5 comments about The Tender Bar.

1. This book is one of the most amazing memoirs I've read. If you have every frequented a local establishment, you'll relate to a large portion of this book.



2. I really enjoyed this memoir. My husband had started reading it, but said it didn't grab him, so I picked it up and was immediately drawn in. JR is a very talented writer, and I would find myself laughing out loud (which is very rare for me when I read a book) and tearing up (not so rare for me, depending on the subject matter).
   
   I read a few reviews elsewhere that felt like the epilogue was tacked on. I can see that argument, although I didn't really feel that the book had "ended" before the epilogue, and I felt as though his affection for all these people was what brought him back to revisit his old life 10 years later.
   
   I will agree with some writers that, sometimes, I felt a little impatient with JR, but I think that's because he was being honest about his shortcomings. He definitely has his issues, and his obsession with Sidney was rather annoying--but I think that was the point, and he was describing the intense feeling of first love. There were a few situations that were obviously going to turn out badly, and he forged ahead, but hey--that's apparently what really happened.
   
   All in all, a very enjoyable memoir. I think what made it so enjoyable was JR's emotion. He loved his mother, he loved Uncle Charlie and the crew, and he loved the bar.



3. I was raised at church; wish now that I'd been raised at Publicans.
   Could not put this book down until it was finished, and then I wanted more.



4. At the risk of repeating what's already been written, I'll make my review short and to the point. This book was a pure joy to read. A *tad* bit slow at times, but what book isn't? The author's ability to share his life's journey with the reader is as enjoyable and warm as you'll ever find. There were moments during this book that I desperately, desperately wanted to go back in time to join JR during his ventures. Or at least observe from a far. I'd give anything to visualize his Uncle and his Uncle's bar buddies while frolicking at the beach or going belly up at the bar. I'll give nothing else away, but I will tell any potential reader that you won't be disappointed. Reading this book was like eating a really, really good steak. You just take a bite, put the fork down, and slowly chew each piece savoring it's flavors and appreciating it while you have it....because soon the steak, just like the book, will be finished.



5. I read many of the reviews of East coast readers that commiserated their experiences of growning up and visiting Publicans, etc. To know that others felt as he did, added to the realism of the story.. The comparisons to the McCourts and other memoir writers rang true, but as a west coaster, I found his style and the characters reminding me more of John Stienbeck-Cannery Row, etal. A great read! It was hard to put down and for the book to come to an end. I hope he will continue to use his great talent to write a novel whether fiction or non. Thanks JR.

5 comments about Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America.

1. This book tells it like it is. Islam is a clear danger and no way in hell peaceful. I was aware of this prior to reading 'Because They Hate" but Ms. Gabriel
   brings out some very important warnings.



2. A gret book based on personal experience with lots of useful information about what to expect from the followers of mohammad and islam.



3. If you want to see what it is like to live in the Middle East from a first person perspective you should buy this book. My Grandfather grew up there and I was interested in what it was really like as he died when I was young. I only had the memories of his horror stories. This book tells it like it is and was. Definitely a good read for those who aren't afraid to admit the truth. If you are one who wants to turn a blind eye to reality, I wouldn't buy it.



4. This book is an eye opener --- what a brave woman and I for one am glad she is an American---the book is well written and uses good examples



5. A MUST READ for Americans and anyone who sincerely cares about the REAL threat of Radical Islam, and how it will be (and presently is) affecting the future of their country. POWERFUL - PERTINENT - SCARY!! It was a miracle the author survived her early life in the Middle East! She tells the TRUTH about Radical Islam. Read this book as well as "They Must Be Stopped" to see for yourself.

5 comments about The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World.

1. A good quick read. It's a bit disjointed, but that's how reading the encyclopedia would be as well. I enjoy a lot of trivia and see similarities between A.J. Jacobs and my father who is also a trivia nut. For some reason the book inspired me to join Mensa. Woohoo! Still haven't been to any meetings, but I'm thinking about it.
   
