Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America by Thomas Friedman

I've gotta give Friedman credit. While a lot of this book was very slow-going and I will admit that I skimmed through quite a few places in the book that I felt were a bit over my head, I have to say that Friedman sure knows how to lay out a thesis. From what I remember about The World is Flat and now this book, he knows how to write a "Chapter 1" that draws everyone into his argument. Even though I skimmed through quite a few pages in this book, as a whole, I feel like this is a bo...more I read this book a year ago, but given the devastation that this BP oil well disaster is causing in the Gulf of Mexico, I can only pray that this moment is the impetus for the world to attempt to eradicate its dependence on fossil fuels. Complacency and maintaining the status quo are no longer acceptable. It's time to stop letting oil executives hoard money while they destroy our children's futures.

I've gotta give Friedman credit. While a lot of this book was very slow-going and I will admit that I skimmed through quite a few places that I felt were a bit over my head, I have to say that Friedman sure knows how to lay out a thesis. From what I remember about The World is Flat and now this book, he knows how to write a "Chapter 1" that draws everyone into his argument. Even though I skimmed through quite a few pages, as a whole, I feel like this is a book that all Americans should read - especially those in any sort of political office. Our American way of life just cannot continue at the pace it's going right now and Friedman gives not only explanations as to how this mess all started, but he actually gives some possible solutions. The solutions he gives are extremely large scale and not something easily solved, but if enough people in the political world can get behind his message, maybe it is possible.

What he said about oil and petrodictators really hit home for me. Especially when on p. 80 he quotes Peter Schwartz, the chairman of Global Business Network as saying American energy policy today is, "Maximize demand, minimize supply, and make up the difference by buying as much as we can from the people who hate us the most." Yeah, as Friedman says, "I can't think of anything more stupid."

I also thought it was very interesting the connection he made to urban Islam (Cairo-Istanbul-Damascus-Casablanca) vs. desert Islam (mainly Saudi) and how that has affected the climate of freedom in the Middle East. I was extremely appalled to find out that those urban Islam centers have been almost completely flushed out by Saudi investors who now control the media in those areas and dictate what the once progressive areas can watch and even what kinds of films they can make.

There were quite a few passages from this book that really hit home for me:

On pp. 8-9
In some ways, the subprime mortgage mess and housing crisis are metaphors for what has come over America in recent years. A certain connection between hard work, achievement, and accountability has been broken. We've become a subprime nation that thinks it can just borrow its way to prosperity - putting nothing down and making no payments for two years...as with our homes, so with our country: we have been mortgaging our future rather than investing in it.

On p. 93
I started mulling the First Law of Petropolitics after 9/11, reading its daily headlines and listening to the news. When I heard Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, telling British prime minister Tony Blair to "go to hell" and telling his supporters that the U.S.-sponsored Free Trade Area of the Americas coalition "can go to hell" too, I couldn't help saying to myself: "I wonder if the president of Venezuela would be saying these things if the price of oil today were $20 a barrel rather than $60 or $70 a barrel and his country had to make a living by empowering its own entrepreneurs, not just drilling holes in the ground!"

On p. 177 on asking French president Nicolas Sarkozy a question at a journalists' breakfast:
"What would be the impact if America became the world leader on combating climate change rather than the world's laggard?" Sarkozy began by talking about his love for American culture: "I grew up listening to Elvis Presley... I grew up watching American films... America is a story of unprecedented economic success, unprecedented democratic success...I will always love America. So when I see the U.S. hated by everyone, it really pains me." And when America is not taking the lead on such an important global issue as climate change, added the French president, "I am asking, 'Where is the American dream? What happened? Where has it gone?...You are bounded by two oceans. You will be the first to be affected by rising sea levels. You should be setting the example. You should be spearheading the battle for the environment.'"

On pp. 241-242 on talking to a group of Chinese auto executives:
Every year I come to China and young Chinese tell me, "Mr Freidman, you Americans got to grow dirty for 150 years - you got to have your Industrial Revolution based on coal and oil - now it is our turn." Well on behalf of all Americans, I am here today to tell you that you're right. It's your turn. Please, take your time, grow as dirty as you like for as long as you like. Take your time! Please! Because I think my country needs only five years to invent all the clean power and energy efficiency tools that you, China, will need to avoid choking on pollution, and then we are going to come over and sell them all to you. We will get at least a five year jump on you in the next great global industry: clean power and energy efficiency. We will totally dominate you in those industries. So please, don't rush, grow as dirty as you like for as long as you want. If you want to do it for five more years, that's great. If you want to give us a ten-year lead on the next great global industry, that would be even better. Please, take your time.

