All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin

By Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Accord Publishing, $16.99, 235 pages

We knitters know sometimes one simply must find something else to do. There isn’t enough light. We ran out of the ONE yarn, of dozens on hand, needed for THIS project. Perhaps we must venture to the yarn shop for yet another set of needles before our creation can receive the breath of life. A collection of musings by one of our own can help us to maintain our tenuous hold on sanity.

Twists of Fate

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee understands, and shares with us moments from her life in Toronto. This book takes us on a meandering journey, visiting her closet, meeting her washing machine, on a back alley drive during Snow-mageddon. The outcomes are unlikely, unintended and at times hilarious. She confides meditations on failed creations and an obituary to a skein of grey. We take a sober look at assessment of substance addiction, and find troubling indications that knitting indeed elicits psychological dependency. We hear her confession of addiction to a novelty yarn, admitting unrealistic intents and a need to end the relationship. While significant stretches of this book may not speak to non-knitters, the amusing “yarns” about other aspects of her life justify a place on the shelf or guest room nightstand.

Reviewed by Brenda Searle

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PacMan: Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao

By Gary Andrew Poole
Da Capo Press, $15.00, 280 pages

Go behind the scenes into the life of Manny Pacquiao, one of the world’s most famous boxers. Author Gary Andrew Poole captures the essence of Pacquiao in this biography, Pacman. As the only fighter to capture seven championship belts in seven different weight classes, Pacquiao continues to impress the world with his skills and personality. Learn about Pacquiao’s background growing up in the fourth poorest province in the Philippines and how he made his way to Manila and eventually to the United States. In 2001, the fighter joined up with well-known trainer, Freddie Roach and Pacquiao’s career rocketed to a whole new level.

From Rags to Riches

It seems like Pacquiao has done it all. He has been involved in acting, music recording and politics. In 2010, he was elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines. Boxing fans and readers new to the sport will enjoy Poole’s writing. This updated edition has a new afterword by the author. It would be nice to see some photographs of the legend throughout his life, but otherwise the book is fascinating and well written.

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin

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Frank Lloyd Wright: Essential Texts

Edited by Robert Twombly
Norton, $25.00, 303 pages

Few American architects are better known and more popular than Frank Lloyd Wright. He was a prolific writer who witnessed immense change throughout his life. Raised in the Victorian era, Wright sought to distance himself from the strict rules of architecture and create a new style for Americans. Frank Lloyd Wright: Essential Texts  is a collection of the architect’s writings edited by Robert Twombly, a scholarly expert on Wright’s life and work. Twombly has carefully selected texts that show Wright’s architectural philosophy, presented chronologically. Omitted are Wright’s political writings, which can be found elsewhere. Twombly’s introduction provides a nice overview to acquaint readers with his biography. He also writes a commentary before each text. Included are black and white photos of some of Wright’s best work. Readers will enjoy public lectures, essays, speeches, a booklet and a tribute to Wright’s mentor, Louis Sullivan. With almost five hundred buildings to his name, Wright will forever be remembered for his contributions to American architecture. Fans of design, the written word and Frank Lloyd Wright will appreciate all that this book has to offer.

Essential for Wright Fans

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin

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The Makers of American Wine: A Record of Two Hundred Years

By Thomas Pinney

University of Califonia Press, $34.95, 318 pages

This historically important book on American Wine making is a must-read for anyone seriously interested in wine and how its production progressed in two hundred years from very humble, unsuccessful and often disastrous early beginnings to what it is today. The Makers of American Wine is a scholarly publication yet luckily the text is well written and easy to read. The thirty-six small historic illustrations, both black-and-white sketches and photos, break up the otherwise unbroken text.

Thomas Pinney opens the book with a six-page introduction outlining the last two hundred years in American wine making. Thirteen chapters follow this brief introduction describing the lives and efforts of the thirteen most influential wine makers of the past two hundred years who made the American wine industry as it is today. These chapters are good readings and reasonably brief (most 15 to 20 pages), split into short subchapters for the readers’ convenience. The book ends with detailed listing of notes, sources and works cited over a lengthy forty-four pages, all useful information for all students and serious amateurs of American wine making. A good index helps interested readers to search for anything on historic American wine making.

Reviewed by George Erdosh

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Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir

By Anna Quindlen
Random House, $26.00, 182 pages

Anna Quindlen has a terrific life.  A successful marriage and great career, self-sufficient and well-adjusted children, plentiful and supportive friends, and an affluent upper middle class lifestyle make the transition from middle-aged to older if not exactly saluted at least not entirely unwelcome. In this book of essays, the former New York Times columnist and best-selling author observes and considers among other things aging parents and unexpected changes in memory and physical appearance, the importance of girlfriends and faith,  and the quantity of material objects accumulated during the course of a comfortable existence. Unlike fellow writer Nora Ephron, who has also written on similar topics but with more self-deprecating humor, Quindlen approaches her subject with a sincerity and earnestness that is, at times, difficult to swallow. There are too many pat statements like “We understand ourselves, our lives, retrospectively” and “Progress is always relative” and, finally, “I want to be able to walk through the house of my own life until my life is done.” Although there are certainly readers who will appreciate, and perhaps even find inspiration in these superficial musings, I am not among them.

