by Jeremy Iggers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 7, 1996
A culinary and cultural Luddite critiques the conspicuous consumption of modern American society. What do Julia Child, Walt Disney, and Dijon mustard have in common? According to Iggers, an ethics columnist and restaurant reviewer for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Tribune, they are all villains of postmodern culture, pulling us further and further away from any real connection with the sources of our physical and spiritual sustenance. Iggers dates the breach to the early 1960s, when Julia Child first broadcast the message of her ``foodie revolution'' to the nation. Before that, food and morality—the two are inextricably bound in Iggers's philosophy—were simple matters: ``We'd open the lunch box to find a bologna sandwich and a couple of Oreos, and we were satisfied.'' Now, argues Iggers, we have many choices from many cultures; easily obtainable, prepared meals; and food that is nothing more than an unnourishing Madison Avenue construct. The result is a morally charged, uncomfortable, love- hate relationship with what we eat. Iggers doesn't stop there, however, but goes on to criticize every aspect of '90s culture, from Martha Stewart Living to air conditioning. Iggers has a few valid points, but his rhetoric is so overblown and his message so simplistic that he often sounds like a parody of himself. And Iggers loses all credibility by constantly harking back to the 1950s as America's finest moral, cultural, and culinary moment. Skip the ethical bombast and head straight for the prescriptive final chapter, where Iggers offers some practical, if not wholly original, solutions to our unhealthy obsessions with food and consumerism.
Pub Date: Aug. 7, 1996
ISBN: 0-465-07805-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Basic Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1996
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by William Strunk & E.B. White ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 1972
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
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
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