If you're aware of Gordon Ramsay, you're aware that his two favorite four letter words start with F, and one of them is 'food'. TA business primer...
If you're aware of Gordon Ramsay, you're aware that his two favorite four letter words start with F, and one of them is 'food'. This led me to anticipate a rousing book about his start and progress in becoming the Gordon we all know.
I was wrong. With minimal talk about food, this is a primer on what he cares to share about the restaurant business, as shown here:
"The Versailles project involves taking over the whole food and beverage operation of the Trianon Palace, just 15 kilometres outside Paris. In many ways the labour issues reflect those in New York, with all sorts of spikey HR problems that, frankly, I leave in their entirety to the lawyers. It is going to be difficult enough to produce a menu that will withstand the French press, who will be anxious to ridicule Les Rosbifs, and I look forward to taking them on in Waterloo II, The Sequel."
While there is a sly sense of humor, it's trampled by frustration and annoyance about the everyday bothers of business, including taxes. The advice is sound, but overall not worth the time to winnow out the wheat, so to speak.
Other reviewers have commented that it's clearly ghost written, which doesn't show at first glance on the cover. Disappointing. ...more
If you're sensitive, vegetarian, love animals, or don't want to think about that awful moment when say,Travelogue, history, and food for shock value.
If you're sensitive, vegetarian, love animals, or don't want to think about that awful moment when say, a cow becomes a steak, this is most definitely not the book for you.
Things become unalive and turned into meals often here, which seems in part for shock value, and in part because the author is still trying to digest - no pun intended - what he's experienced.
I have not seen the TV series, and now don't need to as I've read plenty about the experiences, the cameras panned away while he shares his view.
Anthony is, as ever, a unique mix of cynical, excited, and weary. He seems continually surprised that this is his life:
"Things had not turned out as I’d hoped. Two days of travel up a no-name river and across the worst road in the universe – and for what? This was no gamblers’ paradise. The ‘vice capital’ was the same collection of dreary whorehouses and bars as everywhere else, only less welcoming. The citizens seemed stunned, lethargic, frightened, angry – not what you want in a destination resort."
Some of the descriptions of other cultures (read: not New Yorkers or carnivores, as his disdain for vegetarians is near legendary) verges on racist, while others are more generous, even delighted.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Anthony's noted substance issues - cigarettes and alcohol here - and obvious mental health issues, pep talking himself through things. He's missed. ...more
You need to be in the right frame of mind for this author, and by that I may or may not mean a vat of espresso with a Red Bull chaser, and the time toYou need to be in the right frame of mind for this author, and by that I may or may not mean a vat of espresso with a Red Bull chaser, and the time to read the entire book through at one sitting.
That sounds like a heavy request, but it's not meant to be - it's stream of consciousness ride with italics and bold fonts and a rush of words and emotions and reactions and feelings and as much as I want to show that vibe in my review, I can't.
So I'll let the author's words do so for me:
"A weird feeling flushes through my body… a mix of running to my death - and a guarded sense of exhilaration. It's kind of like the story of The Suburban House Cat. After eight long years of staring out the dining room window - wondering, wondering what it is like there in the outside world - the door is accidentally left ajar. Suburban House Cat sees this as his one opportunity - and makes a mad dash out onto the back porch and into the backyard! FREEDOM AT LAST! The euphoria lasts for a minute or so - however, he still has one eye firmly trained on that backdoor! At a moment's notice he could still sprint back - back to the comfort of his cat bed and bowl of Purina Cat Chow - and nobody would be the wiser!"
I've read and enjoyed the author's other works, and this is a similar wild ride. Descriptions of people are heartfelt and forthright, while not PC, and the overriding feeling of trying to stay one step ahead of mental demons, anxiety, and more is looming so large it's hard to not feel it over your head while you're reading.
This will never be mistaken for a travel brochure for all the wonders of the Amazon - like much of his other writing, it's more things gone awry than amazing.
I wavered between a 4 (the abrupt ending feels unfinished) and a 5 and went with the 5 just due to the raw emotion shown through the book and unique writing style.
The book ends quickly, unexpectedly, just when it seems things will improve - and I hope it did, and continues to do so, for the author.
I was given a copy of this book for review purposes.
