Book Reviews

The Smithsonian staff and volunteers packed tools, utensils, appliances, and gadgets in the Bon Appetit exhibit kitchen; everything was stored while a larger gallery space is prepared and goes on view again. The museum team offers suggestions on how to cope for a few months sans Julia Child’s kitchen. more »

Swerve illuminates the fascinating nooks of antiquity, as well as the Renaissance, for the neophyte. This is the sort of book that, during these winter months, will bring the pleasure endorsed by Epicurus and Lucretius. Chef Supreme: Martin Ginsburg creates a paean to good food and its ability to create community; the recipes and tributes are rich, as was his life. more »

P.D. James has written not just a sequel to the action of Pride and Prejudice: she has somehow absorbed Jane Austen’s style whole. It is elegant proof that Baroness James deserves every ounce of her extraordinary literary reputation. Nina Balatka by Trollope is a welcome change of pace for most of us who aren’t ashamed to enjoy a romance, or in need of some entertaining preaching, even if it is to the choir more »

A new book from the University of California, Berkeley’s Bancroft Library gives fresh meaning to the term 'dog days' by celebrating the powerful connections between people and their canine companions. A cat version of "Everyday Dogs" already is in the works more »