In miniature How small things illuminate the world

Garfield (To the Letter, 2013) posits that, once people could look down upon Paris from the Eiffel Tower, a fascination with rendering one's world smaller began. There are miniature towns sprinkled around the globe, with a surprising number in the British Isles. There's one especially creepy village in which the residents' unease suggests that they are aware of their "situation." In early-twentieth-century Chicago, Narcissa Thorne devoted a large share of her life and resources to recreating detailed period rooms that are pristine and people-free. Meanwhile, Thorne's contemporary Frances Glessner Lee's miniature houses are littered with dead bodies, so compelled was she by how people died in their respective rooms; her models are still used as forensics-instruction tools. A model slave ship, complete with shackled humans, so horrified viewers that some say it single-handedly changed attitudes about slavery. And let's not forget the nod to what Garfield thinks inspired such miniaturizing: there is an Eiffel Tower built of 11,000 toothpicks. Miniature books also get their due in this wide-ranging book. A fun read, especially for model train and dollhouse enthusiasts.--Joan Curbow Copyright 2018 Booklist

Garfield (Timekeepers: How the World Became Obsessed with Time, 2018, etc.) turns his attention to models and miniatures and other small things that grab and reward our attention."At its simplest, the miniature shows us how to see, learn and appreciate more with less," concludes the author, following a tour of the world of miniatures that has encompassed model railroads (Rod Stewart and Neil Young are enthusiasts), model boats (including slave ships, which somehow magnify the horror), model houses, and even miniature towns and cities. The size and scale are less important than the relationship of standing for something bigger, so the author also discusses hotels on the Las Vegas strip, including the Bellagio, the Venetian, and Paris. "The more one speaks to those who have adopted Vegas as their home," he writes, "the more one hears talk of Europe as the phantom and Vegas as the real deal." Garfield begins and ends with the Eiffel Towernot because of its impressive architecture or the perspective on the city it affords but because "the opening of the tower marked the birth of the mass-consumed souvenir and the dawn of the factory-made scale model." Consequently, others were inspired to build their own, including one constructed of 11,000 toothpicks that took approximately 300 hours to build. As much history as the author provides, he seems even more interested in human psychology: Why would someone spend so much time and effort to construct something that is ultimately without purpose, and why would others flock to see it? Garfield devotes a lot of attention to the ideal of order in a world of chaos while recognizing that the obsession can seem insane. Yet, as he writes of a man who has devoted much of his life to constructing a fleet of matchstick ships, "his dinner guests scoff that his work is pointless, but he's happier in his world than they may ever be in theirs."In other words, it takes all kinds. Another entertaining book from Garfield. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.