A very interesting, very detailed account of the 28 months that LSD guru was on the run after escaping from jail on a ridiculous drug charge. President Nixon labeled Leary “the most dangerous man in America” and was absolutely desperate to see him recaptured and brought to justice. Fascinating stories about the jailbreak, his escape to Algeria and his joining…
I’ve been a fan of John Waters for over 40 years. I’ve seen all of his films and read all of his books. I’ve met him twice, and he autographed his book Crackpot for me. His books have been hilarious, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The guy is completely nuts. The first part of the book deals mostly with Hollywood…
Excellent night last night at Radio City Music Hall!! Celebrating Peter Fonda and the movie’s 50 years, “Easy Rider” was shown with Steppenwolf singer John Kay and The Byrds’ Roger McGuinn performing the soundtrack LIVE! They were terrific. Great vibe. Great finale, too. “Easy Rider’s” iconic soundtrack includes Steppenwolf classics like “The Pusher” and “Born to Be Wild,” as well…
I heard a song yesterday. I caught a lyric or two, and typed it into my phone, and found the song. Not sure what struck me about it. It was, like, a perfectly crafted pop song; good drumming… ’80s keyboards… anyway… check out “Losing Touch” by Roosevelt.
I was hoping this book would be a nice combination of Zen philosophy and financial management, and that’s what it was, I suppose. He makes some good points about how your attitude toward money is derived from how your parents dealt with money issues, and helps you understand how money can generate thoughts of fear, stress, anxiety, and anger in…
An excellent coming of age story (and actually, a memoir) about two French high school students who experience first love and sexual awakening with each other. Their backgrounds are very different, however, and as each moves on with his own life, the boys drift apart and lose touch. The protagonist ends up becoming a well-known writer and, by chance, meets…
A detailed, sorrowful account of the author’s untimely death from colon cancer at the age of 41. Yip-Williams was born with severe vision problems, and her grandmother insisted that her mother and father have the girl euthanized (there’s no other way to say it) by an herbalist. The herbalist refused, and the author overcame her handicaps to graduate college, marry,…
This is a philosophical book about what the future of mankind will bring. The author discusses many of the latest trends in science and technology, and warns of the consequences of misusing and abusing the knowledge we’re acquiring. I appreciated his argument for the better treatment of animals, and his comments on smartphones, antidepressants, and longevity were thought-provoking and compelling,…
I found this book, about a long relationship (and on-again-off-again romance) between a young Irish couple, to be one of the best novels I’ve read all year. The writing is amazing. The author really gets into the heads and minds of the two main characters, very deftly chronicling their pain and their passion, as their relationship goes through some major…
This was a disappointing book. The blurb intimated that this was more of a true crime story, about Gary Wilensky, a tennis instructor and twisted child predator who stalked and pursued rich girls on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in the ‘90s. Only a small part of the book deals with Wilensky and his crimes. Instead, most of the book…
A pretty cool coming of age story that takes place in San Francisco in the late ‘70s. The author is apparently a judge on Top Chef Masters, which I did not know when I picked up the book. The author details the turmoil of growing up as a gay kid in the punk era, dealing with an alcoholic father and…
This was an excellent book, giving a fairly comprehensive overview of the history of surgery through some fascinating (and shocking, and horrifying) surgical cases. These include a story about a man who desperately removed his own bladder stone, Bob Marley’s melanoma (which started as a minor toe problem, until it metastasized to his brain and killed him), JFK’s autopsy, and…
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…
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.
A long time ago, I was told that if I liked David Sedaris (and I do), that I would really like Augusten Burroughs. Years ago, his book “Running with Scissors” was getting good reviews, so I gave it a try. I thought it was pretty bad. I gave him a second shot, with his book “Dry”. Again, I did not…