price：$10.48
Knopf
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (great story about running) 『This book will definitely motivate you to get outside and run. It's a great story with a little bit of evolutionary theory thrown in as well; such as why humans stand upright and why we can run for a hundred miles.』
(Enjoyable) 『An enjoyable to read book that never gets boring. The 50-mile race in Tarahumara county and the build up to it keep the interest high, and the information intermingled within is interesting also. No surprise to me that people should quit spending big bucks on goofy running shoes. I am sure God knew how to make feet if we just learn how to use them properly. I have never seen any other animal on earth think they need special shoes just to run. Anyway, it's a good book. Interesting information combined with a very good story of a special race.』
(Changed my life, or at least the way I run!) 『This book is a must read for anyone with foot pain, back pain, or knee pain who likes to exercise and or run. Not only is it helpful, but also a really interesting read. I could not put it down. The Copper Canyon Indians are fascinating people,as are all the people who run extreme marathons, and the author tells a good story. I may never run a marathon,but since reconnecting with my (bare) feet, I have no more plantar fasciitis or back pain. My workouts are once again a pleasure.』
(Not bad...) 『Not a bad book however i felt the author went off on tangents for too long about things that didnt, to me, seem essential to the books purpose. I expected a interesting book about a hidden tribe and their world away from ours, however, the book talks a little about the hidden tribe, a little about science behind running, a little about marathons, a little about shoe design and a little about alot of other things.』
(The Key to Distance Running: Forget to Stop. You Will Forget to Stop Reading this Great Cultural Study) 『McDougall delivers in this great pop anthropology, a worthy addition to the canon of "running lit."
At the risk of making too simple a comparison to another book based in the Americas, Born to Run delivered in a way that I felt that this year's much-heralded The Lost City of Z did not. Grann's personal connection to the story that drives Z - the doomed final Amazon journey of explorer Percy Fawcett - is strained and often devolves into extrinsic introspection and autobiography. Fawcett's mystery somehow becomes Grann's memoir and the work suffers as a whole.
By contrast, McDougall inserts himself in the story of the Tarahumara only to the extent necessary to act as conduit to their incredible story. His experiences among them resonate through his storytelling.
The book combines reflections on running - both in and outside the context of our own calcified running culture - with amateur but not amateurish anthropology. The obvious questions: (why do these people run like this?) will soon give way to the book's more insightful and unexpected questions (why do any of us run? what does our running say about our culture? what do we value? how do we express that?)
The connectedness is real. Everything is working toward the same end: revealing those common threads of human nature (both physically and socially), and exploring how culture fashions those threads into the variegated fabrics of our distinct societies.
McDougall is really working at a high level here. This great story has found its teller. Highly recommended.』 『Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration,Born to Runis an epic adventure that began with one simple question:Why does my foot hurt?In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.
Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.
With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons.Born to Runis that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.
From the Hardcover edition.』 『Book Description Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration,Born to Runis an epic adventure that began with one simple question:Why does my foot hurt?In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.
Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.
With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons.Born to Runis that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.
Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Christopher McDougall
Question:Born to Runexplores the life and running habits of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyon, arguably the greatest distance runners in the world. What are some of the secrets you learned from them?
Christopher McDougall:The key secret hit me like a thunderbolt. It was so simple, yet such a jolt. It was this: everything I’d been taught about running was wrong. We treat running in the modern world the same way we treat childbirth—it’s going to hurt, and requires special exercises and equipment, and the best you can hope for is to get it over with quickly with minimal damage.
Then I meet the Tarahumara, and they’re having a blast. They remember what it’s like to love running, and it lets them blaze through the canyons like dolphins rocketing through waves. For them, running isn’t work. It isn’t a punishment for eating. It’s fine art, like it was for our ancestors. Way before we were scratching pictures on caves or beating rhythms on hollow trees, we were perfecting the art of combining our breath and mind and muscles into fluid self-propulsion over wild terrain. And when our ancestors finally did make their first cave paintings, what were the first designs? A downward slash, lightning boltsthrough the bottom and middle—behold, the Running Man.
The Tarahumara have a saying:“Children run before they can walk.” Watch any four-year-old—they do everything at full speed, and it’s all about fun. That’s the most important thing I picked up from my time in the Copper Canyons, the understanding that running can be fast and fun and spontaneous, and when it is, you feel like you can go forever. But all of that begins with your feet. Strange as it sounds, the Tarahumara taught me to change my relationship with the ground. Instead of hammering down on my heels, the way I’d been taught all my life, I learned to run lightly and gently on the balls of my feet. The day I mastered it was the last day I was ever injured.
Q:You trained for your first ultramarathon—a race organized by the mysterious gringo expat Caballo Blanco between the Tarahumara and some of America’s top ultrarunners—while researching and writing this book. What was your training like?
CM:It really started as kind of a dare. Just by chance, I’d met an adventure-sports coach from Jackson Hole, Wyoming named Eric Orton. Eric’s specialty is tearing endurance sports down to their basic components and looking for transferable skills. He studies rock climbing to find shoulder techniques for kayakers, and applies Nordic skiing’s smooth propulsion to mountain biking. What he’s looking for are basic engineering principles, because he’s convinced that the next big leap forward in fitness won’t come from strength or technology, but plain, simple durability. With some 70% of all runners getting hurt every year, the athlete who canstay healthy and avoid injury will leave the competition behind.
So naturally, Eric idolized the Tarahumara. Any tribe that has 90-year-old men running across mountaintops obviously has a few training tips up its sleeve. But since Eric had never actually met the Tarahumara, he had to deduce their methods by pure reasoning. His starting point was uncertainty; he assumed that the Tarahumara step into the unknown every time they leave their caves, because they never know how fast they’ll have to sprint after a rabbit or how tricky the climbing will be if they’re caught in a storm. They never even know how long a race will be until they step up to the starting line—the distance is only determined in a last-minute bout of negotiating and could stretch anywhere from 50 milesto 200-plus.
Eric figured shock and awe was the best way for me to build durability and mimic Tarahumara-style running. He’d throw something new at me every day—hopping drills, lunges, mile intervals—and lots and lots of hills. There was no such thing, really, as long, slow distance—he’d have me mix lots of hill repeats and short bursts of speed into every mega-long run.
I didn’t think I could do it without breaking down, and I told Eric that from the start. I basically defied him to turn me into a runner. And by the end of nine months, I was cranking out four hour runs without a problem.
Q:You’re a six-foot four-inches tall, 200-plus pound guy—not anyone’s typical vision of a distance runner, yet you’ve completed ultra marathons and are training for more. Is there a body type for running, as many of us assume, or are all humans built to run?