Update: The author sent an updated copy, with a bit more to the ending. It's still a brief ending, and a bit of cliffhanger, but feels more like an ending rather than a cut off. I'm still wishing him peace on his journey. ...more
I'm in a swirl of emotions finishing this book, primarily prayers for the author and everything she's been through. It's a gLovely, heartfelt, and raw
I'm in a swirl of emotions finishing this book, primarily prayers for the author and everything she's been through. It's a glimpse into her Muslim life, but more about family, struggling, and survival:
"I considered myself a Muslim, albeit a shamefully clumsy one: I’d pray as often as I’d remember to; I’d fast every Ramadan, for as long as my body permitted. I’d give zakat, or charity, when the chance presented itself. But the one belief I absorbed at Sunday school, from which I never wavered, was that although we had control over our own actions, the events of life came preordained: “They were planning, and Allah was planning,” my dad would quote the Quran, “and Allah is the best of planners.” He’d mutter it sometimes—especially if we were running late for something, like a community dinner party or an interfaith panel he’d organized with local churches and synagogues."
The focus on music as a lifeline is relatable, and finding one's passion. Family is more than those related by blood, and the damage that genetic family can do. ...more
I've been a huge fan of His Weirdness since early Dr. Demento days, starting with cassette tapes and He was only kidding...
...can't you take a joke?
I've been a huge fan of His Weirdness since early Dr. Demento days, starting with cassette tapes and working my way through the decades to downloads - more difficult to wear out from repeated listenings.
The good about this book?
Identifying sources for inspiration for many of his songs, as I followed Al more than the original artists.
Actual interviews with Al, though many were interpreted in convoluted ways to back up the author's "serious" views like this:
"Even Yankovic’s early hit “My Bologna” muddles cultural standards of gender, flipping the heteronormative search for love by turning a longing for Sharona into a quest for lunch meat."
Add in references to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and hypersexual males, and quite frankly...
I spent more time than I should have reading the author's political views in this book and refuse to spend more time with this review...
...especially when I have such a great library of parody and original music to listen to. Thank you, Your Weirdness, for everything.
**Cranks Taco Grande up to 11 while making a quesadilla** ...more
I let this one simmer for a day before writing a review, because it's complicated.
As a memoir, it's directly linked to Running With Scissors, often mI let this one simmer for a day before writing a review, because it's complicated.
As a memoir, it's directly linked to Running With Scissors, often mentioned, so having read that, for all of the possibly fictional? embellished? bits is a good introduction to the level of insanity that John Elder was raised in. Maybe. I did read it, over a decade ago, so my memory is fuzzy but filled in enough of the blanks. This can be read as a standalone, but it's a different experience.
You can read this as a description of a man's life with Asperger's:
"In the first sixteen years of my life, my parents took me to at least a dozen so-called mental health professionals. Not one of them ever came close to figuring out what was wrong with me. In their defense, I will concede that Asperger’s did not yet exist as a diagnosis, but autism did, and no one ever mentioned I might have any kind of autistic spectrum disorder. Autism was viewed by many as a much more extreme condition—one where kids never talked and could not take care of themselves. Rather than take a close and sympathetic look at me, it proved easier and less controversial for the professionals to say I was just lazy, or angry, or defiant. But none of those words led to a solution for my problems."
But then you have the correlation is not causation problem - many of the choices he makes are fairly awful, which may be due to being raised in a (potentially, maybe, possibly) abusive environment. While not going into the detail that Augusten does, his mentally ill mother and physically abusive, alcoholic father are both mentioned.
Does that mean that every person diagnosed with Asperger's, or on the autism spectrum, takes delight in cruel jokes or disrespectful nicknames? Absolutely not. This is more likely a result of his upbringing.
There are moments where he describes his particular thought process, some of which are quite enlightening - "improper" facial expressions stands out to me.
His belief that he was able to "choose" to be more verbal than other autistic people can be debated by people with more knowledge than I, but I'm raising an eyebrow and backing far, far away from that concept.
The ancedotes about life on the road with KISS and his electronics knowledge were a fun ride - it left me wanting to look up videos of the guitars in question.
I'm not inclined to read more of his work after this, and am here reminding myself to not re-read this one... ...more
This is a lovely read into the author's world. It explains his experience with autism, and in so doing breaks myths:
'To put it Interesting quick read
This is a lovely read into the author's world. It explains his experience with autism, and in so doing breaks myths:
'To put it lightly, I suck at math. I am a living debunking of the stereotype that autistic people are mathematical geniuses. How bad am I? I’m so bad at math, my tutor at Kumon told me, “I think we should see other people.”'
