Book Description
By the early l940s, when Ukrainian-born Irène Némirovsky began working on what would become Suite Française—the first two parts of a planned five-part novel—she was already a highly successful writer living in Paris. But she was also a Jew, and in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz: a month later she was dead at the age of thirty-nine. Two years earlier, living in a small village in central France—where she, her husband, and their two small daughters had fled in a vain attempt to elude the Nazis
—she’d begun her novel, a luminous portrayal of a human drama in which she herself would become a victim. When she was arrested, she had completed two parts of the epic, the handwritten manuscripts of which were hidden in a suitcase that her daughters would take with them into hiding and eventually into freedom. Sixty-four years later, at long last, we can read Némirovsky’s literary masterpiece
The first part, “A Storm in June,” opens in the chaos of the massive 1940 exodus from Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion during which several families and individuals are thrown together under circumstances beyond their control. They share nothing but the harsh demands of survival—some trying to maintain lives of privilege, others struggling simply to preserve their lives—but soon, all together, they will be forced to face the awful exigencies of physical and emotional displacement, and the annihilation of the world they know. In the second part, “Dolce,” we enter the increasingly complex life of a German-occupied provincial village. Coexisting uneasily with the soldiers billeted among them, the villagers—from aristocrats to shopkeepers to peasants—cope as best they can. Some choose resistance, others collaboration, and as their community is transformed by these acts, the lives of these these men and women reveal nothing less than the very essence of humanity.
Suite Française is a singularly piercing evocation—at once subtle and severe, deeply compassionate and fiercely ironic—of life and death in occupied France, and a brilliant, profoundly moving work of art.
Download Description
Irène Némirovsky was born in Kiev in 1903 into a wealthy banking family and emigrated to France during the Russian Revolution. After attending the Sorbonne, she began to write and swiftly achieved success with her first novel, David Golder, which was followed by The Ball, The Flies of Autumn, Dogs and Wolves and The Courilof Affair. She died in 1942.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing! I wish there were more.......2007-10-19
Suite Francaise is an epic book along the lines of War and Peace, yet set in WWII as the Germans invade and occupy France. The descriptions are vivid of the human condition: the individual vs. the community; class vs. humanity; rich & poor; what the rich do when they are suddenly poor. An amazing book.
The author intended to write the book as three (or possibly 5) books/sections, but only finished two. She was cut short by a final train ride to Auswitz. Remarkably, she doesn't mention Jewish persecution in her novel. That fact in itself contrasts with the picture she paints of ordinary, and not so ordinary, people struggling to survive that tragic period.
A VIEW OF FRANCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 2ND WORLD WAR.......2007-10-18
THIS WAS A WONDERFULLY WRITTEN BOOK DEALING WITH DIFFERENT CLASSES AND HOW THEY DEALT WITH THE GERMAN OCCUPATION OF THEIR COUNTRY DURING WW11. INTERESTING THAT THERE IS NOT A MENTION OF THE JEWS EVEN THOUGH THE AUTHOR WAS JEWISH BEFORE SHE CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM.
Suite Francaise.......2007-10-17
This is one of the most well written compelling books I have read. The author captures the people of France (and the German soldiers) at their most vulnerable, describing them so vividly that you believe them to be real; capturing their faults, their courage and their desire for peace. Her descriptive language brings the country side to life...you can almost smell the flowers. Most importantly, as I read the book I was haunted by the fact that this author, who had so much to live for, was killed shortly after this story was written. I found it amazing that she could convey with such tenderness the raw detail & complexity of the people of France during the early war years knowing that her life was so obviously at risk.
Deeply Moving and Evocative.......2007-10-16
This posthumously published pair of Novellas deserves all of the praise being heaped upon it by all of the reviewers below. It is a remarkable portrait of real people in extraordinary circumstances.
In the First section the reader follows a mixed group of Parisians who are desperately fleeing the oncoming german army. The characterizations of people reacting differently to the stressful situation they find themselves in and the degradations they suffer is poignant and stunning.
In the second section Dolce the Germans are now an occupying force and the tension between conquerers and conquered is palpable. The way the Frrench villagers and citizens adapt to their challenging circumstances is as strong a testament to those who lived through these times as any written record.
Suite Francais is destined to become one of the classics of WWII literature. The writing is incredibly beautiful even in translation.
"Based on true history...".......2007-10-14
The history behind the author of the book is what appealed to me, but the story lines kept me entertained to the end. Some parts dragged, but for the most part, the characters were very relateable and it is interesting to see how their lives intertwined in fictional WWII France. The fictional occupation and end to the war in France portrayed by the author in some ways leaves you hanging but also conveys what the uncertainties and tragedy of war can be like.
Book Description
Of the 20-plus cookbooks Jacques Pépin has written, Chez Jacques is his most personal and engaging. Now starring in his tenth PBS series, Pépin ranks among AmericaÂ's most beloved cooking teachers, and this book shows us why.
The bookÂ's 100 recipes—for soups and appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and desserts—are PépinÂ's own favorites among the thousands he has created over a lifetime of cooking. Using readily available ingredients and relying upon familiar techniques, these are the dishes he makes when preparing food at his Connecticut home. But Chez Jacques is more than a collection of well-liked recipes; itÂ's also a captivating sentimental journey. Each dish is introduced by a recollection—of picking dandelion greens for a spring salad, of buying fresh eggs from the local farmer—that invites readers to share in the traditions and rituals of PépinÂ's most intimate circle.
This treasury of great food, lore, and memory is exquisitely illustrated with a sampling of PépinÂ's paintings, as well as hundreds of color photographs of the finished dishes and of Pépin in all his “natural habitats”—pitching boules with a group of friends, savoring a glass of chilled rosé in the afternoon sun, painting landscapes, designing menus, and, of course, working in his kitchen.
Customer Reviews:
Chez Jacques.......2007-09-14
Wonderful, uncomplicated recipes beautiful photographs of dishes. Gorgeous photos of his artwork and graphics. Overall a lovely volume that you will find yourself using again and again.
Haute Cuisine made simple.......2007-08-23
A beautiful illustrated cookbook for a very decent price. Jacques Pepin effectively merges French cooking with American cuisine. His recipes are easy to follow and their success is grounded in the simplicity Pepin uses in his cooking.
"Chez Jacques" is one of our favorite cookbooks. If you like Gordon Ramsey and Emeril, this is a book you should have a peek at.
Try the tortilla pizza! Heavenly!
A. Fontaine, PA
excellent value.......2007-07-28
Great book at a REAL savings. The price at a local bookstore was $15 higher for the identical book.
A lovely coffee table book, but..........2007-06-20
Lots of pretty photos and some pleasant chit chat from Pepin, but not a great cookbook. The recipes are pretty basic and I'm guessing you've seen them elsewhere. This book is really geared towards fans.
Pepin is great and he deserves all the praise he gets but I regret buying this particular book.