   Rami S



2. Any book that makes me laugh out loud is a keeper. This one was great. Jacobs decides to read the Encyclopaedia Britanica from start to finish. He then writes a book about the experience as a series of chapters based on each letter. Jacobs lets us in on some of the more funny and interesting facts in Britanica while he also struggles to figure out what his quest means. Is he becoming smarter? Is he wasting his time? How does it change the way he sees the world and his relationships with others? the best part is that Jacobs seems like the kind of guy you want to know and hang out with so reading his book is like reading a letter from an old friend. Highly recommended!



3. The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, follows a journalist through his daunting task of reading the entire 2002 Encyclopaedia Britannica A through Z. He completes the amazing feat in a little over a year and learns more about life, intelligence, and education than are printed on the pages on the encyclopaedia.
   
   Jacobs is a man that many people, or at least myself can relate to in some way or another. He finds himself socially awkward, painfully smart, a germaphobe, and constantly is comparing himself to others. Throughout the novel he not only highlights the most interesting facts he uncovers in the Britannica, but he lets you into his life throughout the journey. While reading he also finds time to research knowledge and the creation of encyclopedia, he interviews numerous scholars and Alex Trebec, joins the Mensa club, and even tries out his wealth of knowledge on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Throughout his adventure he becomes more comfortable with his own knowledge and the intelligence of those around him and even builds a better relationship and understanding with his brilliant father, just in time before becoming one himself.
   
   Besides the extraordinary facts that you learn by reading this book, Jacobs writes in a laugh-out-loud style that makes it hard to put down or even be aware of what is going on around you. I loved when I actually knew some of his crazy facts and was even pushed to look up some facts on google because I truly didn't believe what I was reading! That is awesome! It is beyond engrossing and a must read! Possibly one of the best books of the summer. ...and if I wasn't immediately sending it off to a friend in NYC tomorrow I would keep it on the shelf and read it again next summer for sure.



4. I don't laugh out loud when I read books all the time. This book had me laughing avery other page! Not only is it funny, Jacobs makes some very interesting observations on human nature, history, and the world as a whole. Not just a boring book about an Encyclopedia, he manages to mix humor, his quest, his family, his social life, his goals, all into one well-written book. I read this for school. This has definitely been among my favorite books I've read for school. I recommend it to anyone.



5. Jacobs' tone gets whiny from time to time, but his neuroses and the constant asides into his and his wife's attempts to have a child make it a fun read.

5 comments about Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise.

1. Annoying, trite, and painfully over-exaggerated.
   
   That is all. This short review is about the perfect length the book should be.



2. This book was intriguing from the very beginning, when Ruth is recognized by a complete stranger as the incoming restaurant critic of the New York Times. To Ruth's utter shock, she learns that important restaurants in the city have virtually compiled a dossier on her, complete with photographs and background information. In that stomach-dropping moment, Ruth realizes that the job she hasn't even started yet is in jeopardy. Just as suddenly, she decides that she can outfox the foxes. Her mother's old friend is an acting coach who teaches Ruth the ropes in disguising herself so completely that even her personality undergoes change with each new "character."
   
   Unlike her predecessor, Ruth aimed to review restaurants on how they catered to the average patron, not a powerful critic. As you might guess, there is a big difference. For me, hearing about those differences were the most entertaining portions of this book. Although Ruth's descriptions of delectable dishes were colorful enough that they practically leapt onto my taste buds, many ingredients and techniques are so foreign to my far-from-Manhattan experiences that I couldn't savor them the way a food aficionado would. (But they did underscore what I'm missing from chain restaurants.)
   
   Toward the end, as Ruth grows disenchanted with her job, the memoir wanders from the restaurant to the specialty food shop. Here, it adopts an almost "I heart New York" theme that bored me. Clearly, my enjoyment of her book corresponds to the periods when Ruth most enjoyed her job. Luckily for us readers and listeners, those periods comprise the bulk of this engaging book.



3. I thought it was pretty good....not the finest piece of literature I've ever read, but it was good...and sort of an inside look at the world of restaurants and their proprietors and the class of people who go to the very best and finest restaurants and how they are treated as compared to how a frumpily clad person would get treated. I'd say if you are in-between books and need something 'lighter' to read..or in need of a fast read....this would be perfect. Some good recipes, too!



