- bringing it "up to speed," into the modern world.
Must everyone, everywhere, be goaded into a faster and faster way of life – everything high-tech, "branded," and magazine-slick in appearance – or shoved off to the side of the road?
It's a touchy subject.
Not only in England's Lake District, but in our own country, from Hawaii to Alaska and in all the forty-eight contiguous continental states, everyone's vacation – or new home – or chosen retirement community – was already someone else's home. Those who can afford periods (or lives) of leisure bump up against those working for a living. Because wherever you go, there will be people working, or life there would not be possible!
"Respect people in their own landscape."
That sounds to me like nothing more than a particular application of the Golden Rule. If we think of it that way, it's pretty easy to understand, isn't it?
Beech buds in Leelanau woods
Well, I've barely touched on the wealth to be found in The Shepherd's Life -- have only focused here on one of its many topics. Fathers and sons is another major theme. Economic vicissitudes and cycles. Livestock breeding. Schooling as preparation for life – or not. Oxford University. Town, gown, and farm. There's plenty here for every reader's interests. After all, the best memoirs present life much as do the best novels – in its particularity and its universality, through personalities never before encountered and yet familiar in many aspects, showing a way of life not experienced by the reader but shared by the writer. And this is one of those best.
I do want to say, lest you be put off by a shepherd's resentment of invading writers, that James Rebanks came to an appreciation of Wordsworth and others, the more he learned of their appreciation for his way of life. His favorite, not surprisingly, was Mrs. Heelis, who also bred and showed sheep from her Lake District farms. You know Mrs. Heelis by her other name: Beatrix Potter.
Labels: books, England, family, farming, history, home, Leelanau County, livestock, memoir, migration, nonfiction, Northport, Oxford university, retirement, sheep, tourism, travel, vacation, writers
Look Back to May 2009
Connie and Ed and their book
Today's post is an excerpt from a few years back, in memory of dear friend Connie Arnfield, whose funeral will be tomorrow, Friday, May 6, at 11 o'clock. The bookstore will not be open until I return from the funeral.
Late in the afternoon [of May 4, 2009]came our long-anticipated, two-hour reception for Ed and Connie Arnfield, whose book, Roadside Guide to Michigan Plants, Trees and Flowers: An Ecological Approach, was published this spring by Arbutus Press. For most of the evening, I could hardly catch a glimpse of Ed and Connie: the crowd between us (having them sign books and paying me for books) was that thick! (We estimated later that at least 200 people must have turned out.) Gerry Sell came all the way over from Torch Lake (you get the distance prize, Gerry, but why don't I have a picture of you?), and ecology essayist Stephanie Mills was on hand, too, to meet the Arnfields and compliment them on their book.
For more party pictures and an unbiased report from an out-of-towner, head over to Torch Lake Views and see Gerry's post. All in all, it was the perfect opening for the 2009 season. We were all exhausted afterwards—but in a very, very good way.
Labels: books, bookstore events, Dog Ears Books, friends, memories, nature, nature guides, wildflowers
The World Has Always Been Turning
Our country today is politically polarized. The gap is widening between the haves and have-nots, with the middle disappearing. Is this the worst time in American history? How can anyone say? This is where we are now. A hundred and fifty years ago, none of us living now were yet alive.
A younger friend asked me once, "What were the Sixties really like?" Well, the answer depends on the person you ask. High school students and college students had very different experiences, military families quite different again, and the rich and powerful, as always – well, they live on a different plane from the rest of us, don't they?
How old are you? Where did you grow up? Are you black or white, yellow, brown or red?
In the United States at large, we enjoyed great music in the Sixties -- and mourned terrible assassinations. The decade brought Black Power and the Black Panthers, a story told in the novel Virgin Soul, by Judy Juanita, but urban and rural dwellers knew the Sixties in very different ways, as Anne-Marie Oomen reveals in her memoir, Love, Sex, and 4-H.
Across the United States and elsewhere in the world, there were protests against the war in Vietnam until American troops were finally pulled out. But in southeast Asia itself, life in warn-torn Vietnam brought years of terror that did not end when the Americans left, or as the Sixties bled into the Seventies, because it's one thing to have your country involved in an overseas war and quite another to have a war in your backyard.
Andrew X. Pham, author of Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam (1999), has just given me an unforgettable reading experience. His father, an engineer and "a man of regrets," also a former Nationalist, was a prisoner of the North Vietnamese Communists following the American withdrawal. (An and his mother, highly enterprising and deeply superstitious, lived near the prison camp to watch over the head of the family, while other children lived with grandparents.) One of six children, An (his Vietnamese name) was the second-born. After his father was mysteriously released from prison, and before he could be recaptured and executed – the fate he expected, had the Communists learned of his background as a Nationalist propaganda director -- the family escaped from Vietnam.
An was eight years old when his family came to America, but growing up in California he remembered his Vietnamese childhood. Those memories were the inspiration for his return visit as a young adult, to explore by bicycle (on a limited amount of money difficult for native Vietnamese who never left home to believe is all he has) the country he left so long ago.
For Americans and for Vietnamese, the Sixties were a world-changing decade. One friend of ours volunteered for the draft with a buddy, right out of high school. His buddy never came home, and our friend still asks himself what his life would have been like "if I hadn't gone to Vietnam."
During his often difficult travels, Andrew Pham asks himself again and again, what his life would have been like had his family stayed in Vietnam. He realizes that his good fortune was very much an accident of birth. Different parents, different life. Seeing firsthand terrible poverty and corruption in the country that might still have been his home, he is grateful for his good fortune, despite resentments and prejudice he encountered growing up in the U.S.
The Sixties were a long time ago, an era sanctified in retrospect by some and reviled by others. If you weren't around then, this obituary for Daniel Berrigan will give you some idea of what you missed during that period in the United States. There was a lot more to it than tie-dye and drugs, beads and funny clothes.
Rest in peace, Daniel Berrigan. You got your work done.
Labels: Andrew X. Pham, Anne-Marie Oomen, books, Daniel Berrigan, fiction, history, immigration, Judy Juanita, memoir, nonfiction, politics, reading, Sixties, travel, Vietnam, war
On Not Being Gone, Being Gone, and Coming Back Aga...
