Review: The Mafia by Marco Gasparini

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "An illustrated history of the Mafia, focusing on this highly developed criminal organization both as a cult subject and an important social phenomenon. Movie classics like The Godfather epitomize our fascination with the underworld of the Mafia, conjuring images of cigar-smoking dons and shoot-outs in pizzerias. But behind the romantic myths of "men of honor" and omertà lies a very real world of murder, racketeering, and organized crime. Marco Gasparini traces the evolution of the Mafia from nineteenth-century Sicily to the streets of twentieth-century New York, to the international cartels that rule the illegal drug and arms trades today..."

Review: Like many people, I've had a fascination and curiosity about the mafia and what fuels it today.  This book, however, really helped me put together the history of the mafia in what was essentially a coffee table book that nails down the background, beginnings, and big players in this legendary crime powerhouse.  What I especially liked about this book was the organized way that Gasparini broke down the history.  In the book, he takes us back to the foundation in Sicily, Italy and what the mafia meant in the beginning.  Since I had often heard ex-mafia family members say on television that it was an organization that was created to "take care of ones own," especially here in the United States, I always thought it had some creepy, honor code behind it.  What I found through this book, however, was that it really was motivated by thug mentality that hid behind a code of honor.  Originally, it was a band of men who grouped together to basically tax all the landowners and workers in their area.  When people were too poor or resisted their brute ways, they sliced their faces and terrorized their families to make a point to everyone that this is what would happen if they resisted their control.  Needless to say, the history and reports over the last century have blown my mind.  The number of retaliations, murders, and criminal activities are shocking to me.  

Gasparini really helped to put a human face to the victims.  In the book, he showed news clippings and pictures of people the mafia held as ransom (one a little boy that they kidnapped to prevent his father who was in prison from ratting them out, who they later murdered) or were caught in the crossfires of grudge matches.  I can't even imagine what judge or police officer would dare go against these men, especially when so many of them were murdered along the way.  It was all pretty nauseating and frightening.  To be honest, the one thing the book leaves open is how the mafia can be stopped.  From the way the book lays out their history, their power seems endless.  Yes, they have captured and put away hundreds of powerful players and their pawns, but the system is very much still in place.  It's all very frightening.

If you're at all interested in learning some of the history of the mafia, but don't want to read a 400 page break down, this is a great place to turn.  Although it seems like a giant coffee table-like book, there is plenty of history and information to help fill you in.  I highly recommend it and think it is a great way into what I'm now realizing is a pretty convoluted history.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the book.

Review: Rather Paris by Jon Hart and Cooking Update

Let me follow up on yesterday's post about that Tart Tatin.  This was my first attempt at this famous dessert, so I guess it's all right if it isn't perfect, right?  I think my pan was a bit smaller than what the recipe anticipated, so there was too much sauce.  It basically went to the bottom of the plate and made the crust stick to the plate in a carmel-y, ooey-gooey mess.  Yummy, but messy.  I'll try it again sometime later.  By the way, in case you're wondering about the diet--as I talk about a gooey dessert--I've managed to lose 8 pounds over five weeks.  It has been slow, and I could probably lose a lot more if I'd avoid Easter desserts, but isn't this a normal life?  I'm fine with a slow loss.  At least I'm still losing!

Speaking of a French dessert, I had to share Rather Paris, which is a travel book that is part of a variety of travel/food books by Jon Hart centered on Paris.  This little guide jumped out at me on my last trip to the library, as it's such a short and unique little guidebook.  Having been published back in December of 2011, this particular book is really up to date on amazing stores, restaurants, cafes, and so much more in the various neighborhoods of Paris. 

If I were heading back to Paris this summer (I wish), I would definitely take this little booklet in my bag.  It's half the size and about a quarter of the weight of most travel/guide books.  In fact, this doesn't even feel like a "travel" book, but is more of an amazing insider look at a handful of great places throughout Paris.  If you were looking for a place to pick up paint, baby clothes, or even handbags, Rather Paris features a short blurb, address, and picture for your convenience. 

On a quick side note, I would NOT say this is a book that you would rely on for all information on Paris.  This is a mere supplement to the million of other books out there.  On a scale of what's new and fresh, I simply thought this was a nice and fun new option.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the book.

Review: Encyclopedia of the Exquisite by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Encyclopedia of the Exquisite is a lifestyle guide for the Francophile and the Anglomaniac, the gourmet and the style maven, the armchair traveler and the art lover. It’s an homage to the esoteric world of glamour that doesn’t require much spending but makes us feel rich.
 
