Despite confusing chronological leaps, frequent blurring of purpose, and much repetition (particularly in digressions on...
A cautionary tale by novelist Davies (Dollarville, not reviewed), who tries to unravel the mystery of the 20th century's greatest epidemic.
On the surface, this is a treasure hunt for tissue samples sufficient to map the genome of the influenza virus that caused the forgotten influenza pandemic estimated to have killed 40 million people worldwide in 1918. The story itself is a good one—scientific hubris, political meddling and miscalculation, and truly adventurous spirits—if only the author would tell it. Although the casualties of the "Spanish flu" (as the 1918 virus came to be known) rivaled those of the trenches (hundreds dead daily in single towns, the living too sick to keep up with the burials), it is the war we remember. Most of us nowadays look upon the flu as an inconvenience rather than a morphing creature that can periodically reappear in devastating strains, but, as the author makes clear, it is not a question of if so much as when the next virulent flu will kill millions. In Hong Kong, in 1998, one of these million-killer strains may have popped up—but thanks to extreme and highly unpopular decisions on the part of the government (including the slaughter of virtually all the island's millions of chickens), it was apparently halted. In a tiny mining town in the Arctic permafrost, the author joins a quixotic quest to exhume bodies of miners who died in the 1918 plague. Kirsty Duncan, an obsessive Canadian who increases her daily regimen of 1000 sit-ups to 2000 during endless days in the tundra, is the leader of that expensive expedition. Unfortunately she didn't know that two other scientists, Jeffrey Taubenberger and Johan Hultin, had already got sufficient samples in Alaska—Hultin having made it to the same difficult region of Alaska in 1951. Gerald Ford's Swine Flu debacle is also considered.
Despite confusing chronological leaps, frequent blurring of purpose, and much repetition (particularly in digressions on genetics), the information provided here is ignored at our own peril.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-8050-6622-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2000
Journalist Dannen (Hit Men, not reviewed) and Hong Kong film maven and collector Long take a look at one of the world's most vital cinemas, one that's facing an uncertain future under its new Chinese rulers. The Hong Kong cinema is one of the world's most prolific and energetic. Recently, two of its most majestic figures, actor-director Jackie Chan and director John Woo, have successfully made the transition to working in the West. Many others—actor Chow Yun-Fat, directors Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark—are following in their footsteps, filled with hope. Dannen went to Hong Kong for a New Yorker article to see how the industry was facing up to this summer's handover to China of the former British colony. The result was a typical New Yorker piece, which is also the first section of this book: exhaustively reported and handsomely written but somehow superficial, delivering rather less than promised and geared for a readership of tourist-voyeurs. The remainder of the book consists of very brief interviews by Dannen, with numerous directors, producers, and actors, accompanied by filmographies; capsule descriptions by Long of some 300 key Hong Kong films; and recommendations from a dozen critics. Dannen's essay touches briefly on a number of issues worth exploring in greater depth: onerous working conditions, low budgets, and shoddy production values; the huge market for Hong Kong films throughout Asia; the language problem (Mandarin versus Cantonese), which is only going to get worse now that the Mandarin-speaking mainlanders are in charge; the role of underworld figures whose presence permeates the film industry. Neither Dannen nor Long is able to convey the energy and inventiveness that make the best Hong Kong films so entertaining. Producer Peter Chan tells Dannen, ``We don't have a clue why you Americans like [our films] so much.'' This book won't tell you, either. (50 b&w photos)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-7868-6267-X
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1997
Attractive photographs highlight a succinct, no-nonsense resort guide.
This eloquent photographic guide from Resorts Magazine editor Ovidio Guaita includes reviews of 100 of the best resorts on the planet.
Palatial surroundings, warm beaches and natural habitats set the tone for this 2009 guide, which begins at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada, and ends at the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort and Spa in French Polynesia. Each resort runs the gamut of luxury and relaxation, from the oasis setting of the Amanbagh resort in India to the natural qualities of Bali’s Amandari. International regions are assigned elementary color codes, lending to the book’s overall simplicity. This lack of complexity is evident throughout the guide, which is an appropriately relaxed read. Richly illustrated with photographs, the book offers readers a pleasing glimpse of splendor with each listing. While some photographs capture a mood, such as one of a cozy stilt cabin captured after sunset, others merely hint at what can be found within a retreat–the book offers only an exterior shot of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London. Unlike other travel guides, which can often overwhelm with verbiage yet lack quality photographs, Top 100 lets the images speak for themselves. Brief descriptions keep the book elegantly spare and offer insight that a camera can’t capture. Each locale is judged from a distinct set of criteria, including design, environment, health, rooms, service, cuisine and spa accommodations. While the last element is part of the overall rating system, some resorts offer very little in the area of spa treatments and are rated accordingly. Resorts such as the Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru and the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi are ranked highest, while others like Chief’s Camp (Okawango Delta) and the Kichwa Tembo Bateleur Camp (Masai Mara) are rated far lower, due primarily to their lack of spa amenities. Those seeking rejuvenation, light cuisine and spa treatments, no matter the cost, need look no further for a handbook.
Attractive photographs highlight a succinct, no-nonsense resort guide.Pub Date: March 17, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4392-3136-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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