Kitchen Confidential

Kitchen Confidential Review

Anthony Bourdain is an excellent writer and surprisingly erudite. I didn't expect his writing to be, frankly, elegant. I guess because when I read this book I knew absolutely zero about him other than what I could glean from the cover. So, I made some assumptions just by looking at him. Shame on me, I did attempt to judge a book (and the man) by its cover. So, I'm thinking...hmm...a chef. Well, maybe he has some interesting stories but...No matter how good the tale, poor or perfunctory execution won't help.

Also, I'm not a foodie. I'm all about the microwave, making reservations and take out. But this turned out to be more of a memoir traversing the orgins of his somewhat edgy roots to making a name for himself as high profile chef. And I do like a good memoir.

Though I think the blurb for this book bills it as some sort of expose' of the restaurant business, I think that's overstating things probably for marketing purposes. I found this book to be substantive, interesting, entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny in spots and Bourdain, here again, surprisingly introspective and self-aware. Like a said: a good MEMOIR.

Kitchen Confidential Overview

After 25 years of sex, drugs, bad behaviour and haute cuisine, chef and novelist Anthony Bourdain has decided to tell all. From dishwasher to chef, from the Rainbow Room in the Rockerfeller Center to drug dealers in the East Village, his tales are as unpredictable as they are funny and shocking.

Kitchen Confidential Specifications

Most diners believe that their sublime sliver of seared foie gras, topped with an ethereal buckwheat blini and a drizzle of piquant huckleberry sauce, was created by a culinary artist of the highest order, a sensitive, highly refined executive chef. The truth is more brutal. More likely, writes Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential, that elegant three-star concoction is the collaborative effort of a team of "wacked-out moral degenerates, dope fiends, refugees, a thuggish assortment of drunks, sneak thieves, sluts, and psychopaths," in all likelihood pierced or tattooed and incapable of uttering a sentence without an expletive or a foreign phrase. Such is the muscular view of the culinary trenches from one who's been groveling in them, with obvious sadomasochistic pleasure, for more than 20 years. CIA-trained Bourdain, currently the executive chef of the celebrated Les Halles, wrote two culinary mysteries before his first (and infamous) New Yorker essay launched this frank confessional about the lusty and larcenous real lives of cooks and restaurateurs. He is obscenely eloquent, unapologetically opinionated, and a damn fine storyteller--a Jack Kerouac of the kitchen. Those without the stomach for this kind of joyride should note his opening caveat: "There will be horror stories. Heavy drinking, drugs, screwing in the dry-goods area, unappetizing industry-wide practices. Talking about why you probably shouldn't order fish on a Monday, why those who favor well-done get the scrapings from the bottom of the barrel, and why seafood frittata is not a wise brunch selection.... But I'm simply not going to deceive anybody about the life as I've seen it." --Sumi Hahn

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I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist - MP3

I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist - MP3 Review

One of my favorite parts about this book was that the authors allowed for atheist obections intermittently that fairly represented atheism. I know this because I have atheist friends who bring up the same contentions with theism discussed in this book, like: Who created God? or Why should we trust the Bible?, etc.

The book sets out to prove twelve points starting with "1)Truth about reality is knowable... 12)It is true that the Bible is the Word of God (and anything opposed to it is false)." At first, this outline (presented at the beginning of the book and revisited later) bothered me, until I realized that all authors have an end in sight in every book- these authors just chose to show us their line of reasoning. Since they offered solid scientific and historical evidence for each point along the way, we cannot accuse them of letting their bias get in the way. We must consider the evidence they present, and not their motivation for writing it. The organization of the book was well thought-out and helped build the case, step by step, for Christianity.