Taking a cue from the exotic encyclopedias of the sixteenth century, which brimmed with mysterious artifacts, Jessica Kerwin Jenkins’s Encyclopedia of the Exquisite focuses on the elegant, the rare, the commonplace, and the delightful. A com­pendium of style, it merges whimsy and practicality, traipsing through the fine arts and the worlds of fashion, food, travel, home, garden, and beauty."

Review:  I couldn't help myself when I saw this pretty book sitting on the "New Arrivals" shelf at my local library.  When I flipped it open, it had the coolest entries about things like milk baths, the trapeze, the omelet, badminton, and more, all with their history and context.  The history isn't intense, but it is a nice overview of how things have evolved.  In a sense, it's a cultural encyclopedia of random facts that might pop up in a British or French novel.  For instance, the entry on red lipstick was great, and something I could see featured in a magazine.  I also thought the information on obelisks and their popularity around the world was pretty outside the realm of normal history books.  Although I wasn't 100% sure how the topics were selected for the encyclopedia, seeing as they were a quirky collection of random facts and information, they were all pretty interesting. This is one "informational" book that can be read like a novel, for its fun facts and details.  I definitely think this would make for a pretty interesting coffee table book!
  
Here is a fun snapshot of one of the entries on the trapeze:

Does anyone even still set out coffee table books?  Maybe that would make for a great entry in this encyclopedia?

*FTC Disclosure:  Review was based on a library copy of the book.

Review: Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef

My students took their AP English Literature and Composition exam on Thursday, and from the sound of it, they all seemed to feel pretty good about the test.  Although I was anxious, and always feel like I could have done so much more to help them prepare, it wasn't as nerve-wracking as normal.  All I can say is--whew!  I now feel a huge weight lift off of my shoulders.  Maybe I'll pick up a bit more reading?

Recently I finished an interesting little information book about Jane Austen, called Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef.  It was short and sweet, and pretty fun to read!

Synopsis:  In this short informational book, we learn more about the life and history surrounding the famous author Jane Austen.  Included are short synopses of each of the books she wrote, at the time she wrote them.  Altogether, the information gives the reader a good overview of Austen and her influences.

Review:  Although short and simple in its information, this little book seems like a nice source for basic background on one of our most famous authors, Jane Austen.  Since many of her letters were destroyed after her death, she didn't seem to keep a journal, and died much too soon to really write a self-penned autobiography, we're left with secondhand accounts, biographies, and recollections.  Reef gives some nice background history about the period to add to her novels.   For instance, we learn that Austen was pushed to write a dedication to the Prince Regent, George III in her novel Emma.  She wasn't a real fan of the King and her publisher had to help her out with a nice sounding dedication. 

For the casual fan of Jane Austen, this is the perfect, short read.  It isn't too weighty, nor does it list off names and dates at random; the piece feels like a nice history that one can sit down and read through like a story.  I'll admit to thinking that summaries of each novel a little unnecessary, but I'm thinking it was for the benefit of readers who might not have read her work.  My guess is that this is the perfect resource for a first time reader of Austen's work or history, and would be ideal for students who need some basic information.  I still liked this brief little read.


*FTC Disclosure:  Review was based on a copy of the book provided through the Amazon Vine Program. 

Celebrate "Read an eBook Week" with Free Downloads

"Read an eBook Week" actually started on the 6th and runs through tomorrow, the 12th.  For this week, Sourcebooks is offering four titles for free at most locations.  (You can check Sourcebooks eBook Promotions for all the retailers.)  Check out the titles available:

The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee

From Goodreads, "WHAT WOULD YOU WAGER FOR LOVE???   In the high stakes gentleman's world of 18th century horse racing, when the blood of the "desert kings" ruled the English turf, a hero returns from war to claim the girl he has loved since he first spied her riding hell-for-leather over the Doncaster heath. Determined to have her at any cost, he will risk everything.

A story of star-crossed lovers and horse racing, THE HIGHEST STAKES transports the reader to 18th century England, an era infamous for corruption, arranged marriages, and high stakes gambling; when racing and breeding became the obsession of the uppermost elite, and a match race might replace a duel in settling a point of honor.

Through the fictional love story of Robert Devington and Charlottte Wallace, a tale of drama, danger, thwarted love, and retribution unfurls..."

The Immigrants by Howard Fast

From Goodreads, "A love story of tremendous beauty...a tale of passion, adventure, and ambition set against the streets of San Francisco, America's most romantic city.
Dan Lavette, the son of an Italian fisherman, battles from the rubble of the San Francisco earthquake to build a fortune in the shipping industry. Rising to success through hard work and a loveless marriage to the daughter of the city's wealthiest family, he risks it all for the exotic beauty of a woman who shares his secret and scandalous passion.

 From Nob Hill to the harbor, San Francisco comes alive through three immigrant families -- Italian, Irish, and Chinese -- whose intertwining dreams are propelled by the emotional events of America's coming of age..."