Reviewed by Linda Fredericksen

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Memoirs of a Rugby-Playing Man: Guts, Glory, and Blood in the World’s Greatest Game

By Jay Atkinson
Thomas Dunne Books, $25.99, 325 pages

Rugby, a game originating at Rugby College in England, is a violent game played with very little or no pads against fellow players with the same goal of beating each other into submission. As a player for 17 years this reviewer is close to this subject. A saying amongst players is that if you want to go to the post game drink up you need to play in the match. When you get two or more players together the topic of what injuries have been inflicted upon their bodies always comes up. Author, Jay Atkinson is no different.

“Years of high-pitched competition have, of course, led to a few injuries: torn cartilage in my knee, broken cheekbone and eye sockets, a detached retina, cracked ribs, compressed disks in my neck, a ruptured hamstring, root canals in all my front teeth, torn ligaments in both ankles, and dozens of stitches, bruises and blisters.”

This is a story about a gifted player that has played rugby most of his life and toured the world in doing so. The rugby culture is one that binds players together as friends and teammates. Most matches are followed by a drink up where the two teams get together and the home provides a post game meal and a few beers. Friendships can last a lifetime. Players such as Mr. Atkinson can move between teams and play for clubs whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself. Players and non-players alike will enjoy his journeys as a writer, teacher and rugby player. For those that have little knowledge of rugby and how the game is played this book is a must read.

Reviewed by Brian Taylor

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The Science of Skinny

By Dee McCaffrey
Da Capo Lifelong, $16.99, 419 pages

With the myriad of nutrition, health and weight loss books out there, it’s easy to get confused about which one is giving good advice. The most recent popular wave has been the natural or clean eating movement. Dee McCaffrey is a chemist, nutritionist and nutritional expert and is not new to this niche and has been writing about natural eating for years. This new book appears to be an update from her previous book, Plan-D. In this new book, The Science of Skinny, she gives very thorough information about the importance of eating foods as close to their natural state as possible to promote health, weight loss and general well-being. The information about various chemicals in processed foods is fascinating and, in some cases, shocking. The book also gives specific eating plans for good health. There are some things in the book that were a bit puzzling, such as the promotion of drinking apple cider vinegar water (or Vitality Vinegar Tonic) and having foods with protein powder added, which seems like a fairly processed food substance and eating full-fat milk products. Overall, the reader can get some good information and facts about eating better and feeling better.

Reviewed by Barbara Cothern

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Understanding Myself: A Kid’s Guide to Intense Emotions and Strong Feelings

By Mary C. Lamia, PhD
Magination Press, $9.95, 112 pages

Kids can use all of the help that they can get when it comes to understanding their emotions. Understanding Myself looks at the emotions most kids go through, albeit in broad strokes. There a number of spotlights on how some emotions have been studied and what those studies reveal about people in general, as well as quizzes to determine how strong that emotion is with the kid in question. This can be a useful tool, especially for kids that are entering the emotional maelstrom of puberty.

This is actually a fairly decent book; it groups emotions into useful groups, gives kids a chance to see where they lie on the emotional spectrum, and helps them find out if they are dealing with situations in a healthy way. Although the book may be a little simplistic in most areas and sometimes veers into assuming that the same situations are the same for everyone, it is basically a good stepping stone for kids and parents to start discussions on how they feel. For kids that are getting their first adult emotions, this book can be very helpful in dealing with them.

Reviewed by Jamais Jochim

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Years of Red Dust: Stories of Shanghai

By Qiu Xiaolong
St. Martin’s Press, 228 pages, $14.99

One Street and Five Decades

Take an armchair vacation to China with the international bestselling book Years of Red Dust: Stories of Shanghai, by Qiu Xiaolong. The narrative starts off on Red Dust Lane, 1949. The reader assumes the role of a new college student not yet familiar with Shanghai. The area’s landlord shows you around, telling stories of the tenants and the history of the street. Read the Red Dust Lane Blackboard Newsletter propped up against a wall. Written at the end of each year, it records China’s biggest news stories. The book tells the story of China, beginning with the Communist Revolution to the Modernization movement of the late 1990s. You’ll hear the voices, songs, and poetry of the street’s residents. Each chapter’s story is linked because they are all from the perspective of one small street, Red Dust Lane. Xiaolong storytelling is filled with rich details. Readers will hear the sounds and visualize the sights and bear witness to China’s political, cultural and social change over the last half-century. Xiaolong touches on the Chinese Civil War, the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s life and death, the riots in Tiananmen Square and other crucial events of modern Chinese history.

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin

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The Fatigue Prescription

By Linda Hawes Clever
Viva Editions, 286 pages, $16.95

Follow the Doctor’s Orders

All of us could use more energy and pep in our step. If you are suffering from fatigue, stress and weariness, turn to The Fatigue Prescription by Linda Hawes Clever, MD. The doctor offers clear, practical advice on how to overcome fatigue. Start with the Renew-O-Meter. Record things like how many times you laughed yesterday, how often you learn something new and how many times you overreacted or felt trapped in the last week. After awarding specific points per answer, the total gives you a diagnosis about how you juggle life’s commitments and how much you could benefit from renewing yourself. The fatigue prescription consists of four steps – awareness, reflection, conversation and plan-and-act. Become aware of your own fatigue, reflect upon the resources you have to renew yourself, converse with loved ones and put your plans into action. Clever addresses physical ways to improve your energy levels: diet, exercise and sleep. Charts and checklists encourage participation while you read. Analyze your attitudes about change, priorities, values, goals, fears and commitments. When you are done, your life will be more fulfilling and you will feel more refreshed. Add enthusiasm and joy back into your life by utilizing the easy-to-use tools found in this inspirational book.

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin

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