My nonfiction reading has continued, not without some struggle. But the three recently completed titles are worthy of mention here.
I am a big fan of Preet Bharara's Stay Tuned with Preet podcast so expected to enjoy his (much-plugged) book Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law. And I did--though I somehow hadn't really grasped what it is about. In essence, it's a look at the ethical and practical decisions prosecutors must make in four phases of the process: inquiry, accusation, judgment, and punishment. Bharara combines case histories from his years as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York with his own analysis and even family anecdotes. The result is both entertaining and educational. Perhaps the oddest thing in the book is his use of the Menendez brothers' case as something of a touchstone for the idea that sometimes you miss the most important thing that is happening. You may not agree with all of Preet's conclusions, but you will learn something about the system and be challenged to think.
I am also a big fan of Top Chef so approached the memoir from a show alum with interest. While I have read enough other chefs' memoirs to know that life in the kitchen can be brutal, Notes from a Young Black Chef, by Kwame Onwuachi (just named a Food and Wine Best New Chef), was an eye-opener in terms of the racism still rampant in restaurants, both in the front and back of the house. Onwuachi has an interesting background, particularly in terms of the influences on his cuisine (I don't mean to be dismissive about the challenges and missteps he overcame--I'm just so old I'm more interested in food than youth). Although his rise in the culinary world seems very rapid from the outside, from his perspective, a lot of effort, anguish, and abuse (from chefs and investors, in particular) went into that rise. It's worth understanding what that experience involved.
I struggled to finish The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks, by Terry Tempest Williams (of whom I am also a fan). Each chapter of the book is set in one national park and deals not only with the park but with a topic concerning Williams. Since she is a well-known environmental activist, many have to do with the ways in which humans are threatening earth's very future. While I agree with her about the problem and admire her work to seek solutions, these chapters became tedious (sorry--shallow!). Other chapters were more engaging. The chapter on Grand Teton National Park takes a historical approach and is built around a poem Williams was asked to write for the dedication of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve. I liked this chapter a lot, as I did the chapter on Alcatraz, which highlighted her visit to that historic site at the time art by Ai Weiwei was being exhibited. Also interesting was her discussion of the politicization of history at Gettysburg and her description of being in the path of the biggest fire ever at Glacier National Park. Williams is a gifted writer, so it's hard for me to stop reading a chapter for fear I'll miss a beautiful turn of phrase. For other readers, I'd suggest a pick and choose approach to this book.
Favorite passages
Humility is born in wildness. We are not protecting grizzles from extinction; they are protecting us from the extinction of experience as we engage with a world beyond ourselves. The very presence of a grizzly returns us to an ecology of awe. We tremble at what appears to be a dream yet stands before us on two legs and roars.
And the simple, undeniable fact: all wars are political. We will fight for the myth that will support and sustain our point of view at all costs.
. . . the best response to intimidation is joy and resolve.
"We forget the place of anger in the work of love." quote from Dylan Schneider
All from The Hour of Land, by Terry Tempest Williams
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