Like a conversation with Monsieur Pepin.......2007-05-25
Leafing through this book is like sitting down and having a long conversation with Monsieur Pepin. His knowledge and charm are in every delightful story about how and why he loves a particular dish, from fried chicken to escargot, and the photography by Tom Hopkins is superb. Together they have created a coffee table book that you will want to have on your lap more than on your table... preferably with a glass of rose on the side. I highly, highly recommend this book.
Book Description
In her own words, here is the captivating story of Julia Child’s years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found ‘her true calling.’
From the moment the ship docked in Le Havre in the fall of 1948 and Julia watched the well-muscled stevedores unloading the cargo to the first perfectly soigné meal that she and her husband, Paul, savored in Rouen en route to Paris, where he was to work for the USIS, Julia had an awakening that changed her life. Soon this tall, outspoken gal from Pasadena, California, who didn’t speak a word of French and knew nothing about the country, was steeped in the language, chatting with purveyors in the local markets, and enrolled in the Cordon Bleu.
After managing to get her degree despite the machinations of the disagreeable directrice of the school, Julia started teaching cooking classes herself, then teamed up with two fellow gourmettes, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, to help them with a book they were trying to write on French cooking for Americans. Throwing herself heart and soul into making it a unique and thorough teaching book, only to suffer several rounds of painful rejection, is part of the behind-the-scenes drama that Julia reveals with her inimitable gusto and disarming honesty.
Filled with the beautiful black-and-white photographs that Paul loved to take when he was not battling bureaucrats, as well as family snapshots, this memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia embraced so wholeheartedly. Above all, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became.
Le voici. Et bon appétit!
Download Description
Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California. She was graduated from Smith College and worked for the OSS during World War II in Ceylon and China, where she met Paul Child. After they married they lived in Paris, where she studied at the Cordon Bleu and taught cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, with whom she wrote the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). In 1963, Boston’s WGBH launched The French Chef television series, which made her a national celebrity, earning her the Peabody Award in 1965 and an Emmy in 1966. Several public television shows and numerous cookbooks followed. She died in 2004.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Missing Julia.......2007-08-05
I just finished this book, and I am unashamed to say I have shed tears for the loss of this great woman. I am discovering the art of cooking later in life, as Julia did, and she has helped give me the courage I am needing to change careers and attend culinary arts training this spring. What a marvelous book, I felt that I was there with her in her "la belle France" and wish that I could have had the opportunity to spend time in the kitchen with her. You will not be disappointed in this fantastic read.
Great Read.......2007-07-27
This book was so enjoyable to read! I was fascinated by this look into post-war France, and into Julia's world there. It made me wish I would have know her and understand why it seems that everyone who knew her, loved her.
One thing I thought was fun was her encyclopedic recall of various meals they enjoyed, including the wine vintage.
You'll also love hearing how she came to write her first cookbook and become a host of her own show on PBS. For those of us who are over 40, it's also great to note that the most interesting parts of her life didn't even begin until then.
French Food as Accessible Art Form Thanks to Julia.......2007-07-20
My Life in France gives the reader a glimpse into the extraordinary and elegant life of Julia Child. The memoir adds another dimension to Julia the TV persona and looks beyond the lighthearted image. Indeed, beyond Julia's fun spirit was an unbelievable level of meticulous research and above all, fearlessness and stamina. My Life in France is a delight to read for anyone who wishes to understand the origin of Julia's passion for French cooking and her ability to transform one's vision of and taste for fine food. My Life in France
A must-read for any foodie.......2007-07-15
This has risen to the top of my favorite books list. It's so well written, with plenty of imagery and descriptive language that I felt I was in Julia's kitchen with her. I learned quite a bit about her relationship with her husband and both their careers. The best was reading about how the recipes and the books were written.
If you are planning to write a cook book or are very interested in cooking and chefs, you should definitely buy this book.
It's a Wonderful Life in France!.......2007-07-04
'My Life in France' is a superb book that effuses with that wonderful endearing quality we have all come to know and love in Julia Child. The book focuses mainly on the early years of developing her first cookbooks and television show.
The book begins when she and her husband, Paul, make their first trip to France because of his new job assignment. You feel her giddy excitement upon landing on the shores of a place she had for so long desired to go. We hear in minute detail the look, smell and taste of her first French meal, and from there we are introduced to "La Belle France". Before I began the book, I wondered for how long I could sustain reading each night about a person's breakfast, lunch or dinner meal that had been eaten 50 years prior, but Julia has such an adorable way of speaking, and her sometimes child-like observations of life and people around her are so heartwarming, you just wish you had been there. As the book progresses, she speaks about her collaboration with two women for her first book, and sometimes the claws come out. You're thinking, "Julia!" But, as with all friendships, there are things that agree with us and things that don't. Without some of these tidbits, the book may have been too trite, or frankly boring. Subsequently, it was interesting to hear of the minor squabbles that occurred between the women and the simple controversies concerning her husband and his role as a "diplomat". Paul and Julia Child made many friends overseas, whom they adored and loved. The majority of these people stayed in her inner circle until the end of their lives. For me, night after night, I couldn't wait to sit down and read about so many dinner parties with simmering meats and side dishes, lovely conversations, and eccentric friends. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it ended too quickly, and I found myself missing the evenings with Julia.
Book Description
The beloved actor and screenwriter’s first novel, set during World War I, delicately and elegantly explores a most unusual romance. It’s almost the end of the war and Paul Peachy, a young railway employee and amateur actor in Milwaukee, realizes his marriage is one-sided. He enlists, and ships off to France. Peachy instantly realizes how out of his depth he is—and never more so than when he is captured. Risking everything, Peachy—who as a child of immigrants speaks German—makes the reckless decision to impersonate one of the enemy’s most famous spies.
As the urbane and accomplished spy Harry Stroller, Peachy has access to a world he could never have known existed—a world of sumptuous living, world-weary men, and available women. But when one of those women—Annie, a young, beautiful and wary courtesan—turns out to be more than she seems, Peachy’s life is transformed forever.
Customer Reviews:
A Very Sensual Nuance!!!.......2007-09-26
Though the novel (length-wise) lacks a certain depth, the sensual interchange between Peachy and Annie is very provocative even in something as simple as a haircut. All of Wilder's works since the Richard Pryor days, seem to have this since of sensitivity that empathizes with the human condition. The creativity and adventure of this story is definitely worth a 5!!!
All's Fair in Love and War........2007-09-22
Gene Wilder has written a beautiful book with a simplicity of language that is rare. This is a book you can read quickly but don't let the size fool you. It deals with big issues like love and loyality and integrity and honour. I gave it only 3 stars because it was so small and easy-to-read and yet the price is hefty.
The ending is poignant and restrained.
A Treasure.......2007-08-18
This book is so simple and straightforward in its writing. Somehow, with a few broad strokes, Wilder creates rich, believable characters who embody the complexity of the human experience. The main character, Peachy, was fascinating -- disarmingly human and familiar. There is such honesty in how Peachy reports his experiences in his notebook. There is no pretension of being able to understand how and why he responds to events as he does.
