Nonfiction Book Reviews

Page One of Two

Men and Speed by G. Wayne Miller
Public Affairs, May, 2002
Hardcover, 320 pages
ISBN: 1586480960
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

Men and Speed
by G. Wayne Miller

Who can forget Tom Cruise in Topgun yelling, "I feel the need for speed!"? Fighter pilots, race car drivers and extreme sports enthusiasts all understand this compelling need to go faster, farther and to live life on the edge. But what about the rest of us? What is this addiction that drives certain men -- and a few women -- to push the envelope in the search for the ultimate speed thrill? Award-winning reporter and author G. Wayne Miller decided to find out for himself.

Immersion reporting, where the reporter actually becomes immersed in the world of the subject for a long period of time, is one of the most difficult types of reporting to do well -- and Miller is one of the very best. For Men and Speed, Miller spent two years with NASCAR's top racing team, Roush Racing. Given unprecedented access by racing legend Jack Roush, Miller was privy to the behind the scenes activities of an event-filled Winston Cup season that was to see the death of icon Dale Earnhardt, massive controversies about safety issues in racing and the dashed hopes of a championship season for the Roush team of Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, and Kyle Busch. Miller takes the reader inside the Roush Industries engine design rooms, the garages, the pits, the drivers' trailers (or haulers), and even behind the wheel of a world class stock car to find out the real story of what it's like to be a Winston Cup racer.

What emerges is a mesmerizing portrait of an incredibly dangerous and exciting sport. The book is compelling with its attention to detail, humor and real compassion for its subjects: the men who will endure just about anything for another trip to Victory Lane. Miller has Tom Wolfe's eye for detail and ear for conversations, and his insights are always informative and entertaining. His prose style reads more like an compelling novel than a nonfiction work, and those not familiar with racing will easily forget that these gripping tales are real -- not imagined. The moving stories of bravery, winning, and defeat, and the exploration of the addictive nature of speed make this a must-read: not only for race fans, but for non-enthusiasts who will finally understand once and for all what all the fuss is about. Highly recommended.

--Claire E. White

In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking With Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant by Jody Adams & Ken Rivard
William Morrow, January, 2002
Hardcover, 374 pages
ISBN: 068816837X
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

In the Hands of a Chef
by Jody Adams & Ken Rivard

In the Hands of a Chef
by Jody Adams & Ken Rivard

"The shortest route I know to human happiness is cooking…. I'm announcing my intention up front: to seduce you into spending more time, not less, in your kitchen." So states Chef Jody Adams of the famed Rialto restaurant in Boston in the introduction to her book, In the Hands of a Chef. Arguing for artisanal home food, or food made from scratch, Ms. Adams is a strong proponent of real food, lovingly prepared. This in-depth cookbook covers everything from appetizers, stocks and soups and vegetables, to pasta, pizza, poultry, seafood and beef. Some desserts are included, although they are clearly not the focus of the book. Adams knows her stuff, but many of the dishes are actually fairly complicated for an amateur cook to replicate at home. This is not simple food, but rather delicious, complex food which is well worth the few minutes of extra prep time and a short learning curve.

Penne with Shrimp, Artichokes and Feta, Roasted Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Herbed Ricotta, Braised Rosemary-Stuffedd Lamb Shanks with Roated Fennel and Red Onions, and Spaghetti with Maine Crabmeat, Toasted Bread Crumbs and Garlic are a few of the simpler dishes which are sure to impress any dinner guests with their robust and complex flavoring. Sprinkled throughout the book are fascinating tidbits about the life of a chef, as well as Adams' opinions on food and life in general. Her comments about chicken and other poultry are especially interesting to any cook who has been at her wits' end trying to find yet another way to make chicken interesting, as are her other insightful comments about everything from sweet potatoes to how to roast peppers. There are photographs of some of the dishes placed in the middle of the book: with this quality of cooking it would have been nice to have more photographs, preferably next to the dish being shown. Altogether, this is an excellent addition to the kitchens of intermediate to advanced chefs and will make fascinating reading for any food lover, regardless of his cooking abilities.

Nonfiction Book Reviews
Page One | Page Two

Click Here to Return to the Book Reviews Index

Nonfiction Book Reviews

Men and Speed by G. Wayne Miller

In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking With Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant by Jody Adams & Ken Rivard