What Do You See (in Michigan)? What Do You Imagine...


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Search Results: 43 books from 1 publisher. Learn more ›
Scampers Thinks Like a Scientist
Mike Allegra (author) Elizabeth Zechel (illustrator)
Publisher: Dawn Publications ISBN: 9781584696445
Scampers is no ordinary mouse. She's curious. She asks questions. And she experiments. In short, she thinks like a scientist! Her friend Nibbles, reluctantly joins her as they set out to discover the truth about the owl in the garden. Children will enjoy the jaunty dialogue and whimsical illustrations, and along the way they'll learn how think like a scientist, too!
Over on a Desert: Somewhere in the World
Marianne Berkes (author), Jill Dubin (illustrator)
Deserts are full of surprises! An amazing array of animals calls this driest place on Earth their home. Through rhythm and rhyme, children meet a new animal on every page. They won't be able to resist getting in on all the action as animal parents teach their babies how to live in this unusual place - camels kneel, armadillos dig, dingoes sniff, and jerboas jump. Cut paper collages capture the subtle beauty of the desert and also "hide" more animals for young eyes to find. Additional information, a world map, and tips from the author give parents and teachers all they need to make learning fun. One part song, one part story, and one part sheer delight!
He's Your Daddy: Ducklings, Joeys, Kits, and More
Charline Profiri (author), Andrea Gabriel (illustrator)
"If you were an animal—wild or tame, would you know your daddy's name?" Every page answers this question with a different animal. Meet a joey riding piggy-back whose daddy is a sugar glider, a calf whose daddy is a towering giraffe, and a tiny fry floating next to its seahorse daddy. Children will be delightfully surprised by the animal in the middle of the book, and dads will especially appreciate the scene on the last page. Rhyming verses describe animal characteristics, and watercolor illustrations capture the feeling of all the different habitats, making every page a teachable moment. Additional animal information and matching game in the back of the book extends the learning.
I Am the Rain
John Paterson (author)
"Because of me the land is green. I'm why the sky is blue. All of life depends on me. I'm even part of you." Lyrical verses present water in its many colors, shapes, and forms as it follows its natural cycle through the seasons. From rain to rivers, from fog to thunderheads, from snowflakes to ocean waves - water is always changing. Along the way, water speaks for itself, connecting deeply with readers. The evocative illustrations highlight water's many moods. "I can show you rainbows/ in mist or morning dew/ I can be a muddy flood/or a pool of aqua blue." Teachers and parents will appreciate the Explore More section in the back of the book that includes "The Science Behind the Poetry," STEM activities, water conservation tips, and more.
Wild Ones: Observing City Critters
Carol L. Malnor (author), Cathy Morrison (illustrator)
Wild ones are moving into the city! Follow the dog Scooter as he wanders an urban landscape, seeing many wild animals and not seeing even more. Supplementary material contains true stories and helps children become aware of the presence of wild animals and understand why they have taken to living in cities.
Green Bean! Green Bean!
Patricia Thomas (author), Trina L. Hunner (illustrator)
Plant it - water it - weed it - protect it - and under the blossoms is the perfect shady nook to read a book! Pretty soon its time to pick all those long, lean beans, and to harvest a full season of garden knowledge and experience.
If You Love Honey
Martha Sullivan (author), Cathy Morrison (illustrator)
Honey is a sweet gift from nature - ALL of nature, actually. Honey is linked in a very real way to dandelions, earthworms, mushrooms, the old oak tree and even the blue jays squawking in its branches. Take another look at honey. If you love natures honey, you are sure to love nature too. How sweet it is! The author fell in love with bees as an amateur beekeeper, and then learned to appreciate flowering plants even ones she once considered weeds as an important nectar source. And then she realized how the plants were connected to insects and soil. A simple but accurate diagram in the back matter explains how bees make honey and also pollinate plants, as well as the role of beneficial insects and decomposers. Also presented are activities and a recipe for children. Further activities are available at www.dawnpub.com.
Mighty Mole and Super Soil
Mary Quattlebaum (author), Chad Wallace (illustrator)
Below your feet, Mighty Mole is on the move. Like a swimmer in dirt, she strokes through the soil. Her tunnels are everywhere! She finds food, eludes a predator, has a family, and helps to make Super Soil. Moles live almost everywhere yet are rarely seen. Similarly, soil is a largely invisible ecosystem and yet is vital to the health of the world. Following the story, two Explore More for Kids pages offer a matching challenge and a review of some of the remarkable traits that make moles mighty. Two additional pages of Explore More for Teachers and Parents offers activities in visual and language arts, science, technology, and math. Further activities are available at www.dawnpub.com.
Pitter and Patter
Take a ride with Pitter on a water cycle! You'll go through a watershed, down, around and up again. How about going with Patter? You'll even go underground. Oh, the places you'll go and the creatures you'll see. A water drop is a wonderfully adventurous thing to be!
Noisy Bird Sing-Along
John Himmelman (author)
Every kind of bird has their very own kind of sound! Cheerful sounds, mournful sounds, sweet sounds, weird sounds. You can tell who they are without even opening your eyes. And what fun to sing along!
Over on a Mountain: Somewhere in the World
Discover twenty cool animals, ten great mountain ranges, and seven continents all in one story! And do it in the age-old style of children the world over - by clapping, counting, singing, and acting like...well, animals! What fun!
The Prairie that Nature Built
Marybeth Lorbiecki (author), Cathy Morrison (illustrator)
A wild prairie is a lively place in this rhythmic romp with munchers and crunchers above and below the grasses so thick, and fires that flare, and rains that quenchand always the prairie grows green. Back matter offers information and activities for a fuller appreciation of this marvelous, disappearing habitat.
On Kiki's Reef
Carol L. Malnor (author), Trina L. Hunner (illustrator)
A tiny baby sea turtle scrambles across the sandy beach and into the sea. Floating far out in the ocean, Kiki is becoming a gentle giant. She swims to shallower water where a rainbow of corals puts on a show. Kiki adopts the busy coral reef as her new home and discovers fish of all sizes and lots of surprises! But something keeps calling her back to the beach...and the circle of life continues.
