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By
Published: Nov 21, 2011
Category: Non Fiction [4]
The mail brings a ton of books. Inevitably, some are by former colleagues, real friends and Facebook friends. Often letters are attached, reminding me of good times passed and not quite saying that the authors hope another good time awaits --- a rave review on Head Butler.
These books make me uneasy. They shouldn’t --- in most cases, I admired the writing first and then came to know the writer. But even the most exalted writer can produce a clinker. As a friend, I can handle that easily: “Riveting.” “Unforgettable.” And other lies. As a reviewer, I can’t get away with that.
So I make a special pile of books by People I Know, hoping it will, on its own, disappear. It doesn’t. Pleading e-mails arrive. Guilt mounts. Finally, I dive in. And discover that my worries were wasted --- the books are fine. Like, say, these....
Unreal Estate: Money, Ambition, and the Lust for Land in Los Angeles
Michael Gross. Writing about the great houses --- and the owners of those houses --- of Los Angeles. Well, good luck, LA.
Among his books are Rogues’ Gallery [5], which so annoyed the trustees of New York’s Metropolitan Museum that the book isn’t sold in its store, and 740 Park Avenue [6], where I doubt the author can get past the doorman. LA was probably inevitable. The only question is: Why didn’t today’s owners of the great LA estates get together and offer Gross a house of his own not to write the book?
Yes, there are histories of 16 homes located in Los Angeles' Platinum Triangle (Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills and Bel Air), a zone Gross calls "the billionaire's belt." Those sepia-toned stories will be page-turners for those who like that sort of thing.
There is also great dish. Sample: The book starts with a bidding war between Sylvester Stallone and Suge Knight, the brass knuckles co-founder of Death Row Records. Why? Knight was buying property in Sly’s ‘hood. He was not, Stallone thought, a worthy neighbor. So Stallone bought the lot for $1 million more than Knight offered. All-cash, at that.
Or this: When Betsy Bloomingdale walked into the White House in 1975, she said, "This looks just like Carlotta Kirkeby's house in Bel Air."
And then…but you get the idea. To buy the book from Amazon, click here [3]. For the Kindle edition, click here [7].]
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Love at First Bark
I taught Julie Klam at NYU, but the Julie Klam who writes these amusing books about dogs cannot possibly be the same person. That is, I’m sure I mentioned in class that writing about pets is an unworthy activity. Indeed, I’m sure I said that pets are a bad idea.
Okay, I was kind of charmed by her last book, You Had Me at Woof. [8]But she’s followed it up with a book on animal rescue --- and while I am not in favor of killing unwanted animals, I make it a point to keep a safe distance from zealots.
And yet. To my great annoyance, I found myself enjoying “Love at First Bark: How Saving a Dog Can Sometimes Help You Save Yourself.” Klam may be a zealot, but she could star quite successfully in a remake of “I Love Lucy” --- she’s a good-hearted bumbler, heart on her sleeve but smartass tongue fully engaged.
That she would make this kind of book video tells you everything you need to know about her. Extra kudos: No pets appear in it. [To buy the book from Amazon, click here [9]. For the Kindle edition, click here. [10]]
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Yossarian Slept Here: When Joseph Heller Was Dad, the Apthorp Was Home, and Life Was a Catch-22
After Joseph Heller became instantly famous with the publication of “Catch-22” in 1961, he turned his attention to targets closer to home. By “Something Happened,” published in 1971, that included his daughter Erica. "I wish my daughter would stop complaining and feeling so sorry for herself all the time," complains the father in his novel. "I often strike back at her in clever, malign ways. I enjoy striking back at her."
Erica had not read “Catch-22” --- and she still hasn’t --- but she did read “Something Happened.” And she asked her father whybhe wrote that.
Heller’s reply: "What makes you think you're interesting enough to write about?"
Well, she is. And she has the goods --- and bads --- on her father. You may not care about a book half a century old. It’s easy to care about the Heller family, first the father, then the daughter. [To buy the book from Amazon, click here [11]. For the Kindle edition, click here.] [12]