Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Fire by Katherine Neville



This review refers to an Advance Reader's Edition and may not reflect the final published edition. Relevant plot points from this book and Katherine Neville's previous work, The Eight, are noted below, so be advised.

Katherine Neville's latest book, The Fire, continues the multi-layered saga of the worst-kept secret in history, the existence of the Montglane Service. Introduced in The Eight, this powerful chess set contains a formula known only to a few initiates - and every major historical figure since the French Revolution - who struggle in an epic Game to control it. However, in The Fire, we learn that everything we know is wrong and the Game is not so black and white.

Fans of The Eight may find comfortable familiarity in the pages of The Fire. Both are written in the same interlocking dual narrative with a continuous barrage of new enigmatic characters (frequently of historical note) contributing their minor expository piece in the form of a tale and disappearing. Coincidentally, this is the same familiarity found by those less appreciative of Neville's work. To call the book a page turner would be misleading - the density of new throw-away characters, overwrought symbology, and the ridiculous overuse of non-English bons mots forces one to keep moving at a death march pace.

Neville's attempt to crossover characters between the books results in some hilarious messes. We learn that Rosemary Livingston is El Marad's daughter - the five-year-old girl whom Cat Velis gifts with a chess piece, the white queen, in The Eight. The modern narrative takes place 30 years after those events, making Rosemary approximately 35. Her daughter, Sage, is Cat's daughter Alexandra's age, which is approximately 21. Did Rosemary give birth at age 14? It seems unlikely given the high-flying glamourous lifestyles of the Livingstons.

How does the over-arching plot fare? To use the vernacular: epic fail. The Fire actually destroys the few points of The Eight that had any value. If you are a die-hard Katherine Neville fan, you'll probably love this book despite what is written here. For those like myself who were teetering on the edge with The Eight, don't let The Fire burn you.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books, Random House, and the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for the opportunity to review this book!

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on August 22nd, 2008.

Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Miles



Jonathan Miles' Dear American Airlines was one of my long-shot books - the kind you pick out from the new releases in the dim hope it will be "decent". I'm happy to report this book is much better than decent.

Beginning as a complaint letter to the air carrier, Dear American Airlines becomes the autobiography, memoir, diary and confessional of Bennie Ford - an ex-poet, ex-bartender, ex-drunk, ex-husband and current translator of better writers' works. Trapped in the purgatory of Chicago's O'Hare airport, Bennie pours his life out to the anonymous corporate drones at the receiving end of the letter. The results balance deftly between being heart-wrenchingly pathetic and perversely funny.

Dear American Airlines is appreciable for its ability to carry a message without collapsing from bloated self-importance. Miles' wry descriptions of O'Hare (including the Soviet-style architecture of its Hilton hotel) add lightness and humor without detracting from Bennie's less than fond remembrances. It's a beautiful demonstration that a "serious" book does not need to be all angst and pain.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 29th, 2008.

The Montefeltro Conspiracy : a Renaissance Mystery Decoded by Marcello Simonetta



Marcello Simonetta's The Montefeltro Conspiracy revolves around the so-called Pazzi conspiracy of 1478; an attempt on the lives of Lorenzo de' Medici ("the Magnificent") and his brother Giuliano. Simonetta uses newly decoded documents to show the conspiracy was not driven by the Pazzi clan, but by the ambitious Duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro. Given this newfound evidence, the author reconstructs the reasons behind the conspiracy and its effects on Renaissance Italy, which includes a new understanding of some of the greatest works of art.

While Simonetta's discovery is compelling and has important implications for our understanding of these Renaissance figures, the historical narrative is lacking. There is tremendous potential here, including Simonetta's personal connection to one of the players in the story. However, rather than filling out the narrative with historical details to enrich one's grasp of the times, his approach is spartan and rigid. I can't help think what an amazing story this would have been in another writer's hands.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 28th, 2008.

