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MEDIUM RAW by Anthony Bourdain

Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain Publisher: Ecco Pages: 304 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon MEDIUM RAW by Anthony Bourdain Review (4 out of 5 Stars) Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain carries the subtitle “A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook,” and it truly acts like a valentine. It expresses Bourdain’s honest sentiments about the food world, and, like a true bloody valentine, it will also leave some hurt and heart broken. The book covers a variety of topics like Bourdain’s early life, his addiction to drugs, why he will never go back to St. Barths, and why the fish at Le Bernardin is always good. He does address some of the grief he’s given to some celebrity chefs (Bobby Flay, Mario Batali) and reinforces why he hates certain others (Rachel Ray, Sandra Lee, Paula Deen). Last, but not least, there’s a great epilogue-type chapter [...]

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AUTHOR: Jose

POSTED ON:

Jun 30

2010

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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IT COULD BE WORSE, YOU COULD BE ME by Ariel Leve

IT COULD BE WORSE, YOU COULD BE ME by Ariel Leve Review (5 out of 5 Stars) It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me by Ariel Leve Publisher: Harper Perennial Pages: 304 Source: Publisher Buy on Amazon Journalist Ariel Leve chronicles her pessimistic attitude and neurotic tendencies in her new memoir, It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me. It’s a compilation of her “Cassandra” columns, which she used to write for London’s Sunday Times Magazine. In these short essays, she discusses everything from how hard it is to get out of bed and leave the house, to relationships, to being a hypochondriac. Since she lives in New York and London, she also has an interesting perspective on the differences between the cities, such as dinner parties in New York versus London. I tend to be a bit of a pessimist myself, so I could totally relate to many [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Jun 7

2010

COMMENTS: 2

CATEGORY: Reviews

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FOOD RULES: AN EATER’S MANUAL by Michael Pollan

FOOD RULES: AN EATER’S MANUAL by Michael Pollan Review (4 out of 5 Stars) Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan Release Date: December 29, 2009 Publisher: Penguin Pages: 112 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon After being blown away by Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, I decided to pick up his latest book, Food Rules. Pollan’s thesis is that we should avoid processed foods and eat a more traditional diet, and Food Rules has 64 rules designed to help you make better food choices. It’s divided into three parts that each support Pollan’s now famous advice to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” The first section is designed to help you distinguish real food from the processed food he calls “edible foodlike products.” In part two Pollan advocates eating “mostly plants” and treating meat more like a side dish. Part three is about the importance of eating [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Mar 15

2010

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Reviews

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LIVE FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE by David Sedaris

LIVE FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE by David Sedaris Review (5 out of 5 Stars) Live For Your Listening Pleasure by David Sedaris Release Date: November 24, 2009 Publisher: Hachette Audio Format: Audio CD Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon When David Sedaris goes on a book tour he can fill huge auditoriums with fans eager to hear his humorous observations and stories. His new CD, Live For Your Listening Pleasure, was recorded last year at various stops on his tour. It’s a new standalone album (there’s no corresponding book), but if you’ve had the opportunity to attend one of his events, you might have heard a few of the stories before. Here’s a list of the contents and my thoughts on each: Cat and Baboon – This fable consists of a conversation between a cat and a baboon and I thought it was a cute way to begin the album. Author, [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Feb 16

2010

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Reviews

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IN DEFENSE OF FOOD: AN EATER’S MANIFESTO by Michael Pollan

IN DEFENSE OF FOOD: AN EATER’S MANIFESTO by Michael Pollan Review (5 out of 5 Stars) In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan Release Date: April 28, 2009 Publisher: Penguin Pages: 256 Source: Purchased Buy on Amazon I’ve been wanting to read In Defense of Food for a while now, but it wasn’t until I saw Michael Pollan’s recent appearance on Oprah that I finally picked up the book. His premise sounds simple: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” When I first heard that, all I could think was “well, duh.” But where his argument starts to get interesting is Pollan’s claim that most of the heavily processed food in the supermarket is not food at all, but “edible foodlike substances.” I think we’ve all heard the warning that processed food probably isn’t good for us, but it’s the kind of thing that goes in one [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Feb 15

2010

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE by Wil Wheaton

MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE by Wil Wheaton Review (4 out of 5 Stars) Memories of the Future by Wil Wheaton Release Date: December 21, 2009 Publisher: Monolith Press Pages: 138 Source: Purchased Star Trek: The Next Generation was one of my favorite shows to watch in high school, and I still catch the occasional rerun every once in a while. Although he wasn’t one of my favorites while on the show, Wil Wheaton has been one of my favorite tech personalities to follow over the last few years. He usually provides a good perspective on tech trends with a little bit of snark and pop culture thrown in there. When I found out he was writing a book about Star Trek: The Next Generation, I was instantly curious to see what he would have to say about the show and his experiences during the filming and being connected to the [...]