If You Were My Baby: A Wildlife Lullaby
Fran Hodgkins (author), Laura J. Bryant (illustrator)
Here is a unique blend of love song and natural fact, celebrating the care that exists between the parents and offspring of many species. Baby mountain goat is guided up high cliffs. Baby beaver learns to build well. Baby bat is held in mother's protective embrace, upside-down. And YOUR baby, too, will feel the comfort and delight of nature's wonders. Here is a "sweet dream bedtime" book for nature lovers of all generations!
All Around Me, I See
Laya Steinberg (author), Cris Arbo (illustrator)
Nature comes alive to a curious young girl in this gently rhyming, delightfully imaginative book. She notices everything around her with awe: "A rock is an island for a frog...a turtle makes a bridge from a log...the sky is a place to be free...the Earth is a home for me." This book combines the best of fiction and nonfiction, and shows the joy of discovering the beauty of nature.
If You Give a T-Rex a Bone
Tim Myers (author), Anisa Claire Hovemann (illustrator)
So you'd like to go back in time to see real dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles? Yes, that would be very cool. And if you start by giving a T-Rex a bone, things will be, well - interesting. Dangerously interesting! So go ahead - offer him that bone and see what happens. Along the way you're bound to encounter many other animals from the past, creatures wild and amazing. Dangerously amazing!
Steve Van Zandt (author), Katherine Zecca (illustrator)
Rivers make beautiful music - from the trickle of snowmelt to the burble of a full-flowing stream. Here the famed children's musical ensemble, the Banana Slug String Band, celebrates rivers as a fascinating, ever-changing source of life and joy.
The Swamp Where Gator Hides
Marianne Berkes (author), Roberta Baird (illustrator)
Under the algae that carpets the swamp, near the duck who paddles in ooze, close to the turtle who takes a snooze...hides a gator! Still as a log, only his watchful eyes can be seen. But when gator moves, he really moves! What happens to the duck, the turtle, the egret, the deer, and the many other critters of the swamp when gator makes his move?
The Mouse and the Meadow
Chad Wallace (author)
A young mouse quickly comes of age as he sets out to explore his meadow. There he meets many remarkable creatures. Spider has tangled intentions. Firefly really knows how to put on a show. Mother rabbit is kind. Turtle is wise. Others would have him for lunch! Fortunately, help arrives just in time.
My Monarch Journal
Connie Muther (author), Anita Bibeau (illustrator)
This book is the record of a miracle. The metamorphosis of a tiny egg to a caterpiller, then to a chrysalis, and finally to a beautiful butterfly is one of nature's most astonishing miracles. The stunning pictures in this book - many taken with a microscopic lens - will guide you and your child or student to record and understand the progress of the miracle that takes place in your hands, with your own caterpillar/butterfly. More than 140 photographs capture rare sequences: the hatchling eating its way out of the egg; the first green meal moving through the caterpillar's intestines; and a caterpillar shedding its skin. Ample space for notes, drawings and progress charts encourage children to be scientists - and in the process, gain a profound appreciation for these remarkable tiny beings. The book includes 20 pages of teacher information, including answers to questions, charts, tips for teachers, and pages of resources.
Over in a River: Flowing Out to the Sea
Rivers are teeming with life! Children will learn the geography of North American rivers and to appreciate the animals that live there while they count the baby otters or dragonflies. Their learning will be reinforced as they "squeal" like muskrats and "hop" like frogs. All of this fun learning activity is set to the rhythm of the classical tune of "Over in the Meadow."
Jo MacDonald Hiked in the Woods
Mary Quattlebaum (author), Laura J Bryant (illustrator)
Old MacDonald had a...woods? Yes! Come along with Jo MacDonald and learn about the wild creatures in the woods at her grandfather's farm. Noisy ones, quiet ones, and a few surprises. This delightful variation on "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" playfully introduces youngsters to the woodland habitat while engaging little ones with rhythm and wordplay.
Virginia Kroll (author), Lucia Washburn (illustrator)
The love of a mother is a truly remarkable thing - in both humans an animals. It gives and forgives, directs and protects, and puts the heart in a home. In rhyming verse, this book captures the many special qualities of motherlove.
The Tree in the Ancient Forest
Carol Reed-Jones (author), Christopher Canyon (illustrator)
Ancient trees embrace a wonderful world of creatures, each playing their special role. From lowly fungi to majestic owls, the book connects the web of nature and aptly portrays the amazing ways in which the inhabitants of the forest depend upon one another for survival. Stunning illustrations by the renowned illustrator, Christopher Canyon, manage to be both magical and true. As AAAS Science Books & Films says, "The science is accurate and the book painlessly teaches important ecological lessons."
Inside All
Margaret Mason (author), Holly Welch (illustrator)
All over the world, children want the same thing--the comfort of knowing that they belong, that they are part of something meaningful. Inside All takes the reader on a journey from the glowing edges of the universe into the warm heart of a sleepy child at bedtime, where we discover, not something small, but something huge. This is a story about how we each have a place in the world, and how the world lives in each of us.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Introduction: Telehealth is a growing service delivery model in clinical genetics and genetic counselling. Despite its popularity, telehealth genetic counselling (TGC) is often not incorporated into prenatal genetic services. Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed, original research articles, which examined the psychosocial implications (e.g. satisfaction) of prenatal TGC. Using the PubMed database, searches were conducted using the following key terms: "Telehealth Genetic Counselling", "Prenatal Genetics Telehealth" and "Telegenetics". Results: The search returned 82 articles; only five articles assessed the psychosocial implications of prenatal TGC. The TGC delivery methods varied among studies, but results consistently revealed positive responses, most notably patient satisfaction. Conclusions: Further use and research of TGC are needed to better understand the social implications of this service delivery model for prenatal populations. This information is essential to guide clinical care for prenatal populations.
A prenatal genetic counsellor works, at least in part, with an obstetric population. Approximately 41% of practicing genetic counsellors in the United States and Canada work in a prenatal setting according to the 2018 National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Professional Status Survey (PSS).5 Genetic counsellors who counsel patients practice most often within a university medical centre (39%), public hospital/medical facility (24%), or a private hospital/medical facility (21%).5 These statistics are anticipated to reflect prenatal genetic counsellors' practice settings.
