No comments about Kokoro (Large Print Edition): Japanese Inner Life Hints.

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5 comments about Heat: An Amateur's Adventures As Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, And Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany.

1. In reading through the 1 star reviews, I'm awfully confused. There's not much "foul" language, particularly if you contrast it with Bourdain's books. I'm 7/8 of the way through and can't think of anything other than a very few sprinkled f-bombs at all. For the folks who complain about the lack of an in-depth look at French food and life in France - well, its title is pretty much the major clue - pasta and Tuscany don't scream French cuisine. I'm constantly amazed at people's ability to complain. That said, I enjoyed it but it's not a great book. It offers one person's experiences in a celebrity driven kitchen (I've never watched Mario Batali on TV and I am less likely to now) and in some other settings. I never caught his passion for cooking - it seemed more like an adventure so he would have something to write about than an adventure of his life.



2. Anyone who has ever worked at a continental-style restaurant should read this book.
   
   I picked up "Heat" in the interests of reliving my experiences in two continental restaurants, run by two totally different-in-temperament chefs, one Austrian, one Swiss. Neither one embodies quite the insanity exhibited by Mario Batali, the owner/operator of Babbo in New York City,and known via TV as The Iron Chef. I must confess I have never watched The Iron Chef, although I have heard of him; but most of what goes on here does not impact him in that show.
   
   Mr Buford, who seems to have had an open-ended commitment with his real job at the New York Times, decides upon interviewing and further visiting with Mario Batali, that he would like to apprentice to him, to learn the art of Italian cooking. Mr Buford knows just enough about cooking to get into trouble, and it doesn't take long for him to do so when he arrives at Babbo to begin his apprenticeship. I found myself nodding my head at the things that happened to him; I recognized all the personalities in the restaurant, all the petty jealousies, all the various traumas that go on in a busy, popular restaurant on a weekend night. Mr Buford's traverse through the stages of hierarchy was entertaining to say the least. Some things that went on there made me cringe; I'm pretty sure some of the things Mr Buford reported have never occurred at the restaurants I worked at, but it's possible; I was never on the line, but my chefs were nowhere near Mario Batali in style or performance either. (And I mean that in a good way; the man is clearly nuts.)
   
   My favourite part of the book, however, was when Mr Buford, in the interests of furthering his education as a butcher, went to Italy to study under Dario Cecchini in Tuscany (further indication that Mr Buford has ample funds stored up to entertain these conceits about becoming a chef, as it seems apparent that he wasn't earning anything in Italy either). His style of writing made the little hill town where he was very vivid in my mind; the personalities he encountered were highly likable; and overall I wanted to pack up and go over there for a protracted visit myself. It didn't make me any more enamoured of pigs or their products (I only had to find out what pancetta was to know I didn't need it in my diet), but I was greatly entertained by his excursion over there and, having long wanted to visit Tuscany, it just makes me want to go there even more.
   
   Mr Buford is a thorough examiner of his environment, and I felt like I knew everyone he worked with afterwards. The joy of food, the joy of the preparation of food (or not), is clear throughout the book, and while I found hilarity within it, I also found great insight in the entire restaurant experience, from cooking to management. I'm not sure I could work with Mr Batali, but I have a greater insight into the world of food preparation for the public, on all levels. A very entertaining book. I felt like I had a pretty good education in the topic at the end of it.



3. Very good biography! One has to be interested in cooking and food. AT parts more detail than I want to know, but the book is fascinating, educational and humourous. Highly recomend it.



4. I've been a fairly faithful watcher of Top Chef, and a recent one of other restaurant/food based reality tv shows. I wondered if the kitchens were really as sexist as they were made out to be. I wondered how it was so "easy" to get meals brought out in 20 - 30 minutes. Those questions and more get answered. For example, I decided to make braised short ribs based on a Top Chef recipe and one of them ended up looking all weird and alien-like. I wasn't sure why it happened since the others were fine. This book explains it.
   