Wilder proves himself to be a great storyteller -- I found it hard to put the book down. The story is full of surprises, intrigue and humor.
This is a wonderful love story, not just about the love between a man and a woman, but about love itself.
A Real Quickie.......2007-06-19
A real quickie...a short story/play for those who know life can change in an instant...a delightful read.
Little gem........2007-06-12
Don't let the small size fool you. Inside there is a big book about life and about a coward with a big courage to live.
As mentioned before, an awesome breather for some reading groups.
Quick, enjoyable, one sitting read. I love it, including the title.
Yeah,It's a little pricey gem, so I'm cutting off one star for that.
Get in the sharing spirit! It also makes a nice gift.
Book Description
“Anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere,” wrote Mesdames Beck, Bertholle, and Child, “with the right instruction.” And here is the book that, for forty years, has been teaching Americans how.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food and long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with more than one hundred instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because:
• It leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection.
• It breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations—bound to increase anyone’s culinary repertoire.
• It adapts classical techniques, wherever possible, to modern American conveniences.
• It shows Americans how to buy products, from any supermarket in the U.S.A., that reproduce the exact taste and texture of the French ingredients: equivalent meat cuts, for example; the right beans for a cassoulet; the appropriate fish and shellfish for a bouillabaisse.
• It offers suggestions for just the right accompaniment to each dish, including proper wines.
Since there has never been a book as instructive and as workable as Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the techniques learned here can be applied to recipes in all other French cookbooks, making them infinitely more usable. In compiling the secrets of famous cordons bleus, the authors have produced a magnificent volume that is sure to find the place of honor in every kitchen in America.
Customer Reviews:
THESE BOOKS IS ALL THAT I NEED!.......2007-09-30
I have the Volume I and II. You really don't need another Cook Book. These are my all time favorites. I highly recommend these books. I am a Professional Chef and I find myself always going through these Cook Books. I mean, that is all I really use. Not only for seasoned Cooks but specially for not so experienced Cooks. These books are the real "deal". If you like to cook you got have these.
Hard to find volume, found!.......2007-09-06
My wife and I have been looking for Volume one for ages, without luck.
This book came out as a 20th anniversary edition. Maybe other websites carry
this now, but it was easy to find on Amazon.
The classic best.......2007-08-11
I bought it for my daughter for Christmas. Then I bought a new oven for myself with plans to borrow the book to get good at making French bread Julia's way. For anyone interested in high quality cooking, this is a must have for the book shelf.
Great Book.......2007-07-20
It is painfully obvious alot of thought went into this book,but then again what would you expect from a master like Julia Child.I am in the reading stage and have'nt made any recipes yet,but was impressed early.This book is for anyone that loves to cook,amateur like me or pro.
Appreciative of Speedy Delivery........2007-07-13
Overseas 'customers'of Amazon are disadvantaged by the price of postage and often waiting time therefore it was gratifying to get 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' within a few days. It is helpful for our customs if such packages are marked 'BOOK ONLY'. The book was in prisine condition. All books I have bought through Amazon have been in the condition stated but occasionally have taken a long time to arrive.
Jan Birmingham, Sydney.
Average customer rating:
- Create a new lifestyle!
- I love this book!
- No comparison to her first book!
- this one!
- enjoyable!
|
French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, and Pleasure
Mireille Guiliano
Manufacturer: Knopf
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ASIN: 0307265234
Release Date: 2006-10-31 |
Amazon.com
Mireille Guiliano, author of the immensely popular French Women Don't Get Fat returns with another book revealing secrets to living the good life. Branching off of her first book that dispelled the notion that you have to avoid everything wonderful in order to lose weight, with French Women for All Seasons, Guiliano suggests that the trick to living life to the fullest is to stay attuned to the "rhythms of the year" (that, and remembering that moderation is the key). Her new book offers new ideas for seasonal entertaining, shopping, cooking, and exercising. Want to know more? Watch our exclusive video message from Guiliano below. Want to know more about yourself? Take our "How French Are You?" quiz and discover your inner Frenchwoman. --Daphne Durham
Watch the video (high bandwith)
Watch the video (low bandwith) |
The Mireille Guiliano Quiz: How French Are You?
In French Women Don't Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano laid out a general program for reaching the weight at which you can feel bien dans ta peau (comfortable in your own skin). Now, in French Women for All Seasons, she teaches you peu à peu (little by little), how to make over your whole life for maximum pleasure. Here you will find, not only more specific advice on preparing for the bikini season (with dozens of new slimming tricks and delicious recipes), but also Mireille's secrets to looking and feeling great throughout each season of the year. But before learning to become a French woman for all seasons, take this short quiz to find out how much of one you already are. Your inner French Woman--we all have one!--may already be more developed than you suspect! Find out now how close your daily habits are to bringing you optimum pleasure.
1. Your idea of the ultimate chocolate fix is?
a. A chocolate Entenmann's donut.
b. A Hershey bar.
c. Godiva truffles.
d. One or two pieces of high-quality dark chocolate.
2. How do you take your coffee?
a. I don't drink coffee.
b. Can't stand it without cream and three sugars.
c. I add Equal and skim milk for low-cal pleasure.
d. A small cup of freshly brewed coffee needs no lightening or sweetening.
3. What should the salespeople at the mall know about you?
a. I don't wear prêt à porter!
b. I'm a sucker for the latest trends for the season--I love being in fashion.
c. I'll buy an amazing pair of shoes before I pay my rent.
d. I find a few items to accompany the best pieces in my closet--I just want to refresh my wardrobe.
4. You're throwing a party in a couple of weeks. What's your plan of action?
a. I obsess about the menu, wonder how I'll ever find the time even to plan, and when the big day comes I spend the entire time in the kitchen while my guests (usually) drink too much.
b. I call a caterer, of course. What do I know about such things, and why should I care?
c. I set out a bag of chips and a bag of pretzels and ask everyone to bring a bottle.
d. I choose a few favorite food items to serve, some store-bought delicacies, some easy to prepare but impressive treats, add some personal serving touches, sit back and relax while the guests ooh and ahh.
5. Which of the following drinks will you serve at the party?
a. Whatever the guests bring.
b. Margaritas (Frozen--is there another kind?).
c. Wine, vodka, beer… hospitality is variety.
d. A thoughtfully chosen wine and mineral water—keep it simple and always give guests water with their alcohol.
6. You've just gone to the market and found wonderful fresh basil, but you got so excited about it that you bought too much. What do you do?
a. What would I be doing at the market? What's basil again?
b. I chop some in my pasta, but eventually have to throw the rest away.
c. I have a pesto pack-down that night!
d. I try to invent a new dish for using it while it's fresh (substituting it for another herb I might otherwise use); the rest I make into pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays (one cube is perfect for a single pasta serving).
7. Au restaurant, you're most likely to order:
a. A cheeseburger with fries.
b. A large salad with ranch dressing.
c. Vegetable lasagna.
d. Grilled hangar steak with wine sauce.