On p. 245:
In what free market would you find the U.S. government slap a 54-cent a gallon tariff on sugarcane ethanol imported from Brazil, a democratic ally of the United States, while imposing only a 1.25 cent a gallon tariff on crude oil imported from Saudi Arabia, the home of most of the 9/11 hijackers? Only in a market where the American corn lobby has enough clout in Congress to prevent Brazilian sugar ethanol from competing with American corn ethanol.

On p. 259:
Socialism collapsed because it did not allow the market to tell the economic truth. Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow the market to tell the ecological truth.

On p. 265 when talking about conservative politicians complaining about gasoline taxes and what pro-green revolution politicians should say:
The American people certainly have been taxed quite enough I totally agree. Right now they are being taxed by Saudi Arabia, taxed by Venezuela, taxed by Russia, taxed by Iran, and, if we stay on this track, they'll soon be taxed by Mother Nature. And when Mother Nature starts taxing us there will be no politician you can call on the phone to get relief. So let's get one thing straight: My opponent and I are both for a tax. I just have this quaint, old-fashioned view that my taxes should go to the U.S. Treasury, not the Saudi Treasury, and not the Russian Treasury.

And finally, on p. 397:
It is much more important to change your leaders than your lightbulbs.

Best Books of 2009

Here is a rundown of my favorite books read in 2009:

Young Adult and Intermediate Favorites:

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I was bound and determined I was not going to read this series. The gory description of the plot on the back of the book made me say, "Are you kidding? This sounds awful!" But after hearing so many people talk about how wonderful the writing was and being nudged by a librarian friend, I finally caved and listened to the audiobook over the summer. Am I ever glad I did! Catching Fire was not nearly as suspenseful as the first one, but oh boy did the last line of this book give me chills all over my body.



Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

As a dog-lover, I can't resist books about dogs. Not only is this a heartwarming, feel-good book, but it's nice to read a dog book that has a happy ending for a change. Most dog books require a pile of tissues by the time you make it to the last chapter.



Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Such a simple story about a teenage waitress, but beautifully written.





Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Not a shred of humor or lightheartedness can be found in this story about a girl struggling with anorexia, but the writing is haunting and lyrical.




Paper Towns by John Green

This was by far my favorite of John Green's books. The story and the characters were a perfect blend of mystery, humor, and teen-angst.




If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Told as the narrator looks over her body in ICU after she loses her parents in a car accident. Keep your tissues handy with this one. Despite the tears, it is so worth the read.



Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

A teenage girl leaves tapes behind for the people who drove her to kill herself. A heavy, yet beautifully penned story.




Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Vivid and exotic. This book whisks you away to another land and time. Not only was this one of my favorite books of the year, it was probably my favorite audiobook I've ever listened to.




Adult Favorites:

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Ten years after the tragedy, Cullen sets the record straight about what really happened that day in April of 1999. Just don't read this book before bed -- it will give you nightmares!



Finn by Jon Clinch

Throw away all you thought you knew about Huck and Pap Finn when you pick up this book. Jon Clinch weaves a new tale that will have you questioning everything you learned in tenth grade English.



My Life in France by Julia Child

Hunger pangs abound when you read this sumptuous tale of Child's life in Paris.




The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Stockett creates a story that sticks in your mind well after you put it down. I often found myself in the kitchen making dinner thinking about these characters as if they were real people.



The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

A wonderful, feel-good book that just makes you want to sigh and smile at the same time. The only word that keeps repeating in my head over and over again when thinking about this book is just "beautiful."


Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution -- And How it Can Renew America by Thomas Friedman

We can't deny it anymore. Going green is not just helping the earth, it's going to help business in the long run and Thomas Friedman lays out an excellent case for why it needs to happen.

Books I Read in 2009

Last year I set the goal for myself to read 50 books. By December 31st I had almost made it to 100. So my goal for 2009 was 100 and I surpassed that. I have to admit, however, that I do include audiobooks since I have a rather long work commute.

