Adam GopnikRecensioni

Gopnik writes about interesting things in an intelligent way. These essays were a pleasure to read.

Ada Twist is a girl who is not afraid to ask questions considering she is always asking questions that require a fun experiment to prove her theories. This novel is great for those who have curious minds and want to discover new things through science, confidence, and trial and error. Learning through trial and error is Ada's biggest strength and learning the importance of keeping her mind curious.

3.33⭐

Please follow the link to my review.
https://polymathtobe.blogspot.com/2023/11/book-review-real-work-on-mystery-of.ht...

The title is attractive, as it promises to tell us how to achieve mastery, but the text is somewhat disappointing, as it turns out to be a somewhat intellectual essay on obscure things like practicing magic tricks (we all know that there isn't a real magic that goes beyond the rules of physics and mechanics). Even the section on music fails to instruct. It reads like articles in a 'smart' magazine.

This book was a treat that I devoured voraciously. It takes the reader on such an amazing journey through so many different subjects, all on the topic of the ability of humans to master so many amazing skills. It was though provoking and intellectually stimulating and the writing is MASTERFUL!

The author introduces us to some unique topics and gives us some background on both the subject and perhaps some of its history, and, in the case of the topic of magicians, the background of some of the masters in the industry. In other chapters we are taken on some of the author's personal quests, trials and tribulations and filled in on some of his background as well as that of his family, which I found absolutely fascinating. (I didn't know that there was a PhD program in Mathematical Logic!). His parents' retirement "farm"? sounds like a fairytale town that would delight grown ups as well as children.

I found Gopnik's writing mesmerizing. It drew me in and made me concentrate long and hard as it tried to go over my head and I kept reaching for it and drawing it back in, not letting it get the better of me.

His drive and ability to learn new things in the later part of life are such a positive force and good example for all of us. And there's a bad pun at the beginning of this paragraph--however, driving is one of those things he took on in this later stage of life and his description of his driver's ed teacher is heartwarming. We could all use someone like that in our life!

All in all, I heartily recommend this book AND this writer.

Libro splendido, al tempo stesso dotto, curioso ed emozionante. Cinque storie che dicono dell'inverno costruendo trame e vicende che uniscono mondi, intrecciano le vite di personaggi, illustrano e musicano grazie a opere d'arte. Gopnik conosce i segreti del rendere un saggio un racconto dal quale è impossibile staccarsi.

I enjoy reading anything written by Adam Gopnik for his beautiful prose style in addition to the interesting content of his many essays. This book is the next best thing to actually going to Paris made even better by Adam Gopnik.

Very nice book. I care a lot more about Darwin than Lincoln, but I learned about both and it was interesting to see them compared. The last summary chapter was a little too abstract and hand-wavy for me, but overall a fine book.

Good story of living in Paris.

My kind of book, the one that mixes humour with stories of life and the art scene, the most beautiful cities in the world (New York and Paris). If I could invite anyone for dinner and I'd know what to TL about that's barely interesting, Gopnik would be my choice. His wife will be someone I'll never forget, with her beauty and habit of sleeping days on end, her Nordic heritage. Also I'll never forget what his father told Gopnik when he left homely Montreal for New York:

Never underestimate the insecurity of the other person.

How many times must I have told my friends the story about walking "naked from the waist down" through New York. And me losing a dear hat just while reading this in a team and rejoicing, only to cry afterwards. I always gather my friends' stories of dear Items lost, with this. Plus, Gopnik was good friends with one of the genius photographers of our era: Richard Avedon. He was like a father to him.

Gopnik sounds a lot like Sedaris, by the way.

I'm writing this from Genève Airport.

The wonderful part about this book is the feel of Paris and the presence of the past in the present. Racine, Molière, and Richelieu (still adjusting his mayonnaise) are here, and Versailles is really a portal to a different world. The plot is fine, but what I remember is Paris, the dinner with Mrs. Pearson, the clochards, and all the windows.

I think the first half of the book was more satisfying and that it loses itself a bit when the American startup guy enters the story. Maybe New York authors just can’t write convincing Silicon Valley stereotypes. But that is a nit on a fun story with a nice bit of depth. My son didn’t see anything wrong with it. For me, catching myself reflected in the café window isn’t quite the same anymore.