   Bill Buford relays his misadventures with humor, very often at his own expense. I haven't read any of his other works so I'm not sure if it's his style of writing or if was lucky to be aware of how he looked as an enthusiastic cook with little knowledge to the professional kitchen staff. Some of his curiosities was not of much interest to me (like when the egg made it into the pasta) but others are well worth the reading (like when he takes a pig home to butcher it).



5. I love this book. If I could get my wife to read it, she would have lasted 10 pages. If you don't love to cook, love to experiment in the kitchen or love to eat at and critque fine restaurants, you might not understand this book. I finished this book wishing I could trade places with Buford. If you're a guy who would rather go to Lowe's instead of a kitchen supply store, this is probably not for you.

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5 comments about Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II (G K Hall Large Print American History Series).

1. "Ernie Pyle's War" by James Tobin was a thorough read. Tobin described Pyle down to the very last detail, uncovering almost every aspect of his life. After reading this book, the reader had a clear view into Pyle's mind and was able to recognize the feelings he possessed about his professional and private life. The way Tobin intertwined Pyle's messages home with biographical details along with interviews of acquaintances, made this story an easy read. "Ernie Pyle's War" earned five "stars."
   Tobin's style of writing was one reason this book was so effective. He used partial quotes from Pyle to title his chapters, which brought an immediate sense of intimacy to the story. Tobin began the book with a chronological introduction to Pyle. This style of writing, although typical for biographies, was well suited for this story and not at all cliché. Readers were able to become acquainted with Pyle as a young man and then mature along with him as he grew into an established adult. By describing Pyle as a young man, readers were able to understand more clearly why he was the way he was as an adult.
   Tobin used vivid descriptions to paint a picture of Pyle in the minds of the readers. This was an important aspect because Pyle's physical demeanor was one of the main problems and/or benefits in his life. As a child and young adult, his size hindered his relationships. But, as a war correspondent, the people saw Pyle as more of a hometown boy rather than a studious journalist. This added to his success as a war correspondent.
   After transitioning into Pyle's career as a war correspondent, the story line became more tedious. Pyle was in and out of combat and the surface facts of his life were boring. Tobin, understanding the paleness of biographical data, used Pyle's messages home to spice up the story. Like most people, Pyle's life was not what it seemed to be. Besides leading a "glorified" life as a war correspondent, he had major problems at home. Tobin showed the audience this by weaving together Pyle's biographical information with the messages he sent home. This gave the reader a sense of what Pyle was actually feeling. Using these messages instead of his columns allowed reader's to see the "real" Pyle.
   Tobin uncovered personal feelings about his professional and personal life, which gave the reader a feeling of empathy toward Pyle. Showing that he did not feel like an outstanding reporter, let readers see Pyle was human. Tobin successfully showed the man behind the pen by opening up Pyle's mind to the audience. He did this by using Pyle's own letters and messages home that contained intimate details of his life. Without the added touch of Pyle's actual writing, the story would have failed to be as successful.



2. James Toban has written a stunning book in "Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II". Toban has succeeded in giving readers the rare opportunity to see the human frailties concealed within one of America's greatest and most valuable World War II correspondents.
   
   James Toban present a picture of the complex Ernie Pyle; a man that entered the World War II carrying only a broken Remington typewriter and a deep desire to describe the life and hardships of the horrific world of the infantrymen to the American public. The reader will learn of the contradictory Ernie Pyle. The Ernie Pyle who despised war, but who could not stay away from the physical and emotional anguish of battle. The Ernie Pyle who loved his wife, but who continually left her behind to travel to the front lines. Ernie Pyle, the seemingly frail and terrified journalist who demonstrated his bravery by traveling to the front lines to be with and write about "his boys". Ernie Pyle, a genius for writing about the common soldier, but who needed constant reminding that he was the best at what he did. His articles became legendary and the hope and news link for Americans with loved ones in the front lines.
   
   James Toban's "Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II " is a must read for World War II readers and all readers who wish to know about the human spirit and about a plain old fashion brave American.