* indicates audiobook

1) Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach
2) The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski*
3) Lessons That Change Writers by Nanice Atwell
4) Night by Elie Wiesel*
5) Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura Williams
6) The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo*
7) Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine*
8) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
9) The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
10) The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston*
11) Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers
12) The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau*
13) Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan*
14) Reality Shift by Christopher P.N. Maselli
15) Naming the World: A Year of Poems and Lessons by Nancie Atwell
16) Harlem Stomp! A Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance by Laban Carrick Hill
17) I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
18) Schooled by Gordon Korman*
19) Selected Poems of Langston Hughes
20) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
21) Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom*
22) Looking for Alaska by John Green*
23) Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey by Perri Knize
24) The Bunnicula Collection: Books 1-3 by James Howe*
25) Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman
26) Sideways: A Novel by Rex Pickett*
27) The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart*
28) Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution by David Zinczenko
29) Bad Dogs Have More Fun: And Other Tails of Animals, Life, and Family by John Grogan
30) The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau*
31) Eat This, Not That! Thousands of Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds -- or More by David Zinczenko
32) It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump: And Other Life Lessons I Learned from Dogs by John O'Hurley
33) Before Your Dog Can Eat Your Homework, First You Have to Do It: Life Lessons from a Wise Old Dog to a Young Boy by John O'Hurley
34) The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez
35) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky*
36) Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
37) Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis*
38) What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller*
39) The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
40) Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale*
41) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
42) The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau*
43) Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution -- And How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman
44) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson*
45) City Dog by Alison Pace
46) Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher*
47) If I Stay by Gayle Forman
48) Paper Towns by John Green*
49) Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen
50) Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
51) Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates*
52) More Ways to Handle the Paper Load: On Paper and Online edited by Jeffrey N. Golub
53) Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life by Linda & Tash Siversten
54) French Milk by Lucy Knisley
55) Angels and Demons by Dan Brown*
56) The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
57) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri*
58) Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi
59) The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
60) The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin*
61) The Geography of Bliss: One Grumps Search to Find the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner*
62) What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy by Gregory Maguire*
63) Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath*
64) Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson*
65) Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer*
66) The Woman Who Can't Forget: The Extraordinary Story of Living with the Most Remarkable Memory Known to Science by Jill Price*
67) Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf
68) Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Journey in Local Living by Doug Fine*
69) In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson*
70) Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer*
71) Scat by Carl Hiaasen*
72) Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo*
73) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer*
74) Lost Boy by Linda Newbery
75) The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo*
76) Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell*
77) Things That Are by Andrew Clements*
78) Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides*
79) Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan*
80) The Boy Who Dared by Susan Bartoletti Campbell*
81) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
82) The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
83) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins*
84) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain*
85) My Life in France by Julia Child*
86) Finn by Jon Clinch*
87) Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing by Penny Kittle
88) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon*
89) The Clique by Lisi Harrison
90) Columbine by Dave Cullen*
91) Cooked: My Journey from the Streets to the Stove by Jeff Henderson*
92) Schooled by Anisha Lakhani
93) A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You by Ralph Fletcher
94) Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech*
95) The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
96) Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech*
97) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
98) Thanks for the Memories by Cecilia Ahern*
99) The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
100) Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
101) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins*
102) Liar by Justine Larbalestier
103) Harlem Summer by Walter Dean Myers
104) Dork Diaries by Rachel R. Russel
105) Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen*
106) A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
107) Carlos is Gonna Get It by Kevin Emerson
108) I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure
109) The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery*
110) What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell*
111) The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
112) Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure
113) Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson*
114) Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff

Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff

This book was so heartwarming and full of love that you can't help but wish you knew Gracie personally. When you look at what a beautiful soul Gracie was, you immediately understand her name. Born deaf and albino, she was what her vet called a "little miracle" because not only did she die on the table and was brought back to life, but when Dan Dye "adopted" her, the breeder was planning on putting her to sleep because albinos are "a lotta trouble" and strongly cau..I am a dog person through and through so any books that are written about dogs, I'm gonna read 'em.

This book was so heartwarming and full of love that you can't help but wish you knew Gracie personally. When you look at what a beautiful soul Gracie was, you immediately understand her name. Born deaf and albino, she was what her vet called a "little miracle" because not only did she die on the table and was brought back to life, but when Dan Dye "adopted" her, the breeder was planning on putting her to sleep because albinos are "a lotta trouble" and strongly cautioned him that he was "probably not doing her a favor." Dye's interaction with Gracie's breeder just goes to show you that breeding dogs doesn't always mean you love them.