CM:Yeah, I’m a big’un. But isn’t it sad that’s even a reasonable question? I bought into that bull for a loooong time. Why wouldn’t I? I was constantly being told by people who should know better that “some bodies aren’t designed for running.” One of the best sports medicine physicians in thecountry told me exactly that—that the reason I was constantly getting hurt is because I was too big to handle the impact shock from my feet hitting the ground. Just recently, I interviewed a nationally-known sports podiatrist who said, “You know, we didn’t ALL evolve to run away from saber-toothed tigers.” Meaning, what? That anyone who isn’t sleek as a Kenyan marathoner should be extinct? It’s such illogical blather—all kinds of body types exist today, so obviously they DID evolve to move quickly on their feet. It’s really awful that so many doctors are reinforcing this learned helplessness, this idea that you have to be some kind of elite being to handle such a basic, universal movement.
Q:If humans are born to run, as you argue, what’s your advice for a runner who is looking to make the leap from shorter road races to marathons, or marathons to ultramarathons? Is running really for everyone?
CM:I think ultrarunning is America’s hope for the future. Honestly. The ultrarunners have got a hold of some powerful wisdom. You can see it at the starting line of any ultra race. I showed up at the Leadville Trail 100 expecting to see a bunch of hollow-eyed Skeletors, and instead it was, “Whoah! Get a load of the hotties!” Ultra runners tend to be amazingly healthy, youthful and—believe it or not—good looking. I couldn’t figure out why, until one runner explained that throughout history, the four basic ingredients for optimal health have been clean air, good food, fresh water and low stress. And that, to a T, describes the daily life of an ultrarunner. They’re out in the woods for hours at a time, breathing pine-scented breezes, eating small bursts of digestible food, downing water by the gallons, and feeling their stress melt away with the miles. But here’s the real key to that kingdom: you have to relax and enjoy the run. No one cares how fast you run 50 miles, so ultrarunners don’t really stress about times. They’re out to enjoy the run and finish strong, not shave a few inconsequential seconds off a personal best. And that’s the best way to transition up to big mileage races: as coach Eric told me, “If it feels like work, you’re working too hard.”
Q:You write that distance running is the great equalizer of age and gender. Can you explain?
CM:Okay, I’ll answer that question with a question: Starting at age nineteen, runners get faster every year until they hit their peak at twenty-seven. After twenty-seven, they start to decline. So if it takes you eight years to reach your peak, how many years does it take for you to regress back to the samespeed you were running at nineteen?
Go ahead, guess all you want. No one I’ve asked has ever come close. It’s in the book, so I won’t give it away, but I guarantee when you hear the answer, you’ll say, “No way. THAT old?” Now, factor in this: ultra races are the only sport in the world in which women can go toe-to-toe with men and hand them their heads. Ann Trason and Krissy Moehl often beat every man in the field in some ultraraces, while Emily Baer recently finished in the Top 10 at the Hardrock 100 while stopping to breastfeed her baby at the water stations.
So how’s that possible? According to a new body of research, it’s because humans are the greatest distance runners on earth. We may not be fast, but we’re born with such remarkable natural endurance that humans are fully capable of outrunning horses, cheetahs and antelopes. That’s because we oncehunted in packs and on foot; all of us, men and women alike, young and old together.
Q:One of the fascinating parts ofBorn to Runis your report on how the ultrarunners eat—salad for breakfast, wraps with hummus mid-run, or pizza and beer the night before a run. As a runner with a lot of miles behind him, what are your thoughts on nutrition for running?
CM:Live every day like you’re on the lam. If you’ve got to be ready to pick up and haul butt at a moment’s notice, you’re not going to be loading up on gut-busting meals. I thought I’d have to go on some kind of prison-camp diet to get ready for an ultra, but the best advice I got came from coach Eric, who told meto just worry about the running and the eating would take care of itself. And he was right, sort of. I instinctively began eating smaller, more digestible meals as my miles increased, but then I went behind his back and consulted with the great Dr. Ruth Heidrich, an Ironman triathlete who lives on avegan diet. She’s the one who gave me the idea of having salad for breakfast, and it’s a fantastic tip. The truth is, many of the greatest endurance athletes of all time lived on fruits and vegetables. You can get away with garbage for a while, but you pay for it in the long haul. In the book,I describe how Jenn Shelton and Billy “Bonehead” Barnett like to chow pizza and Mountain Dew in the middle of 100-mile races, but Jenn is also a vegetarian who most days lives on veggie burgers and grapes.
Q:In this difficult financial time, we’re experiencing yet another surge in the popularity of running. Can you explain this?
CM:When things look worst, we run the most. Three times, America has seen distance-running skyrocket and it’s always in the midst of a national crisis. The first boom came during the Great Depression; the next was in the ‘70s, when we were struggling to recover from a recession, race riots, assassinations, a criminal President and an awful war. And the third boom? One year after the Sept. 11 attacks,trailrunning suddenly became the fastest-growing outdoor sport in the country. I think there’s a trigger in the human psyche that activates our first and greatest survival skill whenever we see the shadow of approaching raptors.
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Buy this book!) 『I loved this. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for something good to happen to poor Oliver. I especially loved the names that Dickens chose for the characters; Mr. Brownlow, Mr. Bumble, Mr. Sowerberry, Mr. Grimwig, Duff and Blathers...they're all perfect. Why did I wait so long to read this book? Wonderful.』
(Oliver Twist: A Classic) 『'Oliver Twist' is a great book, but not for the faint-hearted. It is about the adventures of a little orphan boy and interesting. I don't think I completely understood it, though. I would recommend this book for about 16 and older; this is not an easy book』
(Much More than a Social Commentary..) 『Oliver Twist is comprised of incredibly rich and unforgettable characters. It is immpossible not identify with young oliver, for we are all thrown into this crazy world in some sense or another. I found book one to be one of Dickens most prosaic masterpieces. Book two is not quite as well crafted and becomes bogged down in parts bringing everything together. However, the read is well worth it and i find it to be Dickens most inviting and enriching work.』
(couldnt do it, i couldnt finish this one) 『yup, i couldn't finish this one. it was well written, engaging, humorous at times, sad at other times, almost everything that a person could want in a book. it had one major problem though, it really was just too negative. the people were too cruel to each other and there was far too much injustice and dirt, everything was so dirty, dilapidated, dark, discomfort, disquieted minds and any other words you can think of that start with 'd' and end in something unpleasant.』
(Oliver Twist) 『When I started reading Oliver Twist, it was an assignment for school and nothing more. However, I was soon intrigued by little Oliver, a quiet, naturally pleasant little boy, and who is apparently a magnet for bad company and lives in a workhouse. I wondered how he could remain so sweet and childish through all he'd been through.
Dickens kept me turning the pages with cliffhangers and anticipation. It's witty and it has hilarious moments concerning the band of thieves. Master Charley Bates' laughter is infectious even from the pages of the book, The Artful Dodger's proposed `genteelman behavior' is amusing, and Fagin's witty remarks always manage to entice a chuckle from me and my dad as we read it together.
The only thing that irritated me was that Dickens leaned a little too far to the left and the right , and didn't have any middle ground. Oliver Twist is a perfect boy. He does nothing wrong. Ever. Not once. I don't think it portrays people with a sense of morality well enough, because even those people are not perfect(coughRosecough). However, the way the little robber gang is written represents the underside of human nature very well.