3. this must be THE book to read on war - what it's really like in all of its aspects - his description of the beach, after D-Day was gripping and haunting and it has stayed with me many years later -
   
   and how he relates the everyday and ordinary in war -
   
   and how, in any group or organization, it's often a small percentage of the people who are carrying the load - that's just one example of the many insights and truths in this book that relate to all of life, not just life in a war zone -
   
   and it is a great book for anyone to read - a stunning life achievement for ernie pyle -



4. This is a fascinating book, and this from a reader more into fiction than historical biography - but the best fiction writer would be hard pressed to come up with a character like Ernie Pyle.
   
   A page turning look into World War II from someone who could have been your neighbor but was far more than what you would have expected.
   
   I have no idea why a modern rendition of this story has not hit the big screen - it seems a natural, captivating story that would educate as well as entertain.



5. This is the story of an unpretentious, self effacing, little newspaper man, who once described himself as a "slightly used second hand man;" a man who through dedication, common sense, and a love for his fellow man and "the God-damned infantry," as they liked to call themselves, went on to become the pre-eminent war correspondent of World War II and likely of any other war -- past, present, or future. But, Ernie Pyle was much more than that. As the war wore on, Ernie, through his thoughtful and heart-felt reports from the European war zone became America's "everyman," a little fellow, who could be your next door neighbor, caught up in the events of war. Many of his readers came to see him more as a friend than as a reporter and, as America's situation improved, became more concerned about Ernie than they were about how the war itself was going.
   
   Once known for his somewhat mundane traveling adventures, a column which he wrote for seven years prior to the war for the Scripps-Howard Newspaper chain, Pyle's reports from North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and eventually broader Europe took on a life of their own. His column spread to other papers and to a much broader readership. But this new found fame, and the prospect of fortune, never went to Ernie's head. He said that he was too old, he was in his forties, had been a reporter too long, twenty years, and had seen too much of the war to be impressed with such things. It seemed funny to him that he should be considering a deal worth $150,000 while soldiers were dying all around him on the battlefields of Europe for only $50 a month. Ernie didn't expect to live to see war's end anyway.
   
   There was only one Ernie Pyle and it is unlikely that there will ever be another, for in his writings he caught the essence of the young men who were fighting and dying in war. His readers got to see what they saw, feel what they felt, and know what they hoped and dreamed of. And it was through his reports that the American people caught a glimpse of World War II and what their sons were going through.
   
   This is a remarkably good book about a remarkable man; well researched and well told. In it, you will get meet the real Ernie Pyle and read some of the writings which won him praise and eventually the Pulitzer Prize. Among them are four of his finest: A Forward Airdrome in French North Africa (pg. 71); In the shadow of the low stone wall (pg. 133); Now to the infantry (pg. 262); and A Pure Miracle (pg. 271).

2 comments about All My Best Friends (G.K. Hall Large Print General Series).

1. George Burns is a funny man! This book deserves to be in print. It chronicles his and many other famous comedian's lives, like Al Jolson and Jack Benny. Al in all a great read.



2. This is one of the funniest books I have ever read as well as an informative and authoritative history of American show business and the men who invented it from burlesque to vaudeville, radio, movies and tv.

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2 comments about Lucy & Desi: The Legendary Love Story of Television's Most Famous Couple.

1. Lucy was born in 1911 and had a brother named Fred When Lucy was 15 she took a job at walgreens.She lost her job because she forgot to put the bananas on the banana splits.I didn;t like the book because her husband did not treat her that well.I enjoyed the book because I think it was very interesting to know about her life.



2. I agree with the other reviewer on ONE point. I enjoyed this book because I liked learning about the life of Lucille Ball...but I also enjoyed learning about Desi. Desi DID treat Lucy right, and like he said, there was never a person he loved more than he did Lucy. At what point did anyone see Lucy come out with a black eye on screen? Can't answer that? That's because she never DID! Desi was always good to Lucy and they loved eachother, and this book tells about their love for eachother. (Although NO book could EVER capsize the love they felt for eachother...NEVER! )

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