Shrinkage

Earlier today, a friend of mine posted some political article. I told him I had no intention of reading that when I was totally immersed in a hysterical cancer memoir. I wasn't kidding.

Five years ago, "Bald" Bryan Bishop was told he had in inoperable brain tumor and given a scant 6 months to live. He had only recently proposed to Christie, the love of his life and they both thought they had their whole lives in front of them.

This book is not only a story of survival, beating the odds, staying positive, true partnership, and chock full of great "Tumor Tips" right from the chrome domed young man himself - it is also truly one of the greatest modern day love stories I've ever read.

I was amazed at just how much I laughed through this book, Bishop's wit and ability to add levity to such a serious story I think tells much about the man himself. Let's not forget Christie, his love, his partner, who remained not only by his side, but demonstrated a love, a true and deep love and devotion that you just don't witness as often as you should in this world.

Kudos to you Bald Bryan, what a wonderfully told story and what a great gift not only to your fans, but to everyone who reads this book.

Teacher Man

Unlike the millions of folks who read Frank McCourt's first two books, Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, I found a copy of his third offering in a closet in my basement. I recalled this copy being part of a swag bag from an "Employee Recognition Event" at the college where I work.

Teacher man in a memoir that tells of McCourt's 30 year teaching career in the public high schools (mostly) of New York City. My favorite thing about this book is how honest it is. I think anyone can read this book, especially a teacher, and know it was honest - I really loved that a lot; I don't recall a single moment where I felt a story was even a tiny bit embellished.

I was reading today while having soup at Panera. I don't recommend reading anything that would make you laugh while eating soup. I wish there was a warning label somewhere on this book; "NS: Do not read while eating soup". I make have done a spit take as a result of not having this warning in advance!

I am pretty sure anyone that has taught and even aspiring teachers will enjoy this book. I night even go so far as to recommend it as required reading for those demographics and in that lies my one critique. I don't see this book as having broad appeal.

Regardless, I really enjoyed the book - and I hope if you are considering it, that you will too.

Born Standing Up

This memoir tells the story of Steve martin's life as a stand-up comic starting with his childhood aspirations and beginnings and ending literally at the end of his stand-up career.

Steve Martin ended his stand-up career in 1982 so some his fans who are under 35 may have no clue he was ever a stand-up or at least not know much about that part of his career. I for one, remember it well and was quite interested to learn whatever I could about the genesis of that material and why it ended completely.

The book is a quick and interested read and did offer insight into a breadth of comedy material that was both unique and entertaining. Having since had a successful film career, written a couple of novels, and dabbled in other areas of the arts, Steve Martin's memoir is a worthy read if you have any recollection of that period in his career.

Radio On

Once upon a time, radio was a sound salvation. It played all the time, in the kitchen, in the bedroom, on the pool deck, in the car. The tinny pop chug-a-lug wired the air around it with bright-minded echoes of retro romance and fakey fun, filling up the empty blue space that envelops all suburbia with the simplest of all possible remedies for boredom: a beat. - Gina Arnold, Route 666

Sarah Vowell's first book, Radio On is a diary of sorts that documents her experiment: listening to the radio every day for a full year. To some, this may sound simple, but she doesn't simply listen, she engulfs it, understands it, and somehow becomes the radio. Listening to everything from the top ten hits to obscure Native American chants on AM stations, she documents every song and every commercial listened to. An interesting anthropological study of her, if nothing else.

The book was written in 1995, a year after Kurt Cobain passed away and that's what sets the the book on the first page. Being a long time fan of the band Nivana, Vowell discusses how the band didn't just play music, they influenced it, along with a generation of followers. Throughout the book she touches on other musicians she likes (Courtney Love, Smashing Pumpkins) and abhors (Alanis Morissette, Hootie and the Blowfish). She addresses the idea of selling out and how most bands are completely overplayed, leaving the radio full of repetition and nothing new.

As stated, she doesn't just listen to music. Being a great hater of Rush Limbaugh, she frequently tunes into his program to see what he's ranting about. It's an interesting social commentary, listening to her opinions of him, juxtaposed by her vision of Clinton and the time, a president who she didn't always agree with, but ultimately supported. Along the way, she tuned into NPR frequently, namechecking greats such as David Sedaris and Ira Glass (individuals who she later in her life became friends with and works with currently on the program This American LIfe).

What was most interesting to me wasn't just her analysis of the radio (which she, ultimately, gets sick of half way through, yet trudges through like any good writer would), but how the book is very dated. Taking place in 1995, she addresses radio and CDs as the only medium of music. In one scene, during an early recording of This American Life, she notes a new, unfamiliar piece of equipment, a minidisc. Ultimately, I'd love to know what Vowell thinks of the radio today. Although, mostly, it hasn't changed, we still have Rush, we still have repetative top ten hits, but it's not nearly as influential as it was back then. In days of sirius radio where you can listen to whatever you want whenever you want, ordinary channels seem out of date. And regarding politics, I wonder what she thinks of the situation nowadays, or what she thinks of Mrs. Clinton running (and losing) for the democratic candidate. 

