Hi everyone,
A few months ago, I finished reading Figuring by Maria Popova, and it remains one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever encountered. It left me with a deep and lasting sense of wonder and inspiration, and I hope that if you choose to read it, you’ll experience something similar. This book is a work of art.
Happy reading,
mariana
Why did I read this book?
I first encountered Maria Popova years ago through her blog, Brain Pickings, though I didn’t connect much with the content at the time. Then, a few months ago, my friend Leti sent me an article from The Marginalian (the blog’s newish name), and I was immediately intrigued. The piece Leti shared was genius—concise yet packed with wisdom and beauty. Fascinated, I started exploring more of Popova’s work, clicking through the endless hyperlinks available, and I was continuously amazed by what I found.
I craved more of Maria’s mind and spirit in my life, so I googled her name and discovered she had also written a book. Without hesitation, I bought it.
What is the book about?
It’s difficult to summarise Figuring, as it covers a wide range of interrelated topics. At its core, Figuring explores the process of meaning-making and humanity’s endless pursuit of truth, happiness, and beauty. The book brings to life several fascinating historical figures—Johannes Kepler, Maria Mitchell, Rachel Carson, Margaret Fuller, Emily Dickinson—many of whom I had never encountered before. We learn about how they thought, lived, loved, and died—each illustrating the many different ways in which a life can be beautiful.
Ultimately, Figuring is Maria Popova’s own search for meaning, expressed through art, science, and archival storytelling. She is a remarkable author and human being, and her life’s work is a living collection of beautiful things.
Why should you read it?
If you’re looking for a beautiful read, this book is for you.
If you want to feel inspired, this book is for you.
If you seek to be surprised, this book is for you.
"Questions of meaning are a function of human life, but they are not native to the universe itself—meaning is not what we find, but what we create with the lives we live and the seeds we plant and the organizing principles according to which we sculpt our personhood."
— Maria Popova
/*The illustrations on Mariana’s Bookshelf are by my dear friend @philomena.rose.cervello. You can view her work here.*/
Links to buy the book
Always try to support your local bookshop. If you’d like me to add any bookshops to the list, let me know. Thanks to those who keep sharing new bookshops with me.
UK
Spain
Mexico
Italy
US
Important notes
For UK and US readers, Bookshop.org is a great option to support your local bookshop. You can read more about it here.
If you’re using Gmail and the newsletter keeps going to your Promotions tab, you can try the following:
Open Gmail on your computer or laptop (it doesn’t work on mobile phones), and then drag the email from the Promotions tab into the Primary tab.
Add mariachi@substack.com to your contact list
The illustrations on Mariana’s Bookshelf are by my dear friend @philomena.rose.cervello. You can view her work here.
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