Dickens' sense of description was astounding. It really made everything come to life, from the dirty, disgusting streets of London to the beautiful country lane. It gave me a vivid and detailed picture in my head.
All in all, Oliver Twist is an excellent book.The story was very well put together, and he leaves no loose ends to be tied up. There are dull moments in the book, but Dickens brings us back with a sudden twist at the end of a chapter that will leave us at the edge of our seats, begging "Please sir, more?" 』 『Oliver Twist is a classic tale of a boy of unknown parentage born in a workhouse and brought up under the cruel conditions to which pauper children were exposed in the Victorian England. With this novel, Dickens did not merely write a topical satire on the workhouse system and the role of the 1834 New Poor Law in fostering criminality. He created a moral fable about the survival of good, a romance, and a gripping story in which he exploited suspense and violence more effectively than any of his contemporaries.
The new Oxford World's Classics edition of Oliver Twist is based on the authoritative Clarendon edition, which uses Dickens's revised text of 1846. It includes his preface of 1841 in which he defended himself against hostile criticism, and includes all twenty-four original illustrations by George Cruikshank. Stephen Gill's groundbreaking introduction gives a fascinating new account of the novel. He also provides appendices on Dickens and Cruikshank, on Dickens's Preface and the Newgate Novel Controversy, on Oliver Twist and the New Poor Law and on thieves' slang.』
price：$10.79
Pantheon
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Read Tokyo Vice!) 『This is an amazing book. Read it. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Part memoir, part thriller, part detective story, Jake writes about his journey as a crime reporter for Japan's biggest newspaper with incredible honesty and insight. He shed light on aspects of Japan that I knew nothing about even though I have lived here for more than seven years -- the life of a Japanese reporter on the police beat, the sex industry, human trafficking, yakuza, cops, drugs and the relationships that tie them all together.
It may sound sensationalistic, but Jake does not fall into this trap. He is a gifted writer who knows Japan as few other foreigners (or Japanese for that matter) do. I am grateful that he is now sharing his powerful story with the world.』
(Gaijin with perspective) 『This is what a memoir about Japan should be: educational, entertaining, and rife with valuable, real life experience that just happened to be gained far from home. Any mention of cultural comparison is couched in humor or insight rather than the typical, self-indulgent, isolated whining one usually finds in memoirs of westerners living in Asia. Adelstein's story is a rare glimpse into a subculture most people -- Japanese or otherwise -- will never see. A great read and very highly recommended! 』
(Good despite flaws) 『I bought this book because I was drawn to the curiosity of an American becoming a newspaper reporter in Japan and in this respect the book did not disappoint. I read avidly through the first half of the book, fascinated by the details of Mr. Adelstein's experiences with the Yomiuri Shimbun, like the oddity of nightly visits to police detectives' homes and the ethical dilemma of having a Japanese police officer pay for a visit to a massage parlor.
I thought the later chapters of the book lacked clarity of purpose. Much of the author's conflict with the yakuza isn't adequately explained and casts a hysterical shadow over his credibility. That's not to say I think he's making up the loss of his junkie prostitute friend: only that he doesn't really give enough evidence to show that the Goto-gumi hate his guts as much as he claims they do. I almost feel that there's a lot of personal turmoil that the author chose not to reveal that obscured the later chapters of the book.
I think this would have been a better book if it had focused on his time at the Yomiuri Shimbun and left the Goto-gumi for another, more honest, book. However, it's still worth reading.』
(Couldn't put it down!) 『I downloaded Tokyo Vice on my Kindle on a Friday and I'm done with the book on Monday. I highly recommend the book. There are a lot of people mentioned in the book but the author does a good job of providing them with nicknames or descriptions that made it easy to keep them all straight and remember their roles and positions.
At first I thoguht it would just be another "mob book" and I'd be turned-off by the violence and bravado within a hundred pages. Instead, I found myself getting attached to the heroes of the book, especially Sekiguchi-san and Hamaya-san and realizing this isn't really a mob book but a story about honor, self-realization and that the good people of the world aren't necessarily the most successful, or respected.』
(Entertaining and informative read) 『Jake Adelstein has a very special story to tell. He worked for Japan's biggest daily newspaper as a crime reporter, which is some feat in a country where the idea of cultural and racial essentialism thrives. The book is written in a slightly hardboiled reporter style, and there are lots of small and amusing details just waiting to be noticed. Adelstein avoids the usual trappings of gaijin writing about Japan, and includes a lot of the things that every ex-pat living in Japan moans about, but in a good way. Really good book, and very recommended if you have interest in real crime stories, journalism or Japanese society.』 『From the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club: a unique, firsthand, revelatory look at Japanese culture from the underbelly up.
At nineteen, Jake Adelstein went to Japan in search of peace and tranquility. What he got was a life of crime . . . crime reporting, that is, at the prestigiousYomiuri Shinbun. For twelve years of eighty-hour workweeks, he covered the seedy side of Japan, where extortion, murder, human trafficking, and corruption are as familiar as ramen noodles and sake. But when his final scoop brought him face to face with Japan’s most infamousyakuzaboss—and the threat of death for him and his family—Adelstein decided to step down . . . momentarily. Then, he fought back.
InTokyo Vice, Adelstein tells the riveting, often humorous tale of his journey from an inexperienced cub reporter—who made rookie mistakes like getting into a martial-arts battle with a senior editor—to a daring, investigative journalist with a price on his head. With its vivid, visceral descriptions of crime in Japan and an exploration of the world of modern-dayyakuzathat even few Japanese ever see,Tokyo Viceis a fascination, and an education, from first to last.』 『A Q&A with Jake Adelstein
Question:What drew you to Japan in the first place, and how did you wind up going to university there?
Jake Adelstein:In high school I had many problems with anger and self-control. I had been studying Zen Buddhism and karate, and I thought Japan would be the perfect place to reinvent myself. It could be that my pointy right ear draws me toward neo-Vulcan pursuits--I don’t know.
When I got to Japan, I managed to find lodgings in a Soto Zen Buddhist temple where I lived for three years, attending zazen meditation at least once a week. I didn’t become enlightened, but I did get a better hold on myself.
Question:How did you become a journalist for the most popular Japanese-language newspaper?
Jake Adelstein:TheYomiuri Shinbunruns a standardized test, open to all college students. Many Japanese firms hire young grads this way. My friends thought that the idea of a white guy trying to pass a Japanese journalist’s exam was so impossibly quixotic that I wanted to prove them wrong. I spent an entire year eating instant ramen and studying. I managed to find the time to do it by quitting my job as an English teacher and working as a Swedish-massage therapist for three overworked Japanese women two days a week. It turned out to be a slightly sleazy gig, but it paid the bills.
There was a point when I was ready to give up studying and the application process. Then, when I was in Kabukicho on June 22, 1992, I asked a tarot fortune-telling machine for advice on my career path, and it said that with my overpowering morbid curiosity I was destined to become a journalist, a job at which I would flourish, and that fate would be on my side. I took that as a good sign. I still have the printout.
