PositiveToronto Star (CAN)We might not expect [a] funny [about \'mansplaining\'] anecdote about arrogance and privilege to go where the essay (and, now, book) ultimately goes—namely, misogyny-motivated mass killings, gang rapes, spousal abuse and femicide. All part of the same problem, Solnit argues, since they are in the same (albeit, extremely wide) spectrum of silencing, isolating and disappearing (used as a verb) women. Solnit makes a crystal clear argument for treating all these disparate issues as one civil rights matter.
Rebecca Tucker
RaveToronto StarEvery once in a while, a food book comes along that manages to cut through a lot of the nonsense and clear a path to a more productive conversation about how and what we eat. In this case, that book is Rebecca Tucker’s A Matter of Taste: A Farmers’ Market Devotee’s Semi-Reluctant Argument for Inviting Scientific Innovation to the Dinner Table. It’s a slim volume but makes a solid case for putting an end to magical thinking when debating the future of food ... Food, of course, is not the only pressing current issue stalled by an anti-modern backlash that’s led to polarization. The only way out, though, is by continuing to make thorough, well-informed, even-handed arguments for moderation and meeting in the middle—exactly like the ones Tucker has made. May we have more books like this one. Because we’re going to need ‘em—and not just for food, about pretty much everything.
Peter Mayle
PositiveThe StarMy Twenty-Five Years is, itself, a retrospective, beginning with the author looking back to the nervous thrill he and Jennie experienced with their decision to move to France ... Mayle’s writings, not only inspired people to explore the French countryside, they encouraged travelers to explore the world differently. When Mayle took the plunge, he noted that the vast majority of Brits abroad drove around with a car full of biscuits, marmalade and teas — all the comforts of home, so they would never have to be inconvenienced by having to eat the local fare. By contrast, the Mayles left it all behind, fully immersing themselves in the food, drink, language and culture of their adopted home. They would not be ex-pats with a picturesque hillside home secretly stuffed with packages from Marks and Sparks. When friends from England visited and offered to bring down British staples, even single malt scotch, the Mayles politely declined. They had grown to prefer French pastis.
