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ikuo1000's reviews
467 reviews
Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure by Don Kladstrup, Petie Kladstrup
3.0
I have a disappointing tendency to read books (or see movies) and eventually forget everything about them - even if I actually liked the book or movie. This is what happened with Wine and War, so I just re-read it.
It's good! Very approachable; you don't need to know much about WWII to follow along, and wine terminology is explained in context. At times it reads like a high school history paper, and at other times, I think, "This would make a great movie!" There's a cast of recurring characters that I had a hard time keeping straight (e.g., Is this the guy from Burgundy? Or Champagne? Is he young, or married with kids?), but that's okay. Fascinating stories. Makes me want to visit France and drink some wine.
It's good! Very approachable; you don't need to know much about WWII to follow along, and wine terminology is explained in context. At times it reads like a high school history paper, and at other times, I think, "This would make a great movie!" There's a cast of recurring characters that I had a hard time keeping straight (e.g., Is this the guy from Burgundy? Or Champagne? Is he young, or married with kids?), but that's okay. Fascinating stories. Makes me want to visit France and drink some wine.
The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace
5.0
A very enjoyable read. The author writes with wit! Surprisingly, a real page-turner.
The book may have been more interesting to me than it might have been because I read it on the heals of Wine and War, so some wine-related names and places and terminology were recently familiar. Also, I was coincidentally in the middle of watching the HBO mini-series John Adams, which was giving me my first impressions of Thomas Jefferson in France.
A fascinating window into the world of wine; downright edifying. The book digs into the questionable history of a handful of bottles of rare wines, some of which were supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson. My only disappointment - and this may be a bit of a spoiler - is that there is no real closure. But I don't think that's the author's fault; he follows the story to 2007, the book was published in 2008, and some of the final scenes are probably still being played out.
The book may have been more interesting to me than it might have been because I read it on the heals of Wine and War, so some wine-related names and places and terminology were recently familiar. Also, I was coincidentally in the middle of watching the HBO mini-series John Adams, which was giving me my first impressions of Thomas Jefferson in France.
A fascinating window into the world of wine; downright edifying. The book digs into the questionable history of a handful of bottles of rare wines, some of which were supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson. My only disappointment - and this may be a bit of a spoiler - is that there is no real closure. But I don't think that's the author's fault; he follows the story to 2007, the book was published in 2008, and some of the final scenes are probably still being played out.
1776 by David McCullough
5.0
If history textbooks were written by David McCullough, I think I would have had a much greater interest in U.S. history in high school. I truly remember my history classes as mostly a series of names and dates and events, but - as cliche as it sounds - McCullough brings it all to life. In this book, I actually got a real sense for who George Washington was - his personality, his weaknesses, and his motivation - things I never even thought about when "studying" history in the classroom.
Being from New England, I started learning about the American Revolution in elementary school. That, combined with how I consider myself a Bostonian, is probably why I found the parts of the book about Boston the most interesting; when the war moved on to New York, I wasn't as enthralled. Still, I was thoroughly engaged and curious throughout the book.
The book reads very easily, like McCullough is simply tying together a bunch of quotes from first-person sources, which I guess is what he did, in an artful way.
I found myself wanting to know more about the beginnings of the American Revolution - from McCullough's view - and more about how the war actually ended, but I can hardly blame the book for being true to its title: the primary focus is on events in 1776. Anyway, the book was written as a "companion" to McCullough's John Adams, and I suspect (having seen the HBO movie version) that that book does provide a broader view of the revolution.
Being from New England, I started learning about the American Revolution in elementary school. That, combined with how I consider myself a Bostonian, is probably why I found the parts of the book about Boston the most interesting; when the war moved on to New York, I wasn't as enthralled. Still, I was thoroughly engaged and curious throughout the book.
The book reads very easily, like McCullough is simply tying together a bunch of quotes from first-person sources, which I guess is what he did, in an artful way.
I found myself wanting to know more about the beginnings of the American Revolution - from McCullough's view - and more about how the war actually ended, but I can hardly blame the book for being true to its title: the primary focus is on events in 1776. Anyway, the book was written as a "companion" to McCullough's John Adams, and I suspect (having seen the HBO movie version) that that book does provide a broader view of the revolution.
Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox
3.0
Surprisingly well-written, especially considering Michael J. Fox did not use a ghost writer. The non-linear writing style makes reading the date at the beginning of each section a necessity. He clearly bared his soul as he detailed the ups and downs of his life and career. The book focuses on Fox's personal life - his family, his ascent to stardom in Hollywood, and his struggle with Parkinson's. He's come a long way, and he sure earned my admiration.
