An indispensable guide for cruising enthusiasts.
A boating magazine editor/marine journalist takes the guesswork out of private yacht charter vacations one knot at a time.
Kavin is no advocate of large commercial cruise ship vacations, especially after juxtaposing them to her field of expertise–chartered yacht voyages. Quick to acknowledge that private yacht charters seem daunting and a luxury solely intended for the "ultra-rich,” Kavin tidily dispels that impression with a comprehensive presentation of the manageable and affordable side of this distinct industry. The benefits of private charter rentals, she explains, are numerous. At-sea vacationers can receive the personalized attention of a ship captain and eat delicious food prepared by an onboard chef while venturing to secluded harbor destinations larger commercial vessels have failed to access, like remote destination Anegada in the Virgin Islands, all while enjoying the independence of self-directed expeditions. Kavin discusses the industry’s inception some 50 years ago then contrasts “bareboating,” setting off with a scant onboard team, to the more contemporary fully crewed yacht management and brokerage businesses. Leaving no detail unexplored, Kavin’s exuberance is palpable and with her 10 years experience in the business, sailing locally as well as internationally, she makes a confident tour guide through yachting vacations for every taste and budget. Charts, diagrams and illustrations provide the basics of boat styles and accommodations, preparing readers for more intensive chapters detailing destination hot spots, pricing comparisons and charter party troubleshooting. Kavin includes several sample itineraries plotting out weeklong excursions in time-tested favorites like the Caribbean and New England to more far-flung destinations like Alaska and the North African coast. The concluding section names reputable charter companies, booking agents and resources galore for those anxious to take the plunge. Without a doubt, Kavin is the ultimate layperson’s liaison to the yachting charter business.
An indispensable guide for cruising enthusiasts.Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-58348-984-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: iUniverse Star
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A superb book about doing his job by a master of his craft.
The renowned writer offers advice on information-gathering and nonfiction composition.
The book consists of eight instructive and charming essays about creating narratives, all of them originally composed for the New Yorker, where McPhee (Silk Parachute, 2010, etc.) has been a contributor since the mid-1960s. Reading them consecutively in one volume constitutes a master class in writing, as the author clearly demonstrates why he has taught so successfully part-time for decades at Princeton University. In one of the essays, McPhee focuses on the personalities and skills of editors and publishers for whom he has worked, and his descriptions of those men and women are insightful and delightful. The main personality throughout the collection, though, is McPhee himself. He is frequently self-deprecating, occasionally openly proud of his accomplishments, and never boring. In his magazine articles and the books resulting from them, McPhee rarely injects himself except superficially. Within these essays, he offers a departure by revealing quite a bit about his journalism, his teaching life, and daughters, two of whom write professionally. Throughout the collection, there emerge passages of sly, subtle humor, a quality often absent in McPhee’s lengthy magazine pieces. Since some subjects are so weighty—especially those dealing with geology—the writing can seem dry. There is no dry prose here, however. Almost every sentence sparkles, with wordplay evident throughout. Another bonus is the detailed explanation of how McPhee decided to tackle certain topics and then how he chose to structure the resulting pieces. Readers already familiar with the author’s masterpieces—e.g., Levels of the Game, Encounters with the Archdruid, Looking for a Ship, Uncommon Carriers, Oranges, and Coming into the Country—will feel especially fulfilled by McPhee’s discussions of the specifics from his many books.
A superb book about doing his job by a master of his craft.Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-374-14274-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
Naughty good fun from an impossibly sardonic rogue, quickly rising to Twainian stature.
The undisputed champion of the self-conscious and the self-deprecating returns with yet more autobiographical gems from his apparently inexhaustible cache (Naked, 1997, etc.).
Sedaris at first mines what may be the most idiosyncratic, if innocuous, childhood since the McCourt clan. Here is father Lou, who’s propositioned, via phone, by married family friend Mrs. Midland (“Oh, Lou. It just feels so good to . . . talk to someone who really . . . understands”). Only years later is it divulged that “Mrs. Midland” was impersonated by Lou’s 12-year-old daughter Amy. (Lou, to the prankster’s relief, always politely declined Mrs. Midland’s overtures.) Meanwhile, Mrs. Sedaris—soon after she’s put a beloved sick cat to sleep—is terrorized by bogus reports of a “miraculous new cure for feline leukemia,” all orchestrated by her bitter children. Brilliant evildoing in this family is not unique to the author. Sedaris (also an essayist on National Public Radio) approaches comic preeminence as he details his futile attempts, as an adult, to learn the French language. Having moved to Paris, he enrolls in French class and struggles endlessly with the logic in assigning inanimate objects a gender (“Why refer to Lady Flesh Wound or Good Sir Dishrag when these things could never live up to all that their sex implied?”). After months of this, Sedaris finds that the first French-spoken sentiment he’s fully understood has been directed to him by his sadistic teacher: “Every day spent with you is like having a cesarean section.” Among these misadventures, Sedaris catalogs his many bugaboos: the cigarette ban in New York restaurants (“I’m always searching the menu in hope that some courageous young chef has finally recognized tobacco as a vegetable”); the appending of company Web addresses to television commercials (“Who really wants to know more about Procter & Gamble?”); and a scatological dilemma that would likely remain taboo in most households.
Naughty good fun from an impossibly sardonic rogue, quickly rising to Twainian stature.Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-316-77772-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2000
PERSPECTIVES
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