I did well enough on the initial exam to get to the interviews, and managed to stumble my way through that process and get hired. I think I was an experimental case that turned out reasonably well.
Question:How did you succeed in uncovering the underworld in a country that is famously "closed" or restricted to foreigners? Do you think people talked more openly to you because you were American?
Jake Adelstein:I think Japan is actually more open than people give it credit for. However, to get the door open, you really need to become fluent in the spoken and written language. The written language was a nightmare for me.
You’re right, though; it was mostly an advantage to be a foreigner--it made me memorable. Theyakuzaare outsiders in Japanese society, and perhaps being a fellow outsider gave us a weird kind of bond. The cops investigating theyakuzaalso tend to be oddballs. I was mentored into an early understanding and appreciation of the code of both theyakuzaand the cops. Reciprocity and honor are essential components for both.
I also think the fact that I’m too stupid to be afraid when I should be, and annoyingly persistent as well--these things didn’t help me in long-term romance, but they helped me as a crime reporter.
Question:Do you feel that investigative journalism is being threatened or aided by the expansion of the Internet and news blogs, and the closing down of many printed newspapers?
Jake Adelstein:In one sense it is being threatened because investigative journalism is rarely a solo project. It requires huge amounts of resources, capital, and time to really do one story correctly. Legal costs and FOIA documents are expensive things. The bigger the target, the greater the risk and the more money is required. The second-biggest threat to investigative journalism is crooked lawyers and corporate shills who sue as a harassment tactic. In general, it’s rather hard and time-consuming to be an army of one. It took me almost three years to break the story aboutyakuzareceiving liver transplants at UCLA on my own. The costs in financial terms were immense, and so were the losses along the way. A team of reporters could have done the work much faster, probably.
However, these things said, blogging is also a great source of news that might go unreported, or be overlooked, by the mainstream media. Twitter, too, has had an interesting impact, actually helping a journalist get out of jail in the case of James Karl Buck. We’re beginning to see kind of a public option in investigative journalism, too--such as things like ProPublica. They do an awesome job at investigative journalism, partly through donations, and they have a great web site. So the Internet is not all bad for investigative journalism, as long as we proceed with caution and forethought. At the same time, real intelligence-gathering work actually requires you to put down your cell phone and your computer and get off your ass and meet people in the real world. As odious as it may be, we have to sift through garbage, pound the pavement, and visit the scene of the crime. Not all answers can be found in front of a keyboard, or on Google, and the “it’s all in the database” mentality is the bane of reporting and often generates shoddy reporting.
The individual journalist can do great investigative work--it’s just a lot harder, and usually financially difficult to do unless you’re independently wealthy, like Bruce Wayne. Most of us don’t have the time or the resources or the luxury of holding down a day job and doing investigative journalism on the side, as a hobby.
Question:What do you hope your American audience can learn from your book?
Jake Adelstein:I think everyone will take away something different from the book. I suppose you can learn a lot about how journalism works in Japan, how the police work, and how theyakuzawork. I would also hope that people take away from the book an understanding of some of the things I really like about Japan and the Japanese, things like reciprocity, honor, loyalty, and stoic suffering. I think in Japan, I learned how important it is to keep your word, to never forget your debts--and not just the financial ones--and to make repayment in due course. Perhaps that’s what honor is all about.
There’s a word in Japanese,hanmen kyoshi, which means, more or less,“the teacher who teaches by his bad example.” At times, I’m an excellenthanmen kyoshiin the book.
Everything I’ve learned that’s important to me is in the book somewhere. I hope there’s something universal in the contents beyond just making people aware of cultural differences between the United States and Japan, or reiterating the importance and value of investigative journalism. Like a book I wouldchoose to read to my children, I hope there’s some kind of moral to it all. Maybe the real lesson is to be kind and helpful to the people you care about whenever you can, because it’s good for them, and good for you, and your time with them may be much shorter than you imagined.
price：$8.29
William Morrow Cookbooks
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Winner, Winner) 『Another great book. Even reviewed another Charlotte drive in. Love the show. Its nice to read more of these unique places, and get some of the recipes. Word is Guy was in Charlotte last week checking out 4 restaurants. We have alot of good ones.』
(Regioal would be better) 『The book -like the show is well done but the places are all over the country. There are only 4 places that I could realistically go to. I would prefer if Guy had done a book for all the regions of the country. I would like to visit them. Maybe in time he will do something like that. "Diners ,drive-ins, and Dives--Roadtrips " That would be cool !!!』
(Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives) 『This book met my expectations. I was hoping to get some recipes and some stories, and this book has both. Guy Fieri has a sense to humor, of course, and this adds to the enjoyment of the book. I am looking forward to his second book.』
(Great book but...) 『OK, what's there not to love about Guy! I purchased this book for my husband who wants to travel to all the diners listed, but I wish there were more recipes! I have preordered the second book. We haven't had a road trip yet, but it's coming!』
(Good food for real people) 『I am a huge fan of DDD, but I was alittle disappointed with this book. It didn't have the greatest recipes that I have seen on the show. I should have read the descritpion better. Still a great show.』 『
Food Network star Guy Fieri takes you on a tour of America's most colorful diners, drive-ins, and dives in this tie-in to his enormously popular television show, complete with recipes, photos, and memorabilia.
Packed with Guy's iconic personality,Diners, Drive-ins and Divesfollows his hot-rod trips around the country, mapping out the best places most of us have never heard of. From digging in at legendary burger joint the Squeeze Inn in Sacramento, California, baking Peanut Pie from Virginia Diner in Wakefield, Virginia, or kicking back with Pete's "Rubbed and Almost Fried" Turkey Sandwich from Panini Pete's in Fairhope, Alabama, Guy showcases the amazing personalities, fascinating stories, and outrageously good food offered by these American treasures.
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Disappointing, a bit boring and misleading) 『First, let me say two things: 1) I did not finish this book. I made it halfway through India before I deemed the book a waste of my time. 2) I know this is a memoir. I realize that the author was simply stating what she felt and what she was going through. I make no judgments against her for how she dealt with a very personal matter.
That said, I found this book rather disappointing. It seemed that the same thing was being said over and over and over. I was really looking forward to the section on India since it was the religious part of her journey I was really interested in. For me, it just fell flat. Again, though, I didn't finish that section due to boredom, so maybe I missed out on the fun part.
Additionally, I found her to be quite mentally unstable (as one could expect), however, I felt like she celebrated that wanted that to be perfectly normal and OK. I find that to be a bit irresponsible. While she did mention being on anti-depressants, I believe this book gives people the impression that hearing voices is perfectly OK and just part of a spiritual journey. I can only wonder how many people read this book and didn't seek help when they really needed it because of the way the author portrayed her mental illness.』
(a reader from Hong Kong) 『It's very boring. I kept on reading hoping it will get better. until... when while in India she was conversing with her mind and calling Mediterranean sea an ocean, I could not take it any more. What a waste of time.』
(A 'Real' story.) 『This book confuses many males and empowers many woman to be themselves. We cannot all be stereo types, even though sometimes the community we live in makes it clear that is what we are supposed to want. This story is real to me in so many ways, but you have to read it with an open mind to get it...If you start thinking 'how selfish of her...or 'what a drama queen' during the first pages then this book is not for you and your mind is not open.
