Books Archive

John Besh: Cooking from the Heart: My Favorite Lessons Learned Along the Way - I have been married a number of times. My wives have nothing in common. Except this: They all read cookbooks in bed. And not casually --- they read cookbooks as

My Parents Open Carry - There’s nothing funny about children dying from gunshots --- and, in the last few years, more than 7,000 American kids under 20 do each year. What’s even less funny is

The Book with No Pictures - A book for 5-to-8-year-old children. A book for 5-to-8-year-old children with no pictures. A book for 5-to-8-year-old children with no pictures by a writer who’s never written anything for children. And

‘A Christmas Carol’ & Beyond: Shorter books, please! - The writer I used to be would be appalled by the writer I have become. A butcher.   Back in the days before you could get credit at Harvard for taking courses that

‘Gatsby,’ F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the Murphys: Amanda Vaill connects the dots - The budget of the movie was $105 million, and as the May 10 opening of Baz Lurhmann’s 3-D adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” approaches, it feels like another $105 million

‘wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal — And a Meal into a Sandwich - Tom Colicchio is on television so often that I can’t quite picture him actually having a day job. In fact, he does, and he’s both innovative and successful. There are

“Daily Rituals: How Artists Work” and “Daily Rituals: Women at Work” - These books are more relevant today than when they were published, and for the simplest of reasons --- artists don't go to offices. Since 2020, that's been true of many

“Game Changers” (“Someone asked me, ‘How could you get as strong as an ox without eating any meat?’ And my answer was, ‘Have you ever seen an ox eat meat?’”) - When was the last time I encouraged to watch something on Netflix? Never. But I encourage you to stream "Game Changers." Why? Because I read Nate Herpich's article, ‘Game Changers’

“Stuff Happens” - "Stuff happens . . . And it's untidy, and freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things." - Donald Rumsfeld's response on

“The Color of Light,” my play about Henri Matisse - The chapel that Henri Matisse designed in Vence is a must-see for pretty much everyone visiting the South of France. It’s a painless expedition from Nice: a pleasant half-hour drive

“There is a rose in Spanish Harlem.” Correction: There was a rose…. - Walking the track in East Harlem the other day, I spotted this flower. I thought, “There is a rose in Spanish Harlem,” so I snapped a photo and sent it

“We talked about addiction and pathology in our family” — the nephew of Walter Tevis recalls his visits with the novelist while he was writing “Queen’s Gambit” - "The Queen's Gambit" is one of my favorite American novels. As I noted in my review, I optioned it for a movie and wrote a screenplay. The movie didn't happen;

“You Should Have Known” (on HBO as “The Undoing”) - "The Undoing" is a 4-star HBO production. It stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. The writer-producer is David E. Kelley, who created "L.A. Law," "Ally McBeal" and "Chicago Hope." The

“Three Women” presents women with problems they can’t fix; they’re victims. Esther Perel offers actual wisdom. It’s just possible she can help. - The more I think about Three Women, the more puzzled I am by the uncritical enthusiasm for it. The women are clearly victims. One is married to a man who

1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover’s Life List - Mimi Sheraton, once the restaurant critic (the first female restaurant critic) of The New York Times, is the ultimate authority on food. It’s easy to be flip about what she’s created

100 Journeys for the Spirit - Reading “100 Journeys for the Spirit ” a brisk (225 pages) photograph-driven guide with short essays by Pico Iyer, Michael Ondaatje, Paul Theroux and a few other writers, I was forced

11 Short Novels, None More Than 225 Pages - Short novels. What I write. What I like best. Some go down easier than others. But all can be finished before midnight. Paolo Coelho: The Alchemist In an unnamed time, a Spanish

1920: The Year of Six Presidents - Guest Butler Billl Bodkin, a New York attorney and writer, is a student of American History. I’m not, so I’m delighted when he offers to school me. He last reviewed

2182 Kilohertz - I've just read a stunning news item: So much of the Arctic ice cover has disappeared “that a ship could sail unhindered from Europe's most northerly

365 Tao: Daily Meditations - Guest Butler Dominique Browning is the author of Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put on My Pajamas, and Found Happiness and the creator of slowlovelife, one of