8. When the waiter comes to your table to take your drink order, you:
a. Order up Grey Goose.
b. Let someone else advise--wine lists are intimidating.
c. Remember the rule that white goes with fish and red goes with meat.
d. Choose Champagne--it goes with just about anything.
9. How much wine do you typically drink with dinner?
a. None--alcohol is fattening.
b. Keep 'em coming--I've read wine is heart smart!
c. A few glasses--I know my limits.
d. Usually one, but if I want more, I'll have another half glass.
10. You're traveling and a sumptuous breakfast buffet is included in the cost of your hotel room. What do you do?
a. I load up on eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes, but make sure to hit hotel gym later.
b. I load up on eggs, bacon, muffins, and pancakes to get me through the day--it's free, and I don't eat that way at home, so what's the harm?
c. I can't be trusted around any all-you-can-eat spread; I skip breakfast.
d. I choose one day to indulge at the buffet (compensating with lighter lunch and dinner), but order room service for the rest of my trip to avoid overdoing it.
11. What is your ideal workout?
a. Does channel surfing count?
b. An hour at the gym, wailing on the Cybex.
c. I eat healthfully so I can spend less time exercising.
d. I walk everywhere, and enjoy some Yoga a couple of times a week.
12. Mireille Guiliano says in French Women Don't Get Fat that her "secret weapon" is plain yogurt. If you want to sweeten it, what do you add?
a. Sweet 'n Low or Equal.
b. Sugar.
c. Spoonful of maple syrup or honey.
d. Fresh fruit.
13. You have an after-hours party to attend for work. Pick an outfit that will take you most elegantly from day to night.
a. A short suit skirt with a tank top and a jacket that you'll be able to take off later--if you've got it, flaunt it!
b. Designer jeans with a top you saw in Vogue.
c. Your trusty black dress, but you'll dress it up with trendy baubles for evening.
d. A trimly cut dress paired with simple jewelry or a scarf.
14. In the fall, you eat:
a. Strawberries.
b. Asparagus.
c. Peaches.
d. Apples.
15. Le dessert is served! You choose to have:
a. A big piece of cake--you only live once.
b. A small slice (or two) of apple tart--an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
c. A piece of pie or cake, but you'll share it with a friend.
d. Nothing overly sweet--instead you go for a piece of seasonal fruit or cheese.
Results:
Allow 1 point for "a" answers, 2 points for "b" answers, 3 points for "c" answers, and 4 points for "d" answers. Add up your total points and find out how French you are based on the scale below.
Not Very French At All (15-25 points)
You are a true American woman. You're busy and don't always have time to entertain or cook. Your treats are sweet or salty. But Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons, "When foods are bursting with natural taste--as opposed to being artificially flavored, laden with fat and salt, or just plain tasteless--the experience of eating them is more satisfying, and we can content ourselves with less." Start reading to find out how you can change your approach to eating, and how all of Mireille's secrets about fashion, entertaining, wine--and more--can change your life.
Potentially French (26-36 points)
You're already aware of your indulgences, and realize you have great potential for improvement. You just need a little coaching on how to maximize style, taste and pleasure without sacrificing your waistline or sanity. "The key," Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons "is to cultivate your own intuition of your offenders and pleasures and adjust each accordingly by degrees that suit you." Start reading to find out how you can change not only your relationship with food, but how Mireille's secrets about fashion, entertaining, wine--and more--can change your life.
You're Almost French! (37-47 points)
You value quality over quantity. But we've all been known to stress out about a party or get weak in the knees in front of a chocolate donut. In French Women for All Seasons, Mireille says, "French women don't get fat because they know the secret of pleasure. But the secret to pleasure is cultivation: a life of ongoing exploration, experimentation, practiced enjoyment, and--most important--self discovery." Check out French Women for All Seasons for tips about how to entertain and dress, new recipes, and most importantly, how to remain bien dans sa peau.
Une Vraie Française (48-60 points)
You may have already read French Women Don't Get Fat and taken it to heart or you simply have an inner French woman. Either way, you've unlocked the secret of pleasure--it's the most important part of life. But again as Mireille says in French Women for All Seasons, "the secret to pleasure is cultivation: a life of ongoing exploration, experimentation, practiced enjoyment, and--most important--self discovery." Read the book to find out how to keep this process going throughout the winter, spring, summer, and fall.
Book Description
By letter, e-mail, and in person, readers of Mireille Guiliano’s phenomenal best seller, French Women Don’t Get Fat, have inundated her with requests for more of her cunning but simple secrets to living the good life, the ways French women manage to enjoy wine, chocolate, and many other seductive pleasures without gaining weight. Mireille’s answer? This buoyant book brimming with fresh advice and seasonal stories—on food bien sûr (more than 100 delicious new recipes) but also on many other aspects of living that should bring us pleasure, such as picking a wine, dressing well, even arranging flowers.
French women not only stay slim while relishing life to the fullest, they also have the longest life expectancy in the Western world. And now Mireille shows us how they attune themselves to the rhythms of the year. Together with a bounty of new dining ideas and menus, she offers us a treasury of tips on style, grooming, and entertaining, all designed to focus the mind on sensory pleasure for maximum enjoyment. Here are four seasons’ worth of strategies for shopping, cooking, and exercising, as well as some pointers for looking effortlessly chic. Whether your aim is finding two scoopfuls of pleasure in one of crème brûlée or entertaining beautifully when time is short and expectations are high, the inspiration you need is here. Taking us from her childhood in Alsace-Lorraine to her summers in Provence and her busy life in New York and Paris, this book of scrumptious Gallic wisdom and wit shows how anyone anywhere can develop a healthy, holistic lifestyle.
In the voice that entranced more than a million honorary French women, Mireille demonstrates that there is indeed an art to joyful living, and that equilibrium—being bien dans sa peau and true to one’s individual nature—is the key to a long and healthy life. Full of sage, irresistible advice on everything from decanting to detoxing, from yogurt to yoga, French Women for All Seasons is an essential guide to savoring all life’s moments—in moderation, in season, and, above all, with pleasure.
Customer Reviews:
Create a new lifestyle!.......2007-09-14
I had noticed on numerous trips to Europe that the women (and men for that matter) were not prone to obesity, even though they ate cheese, chocolate, breads, and drank alcohol with lunch and dinner. I wondered why? Then, at a meeting in San Francisco last fall, I listened as a diverse group of European women enthusiastically discussed a new book. It was titled "French Women Don't Get Fat". They highly recommended it to me because it accurately discribed the European way of eating and enjoying life. I searched for 5 months before finding it in print in America. IT IS A GREAT READ AND FULL OF TRUTHS FOR A HEALTY EATING LIFESTYLE. I have dropped 30lbs. so far and eat anything I want (in moderation of course!). I even have a piece of dark chocolate twice a day. WOW!
