It’s not often you can
say a book was life-changing, but this one was for me.
It is a series of essays
by a Japanese philosopher and authority on craftmanship. He writes of his
travels through Japan and Korea, about the Japanese aesthetic, and the
vital importance of good craftsmanship, particularly in everyday objects.
The
author warns of the dangers of cheap, mass-produced objects and shows the many
ways in which they erode the quality of everyday life. The book changed how I
see the objects around me, how I choose them, how they affect me, and even how
I treat them.
"Radical and inspiring ... Yanagi's vision puts the connection between heart and hand before the transient and commercial" - Edmund de Waal
The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection. They should be natural and simple, sturdy and safe - the aesthetic result of wholeheartedly fulfilling utilitarian needs. They should, in short, be things of beauty.
I bought this book because my brain was starving for something totally
new, and I told my bookseller. He recommended this despite the fact that I’m
not normally a reader of history.
How it is written brings Vienna alive so
vividly that just reading the first page made me not put the book down for
hours. It’s not a heavy read. It’s learned, but it’s also lively, full of
quirky and amusing anecdotes and a colorful cast of characters.
Fascinating to
the point that I now have a ticket to Vienna, departing in two weeks.
"From the Congress of Vienna to the Austria World Summit, the city of Vienna has hosted key meetings on peace to climate action. This is a first-class book about Vienna as the crossroads of civilization and as the international capital." —Arnold Schwarzenegger
A rich and illuminating history of the world capital that has transformed art, culture, and politics.
Vienna is unique amongst world capitals in its consistent international importance over the centuries. From the ascent of the Habsburgs as Europe's leading dynasty to the Congress of Vienna, which reordered Europe in the wake of Napoleon's downfall, to bridge-building summits during…
As a home cook, I don’t
generally buy books by chefs, but there was something poetic about this book
(the title alone) that drew me to it.
Its four main sections cover classic
French cooking, Québécois cooking, restaurant cooking, and home cooking, which brought
interesting attention to the differences between them all.
Some of the recipes can
be quite challenging, but those I have tried have all worked beautifully, so
you can feel safe about launching in. You know you’ll be rewarded in the end.
From the acclaimed and multi award-winning chef J-C Poirier of St. Lawrence restaurant comes a stunning, lyrical cookbook with over 125 recipes that celebrate the classic dishes of Québec and France.
WHERE THE RIVER NARROWS is a loving homage to Chef Jean-Christophe (J-C) Poirier’s home province, Québec—the phrase is a direct translation of the Algonquin word “kebec,” describing the area around Québec City where the St. Lawrence River is hemmed in by towering cliffs. Québec is where J-C’s love for the nostalgic beauty of French cooking began. In his debut cookbook, he shares recipes from both cultures, Québécois and French,…
James Beard Foundation Award– and Taste Canada Award–winning author Laura Calder is back with Kitchen Bliss, a warm, funny, and pragmatic collection of stories and recipes that reveal how cooking, feeding, and home-keeping can magically restore balance and calm in our out-of-sync lives.
During the years of the global pandemic, Laura Calder, like many home cooks, found herself being drawn into the kitchen and becoming reacquainted with the power that the room can have to restore us when the going gets tough.
In Kitchen Bliss, she reflects on how and why the kitchen and the dining table have held such an important place in her life and indeed taught her about happiness.
