frederic colier Archives - Page 5 of 14

Author du Jour: Eric Beaumard

02/20/201702/20/2017 by Frederic Colier

“The Wines of My Life, ” by Eric Beaumard

(Abrams pp 280, $45.00)

“The Wines of My Life” is a very important book for two reasons. First it was written by, perhaps, the most influential sommelier in the world, Eric Beaumard, who from humble origins and a major road accident that left him physically impaired (he lost an arm), but which only fortified his spirit, hoisted himself to the top rank of the wine tasting industry. For years, Beaumard was head sommelier of “Le Cinq” the prestigious restaurant located inside the Four Seasons George the Fifth in Paris. The second reason is more prosaic. BJD contributed to the translation of the book in the US.

Eric Beaumard narrates his tribulations around the world where he visits established names in red, white and champagne wines, Chateau Petrus, Dom Pérignon, Rothschild, to name a few, as well as discovers new upcoming crus and grapes. The present book portrays 75 exceptional wines. Beaumard goes to great lengths to describe why these wines standout from the rests. He traces their origins, history, and evolution through time, meaning winemaking process, traditional or scientific. His meditations are a nose-filled journey through the memoirs of deep musty echoing cellars, the wafting scents of fermentation-stained barrels, and the climbs of steep arid and muddy hills. Whether you are a wine aficionado or not, “The Wines of My Life” will seduce your palate so much that you will not be able to reject the indelible notes this man is offering you.

Author du Jour: Miroslav Volf

02/06/2017 by Frederic Colier

“Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World,” by Miroslav Volf

(Yale University Press, pp 304, $28.00)

Do religions still hold value in our lives in an age of globalization? There is indeed a paradox in the reactionary violent stance with religions given that both globalization and religions aim for universals. This simplistic vision leaves aside a profound gap: that religions impact us internally whereas the leveling force of globalization shapes us externally. Needless to say that materialism and morals do not mix well. A case well documented in “Flourishing,” where Miroslav Volf first notices that our world is increasingly torn by religious conflicts, often stemming from the threat that globalization brings in its wake.

Volf, a professor of theologian at Yale, is an advocate for bridging the gulf separating the two opposite worlds. What is at stake here is life quality itself and the meaning of being human. The book’s narrative becomes how to find an appropriate balance. In other words, how to live well in a world demanding more and more endless adjustments, which conflict with our disposition, values, and morals. Volf’s solution is spirituality, and though he does not hide that his approach is Christian in nature, his argument is both inviting and needed. In a world increasingly devoid of relevant meanings, God can be the gift and the bridge to connect with others.

Author du Jour: Richard Haass

04/28/201702/02/2017 by Frederic Colier

“A World in Disarray,” by Richard Haass

(Penguin Press, pp 341, $28.00)

This book has a lot of merit, and more. Let me start with the merit part. Though I do not subscribe with all the solutions, which would take too long to explain, the author. Richard Haass, clearly chisels a new template for a productive global political environment. Something, which he calls World Order 2.0. Haass’s grasp of the international scene is pragmatic, solidly anchored in a deep experience. One can sense that years in the administration have made him the de-facto expert in foreign policy and international relations. What makes the book so engaging however is its outline. Before offering his conceptualization and solution for the future of American relations, Haass gives a world tour of the current international climate, exposing the traditional triumvirate of power, Russia, China and US, and complementing it with the new disrupters and rule-breakers, the likes of ISIS and North Korea.

Now about the more. When I first reviewed the book three months ago, the world was a different world. With hindsight of the last three months of the Trump presidency, the book can appear prophetic. Lots of the upheavals that have unraveled since the beginning of the year have somehow taken place, as if Haass had his ears glued directly against a geo-political crystal ball. But this would be misleading. Because Haass is just what he is: a fine-tuned expert, woh has sharpened his tools on the stone of history.

