All About Scotland
When I think of Scotland images of bagpipes, kilts, the loch ness monster, and Scotland Yard (yes, I know it's actually located in London but the name IS connected to Scotland.) come to mind.
More relevant things that come to mind about Scotland are the many things we use daily -- and probably take for granted -- that were invented by the Scots; like the decimal point, street lighting, telephone, television, bridges, lighthouses, and the fax machine. They even gave us basketball and golf? A truly creative bunch of folks those Scots!
To find out what I mean check out these books recently cited in The Wall Street Journal by Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland, as "works that reflect the spirit" of his native land.
- A Scots Quair (Sunset Song) by Louis Grassic Gibbon
Set on a farm in northern Scotland, this classic novel, written in a Scottish dialect, chronicles the life of character Chris Guthrie from childhood to womanhood. (This book is a trilogy.) - The Complete Works of Robert Burns A collection of poems written by the famous poet, lyricist, and farmer.
- How the Scots Invented the Modern World, by Arthur Herman, takes the reader on a journey through the cultural, social, intellectual and industrial development of the country during the 18th and 19th centuries and how the entire western world at large was impacted.
- The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Salmond refers to this book as "an economist's treasure trove." As the author so eloquently put it, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest." Indeed, that sums up nicely what makes our world go round.
You'll also find fiction books set in Scotland or written by Scottish authors here. And Scottish book reviews are at Scottish Review of Books.