In Jeff Hoke’s new book, The Museum of Lost Wonder you will experience all this and more. You will turn each heavy, slick page, each one filled with drawings and text guaranteed to make you ponder something imponderable. Some of you will find answers, some will be surprised by the mysteries, others will simply admire the mind and work that went into the development of this volume. My wife looked at it and said, “What an odd book!” I tried reading it like a regular linear book, and was lost. But then I wondered, what about dipping into it here and there, just as you would in a “real” museum. And since then I pick it up regularly, wander into one of the seven halls, and check out the exhibits. Whether I spend a few minutes searching the heavens, or a half hour reading up on the four “humors” (phlegmatic, sanguine, choleric and melancholic) each visit is worth the trip. Haven’t built any of the models yet, I’m not one of those who likes to cut pages out of a book. I can’t help it, it’s the way I was raised. But it doesn’t stop me from unfolding the model pages and admiring the design, color and content. There’s a Hypnotrope in the Observatory, a Theatre of the Mind in the Garden, and a Muse-a-um in the Mausoleum of History. Each hall has a playground with activities, experiments, and much, much more. Jeff Hoke designs museum exhibits, and he put his talents to work to create one of the year’s most fascinating books. As it says in the jacket blurb, this is “not just a book, it’s an experience.” The Museum of Lost Wonders is a portable feast, an imaginative challenge to the reader, and more than a little fun! Your ticket is right there on the front jacket, it says “ADMIT ONE . . . everything you need is inside.” Well, bring your imagination!