{"product_id":"lives-in-ruins-archaeologists-and-the-seductive-lure-of-human-rubble-isbn-9780062127181","title":"Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe author of \u003cem\u003eThe Dead Beat\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThis Book is Overdue!\u003c\/em\u003e turns her piercing eye and charming wit to the real-life avatars of Indiana Jones—the archaeologists who sort through the muck and mire of swamps, ancient landfills, volcanic islands, and other dirty places to reclaim history for us all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePompeii, Machu Picchu, the Valley of the Kings, the Parthenon—the names of these legendary archaeological sites conjure up romance and mystery. The news is full of archaeology: treasures found (British king under parking lot) and treasures lost (looters, bulldozers, natural disaster, and war). Archaeological research tantalizes us with possibilities (are modern humans really part Neandertal?). Where are the archaeologists behind these stories? What kind of work do they actually do, and why does it matter?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarilyn Johnson’s \u003cem\u003eLives in Ruins\u003c\/em\u003e is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists as they sweat under the sun for clues to the puzzle of our past. Johnson digs and drinks alongside archaeologists, chases them through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and even Machu Picchu, and excavates their lives. Her subjects share stories we rarely read in history books, about slaves and Ice Age hunters, ordinary soldiers of the American Revolution, children of the first century, Chinese woman warriors, sunken fleets, mummies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat drives these archaeologists is not the money (meager) or the jobs (scarce) or the working conditions (dangerous), but their passion for the stories that would otherwise be buried and lost.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eFinding Life in Ruins\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJump into a battered Indiana Jones–style Jeep with the intrepid Marilyn Johnson and head down bone-rattling roads in search of those who dig up the past. Johnson, the author of two acclaimed books about quirky subcultures–\u003cem\u003eThe Dead Beat\u003c\/em\u003e (about obituary writers) and \u003cem\u003eThis Book Is Overdue!\u003c\/em\u003e (about librarians)–brings her irrepressible wit and curiosity to bear on yet another strange world, that of archaeologists. Who chooses to work in ruins? What's the allure of sifting through layers of dirt under a hot sun? Why do archaeologists care so passionately about what's dead and buried–and why should we?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohnson tracks archaeologists around the globe from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, from Newport, Rhode Island to Machu Picchu. She digs alongside experts on an eighteenth-century sugar plantation and in a first-century temple to Apollo. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe hunts for bodies with forensics archaeologists in the vast and creepy Pine Barrens of New Jersey, drinks beer with an archaeologist of ancient beverages, and makes stone tools like a caveman. By turns amusing and profound, \u003cem\u003eLives in Ruins\u003c\/em\u003e and its wild cast of characters find new ways to consider what is worth salvaging from our past.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArchaeologists are driven by the love of history and the race to secure its evidence ahead of floods and bombs, looters and thieves, and before the bulldozers move in. Why spend your life in ruins? To uncover our hidden stories before they disappear. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Johnson’s book is simultaneously a crash course in basic archaeology and a sociological study of the various quirky subcultures of professional archaeologists. Both types of material prove fascinating, and she is a funny and garrulous guide to the terrain. Johnson skillfully captures the vivid and quirky characters drawn to archaeology.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eLives in Ruins\u003c\/em\u003e is…delectable.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSalon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Johnson writes in a charming and thoughtful manner, weaving in her personal observations, insightful quotes from her subjects and a wide-eyed fascination with her subjects.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“World travel, drinking, lust in the dust-our lives are all in ruins, indeed, and Johnson reveals why we wouldn’t want it any other way.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSarah Parcak, National Geographic Society Fellow and author of Satellite Remote Sensing for Archaeology\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The great pleasure with which I read this book took me back to when I was eight years old and wanted to be an archaeologist. Marilyn Johnson does a wonderful job uncovering the delight in this tough, important, and exhilarating profession.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIan Frazier, author of Great Plains, Travels in Siberia, and Humor Me: An Anthology of Funny Contemporary Writing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Johnson’s contribution to this genre is unmatched...wonderful and engaging work peels back the superficial glamour surrounding archaeology and archaeologists...Without glitz, the author has created a very enjoyable work that will be appreciated by experts in the field and casual readers alike.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“As she did in her previous books about librarians and obituary writers, Johnson finds that the line between inspirationally nutty and actually crazy is measured in the joy of the work.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Johnson writes entertainingly, employing many quirky tidbits gleaned from the likably eccentric intellects she meets.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A gem of hands-on reportage.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An engrossing examination of how archaeologists re-create much of human history, piece by painstaking piece.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A lively love letter to archaeologists...Many archaeologists credit Indiana Jones with sparking their passion, and Johnson may well inspire a new generation to take up this calling.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888687968485,"sku":"NP9780062127181","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062127181.jpg?v=1730229621","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/lives-in-ruins-archaeologists-and-the-seductive-lure-of-human-rubble-isbn-9780062127181","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}