I just received A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester in the mail. Now, I’m not normally the type who preserves book covers, but this one may be a keeper. Take a look:

A first glance, it’s nothing special. But remove it from the book and take a closer look:

It unfolds, accordion-style, into something much grander! Keep going, and you have a wall-sized poster:

Given how much I loved The Professor and the Madman, I’m really looking forward to reading this one. I heard Winchester in a radio interview a few weeks ago, and it definitely sounds like there’s an intriguing story in the SF earthquake of 1906 and its aftermath. Winchester pointed out that the response to this catastrophe, nearly 100 years ago, was much more coherent and rapid than the Katrina response has been so far. I’m sure more comparisons will emerge as I read.

I’ll let you know what I think when I’m finished.

Here are a couple of my favorite photos from the ice storm last week.