I love this book!.......2007-08-21
The book is not a diet book. This is a feel good about yourself and live life kind of book. I retreat to bed earlier than I normally do at night so I can have some alone time to read this book. It really lifts my spirits and I cherish this small slice of time when I get to relax and enjoy Mireille's wisdom and candor. I enjoy hearing about her culinary and travel experiences since I am also a fellow traveler. Her recipes are wonderful and I can't wait to try some of them. Buy this book if you are looking for some hints on how to live a healthier life style and enjoy her recommendations. Don't be too hard on yourself if you do not follow all of them, it is, after all, not the destination but the journey so do you have some fun along the way and enjoy the food!
No comparison to her first book!.......2007-08-17
Started to read the book and just couldn't get into it like the first book. Not what I thought it would be!
this one!.......2007-06-17
The first one is a carry over to the second one. (this is the one with the cake in it) Her summer soup page 115 is very good. Someone with braces can eat it well. It has feta in it, but with a squeeze of a lemon and it is mostly favorful! This one I keep in my kitchen. I am just on summer right now. She gives an outline on what to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner and how much. Now people, you chew this very slowly and *trust me* you get full. THAT is where the weight drops. Along with drinking water and getting some kind of small workout. I adore this book.
enjoyable!.......2007-05-24
This sequel to "French Women don't get Fat" is a great insight to the bounty each season has in store for all.
Book Description
In this magnificent volume, the second in the Grand Livre de Cuisine series, celebrated chefs Alain Ducasse and Frédéric Robert comprehensively cover the art of making desserts, pastries, candy, and other sweets. Everything is here— mousses and fondants; cookies and cakes; ice creams and sorbets; bonbons and nougats; fruit tarts, profiteroles, and sweet crèpes.
The bookÂ's 250 mouth-watering recipes range from traditional treats such as peach melba, candied apples, and oeufs à la neige to audacious concoctions such as tropical fruitÂ- stuffed ravioli and coconut-encrusted lollipops. Decidedly French yet international in flavor, the book presents the authorsÂ' masterful takes on American cheesecake; Italian cannolis, zuppa inglese, and tiramisù; and the Austrian confections known as viennoiseries.
Organized by main ingredient, the Grand LivreÂ's structure epitomizes DucasseÂ's philosophy of cooking and baking, which holds that culinary techniques should accentuate and enhance an ingredientÂ's true nature—not mask it. The book features more than 650 color photographs, including a full-page, close-up photo of each finished dish. Cross-sectional drawings clearly display the internal “architecture” of some of the more complex creations.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book for pastry and dessert.......2007-10-15
I purchased this book after doing a considerable amount of pastry, breads, desserts, etc. This book offers hundreds of recipes, easy to follow, great photos, clear explanations. It is a must have for anyone serious about their collection of cookbooks, and for anyone searching for the perfect dessert recipe. Any one of the recipes can be used as a guide to creating your own inventions. I would highly reccommend this book, and it is pricey, but considering I am a passionate cook, this was a must have and a true reward for myself! Enjoy! [...]
Beautiful.......2007-07-03
Alain Ducasse is a master of his craft. To enjoy this book, though, one must have a clear understanding of the pastry arts. There are not recipes for every element; however, the methods that are presented are easily followed. Not recommended for the novice, unless you want a beautiful book to display on your shelf. The photographs are phenomenal.
Excellent Pastry and Bread Resource.......2007-03-21
I purchased the Desserts and Pastries at the same time as the other Grand Livre de Cuisine on savory food. My professional expertise was in breads and pastry, so it is easier for me to appreciate the example recipes in this book. The book is by no means exhaustive. It is an excellent resource with some fantastic pastry ideas and good ingredient combinations. It is also easier to find most of the ingredients in this volume than the savory book.
The photography is superb, but don't expect to be able to reproduce the look of the photographs without some professional baking or pastry experience. The recipes lack explanations and expect you to know foundation techniques.
Alain Ducasse's Desserts and Pastries.......2007-03-19
Great book, great pictures but maybe a bit difficult to execute for a non professional chef.
Amazon.com
The message of this book could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. There is no hard science, no clearly-defined plan, and no lists of food to have or have not; instead, you'll find simple tricks that boil down to eating carefully prepared seasonal food, exercising more and refusing to think of food as something that inspires guilt. It's both a practical message and far easier said than done in today's "no pain, no gain" culture.
Author Mireille Guiliano is CEO of Veuve Clicquot, and French Women Don't Get Fat offers a concept of sensible pleasures: If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch--or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner. Guiliano's insistence on simple measures slowly creating substantial improvements are reassuring, and her suggestion to ignore the scale and learn to live by the "zipper test" could work wonders for those who get wrapped up in tiny details of diet. She sympathizes that deprivation can lead straight to overindulgence when it comes to favorite foods, but then, in a most French manner, treats them as a pleasure that needs to be sated, rather than a battle to be fought.
A number of recipes are included, from a weight-loss enhancing leek soup to a lush chocolate mousse; they read more like what you'd find in a French cookbook rather than an American diet book. Most appealingly, these are guidelines and tricks that could be easily sustainable over a lifetime. If you agree that food is meant to be appreciated--but no more so than having a trim waist--these charmingly French recommendations could set you on the path to a future filled with both croissants and high fashion. --Jill Lightner
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Stuffed Cornish Hens
Serves 4
When I grew up, the holidays always meant lots of visitors and a series of requisite celebratory meals, mostly at lunchtime. This easy dish was always on one of the menus. Mamie was usually busy (what else during late December?) and would make the stuffing in advance so lunch could be ready in less than an hour. The recipe serves a family of four for lunch in style, but double the ingredient portions and obviously you are ready for a full table with guests.
Ingredients:
2 Cornish hens (or poussins)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons chicken stock
Stuffing:
2 cups water
2/3 cup brown rice
1/2 cup mixed nuts (pine nuts, walnut pieces, whole hazelnuts)
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon parsley, freshly minced
1 teaspoon dry herbs (chervil and savory or rosemary and thyme)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. For stuffing: Bring water to a boil. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and mix well with remaining ingredients. Season to taste and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse Cornish hens, dry the inside with paper towels, and season. Add stuffing loosely and truss hens. Reserve remaining stuffing in aluminum foil.
3. Put hens in baking dish and brush them with melted butter and other seasonings. Put in oven and baste 10 minutes later with chicken stock. Continue basting every 10 minutes. After the hens have cooked for 20 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and put the remaining stuffing in a small ovenproof dish. Roast the hens for another 20 minutes. Serve (half a hen per person) immediately with a tablespoon of stuffing on each side of the hen as garnish.
N.B. For a wonderful tête-à-tête romantic dinner, serve one hen each with a vegetable then dessert. I have prepared it successfully to my husband on Valentine's Day. While the hens are in the oven, you have time to concoct a little dessert, et voilà, you can pop a cork of bubbly, sit for candlelight dinner and have your husband serve dessert.
