The River Cottage Bread Handbook - My Review

 

The River Cottage Bread Handbook is aptly named. It offers a quick, entertaining delivery of useful information on the essentials of bread making which has become a favorite pastime of mine.

As a reference book, it's not as wordy or philosophical like Peter Reinhart's, Brother Juniper's Bread book, one of my all-time favorites - but its not meant to be. It is a resource to be perused over and over again. It is not as detailed as Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread, and it doesn't need to be. That makes it even better because it is utilitarian; less is more. Even so, Daniel Stevens is anything but boring. His book is a witty and enjoyable read that can be taken up in a couple of sittings. But be forewarned; the information will take longer to settle in; it is a great guide for those who want to learn by doing. It is a hands-on learner's kind of book.

The 'How-to' build a back-yard read oven section is weak - mostly because this guy is a bread maker and not an oven builder. If you want a good reference book on bread ovens, try The Bread Builders.

This is a fine book to have in any bread maker's arsenal along with Peter Reinhart's bread books and Jim Lahey's My Bread plus a couple of others. Its a great little book well worth the fifteen bucks it is selling for online.

Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson - My Review

I saw Walter Isaacson on the Charlie Rose Show, and bought the book with reservations since I had previously read his biography of Einstein where I found the author's concern with minutiae annoying and his writing style lack-luster at times.  This didn't happen so much with Steve Jobs' Biography. 

I recall Isaacson stating rather early in the book that he might be accused of writing something apologetic and perhaps maybe even stand accused of being under the spell of one of the most influential people in contemporary history's 'reality distortion machine.' The biography seemed fair enough, but I think it may have come too early.  It is enjoyable and even has some enduring life lessons, but in the end, I think Walter Isaacson soft-peddled more than he needed to.

Consequently, I wonder how much of Jobs' biography is influenced by Walter Isaacson's world view and vice-versa. 

Personally, I think Isaacson didn't reveal anything more than what was already floating in the ether about Steve Jobs, the man.  Moreover, it seems the juiciest tidbits offered up by the author came in his varied interviews when he was touring the talk shows to hype the book.  While my knowledge of Steve Jobs was next to nothing before I read the book, my perspective of him post-Isaacson, is that of a rather emotionally labile, petulant, brilliant man who was given to extremes of self consumption, willfulness that not only attested to his creative genius, but contributed to at least three life-changing disasters - one with the gravest consequences of all for him because it quite likely killed him.

Because only three significant disasters were written of by Issacson, it becomes a matter of reading between the lines. I am left with the feeling that the author purposefully gives his readership bones so that they can sort of build the final character according to their personal likes.  To that end, this biography seems a bit skewed.  That is why I give this book 3 stars out of a possible 5; it is likeable enough but seems lacking in substance.  

I don't know how, or why other people read biographies, but my reasons focus on understanding people and how they influenced their respective worlds.  As a result, I tend to look for examples "what-to-do's" and "what-not-to-do's" as I read.  While I remain convinced that few if any biographies ever accomplish what they boldly set out to do; convey a complete, unbiased vetting of what makes up a person's life, it seems even harder to summarize a book - even less so, a life - in merely one sentence, but here goes; being bold and determined in your decisions is a double edged razor that has the potential to cut in your favor but it can also cost you your life.
 
In biographies, sometimes it's not what you say.  It's how you say it.  Additionally, sometimes it's about what you don't say or perhaps, that you elect not to say it.  Finishing up with this book leaves me with those niggling questions.  Unfortunately, I don't think I really know much more about Steve Jobs than I did in the past.  I do know however, more about the history of Apple, and that was worth paying for.

Perhaps that is what Isaacson should have framed his book as; a history of Apple's rise, fall and rise again - rather than a biography about Steve Jobs.  Apple was, after all, what defined Steve Jobs and is, in large part, what will reflect his legacy.

The Fred Factor - My Review

This is a very short book whose premise is simple; be considerate and be willing to offer a helping hand without expecting anything more than feeling good about the fact that you want to be helpful.

Rather than telling you what this book is, I can tell you what it is not: this book isn't an epic tale; it isn't Faulkner or Hemingway; it isn't the recipe for curing all the world's ills; it certainly isn't a prescription on how to become a hero.

It is simply a collection of stories about admirable behaviors by garden-variety, every-day ordinary people who do simple yet extraordinary things.

Arguably, some of Mark Sanborn's stories are schmaltzy at times, and perhaps that is why some critics are prone to be dismissive of his message. I think it is a matter of how we view the world. Consequently, offering help without expectation of a tangible pay-off and how a person feels about being of service is simply reflective on a person's mindset. Optimists see it different from pessimists, and altruists see it different from their opposites. Despite whatever myriad antipodal interpretations of the world that could possibly exist, our perspectives help to define us as people. To be certain, there is an inherent reward to be had by each. It has to do with whether we are motivated intrinsically or extrinsically.

For people inclined to do something for others without any external rewards; this is book you will enjoy. For those of you who are expecting recognition payment or some other kind of remuneration; pass this one by.

Sanborn's story-telling carries in it a folksy, home-spun tone and it accomplishes its goal by pointing out that whether we decide to do something for someone has to do with who we are and where our philosophy about what is in it for us.

I have seen reviews of Fred Factor that, when they run in the negative, they do so because they consider that being a Fred-type person is little more than a set-up to be used and exploited. I do not share that conclusion; there is nothing wrong with being helpful or kind. This book really seems to be speaking to the notion that when people are motivated by intrinsic factors, they tend to be happier. This book is a touchstone and serves as a reminder for me that it costs nothing to be kind. Because of that, I am glad I read it.

