Unraveled Wednesday: 6/18/25

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers with the slightly sad tale of a broken needle. I did order a bamboo circular so I could attempt the four-stitch decreases in Soft Current (ravelry link) on needles that aren't too slippery, but they arrived with a broken point in the sealed package, so I've ordered a different type. The replacement should arrive sometime this week, but I'm not sitting around waiting impatiently. I cast on for a pair of socks with some self-striping yarn in my favorite colors. I'm really enjoying working on them and am heading down the foot on the first sock.

 

John is leaving on Saturday to go fishing in Alaska so I figured that since he is taking a pretty nice trip I at least deserved some sock yarn. My skein of Martian Rainbow from Must Stash arrived on Monday and I'm anxious to get that wound and cast on. It's raining again/still, so I had to take indoor photos. The colors aren't quite right, but eventually it will stop raining and I can take some pictures outdoors.

 

 

So for now, the fiddly lace in Soft Current can wait.  

I finished two books this week. The first is entitled Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream. I wasn't sure this was a book for me when I was first offered the ARC, but I decided it was worth reading to educate myself about what private equity firms really are and how they operate. 

In Bad Company, Megan Greenwell pulls back the curtain on the destructive influence of private equity firms, whose sole mission—to generate maximum profit for investors—often comes at immense human cost. With sharp reporting and deep empathy, Greenwell explores how this opaque, powerful industry has reshaped American life in ways most of us aren't aware of until it’s too late.

From retail chains gutted for parts, to nursing homes where patient care declines as profits rise, to newsrooms stripped of staff and mission, Greenwell brings the consequences of financial chicanery down to the ground level—where ordinary workers and communities are left to pick up the pieces. The sections on housing and health care are particularly chilling, showing how private equity firms insert themselves into essential services, extract wealth, and then leave ruin behind.

What makes this book stand out is its focus on people—not just policies or profit margins. Greenwell never loses sight of the lives destroyed, dignity eroded, and communities disrupted when decisions are made purely in service of capital.

While some readers may wish for more policy prescriptions or structural analysis, Bad Company succeeds as a necessary, accessible, and often enraging look at an industry that thrives in the shadows. It’s a wake-up call to anyone who’s ever asked, “Why does everything feel like it’s getting worse?”

Thank you to NetGalley and Dey Street Books for providing me with a copy of the book. It was published on June 10, 2025.  

The second book, The Beast in the Clouds, is a fascinating blend of adventure, history, and science, chronicling a little-known chapter in the lives of the Roosevelt brothers—Theodore Jr. and Kermit—on their ambitious and dangerous 1920s expedition to China in search of the mythical giant panda. Nathalia Holt brings a sharp eye to the historical detail, placing this journey in the broader context of Western imperialism, scientific exploration, and family legacy.

The book shines when it digs into the Roosevelt family dynamic, particularly the pressure the brothers felt to live up to their father’s name. Their psychological struggles, especially Kermit's lifelong battle with depression, are handled with nuance. Holt also gives us a vivid portrait of the expedition itself, from treacherous mountains to cultural misunderstandings, and paints a complex picture of China at a moment of political upheaval.

That said, the pacing occasionally lags, particularly in the midsection, and the book sometimes feels torn between being an adventure story and a historical analysis. I also would have appreciated more in-depth coverage of the ecological and zoological significance of the panda, beyond its role as a symbol or trophy.

Still, Holt’s research is impeccable, and her prose is accessible and often poetic. This is a compelling story about obsession, legacy, and the fine line between scientific curiosity and colonial arrogance. A great read for fans of narrative nonfiction and those curious about forgotten corners of exploration history.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on July 1, 2025.

What are you making and reading this week?