Primary providers in obstetrics andreproductive endocrinology specialists largely generate referrals for prenatal genetic counselling. Common indications for referral include: 1) advanced maternal age (women 35 years of age or older at delivery with a singleton gestation), 2) abnormal screening for aneuploidy (maternal serum or cell-free DNA), 3) abnormal prenatal ultrasound, 4) genetic carrier status and 5) family history of birth defects or genetic disease.6 While it is acknowledged that prenatal genetic counsellors also counsel families prior to conception, in the context of this review, prenatal genetic counselling occurs during a clinically recognised, ongoing pregnancy.
The specific form of telehealth, telegenetics, is a term used to describe genetic services provided by healthcare professionals with genetics training and expertise. These providers may include physicians, genetic counsellors, nurses or dietitians. This service delivery model is generally synchronous, with information transmitted from healthcare provider to patient. Common modalities include telephone or videoconferencing.10-12 Telegenetics has been traditionally used to reach patients in rural areas with limited access to healthcare services.12-13 In this review, the term telehealth genetic counselling (TGC) is used to describe the genetic counselling process provided by a genetic counsellor.
While TGC is currently being used, this service delivery model in the prenatal setting is limited and based on colloquial knowledge. Available research has demonstrated specific specialties have a greater use of TGC, most notably cancer genetics.14-16 The cause of this discrepancy in use is currently unclear. Thus, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to 1) objectively identify current literature surrounding TGC for prenatal indications and 2) specifically review and compare the identified psychosocial implications.
Literature for this review was systematically selected. The search was initially completed in May of 2017 and repeated in June of 2018 in an attempt to include additional eligible studies published between May of 2017 and June of 2018. Details from only the 2018 search are included below. However, no additional articles meeting inclusion criteria were identified in the 2018 search.
Using PubMed, the key terms "Telehealth Genetic Counseling", "Prenatal Genetics Telehealth" and "Telegenetics" were used. PubMed is a comprehensive database that includes literature from MEDLINE, many life science journals and online book sources.17 This search was not limited by date, as TGC is a modern service delivery model. Peer-reviewed, original research that assessed the psychosocial implications of TGC and used a prenatal population was included. Articles that did not meet the above criteria were excluded. The described query returned a total of 82 results.
Of those, 27 duplicate results were excluded. A total of 15 results were not related to the field of genetic counselling and were excluded. Non-original research studies (11), studies not assessing the psychosocial implications following TGC (14) and studies not using a prenatal population (12) were also excluded. The reference lists of the remaining three articles were reviewed. Two additional articles met inclusion criteria and were also included in this review.
Table 1. Characteristics of included articles in this systematic review.
b Prenatal indications were described as urgent; no further information was provided.
Anxiety levels in response to TGC were mixed and quantitatively evaluated in three studies.18,20,22 Sangha et al. found participants had decreased anxiety after TGC. The pre-counselling verbal anxiety survey consisted of two questions and a maximum score of 20. On average, participants reported a 14.5 out of 20 (72.3%) prior to TGC. Post-counselling participants were provided a written questionnaire, which included an anxiety portion. This survey consisted of 10 questions and was adapted using questions from previous studies, some of which came from validated questionnaires. Five genetic counselling students reviewed this questionnaire to assess content and understandability. On average participants reported a score of 17.7 out of a maximum score of 40 (44.3%). In both surveys a higher score was associated with a higher level of perceived anxiety.18 Anxiety scores appear to have dropped after TGC.
Hunter et al. and Otten et al. both used the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to assess anxiety.20,22 The STAI is a validated tool to measure anxiety and the tendency to be anxious; higher scores are associated with increased levels of anxiety.24 Hunter et al. used the traditional STAI, which includes both the state subscale (20 items) and the trait subscale (20 items). Participants who received TGC did not have a significantly reduced level in anxiety; scores were reduced from 46. 7 to 45.5 (range 40-60).20 Alternatively, Otten et al. used an abbreviated, validated, Dutch version of the STAI, which was only six items. Again, participant anxiety was not significantly reduced following TGC. Participant STAI scores were reduced from 1.7 to 1.6 (range 1-4).22 Unfortunately, numeric results among these studies cannot be directly compared.
There are notable limitations to this systematic review. As described, only five studies met inclusion criteria using the described search. Only one database, PubMed, was used. Studies accessible elsewhere were not included.
Each article reviewed was unique. First, the articles were published in 2003, 2005(2), 2006 and 2016.18-22 Due to this, it is unclear if results are representative of prenatal TGC from the current decade. One consideration is the introduction and rapid expansion of cell-free DNA screening. Of note, different modes of telehealth were used, most often videoconferencing. It is possible more sophisticated videoconferencing technology could correlate with higher levels of patient satisfaction. The influence of novel testing and improved technologies was not assessed in this review.
The indications for prenatal TGC also differed. Most commonly, participants were referred due to abnormal maternal serum screening or advanced maternal age.18,20,21 Lea et al. and Otten et al. did not report the indication(s) for prenatal TGC, which impairs any further interpretation.19,22 Overall, the psychosocial effect of the indication for prenatal genetic counselling could not be assessed by this review.
TGC is an emerging service delivery model for prenatal indications. Today, there is limited up-to-date literature on this topic. For this reason, practices and individual practitioners providing prenatal TGC are encouraged to publish their internal data and experiences that best reflect the current state of prenatal TGC.
This review has indicated that overall, patient satisfaction with TGC is positive, and patient anxiety may be reduced. Other perceived benefits, such as increased convenience, were reported. Validated data collection tools are essential for future research within and between research groups. Furthermore, defining and standardising psychosocial and other social implications is necessary to improve future telehealth research. Overall, further research is needed to better assess the social implications of prenatal TGC.