It was through the grace of Gracie and her finicky eating habits that he was able to come up with the idea for the Three Dog Bakery which now has franchises all over the country. She was the gentlest, most loving dog, but when it came to protecting her family, you didn't want to mess with her.

This book will make you smile, laugh, and cry, but in the end, you will be glad that you knew Gracie, even if it was just between the 250 pages of her life story.

Carlos is Gonna Get It by Kevin Emerson

Carlos is a 7th grader with special needs and regularly has meltdowns at school. Instead of his classmates being compassionate about his issues, they take it upon themselves to ostracize him and plan a very elaborate trick on an upcoming overnight class trip.

The writing in this book is not brilliant, nor will it inspire you, but it is indicative of a junior high first-person narrator so I forgive the simplicity of the writing on that account. This book was clearly written to teach kids a lesson about treating people who are different with kindness and respect. Any teacher who has a special needs child or multiple special needs children in their classes, this would be a great read aloud or assigned class reading.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games #2)

Chills. The last sentence of this book literally gave me chills up my arms and down my spine. And then tears began to fall.

I have never been so shocked by an ending as I was with this one. In fact, I was so startled by the ending that my husband, who was sitting near me on the couch, looked over at me and asked me what was wrong when I put my hand to my mouth and stifled an, "Oh my God."

While I did not love this book as much as the first one, I have to commend Suzanne Collins for writing such gripping, unpredictable plots.

If you have not read this book or the first one of the series, I'm telling you that you must read it NOW.

Let me just say that the cliffhanger of an ending is going to make it torturous to have to wait for the next installment. Anyone know when book three is supposed to come out?

High On Books

Last week I did a book talk on The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and now it seems like half the 6th grade is walking around with a copy of the book in their hands. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see when my words influence kids like that. Talking about books with kids and seeing that I can influence their reading habits - that is my drug of choice.

Who needs a lesson plan when you can just talk about books all day?

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

There were so many things about this book that make it a train wreck waiting to happen: Telling rather than showing, vague expanses of time, an annoying, sugary-sweet main character...

But then something happened about 3/4 of the way through reading this book: I started becoming attached to the characters and found myself crying at a very pivotal moment in the story. When did that happen?

There's no doubt about it: this is total chick lit. But it's sugar-coated, chaste...more There were so many things about this book that made it a train wreck waiting to happen: Telling rather than showing, vague expanses of time, an annoying, sugary-sweet main character...

But then something happened about 3/4 of the way through reading it: I started becoming attached to the characters and found myself crying at a very pivotal moment in the story. It was then that I found myself actually caring deeply about the characters in the story. When did that happen?

There's no doubt about it, this is total chick lit. But it's sugar-coated, chaste, and unpredictable chick lit. I was honestly waiting for the main character, Becky Jack, to give in to her desires and cheat on her husband. When that didn't happen, I had to give Shannon Hale major props for going against the grain and writing something that goes against every predictable scenario a reader could think of.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

I probably chose the worst time of year to read this book: right before school started. And I equally chose terrible times to listen to it: often at night right before bed. Because I listened to this book and the narrator's haunting voice before drifting off to sleep, I often found myself having nightmares about being one of the teachers caught in the crossfire.

Not only does Cullen set the story straight regarding how the media got it wrong and blew the false information out of proportion, but his writing is so vivid that you FEEL like you were one of the students or teachers fighting for their lives on April 20, 1999. As Cullen describes the scenes where students are hiding under tables and come to be face to face with the killers, I found myself transported to that terrifying place and I felt like I, too, was fighting for my life.

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were NOT outcasts like the media declared over and over again. They chose to run with that story by interviewing a few students who knew nothing about the boys and who just made assumptions and over-generalizations. Because the media took the word of a few hysterical students, the story was spun as two kids getting revenge for being bullied and treated like outcasts. As you continue to read the book, you realize how incredibly inaccurate the media spin really was.

This book is absolutely gripping and even though the subject matter is horrifying, it's one that sucks you in and makes you want to keep reading.