The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon



The Lazarus Project is a story of two Chicago immigrants: a turn-of-the-century Ukrainian Jew, Lazarus, who is killed by the chief of police under mysterious circumstances, and a Bosnian writer of modern times, Brik, who discovers Lazarus' story while doing research. Brik's digging leads him back into post-Soviet Eastern Europe in search of Lazarus' past and his own. The unfolding of their intertwined stories is a brilliant meditation on immigration, home, love, war, and the tarnish on America's streets of gold. It's one of the best works of fiction I've read this year.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 16th, 2008.

Slurp : Drinks and Light Fare, All Day, All Night by Nina Dreyer Hensley, Jim Hensley, & Paul Løwe



This review refers to an advanced copy received through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

Slurp is the kind of "casual living" book that would be at home in a Crate & Barrel or a Pottery Barn. It's bold, glossy color photographs, modern glassware and exotic ingredients speak to suburbanites trying to add a touch of glamour to their parties. Unfortunately, that glossy exterior belies the impracticality of trying to incorporate these recipes into your event.

The book is divided into times of the day with appropriate food and drinks for hosting during those times. While they use the terms Morning, Daytime and Evening, the recipes are really geared towards a Sunday Brunch, Casual Lunch, and Cocktail Party. I've evaluated each section based on ease of preparation, availability of the ingredients, party-friendliness and host-friendliness. Party-friendly recipes should be versatile and allow guests to relax and enjoy themselves. Host-friendly recipes should be easy to prepare in advance, translate easily into larger quantities for a sizeable party, and allow the host to participate in the party, not just serve guests.

The Daytime grouping is really successful in terms of a summer lunch party. The carrot and ginger soup could be prepared early and reheated (or served cool), and any of the refreshing salads can be stored until needed. The drinks featured, such as lemonade, iced tea, sangria and daiquiris, can be made in large batches and kept tableside for easy guest access. The frozen coffee granita would be a nice summer dessert. I only have a quibble with the omission of gin from their Long Island drink recipe (unforgiveable!). It's a good grouping overall.

In the Morning section, the recipes are promising, though some are problematic. The standout foods are the zucchini and feta omelet, Moroccan pancakes and baked plums, all of which will work well with a small group. The drinks are an issue. Several drink recipes call for the use of a juicer, which can be a pricey investment. Several of the important ingredients, such as watermelon, papaya, passion fruit and mango, are only available seasonally, or not at all, in some markets. The coffee drinks all require use of espresso and another equipment investment, albeit a more useful one than a juicer.

The Evening grouping is the least successful part of this book. Again, I evaluated this as though I were hosting a cocktail party - the food is not substantial enough for dinner, unless served as appetizer. A cocktail party has different constraints from a lunch party. Portability is a big concern. Also, the food must be able to hold up well. The host shouldn't have to run in and out of the kitchen all night.

There were some bright spots with the food. The return on investment with the spiced nuts, sweet potato chips, marinated olives and gazpacho are great. They show the gazpacho being served in a martini-sized glass, but that creates portability problems, especially if you have a real martini in the other hand and a small plate of food. I would add an ounce of vodka to the recipe (boast the flavors), then serve it in shot or cordial glasses. Then guests can get the flavors and carry the glass on their plate. The tuna slices on cucumber are also nice. They can be prepared ahead of time and kept on trays in the refrigerator. The shrimp skewers, which they pair with the gazpacho, would work well, but they call for it to be served warm. Unless you're serving these at an outdoor barbeque, that means you'll need a chafing dish.

The spring rolls, mini focaccia, and goat cheese tartlets all sound great, but they all have to be served warm. Unless you can afford a caterer to bake these and serve them hot thoughout the party, skip them and enjoy the party.

The drinks in this section are completely uninspired. A Cosmopolitan? Is there anyone who doesn't know how to make that? They also do not translate well into pitcher-size mixes, which would lessen the need to play bartender for your guests and allow the host to control expenses (have a reasonable variety of pre-mixed drinks instead of buying a ton of liquor to fit every individual taste).