See that? It broke the math myth and the one that autistic people don't do well with humor, all in a short paragraph.
Thanks for an informative, fun glimpse into your life....more
The Beatles are a part of my DNA, the music as familiar as the voices of loved ones, and yet this book exceeded my expectations. What I thEntirely fab
The Beatles are a part of my DNA, the music as familiar as the voices of loved ones, and yet this book exceeded my expectations. What I thought would be a coffee table book of photos is enhanced and elevated by narratives and memories.
And yes, of course I read Paul's in his distinctive, charming voice:
"When I look back and think, I have to say ‘Wow’ – we did all that, and we were just kids from Liverpool. And here it is in the photographs. Boy, how great does John look? How handsome is George and how cool is Ringo, wearing that funny French hat? In fact, every picture brings back memories for me, and I can try to place where they were and what we were doing on either side of the picture."
There are some parts that I still find surprising, because apparently my brain blocked them out from the many Beatles books I read. The one that's sticking with me the most right now is that they refused to play to segregated audiences, which was a problem in Florida. Just... That feels far too recent for that to even be a thing, and yet... **wanders off singing Blackbird**
Beautiful photos and words alike. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself and your friends, Paul. ...more
This is one of those books that was quite the thing when it was released. Reading it now, decades later, it's a psych stGreat read for psych study...
This is one of those books that was quite the thing when it was released. Reading it now, decades later, it's a psych study for grooming, abuse, and most likely more.
"Sometimes he lashed out just to drive home a point. If he thought it would teach us a lesson, he’d blow some minor grievance out of all proportion, and even as he was yelling he might wink at someone nearby. Then, ten minutes later, he’d be fine, leaving us bewildered and emotionally depleted. There were also times he would leave us emotionally uplifted. He was truly a master at manipulating people."
For all of Priscilla's matter of fact declarations like the above, the book is still written with a hefty amount of love for the man. Read with minimal emotion as I was fairly neutral about both parties, it was interesting though probably not on the hero worship level most read it on. ...more
Like pretty much every other person reviewing this one, I'm a fan of Brent Spiner. After reading this, I'll quickly addAndroid discovers classic humor
Like pretty much every other person reviewing this one, I'm a fan of Brent Spiner. After reading this, I'll quickly add in not **that** type of fan, but I do have his CD and have listened to it more times than I can count over the years.
As his music harkens back to an earlier style, so does this book. It's written in slapstick-noir, with a touch of eyebrow wagging randiness that fades to black. For all the celebrity names within, The Marx Brothers would be right at home.
From the preface:
"Immediately after I was hired, Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the show, said something to me I’ll never forget. “Your life will never be the same.” I had no idea what he meant at the time, but he couldn’t have been more correct. So many wonderful experiences began to unfold for me. I had a challenging role to grapple with, I was making a decent income, and I was working with some talented and wonderful people.
And then something truly unbelievable happened. Something I can describe only as a slapstick nightmare occurred in the fourth season of the show and gave Gene’s words a completely different context."
Truth being ever stranger than fiction, with internet research at the ready this is a mix of both. Add in making the Next Gen cast even more of characters than they already are, and it's a surprisingly entertaining ride.
For all the silliness, it's counterbalanced by childhood trauma and healing, showing the defensiveness that comedy is so often born from. How much of fictional Brent Spiner is actual Brent Spiner? Perhaps fictional LeVar's meditation, sage and incense would shed some light on the subject. ...more
Sylvia Plath's ending was better known to me than her work, a lapse I chose to remedy by reading this book.
The writing is beaDifficult, yet beautiful
Sylvia Plath's ending was better known to me than her work, a lapse I chose to remedy by reading this book.
The writing is beautiful, veering between stark and elegant:
"Downstairs, in the hall, I had tried to ask him what the shock treatment would be like, but when I opened my mouth no words came out, my eyes only widened and stared at the smiling, familiar face that floated before me like a plate full of assurances."
Reading the forward, I can understand why Sylvia didn't want her mother to see it. The book shows a mental breakdown unfold in painful detail, making the reader feel that compulsion to watch in train wreck fashion.
