"Ratsnakes: Cheating Death by Living a Lie. Inside the Explosive World of ATF’s Undercover Agents and How We Changed the Game" by Vincent A. Cefalu

Quick Book Review: “Ratsnakes: Cheating Death by Living a Lie. Inside the Explosive World of ATF’s Undercover Agents and How We Changed the Game” by Vincent A. Cefalu

The author’s stories about specific cases he worked on were fascinating and sometimes very nerve-wracking to read, as the danger he experienced was palpable in many cases.  The cast of characters and their antics sometimes were more reminiscent of college buddies and fratboys and less that of trained, respectable professionals, and their personalities were often barely touched on. The author…

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Arnold Plotnick and College Buddies

Amsterdam Musings – August 2019

It’s Tuesday in Amsterdam. In two more days, four of my college buddies fly across the Atlantic to join me for five days of eating, drinking, exploring, laughing, and reminiscing about the good old days, i.e., our days together at SUNY Binghamton, back when life seemed like one continuous party. Forty-one years have passed and we’re still good friends, and…

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"Hype: A Doctor's Guide to Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims, and Bad Advice - How to Tell What's Real and What's Not" by Nina Shapiro, MD

Quick Book Review: “Hype: A Doctor’s Guide to Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims, and Bad Advice – How to Tell What’s Real and What’s Not” by Nina Shapiro, MD

An easy to read, straightforward book that seeks to debunk many of the current healthcare myths.  She does this by citing the real science behind many of the assumptions, tackling topics such as vaccinations, dietary supplements, genetic testing, tanning, aging, and other interesting topics.  Helpful and informative. 

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"Miracle Creek" by Angie Kim

Quick Book Review: “Miracle Creek” by Angie Kim

A real page-turner of a novel.  A courtroom thriller about a Korean family. They own an experimental treatment center that offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy, for illnesses that don’t respond to conventional therapy, like autism and infertility.  An explosion occurs at the treatment center, gruesomely killing two people.  How did the explosion occur and who caused it?  A gripping trial exposes…

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"Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002" by David Sedaris

Quick Book Review: “Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002” by David Sedaris

Sedaris’s early diary entries are interesting from a historical perspective, and are occasionally mildly amusing, but as the years go on, his life really blossoms, his observations get sharper and wittier, and the book becomes hilarious.  Tales of hitchhiking and menial jobs in his 20s, meeting his boyfriend, homophobia and bigotry, struggles with alcoholism, adjusting to New York, international travel…

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"Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way" by Jon Krakauer

Quick Book Review: “Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way” by Jon Krakauer

This book is an exposé of the book “Three Cups of Tea”, by Greg Mortenson.  Mortenson built his reputation as a humanitarian, building schools for underprivileged children in Afghanistan and elsewhere.  However, many of the details in his books were complete fabrications, and much of the money raised by his charity was spent in ways that were completely unaccounted for. …

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"Wild Tales: A Rock and Roll Life" by Graham Nash

Quick Book Review: “Wild Tales: A Rock and Roll Life” by Graham Nash

An excellent memoir.  Nash takes you through the heady, exciting times of his first band, The Hollies, through CSN, CSN&Y, and his solo career.  He talks about his deep friendship with Mama Cass, his many romances (including, of course, Joni Mitchell), detailed accounts of his good friendships with Stephen Stills and David Crosby, and his rocky one with Neil Young. …

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"Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain" by Danny Goldberg

Quick Book Review: “Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain” by Danny Goldberg

A memoir by Nivrana’s manager.  An interesting accounting of Nirvana’s meteoric rise, from the early indie days through the massive success of Nevermind, and the rest of their recording career.  There’s more about the recording business (and less about Cobain) than I expected, but the genius of Cobain’s songwriting and vision for the band comes through very clearly.  Many interesting…

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"The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone" by Olivia Laing

Quick Book Review: “The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone” by Olivia Laing

A really fabulous book about the loneliness you can feel when you live in New York City.  The book is a very insightful meditation on being alone, with the author discussing New York artists whose work reflects that loneliness.  There are great sections on these artists, most of whom I was familiar with (Warhol, Hopper, Basquiat, Klaus Nomi) and some…

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"After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the ’69 Mets" by Art Shamsky and Erik Sherman

Quick Book Review: “After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the ’69 Mets” by Art Shamsky and Erik Sherman

Although I was only 9 years old in 1969, I was a rabid Mets fan, and the magic of that incredible season has stayed with me for the last 50 years.  I’ve read many books and articles about that season, but this one is especially good, as it is written by former team member Art Shamsky, the right fielder. He…

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