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AUTHOR: Jose

POSTED ON:

Feb 4

2010

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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DOGA: YOGA FOR DOGS By William Berloni

DOGA: YOGA FOR DOGS by William Berloni Review (3 out of 5 Stars) Doga: Yoga For Dogs by William Berloni Release Date:September 1, 2003 Publisher: Chronicle Books Pages: 96 Pages Buy on Amazon Do you like Yoga? What about Dogs? If you said yes to either of those questions then you might enjoy “Doga: Yoga For Dogs” by William Berloni. Anyone who has ever done Yoga is familiar with one of the most basic poses “Downward-Facing Dog”, so it may not surprise you that dogs do a number of yoga stretches naturally. In “Doga”, readers can learn these canine stretches and adapt them into their regular routines. What’s even more cool is that Doga contains plenty of awesome pictures of dogs doing their cute little stretches. For this reason, I think this book would make a great gift as a coffee table book. It’s a book that is sure to [...]

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AUTHOR: Amie

POSTED ON:

Dec 10

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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STUFF WHITE PEOPLE LIKE By Christian Lander

STUFF WHITE PEOPLE LIKE by Christian Lander Review (3 out of 5 Stars) Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander Release Date: July 1, 2008 Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks Pages: 224 Buy on Amazon Today I came across an amusing web site and book by the name of “Stuff White People Like” (stuffwhitepeoplelike.com). I’m not a big fan of stereotyping but this book/site has pretty much nailed me. It lists over 100 items that white people like. Here are a few that are true for me: David Sedaris Expensive sandwiches Promising to learn a new language Hating people who wear Ed Hardy Here are a few things that weren’t true for me but are for a lot of white people: Marathons Snowboarding Appearing to enjoy classical music Vespa scooters After reading the complete list I’m not sure if this is actually a list of Stuff White People Like than [...]

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AUTHOR: Amie

POSTED ON:

Dec 9

2009

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Reviews

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OFFICIAL BOOK CLUB SELECTION: A MEMOIR ACCORDING TO KATHY GRIFFIN by Kathy Griffin

OFFICIAL BOOK CLUB SELECTION: A MEMIOR ACCORDING TO KATHY GRIFFIN by Kathy Griffin Review (4 out of 5 Stars) Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin Release Date: September 8, 2009 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pages: 368 Source: Library Buy on Amazon I’m a huge fan of Kathy Griffin, but I didn’t rush to read her memoir, Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, right away. Kathy is pretty much an open book, so I thought her memoir would just rehash things I already knew. I was surprised to find that she really opens up about things I hadn’t heard before, including shocking allegations about her late brother. She also tells all about her problem with binge eating, her divorce, and her botched plastic surgery (complete with horrifying pictures). While she’s brutally honest, she also pokes fun at herself and everyone around her (one chapter is titled “Brooke [...]

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AUTHOR: Kristen

POSTED ON:

Nov 23

2009

COMMENTS: 0

CATEGORY: Reviews

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CORN FLAKES WITH JOHN LENNON by Robert Hilburn

CORN FLAKES WITH JOHN LENNON by Robert Hilburn (5 out of 5 Stars) Book Review Corn Flakes with John Lennon by Robert Hilburn Release Date: October 13, 2009 Publisher: Rodale Books Pages: 296 Buy on Amazon Corn Flakes With John Lennon is the first book by Robert Hilburn, former rock critic for the LA Times. After a nice introduction by U2′s Bono, Hilburn narrates his way through his amazing career as one of the best rock critics of our time. Hilburn does an excellent job of peppering in details of his own life and love for music with his experiences interviewing rock stars. You’ll learn about his late-night hangouts with John Lennon during his famous ‘Lost Weekend’ phase, watching cartoons with Michael Jackson, his visit to Folsom Prison with Johnny Cash, and much, much more. There are many books in this genre out there, but to me, Corn Flakes With [...]

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AUTHOR: Amie

POSTED ON:

Nov 18

2009

COMMENTS: 1

CATEGORY: Reviews

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