Memoir disguised as novel or just too close to reality, the empathy it raised for the author will linger beyond the final pages. ...more
I'm always up for learning more, thus this book appealed. Whether it's as simple as just not wanting to offend, or joinSolid start to the conversation
I'm always up for learning more, thus this book appealed. Whether it's as simple as just not wanting to offend, or joining in protests, it covers a decent amount of ground.
It's a mix of history and sociology, on a starter level. Within the text and at the end of the book there are plenty of other resources to take topics further in depth.
The title is accurate - the tone is conversational:
"In 1775, the first derogatory usage of the term n***** shows up—and boy, did that catch on. By the 1800s, the term had entered the American lexicon, and from the eighteenth century on, usage of the word and its attendant imagery exploded, showing up on cigarette boxes, on food packaging, on TV and movie screens, in books, in music, in lily-white neighborhoods."
Whether you think you know autistic people or feel you have autistic traits, this is an informative, engaging read. An autiInteresting and educational
Whether you think you know autistic people or feel you have autistic traits, this is an informative, engaging read. An autistic friend shared the link for the book, and I read it to understand her better - I'm glad I did.
The writing style is informative, with a hint of a desperate plea underneath to be understood:
'It’s as if every form of input has a volume knob, and ours are all the way up by default—so we turn some down to compensate, but can’t control which ones. And here’s what creates the variety: Different people filter out different kinds of information. Then, what we don’t filter out becomes our focus. It’s comforting, and often necessary, to drown out the noise by turning all of our attention to one thing at a time, which has been called “Monotropism.”
With such intense focus, we often miss clues about what will happen next in our environment and interactions. Thus, a lot of autistic distress comes from living in a state of constant surprise. This is one application of “Predictive Coding Theory,” also known as “Predictive Processing Theory.” '
Well written, I appreciate this from the psychological perspective as well as helping me understand others. ...more
"It also might be helpful to remember that someone else is praying to have the kind of chaos you’rNot for me.
59% in, and here it is, my DNF trigger:
"It also might be helpful to remember that someone else is praying to have the kind of chaos you’re currently crying about. What I mean is, the things you think are so difficult could be someone else’s dream come true. I don’t say that to make you feel bad, or to negate your difficult experience; but perspective may help you see that your chaos is actually just a gigantic blessing. Adjusting your view can work wonders."
I had no clue who Rachel Hollis was before starting this book, and didn't catch that this was tremendously faith based...
...And by faith based I here on mean an increasing amount of scripture as the book continues, and an overwhelming amount of "everything happens for a reason, have faith in God" that can be utter claptrap to those who have experienced true trauma.
I'm reviewing in run-on sentences, that's never a good sign.
While she does open up about herself to share examples, it feels more carefully curated memoir than self-help. There's definitely a bit of a cheerleader vibe going, and following that analogy I never fit in with the cheerleaders and certainly don't fit in here.
For those who enjoyed the book and got something from it, kudos. It's giving me another title on my Goodreads abandoned list....more
I review as soon as I finish the book, and it's tough to encapsulate this richly emotional book into a few words. It's eTrauma, healing, and belonging
I review as soon as I finish the book, and it's tough to encapsulate this richly emotional book into a few words. It's eloquent, difficult at times due to the subject matter, and finishes still hopeful. An example:
"There’s something special about the people with whom you can enjoy silence. Something necessary. So much of our time is spent filling the silence with noise. We play background music and incessantly murmur among ourselves. Some of it has value. But much of it is to ward off our dread of silence. Our darkest thoughts live there. Our fears of inadequacy lurk in the shadows of quiet reflection, a truth we avoid by filling the world with sound and distraction. We live petrified that if our thoughts are allowed to come into clear focus, we won’t be able to stomach how they appear. But occasionally you meet someone with whom you can traverse the treacherous waters of silence. Someone with whom you can sit, content in stillness, and simply be. Someone with whom the world needs no distraction or white noise. This is a relationship to cherish."
If you are sensitive to trauma, to death, to pain, to raw emotion, look elsewhere, as many of the experiences recounted show the fracturing on the cover of the book. There is healing and hope that leaves me wishing the best for the author, both fragile yet strong enough to share his story. ...more
I read memoirs to learn more about others and their experiences. The common view of missionaries as forcing religion on otherInteresting but difficult
I read memoirs to learn more about others and their experiences. The common view of missionaries as forcing religion on others was stated early on to not be the case here, so that made me feel better.