If you want to feel good about loving yourself for who you are and not for what you are supposed to be then you will love this book.』
(Life Changing Book) 『This book has helped shape my life. Elizabeth constantly reminds me of myself, all the anxious, social, romantic, emotionalness that is her personality. I have been inspired by this book to take up meditation and to explore myself and my relationship with God more deeply.
Some people hate this book, which baffles me, but I feel sorry for them that they are unable to understand the spiritual beauty of it. Their hearts and minds are closed, and they do not want to be changes.
Read this book if you are open and want to become closer to yourself and to God. This story is not about travel and adventure, but about becoming a better person and growing close to God and our true selves.』
(Great Book!) 『I received EAT PRAY LOVE very quickly after placing my order. The used copy wasn't perfect but in decent condition. The book itself is hard to put down and well worth what I paid!』
price：$8.30
William Morrow Cookbooks
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (www.jennifervido.com) 『Guy Fieri, best-known as the bleach-blonde spiky hair chef on The Food Network channel, is at it again in his latest release MORE DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES. Winner of the second season of The Next Food Network Star, he took the network by storm with his vivacious personality and good-natured charm. What started out as a test drive has turned into stardom and fame for this fun-lovin' California guy.
As host of the three hit shows, Guy's Big Bite, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Guy serves up the right balance of know-how and charm to keep his fans coming back for more. His first book, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives made its way to the New York Times Bestseller List. In his follow-up release, he takes his readers on another tour around the country serving up some of the best dishes discovered on his culinary cruise.
With a foreword written by none other than the legendary chef Emeril Lagasse, MORE DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES gives the reader a backstage pass to the making of this popular television show.It also includes a Q&A section with Guy himself plus anecdotal recaps from some of the most memorable episodes. The most interesting part of the introduction is the section called "What It Takes to Pull Off the Show." Each member of the crew shares thoughts about Guy, his pranks, and other interesting facts and tidbits.
The many restaurants Guy has frequented are divided into four main sections of the country. With each establishment, he delivers some background information complete with photographs to make the reader feel right at home. The mouth-watering recipes make even the most finicky eater want to step out of the box and try something new. From Cheddar Cheese Burgers with Jezebel Sauce to Bar-B-Q Fried Chicken, Guy Fieri once again makes mealtime the best part of the day.
』
(More Triple D) 『Do you enjoy Guy Fieri's show on the Food Channel, "Diners, Drive0Ins, and Dives"? Did you get a kick out of his first book exploring the three Ds? If yes to either, you should enjoy this volume, too. If you want a lot of recipes, then this book isn't likely to engage you.
However, I do enjoy the author's televised Odyssey through diners, drive-ins, and dives throughout the country. Here, you get a brief sense of the uniqueness of a variety of joints--as well as an illustrative menu item or two from each. It all makes for a nice diversion. And there are always a few recipes that are a lot of fun to contemplate and to make.
As before, Fieri divides the country into regions--in this instance, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest, and West and Southwest. For each region, he selects a handful of places (between 10 to 18 per region). One of the charms, in the author's own words is (Page 3): I get to shine a light on a real group of people. . . . I get to bring out the kid and adventurer in all of us. . . . We're reminding people to get back to the basics: real food from real people."
Let's take a look at a couple representative D,D,or Ds.
Northeast/Mid-Atlantic: Kelly O's Diner in Pittsburgh. Fieri's visit boosted business quite a bit, according to the owner. The example from the menu: Haluski. Green cabbage, butter, julienned Spanish onions, garlic salt, sliced bacon, egg noodles, black pepper, and grated Romano cheese. Cook cabbage leaves in water; melt butter and add onions and half of the garlic salt stir in cabbage until onions and cabbage begin to caramelize; stir in other ingredients (except cheese) then plate and add cheese to the top of the dish. Down home cooking here!
West and Southwest: Pat's Barbecue in Salt Lake City. Nice, brief description of the place's operation. The dish? Smoked barbecue meatloaf. Ingredients: ground beef, eggs, seasoned bread crumbs, milk, barbecue sauce, dry onion soup mix, and grilled onions. Key to the recipe is smoking the meatloaf mix for 4 hours! Now that's a whole lot different than the way I make my meatloaf.
Once more, if you like the show, you'll probably enjoy the book. If not and if you are interested ikn a more traditional cookbook, this might not do the trick. 』
(3 of the best D's) 『What more could a food lover want than diners, drive-ins and dives with a top down to drive. Guy Fieri has a sequel to his first book and it is enjoyable and definitely covers this all-American food. The book covers how the program 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' is made and who the crew is that creates this popular show. There are many black and white pictures of the people and places and Guy's top 5 pranks, how to eat in 'the hunch'. (The position to avoid grease and spills from covering your shirt.) The Northeast and Mid Atlantic, the South, Midwest, West and Southwest are covered, giving spots to get some of the great 3 D food. I do wish there were more states covered, only 22 are represented here, some states having several food places covered. Some history for each location is given, their address, telephone number and web site - if available. There are one or two recipes from each place. Guy also includes many side spots `Guy Aside' giving his personal thoughts. An index covers recipes by breakfast, burgers and sandwiches, condiments and sauces, starters, dinner mains, sides and sweets. There is also a list of all the restaurants that have been featured on the show, ones in red are in this book, those with an asterisk were in the first book and then the others that have been on the show; addresses, telephone numbers and web sites are given - a great resource. If you enjoy the show, or enjoy diners and drive-in, dive food- this is a book for you.』 『Join New York Times bestselling author and Food Network star Guy Fieri for a second helping of the best diners, drive-ins, and dives across America!Guy Fieri strikes again with More Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, giving you a road map to road food that's earned its culinary citizenship in "Flavortown." Join Guy on a cross-country noshing parade, mapping out the best places you've never heard of-more than fifty establishments off the beaten path. Compete in a (no hands) apple-pie-eating contest at Bobo Drive-In in Topeka, Kansas, dip your taste buds in Sweet Spicy Love sauce at Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken in Memphis, Tennessee, and get a load of the killer four-cheese mac-and-cheese at Gorilla Barbeque in Pacifica, California. Filled with Guy's hilarious voice and rampant enthusiasm for these hidden culinary gems, More Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is the perfect book for lovers of the American food scene and fans of Triple D.』 『Book Description
JoinNew York Timesbestselling author and Food Network star Guy Fieri for a second helping of the best diners, drive-ins, and dives across America!