4. Oh to go undercover with Ruth to various restaurants in New York City in the 90s wearing wigs and costumes, what a perfect delight! It is quite obvious how profound an impact she had on the food revolution, daring to give legitimacy to Asian noodle restaurants when no one else would dare. This book is so entertaining to read, I loved every second of shadowing her on her food adventures. I will be attempting to make her recipe for Sort-of Thai Noodles very soon. For a foodie, this book is fantastic escapism to one of the food capitals of the world. To see the life of the most powerful woman in that industry in action? Pure bliss.



5. If you liked Ruth Reichl's other books, you will definitely like this one. The description of foods is amazing and literally leaves your mouth watering for more! Needless to say, I eagerly await her next release.

5 comments about The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood.

1. I listened to this book on tape, read by Ms. Cooper. I just loved it. It just flowed from the beginning to the end. The advantage of listening to this book was hearing the dialect. It was an enjoyable read that had me laughing and crying thoroughout the story. Loved it!



2. The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper is a great book! It is a memoir (nonfiction) that reads like an historical fiction/novel. As a lover of African history, I thoroughly enjoyed the details regarding Africa and America in the early 1800's. These are things I wished I had learned in public school or college. In fact, this would be a great book for high school and college students to use during a lesson on Africa and America. The story of Ms. Cooper's life in Liberia was as intriguing as the history lesson on Liberia. Her ability to share the intimate thoughts and emotions of her life growing up held my attention throughout the 3 days of reading. As an African-American who has sometimes wondered if it would have been better to grow up in Africa, I cannot say that I would have chosen either--life here in America or in Liberia. The complexity of our human nature is quite apparent in this story of class systems not based on just white versus black. It truly supports the notion that we as humans always look for a way to put someone else below us as opposed to choosing to think of and relate to each other as the Bible teaches: "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:37-39 KJV)." Nothing less will cure the ills of our human nature.
   Barbara Peters, Author - Adulterous Heart ISBN:9781442188105



3. I so was sorry when Sugar Beach ended; I would have liked to continue reading about Helene, Eunice, Mommee, and the rest of the family. To me, the way the story was told--matter-of-factly, with great attention to realistic detail and a good mix of historical/personal--was fascinating. I learned so much about Liberia, and was particularly impressed with Cooper's subtle but effective techniques for individualized character development. I really felt I "knew" each participant in the story; often an author can achieve this with two or three main characters, but Cooper nailed it with at least ten! I was greatly moved by this memoir of childhood, growing up, war, loss, and personal triumph (and humility). I loved her sensory descriptions of her homeland, especially the scents, weather and language. A great read. Mary Lee Moser, author, There and Back: A Journal Companion for Special Needs Parents



4. Wonderful book. Excellent historical autobiography. I normally would not read autobiographies, but I recommend this to everyone. Would make a great high school requirement reading!



5. Most Americans don't even know where Liberia is let alone its story. A book like hers should be required reading in high schools to help Americans expand their worldliness. Helene Cooper does an excellent of weaving in Liberia's history with the story of her family. Her mother is the true hero and I wish her well. Immigrants such as the Cooper family are what makes America so great a country. When my mother was in a nursing home it was Africans such as Helene's mother that provided her care. Their respect for elders was impressive and I'm sure every one of them had a story to tell similar to the Coopers.

5 comments about When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa.

1. I found this book to be well written and thought provoking. The aging and declining health of the author's parents provides the setting for a look at the declining fortunes of his native country, Zimbabwe. The author does not pretend that Zimbabwe was ideal under colonial rule but it would be difficult to make a case that either black or white Africans are benefitting from the corrupt and despotic rule of Robert Mugabe.



2. I loved this book. I read a review in the paper recommending it, but bought it half-heartedly knowing that I rarely enjoy books that professional reviewers recommend. I am really glad I gave it a try. This was a heartbreaking story of both a family and a country. Even though it was published in 2004 (6 years ago) it is still relevant. In fact, characters from the story are in the news today. The beginning of the story is a bit like reading a magazine article - but in the end, I was so absorbed, I felt like I was mourning the loss of my own family member. I will definitely pass this along to all my friends and also track down Mr. Godwin's prior book.



3. The history and events surrounding the rise to power of Mugabe and Zimbabwe's race and economic troubles are reflected in this memoir which is entertaining, educational, compelling, and just a plain old good read.