What becomes valuable in Haass’s incisive analysis is his understanding of the breaking down of post-WWII models of foreign policies seen as completely unfit to confront the new issues of terrorism, climate change, cyber war and the potential threat of nuclear weapons. The book’s merit lies here. Haass is not afraid to mention the US’s past mistakes in foreign policy and often its failure not to act. As you can imagine the task the new leadership has to face is staggering, and it requires sound minds to deal with it. But what comes through is that if the US wants to reinforce its ties with other sovereign nations, it must do so with a radical change of its understanding in an ever changing world. Haass’s strength rests in his ability to pave the first steps for the nation without fear.

Author du Jour: J. D. Vance

01/30/2017 by Frederic Colier

“Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of a family and Culture in Crisis,” J. D. Vance

(Harper, pp 272, $ 27.99)

A book that could not be more timely. The “Hillbilly Elegy,” is a memoir about poor white folks in a Rust Bell town, Middletown, in Southern Ohio. Timely because, these are the angry folks who elected Trump on the promise that he will bring jobs back to them. Income inequality, class warfare, high unemployment, drug addictions, and family disintegration, constitute the tapestry of everyday life. One can only speculate had the Democrats gotten their hands on this treasure trove of insights of this small town America two months earlier, what could have happened . . . Though well-documented and researched, “Hillbilly Elegy” is not simply a book of sociology. It also written from the inside, by one of “theirs.”

This is where the author, J. D. Vance, grew up, in a multi-generational family originating from the Appalachia, and journeyed from, to study at the Yale Law School. The book draws with moving descriptions the portrait of a culture in crisis where lives are torn apart by cycles of economic depression, featuring Vance’s own family. J. D. Vance excels at describing how the hillbillies lost faith “in any hope of upwards mobility.” The way he talks about his own mother’s struggle with drugs, finding forgiveness in himself, showing a lack of judgment to offer understanding is truly heartbreaking. At the core, the book questions the myth of the American Dream where promises are broken, and the prospect of a good life is blunted by the bleak lack of horizons. A great portrait of proletarian literature not seen in decades.

Author du Jour: Cara Brookins

01/12/2017 by Frederic Colier

January 2017. First of all in the behalf of the Books du Jour team, Happy New Year to you. May your eyes get not too exhausted from reading too many books. Always a risk. We are kicking off this new year with an amazing selection of new books.

As new know, even though truckloads of books see the light year after year, with each new year the same question remains. On which note to start the year, especially when it begins with the most controversial presidential inauguration ever? On a spirit of celebration? On a serious or mournful note? Is it possible to be chirpy when the anxious making uncertainty of the months ahead already corrupt our present? Some claims that knowing nothing is better. But as a critic, I only find solace in the better understanding of circumstances. Below you will find a selection of books that reflects the concerns of the day.

“Rise: How a Family Built a House” by Cara Brookins

(Saint Martin Press, pp 320, $25.99)

Here is a book that I expect will make a lot of buzz when it launches in mid January. “Rise” is a memoir of a long and incredible journey of its author, Cara Brookins, a single mother of four, who . . . Before I proceed and tell you what the book is about, I would like to explain why this memoir touches the nerve of a nation more than others of late, such as “Eat, Pray, Love” or “Wild.” These bestsellers have a similar thematic: a lost or troubled soul goes into the world in search of meaning and restoration of a sense of personal fulfillment. “Rise” comes free from the geographical journey. In fact, the story pretty much circles very close to where the author’s life crumbled, Little Rock, AK.

There is a reason for this absence of pilgrimage. “Rise” is about a house. The incredible endeavor of its author to build her own house with her four children. Knowing the symbolic importance of the role of owning a house in the American psyche, Brookins offers a tremendous journey of resilience and recovery in the face of adversity. In this occurrence, three failed marriages with nefarious partners. It will be hard for the readers not sympathize with Brookins’s predicament. Her kids are solid, insightful, naturally tuned in to their dire circumstances and their mother’s dilemma. Though, Brookins’s writing flies off the page with exalting verve, which at times did not give me time to absorb the magnitude of what was happening, her story is deeply compelling.

For those who believe that only a trip to India or a marathon jaunt along the Compostela trail can unlock their life issues, they should be reminded that a home is also where one builds or rebuilds it. Expect Brookins’s “Rise” to teach you that.

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