A New York musician with west African roots. A bridge builder in the high Andes. A mirror maker in India. What do these people have in common? They, and others featured in this book are practitioners of ancient, and, in many cases, dying arts. The author traveled the globe to talk to these people about their lives, their skills, and what it means to their communities. The man in the Andes makes grass bridges in the ancient Incan tradition. The building of the bridge is a community affair, with the local populace coming together to gather the materials and braid the grass under his supervision. A woman in rural India is one of the few people who knows how to make valkannadi mirrors, an important component of many Hindu rituals. The musician is part of the African griot tradition of story telling and singing going back for centuries.
The author is respectful of the artists and artisans he talks to. He assures his subjects that he won't reveal anything without their stated approval (and one of those subjects smiles and tells him she didn't tell him everything, but she appreciates his promise). This book is a peek into world cultures, what they value, and what may be lost.
Recommended for medium to large public libraries, and where in interest in world cultures is high.

A beautiful, well-written, compelling read that made me realize there is so much going on in the world that I don't know anything about, and also that some of those things have and may yet disappear forever.

Eliot Stein's writing is clear, lyrical, and evocative. I want to visit every place and meet every person, and know all the things. I did have to shave my rating down (I would rate it a 4.5 but only whole stars are allowed), only because each chapter was deceptively long. There were several times when I thought I was almost done with a chapter and it turned out to have quite a few more pages to go. This speaks to Stein's amazing attention to detail, but it did mean I had to stop in the middle sometimes and come back to finish the chapter later, which meant I probably lost some details as I went.

But I stand by this book as a fantastic idea and wonderful execution, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC of this book.

I thought the concept of this was interesting and it was well-written, though it could be long-winded at times. Each chapter could've been a little shorter and still gotten the point across. That said, I will recommend it to people who like history and anthropology, and are interested in disappearing cultural artifacts/practices. It had a lot of interesting information and I definitely learned a lot!

Custodians of Wonder has fascinating stories of people all over the world keeping traditions alive. You are sure to find a few favorites. For me "Where Bees Are a Part of the Family" and "The Most Romantic Job in Europe" were my favorite chapters. Eliot Stein does a very thorough job of writing about each of these very different people and traditions. I would have loved to see photos with the stories but the Kindle version didn't have them. I was able to do a search and found many though.
This would make a lovely gift for someone who loves trivia or unique facts.
I was gifted an ARC by NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Custodians of Wonder begins by waxing bittersweet about the fact that many young people are leaving their ancestral homes, and by consequence, many ancient practices are dying out as there are no longer new generations to learn them and keep the traditions alive. With this melancholy tone sufficiently set, each chapter tells a tale in journalistic style about the author visiting a relatively remote area to experience a specific rare tradition. From bridges to pasta and many other unique practices, the author experiences the tradition firsthand and offers a brief history of each. Each chapter ends by wondering what will happen if no child steps forward to inherit the skills necessary to keep the unique cultural practice alive.

This book has a lot of fascinating information. In some ways, it's a world tour that skips over the most common tourist attractions and explores the rare treasures that can only be found in remote or rural areas. The historical piece is told in an engaging manner, and it was fun getting to experience people and places alongside the author. In my opinion, there's a little bit too much self-insert by the author (for example, I didn't really care about which travelers got tummy aches in Africa). It's the sort of fluff that bores me when I watch travel documentaries or instructional videos. The overall tone of the book put me in a bad mood as well, thinking about how the world is constantly changing and what was once common practice has become lost. I can't really fix the sad losses that this book explores, so it's a bit of a bummer constantly hearing about how cool they are, only to be reminded of the fact that they're disappearing. This book is an honest and interesting look at some remarkable people, places, and events. and it's well worth the read if you're the sort of person who likes rare wonders (and is prepared to feel sad that you'll likely never experience them).