4. When our book club agreed on this book for our next selection, I thought, 'Oh great, another heart-rendering sob story about all the tragedies that have been visited upon Africa'. Boy, was I wrong. As I progressed into the book more and more facts about what truely has happened - at least in Zimbabwe and the countries in Southern Africa - over the past two decades - began to make that history quite clear. One of the facts that came out was that if development had been left to the ordinary person - white farmer - black worker - that Zimbabwe probably would be developing into the great country it looked like it would years ago. But, somehow, black, greedy, utterly violent egomaniacs took over with the result being a total disaster for this country. If you really are interested in what is happening in Africa read this book. It will open your mind.



5. Devastating, haunting, beautiful.
   
   If you've ever had a parents, if you've ever seen something you love go to bits, or if you've ever seen your roots grow distant, this book will speak to you. Regardless of the specific settings and circumstances of this book.
   
   Having picked it up primarily to catch up on Zimbabwe (and it does a very good job of conveying that country's recent history, although it's obviously a memoir and not a detailed political study), I was soon hypnotized and drawn in by the human element - the memoir.
   
   Beautifully, soulfully written - a real classic.

5 comments about Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan.

1. Tokyo Vice cannot be called simply a book. It is a life - a slice of life of one American reporter working for one of the largest newspapers in Japan. This slice of life account opens up a window view into another world that lies just under the surface of what we think of as the norm. Some people fall into this world by ill luck from debt and poverty, some fall into it by the weight of their vices or the need for thrill, and some are born into it having little choice. Tokyo Vice shines a light on this darker world and some of its people and the people who try to keep back the darkness.
   
   Tokyo Vice is not juicy pulp fiction type book, however, and this may be where some readers looking for a quick fix will be disappointed. Those looking for sordid tales of murder and sex will find it here but these details are told matter-of-fact as opposed to macabre glee. Tokyo Vice does not glamorize Tokyo's Underworld. It serves as a warning of the reality of sex-slaves, brutal men, murderous perverts, diseased junkies, battered prostitutes. This is not a world you want to associate with if you can help it.
   
   But even more compelling than the cold look at Tokyo's darker side, are the characters the author encountered in his time in Japan. His yakuza-looking cop friend is one of the best characters in the book. He is one of those good people in this world you never hear about but should. Another character is the indomitable female reporter who fought against the prejudice towards the mentally ill. And then there is his foul-mouthed full-of-life prostitute friend who may have made a courageous sacrifice for her friend and the fight against human trafficking.
   
   Tokyo Vice may be a book about bad people who have done terrible deeds but it's also a book about good people who have fought hard and strove to make a difference and that alone makes it worth a read.



2. I never expected this book to be relevant to me on the level it was. I expected it to focus on the glamorous aspects of crime, maybe toss out a few sympathetic victims, and maybe have a few details about types of organized crime.
   
   Instead it's truly about humans, culture, a society, and how the aspect of that society that can be so neatly contained in a word like "vice" really affects people in a world where it can not be likewise confined.
   
   It is a poignant and highly personal book. It starts with such optimism, as if Adelstein is speaking in his former voice as an excited journalist. He almost lost me in the beginning because I wasn't sure if this was going to be a book about nothing but male bravado. Towards the end I'm inclined to believe him when he begins to talk about the other side of things. There's a noticeable shift in the persona of the author that suggests to me he's truly talking about things that make him uncomfortable.
   
   Adelstein's writing style is almost stream of conscious, and yet very guarded. I actually don't mind the insights into his sex life that are getting so much criticism here, as I think in a way they work to explain how an individuals own sexuality is influenced by what sex means in different contexts. In fact I appreciate that they were there. I think if he were bragging about his sexual exploits it would have come off differently.
   
   I wish I'd known a little more about where this book was headed though. It becomes very painful. In the beginning the author seems to be giving us the exciting story of a young man with an incredibly unlikely career, but in the end we get a glimpse into the other side of things and the consequences the author and others face.
   
   It illustrates the true cruelty that goes on, and the emotional manipulation. Leaving some one to live their whole life with the blame of their friend's torture and death?
   
   This is true evil.
   