On this anniversary of President' Kennedy's assassination, I am reminded of his January 20, 1961 inaugural address to the nation when he spoke the famous phrase, "...ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country..." and it strikes me how being of service was once considered as something to be admired. Even more compelling is how it seems to have gone out of vogue. How apropos to have finished reading this book and its underlying message today.

Just a Little - Leigh Nash

I know I've, been gone, for a long, long while
I've been singing songs, when all I want, is to see you smile
About the time, I get there, I forget, why I'm gone

I wonder, why, just a little, I'm always wanting something more
Life is a riddle, I wish I had the answer for
Love breaks your heart, to teach you to be strong
I die, just a little, so I can live a little bit more

Why your eyes?   You can't have rainbows, without rain
In the morning light, I'll be holding you, again
Don't forget, our music, won't disappear, because there's no end

I wonder, why, just a little, I'm always wanting something more
Life is a riddle, I wish I had the answer for
I break your heart, to teach you to be strong
I die, just a little, so I can live a little bit more

I will sing to you, when the road sings me to sleep
Maybe you stay with me, and I will give you songs, you can keep

I wonder, why, just a little, I'm always wanting something more
Life is a riddle, I wish I had the answer for
You break my heart, to teach me to be strong
I die, just a little, so I can live a little bit more

...why, just a little, I'm always wanting something more
Life is a riddle, I wish I had the answer for
Love breaks your heart, to teach you to be strong
I die, just a little, so I can live a little bit more

Happy Birthday Kristin     ;O)  
I love you more.

Somewhere Different Now - Girleyman

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” 

Steven Paul Jobs

February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011

Stanford commencement speech, June 2005

Into the Wild- Jon Krakauer; My Review

Jon Krakauer's book recounts the life and death of Christopher J. "Alex Supertramp" McCandless, a young man who lived his life and died as he followed the self-chosen a path of an aesthete.

Krakauer's exploration and retelling of how McCandless met his end is interesting and offers plenty of insight - albeit conjectured at some points throughout the rendition - as to how someone chooses to live, the commitment it takes to survive in such a quest and the deadly results when there is a lack of preparation to meet unforeseen challenges.

The author originally wrote about McCandless' death in Outside Magazine and decided to expand on what he wrote, ostensibly to gain a deeper perspective of McCandless; who he was, how he came to his decision to live and the ominous repercussions tied to his Alaska adventure.

I liked the book because it seemed to capture who Chris McCandless was.  More than that, because the book is fraught with literary references culled from the writing of Thoreau, Muir, Stegner and Pasternak plus many more, it is a treasure trove for readers like me.   Into the Wild is a quick, interesting exploration of real world consequences replete with literary references that explore the intellectual sojourns of various writers throughout history that have attempted to speak to Man's search for the meaning of life.

The story was compelling and it would make for great classroom exploration - especially at the high school level where young adults can relate to McCandless' struggle to assert his existence and challenge himself in ways that are at times foolhardy and yet somehow admirable because they are rites of passage.  It is a fascinating study of risk-taking behavior - particularly among young men. While I have heard the term 'arrogance of youth' bandied, it seems more apropos to describe it as, the 'innocence of youth.'

If anything, there are powerful lessons to be gained in Krakauer's book for people of all ages.  While this book serves as testimony to the Human spirit, the sanctity of life and the importance of each and every person's right to live - even if it means dying - according to our own design, it also serves as fair warning that the reason behind such stories has more to do with what not to do, or at least, the relevance of tapping into prior knowledge and becoming informed.  Those who don't, will suffer the consequences because nature - and the world for that matter - is unforgiving of ignorance regardless of whether such ignorance is rooted in lack of knowledge or deliberate rejection of information based on hubris or idealized notions rooted in romanticized self-determination.

The reinforcing message is that we can all learn something.  When we elect not to, we do so at our peril.  It reminds me of Louis Pasteur's observation that, "Chance favors a prepared mind."

For those who dismiss McCandless as a hopeless romantic or an arrogant kid toying with danger, I can only wonder how they must view themselves and all the loopy things they did when they were young.  The fact is we all have done many things that were flat out dangerous and somehow, we survived.  Some of us were lucky enough to get through the days of our youth unscathed and Christopher Johnson McCandless didn't.  Lest we all forget, in these days so peppered by judgment; McCandless life was lived on his own terms but he died on Nature's terms chiefly because he was ill equipped with the appropriate knowledge required to survive in the wild.  In the end however, we all learn from our mistakes if we are lucky enough to survive them. 

I am reminded of the lyrics from a Paul Simon song that went,

"Now I sit by my window
And I watch the cars
I fear I'll do some damage
One fine day
But I would not be convicted
By a jury of my peers
Still crazy after all these years"


Happy Birthday Matthew :O)

Sintel - super cool video by someone to watch for in the future.

Sintel is an approximately fourteen minute short directed by a young man, Colin Levy.  It is a thought provoking story filled with irony and a sense of continuity that makes me sad and yet fills me with hope.  I suppose what is most touching to me is how people can come up with ideas for a story and then bring it all together through imagery and music. 

Colin  has been making short films since he was a kid.  His blog states that he just got a 12 month residency position at PIXAR.  

I think this guy is going to  be someone whose work we will see on the big screen in the not-so-distant future.

If you want to follow this rising star's trajectory, bookmarking his blog might not be a bad idea.  Following this link will also give you the opportunity to see some of his earlier work and it will  give you a front seat to his upcoming video short called, "The Secret Number".