For Harvard professors, these are a few of their favorite things

What inspires you, captures your imagination, or just imbues beauty for you? The Gazette recently asked six Harvard professors, including Harvard University Herbaria’s Donald Pfister, to discuss their favorite objects, which included one of the earliest printed books, a three-dimensional model of a crystal, a hand-carved wooden bowl, and a plastic bag filled with sand. The varied items have deep personal and professional connections to these faculty members, and offer glimpses into their lives. Here are descriptions of their eclectic items and explanations of why they hold deep meaning. Read more