I really wanted to like this book; I like the author; I like the topic. I don't mind a little philosophy and history in the least, but Gopnik takes it to extremes in the first two chapters. Then he tries to argue that there is no such thing as "taste," only frames for taste. His defense of Robert Parker (yes, the man who brought the French wine industry to its knees in imitation of Coke or Pepsi or some other sweet drink) in the wine chapter and, in general, he just annoyed the heck of out me. In between- when I wasn't being annoyed- there were some interesting tidbits.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is simply a deeply reflective meditation on the winter season. The five chapters are named for the five windows that Gopnik uses to frame his meditations: romantic, radical, recuperative, recreational, and remembering. Unusual for this printing of the CBC Massey lectures, The House of Anansi Press published five different covers to represent a different chapter. You can see them here: https://sites.google.com/view/coversforwinterbyadamgopnik/home
I like this rating system by ashleytylerjohn of LibraryThing (https://www.librarything.com/profile/ashleytylerjohn) that I have also adopted:
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.)

Interesante ensayo sobre el liberalismo, el autor lo vincula inescindiblemente con la tolerancia, bueno.½

An idiosyncratic book that certainly appeals to me and my interest in the meaning of why we value time at the table.

Interesting Discussion. Let's get two things straight up front: 1) I believe this author - a Canadian-American - uses "Liberal" where far more commonly for most of his points most Americans would use "Libertarian". He uses the Canadian understanding of the term (and, indeed, most of the world outside of the US, at least according to my own understanding), which may be problematic for US audiences. 2) The 5* rating here is not because I actually agree with his points - largely, I do not, which I'll get to momentarily - but because for the style of book that it is - a discussion of political philosophy, ostensibly as a father writing to his daughter - I really can find no fault here beyond "I strongly disagree with what the author says here", and I do my best to not drop stars over such disagreements absent some more concrete issue.

On the actual arguments in question, again, I believe he is arguing more for (mostly) what an American audience would more readily understand as "libertarianism" - Rule of Law, equality of opportunity no matter one's demographics, and a strong commitment to the freedom of speech. Yes, he goes off on leftist/ progressive tangents such as gun control and universal healthcare at times, but the author does a pretty solid job of always coming back to the central thesis, and showing how both the "left" and "right" in most countries (but particularly the US) both hate what he calls "liberalism" and why both camps are wrong. I could probably write a book concurring in conclusion but dissenting in approach myself, particularly over Gopnik's obsession with John Stuart Mill and On Liberty - a book I myself read just a couple of years ago and found useful to the overall conversation, but ultimately problematic.

Still, as with Mills' book - a conjoining the author will likely appreciate - this text serves as a solid look at a particular way of thinking and is thus worthy of consideration. Recommended.

A funny collection of essays by a New Yorker writer who moves to Paris with his family in the late 90's. Lots of pre-internet anecdotes about the difficulties of adjusting to life in a foreign country and foreign language. Very enjoyable.

Good recent Paris memoir.

Made me want to go back to Paris, of course... I'd like to think that I had similarly smart insights as an American abroad (but just couldn't articulate them), but I suspect Gopnik has me beat. Especially loved the chapters about the taxidermist, Euro Cup, and Alice Waters' visit.

revisit this sometime - gazillions of book darts

I got hooked on the "Best American" series. Sedaris alone is worth the buy. I love highly quirky, broad-ranging colelctions like this. We'll see which year's essays win out!

A book with many layers

Deceiving in the way that apparent mundane subjects contain deeper truths

Having lived abroad most of my life the experience of the expatriate resonated with me

Some passages were poetic and beautiful.

This is yet another book I have owned for ages and only just finished reading now. This book was an impulse purchase, bought out of curiosity and with no knowledge whatsoever as to what the book was about.. or even who the author was. One of those, and yet this book ended up being quite the pleasant surprise.

The book is comprised of essays, all dealing with the topic of turning New York City into one's home. The essays, for the most part, take place post-9/11 and the topic of that atrocity does come into play. For the most part, the essays are rather entertaining and involve the writer's family life. Honestly, the book is well worth reading just for the essay on Ravioli, his daughter's imaginary friend.

The book is touching, incredibly funny, a bit sad, and a bit contemplative. It gives you things to think on without turning preachy. I would happily recommend this to anyone who enjoys say, Shirley Jackson's essays on family life. Domesticity can be quite an entertaining thing.

Adam Gopnik has a way with language, but most of this book failed to work for me. The most successful passages deal with the mundane and the private aspects of their lives changed by their new environment. The author's son's experiences stand out in this respect, reflecting the burden of childhood as well as that of the expatriate.

The author often will use french words and vocabulary without explanation for the English reader - given that it's written for an American audience it's an odd choice. Sometime's it can be puzzled out from context, but often I was left just unable to imagine what his family is experiencing. (example: "gigot d'agneau avec flageolets" - something you eat, that's as far as I can get).