Guy Fieri strikes again withMore Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, giving you a road map to road food that's earned its culinary citizenship in "Flavortown." Join Guy on a cross-country noshing parade, mapping out the best places you've never heard ofmore than fifty establishments off the beaten path. Compete in a (no hands) apple-pie-eating contest at Bobo Drive-In in Topeka, Kansas, dip your taste buds in Sweet Spicy Love sauce at Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken in Memphis, Tennessee, and get a load of the killer four-cheese mac-and-cheese at Gorilla Barbeque in Pacifica, California. Filled with Guy's hilarious voice and rampant enthusiasm for these hidden culinary gems,More Diners, Drive-ins and Divesis the perfect book for lovers of the American food scene and fans of Triple D.
Pleasure Cruising ThroughMore Diners, Drive-ins and Divesby Guy Fieri
Dear Amazon Customers,
My drop-top culinary cruise to America’s most fun and funkiest joints is the adventure we’re all looking for--and I’m having the time of my life. I’m glad to get out there because it reminds me of what a great country we have. I have five restaurants of my own (three Johnny Garlic’s and two Tex Wasabi’s), and as a chef and restaurant owner, let me tell you, it’s a tough business. You really have to love it to keep with it. I thought having my own restaurants in Northern California’s wine country couldn’t be beat, but sharing these mom and pop joints across the country and highlighting not just their food but their stories is probably the greatest experience I’ve ever had. And on top of it all, the show results in an increase in their business and ends up changing their lives. We get stories emailed to us all the time: I opened a second location, I bought the building, I bought my wife a new Mercedes.
One of these folks was Gorilla Rich, owner of Gorilla Barbeque in Pacifica, California. I met him while at a NASCAR race, and I knew this guy had to be on television. I didn’t even know he had a barbeque restaurant at the time, so I wasn’t even thinking ofDiners, Drive-ins and Dives. I even called my producer from the track and said,“I met this dude and we’ve got to get him on television.” Long story short, turns out he’s doing some slammin’ BBQ, we end up highlighting his restaurant on the show, and things are blown out! They’ve got a second smoker now and are looking into another location. Gorilla and I have become really good buddies, so when I’m home in California he’ll drive up to my house and we’ll hang out. Making these connections is one of the neatest things about doing the show. It can’t happen with all of them, of course, but at some of the locations--like Voula’s, Panini Pete’s, Grinders, Luigi’s Pizzeria, and Hodad’s--these people have become really close friends. And it’s not that we’re great friends because I came to shine a light on them and change opportunities for their business, it’s because they’re brothers from another mother. We’re all in this industry to make people happy, that’s what we love to do. So when you find these other brothers that are out there doing that same thing, it’s a culinary family reunion in flavortown.』
price：$8.48
Knopf
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Thin and flabby) 『Peter Mayle really ought to be ashamed of this one. A very short story with a feeble, unconvincing and easily predictable plot and a genuinely silly ending, this has all the characteristics of a last minute job.』
(Mayle does it again!) 『I own most of Mayle's books and they have given me great pleasure over the years. At first, I enjoyed his nonfiction but that tide turned with "A Good Year" which I found to be his fictional work that I enjoyed the most. While "The Vintage Caper" isn't quite up to that standard it is enjoyable if you like food, wine, France, and the French or any combination of those things. His writing has inspired me to try foods I wouldn't have considered and to dream of places I want to go. Now I have to add Marsaille to the list.』
(Bubbly, frothy, yet unpretentious) 『Peter Mayls'e "Vintage Caper" is first and foremost vintage Mayle. The novel is mostly set in the south of France, the characters are chatty, the wine flows. While it's not the most intricate or intriguing caper one could read, that's not the point. The point is it's Peter Mayle writing lighthearted, accessible fiction again, and his hand is as cunning as ever.
To measure this book by comparing to traditional best-seller capers is to do the book a grave injustice. Once you accept that the caper is merely a vessel holding Mayle's literary mousse, you're in for a joyous ride.』
(complete waste of time) 『Not just Mr. Mayle's worst book, but one of the worst in the universe of literature. From the vapid, almost non-existent plot to the completely detached characters, this book offers nothing to the reader. Does "caper" imply a modicum of suspense? Literally none is found here. Mr. Mayle owes me a Cotes du Rhone for this one.』
(A Breezy And Delightful Read) 『This was my first Peter Mayle book and I will definitely be going back for more. The plot is believable, the characters are perfect given the parts that they play, and Mayle's dialogue does not get bogged down in extraneous detail. Mystery aficionados or wine lovers may find that the book comes up short. However, if you are looking for a light-hearted mystery novel with almost a touch of Nick and Nora Charles in it then this is the book for you.』 『Set in Hollywood, Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseille, Peter Mayle’s newest and most delightful novel is filled with culinary delights, sumptuous wines, and colorful characters. It’s also a lot of fun.
The story begins high above Los Angeles, at the extravagant home and equally impressive wine cellar of entertainment lawyer Danny Roth. Unfortunately, after inviting theLos Angeles Timesto write an extensive profile extolling the liquid treasures of his collection, Roth finds himself the victim of a world-class wine heist.
Enter Sam Levitt, former corporate lawyer, cultivated crime expert, and wine connoisseur. Called in by Roth’s insurance company, which is now saddled with a multimillion-dollar claim, Sam follows his leads—to Bordeaux and its magnificent vineyards, and to Provence to meet an eccentric billionaire collector who might possibly have an interest in the stolen wines. Along the way,bien sûr,he is joined by a beautiful and erudite French colleague, and together they navigate many a château, pausing frequently to enjoy the countryside’s abundant pleasures.
The unraveling of the ingenious crime is threaded through with Mayle’s seductive rendering of France’s sensory delights—from a fine Lynch-Bages and Léoville Barton to the bouillabaisse of Marseille and the young lamb of Bordeaux. Even the most sophisticated of oenophiles will learn a thing or two from this vintage work by a beloved author.』 『A Q&A with Peter Mayle
Question:The Vintage Caperbegins and ends in Los Angeles, which you’ve not explored before in your writing. What led you to set parts of the book there? Are you a fan of the city?
Peter Mayle:The inspiration for the story came from California, and so L.A. seemed a logical place to start. Also, I had long cherished an urge to stay at the Chateau Marmont, which I was able to do in the worthy name of research. Very nice it was too. As for the city, I was unable to find the centre, but those parts I did see I enjoyed.
Question:Where did the character of Danny Roth come from?
Peter Mayle:Danny Roth is a mixture of several movie people and agents I’ve met over the years—quick-witted, talkative and relentlessly self-absorbed.
Question:This book is a bit of a love letter to the city of Marseille, which isn’t a place that usually inspires such rapturous praise. Do you think it’s underrated?