As a long time Vowell fan, I will admit this was my least favorite of her few, however I did enjoy it. It was an interesting journey through the world of this medium, something that, admittedly, I rarely listen to. If nothing else, it inspired me. Inspired me to put down the itunes and ipod and turn on the radio for at least right now. Who knows what I'll find on it.

Read My Book You Hockey Puck!

The first important thing to know before deciding to read this book is being familiar enough with it's subject. My own guess is that you probably would need to have been born before 1973 at the latest to really know Don Rickles. That is, unless you have an older relative who has exposed you to this rather unique entertainer.

Take a moment to study the cover photo and I mean study, don't just gander or look. If you know who Don Rickles is then you know that Peggy Sirota, the photographer, is clearly one of the best photographers in the business because this photo really captures the essence of Rickles - a genuinely funny guy with a clear "devilish" side and a heaping helping of warmth and friendliness.

Considering that he has been in show business for more than 50 years and recently celebrated his 80th birthday, you might expect and autobiographical work to clock in at more than the 239 pages (including pictures). Written as a collection of very brief stories presented chronologically, it reads more like an anthology of talk show appearances over a very long time than a book. There was always a part of me that felt like there was not just something, but a whole lot left out in between the stories (leave it to me to make a comment like that). That being said, the stories presented were very entertaining and the whole book only takes a couple of hours to read and I felt it well worth the time invested.

If you know who Don Rickles is and have been entertained by him at some point, the book is a fun glimpse. At $24.00 list, you may want to head to the library unless you are looking to build a library of your own. In hindsight, studying that cover photograph was almost worth the price of the book itself (especially since I got mine from the library).

Julie and Julie: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

When visiting her parents in Texas, Julie, a frustrated temp working in New York City, rediscovers a worn copy of her mother's Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child that she once use to thumb through as a child. Inspiration strikes and she decides that she will work her way through every recipe within a year. Determined to prove that anyone can master the art of French cooking and tracking down all the ingredients, including the obscure, Julie begins to blog about her experience. Things begin pretty well despite a move to Long Island at the beginning of the project. Soon, however, the project eventually takes over her life. With the encouragement of her husband, friends, family, and many readers of her daily blog, Julie pushes through all the triumphs, disasters, and just plain ickiness of some tasks.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and at times laughed at loud at some of her adventures. Although, I must admit that I spent the majority of the times cringing at some of the tasks she had to perform. From trying to get marrow out of a bone, to killing her first lobster, to the state of her kitchen on a daily basis (hint: dishes piled high and sink that backed up quite a bit). I had to stop reading this while I was eating because I nearly threw up my turkey sandwich the day I read about the kitchen pipes backing up. The details were a bit too much for lunch-time eating. In the end, it was great to see her finish her task, visiting Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian, and ultimately getting a book deal so she could quit the government job she hated.

Roasting in Hell's Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words, and the Pursuit of Perfection by Gordon Ramsay

As a huge fan of Hell's Kitchen (and most any cooking competitive show), I was anxious to read this one. Some people see Ramsay as extremely mean and perhaps a bit "showy" with his antics on TV. Who's really to say what's the real truth but after reading his book, I feel as if I can see where he might be coming from now. Sure, he is a perfectionist yet, I believe he is hard on his young chefs because he wants to see them succeed and be proud. As the book begins, Gordon tells of his extremely humble beginnings, damaged relationship with his father, love for football (soccer), working his way through the food industry, his family, and finally, his rise to media fame. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. Overall, great revealing read.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned by Alan Alda

I spotted this book several weeks ago at the used bookstore and it immediately caught my eye. I liked M*A*S*H and I love memoirs so I added it to my cart. In this book, Alda talks about his childhood and traveling with his parents who were in a burlesque troupe and latter, vaudeville acts as he watched his father perform from the stage wings and how significant of an impact this made on him. Alda, while fascinated with anything science, eventually decides to become and actor himself and the book follows his tough career of finding stage roles, scraping by with his family, and generally finding his voice. After filming a prison movie in Utah, he gets a call about doing a pilot in L.A. about a bunch of doctors in Korea. Alda actually considered turning the part down because he would be separated from his wife and kids but his wife encouraged him to go for it. While reading the section about his M*A*S*H experience, you get the sense that Alda finally found his voice. He was able to write and direct many episodes and finally felt as if he "fit in" as the cast was a huge family to him.
Overall, I thought that parts of the book were really great. However, Alda would go off on these tangents of talking way too much about acting methodology, etc. I found myself rolling my eyes quite a few times and generally wanting to skip portions of the book in order to get to the story. I was let down when reading this book because I think I had a different impression in my head of what it was going to be. It's not that I thought it was all going to be about M*A*S*H, it's just that I wish it flowed better and I didn't have to read about every single thought regarding acting methodology that passed through his mind, which I felt I was doing. It drove me crazy and I thankful when I finally read the ending.