While this is a pretty book with a well-intentioned concept, it fails the practicality test. A good cookbook or drink guide should give more information on interesting recipe variations, pitfalls to avoid, and techniques to use. For example, the watermelon and mint salad on p. 53 could become a fantastic summer salad by adding sliced cucumber and tossing the ingredients with some gin. Noting that the authors are two photographers and a food stylist, I suspect the recipes are not their own creations and were chosen for aesthetic reasons.

Thank you to LibraryThing and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to review this book!

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on April 11th, 2008.

The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell's Secret by Seth Shulman



The Telephone Gambit is journalist Seth Shulman's chronicle of his delvings into history and a remarkable tale of intrigue and deceit at the heart of the telephone invention story.

While researching for a book on Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, Shulman ponders Bell's great imaginative leap from his telegraphic research to a working model of the telephone. Curious, he studies Bell's hastily drawn diagram of the telephone and later discovers its indisputable source: the "secret" caveat filing of rival telegraphic genius Elisha Gray at the U.S. Patent Office.

What follows is an interesting evaluation of the motives, means and opportunities behind one of the boldest thefts in the history of science, and Shulman's thoughts on what this says about our accepted wisdom.

All in all, it's a quick and very pleasant read to stimulate the thought. While some might appreciate a more "academic" treatment of the material, I found this journalistic approach related better to a modern lay-historian trying to understand the past. I freely recommend this to anyone with interests in the history of science or inventions.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on March 25th, 2008.

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach



This review refers to an Advance Reading Copy and may not reflect the final published edition.

Bonk: the Curious Coupling of Science and Sex is author Mary Roach's latest meandering exploration of the weird world of scientific research. Within its pages, Roach pokes, prods and penetrates the often bizarre and hilariously funny aspects of sex research. In a new twist, she gets first-hand observations not previously possible in Stiff or Spook - those of the research subject.

Mary Roach writes in her familiar style: quick, witty, and never meeting a tangent she didn't like. Considering the subject, the jokes are rampant. While amusing, the asides and footnotes occasionally have a stultifying effect on the narrative. I sometimes found myself losing interest in the subject. Fortunately, Roach changes tack frequently enough that another, more interesting subject is always on the horizon.

Speaking of subjects, they are plentiful: male and female arousal, erections, orgasms, vibrators, and that sexual equivalent of body-building, the Kegel exercise. But, the most interesting subject is Roach herself, who takes a turn being observed by researchers and brings her (very understanding) husband along for the ride.

Roach wanders from subject to subject in a rather free-floating way, so consider yourself advised that there is no "point" to this work. As in other works, her approach is journalistic: she reports some new things learned about sex research, then throws in an editorial wink-and-a-smile. However, one does regret she didn't follow up with the same final page as in Stiff: "How to Donate Your Body to Science."

NOTE: A very great "Thank You!" to W.W. Norton and LibraryThing for the opportunity to review this book.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on March 16th, 2008.

Tipperary by Frank Delaney



This review refers to an Advance Reader's Edition and may not reflect the final published edition. Relevant plot points are noted below, so be advised.

Tipperary Castle lives a life of its own as events unfold in this story: it sits decrepit, rotting and structurally unsound, it undergoes a magnificent renovation, and then it lies in ruins. Ironically, it is a metaphor for the novel, Tipperary, itself.

The primary fault in the novel revolves around an over-complicated and confusing narrative structure. The narrative voice switches among several people, all speaking in the first person, and across historical timeframes with little or no warning. The effect is particular jarring for the first half of the book where interruptions by the modern narrator are frequent and unnecessary. (i.e. We should "see" the history, not be given an irrelevant overview.) Still, there are the bones of a good story in the Charles O'Brien narrative. I liken this to pre-restoration Tipperary Castle.

Once the restoration of the castle begins, the narrative is allowed to progress a little more naturally, though still with multiple voices. Again, the modern narrator is interruptive, especially with his repetition of the other narratives. Despite that, the story becomes interesting and plot lines are fleshed out a bit. One actually starts to care about the outcome of the characters' lives. This I liken to Tipperary Castle in all its splendor.