The Wild Sight by Loucinda McGary

From Goodreads, "Cursed with the Irish clairvoyance known as "The Sight," Donovan O'Shea fled to America to escape his "gift." Fifteen years later, his father's illness has forced him to return to the family homestead where years earlier, Donovan's mother disappeared into the fens and was never seen again. Now the same fens are offering up secrets, both ancient and recent, and restoring a terrible legacy that just may drive him mad. And if this were not trouble enough, a beautiful woman walks into his life, claiming to be his half-sister.

Rylie Powell never knew her real father. Her mother would only say he was a charming Irishman who seduced her, married her, and then abandoned her and his baby daughter. But after her mother's death, Rylie finds tantalizing clues about her father that send her off to Northern Ireland and an archaeological site on Dermot O'Shea's property, the man listed on her birth certificate as her father.

Did Dermot O'Shea father both Donovan and Rylie?
What is Donovan's connection to the Celtic High King Niall of the Nine Hostages?
And what secrets do the fens hold that invites murder?"

The Best Little Stories from the Civil War by C. Kelly

From Goodreads, "The Civil WAR You Never Knew...
Behind the bloody battles, strategic marches, and decorated generals lie more than 100 intensely personal, true stories you haven't heard before. In Best Little Stories from the Civil War, soldiers describe their first experiences in battle, women observe the advances and retreats of armies, spies recount their methods, and leaders reveal the reasoning behind many of their public actions..."

I hope you can take advantage of one or all of these great offers!

Review: The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan

Let's get something straight right from the start.  Yes, I've always thought how cool it would be to live in Jane Austen's time.  Haven't we all?  There is that little piece of me that thinks it would be fun to be able to get up in the morning, read my "mail" (stack of letters), go for a walk or visit, read a book, do some needlepoint, or travel to nearby family and friends.  I say this, then reality sets in.  Honestly?  I think I'd get bored.  Why?  Because I'm a product of my generation, filled with gadgets and gizmos aplenty, and an ever-growing list of things that always need to be accomplished.  (Have I mentioned that I still haven't taken my taxes in to be filed?)

Although a little down time in Jane Austen's time sounds glorious, romantic, and even glamorous, I know enough about that time period to know that it would be grating on this 2011 gal.  If wealthy or at least of means, a woman had serious restrictions on what she could or couldn't do, and who she could or couldn't see.  Much of this information is highlighted, but in a very fun, proper sort of way in The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan.

For any serious Janeite, I would highly recommend having a copy of this cute little handbook.  The information and details are a nice reference point to the period, and to Jane Austen's novels in particular.  As set up, it is separated into four sections:

1. Jane Austen's World and Welcome to It
2. A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings; or, Everyday Activities
3. Making Love
4. The Best Company; or, Social Gatherings

Each section outlines things as they were in Jane Austen's time, but also chronicle the possible living situations of her most famous characters.  For instance, have you ever wondered what Mr. Darcy's 10,000 pounds a year translated into?

"Some experts suggest simply multiplying the amount by fifty; thus, Mr. Darcy's ten thousand a year becomes a half million pounds, or close to a million dollars...Economist J. Bradford DeLong suggests that straight multiplication does not give the whole story...Dr. DeLong's calculations place the modern equivalent of Mr. Darcy's income at $6 million per year."  (27)

Regardless of the sum, that's a whole lot of money!  It's easy to see how setting Mr. Wickham back on the straight and narrow with Lydia might have been a big wad of cash, but nothing in the overall picture of his income and worth.

Regency Letter (via Jane Austen's World)

The book also contains information about how to be a lady, how to spend one's day, and what to wear.  Some of the information was pretty interesting, such as how they wrote letters.  I realized that they tried to utilize every spare space on a piece of paper, but I don't know that I understood how intricately they wrote over top of every line, in just about every direction.  The picture I'm including only shows about 1/3 of what they could cover in one letter, sometimes criss-crossing the original in a diagonal as well as horizontal, vertical, etc. 

There are lots of other details shared in this cute handbook that made it an easy read.  I highly recommend this as a fun gift for any Jane Austen fan on your gift list.  It is well organized, with a nice Table of Contents, Index, and list of terms defined in the back. The language is informative, without being stuffy and boring.  And the pictures included in the book are well done and fit with the information of the book. On my edition the hardback cover is well made, and the size is smaller than even a paperback book.  Honestly, I really would recommend this Regency England guidebook for anyone who reads and loves Jane Austen's time period. 

The Jane Austen Handbook: Proper Life Skills from Regency England comes out today!  Thank you to Quirk Books for the opportunity to read and review this great little handbook.