   I'm still consolidating my thoughts on this book, but it's one I'll be thinking about for a while. Which is ultimately the most you can ever ask of a book, right?



3. A very entertaining book about a stranger in a strange land. Hats off to Adelstein for giving us an unvarnished memoir of his time working as a crime reporter in and around Tokyo. His descriptions of the sex trade, police work, and journalism in contemporary Japan are eye-opening. And he has the guts to portray himself honestly--warts and all. If you're interested in Japan, the Yakuza, or just want a unique personal story, definitely read TOKYO VICE.



4. This book provides a view of the seedy underside of Japan, from the eyes of a reporter. I found the flow of the narrative a little jarring and the ending seem to fade out, but I liked the book a lot. If you want to learn a little bit about Yakuza culture and how Japan views the adult entertainment industry, this is the book for you.



5. The fact that this is based on a True story adds to the intrigue and reinforces the readers imagination to develop a connection with most of the characters of the story. This is a fascinating book and it is definitely something that is hard to put down. On the downside however, the start of the book was much better then the end of the book. Personally the last few parts of the book felt rushed, whereas the beginning was more in depth and more thought out. I would still recommend it even with it's flaws.

5 comments about Personal History.

1. I listened to this on audiobook, read by the author. It was truly a great listening experience. Her emotion comes through and you really get a sense of her as a person. A true pleasure.



2. I must have read this book ten times by now but find myself returning to it constantly. Here is a woman who was born into such privilege and wealth that she could have led a perfectly meaningless life. Yet her parents had solid values, she married an ambitious, smart man, and when he died, she oversaw the Washington Post through its most interesting period, the sixties through the eighties. Just reading about the events of her life is like getting the CliffNotes version of American history. The cast of characters is like a Who's Who of influential people, but not once does the reader feel that she's bragging. In many instances she talks frankly about her mistakes, big and small, without giving the impression that her account of the story of self-serving. She talks about her own self absorption and neglect of her two younger children after her husband's mental illness and subsequent suicide. Of particular note is a particularly unflattering description of her written by Robert Redford (who starred in All the President's Men). Redford's letter (quoted in the book) seems to confirm to us -- the readers -- our deepest suspicions about Kay Graham, that she is snobby and blue-blooded to the core, but she explains herself remarkably well without offering excuses. I find it hard not to admire her frankness and willingness to tell us the less flattering bits.
   
   Personal History essentially covers her four or five different lives, and she goes into the major events with enormous detail. Every successive life she has is more incredible than the last -- never does the reader feel that she has glossed over parts of the story. In fact, she often goes into elaborate detail and includes dialogue from old letters, etc. One thing I've read in some negative reviews is that she's 'just a spoiled rich girl.' In fact she spends a lot of time making it perfectly clear that she is privileged and that a lot of things she has had in life had little to do with her own abilities -- the acquisition of The Post by her father, for example. But what's remarkable is that she never ran away from what she was supposed to do. And for this -- as well as for her honesty -- she is an inspiration to us all. This is by far my favorite book!



3. .. a whitewash by one of the most ruthless power-brokers in the history of American publishing. One reviewer suggested that Mz Graham might be a good role model for girls. Really? I can't help but be reminded of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in which General Franco is held out as the same. She was never interested in a free press and said as much in a speech at Langley in 1988. And if there was ever any doubt, consider her suppression of the biography authored by Deborah Davis (as difficult to find as another under-the-radar portrait of a demagogue, "L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?").



4. This book was simply fascinating. I wondered how someone so integral to our country's media could've escaped me... I have to be honest, though: Before someone suggested this title for my book club, I had never heard of Katharine Graham. Upon ordering the book, I did a quick search to learn who she was, and from my two minutes of Googling, I expected her autobiography to be an uninspired list of petty complaints by an out-of-touch American princess.
   
   The intriguing first part of the book, which focused on the origins of her mother and father, helped ease the reader into wanting to learn more about this privileged woman; without the family history, I'm not sure I'd have been as interested.
   