This book. I absolutely loved it. Each chapter is a fascinating account of an individual who is devoted to preserving a cultural tradition. I had no idea of the existence of most of these traditions, which is why I read this book as a series of wonderful surprises. I didn't look at the table of contents, and so I'd read a chapter and think, "ok, this book can not get any more interesting", then bam - the next chapter fascinated me even more all over again. Stein tells such interesting stories about individual people and how they have maintained their traditions, but he places them in the context of the geography, history, politics, etc. of where the tradition takes place. For me personally, the last chapter was extra special, as it took place about 2 and a 1/2 hours away from where my dad grew up in Germany. I was nodding my head as I related to Stein's descriptions of the German people's love for nature and the forest.

Eliot Stein's book reminds me that every single person has a story to tell. I get so caught up in the news stories posted every day, and they often leave me feeling a little hopeless. Eliot Stein's book is a wonderful beacon of hope despite the fact that many of the stories are about traditions that might have no one left to keep them going. However, it's the quiet devotion of and love that each of these individuals have for their craft that leaves me inspired and hopeful.

Thanks so much to #netgalley and St Martin's Press for the Advanced Reading Copy.

Something for everyone. Custodians of Wonder reminds me of the books my kids loved when they were young; unusual facts that were fun conversation starters. I loved the collection of people the author chose to document. I think everyone will have a different favorite, mine was the magic mirror maker in India who's mirrors reveal one's true self.
I do wish the chapters were a little shorter, occasionally there was a little too much background and history I wanted more depth from the custodians, that said, this would be a great gift book for a curious friend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
What a delightful book. For Fans of the CBS Sundays morning tv show this book features quirky characters performing a function that while once popular is now no longer needed. They are the last artisans of their trade. My favorite stories were the night watch, and the whisperer of bees. Not sure if the published version has photos - but my copy didn’t so I found myself looking up some of the places or artistry mentioned to see what it looked like.
Recommend

This was a fantastic read! I loved every single chapter, and found something new and interesting on pretty much every page. I can't wait to have a physical copy of this book to re-read and pull out more of my favorite passages. This book is ideal for anyone who is interested in things that are almost lost and want inspiration for their own lives in a way that surprises you.

This book is incredible. Thorough in its descriptions, thought-provoking, and deeply immersive. What a wondrous book! It made me feel like I was watching a delicately crafted documentary - that's the level of immersion we were dealing with. There were parts where I did get a BIT lost in the details, but it did not in any way detract from the experience. What a rare find.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for a genuine review.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Wow. As someone who has lived internationally, this book was such an incredible reminder of the power of learning about the beautiful cultures, traditions and people in this world. I loved how the book was set up, written, and researched. Truly such a joy to read!

As of this writing (22 July 2024), there are, by my count, 17 ratings or reviews of this book. Of these, 14 are identifiably by women, meaning, the accompanying photograph is of a woman and/or the given name is one of those typically given to women. (Of the rest, one man, two not certain.) This is hardly surprising, as Goodreads generally skews toward the distaff, yet I thought that this was worth pointing out to anyone who lands on this quiet corner of the ‘net because, well, I think that this book might make an excellent birthday or Christmas gift for the kind of bookish man that causes the publishing industry to crank out a seemingly inexhaustible supply of books about Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill.

I personally might, upon cursory examination, be taken to be a member of this cadre, having as I do gray hair, an obvious need for more exercise, a Long-Suffering Wife with many strong opinions, and a house bulging to the seams with books, both read and not. Nevertheless, I try to limit myself to one book about Lincoln or Churchill (as fascinating as they both are) every few years, because I feel that there's a lot to know in the world which is completely unconnected with L. and C.

To get to the point, I think that this book might be a nice change of pace for the gray-haired, voracious consumer of L.- and C.-related material, especially as one starts (OK, I mean, I start) to feel at a certain age that there are many once-familiar things worth preserving that are passing out of the world. This book is, to a certain extent, a catalog and travelog of ten of them. It is well-written and fun to read. It informs without being too serious. In short, a nice book to read (in my mind's eye, on a winter evening) when you are defying the siren call of the attention-deficit economy by remembering the part of the world that is passing, mostly unmourned, away from us.