I was put off a little by the way certain aspects of Parkinson's were presented. Fox tells of his own experience very eloquently, but he makes it sound like any elderly person walking slowly might be afflicted, or any young person with tremors might have Young Onset Parkinson's. In reality, there are a myriad of other reasons why people might walk slowly or have tremors. Fox also courageously tells of his battle with depression, and how he ultimately pulled through, but he neglected to mention that depression itself is frequently a symptom of Parkinson's, not just a parallel issue to confront separately.
I was put off a little by the way certain aspects of Parkinson's were presented. Fox tells of his own experience very eloquently, but he makes it sound like any elderly person walking slowly might be afflicted, or any young person with tremors might have Young Onset Parkinson's. In reality, there are a myriad of other reasons why people might walk slowly or have tremors. Fox also courageously tells of his battle with depression, and how he ultimately pulled through, but he neglected to mention that depression itself is frequently a symptom of Parkinson's, not just a parallel issue to confront separately.
Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox
4.0
A really easy and satisfying read. Always Looking Up picks up where Lucky Man leaves off, both in content and time. Once again, I am struck by Michael J. Fox's writing abilities. He writes with grace and wit, even humor (especially when he writes about being a father). As in Lucky Man, he jumps around chronologically, so you really want to read the date at the beginning of each passage, if you want to put events into context.
This book focuses primarily on Fox's experiences with Parkinson's Disease, and he does a remarkable job describing the symptoms and helping the reader to understand what a PD patient goes through. For Fox, it's not so much a "battle" with PD; the way he explains it, it's more like a journey.
Through his chapters on work and politics, Fox illustrates why celebrities are so uniquely positioned for philanthropy: besides bringing attention to whatever particular cause they support, they also have the money and means to fundraise and simply "get things done."
Having known nothing in advance about Fox's ideas on religion, the chapter on faith was particularly interesting. I was impressed with his self-awareness and insight. The kind of acceptance and inclusion he writes about spoke to me in terms of my own religious outlook.
Overall, an uplifting book. In his late 40's, Fox is younger than the age at which most patients are diagnosed with Parkinson's, yet, having Young Onset PD, he's lived with it for 18 years already. Still, he seems genuinely appreciative of every piece of good fortune in his life.
This book focuses primarily on Fox's experiences with Parkinson's Disease, and he does a remarkable job describing the symptoms and helping the reader to understand what a PD patient goes through. For Fox, it's not so much a "battle" with PD; the way he explains it, it's more like a journey.
Through his chapters on work and politics, Fox illustrates why celebrities are so uniquely positioned for philanthropy: besides bringing attention to whatever particular cause they support, they also have the money and means to fundraise and simply "get things done."
Having known nothing in advance about Fox's ideas on religion, the chapter on faith was particularly interesting. I was impressed with his self-awareness and insight. The kind of acceptance and inclusion he writes about spoke to me in terms of my own religious outlook.
Overall, an uplifting book. In his late 40's, Fox is younger than the age at which most patients are diagnosed with Parkinson's, yet, having Young Onset PD, he's lived with it for 18 years already. Still, he seems genuinely appreciative of every piece of good fortune in his life.
The Patient by Michael Palmer
3.0
It's a page-turner that read like a movie. A quick read that got me into the groove of reading again.
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman
4.0
Basically, the book is about globalization. Thomas Friedman keeps the tone light and conversational, including a lot of fascinating anecdotes. Friedman discusses the causes and effects of globalization, not just for companies, but more importantly, for individuals. He approaches the topic from a non-political view, and presents it as something that every person needs to consider if they are to keep up with the increasingly fast pace of changing technology and economics.
The book does include a lot of technical jargon, and I'm finding that it's all particularly interesting to me because my previous jobs have made me familiar with a lot of the technologies and companies he writes about. Still, I think it would be a comfortable read even for those who aren't the most computer savvy, because of the way Friedman writes. He'll explain a particular point, then he'll give a very understandable analogy. Then he'll follow it up with, "To put it another way..." and explain it in different words. Then at the end of the chapter, he'll summarize and recap!
The book does include a lot of technical jargon, and I'm finding that it's all particularly interesting to me because my previous jobs have made me familiar with a lot of the technologies and companies he writes about. Still, I think it would be a comfortable read even for those who aren't the most computer savvy, because of the way Friedman writes. He'll explain a particular point, then he'll give a very understandable analogy. Then he'll follow it up with, "To put it another way..." and explain it in different words. Then at the end of the chapter, he'll summarize and recap!