Wine for Women, by Leslie Sbrocco (New York: HarperCollins, 2003)

I'm almost embarrassed to review this book here, because it seems like such a frivolous choice. But to be honest, I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I'd like to recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about wine. Despite the title, this really is a book that both men and women could enjoy. Sbrocco's goal was not to write a gender-specific book; she makes it very clear that she is simply trying to make wine more accessible to women, in terms they can appreciate. She provides a number of statistics indicating that women are becoming increasingly interested in wine, and as I am one of those women, I greatly appreciated her presentation.

There is an enormous amount of valuable information in this book, and as I said above, I think both men and women could learn from it. Unfortunately, the style of writing is such that men are unlikely to go for it. For example, Sbrocco goes to great pains to explain each of the wines as an article of clothing: Chardonnay is considered the "basic black" of the wine wardrobe, Syrah is the "must have red accessory," and Champagne is compared to sequins (as in dressing up for something formal). I have to admit, it's a little silly, but it actually works. I'm not much of a clothing person, but I could understand what she meant with these descriptions. And once you get past this Sbrocco does an exceptional job of explaining the differences in the grapes and how they are grown--which can be a bit dry (no pun intended) but really does help in explaining why the wines are so different. She also clears up the confusion between Old World and New World wines and then provides an extensive list of recommended wines for each of the different types. This was probably the most useful piece of information, because Sbrocco is no wine snob. She admits that sometimes it is worth the money to splurge on an expensive bottle, but she also realizes that most people are just looking for something good to serve at dinner or to give as a gift. She breaks down each wine by "Bargain Sips" (cheap but good) "Classic Sips" (a little more expensive), "Luxury Sips" (really pricey), and "Surprise Sips" (unexpectedly good for the price). She includes in each chapter an few ideas of how to serve wines with food, as well as some recipe ideas. This is great, although I'll admit I didn't spend too much time on it. I'm such a beginner that I'm not yet worried about whether or not the Pinot Noir I bought perfectly complements the meal I made. Sbrocco does say that when getting started on wine, do some experimenting and find what you like best. Don't worry so much about getting it right with food all the time; just go for the wine that you enjoy.

I think it is this reasonable approach to wine that makes the book so useful. Nothing is worse than having an expert lay down absolutes. This is especially difficult for the beginner who may or may not have the resources to locate specialty wines. Sbrocco keeps it simple and helpful. I will say, though, that I think this is a book I'll need to purchase to get full use out of it. There is just too much information to digest on a library loan. She goes into considerable depth about the different regions in which the same grapes may be grown, even within California or Washington. I had no idea that the slightest change in climate can have such a profound impact on the taste of the wine. Shows what I know. But as I proceed and learn, I could see myself using the information in the book to make choices and train my palate.

So, to wrap it up--highly recommended for women, in particular, and for men who are brave enough to pick up a book entitled Wine for Women. In any event, I think anyone who would like to learn more about wine could use and enjoy this book.

The Stories of English, by David Crystal (Woodstock: The Overlook Press, 2004)

I came across this book somewhat by accident while I was browsing through the library several months ago. It looked interesting, so I added it to my book stack and took it home. I'm not sure if I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, but I'm glad I took the chance. This is an exceptional book. David Crystal is a professor of linguistics, so he is well-qualified to be discussing the evolution of the English language (a subject matter that may not be so obvious from the title).

What is most surprising about this book is not that it is written and documented very well, but that it is so readable. Basically, this is an analysis of how English has developed, from the time of the Anglo-Saxons up to today. Crystal goes into some depth trying to explain all of the influences on the language; he presents helpful charts throughout, which gives reader some idea of the changes that have taken place. Each of the chapters (all but the last) is followed by an "Interlude," detailing some particular about the language which may not have fit very well into the chapter itself. For example, chapter 1 ("The Origins of Old English") precedes the interlude entitled "The Celtic Language Puzzle." This was particularly helpful, because it gave each chapter more focus and direction, while not leaving out important aspects of English development.

At some points, the book becomes a bit erudite, and I found myself struggling when Crystal would spend a bit too much time on the technicalities that I, as an interested amateur but not an expert in linguistics, simply could not digest. All in all, though, Crystal tries to keep his points approachable, so any reader could appreciate what he has to say. His thesis, by the way, is that English has evolved primarily through the development of nonstandard, rather than standard, dialect. In other words, it is the slang and the colloquial expressions that have changed the language and not the "perfect" style that doesn't actually exist. This is especially true in the English spoken outside England. Crystal spends time on each of the countries influenced by the language, such as America (of course), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada. He even devotes an interlude to Tolkien's impact on English in The Lord of the Rings.

Up until the very end, he had my complete agreement. It was not until he began suggesting that the computer age will forever alter the English language that I started to get frustrated. I can't disagree with that, by the way. Of course, the advent of "computer language" will have an effect on the evolution of English. What bothered me is that he doesn't seem to mind (or if he does, he's more fascinated than concerned about it) people typing expressions like "C U l8ter" and considering that acceptable as part of the language. Sure, it's convenient, but I can in no possible way hope that this is the future of English. Lynne Truss's book Eats, Shoots and Leaves comes to mind as a good balance for approaching the computer age. Take the good, but don't forget to throw out the bad. There should be some basic standards, however arbitrary; communication is the key, not tyrannical determinations about what is "proper" in the language.

The Stories of English is a bit long, running about 550 pages, so it took me a couple of weeks to complete. But it's worth the time spent and makes excellent food for thought. To give it all a little balance, I read The English Language, by Robert Burchfield (Oxford, 2003) a short while after completing The Stories of English, so that gave me some extra perspective on the development of the language.

Getting Started

I've never done a blog before. In fact, I generally dismissed them up until a very short time ago. But I read a lot, and it occurred to me that a blog might serve as a great journal for my thoughts about reading. Usually, I hate journals. I don't know how many of them I've started and never finished. There just seems to be something so silly in cataloguing my day, especially because my day is never that interesting. I'll keep a journal faithfully for a couple of months and then get tired of it and tuck it away somewhere. Then, I'll look back at it a year or so later and wonder why on earth I even bothered. Who cares if I made chili for dinner? What benefit is there in recording a visit to Costco for posterity? Most of the time, I just throw my old journals away because they seem ridiculous.

A journal of book reviews, however, might be different. It will give me a chance to talk about books and share my opinions about them. I'm never without an opinion or two. Of course, this blog may turn out to be ridiculous as well, but it sounds more promising than a personal journal. It combines literature and analysis, which is about the only useful thing to do with an English degree. Here's to possibility.