I enjoyed some chapters more than others. I thought that the chapters on the last night watchman in Ystad, Sweden, and the last makers of a mysterious recipe for pasta in Sardinia were especially interesting, but the chapter on the last makers of a certain type of mirror in India stumbled a bit because the central conceit that these special type of mirrors somehow allowed you to gaze into your spiritual self didn't quite work.

The ways of the book marketing business are mysterious, but I noticed that (as of this writing) the expected publication date of this book is 10 December 2024, even though it has been made electronically available for review to certain cheapskates like myself many months in advance of that date. This late publication date seems to be sabotaging the possible usefulness of this book as a Christmas gift for the aforementioned gray-haired Lincoln/Churchill aficionado on your shopping list. If I'm understanding the book marketing business correctly, you should really get this book in front of the public's attention in September or October, at the latest, so they can get read by the underpaid staff of your courageous local independent bookstore before they, hopefully, receive a place of honor near the front door on a table labeled “New and Recommended for the Holiday Season!”

I guess that the immediately previous is (as I understand the Poles say) not my circus, not my monkeys. Still, this is a fun book and it would be a shame if it didn't get the attention it deserves.

I received a free electronic advance review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

Custodians of Wonder is in and of itself a custodian of wonder! I read this book aloud to my teen kids and we were just fascinated from start to finish. Reading this book is like a trip around the little wonders of the world to meet fascinating people! My only point of constructive criticism is that I wished it was more visually appealing within the pages. Though the subject was fascinating, it was very dry visually. I’m grateful I pushed past my first impression to become engrossed in this fascinating book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange

Custodians of Wonder is a gem of a book that reminds readers that the world is vast and within that vastness lay some incredible and dying arts worthy of protection.

The sweeping nature of these stories made me feel more connected and understanding of this big rock we live on. The preservation of culture is something few likely think about on the daily. As these stories introduce readers to the folks who hold these rituals so dear, dedicating their lives to seemingly small traditions, it's hard not see the world through a new lens.

At a bare minimum these words with gift readers with a wider scope and understanding of the world.

I enjoy reading about traditions in other cultures. I've collected as many as tales of these as I could over the years. I am so glad Mr. Stein has similar interest and collected a few I haven't heard about! The chapter on the film painter to promote movies was interesting and a new one to me. The soy sauce maker was fascinating, too! I am still reading tales within the book, but as I am familiar with the occupations,traditions, I can read at my leisure. I have to say, though, Mr. Stein's writing is excellant and holds ones attention very well. I look forward to adding his book to my home library when ot is released.

Long lost global occupations and skill art explained historically and socially. I enjoy this kind of social history. Ordinary people utilizing extraordinary bravery and talent preserving extraordinary, perhaps archaic, occupations…should they be kept or all knowledge of a skill forgotten? What do we really lose when a culture (language/customs) is lost?Admittedly I have dedicated my career to history related activities. These 10 topics are on obscure things that are fascinating.
I found this book interesting and thought provoking.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the preview copy.

Eliot Stein brings all his fascination and respect to the pages of this book and shares it with us. I thought that the exposition and narrative were very well balanced; there are passages of interviews and stories, backed up with explanation and context delivered in a way that was very natural to read. For a nonfiction book, it's quite compelling.

I loved the idea and premise of the book. I found this however not to be very engaging at all. I struggled connect with the authors writing style. The subject matter was very interesting to read and I did learn a lot. I just wish I could have been more engaged in the text.

Well researched with useful footnotes, this book contains a number of interesting topics discussed in detail. My favorite was the one about bees and the old tradition of talking to the bees.

This book 😍 Stories from around the world about little known careers and artisanal endeavors. I learned so much about so many things I didn’t know existed. As our world has continued to develop, many have been forced to capitulate and adjust to technology and modernization. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about those who are fighting to maintain traditions and preserve history, before all that’s left is artifacts to uncover.