Finn by Jon Clinch

I'm so confused and torn regarding my reaction to this book. Clinch turns some thoughts and traditions about Twain's beloved Huck Finn on its knees. While the writing and storyline was undoubtedly beautiful (in a tragic way of course), I still can't get passed the liberties the author took with, not changing the story so much as changing our perceptions about who Huck and Pap Finn were.

It's an engaging, thought-provoking read. I highly recommend you re-read Huck Finn before this b...more I'm so confused and torn regarding my reaction to this book. Without giving anything away, Clinch turns some thoughts and traditions about Twain's beloved Huck Finn on its knees in his debut novel. While the writing and storyline was hauntingly beautiful, I still can't get passed the liberties the author took with, not changing the story per se, but rather changing our perceptions about who Huck and Pap Finn were. At the same time, I don't think Mark Twain fans will be completely enraged either. Clinch handles Twain's story with the dignity and tenderness it deserves, while still making you question your memory in asking yourself, "Was this a nuance of the original story that I completely missed?" or "Did I sleep through class the day they discussed this particular issue?"

It's an engaging, thought-provoking read. I highly recommend you re-read Huck Finn before this book if you've been many years removed from your last reading.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

If you haven't heard of this book, then it's time you learned. It is by far one of the best books of 2009 and bound to become a classic, one to be taught in high school English classrooms for years to come.

The book is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s at the start of the civil rights movement. In Jackson, however, you'd never know there was a civil rights movement because Jim Crow is still alive and kicking with no end in sight.

Three different characters narrate this story in first person point-of-view:

Aibileen: a black maid in her 60s who prefers to work with families with young children.

Minny: a younger black maid who seems to get fired from jobs for talking back (or worse) to her employers.

Skeeter: a single, white, twenty-something aspiring journalist fresh out of college who comes from an old-money, old-south family and yet sees the injustice of how African Americans are treated.

Skeeter witnesses firsthand the way her friends treat their maids and has decided to solicit these women to tell their stories in a book she wants to write about black domestic help in Mississippi. Fearing their jobs and their lives, at first the women refuse, but as the story progresses, they slowly start to have a change of heart when they realize they could be part of something historic.


Let me just tell you that this is a book that stays with you even after you put it down. I found myself setting the book aside, only to have all of these characters creep into my thoughts while I was making dinner, taking a shower, or watching TV. And it's not just the strength of the characters that make you want to read; it's also the strength of Stockett's prose whose words just coat your insides like warm honey.

Giving its rather unassuming appearance (I know; berate me. I do actually judge a book by its cover), this was a book I never would have read on my own. What convinced me to pick it up was all of the people on message boards and other blogs raving about it and talked about what a masterpiece it was. And to date, I have yet to read a bad review of this book because everyone who read it, loves it. So if you haven't read it yet, it's time you, too, became a lover of The Help.

My Life in France by Julia Child

I have to admit, as soon as I saw the previews for the movie Julie & Julia I was all about reading both My Life in France and J&J. I don't think I would've ever read either of these books had the previews for the movie not endeared me so much to Meryl Streep portraying Julia Child.

But oh what a breath of fresh air this book was - and a total surprise.

My love for cooking did not begin until a few years ago so I did not have the pleasure of regularly watching Julia Child on TV. What a sad state of affairs for me. I'm now tempted to search old episodes of her show online to watch her in action.

From the scenes she describes in the book where Julia tirelessly experiments with the scientific aspect of cooking, you come to appreciate how methodical she was - much moreso than I. My approach to cooking has always been to cook by feel, meaning let your nose, eyes, and taste buds guide you on your lofty quest. With that in mind, I'm not sure that I would appreciate her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but I certainly appreciate her relationship with food and her desire to learn and make mistakes. In fact, Julia seemed to relish her mistakes because it just meant that she could experiment more. My philosophy of life has always been that it's all about learning from your mistakes, and I so appreciate Julia's willingness to expose her blunders on film for her audience. That really endeared her to me.

I also love that she ended full circle where she comes back to the way the book began. It was impeccably written to remind the reader why she was writing the book in the first place. It also helped us to see how one perfect meal at a restaurant her first night in France was the impetus for her amazing life's journey.

I listened to the audiobook of this memoir and my only criticism of the audio presentation was that the narrator's voice, while pleasant to listen to, did not come close to the distinctness and effervescence of Julia Child's, so sometimes it was difficult to listen and imagine that it was Julia Child telling the story simply because you miss hearing that distinct voice.