Lastly, considering this review, it is unreasonable to conclude negative psychosocial implications of prenatal TGC are the driving factor for its apparent limited use. Further research is needed to understand the perceived barriers to the incorporation of prenatal TGC. Furthermore, genetic counsellors caring for prenatal populations are encouraged to consider using TGC, not as a replacement, but as an adjunct to the traditional service delivery model. If the field fails to use and conduct research on prenatal TGC, an opportunity is missed to provide meaningful genetic counselling for prenatal populations.
Resta R, Biesecker BB, Bennett RL et al. A new definition of genetic counseling: National society of genetic counselors' task force report. J Genet Counsel 2006;15(2):77-83.
Heimler A. An oral history of the national society of genetic counseling. J Genet Counsel 1997;6(3):315-336.
Dice LR. A panel discussion: Genetic counseling. Am J Hum Genet 1952;4(4):332–346.
Sites J, Jacobson C. Genetic counseling in obstetrics and gynecology. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1967;142(3):768-772.
National Society of Genetic Counselors. (2018). 2018 Professional status survey reports. Available at: http://www.nsgc.org/page/whoaregeneticcounselors accessed 10 June 2018.
Pletcher BA, Toriello HV, Noblin SJ et al. Indications for genetic referral: a guide for healthcare providers. Genet Med 2007;9(6):385-389.
World Health Organization. (1998). A health telematics policy in support of WHO's health-for-all strategy for global health development: Report of the WHO group consultation on health telematics, 11–16 Dec 1997. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Craig J, Patterson V. Introduction to the practice of telemedicine. J Telemed Telecare 2005;11(1):3–9.
World Health Organization. (2010). Telemedicine: opportunities and developments in member states. Available at: http://www.who.int/goe/publications/g oe_telemedicine_2010.pdf accessed June 18, 2017.
Wenger TL, Gerdes J, Taub K et al. Telemedicine for genetic and neurologic evaluation in the neonatal intensive care unit. J Perinatol 2014;34(3):234–240.
Otten E, Birnie E, Lucassen AM, Ranchor AV, Van Langen IM. Telemedicine uptake among genetics professionals in Europe: room for expansion. Eur J Hum Genet 2016;24(2):157-163.
Vrčar I, Hristovski D, Peterline B. Telegenetics: an update on availability and use of telemedicine in clinical genetics service. J Med Syst 2017;41(2):21.
Hilgart J, Hayward J, Coles B, Iredale R. Telegenetics: a systematic review of telemedicine in genetics services. Genet Med 2012;14(9):765-776.
Buchanan AH, Rahm AK, Williams JL. Alternate service delivery models in cancer genetic counseling: A mini-review. Front Oncol 2016;6:120.
Buchanan AH, Datta SK, Skinner CS et al. Randomized trial of telegenetics vs. in-person cancer genetic counseling: cost, patient satisfaction and attendance. J Genet Couns 2015;2(6):961-970.
McDonald E, Lamb A, Grillo B, Lucas L, Miesfeldt S. Acceptability of telemedicine and other cancer genetic counseling models of service delivery in geographically remote settings. J Genet Couns 2014;23(2):221-228.
National Center for Biotechnology Information (US). (2018). PubMed Help [Internet]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK3827/ accessed 24 November 2018.
Sangha KK, Dircks A, Langlois S. Assessment of the effectiveness of genetic counseling by telephone compared to a clinic visit. J Genet Couns 2006;12(2):171-184.
Lea DH, Johnson JL, Ellingwood S et al. Telegenetics in Maine: Successful clinical and educational service delivery model developed from a 3-year pilot project. Genet Med 2005;7(1):21-27.
Hunter A, Cappelli M, Humphreys L et al. A randomized trail comparing alternative approaches to prenatal diagnosis counseling in advanced maternal age patients. Clin Genet 2005;67(4):303-313.
Abrams D, Geier M. A comparison of patient satisfaction with telehealth and on-site consultations: a pilot study for prenatal genetic counseling. J Genet Couns 2006;15(3):199-205.
Otten E, Birnie E, Ranchor AV, Van Langen IM. Telegenetics use in presymptomatic genetic counselling: patient evaluations on satisfaction and quality of care. Eur J Hum Genet 2016;24(4):513–520.
Shiloh S, Avdor O, Goodman RM. Satisfaction with genetic counseling: dimensions and measurement. Am J Med Genet 1990;37(4):522-529.
Julian LJ. Measures of anxiety: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A). Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2011;63(S11):S467-472.


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Why Chinese Company is No-Go for Home Automation
Home IoT WiFi 2.4Ghz Vs 5Ghz:Which is better
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WiFi 2.4Ghz Vs 5Ghz:Which is better
iottrends
In the day and age of internet and wireless communication, you must have come across the term wireless signal numerous times. Technical experts across social media platforms mention frequency and bandwidths during their reviews. It must be baffling to come across these terms, especially for non-technical individuals.
What are wireless signals?
Wireless signals allow transferring various types of data. Typically, they are electromagnetic waves that travel through the air on specific frequency spectrums. These frequencies are the rates at which the signal can vibrate. Thus, these numbers that bemuse you are nothing but the frequencies at which the routers exchange information, i.e., 2.4GHz or 5GHz.
Let's delve further and explore some of the essential information about this topic.
Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz
These numbers refer to two distinct frequencies or bands as used synonymously. The frequencies are commonly used by Wi-Fi routers to transmit the connection. The primary difference between the frequencies is in the form of speed and the range that they offer.
Ideally, wireless transmission with 2.4 GHz wavelength can provide internet to a larger area at the cost of faster speed, whereas at 5 GHz offers a faster speed within a restricted location. You need to note that every router consists of a different set of frequencies. To gain the maximum performance of your Wi-Fi, it is crucial to consider your needs before choosing the band and the channel for your requirements. The 2.4 GHz frequency in a Wi-Fi router enables a broader coverage of the area to penetrate through objects or walls at a maximum speed of 150 Mbps. However, this frequency is prone to interference and disturbances.
On the other hand, the newer of the two frequencies is the 5GHz that can provide a higher speed to handle minimal interference. It can be an ideal choice for internet connectivity at home. Crucial information on this frequency is its inability to penetrate solid objects, hence not considered a very successful band.
Different Wi-Fi standard supported in 2.4 GHz?