In the end, however, the "modern narrator as character" plot device comes home to roost in the ruined shell of Tipperary Castle. The multi-faceted end to the unsuspenseful mystery of the modern narrator is laid out with the abruptness of a lightning strike on a roof. The novel lies in ruins.

The "historic" components of the story would be wonderful on their own, even presented as a series of letters and journal entries. The mysteries of the April Burkes and the characters' veiled personalities would have been so much richer, both in the set-ups and the revelations. As the novel currently stands, I cannot recommend it.

NOTE: Thank you to Random House and LibraryThing for the opportunity to review this book!

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on August 22nd, 2007.

Visual Shock: A History of Art Controversies in American Culture by Michael Kammen



American culture is founded on fiercely cherished principles of individual freedom coupled with a democratic process that values the vox populi. It should come as no surprise that these principles have frequently found themselves at odds in the course of our nation's lifetime. Where individual expression meets the public sphere controversy is bound to erupt.

Michael Kammen's Visual Shock is an ambitious attempt to weave a coherent history of art controversies from several divergent threads that center around the interaction of art with the public sphere. Beginning in the 19th century, he traces social changes in the way Americans view art, in the way artists view art, in the functions of art museums, in the democratization of art, in the role of public art, etc., and shows how these changes have played a role in significant art controversies in the United States. Omnipresent in this history are the political battles fought over particular works and the resultant fallout. Readers will recognize many such battles (i.e. Jesse Helms vs. the National Endowment for the Arts) and be introduced to many others.

How well is Kammen's history woven? The book is certainly well-researched and provides ample citations. His writing style is pleasant and easily understood(despite too frequent use of the word 'contretemps'). The narrative structure of the book is less successful, I think. While chronological organization is not always the best device for a history, a heavy dose of it would have been useful here. Kammen chose to organize the work thematically, and this leads to frequent repetition of events (and personalities involved) that would be better understood if addressed in a single, comprehensive manner. In other words, he should have woven the themes through the chronology rather than tracing the chronology in each theme.

Criticism aside, this is a book worth reading. It's a broad look at issues in our culture that are too quickly forgotten, if they were ever noticed at all.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on August 22nd, 2007.

Feast: A History of Grand Eating by Roy C. Strong



Feast is akin to a dinner party on a Wednesday evening: it's nothing extravagant and it will not provide fodder for cocktail party conversations, but it's still better than eating at home. Strong's book analyzes the history of dining among the upper echelons of European societies from antiquity through the Edwardian period. It gives great attention to the effects of such innovations as forks and industrialization on dining trends, and maps those trends across time and regions. One drawback of this trend-following tactic is that it gives the work a disjointed feel. Strong's writing is also fairly dry and academic, which frequently led to my falling asleep. Minor criticism aside, it is a very informative book and an adept history. I would especially recommend it to anyone writing (or filming) period pieces.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on May 29th, 2007.

Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of A Man Who Rescued A Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky



In the period from 1939 - 1945, most of the Yiddish-speaking world was destroyed in the Holocaust. A language with a thriving literary tradition virtually disappeared. The books that survived this period suffered an ignomious fate: to be ignored by the non-Yiddish speaking children of Holocaust survivors. Outwitting History is a compelling memoir of a man who saved Yiddish books from destruction and neglect, and thus saved an important part of Jewish history.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 5th, 2006.

Champagne: How the World's Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times by Don & Petie Kladstrup



Terroir is the effect that certain regions and climates have on grapes and wines. Given the turbulent history of the Champagne region, it seems apropos that the wine of the same name should explode out of the bottle. In this book, the Kladstrups tell the story of the region and its wine and how each have developed over time. From Dom Perignon and Louis XIV to the great champagne houses and world wars, this book captures the essence of Champagne.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 5th, 2006.

