A witty, compassionate read from a thoughtful author.
A mature, thoughtful perspective on American warfare in the 21st century and a detailed explanation of the advantages and drawbacks of Transcendental Meditation.
The bulk of this nonfiction work is constructed from a series of emails that Rees, a physician and now-retired Army colonel, sent home during his numerous deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan over a decade. Filled with personal observations and details of his day-to-day life as a senior medical officer, they present a picture of military life that’s more prosaic than those seen in popular media but no less purposeful or dangerous. In the latter half of the book, Rees offers a handful of chapters on Transcendental Meditation, which he’s practiced since the 1970s, including a paper he submitted to the War College on the potential benefits of TM in war zones and for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. If Rees’ work has a flaw, it’s in how these vastly different sections intertwine and attempt to merge; they seem to be two different books under one title, although the author works hard to highlight the connections between the two and give them a unified purpose. Some readers may not mind the bifurcation, though, as Rees is an immensely engaging writer whose wit and thoughtfulness shine through on every page. Whether he’s comparing a military briefing to a scene from the 1960 film The Time Machine or discussing the results of a literature review on TM, he writes with care and logic, presenting his arguments and counterarguments with an evenhandedness and rounded perspective that’s refreshing, particularly for readers used to polarized political discourse. Indeed, every page shines with compassion and humor. If readers can get past the disconnect of the book’s two halves, they’ll find a great deal of engaging reading material here.
A witty, compassionate read from a thoughtful author.Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9962779-1-4
Page Count: 486
Publisher: Manu Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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