Reading old books of science experiments for children, it's easy to become nostalgic for the days when you could buy jugs of sulfur and mercury at...
Continue »
Bored of the beach vacation, the trip to Europe, the Mediterranean cruise? Why not try touring defunct, decommissioned, and still-active nuclear facilities this year?
That is the question asked, and answered, by writers (and spouses) Nathan Hodge and Sharon Weinberger. They chose to cross the globe, visiting Kazakhstan, Iran, the Marshall Islands and Wyoming in their search for the nuclear-tipped remnants of the Cold War, and the escalating nuclear programs of today.
Hodge and Weinberger are even-handed in their treatment of nuclear scientists trying to keep cash-strapped facilities alive, those in the military managing their deadly arsenals, and skeptics and citizens questioning the cost and purpose of such poisonous weaponry.
Why not try a vacation in West Virginia this year - at the hotel with a bomb shelter intended to save the entire U.S. Congress? Hodge and Weinberger will tell you how to get there.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Although Dan Ackroyd may be only an enthusiastic amateur as a harmonica player, he is also a man deeply in love with the blues. In character as Elwood Blues, he hosts the House of Blues Radio Hour, and has interviewed dozens of blues, and blues-influenced musicians.
Stalwarts like Brownie McGhee and Buddy Guy talk about their upbringings, their blues education, and their struggles to survive as musicians. Rockers like Robert Plant and ZZ Top describe their respect for the music that has influenced them more than any other genre. And the new torch-bearers of the blues are represented by Marcia Ball, Shemekia Copeland and Keb' Mo'.
Thirty-nine interviews are included, along with comedy pieces performed by Ackroyd on his radio program, and a discography of recommended listening.
Ackroyd captures the breadth and personalities of the blues with love and respect. I enjoyed this much more than most blues books that I come across.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
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
(5 of 6 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.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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
(21 of 41 readers found this comment helpful)
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
Don't Miss
Customer Comments
Glenda has commented on (10) products.
A Nuclear Family Vacation: Travels in the World of Atomic Weaponry by Nathan Hodge
Glenda, February 25, 2009
Bored of the beach vacation, the trip to Europe, the Mediterranean cruise? Why not try touring defunct, decommissioned, and still-active nuclear facilities this year?That is the question asked, and answered, by writers (and spouses) Nathan Hodge and Sharon Weinberger. They chose to cross the globe, visiting Kazakhstan, Iran, the Marshall Islands and Wyoming in their search for the nuclear-tipped remnants of the Cold War, and the escalating nuclear programs of today.
Hodge and Weinberger are even-handed in their treatment of nuclear scientists trying to keep cash-strapped facilities alive, those in the military managing their deadly arsenals, and skeptics and citizens questioning the cost and purpose of such poisonous weaponry.
Why not try a vacation in West Virginia this year - at the hotel with a bomb shelter intended to save the entire U.S. Congress? Hodge and Weinberger will tell you how to get there.
(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Elwood's Blues: Interviews with the Blues Legends and Stars by Dan Aykroyd
Glenda, January 29, 2009
Although Dan Ackroyd may be only an enthusiastic amateur as a harmonica player, he is also a man deeply in love with the blues. In character as Elwood Blues, he hosts the House of Blues Radio Hour, and has interviewed dozens of blues, and blues-influenced musicians.Stalwarts like Brownie McGhee and Buddy Guy talk about their upbringings, their blues education, and their struggles to survive as musicians. Rockers like Robert Plant and ZZ Top describe their respect for the music that has influenced them more than any other genre. And the new torch-bearers of the blues are represented by Marcia Ball, Shemekia Copeland and Keb' Mo'.
Thirty-nine interviews are included, along with comedy pieces performed by Ackroyd on his radio program, and a discography of recommended listening.
Ackroyd captures the breadth and personalities of the blues with love and respect. I enjoyed this much more than most blues books that I come across.
(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
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.
(5 of 6 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.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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.
(21 of 41 readers found this comment helpful)
1-5 of 10next