Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Book Reviews
"
Treatise on the art of Bread-Making" written in 1805. Surprisingly interesting - talks about worldwide bread making - using soda water instead of yeast and dried fish instead of flour to make bread using what is available. Surprisingly scientific for 1805
"Medicus" - Ruth Downie's first book - it is about a doctor in Roman occupied Britain - a good idea - amazing that the Romans did a lot of surgery - not just Cesarean sections but Cataract surgery as well. I was irritated by, what I thought were, irrelevant references to dogs on almost every page. Reviews liken it to MASH
"Spot of Bother" by Mark Hadden - the guy who wrote "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" not as good as the "Curious Incident ---" but relevant to ageing baby boomers.
"Tailor Of Panama" - after reading, and thoroughly enjoying "Mission Song" and "The Constant Gardener" I couldn't get enough John LeCarre - This one was a bit too much of a spy novel for me - too demanding on remembering characters and allegiances for me.
"United States of Arugula" a very limited appeal - really only for an American foodie - hardly a mention of anything outside USA but dealing with the history of the American restaurant industry and it's roots in French immigrants.
"American Prometheus" this one is ongoing - probably for ever! a biography of Robert Oppenheimer - who built the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. The book deals with building the bombs in New Mexico and all the things that happened to him afterwards - when he was accused of spying. Good, interesting but very long.
Treatise on the art of Bread-Making" written in 1805. Surprisingly interesting - talks about worldwide bread making - using soda water instead of yeast and dried fish instead of flour to make bread using what is available. Surprisingly scientific for 1805"Medicus" - Ruth Downie's first book - it is about a doctor in Roman occupied Britain - a good idea - amazing that the Romans did a lot of surgery - not just Cesarean sections but Cataract surgery as well. I was irritated by, what I thought were, irrelevant references to dogs on almost every page. Reviews liken it to MASH
"Spot of Bother" by Mark Hadden - the guy who wrote "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" not as good as the "Curious Incident ---" but relevant to ageing baby boomers.
"Tailor Of Panama" - after reading, and thoroughly enjoying "Mission Song" and "The Constant Gardener" I couldn't get enough John LeCarre - This one was a bit too much of a spy novel for me - too demanding on remembering characters and allegiances for me.
"United States of Arugula" a very limited appeal - really only for an American foodie - hardly a mention of anything outside USA but dealing with the history of the American restaurant industry and it's roots in French immigrants.
"American Prometheus" this one is ongoing - probably for ever! a biography of Robert Oppenheimer - who built the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. The book deals with building the bombs in New Mexico and all the things that happened to him afterwards - when he was accused of spying. Good, interesting but very long.
# posted by william @ 8:30 AM 
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rather like buses, you wait ages for a new post then two come along at once!
I won't bore anyone with the last booki read, it was about an attempt to break the hour record on a bike...
I won't bore anyone with the last booki read, it was about an attempt to break the hour record on a bike...
Interesting .... I especially like history and biography, as well as certain films and appreciate the books on ancient records of things. That maccaroni dish looked delicious. Dino de Laurentis' granddaughter writes & lives locally in L.A. and she had a great recipe in the paper for pasta/greens/goat cheese/seasonings. It was great tasting (twice).
Di
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Di
# posted by 
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