The 802.11 is a standard that has been around for a decade. Therefore the newer wireless technologies are built to support both the frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Let's dive in and look at some of the standards supported in the 2.4 GHz band.
The 802.11 is a standard for WiFi. This is the first WiFi standard was introduced in the year 1997. The name was derived from the team that was responsible for its development. It supports up to 1 or 2 Mbps transmission capacity in 2.4 GHz band. This is the original IEEE standard. The more letters that get added signifies faster speed and performance.
The standard 802.11 was further upgraded to 802.11b in 1999. This bandwidth supports 11 Mbps. The frequency remained the same at 2.4 GHz. For lowering the cost of production, the service providers prefer to have lower frequencies. As these networks fall into the unregulated network, the devices connected may have interferences from other devices such as microwaves, wireless phones, and connected appliances. However, 802.11b is rightly equipped to avoid any interference by maintaining the appropriate distance from other appliances. 802.11b is compatible with the g network. The backward compatibility allows for supporting more devices. The transmission speed is up to 11 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band.
Pros: Low cost and the range of the signal is adequate without any disturbance.
Home appliances disturbance is possible and maximum speed is not sufficient.
The extension of 802.11b is known as the 802.11a. The cost factor of acquiring an 802.11a frequency is higher as compared to 802.11b. It is commonly found in enterprise networks. The maximum bandwidth is 54 Mbps and comprises of a regulated frequency spectrum of 5 GHz. The drawback of this network is the coverage area, which is comparatively smaller than 802.11b. There is a difficulty faced with a higher frequency while penetrating walls and other obstructions in the room.
Faster speed, Regulated frequency.
Higher cost factor and lower signal range.
This is perhaps the most popular network that offers speed and backward compatibility as well. It has a transmission speed of 54 Mbps and supporting the 2.4 GHz band. Thus, it is widely implemented in modern networks.
It is commonly known as Wireless N. The focus was on improving the performance of 802.11g. When multiple frequencies are combined to achieve higher speed through antennas, it is called MIMO technology. It is backward compatible and offers a good range of coverage compared to earlier WiFi Stds.
This network type is the fastest among all of the available ones. The standard transmission speed is considered 100 Mbps, but it can support speed up to a staggering 600 Mbps in the right conditions. It is possible under the circumstances when multiple frequencies are used at once, and the speed is combined. The frequency is in the range of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
For 2.4Ghz band Theoretical throughput is 300Mbps
For 5GHz band Theoretical throughput is 600Mbps
Highest rate, best among the signal range, no interference.
It is not yet finalized, costly, and multiple frequencies may cause interference with other networks based on 802.11g in the area.
Which frequency channels are allowed for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz?
The 802.11 standard supports five frequency ranges: 2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 4.9 GHz, 5GHz, and 5.9 GHz. These ranges are further divided into a group of channels. The allowable channel and maximum power level vary according to countries as per their regulations. In the USA, the licensed radio operators are allowed to use some of the channels at a higher power for covering a more comprehensive range of wireless access.
Illustration of the 2.4 GHz band channels.
Allowable channels in 2.4 GHz band in most countries
A total of 14 channels are accepted in the 2.4 GHz band. They are spaced apart by 5 MHz; however, an exception of 12 MHz exists before channel 14. It is crucial to highlight that in 802.11g/n, and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing is not feasible. Hence it affects the number of possible non-overlapping channels for radio operation.
As the 2.4GHz band is 100 MHz wide, the allowable channels tend to overlap with each other. Therefore, it leads to interference in the Wi-Fi network. However, individual channels are capable of offering better performance because they don't overlap. The use of channels 1,6 and 11 or 1, 5, 9, 13 in specific nations are used in the 2.4 GHz spectrum. These channels allow us to remove cross channel interference possibilities as the channels cells are spread wide apart from one another.
On the other hand, in the 5 GHz spectrum, 24 channels don't overlap. The cross-channel interference is tackled by placing the same channel access points away from each other. This ensures that the coverage area is divided into smaller cells, and each section consists of limited clients.
How 2.4 GHz has a more extended range than 5 GHz?
The coverage differs due to the nature of frequency. A higher frequency struggles to penetrate through objects. On the contrary, the lower frequency can pass through walls and other items easily. However, the data is transmitted quicker on a higher frequency as compared to the lower frequency. A higher frequency makes data downloading and uploading faster. Some of the major points are highlighted below.
2.4Ghz 5Ghz
802.11b/g/n.
802.11a/n/ac.
A wider range of up to 300ft. The indoor range is significantly lower (~90 ft).
Compatible with most devices in general. Compatible with 802.11a/n/ac supported devices only.
Three non-overlapping channels. 24 non-overlapping channels.
Congestion problems with Wi-Fi connectivity. Lower congestion as compared to 2.4GHz.
May face non-Wi-Fi interference. Lesser Wi-Fi interference.
Frequency band in 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz
This is the next generation among the available Wi-Fi networks. It comprises a dual-band wireless technology that can support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. There is support for backward compatibility. The maximum speed falls in the range of 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz and about 450 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz.
Pros: Much improved bandwidth capacity, supports simultaneous frequencies and backward compatible
Cons: Costly and prone to interference.
What is Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO)?
Multiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) is a form of wireless technology that consists of multiple transmitters and receivers that allows the transfer of an enormous amount of data at a single instance. Currently, MIMO
Is applicable only in 5GHz technology
802.11n onwards WiFi stds only support this technology.
MIMO allows to achieve higher speeds as compared to devices with other network support.
Basic structure of a MIMO system in WiFi
To use MIMO, the access point and the station must have support for MIMO. A natural radio-wave called multipath is used for transmitting the signal. The signal can bounce off walls or ceilings and other objects, which passes on to the receiving antenna through various angles. Earlier usage of MIMO reported having faced problems related to interference and slowing down of signals. The addition of multipath in MIMO allows using smart transmitters and receivers to increase performance and signal range. The antennas' purpose increases the receiver signal while combining the data streams from different paths at varying time intervals.
What is the modulation scheme?
Before we proceed to the modulation scheme, it is essential to understand the concept of modulation.