   By the time Graham was thrust into the position of helming The Washington Post, my assumptions about her life and "privilege" were turned upside-down. To be sure, her life was filled with luxuries and advantages, but the family, social, and personality issues so many of us "regular" people endure affected Graham too. She effortlessly toggles between name-dropping business moguls and politicians and expressing her lifelong struggles with shyness and low self-esteem. She deserved major props for exposing her vulnerabilities despite a proclivity to be "appropriate."
   
   Some criticisms:
   
   - A portion of the book relates The Post's involvement with uncovering Watergate, but the author makes a great assumption that readers already know the specifics of the Nixon scandal. A short summary of the overall issue would've been appreciated by uninformed people like me (who hadn't been born yet and skipped that day in Government 202) who'd like not to do research about it afterward.
   
   - Toward the end of the book, Warren Buffett becomes a major character of the story. Graham comes across as fawning over him, and his presence is disproportionately great when compared to other supposedly main characters of her book.
   
   - There are so many people and names in this book that it can be a hard read. Read slowly and take notes if necessary.



5. Katharine Graham's Personal History is by far one of the best autobiographies I've ever read. Her candor about her triumphs and hardships is powerful and at times inspiring. Kay's ability to tell her often dark tale without that 'woe is me' vibe is refreshing. Her writing is quality. There is a good reason why this book won a Pulitzer...it deserved it!

5 comments about Growing Up (Signet).

1. I was a junior in high school when my AP English teacher placed a large pile of books on a table in the middle of the classroom. I was rather late in getting to the table, leaving my choice of books very slim. I saw the cover of Russell Baker's 'Growing Up', and I figured I might as well give it a chance. It only took me about a week to read because Baker sucked me into his story. I enjoy reading and learning about history, and this novel gave me this man's first hand account on many key moments throughout the 20th century. Many people may perceive this book as being 'boring' and 'drawn-out', but if you take the time to really get into it, it will surely be worth your time!



2. On a recent trip to a chain bookstore, I was surprised to see this book in the autobiography section. The book came out 26 years ago and Baker has faded from the public spotlight since his retirement in 1998 from the New York Times, where he was a popular columnist. I picked the book up, figuring it must be a pretty good memoir to have outlasted the author's fame, and noticed a week later that the bookstore had already reordered a copy.
   
   Baker's book is a great memoir. He tells the story of his childhood growing up in the Depression, which takes him from a rural Virginia shack without electricity or running water to stark poverty in Belleville, New Jersey; and Baltimore, where his widowed mother must rely on the charity of family members to feed the family. Baker, born in 1925, frames the story with his 84-year-old mother's lapse into dementia at a nursing home, which has untethered her from the present and drops her into random points in her life. One day he comes to see her and is met with the question "where's Russell?" In her mind, she'd become a young mother again with a three-year-old boy and a younger sister. Russell's father, who she met when his car broke down leaving the local moonshine distillery, had not yet died in his early thirties from diabetes because insulin wasn't available.
   
   Although the specifics of Baker's childhood are often grim, he writes with a sense of humor about himself that reminded me of Jean Shepherd's narration in the movie A Christmas Story (Full-Screen Edition). This is particularly true when he describes how his lack of aptitude for anything else led him to journalism. "The only thing I was fit for was to be a writer," he writes, "and this notion rested solely on my suspicion that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn't require any."
   
   Baker's modesty about his own abilities is misplaced. He writes well, telling the human cost of the Depression through the lives of his relatives. He focuses in particular on his mother and her diminishment of opportunities. A college-educated schoolteacher, she remains jobless for years and can't fulfill her dream of putting the family in their own home until he's almost in college. The Bakers are so poor that at one point she gives up her third child, still an infant, to be raised by childless relatives.
   
   Baker's mother ends up living through her children, leaning hard on Russell to make something of himself and putting him to work on the streets selling the Saturday Evening Post when he's just eight years old. She's so miserly about affection and praise that by the end of the book, I needed a hug. Unfortunately, the story ends with Russell as a newlywed who has not yet made anything of himself as a journalist, so there's never the cathartic third-act moment where the mother makes clear that her sacrifices on behalf of her only son were worth it. That bummed me out.
   
   Although he's retired from the Times and a second gig hosting PBS' Masterpiece Theatre, Baker still writes occasionally for New York Review of Books.