Hot Chocolate Soufflé
Serves 6
During the season of overindulgences—Christmas, New Year and all the festivities in between—there is in our home a succession of store-brought, traditional goodies: Bûche de Noël (yule log), marrons glacés (glazed chestnuts), the 13 desserts of Christmas in Provence. This is not to say that the holidays don't bring out the baker in all of us, but whether it is to give as gifts or to maintain tradition, people do load up with holiday sweets from pastry shops (as I can attest from seeing from the window of our Paris apartment the annual long lines of people outside the pastry shop across the street). When I grew up, however, come New Year's Day, and there was a home-cooked chocolate ritual. Our big festive meal was on New Year's Eve, which left New Year's Day as a quiet, family "recovery" day. (I appreciate some reverse the big meal day… or have one both days.) Anyway, for us, breakfast was well… late (especially for those of us who went partying after dinner), and limited to a piece of toast and a cup or two of coffee. Lunch was mid afternoon and usually made up of leftovers or an omelet, but the first dinner of the year was marked with a special dessert. The simple meal at the end of a week of overindulgences consisted of a light consommé, some greens, cheese, and the chocolate treat. There were no guests, plenty of time, and Mamie was ready for the flourless soufflé. She is a chocoholic and it would be unthinkable to start the year off without chocolate. So, what better way to end the first day of the New Year than with one of her favorite chocolate desserts as both a reward and I'm sure good-luck charm?
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 1-quart soufflé mold by lightly buttering it, dusting the insides with sugar and tapping out the excess. Place mold in refrigerator.
2. Pour the milk, cocoa powder and sugar into a heavy saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over moderate heat while stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook while stirring until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly.
3. Separate the eggs and stir the egg yolks into the warm chocolate mixture. Stir in the butter.
4. Beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Add the salt and beat until stiff. Whisk half of the egg whites mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites gently with a spatula. Pour the mixture in the soufflé mold and smooth the top.
5. Bake in the lower-middle shelf of the oven until puff and brown for about 18 minutes which will give you a soft center. Serve at once with softly whipped cream.
Red Mullet with Spinach en Papillote
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 fillets of red mullet, about 2 ounces each
1 lb. spinach, washed and dried in a salad spinner
4 teaspoons shallots, peeled and sliced
8 slices of lime
4 tablespoons of crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper (or aluminum foil) into squares large enough to cover each fillet and leave a 2-inch border all around. Lightly brush the squares with olive oil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Put the spinach in the center of each square and top it with a tablespoon of crème fraîche. Top with two fillets and add one teaspoon of shallots, two slices of lime. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Fold up the edges to form packets. Put the papillotes on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve at once by setting each papillote on a plate.
N.B. You can use sole or snapper instead of red mullet
Pappardelle with Spring Veggies
Serves 4
Ingredients:
12 ounces pappardelle
1 lb. green asparagus
2 cups fresh peas, shelled
2 tablespoons of shallots, peeled and minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of pine nuts, toasted
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 cup roughly chopped parsley
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Cut off end of asparagus and blanch in salted water until just tender (about 5 minutes). Blanch peas separately for about 1 minute.
2. In a heavy saucepan, gently sauté the shallots in olive oil until they begin to turn gold. Add peas and asparagus and cook for a few minutes.
3. Cook the pappardelle in boiling water, drain and pour into saucepan. Add pine nuts, parmesan and parsley and season to taste. Serve immediately.
Croque aux Poires
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 slices of brioche
2 ripe pears
2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon butter
1. Peel the pears and cut into small cubes. Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the pear cubes for 2-3 minutes.
2. Arrange pear cubes on brioche slices. Cover with honey and almonds. Put under broiler for two minutes watching carefully. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
A yummy dessert also wonderful for a weekend breakfast or brunch.
Book Description
Stylish, convincing, wise, funny–and just in time: the ultimate non-diet book, which could radically change the way you think and live.
French women don’t get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals. In her delightful tale, Mireille Guiliano unlocks the simple secrets of this “French paradox”–how to enjoy food and stay slim and healthy. Hers is a charming, sensible, and powerfully life-affirming view of health and eating for our times.
As a typically slender French girl, Mireille (Meer-ray) went to America as an exchange student and came back fat. That shock sent her into an adolescent tailspin, until her kindly family physician, “Dr. Miracle,” came to the rescue. Reintroducing her to classic principles of French gastronomy plus time-honored secrets of the local women, he helped her restore her shape and gave her a whole new understanding of food, drink, and life. The key? Not guilt or deprivation but learning to get the most from the things you most enjoy. Following her own version of this traditional wisdom, she has ever since relished a life of indulgence without bulge, satisfying yen without yo-yo on three meals a day.
Now in simple but potent strategies and dozens of recipes you’d swear were fattening, Mireille reveals the ingredients for a lifetime of weight control–from the emergency weekend remedy of Magical Leek Soup to everyday tricks like fooling yourself into contentment and painless new physical exertions to save you from the StairMaster. Emphasizing the virtues of freshness, variety, balance, and always pleasure, Mireille shows how virtually anyone can learn to eat, drink, and move like a French woman.
A natural raconteur, Mireille illustrates her philosophy through the experiences that have shaped her life–a six-year-old’s first taste of Champagne, treks in search of tiny blueberries (called myrtilles) in the woods near her grandmother’s house, a near-spiritual rendezvous with oysters at a seaside restaurant in Brittany, to name but a few. She also shows us other women discovering the wonders of “French in action,” drawing examples from dozens of friends and associates she has advised over the years to eat and drink smarter and more joyfully.
Here are a culture’s most cherished and time-honored secrets recast for the twenty-first century. For anyone who has slipped out of her zone, missed the flight to South Beach, or accidentally let a carb pass her lips, here is a buoyant, positive way to stay trim. A life of wine, bread–even chocolate–without girth or guilt? Pourquoi pas?
Download Description
“Part Proustian memoir, part guide to living well, part recipe for Miracle Leek Soup, this book announces its distance from the Zone, the Atkins and all the rest on the very first page . . . Even the most skeptical and envious woman will find it hard to hold out against the charms of a beautifully written book that features both chocolate and love as key ingredients in a balanced diet.”–Allison Pearson, The Daily Telegraph (London)
“Mireille Guiliano's book is slender, elegant, well-spoken, sensible, and unembarrassed by the frank embrace of stratagems–just like the French women whom she holds up to the reader to admire and, if we can, to emulate.” –Adam Gopnik, author of Paris to the Moon
“I recognized things from my own French background and discovered quite a bit more. An important and fascinating book for all those people out there who’ve ridden the vicious diet roller coaster to failure.” —Nicole Miller
“Not only delicious, but a true story from one of the greatest ladies in the world.” —Chef Emeril Lagasse
“French Women Don’t Get Fat is not only charming and witty, but useful. It made me want to run out and buy a pound of leeks and a bottle of Champagne!” —Sharon Boorstin, author of Cooking for Love and Let Us Eat Cake
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Made staying slim for life seem not so daunting after all (really 3.5).......2007-10-11
I started this book before I went to bed one night (I always have to read something before I go to sleep to unwind, though this one kept me up) and finished it upon waking the next morning. It is not worth the new price tag, but definitely worth the read. It's not much of a recipe book (though I found a few worth trying), but more of a pep talk, and a very good one, too, because I am inspired to cut my portions in half (though sans on the champagne--too expensive, not to mention totally unnecessary, but then I don't like the taste of alcohol anyway), eat more fruit, etc. Though recasting is just another word for fasting, it is something I will do the day before I begin my lifestyle change (to clean out my system so that I may start fresh), but my recasting menu will vary somewhat, maybe include several of those new Sunsweet Ones prunes, some fresh watermelon juice perhaps (oh, wait, it's out of season), etc. It's not that I don't like leeks, I've never had them, but I want to start with more familiar foods, foods I know I'll like, or else it'll feel like a diet.