So what is modulation? Modulation is a necessary process that is associated with the conversion of data into electrical signals for transmission. There are primarily three types of modulation: amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, and digital modulation.
In general, wireless signals use adaptive modulation techniques. The advancement in technology has led to systems capable of supporting higher data rates in the network. The speed of transmission in modern devices is higher than older generation WLAN systems. There is a need for implementing different modulation techniques to achieve a higher speed of transmission.
Currently, a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSS) WLAN system uses binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation techniques. These modulation techniques don't meet the needs for higher data rate transmission. Thus, companies have started employing the more complex nature of modulation techniques. Some of the most common types of modulation techniques that support higher data rate transmission are M-ary orthogonal keying (MOK), complementary code keying (CCK), cyclic-code shift keying (CCSK), pulse position modulation (PPM), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), orthogonal code division multiplexing (OCDM), and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).
Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) existed in the older versions of Wi-Fi for single transmission type. The latest offering is Wi-Fi 6 supports both OFDMA and OFDM.
OFDMA is responsible for splitting up the Wi-Fi channels into a smaller set of frequency allocations known as resource units. This procedure aims to achieve better communication between the access point and multiple clients by assigning specific resource units. The channel's division into various frequencies allows us to have improved video and audio streaming in a lag-free manner, thus enhancing the application's performance. The OFDMA modulation technique is highly flexible as single clients may be provided the entire channel or perform the splitting as per the network traffic. The subcarriers of a channel are allocated to other clients for continuous transmission at a given time. The access point is responsible for the allocation of the channel or its subcarriers based on the need. Such a process allows for achieving effectiveness in the utilization of bandwidth. OFDMA is known to perform well in high-density environments. In total, there are 256 subcarriers in a 20 MHz channel, also known as resource units. 25, 52, 104, and 242 are the standard resource units available in a 20MHz channel and a minimum bandwidth allocation of 26 tone resource units that adds up to 2 MHz.
There are 256 subcarriers (tones) in a 20 MHz channel, and these groups of subcarriers are called resource units (RUs). The standardized resource units in a 20 MHz channel are 26, 52, 104, and 242. The minimum bandwidth allocation is 26 tone resource unit (RU) – approximately 2MHz.
A significant transition allowed the shift from simple analog amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency/phase modulation (FM/PM) to advanced forms of digital modulation techniques in recent years. Some of the examples of new modulation techniques are quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), frequency-shift keying (FSK), minimum shift keying (MSK), phase-shift keying (PSK), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).
MSK is an improvement over QPSK. It has been successful due to the involvement of linear phase change. However, the spectral density is on the lower side lobes that help control adjacent channel interference.
QAM is another addition to the digital modulation techniques. It is used in applications like microwave digital radio, modems, and digital video broadcasting cable. Generally, there are four I value and four Q values, respectively. The result is a real possibility of 16 states for the signal, transmitting from any given state to any other state.
The most common type of phase modulation is QPSK. The most popular use of QPSK has been in cellular service, offering CDMA connectivity. The term quadrature refers to the shifting of phase states. The points are selected with the use of an I/Q modulator.
FSK is among the digital modulation techniques that involve changes in carrier signals based on the changes occurring in digital signals. Typically, the output comprises a higher frequency for high binary input and lower for low binary input.
PSK is the modulation technique in which the phase of the carrier is subject to changes by varying the sine and cosine input values at a given time. PSK techniques are most commonly found in wireless LANs, bio-metrics, Bluetooth technology, and RFID communications.
What is SSID?
SSID, does this term seem familiar? Probably yes, for people who have gone in-depth into the settings of the home based Wi-Fi connectivity. An SSID stands for a service set identifier. This is the most commonly associated with the 802.11 WLAN in the home network or a public hotspot. This allows for user devices to search for a wireless network to join.
In simple terms, SSIDs are the names of your Wi-Fi network. If you have tried to access a Wi-Fi network publicly, you must have come across your wireless device with a list of names of the access network in the area. In most cases, SSIDs are displayed with a lock symbol that states the network's security option is enabled. The SSIDs doesn't have a common name as it can be changed when required. The majority of wireless routers allow disabling the SSID broadcasting to improve the security of the Wi-Fi network. With the possibility of discovering the SSID from the header of data packets in a router, this technique's effectiveness is questionable.
Cons of SSID
Easier access to the network with an SSID that does not have security options enabled.
A default SSID may create a clash with a nearby network with a similar name. In such a scenario, the network with a stronger link will connect instead of the desired network.
A flashy name of the network may invite unwanted attention from hackers.
An SSID may contain information that can be offensive.
What is BSSID?
Basic service set identifiers (BSSID) is a 48-bit identifier. It can be used to identify the access point or router because of its unique address. It can be simplified as the MAC address of a wireless access point. When there are multiple WLANs, there is a need to identify the access points and the client. Thus this identifier is included in the wireless pockets for this purpose. Ideally, as an administrator, you may supervise the activity within the BSS as you will acquire the information on the overloading of a network. With the help of a BSS, it is easy to locate the client. There is interlinking between the MAC address and the BSSID as all the packets contain the source BSSIDs. It is easy to identify the packet. However, it works well with a single radio and single WLAN configured.
How is a new network identified?
In specific cases, the wireless network doesn't send out the SSID. A NIC may pick up the signal without a name for the access point. In such a scenario, you will be required to provide the name. The following steps may guide to identify a new network.
Access the control panel.
Select View Network Status.
Select the option to set up a connection or network.
Choose connect to a wireless network.
Click on the Next button.
Type the SSID into the network name option.
Select the security type from the security type button from the menu.
On the activation of the encryption type button, select the appropriate encryption from the menu.
Fill in the wireless network's password in the security key text box.
Click next to connect with the network.
Select the connect to option.
