Although not quite "novels", the short three-line stories in Novels in Three Lines somehow tell more than one would expect from a mere handful of words.
Theft, illness, murder, suicide, accidents and children running away from home were the stuff of which Feneon made his stories. Even when simply laying out the facts, he succeeds in invoking a mood and feeling for the events.
Some examples:
"A dishwasher from Nancy, Vital Frerotte, who had just come back from Lourdes cured forever of tuberculosis, died Sunday by mistake."
"Just married, the Boulches of Lambezellec, Finistere, were already so drunk it was necessary to lock them up within the hour."
"Sailor Renaud carried out a suicide pact with this mistress, in Toulon. Their last request: a coffin for two, or at least a double grave."
With more than a thousand stories contained in this book, you can be sure of being rewarded by opening a page at random and dipping into the tales within.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Massimo Marcone is a food scientist who has decided to take his research out of the lab; delving into some of the most exotic locales on Earth, looking for some of the most exotic foods.
Marcone has some interesting tales to tell about food, particularly his investigations of the legendary Kopi Luwak "scat" coffee. Prized by some, this coffee is processed by travelling through the digestive tract of civet cats. Marcone was able to determine that this unique cleaning method does make a difference to the flavour of the coffee bean. Will that make you want to try some?
Marcone recounts travels to Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, among others, in his quest to determine what we are eating and why.
Although some of the stories are fascinating, this book could have used a stronger editorial hand. Marcone is not the best prose stylist, and he seems to think every paragraph is improved by having at least one sentence end in an explanation mark. Some material could also have been reordered or omitted, and some stories could have used more detail.
Still, if you want to find out what scorpion tastes like (hint: it's not chicken), Dr. Marcone is your man.
Imagine studying a discipline that seems a melange of martial arts,
history linguistics and fine art, all timed with a stopwatch. Mastery
of this is what makes a sushi chef. The Zen of Fish, by Trevor
Corson, illuminates the world of sushi by weaving two stories
together.
There is the struggle of Kate Murray, an aspiring sushi chef studying
at the California Sushi Academy. Corson follows Kate and her
classmates through a grueling 12 week course as they struggle under
the demands of their instructors and their customers.
Along the way, Corson breaks from Kate's story to tell us the history
of sushi. Preserved fish became street food and then an art form.
While the sushi tradition informs the art today, there have been
continuous innovations, like the industry's dirty little secret - the
sushi robot that turns out thousands of blocks of rice per hour.
Pick up this book, and you'll learn why you might want to try bream
next time you enjoy sushi, and why you might want to pass on the
salmon.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(16 of 35 readers found this comment helpful)
Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century is an almanac, not just of what is, but what could be.
The book, an offshoot of popular website worldchanging.com offers information on a range of transformative possibilities for ourselves, our neighbourhoods and our world. The articles can be as short as a paragraph, or several pages long.
Some articles provide concrete information for the individual, including information on freecycle.org, a site for the free exchange of items too useful to throw out. Others suggest how business might green itself, offering Nokia and HP's attempts to better recycle their products. At the most ambitious end, case studies and ideas are presented on how all of us can make our voices heard to effect positive change.
While not a step-by-step guide to curing the problems that afflict our world, Worldchanging is inspiring in its belief that change is not only necessary, but possible, and that we can make it happen.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(14 of 21 readers found this comment helpful)
Cash Peters is a world-weary travel writer, and the host of "Bad Taste Tours" on public radio. One suspects that he is a masochist as well, because for all the complaining about his travels, his job, his life, and his family, Peters plods on. His quest is to find the worst tourism has to offer and experience it. Sometimes his cynicism wears on the reader, but when his mood is lifted for those attractions that Peters finds noteworthy or enjoyable, we share his joy at the lifting of his burden.
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(2 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
Glenda has commented on (8) products.
Novels in Three Lines (New York Review Books Classics) by Felix Feneon
Glenda, January 14, 2008
Although not quite "novels", the short three-line stories in Novels in Three Lines somehow tell more than one would expect from a mere handful of words.Theft, illness, murder, suicide, accidents and children running away from home were the stuff of which Feneon made his stories. Even when simply laying out the facts, he succeeds in invoking a mood and feeling for the events.