Peter Mayle:Marseille is certainly underrated, and I think it still suffers from the reputation gained in The French Connection.Marseille’s problem is that it is not a city that makes an effort to put itself out for strangers. It is what it is, take it or leave it—patches of squalor next to buildings and neighborhoods of great beauty; a tremendously mixed population, with origins in France, North Africa, and Italy; the almost religious support of Olympique de Marseille, the local soccer team; the pride in all things Marseillais, from its bouillabaisse to its soap; the highly vocal distrust of the government in Paris—all this I find fascinating. And then there are the people ofMarseille, known throughout France as mastersof exaggeration. Nowhere else in the world will you find the humble sardine described as a shark. In other words, Marseille is a great stew of a city, filled with terrific things for writers to get their teeth into.
Question:What led you to write about a wine theft? What kind of research did you do for the book?
Peter Mayle:I read an article in The Herald Tribune about a robbery carried out in California, one in which the thieves concentrated on the very sell-stocked wine cellar, ignoring everything else. I don’t knowif theywere ever found, but the unusual precision of the robbery intrigued me. Why did they just steal wine? Presumably they were going to sell it, but to whom?And how did they get into the house and clean away? The more questions I thought about, the more it seemed as though the answers would make a great story. And the research, focused as it was on wine, was delicious.
Question:Have you had the pleasure of trying any of the wines that were stolen from Danny Roth?
Peter Mayle:Yes, but not often enough. In fact, I’ll never make a serious wine connoisseur. Taking small and reverent sips is not for me; I like to drink a wine rather than worship it. Give me a well-filled glass and a second bottle waiting in the wings and I’m happy.
Question:This is your first novel since A GOOD YEAR in 2004, though you’ve published two works of nonfiction, CONFESSIONS OF A FRENCH BAKER and PROVENCE A-Z, in the interim. What prompted you to return to fiction—or turn back to nonfiction in the first place?
Peter Mayle:I enjoy writing fiction because there are no restrictions; you’re inventing. And I enjoy nonfiction because you don’t have to make it up; you’re describing. Choosing between the two depends entirely on the subject and the idea, and THE VINTAGE CAPER came about because of an idea prompted by that newspaper story.
price：$3.92
Harper Paperbacks
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Love it!) 『Saw the author on Rachael Ray show one morning and am always interested in knowing when the best 'bargain' shopping time is for everything. Worthwhile to have!』
(Great bathroom reading!! Sounds cheesy, but it is really great) 『Pefect read for five minutes at a time. Very informative. Like the ideas, even the kids like to read this one. Worth the buy just to learn a few things, even just for trivia.』
(A Not-so Good Read, Some Not-so Surprising Insights, All in a Perfectly-timed Gift Package) 『Could be the perfect gift book as the holidays approach, and its no coincidence that it just showed up on NYT's How-to Bestseller list. To coin a phrase, this is the kind of thing a person on your gift list will really like, if they like this sort of thing.
Really there is not much insight here, and after having heard Di Vincenzo pitch the book on NPR, his methodlogy is not exactly the rigorous stuff or peer reviewed economics research (or even journalism for that matter).
There are just not enough (or enough interesting) stories-behind-the-stories for his tips. The ketchup gambit is titleworthy, but much of the rest is common sense.
Get the first surgical appointment of the day? Fly midday, midweek and you'll save money? Buy stuff when the people selling are inclined to make better deals? No big surprises.
The book might be the perfect gift for that reader who loves quirky insight and the trivial made useful. It may even inspire ten minutes of communal reading and good conversation around the tree when unwrapped. For those reasons, its a three; but, this is really a two-star read with perfect timing. 』
(Worth the price) 『For [...] bucks this book is definitely worth the price. There is plenty of useful information though not a lot of detail. Don't expect to sit down and read this book word for word as it is more of a reference book. I like it and would recommend it as a good general guide for when to do things.』
(The CHEAPEST CONSTRUCTED Book I Have Ever Purchased! No Product Index!!) 『I wish that I had never purchased this book! There is NO INDEX! You have to browse through the whole CHAPTER for instance to find when to buy jeans or sneakers, etc. This would have been SO much better with an index!
But most of all, this is the POOREST constructed book I have ever bought, read, or even felt! It is a paperback, but the cover just feels like regular PAPER it is SO flimsy!! This was not an inexpensive book. It is small (maybe 8" x 8") and about 170 pages and Amazon price was $10. That is an average price to pay for a book. Yet this book is so flimsy that it feels like it cost $5! It is difficult to even READ as it is so flimsy!
Harper Collins is the publisher and I am really surprised that they turned out this junk! If I were the author, I'd be on the phone to both my publisher AND my agent!
SAVE YOUR MONEY AND READ THIS AT THE LIBRARY!! Get there quickly, however, because after 2 or 3 people check this book out, there won't be much left of it!
』 『
Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out to dinner?
Have you ever wondered about the best time of day to ask someone out on a date—or for a raise?
Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noontells you the best time—of the day, of the week, of the month or of the year—to do almost anything. Do you know:
The best time of day to be operated on?
The best month to buy an iPod?
The best day of the week to avoid lines at the Louvre?
The best day of the month to make an offer on a house?
Get more for your money, maximize your time, take better care of your health and be savvier about your career—all by doing certain things at the right time.
price：$4.78
Anchor
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A guy who knows what he wants...) 『This book was very well written. A rich kid growing up everything given to him doesn't have to worry about the future because of mommy and daddy's money never have to do anything. Well, that's where the story comes into play, this guy is young, fresh outta high school, he decides to take the money and run quite literally, he has an old piece of crap car and empties his bank account and heads out on a road trip to Alaska. Living on little to no money he befriends people and makes his way across the country! Sad ending but in a way not really maybe that's what he wanted. Also made into a movie which by the way was EXCELLENT!!! The landscape of Alaska and all throughout his travels are remarkable!!! This is a must read and the movie is a must see. But, I recommend reading before seeing! Just my opinion! Enjoy!!!』
(An essential read for those of overly rebelious youth) 『I'm sure most of us have rebelled against various forms of order during our youth (government, teachers, parents), but for some this portends a hurt that lies much deeper. Into the Wild details the captivating story surrounding the life, and death, of Christopher McCandless.
Having reformed my prior rebellious nature, this book churned some of the old hurt that I thought I had laid to rest. Though this book gives incredible detail of Chris' life and his incredible exploits, its a serious commentary on how we always hurt the ones we love. I was so moved, that I attempted to call my parents to apologize for my faults as a son.., at 4am in the morning.
Krakauer does an incredible job carefully exposing the layers of Chris' story. Carefully researched and beautifully written, I would recommend this to anyone, regardless of their predilections about wilderness exploration. Unable to put it down, I finished it in a single day during a marathon 6 hour session. It's a great read.
You won't regret it.
』
(Pompous Writing Style) 『When I came accross tnis book, I purchased it right away because it was written by the same author of Into Thin Air, one of my all time favorite books. However, I find his writing style pompous in this book.
I sometimes use the dictionary anywhere from 0-6 times with each book. After using the dictionary countless times, I started highlighting examples to share with you.