Important terminology of wireless network
The standard 802.11n is also termed as Wi-Fi 4. This standard is considered as an upgrade over the 802.11g. MIMO technology was first introduced in this Wi-Fi standard. Due to the implementation of MIMO, a higher bandwidth rate of up to 150 Mbps is possible. The range of a Wi-Fi 4 device can achieve about 70 meters and 250 in outer conditions. The devices such as 2T3R and 4T4R are the Wi-Fi 4 devices with support for MIMO configurations. The modulation schemes that are used are QPSK, BPSK, 6QAM, and 16QAM. It supports both the frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
802.11ac standard by IEEE is what is known as Wi-Fi 5. This standard includes support for multi-user MIMO features. It supports a higher bandwidth along with higher spatial streams and higher throughput. The modulation schemes are on the higher side at 256 QAM. Wi-Fi 5 works on a 5 GHz frequency. The data transmission rate supported is up to 3.4 Gbps. Several bandwidth channels are supported, such as 160 MHz, 20 MHz, 80 MHz, and 40 MHz. There is support for multi-user and single-user transmissions, respectively. The expected range of coverage is between 80 meters and three antennas.
So why is there a buzz about Wi-Fi 6, and why it matters?
Wi-Fi 6 is the newest addition to the wireless standards, which is expected to be faster than 802.11ac. This new standard is known as 802.11ax. Speed, along with performance, is the focus area of this new standard. With the capability of providing uninterrupted speed in congested areas to football stadiums or your home network, Wi-Fi 6 is well equipped with modern technologies incorporated into it. Although it was officially released in 2019, the specialized hardware is releasing gradually in 2020.
The latest Wi-Fi standard has the fastest data transfer speeds among the other standards. The expected difference in speed on a single device is about 40% higher than the Wi-Fi 5 standard. It has been possible to reach such speeds due to the efficient encoding of data that results in better throughput. The encoder and decoder mechanism is more powerful that allows handling additional work. The new standard has been found to increase the speed even on a 2.4 GHz frequency. Although there has been a steady shift towards the 5 GHz frequency, the 2.4 GHz is still considered to be among the best in penetrating solid objects. The scope of interference has been reduced as old generation technology such as cordless phones no longer exist in the market today.
Let's deep dive further and have a look at some of the possible benefits of Wi-Fi 6.
Improved battery life: The likes of the Internet of Things (IoT) have led to smarter devices' innovations. The introduction of a new feature called target wake time is responsible for handling the Wi-Fi enabled devices' wake-up time. This feature can communicate with the device when the device needs to sleep and wake up on receiving a transmission. Using this feature will save power as it will be in sleep mode during idle conditions, thus longer battery for your smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
Performance enhancement in crowded areas: Often, you may have come across situations wherein a busy and congested area tends to interfere with the connectivity. There are multiple devices in such surroundings. It is common in places such as markets, malls, stadiums, hotels, or airports. As per Intel's reports, Wi-Fi 6 is expected to increase the user's average speed by a minimum of 4 times from earlier performance rates in a crowded place. It will also be applicable if you are using at home with multiple devices connected at the same time or if you are living in an apartment complex with various networks and people.
How does Wi-Fi 6 tackle congestion?
Wi-Fi 6 is designed in a way that has divided a wireless channel into multiple sub-channels. The sub-channels carry data to be transmitted to another device. This process is achieved through a new technology feature called orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). It allows for an access point to communicate with many devices at a single time. MIMO has been improved significantly than the previous generation with multiple antennas. Although Wi-Fi 5 let the access points to communicate with other devices, the devices couldn't respond in return. This factor has been improved in Wi-Fi 6 with MU-MIMO, allowing the devices to communicate with the access points simultaneously.
Wi-Fi has become an integral part of our daily lives and how we operate in the personal and professional space. The introduction of newer standards has significantly improved the connectivity and speed factors needed to be addressed in time. As technology evolves, it is highly likely to expect better and smarter standards that will incorporate artificial intelligence and IoT to an extent to improve user experience beyond an unimaginable point in the future.
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Gopi patel
The author of this post has undoubtedly done a great job by shaping this article on such an uncommon yet untouched topic. There are not many posts to be seen on this topic and hence whenever I came across this one, I didn't think twice before reading it. The language of this post is extremely clear and easy to understand and this is possibly the USP of this post.
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Take the North South Expy toward City Centre.
Follow signs to Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
Description The Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur is the perfect place to reside whether for business or pleasure. This hotel is located adjacent to the world famous Petronas Twin Towers, overlooking a lush 50 acre park. It prime location within the Kuala Lumpur City Centre is linked by a direct walkway to the Suria KLCC, the city's largest retail development and the Twin Towers. The hotel features an extended range of business services, exceptional recreational facilities, a spa, and six food and beverage outlets.
The Mandarin Oriental features 643 luxurious guestrooms, all beautifully appointed, and equipped with great amenities. The bathrooms are equipped with a separate bathtub and shower. Room service is available 24 hours a day. The Mandarin Oriental Vitality Club offers state of the art fitness facilities and rejuvenating spa and massage therapies. Guest can relax in the sauna, steam room or the Thalgo Marine Spa. The onsite restaurants offer a great choice of fine Asian cuisines and International cuisine, as well. The Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur is a great choice for luxury and convenience in a coveted location.


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Deeply inspired by Tim Bray's "Letter Sweep" and my dad's "My Browser A-Z". Notice, there are 3 Google subdomains, but no google.com. Is the omnibox killing the Google homepage?
Even though it's an API I visit it regularly. Probably also got an extra push due to my blog post about it.
For the latest and probably greatest visualisations on the net.
I can't even remember the last time I visited this, I'd grade it questionable.
My ORM of choice when working with Sinatra.
I visit this page regularly to explore Wikipedia, it's very helpful for discovering new interesting topics.
Not sure if it's really useful or completely useless.
I know it's flash, but still good for finding nice color schemes.
You can't imagine with how many different ports I found this.
Apparently not dead and still useful.
Makes >30% of my time on the web. GO HN!
Really great introduction to fractals. A must-read!
Is not being mainstream, too mainstream?
Not recommended for buying tech, definitely.
Refrence implementation of web and esoteric languages. Helped a lot when building a Brainfuck interpreter.
Resource for a paper I have written recently.
Useful for coding along with The Little Schemer book that I'm reading at the moment.
To answer all the questions Google can't.
Well, of course. to quote Tim Bray.
For my weekly dose of physics and interesting factoids.
Great presentations and more Github!