Diagram Prize 2014

My favourite book award of the year! The Diagram Prize is awarded to the book with the most peculiar title by The Bookseller, a British trade publication. Normally the books are so obscure and esoteric that I just read about them and chuckle to myself.

This year, however, is different. This year we have two out of the six books nominated!

Pie-Ography: if my life were a pie (M)
by Jo Packham

“What kind of pie conveys the experience of starting a new job, getting married, becoming a mom? Over 30 of the country’s top foodies are here to tell you. Each one has devised a pie recipe that captures the essence of her life. Stir in beautiful photography, short essays, and brief bios, and voilá, you’ve got more than a cookbook: you’ve got Pieography. From Espresso Dream Pie to Salmon and Spinach Pie, this collection nourishes body and soul.” publisher

The Origin of Feces: what excrement tells us about evolution, ecology, and a sustainable society (M) by David Waltner-Toews

“An entertaining and enlightening exploration of why waste matters, this cultural history explores an often ignored subject matter and makes a compelling argument for a deeper understanding of human and animal waste. Approaching the subject from a variety of perspectives—evolutionary, ecological, and cultural—this examination shows how integral excrement is to biodiversity, agriculture, public health, food production and distribution, and global ecosystems. From primordial ooze, dung beetles, bug frass, cat scats, and flush toilets to global trade, pandemics, and energy, this is the awesome, troubled, uncensored story of feces.” publisher

And the others? Well, the provactively titled:

How to Poo on a Date by Mats and Enzo;

Working Class Cats: the Bodega Cats of New York City by Chris Balsiger (rumoured to be this year’s favourite);

Are Trout South African (Stories of Fish People and Places) by Duncan Brown; and

How to Pray When You’re Pissed at God: or anyone else for that matter by Ian Punnett.