This story was interupted way too many times to look up 5 star words it disrupted the flow of the story for me. Here's a few example for you:
I do not recommend this book at all. I highly recommend Into Thin Air.』
(Very interesting; especially if you've seen the movie) 『Some interesting details that didn't make it into the movie. Good book, well written.』
(I would just like the chance to say something back for Chris...) 『I have allot of respect for Chris and for what he tried to do, infact i hike on an almost weekly basis for three days at a time or more with nothing more than my knife and canteen. For everyone who has claimed his adventure to be a foolish ill conceived plan, and that blames his death on the fact he had no real knowledge on how to survive in the Alaskan wilderness why don't you think about the fact that most well prepared people can't last more than a few days on their own, Chris was in the Alaskan bush for over two months before passing away and with minimal gear thrived up until the end. I thought the movie was incredible and i look forward to reading the book.』 『In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story ofInto the Wild.
Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.
Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless's short life. Admitting an interst that borders on obsession, he searches for the clues to the dries and desires that propelled McCandless. Digging deeply, he takes an inherently compelling mystery and unravels the larger riddles it holds: the profound pull of the American wilderness on our imagination; the allure of high-risk activities to young men of a certain cast of mind; the complex, charged bond between fathers and sons.
When McCandless's innocent mistakes turn out to be irreversible and fatal, he becomes the stuff of tabloid headlines and is dismissed for his naiveté, pretensions, and hubris. He is said to have had a death wish but wanting to die is a very different thing from being compelled to look over the edge. Krakauer brings McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity , and renunciation sought by this enigmaticyoung man are illuminated with a rare understanding--and not an ounce of sentimentality. Mesmerizing, heartbreaking,Into the Wildis atour de force. The power and luminosity of Jon Krakauer's stoytelling blaze through every page. 』
『"God, he was a smart kid..." So why did Christopher McCandless trade a bright future--a college education, material comfort, uncommon ability and charm--for death by starvation in an abandoned bus in the woods of Alaska? This is the question that Jon Krakauer's book tries to answer. While it doesn't—cannot—answer the question with certainty,Into the Wilddoes shed considerable light along the way. Not only about McCandless's "Alaskan odyssey," but also the forces that drive people to drop out of society and test themselves in other ways. Krakauer quotes Wallace Stegner's writing on a young man who similarly disappeared in the Utah desert in the 1930s: "At 18, in a dream, he saw himself ... wandering through the romantic waste places of the world. No man with any of the juices of boyhood in him has forgotten those dreams."Into the Wildshows that McCandless, while extreme, was hardly unique; the author makes the hermit into one of us, something McCandless himself could never pull off. By book's end, McCandless isn't merely a newspaper clipping, but a sympathetic, oddly magnetic personality. Whether he was "a courageous idealist, or a reckless idiot," you won't soon forget Christopher McCandless.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (My Desert Island Book) 『Bryson's sparkling style cinches this as one of my top 10 books ever. It seems some scientific types are upset that Bryson delves into the lives of scientists making discoveries more than the discoveries themselves. This is his brilliance! If I want to learn everything there is to know about any given scientific discovery (I don't), I can go read the discoverer's undoubtedly dry treatise on it. I'd much rather learn about how this person came to make such a discovery. It's called human interest, which is something Bryson excels at.』
(Simple, but Good) 『A very curt and well-presented glimpse of what science has taught us. Recommend this for any non-scientist who is curious and all young and aspiring scientists.』
(Very enjoyable! Absorbing topics, well written) 『Bill Bryson is an incredibly engaging and charming writer, so he could have written a book of carpet samples and made it interesting. Combine his talents with a smorgasboard of science and history -- all about where we came from and why we think we know what we do -- and you get an irresistible book.
My only complaint was that my interests weren't *exactly* aligned with his, so I felt like too much time was spent on taxonomy (classifying everything from animals and rocks to geological epochs) at the expense of more theoretical sciences like physics and biochemistry. "Cosmos" is much more satisfying in that respect. But a perfect alignment of interests can't really be expected in a book of such broad scope, and it was still a lot of fun.』
(A Must Read) 『Too many are ignorant of the wonders of scientific developments. Bill Bryson makes the story of our lives a fascinating and enjoyable tale; one from which anyone will gain. His humor and incredibly thorough research makes this book one of the most worthwhile I have read in a long while. It was amazing to find myself laughing out loud during an otherwise thoughtful scientific dissertation. Encourage your students, children and friends to read this.』
(Required Reading) 『This is absolutely one of the best books I've ever read. It should be translated into every language and made required reading in every high school in the world. A supurb piece of work that the author should be proud of.』 『Bill Bryson is one of the world’s most beloved and bestselling writers. InA Short History of Nearly Everything, he takes his ultimate journey–into the most intriguing and consequential questions that science seeks to answer. It’s a dazzling quest, the intellectual odyssey of a lifetime, as this insatiably curious writer attempts to understand everything that has transpired from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. Or, as the author puts it, “…how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something, and then how a little of that something turned into us, and also what happened in between and since.” This is, in short, a tall order.
To that end, Bill Bryson apprenticed himself to a host of the world’s most profound scientific minds, living and dead. His challenge is to take subjects like geology, chemisty, paleontology, astronomy, and particle physics and see if there isn’t some way to render them comprehensible to people, like himself, made bored (or scared) stiff of science by school.His interest is not simply to discoverwhatwe know but to find outhowwe know it. How do we know what is in the center of the earth, thousands of miles beneath the surface? How can we know the extent and the composition of the universe, or what a black hole is? How can we know where the continents were 600 million years ago? How did anyone ever figure these things out?
On his travels through space and time, Bill Bryson encounters a splendid gallery of the most fascinating, eccentric, competitive, and foolish personalities ever to ask a hard question. In their company, he undertakes a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only this superb writer can render it. Science has never been more involving, and the world we inhabit has never been fuller of wonder and delight.』 『From primordial nothingness to this very moment,A Short History of Nearly Everythingreports what happened and how humans figured it out. To accomplish this daunting literary task, Bill Bryson uses hundreds of sources, from popular science books to interviews with luminaries in various fields. His aim is to help people like him, who rejected stale school textbooks and dry explanations, to appreciate how we have used science to understand the smallest particles and the unimaginably vast expanses of space. With his distinctive prose style and wit, Bryson succeeds admirably. ThoughA Short Historyclocks in at a daunting 500-plus pages and covers the same material as every science book before it, it reads something like a particularly detailed novel (albeit without a plot). Each longish chapter is devoted to a topic like the age of our planet or how cells work, and these chapters are grouped into larger sections such as "The Size of the Earth" and "Life Itself." Bryson chats with experts like Richard Fortey (author ofLifeandTrilobite) and these interviews are charming. But it's when Bryson dives into some of science's best and most embarrassing fights--Cope vs. Marsh, Conway Morris vs. Gould--that he finds literary gold.--Therese Littleton』
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Question:Born to Runexplores the life and running habits of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyon, arguably the greatest distance runners in the world. What are some of the secrets you learned from them?
Question:What drew you to Japan in the first place, and how did you wind up going to university there?