I also found the analogies in this book quite helpful, especially in Chapter 3 when the authors presented widely accepted evidence for the Big Bang in a way easy to understand. I had to re-read Chapters 3-5 (on scientific evidence that could be interpreted as indicative of a Creator), not because they were hard to follow, but because their conclusions were so profound that I wanted to be sure I agreed with the authors (which I do). Chapters 3-7 attempt to prove the existence of the theistic God by using the Cosmological Argument, the Teleological Argument (argument from design), and the Moral Law argument. For those unfamiliar with these topics this book is a great introduction to the common arguments for theism. Personally, I felt the Moral argument chapter was not very strong because the authors kept stating that we intrinsically know there is a moral law. However, they assume morality must originate with God and ignore atheist arguments that morality could have been a product of evolution. The authors distinguish between micro and macro-evolution, showing the clear evidence for micro-evolution (which they accept) and five lines of evidence to refute macro-evolution.

One criticism I have of this book is that the authors did not devote much space to refuting the many other non-theistic world religions . After presenting the evidence for a supernatural Creator, they infer that the attributes of this Creator (known through observing His creation) are the same attributes theists attribute to God, therefore "only one of the theistic religions- Judaism, Christianity, or Islam- could be true. All other major world religions cannot be true, because they are nontheistic... by simple logic- using the Law of Noncontradiction, mutually exclusive religions cannot all be true"(198-99).

If you are an atheist, don't be put off by the title of this book. In fact, the authors admit that atheism could be true, it's just far more likely that theism is true. I don't think this book will offend anybody who wants to honestly weigh the arguments for and against the existence of the theistic God. You should definitely buy this book!

I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist - MP3 Overview

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The Black Echo (Harry Bosch)

The Black Echo (Harry Bosch) Review

Michael Connelly's series of books with detective Harry Bosch make reading thrilling!

Recommend you read them in order:

The Black Echo (1992)
The Black Ice (1993)
The Concrete Blonde (1994)
The Last Coyote (1995)
Trunk Music (1997)
Angels Flight (1999)
A Darkness More Than Night (2001)
City Of Bones (2002)
Lost Light (2003)
The Narrows (2004)
The Closers (2005)
Echo Park (2006)
The Overlook (2007)
The Brass Verdict (2008)
Nine Dragons (2009)
The Reversal (Coming October 5, 2010)

Love them all!

The Black Echo (Harry Bosch) Overview

For LAPD homicide cop Harry Bosch -- hero, maverick, nighthawk -- the body in the drainpipe at Mulholland Dam is more than another anonymous statistic. This one is personal.

The dead man, Billy Meadows, was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who fought side by side with him in a nightmare underground war that brought them to the depths of hell. Now, Bosch is about to relive the horror of Nam. From a dangerous maze of blind alleys to a daring criminal heist beneath the city to the torturous link that must be uncovered, his survival instincts will once again be tested to their limit.

Joining with an enigmatic and seductive female FBI agent, pitted against enemies inside his own department, Bosch must make the agonizing choice between justice and vengeance, as he tracks down a killer whose true face will shock him.

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Strangers in Death (In Death, No. 26)

Strangers in Death (In Death, No. 26) Review

wow this was a nice book, Think of strangers on a train and you got the gust of the whole story.. but as usual JD Robb ( Nora roberts) has come thru with a really great story... Only thing i found was a lot of time for mostly police characters and i do so enjoy the Roarke interplay.. but i guess you cant have it all. she does a great job keeping recurring regular characters' personalities and speak as i remember from other books.. this is one thing i really enjoy about Ms. Robb;s books. and the way Eve stands for the dead, and drives a mean interrogation ))

Good read !! and i will definitly re-read it

Strangers in Death (In Death, No. 26) Overview

Technology may be different in 2060 New York, yet the city is still a place of many cultures and great divides. And as ever, some murders receive more attention than others - especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman, found in his Park Avenue apartment, tied to the bed - and strangled - with cords of black velvet.