3. I recently reread "Growing Up" and although this book has been around for almost a quarter century it is still engrossing, still a fast read and still a wonderful walk down memory lane. The first time I read this book, I enjoyed it immensely. Baker is the age of my parents and his personal reflections seemed to mirror the great family stories I heard time and again at our dinner table -- the book was a delight because it brought me back to a time, before and during WWII when our country was a much more simple place.
   This time around I found it to be profoundly relevant to the tough economic times that we are going through now. What jumped off the page this time, was not the sanquine family stories but Baker's recollection of the desperation and tough times shared by the Baker's, their friends and acquaintances through the depression and beyond.
   We hear the same stories today, same struggles, same desperation -- not much has changed.
   In "Growing Up" we see, once again, that Baker is a consummate writer and humorist who makes us all feel, for just a moment like we too, must have grown up in or around the Baker brood.



4. Russell Baker's story of his growing-up years is not mind-shattering, it is not sensational, there is no hype involved. But it is easy to see if you look behind the seamless prose that he is a born writer. The story is beautifully told, not spectacular, but genuine and from the heart. I mean, how many individuals have a spell-binding childhood. Maybe one out of ten thousand. But you should read Baker just because he's so easy to read, so interesting in his observations, so moving in his conclusions. There are probably a thousand or more other biographies very much like Baker's but written with nowhere near the skill and wit.



5. 
   This book was recommended by my writing teacher as an excellent memoir. She was right. With just the right combination of humor and pathos, Russell Baker takes us through his childhood during the Great Depression and beyond with his funny, quirky, extended family. It's easy to see why it won the Pulitzer.

5 comments about Paris to the Moon.

1. Paris to the Moon is a languid, fussy book that is likely to disappoint readers who really want to get a feel for Paris or to be reminded of their own experiences of the city. A self-conscious, self-absorbed, sentimental tone dominates the book; Gopnik does offer some sound insights into French culture, but most of them are not very original. I would have expected someone who spent five years in Paris to have more substantive things to say. Gopnik's prose is polished to the point of dullness-- faultless but unmemorable. The two passages that stuck in my mind were Gopnik's condescending generalizations about household pets ("mere courtesans of affection, feigning a feeling for food": p. 42) and children ("Luke of course took it for granted, as children take all things": p. 316). I closed the book feeling very glad that I was not a child or small animal in Gopnik's life.
   
   If you want to read a good book about the experiences of North Americans living in Paris, I recommend Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong by Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow. Despite the silly title, Nadeau and Barlow offer the piercing, thoughtful observations about French culture that Paris to the Moon mostly lacks.



2. Some people seem to love this book - I will admit I enjoyed reading the political background about Paris and the history, and I am an avid reader of the New Yorker. However, the bulk of the work was devoted to Mr G's interpretation
   of his experience in Paris, and it struck me as an endless series of complaints that life there was not as he experienced in New York. I suppose to some this is interesting, but I found it tedious, boring, and sad. I had to stop reading the book around page 80 - I think after his complaints about not having a decent New York style gym to go to. Rather than understanding that Parisians get their exercise by walking he complains that he can't use his walkman and workout like he's used to. As one who loves Paris I can't jive with so much kvetching.



3. I like Gopnik's writing--some of his magazine work is brilliant--and I opened the cover wanting to love this book, especially since my wife and I were doing a lot of walking around Paris at the time. But as a travel piece, it doesn't get into orbit. Some of the reviews seem overly harsh, based more on the book's focus not ending up meeting the reader's expectations; I founding it annoying at times for the same reasons. The five-star reviews, though, need questioning: I mean, no way can this be up there with the best of the genre, starting with Mark Twain. Essentially, though Paris to the Moon has many insights into Frenchiness, it is essentially about a New York writer taking his family to Paris, rather than about Paris.
   
   I would love to see Gopnik write a novel on the same subject, a dramatic comedy, since he has all the elements for a great work--writers, models, foodies, artists; NY meets Paris.



4. The author, who narrates the story, speaks so quickly that it is somewhat difficult to get interested in the book. There are interesting parts, but I often found my mind drifting off.



5. Excellent, overnight service for getting this delicious book to friends for Xmas. Strongly recommend this warm, subtly-hilarious work to any American who has lived in Paris in recent decades.