AUG 2014
AUDIO BOOK REVIEWS
by Jonathan Lowe
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BILLIONAIRE
BLEND by Cleo Coyle
is the latest of an offbeat series of coffeehouse
mysteries, this one involving an internet billionaire
who is aided (after a car bomb nearly kills him)
by Landmark Coffee’s manager Clare Cosi. He
buys her an expensive espresso machine as a thank
you, and then hires her to help him create the world’s
most expensive coffee blend. The perfect mystery
for coffee lovers, this plot (and quirky
narration by Rebecca Gibel) reminded me
of the paring of Janet Evanovich and Lorelei King
in the Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series. As Evanovich
always said, “I love getting up in the morning
with my cup of coffee and going into the world of
Plum.” There’s also a lot of Dunkin
donuts and Tim Hortons coffee involved. Of course
Dunkin Donuts coffee was surprisingly rated last
in a taste test by the winner of the World Barista
Championship. “So bad I had to spit it out,”
he said. Rated highest (among commonly available
coffees) was Gloria Jeans and Newman’s Own.
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GO
WILD by John J. Ratey MD, and Richard Manning
presents the argument that modern diseases result
from the agricultural expansion of rice, wheat,
corn, and potatoes. When man went from hunter/gatherer
to farmer, starch slowly grew in the diet, and people
didn’t need to move as much. Waistline growth
in our modern times go hand-in-hand with autoimmune
diseases, diabetes, and cardio-vascular disease.
This results, say the authors, from too many empty
calories instantly available without any effort
at all. Fat and protein are not the problem that
too much sugar from carbs is. This in depth look
at all diets is ultimately pro Paleo diet, which
says that the human species did not evolve to properly
digest grains or processed foods. It is pro seeds
and nuts, anti salt and dairy. It is anti-gluten,
pro raw fruit and vegetables. It is pro water, anti
anything else you can drink. The authors expand
from just diet as well, into philosophy (including
meditation), exercise (particularly running), community
connection (versus TV/social media), and sleep.
Dan Woren narrates, and the audiobook
includes a forward by Dr. David Perlmutter, author
of GRAIN BRAIN. Whatever your take on the various
points made, it is well worth exploring since it
is also pro-science, anti-pop diet (and anti soda
pop to boot!) |
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There
is a theory in physics that our universe is a multiverse.
That is, we live in a bubble universe with higher
dimensions not visible to us on our brane or plane.
One egotistical theory within the theory is that
all possible variations of our own universe play
out within those other bubbles. Verification won’t
come until, in a few years, a gravity wave detector
can determine the theory’s validity regarding
the Big Bang. In the meantime, two authors (Terry
Pratchett and Stephen Baxter) have combined forces
to produce a series of books on the idea that a
high tech “stepping” device can take
you on a trek across the Earth or (as here) Mars.
It’s called THE LONG MARS for
a reason. The possibilities are infinite. Story
and character development are quixotic and secondary.
A super race of humans is postulated, but of course
being human means being never completely free of
human flaws (in both this and the multiverse of
all possible worlds.) Given that Terry Pratchett
is a whimsical fantasy writer who often wears a
Gandalf-like hat, and that Stephen Baxter
is a hard SF scientist type (who appeals to a different
mindset), putting them together in order to iron
out the wrinkles each of them possess in attracting
audiences (while bending their believability quotient
toward the scientific) was a good idea, although
it does make this experimental fiction. Hard SF
fans may still cringe at the fantasy elements, and
straight fantasy fans may want more quirky characters
and less science. So it’s a compromise. The
writing is good, whether tongue in cheek or not,
and the narrator (Michael Fenton Stevens)
is always engaging, and, at times, superb in his
dramatic character voicing. |
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Finally, there are wine snobs, and then there are
rare growers who have become legends—men and
women who love the land, know the seasons, understand
nature, appreciate their employees, and pray to a
God other than money. Such was Aubert de Villaine,
the proprietor of what was the most revered plot of
grapes in the world…a man who fell victim to
possible ruination after a million Euro ransom threatened
his vineyard with poison. Journalist Maximillian
Potter expands his Vanity Fair article about
the 2010 debacle into a full book titled SHADOWS
IN THE VINEYARD, which tells the entire story
of grape growing in Burgundy, and uncovers the plot
against La Romanée-Conti, home to one of the
finest wines in the world. Explored here are not just
this crime and its investigation, but the politics
of wine in France, the effect of French wine on the
world, (and California wine on France,) The audiobook
version, as rendered by Donald Corren,
is like a poetic and aged red wine, steeped in exquisite
undertones, savored by the ear due to its mystery
and intrigue. Subtitle: “The True Story of the
Plot to Poison the World’s Greatest Wine.” |
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Jonathan”s latest is TRANSCENDENCE
2: The Nexus Ultimatum, an SF novella available
at Amazon
and Audible.) |
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