It doesn’t surprise Lieutenant Eve Dallas that Thomas Anders’s scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation for the public - and humiliation for his family. While everyone else in the city is talking about it, those close to Anders aren’t so anxious to do so. Fortunately, because Dallas’s billionaire husband, Roarke, happens to own the prime real estate where Anders’s sporting-goods firm was headquartered, she has some help with access. Before long, she’s knocking on doors - or barging through them - to look for the answers she needs.

But the facts don’t add up. Physical evidence suggests that the victim didn’t struggle. The security breach in the highly fortified apartment indicates that the killer was someone close to Anders, but everyone’s alibi checks out, from the wife who was off in the tropics to the loving nephew who stands to inherit millions. Was this a crime of passion - or a carefully planned execution?

It’s up to Dallas to solve a sensational case where all involved guard secrets from one another - and strangers may be connected in unexpected, and deadly, ways.

“Nora Roberts is cool.” - Stephen King

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The Dogs of Riga (Kurt Wallander Series)

The Dogs of Riga (Kurt Wallander Series) Review

Henning Mankell is the famous creator of Swedish detective Kurt Wallender. In "The Dogs of Riga" we see Wallender investigate a murder case which takes him to Riga, Latvia. (one of the three Baltic States) The novel is set in the last years of Latvia's status as a satellite of the moribund Soviet Union. The action begins when a raft washes up on the Swedish shore. The raft contains two bodies of well dressed men who have both been shot through the heart. We learn that they were involved in the lucrative drug trade from Eastern Europe into Sweden and Western countries.
A detective arrives from Riga to participate in the investigation. Wallender travels to Riga where he distrusts the communist police department and is almost murdered. He falls in love with a beautiful Estonian widow but returns to Sweden alone at novel's end.Mankell's descriptions of drab and cold Riga living under the heel of Soviet domination is a fascinating snapshot of life in Eastern Europe.
The novel is filled with a shoot out and plenty of cloak and dagger action in a well written, plotted and told police procedural. Mankell is good at making us care about the characters. Anytime you have an opportunity to read a Mankell novel do yourself a favor and curl up with a fine mystery novel!

The Dogs of Riga (Kurt Wallander Series) Overview

Second in the Kurt Wallander series.

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Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul Review

Summary: This book was written by a husband and wife team to help women of all ages and stages.

"You are a woman to your soul, to the very core of your being....The desires that God has placed into our hearts are clues as to who we really are and the role that we are meant to play....We think you'll find that every woman in her heart of hearts longs for three things: to be romanced, to play an irreplacable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty. That's what makes a woman come alive."

Reactions: What an amazing book! It really touched something in me and helped me realize how much shame I was carrying around needlessly. The Eldredges take it back to the very beginning and put a whole new light on Eve - one I had never thought of or realized before. I always thought of the apple incident when I thought of Eve, but no longer. Eve was created as a perfect woman to complete man and the world! What an empowering feeling! They also encourage women to find, or should I say dig out, their inner dreams that have been buried for years. What a wonderful, life changing book. I would recommend this book to any woman.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul Overview

Bestselling author John Eldredge and his wife and co-author, Stasi, unveil the beauty and mystery of the feminine soul by showing readers the three core desires of every woman’s heart. Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager. What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating can do for women. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares—to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty— John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman’s soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.

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On Becoming a Leader

On Becoming a Leader Review

I really enjoyed reading this book. This book "really tells it like it is"....and uses real people as modern day examples. Very interesting...and easy read that flows and really is insightful to the mechanics of leadership, your treatment of followers, networking, and having "ganas".

On Becoming a Leader Overview

Deemed “the dean of leadership gurus” by Forbes magazine, Warren Bennis has for years persuasively argued that leaders are not born—they are made. Delving into the qualities that define leadership, the people who exemplify it, and the strategies that anyone can apply to achieve it, his classic work On Becoming a Leader has served as a source of essential insight for countless readers. In a world increasingly defined by turbulence and uncertainty, the call to leadership is more urgent than ever.

Featuring a provocative new introduction, this new edition will inspire a fresh generation of potential leaders to excellence.

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