My Best-Friend Denial

Name: My Best-Friend Denial
Author: Michael R. Ricci
ISBN: 978-1493642830

"COHERENT TRUTHS IN AN INCOHERENT WORLD"

by Michael R. Ricci ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 13, 2013

Readers may find a nibble of food for thought but will need to look elsewhere for the full meal.

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Ricci shares his thoughts on the perils of corrupt government control in his debut nonfiction work.

From the start, Ricci stands firmly by his beliefs and bluntly states his perspective that the world is being “led to the slaughter by its government.” Each chapter touches on some element of this threat. He opens with a discussion on the link between Big Oil and the government, then moves into an argument against public instruction on evolution and the manner in which religious belief has been curtailed in the public realm. Other topics he elaborates on include government debt, private debt, federal financial regulations and government handouts. Each chapter tackles a different topic, but each claim supports his overall statement concerning the hazards of government control. Ricci organizes his thoughts in a clean manner and manages to steer clear of any distracting rabbit trails. Moreover, he offers intriguing viewpoints and clearly holds strong convictions about these views. While the honesty and dedication are admirable, he doesn’t lead readers through his thought process in an adequately convincing way. Occasionally, there’s a snippet of research: For instance, in his evolution chapter, he mentions a speech delivered by Dr. Colen Patterson, a senior paleontologist for the British Museum of Natural History, in which Patterson challenged experts on evolution to tell him one thing they knew to be true about it. There are too many instances, however, where Ricci jumps straight from Point A to Point B without showing readers how he got there. In one chapter, he states, “There is coming a day when you will be persecuted and prosecuted for simply endorsing the idea that God created the world and that the government is wrong”—an unsupported statement that seems alarmist instead of insightful. Readers who disagree or are unsure may find the lack of background detail off-putting. As it stands, the book is better suited for readers who already agree with the author than those who need convincing.

Readers may find a nibble of food for thought but will need to look elsewhere for the full meal.

Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2013

ISBN: 978-1493642830

Page Count: 86

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2014

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

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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.