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THE UNAMERICAN DREAM

Name: THE UNAMERICAN DREAM
Author: Carlos Hidalgo
ISBN: 978-1-937985-57-8

by Carlos Hidalgo ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 3, 2019

An earnest but uneven call to arms for those who need warnings about what they will lose by constantly working.

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A business executive offers a manifesto for corporate chiefs, entrepreneurs, and startup professionals that shows the impact of today’s “hustle culture” on work-life balance.

Hidalgo (Driving Demand, 2015) shares his story of co-founding and growing a marketing business while he neglected his family at home. Eventually, he reached a crossroads where he had to choose to either continue his pursuit of the “American Dream”—expanding his company at the risk of losing his family and marriage—or take a step back and redefine success as it related to his own values. He decided to quit the business he had nurtured for over a decade so he could spend more time with his family. Each chapter of his book challenges business executives to question whether they are sacrificing for their families by working long hours or forcing their loved ones to make sacrifices for them. Questions are included at the end of most sections that entreat readers to engage in self-reflection. They include “What does happiness and joy look like for you?” and “Who are those that are making the sacrifice so you can achieve professionally?” There is an illuminating chapter written by the author’s wife, Susanne, that explains the impact his constant work travel and long hours had on her and their children. The author includes many vivid anecdotes and stories from male business professionals who either decided to step off the corporate ladder to focus on their home lives or were still grappling with how to do so. While the book features some anecdotes about female executives, it would have benefited from more of their stories. On top of striving for work-life balance, they are often expected to organize child care and housekeeping duties. The sincere work ends abruptly after providing a diverse and intriguing collection of corporate profiles.

An earnest but uneven call to arms for those who need warnings about what they will lose by constantly working.

Pub Date: June 3, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-937985-57-8

Page Count: 200

Publisher: VisumCx

Review Posted Online: July 24, 2019

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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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

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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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.