books, march 2007
Since my last foray into writing book reviews, I figured it made a little more sense to get a few more out of the bag, that I remember, since then.
- Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson
- iCon by Jeffrey Young & William Simon
- Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
- Lonely Planet: Thailand
- Lonely Planet: Cambodia
- A Year In The World by Frances Mayes
- Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
I read this after reading A Year In The World, as I absolutely adore Frances Mayes style. The recipes are typically helpful, and the idea of living such a Bohemian lifestyle, will make you want to visit Italy. - God’s Callgirl by Carla Van Raay
- Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Amazing autobiography. Does things in the name of fun, has become a billionaire, over and over, and has got some really practical advice about running a company (and now, companies) on a shoestring budget. Partnnership, diversification, is clearly key.
Steve Jobs, Apple, Pixar. Successes over and over, but there were pains at the start. Management mistakes to not make. Probably a good read for any Mac fan.
Simply interesting, its a must read. Drop in violent crime, in thanks to abortion? Drug dealers who still live with their moms, because they don’t really make much money? Interesting scenarios, that will make you think, for certain. Most entertaining reading, picking the book up, makes it very hard to put it down till it was done.
Dodgy copy picked up while in Siem Reap, but served its purpose of giving me enough information to survive in Bangkok.
Without this, I would have had no Siem Reap trip. Truly used this, plus the driver we hired, to have a good six day holiday, touring the Angkor, and the regions that most don’t visit. The book was mighty handy, and will probably serve well when writing the travelogue.
Reading this was actually inspirational, in the sense that it paved my way for last December’s travels. I actually had a passion to explore, plan to a certain extent, and leave some parts of travel to chance. I must say, I’ve never had a better amount of time, travelling, and its all thanks to her joyous sense of adventure and travel. Recommended reading if life’s feeling like a rut, and you’re just wating to escape into a holiday.
A memoir, of a Dutch girl, who’s family emigrated to Australia. What’s interesting is she grows up in a full-on Catholic environment, goes on into the convent to become a nun, is a nun, then leaves for freedom. Upon leaving, her sex drive seems to be active, and she becomes a prostitute. This is her story, about self-sabotage, and being a working girl. Probably a very useful text for women’s studies.
I am a big fan of the series, on Discovery Travel & Adventure. When I saw the book lying at the bookstore, I had to pick it up. Its a gripping tale spanning two decades of life as a cook. Starting from the bottom, right to being a chef in his own kitchen, he paints a very interesting story, of what it’s like to be behind the scenes, at a restaurant. There’s also practical advice for those wanting to cook (at chef levels, even). What makes this book highly interesting is all the anecdotes, of life as a chef. Its definitely a recommended memoir. Now to find his other book, A Cook’s Tour.