Some examples:
"A dishwasher from Nancy, Vital Frerotte, who had just come back from Lourdes cured forever of tuberculosis, died Sunday by mistake."
"Just married, the Boulches of Lambezellec, Finistere, were already so drunk it was necessary to lock them up within the hour."
"Sailor Renaud carried out a suicide pact with this mistress, in Toulon. Their last request: a coffin for two, or at least a double grave."
With more than a thousand stories contained in this book, you can be sure of being rewarded by opening a page at random and dipping into the tales within.
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
In Bad Taste?: The Adventures and Science Behind Food Delicacies by Massimo Fra Marcone
Glenda, January 7, 2008
Massimo Marcone is a food scientist who has decided to take his research out of the lab; delving into some of the most exotic locales on Earth, looking for some of the most exotic foods.Marcone has some interesting tales to tell about food, particularly his investigations of the legendary Kopi Luwak "scat" coffee. Prized by some, this coffee is processed by travelling through the digestive tract of civet cats. Marcone was able to determine that this unique cleaning method does make a difference to the flavour of the coffee bean. Will that make you want to try some?
Marcone recounts travels to Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, among others, in his quest to determine what we are eating and why.
Although some of the stories are fascinating, this book could have used a stronger editorial hand. Marcone is not the best prose stylist, and he seems to think every paragraph is improved by having at least one sentence end in an explanation mark. Some material could also have been reordered or omitted, and some stories could have used more detail.
Still, if you want to find out what scorpion tastes like (hint: it's not chicken), Dr. Marcone is your man.
The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket by Trevor Corson
Glenda, July 4, 2007
Imagine studying a discipline that seems a melange of martial arts,history linguistics and fine art, all timed with a stopwatch. Mastery
of this is what makes a sushi chef. The Zen of Fish, by Trevor
Corson, illuminates the world of sushi by weaving two stories
together.
There is the struggle of Kate Murray, an aspiring sushi chef studying
at the California Sushi Academy. Corson follows Kate and her
classmates through a grueling 12 week course as they struggle under
the demands of their instructors and their customers.
Along the way, Corson breaks from Kate's story to tell us the history
of sushi. Preserved fish became street food and then an art form.
While the sushi tradition informs the art today, there have been
continuous innovations, like the industry's dirty little secret - the
sushi robot that turns out thousands of blocks of rice per hour.
Pick up this book, and you'll learn why you might want to try bream
next time you enjoy sushi, and why you might want to pass on the
salmon.
(16 of 35 readers found this comment helpful)
Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century by Alex Steffen
Glenda, April 1, 2007
Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century is an almanac, not just of what is, but what could be.The book, an offshoot of popular website worldchanging.com offers information on a range of transformative possibilities for ourselves, our neighbourhoods and our world. The articles can be as short as a paragraph, or several pages long.
Some articles provide concrete information for the individual, including information on freecycle.org, a site for the free exchange of items too useful to throw out. Others suggest how business might green itself, offering Nokia and HP's attempts to better recycle their products. At the most ambitious end, case studies and ideas are presented on how all of us can make our voices heard to effect positive change.
While not a step-by-step guide to curing the problems that afflict our world, Worldchanging is inspiring in its belief that change is not only necessary, but possible, and that we can make it happen.
(14 of 21 readers found this comment helpful)
Gullible's Travels by Cash Peters
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1-5 of 8 nextGlenda, March 7, 2007
Cash Peters is a world-weary travel writer, and the host of "Bad Taste Tours" on public radio. One suspects that he is a masochist as well, because for all the complaining about his travels, his job, his life, and his family, Peters plods on. His quest is to find the worst tourism has to offer and experience it. Sometimes his cynicism wears on the reader, but when his mood is lifted for those attractions that Peters finds noteworthy or enjoyable, we share his joy at the lifting of his burden.(2 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)