I was expecting, from some of the reviews I read, that Mrs. Guiliano would come across as a snob, but I actually didn't get that from her. She's just right about the way most Americans are, and it's hard to say how lazy they are without sounding insulting. Hey, I work in a grocery store and some customers will take something out of the freezer, but instead of putting it back if they decide they don't want it, they'll just leave it out. How hard is it to open a door? I am American, and I am disgusted by the fatness, laziness and rudeness (not to mention stupidity, but then, that's just stems from laziness sometimes because they'll ask me where something is when all they have to do is look) of some of the American population; I am even more disgusted when I see an obese child drinking a can of soda in the store and when they pass the doughnuts, ask their parents if they can get some and they say yes. I mean, can't they see how fat their kid(s) is(are)? What kills me is that their parents will say it's hereditary because they're fat, too, but then, they shovel all that junk into their bodies as well. I am not saying genetics don't pre-disposition you to a certain extent, but I believe that much more often than not, it's an excuse, because some people are just lucky and others have to work at it.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I felt like I was taking an imaginary trip to France. I found Mrs. Guiliano's opinion on gyms interesting. I, too, think gyms are a waste of time and money because you can exercise for free and many of those same people who pay for a gym membership are the very ones who drive around for ten minutes trying to squeeze into the closest parking space. I only park close when I'm on a time crunch or if it's late at night and I'm alone. I will admit I'll park close if a slot's available, but, after reading this book, I am going to make more of an effort. I have in the past, I just got lazy.
But, I was thinking about how I dreaded going to the gym because it was so mind-numbingly boring and you have to get dressed, drive there, etc., when I could just jump on the trampoline at home or skip rope or do the hula hoop (which is GREAT for the abs). The Skip-It toy is also fun and really works the calves. If I lived in a two-story house, I would be going up and down the stairs all day (I feel silly on a machine) and if I knew how to ride a bicycle without training wheels, I would ride around the neighborhood (again, it's just not the same in a smelly, stuffy gym as it is outdoors, with the sunshine on my face and the breeze blowing through my hair). I do have a pair of roller-skates though. There's dancing, tennis, water aerobics, etc., etc. There are just so many more fun things to do than work out on a bunch of machines. We do not need special food (i.e. Slimfast, etc.) or fancy, expensive machines to be fit and healthy, not to mention eliminating entire food groups. Eat to live, but live a little. One ounce of real chocolate can provide as much pleasure as a Snickers bar, if we savor it. Just like it's better to consume one tablespoon of real butter than three of the fake stuff. We've become such an artificial society. We're meant to eat fat and work it off, not eat any and be sedentary.
I think it was Mrs. Guiliano's enthusiasm for everything French and her great faith in her Parisian gospel she was sharing that really inspired me. I do, however, still think that for some peoples with slow metabolism, they need to do more than opt to take the stairs or walk across the parking lot whenever possible, even if they are eating French-style.
Though the majority of France is trim, that doesn't necessarily mean they are strong or healthy (I don't know how many of those slender people could run a mile without gasping for breath afterwards), so I take that consideration into account. I am reminded of those women in those Nutra-System (I think those are the ones) commercials who act like the only reason they wanted to lose weight was so they could wear a bikini
. I want to be trim not just because I want to look good, but I want to feel good, too.
So...this book was well worth the six bucks (and hardback edition, too) to me, and worth keeping in my library, too, forsaking any trade-in credit I may get back for it. It was an experience.
MNReview.......2007-10-02
Super to have the author read the book (loved her accent). Sounded like a friend talking to you.
Everyone should read it.......2007-09-27
I loved reading this book. It's not just a diet book, or a weight loss book; it's a healthy lifestyle conversion book. Mireille Guiliano keeps you interested with her humor, personal experiences and tasty recipes. This book is not going to give you a quick fix to your weight issues, but will open your eyes to why you (and the American population) are overweight. It is a source of inspriation and helpful hints to make lifestyle changes. I highly recommend it as a fresh weight loss remedy and cultural read.
Love this book.......2007-09-11
Its refreshingly different perspective from Cosmo and other women's magazines! You will not drop 10 pounds in 10 hours, its about balance and enjoying your life.
Great recipes, well written, simply lovely.
I gave this book to a friend for her birthday, I don't think she knew what to make of it. Give it a shot, you will like it!
A little condescending but very interesting and PRACTICLE.......2007-09-10
"French Women..." have many common threads with Can We Live 150 Years? by another European author, Mr. Tombak. French Women reads more like a novel, and it is also very appealing visually. Sometimes, however, it feels a little condescending... On the contrary, I don't actually like the cover of Can We Live", but it is much more comprehensive and detailed in respect to giving you advice for a healthy life style. The common ideas in both books are:
1. eating only fresh ingredients, drinking a lot of water
2. enjoying the process of eating, chewing well (Tombak), celebrating each meal (Guiliano)
3. eating all kind of foods, not following any fad diets
4. eating a lot of vegetables and fruits
5. using your muscles, exercising
6. focusing on pleasure of foods and life in general
7. changing your diet according to the season
8. eating in small potions, not overindulging ...
The list goes on. Most importantly: LOVING YOUR MEALS WHILE USING COMMON SENSE AT THE SAME TIME. I like "French Women..." for the pleasure of reading but I prefer "Can We Live 150..." for the comprehensive, detailed approach to nutrition, longevity and healthy life style.
Book Description
No judgement of taste is innocent. In a word, we are all snobs. Pierre Bourdieu brilliantly illuminates this situation of the middle class in the modern world. France's leading sociologist focusses here on the French bourgeoisie, its tastes and preferences. Distinction is at once a vast ethnography of contemporary France and a dissection of the bourgeois mind.
In the course of everyday life people constantly choose between what they find aesthetically pleasing and what they consider tacky, merely trendy, or ugly. Bourdicu bases his study on surveys that took into account the multitude of social factors that play a part in a Frenchperson's choice of clothing, furniture, leisure activities, dinner menus for guests, and many other matters of taste. What emerges from his analysis is that social snobbery is everywhere in the bourgeois world. The different aesthetic choices people make are all distinctions-that is, choices made in opposition to those made by other classes. Taste is not pure. Bourdieu finds a world of social meaning in the decision to order bouillabaisse, in our contemporary cult of thinness, in the "California sports" such as jogging and cross-country skiing. The social world, he argues, functions simultaneously as a system of power relations and as a symbolic system in which minute distinctions of taste become the basis for social judgement.
