RaveThe Toronto Star\"Wallis in Love is the somewhat misleading title of British author Andrew Morton’s scabrous portrait of the Duchess of Windsor, the woman who caused the greatest crisis in the modern history of the British monarchy ... That exchange neatly captures the rich material Morton mines in Wallis In Love.
Daniel H. Pink
PositiveThe Toronto StarAnyone scheduled to have elective surgery might be well advised to read Daniel H. Pink’s fascinating new book on the 'scientific secrets of perfect timing.' It’s titled When and it strikes me at first blush as a helpful guide about when to make or not make 'fateful decisions' ... But avoiding neophyte medics doesn’t really address the nut of what’s truly revelatory about Pink’s book. The essence of his argument is that the behaviour of most species — humans beings included — is regulated by an internal clock over which we have little control ... Pink also offers numerous helpful tips to mitigate against the pitfalls of bad timing: vigilance breaks, restorative breaks, etc. But one finishes his book with the feeling we’re all occasionally victims of time-related events beyond our control.
Walter Isaacson
RaveThe Toronto StarMonumental is barely adequate to describe journalist Walter Isaacson’s new biography of the world’s greatest Renaissance Man ... Among the strengths of Isaacson’s exhaustive examination of da Vinci’s extraordinary life is the balance he strikes between chronicling the public genius and the private man. At times, these two dimensions intersect — and nowhere more dramatically than in his conflicted relationship with the other great artistic genius of the era, Michelangelo, who was twenty-two years Leonardo’s junior and insanely jealous of him ... Leonardo led an astonishingly interesting eventful life. And Isaacson brilliantly captures its essence.
Alexander Klimburg
RaveThe Toronto StarKlimburg’s exploration of inter-state conflict in cyberspace is just one dimension of this complex fascinating book. Another is how the Internet will develop over the coming years. And that’s critical to all of us because, quite simply, the internet has become like the air we breathe: it sustains modern life. Klimburg looks at the struggle to control the internet and whether this critical tool will remain 'free and open' or be controlled by the state ... The 2016 election is a cautionary tale and just one reason why The Darkening Web is indispensable reading for anyone keen to understand what lies ahead as cyberspace displaces conventional battlefields as the preferred venue for resolving conflict.
Rich Cohen
PositiveThe Toronto StarCohen’s initial gig turned into a very long relationship with the rock icons so this biography of 'the greatest rock n’ roll band of all time' reeks of authenticity ... Cohen clearly loves Keith and Charlie but it’s the looming presence of Jagger that stalks this book ... Cohen has penned a truly fascinating tale: Mick and Keith’s chance meeting on October 17, 1961 on a Dartford railway platform; the sex scandals; the drug busts; Altamont; the 1980s breakup; the 1990s reconciliation; and the creation of endless hits during the 'golden run' of the 1970s.