The author seems ill-prepared for the life her family chose, as shown in this early passage:
"Many of our issues were practical and easily resolved. We missed cold water like crazy, so in our future village home, a refrigerator was a necessity. Starting fires was time-consuming, scary, and stinky, so if we could have a stove of some sort, that would be helpful. Also, we discovered that if we sat on the floor for the next ten years, we would probably be completely crippled. Our backs hurt all the time during village living, and we needed real chairs. Then we needed some fun hobbies to occupy ourselves in the evenings, because without entertainment of any kind, we were starting to get bored. And finally, we had to figure out how I was going to get my hair cut."
If a hair cut is significant enough to warrant a mention, the other challenges seem like they could be insurmountable.
And, repeatedly, they are. The vast majority of the book is a mix of discouragement, depression, vomiting (yes, really), likely PPD, and utter loneliness despite being with family.
It's a honest accounting from her point of view, but won't make any feel good reading lists. I considered DNF'ing a few times but stuck it through.
The last 20% or so talks healing, growth, and open communication, all of which were missing from her life. I hope she and her family continue to do well. ...more
The author started writing sober blogs, and the same style holds true here. The chapters are relatively shortSolid advice in quick, digestible bites.
The author started writing sober blogs, and the same style holds true here. The chapters are relatively short, to the point, with some material sourced at the end of each, which may inspire further reading.
While the advice is intended for stopping alcohol abuse - with a special nod to the increasingly prevalent Mommy Wine culture - it rings true for changing a plethora of other bad habits:
"However, just transmitting happy thoughts out to the universe won’t make you sober. “Manifesting sobriety” just doesn’t work–I’ve tried. You just don’t wake up one morning with all your urge to drink just “manifested away” by the Universe. You have to stop drinking and experience all the cravings and nastiness that comes with it. But, if you focus on the positive benefits of sobriety more often than whining and moaning about how deprived you are, it’s more likely that the sobriety will stick."
I'm reviewing this as a stand-alone book, despite it being listed as Book 2 of Sober Ever After. If you already read the first, you'll find a significant portion of that book within, most appearing to be a direct copy and paste. I'm not sure that reading both would be beneficial directly after each other due to this. ...more
I never indulged in alcohol, but know people who have lost the battle with that particular demon. Hence, reading addiction memoirs to uNo more wining!
I never indulged in alcohol, but know people who have lost the battle with that particular demon. Hence, reading addiction memoirs to understand what they went through.
This one has a blog feel, quick easy to digest chapters in a fairly matter of fact tone:
"You want to hear the reassuring gasp and sigh as the cork slides out of the bottle, the comforting ritual ‘glug’ of liquid. You want to trace your finger through the slight condensation on your glass. You want to feel the day unhitch from your shoulders, as the alcohol seeps into the neural passages of your brain, pushing away dark and fearful thoughts, and stimulating the pleasure seeking synapses that communicate a comforting whisper... all is well now..."
Wine is the former drug of choice, with observations about the current Mommy wine culture that had me nodding along in solidarity. The author explains the good and the bad of drinking to excess, and what worked for her to stop it.
Kudos to her - to anyone - who succeeds in stopping their own negative cycles.b...more
This is very heavily a love letter to family, to food, to the matter of fact butchering, gigging frogs, and growingScattered through time and place...
This is very heavily a love letter to family, to food, to the matter of fact butchering, gigging frogs, and growing up as a tomboy on a farm. Sensitive readers may not do well.
An example:
"For all the bad rap the carnies got, I could see myself as one. I could have easily joined their club. Their whiskey breath, faded tattoos, rolled-up sleeves, cigarettes dangling from their lips. It was mysterious, the idea of living everywhere and nowhere at once, setting up spectacles in small towns overnight. I was ten; my ambitions weren’t high. I had also dreamed of working at Dairy Queen purely to be within constant reach of bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and chocolate-dipped chocolate ice cream cones."
Iliana writes of growing up confused and wild, raised as a boy, liking girls, losing herself in alcohol too frequently. Accidents, arrests, and poor decision litter the pages, a stark accounting of life's twists and turns. Names, jobs, and relationships flit in and out, the timeline fluid as random neural firings dictate the flow of the book. It's scattered, sporadic, and difficult to go along with at times.
In short, a perfect representation of her racing, often troubled mind. ...more
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