The topic of Bourdieu's book is a fascinating one: the strategies of social pretension are always curiously engaging. But the book is more than fascinating. It is a major contribution to current debates on the theory of culture and a challenge to the major theoretical schools in contemporary sociology.
Customer Reviews:
Bourdieu.......2007-02-18
I think that if you are interested in this book, then you probably know what you are in for. It's hard going (of course) but worth the effort.
A Must Read!.......2004-04-03
This is a fantastic explication of how social class prearranges our tastes and interests. I disagree with the reader who thinks that it is not applicable to American society--to the contrary. It is true that American culture is not so obviously stratified in the exact same ways as French culture (of the 1960s, I would add, when Bourdieu collected his data). Also, in American culture there is less of a tendency to exploit the social markers (dress, etc.) that one might find in Europe, and it's hip nowadays for the middle-class to adopt the style and dress of the street (e.g., hip-hop); nevertheless, I'd say that this is a veneer of street-cred, and that if you were to look at how the middle-class actually lives compares to those where hip-hop originated, you'd find some pretty significant differences.
However, his basic differentiation between working class/petit bourgeois (small business owners, clerical workers and the like)/grand bourgeois (professionals, executives, and large industrialists) certainly carries over into American society. And most interesting is his claim that the higher up in the food chain one goes, the more one's taste in the "aesthetic" inclines towards Kant's idea of disinterested formalism, while the lower classes tend to want their art to be informed by ethics and morality.
Bourdieu sees these tendencies as "embodied" and largely unconsciously adopted through our upbringing. One only has to watch a television show like "The O.C." and how they cast Ryan's mother in comparison to the trophy wives of Orange County to see that even in America class and taste and body language are still encoded in our body language, choice of dress, manners, and conversational style. The economic reality of America is that a Wal-Mart worker or transcontinental trucker is NOT middle-class in the same way as a doctor, whether in terms of taste or salary. Anyone who thinks so is either deluding themselves or doesn't want to see the truth.
Bourdieu does not neglect to mention sex (although he doesn't have as much to say about race), and has sections on women's body image (the richer, the thinner) and how the different classes deal with food (high-fat, high-carb for lower classes, fresh veggies and lean meats for higher classes). In America, our current epidemic of obesity is not only the result of marketing campaigns, but also (perhaps largely) the result of poor quality food (e.g. fast food, prepared food) being made much more affordable than high quality food (fresh produce, fish, organic). If you can't afford to eat well in America, you probably won't.
Moreover, Bourdieu makes the observation, which holds true in America as much as anywhere else, that formal education (which reinforces "legitimate" taste) can change one's tastes and values, but that one's early social upbringing will lead to a quicker assimilation of "legitimate" culture. As someone who went to bourgeois schools without a bourgeois background, and who has subsequently taught at state universities in poor areas, this truism is so obvious as to hardly need explication. Much of the poor performance of underclass or non-bourgeois students is as much due to lack of early acculturation (by this I mean exposure to "culture" like non-Hollywood films, art museums, etc., but also the habits and customs associated with school learning and higher education) as it is to any basic intelligence.
Finally, it's true that Bourdieu's style is rather ponderous, repetitive, and academic, and the book is very long indeed. Nevertheless, I can't agree that it compares with the difficulty of Derrida, Jameson, Bhabha, or other high theorists. Bourdieu's sentences are sometimes long and have many subordinate clauses, but their basic subjects and verbs are easily identifiable! The Conclusion and Postscript do raise the level of difficulty, but the Introduction and body of the main text are accessible and basically say everything he has to say (many times). Anyone with a basic undergraduate education (one that has done its job properly) should be able to handle Bourdieu's style in this particular book.
read it for the diagrams.......2000-10-29
Distinction is the most cited book from Bourdieu, one of France's most prolific scholars. The book tends to assume that its readers are familiar with his key terms, developed mostly in _Outline of a Theory of Practice_ and _Logic of Practice_. Although it is the most cited, beginning readers of Bourdieu should probably start with _Partical Reason_ to get a handle on these concepts before getting involved in this larger tome.
Word for word, Bourdieu's writing style is not economical, and he is almost as cumbersome as Derrida. He does not approach the overly-complex mode of Deleuze and Guattari. His concepts bear the most resemblance to those of an early Baudrillard or a late Gramsci in terms of their interpretation of the social world, although he will depart into some more Marxist modes of interpretation.
Bourdieu's _Distinction_ is most valuable for his diagrams, as they provide a clear graphic representation of what he is trying to say. If one wants the read Bourdieu for content and/or argument, she would be better directed to one of his other books named above, as his arguments are more on-point and rpecide.
In addition, _Distinction_ is careful to limit itself to a data set collected in the late 60s and early 70s. Although the theory seems to be a sound one, Bourdieu makes claims of greater applicability in his books about the Bayle: _Outline_ and _Logic_. For discussions of modern Europe, his newer _Weight of the World_ provides a better, and more recent, analysis of the same social trends as in _Distinction_.
A brilliant look at the social implications of taste.......2000-09-12
I come back to this book time and again in my own work and see it as one of the most indispensible books today on issues of aesthetics, class distinctions, group identity, and covert social inequality. Bourdieu takes on the Kantian aesthetics of the "subjective universal," showing that the value judgments about things reflect material and social conditions and in fact index social and class differences. The way we classify things (operas, desserts, leisure activities) is inextricably tied up with the way we classify ourselves as social beings and others as members of other social groups.
Distinction is a long and difficult book, but from start to finish it is full of fascinating and original insights. Bourdieu's language is loaded with big words and long sentences, but I find that after I get used to the kinds of words and structures he uses, his language actually becomes pretty clear and straight-forward. It's definitely worth the time and brain-power needed to read it.
Good French ethnography from brilliant intellect.......2000-09-12
Pierre Bourdieu is a tremendous intellect, and has produced far superior work to this book. _Distinction_ is a fascinating book, particularly for those interested in French society. Yet its relevance cannot really extend to America, which has a markedly different system of class. The French have deeply entrenched class consciousness, in both a pragmatic sense and a Marxist sense, whereas 90% of Americans consider themselves "middle class." Bourdieu shows that the French are at pains to symbolically express their class differences, and he does so with aplomb. He compiles statistics and data which show ways in which the French produce their own class position through consumption, education, and taste. But his observations are less applicable to the vast American "middle class." Class mobility, education, and stylistic expression are much more democratically distributed in America. So while many French are content with their class position, vocation, and traditions, most Americans see themselves as "middle class," striving for better, and free from tradition. _Distinction_ is an interesting and accesible book, but those looking for Bourdieu's contributions to social theory will be better served by some of his other works.
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
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