catching up on book reviews
Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter
by Phoebe Damrosch
When I put this book on my list I didn't realize Damrosch had worked at Per Se, one of Thomas Keller's restaurants. Her memoir lacks the humor/gossip/snark I expected based on its title (and the reason it was on my list), but I found it interesting for its look at the inner workings of a highly rated restaurant by a famous chef. 3 stars out of 5, read if you are a foodie, interested in the NY food scene, or if you are interested in the level of communication and attention to detail it takes to achieve incredible quality of service.
Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power
by Dan Hurley
This book is very well researched and has a lot of great information, but somehow the assembled whole doesn't pull together in a way I find compelling. Mr. Hurley goes from the general to the personal, then back to the general, but doesn't really finish telling the story of his own challenges to himself. I ended the book feeling as if it needed another 50 pages to finish it more fully. 3.5 stars out of 5. It's certainly worth reading if you are interested in current information about brains, memory, and intelligence.
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
by Atul Gawande
This is an excellent book. It's also a quick and easy read - I sat down to read the first chapter and finished the whole book in one sitting, which was not what I had planned for the evening. It is very much a manifesto - Gawande is adamant that checklists are the way to improve efficiency and prevent mistakes in a wide range of situations. The evidence he presents & examples he shares are compelling enough I came away with the same understanding. This book is now on my list of "Books I Wish I Could Make Everyone Else Read." 5 stars out of 5. Please read it.
by Phoebe Damrosch
When I put this book on my list I didn't realize Damrosch had worked at Per Se, one of Thomas Keller's restaurants. Her memoir lacks the humor/gossip/snark I expected based on its title (and the reason it was on my list), but I found it interesting for its look at the inner workings of a highly rated restaurant by a famous chef. 3 stars out of 5, read if you are a foodie, interested in the NY food scene, or if you are interested in the level of communication and attention to detail it takes to achieve incredible quality of service.
Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power
by Dan Hurley
This book is very well researched and has a lot of great information, but somehow the assembled whole doesn't pull together in a way I find compelling. Mr. Hurley goes from the general to the personal, then back to the general, but doesn't really finish telling the story of his own challenges to himself. I ended the book feeling as if it needed another 50 pages to finish it more fully. 3.5 stars out of 5. It's certainly worth reading if you are interested in current information about brains, memory, and intelligence.
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
by Atul Gawande
This is an excellent book. It's also a quick and easy read - I sat down to read the first chapter and finished the whole book in one sitting, which was not what I had planned for the evening. It is very much a manifesto - Gawande is adamant that checklists are the way to improve efficiency and prevent mistakes in a wide range of situations. The evidence he presents & examples he shares are compelling enough I came away with the same understanding. This book is now on my list of "Books I Wish I Could Make Everyone Else Read." 5 stars out of 5. Please read it.