The Book Nobody Read: Chasing the Revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus by Owen Gingerich


The Book Nobody Read is an amazing account of Gingerich's attempt to track down every first- and second-edition copy of Copernicus' De revolutionibus. In doing so, he sheds light on the development of the early Scientific Revolution. Science history buffs and book lovers will enjoy this immensely.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 5th, 2006.

Heavenly Intrigue: Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe, and the Murder Behind One of History's Greatest Scientific Discoveries by Joshua & Anne-Lee Gilder



Heavenly Intrigue is to history what the nightly news on your local Fox affiliate is to journalism. The authors take an important and complex collaboration between two astronomers and sensationalize it. They portray Johannes Kepler as devious madman bent on obtaining Tycho Brahe's observational data by any means necessary. Brahe is the hard-working aristocrat who takes Keppler under his wing. How far will Keppler go to succeed? What stunning revelations have surfaced about Brahe's death? Watch the News at 10!

I would note that of the authors, one was a magazine editor and the other was a TV reporter/producer. It shows in their careless handling of facts.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 5th, 2006.

The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design by Leonard Susskind



The Cosmic Landscape is a mess. I bought this book because the title and first few sections seemed to indicate that an eminent theoretical physicist, Leonard Susskind, was presenting a scientific argument against the Christian evangelical boondoggle called "intelligent design." In reality, the work is intended to promote the Anthropic Principle - a "principle that requires the laws of nature to be consistent with the existence of intelligent life" - as being a necessary result of the Landscape of String Theory.

Susskind's argument for the Anthropic Principle is fairly non-existent. What the book primarily consists of are demonstrations of how precarious the existence of life is against the array of possible universes. Could we exist if the cosmological constant was different? Or if quantum-level particles had different properties? The answer is confidently shown to be "no." There is little for the non-physicist to criticize here, and the book is a good primer on the Standard Model and String Theory. However, Susskind's ideas about the Anthropic Principle do not follow from his demonstrations.

Susskind views the potential existence of intelligent life as the organizing principle by which the laws of nature came to be. Note that this is different from saying that "because the laws of nature are what they are, it was possible for intelligent life to develop." It is also a different project from rejecting theories about the laws of nature that do not allow for intelligent life. To use the tired cliche, Susskind is putting the cart before the horse.

I might recommend this book to someone who wants a basic outline of modern theoretical physics. Be forewarned that this is dense material and Susskind tends to refer to material long ahead or behind the present material. Susskind's personal biases are also rampant. All but the most masochistic philosophers of science should look elsewhere as there is little of value to be had here.

Originally posted @ LibraryThing on June 5th, 2006.

Preface

Welcome wayward web-surfer!

My name is Charlie and I will be Your Humble Reviewer.

I've decided to repurpose this otherwise neglected blog to host my reviews of books (and perhaps films) with the intent that everyone should hold my opinions in the great esteem that I do. I cannot promise frequent posts - real-life jobs and the actual reading of books preclude this - but, I will strive to produce good reviews for your perusing pleasure. I will also strive not to sound like a corporate mission statement in which words like 'strive' are used.

My initial offering of reviews will be copied from LibraryThing.com, the social cataloguing site for lovers of the written word. All are my own reviews and can be found by following my site profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/ExVivre. The number of reviews listed are only a fraction of the books I've read, and a smaller fraction of those I own, but I am happy take requests from my personal catalogue.

Reviews from advanced reader copies (ARCs) will be noted as such, as will books received directly from publishers or other sources. Only the content of a book factors into my reviews, but I provide this information to address possible ethical concerns regarding free books and reviewing.

Some background information: I'm a 30-year-old nerd with a BA in Philosophy and Film Studies, and currently working in hospital-based pharmacy. My reading interests are varied, but tend towards philosophy, the sciences, art, and history (particularly the medieval period and Renaissance, with emphasis on the arts, religion, and sciences). I'm nurturing a growing interesting in fiction with a preference towards twisting plots and mystery (in the broadest sense of the word).