Reading Recap, Vol. 04
Reviews from books authored by Anthony Bourdain, The Dalai Lama, and Keith McNally (a trio of men I never expected to find in the same room).
Summer has rolled in and analog life is suddenly far more robust than it was in January when launching Pages+Pours. Still, we make the time for the things that matter - like sharing recently loved literature from our last event and featured readers.
This time around we hosted at Thayer in the East Village - what a treat! Part printing press, part cafe, part wine and beer shop - Thayer feels like you’re caught in the crosshairs of the Scandi art scene if it were in Venice Beach but it’s actually the coziest book-nook in alphabet city. If that doesn’t make sense, trust me it will once you visit.
Now let’s get to the reviews.
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Reviewed by Rachel R.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
As the title suggests, the book is an unfiltered peek under the hood of the culinary world, recounted with blustery candor. Anthony writes in self-described “Kitchenese”, a language he claims anyone who has suffered under the despotic rule of a tyrannical chef or boobish owner would understand. The book is written for chefs, and as someone who has never inhabited that world, he presents a poetically grotesque landscape of misfits, boorish behavior and nerve shattering chaos. All to say that this life of hustle, in spite of everything, can be fun and deeply rewarding. The book is full of crude anecdotes and self deprecation all while maintaining a sense of joie de vivre, which makes his end of life all the more tragic. Eloquent and observant, he is truly a great writer and strings words together effortlessly and beautifully.
I originally picked this book up two years ago and found myself put off by the testosterone-forward sentiment, but someone at the last Pages and Pours recommended the audiobook, which is really what did it for me. While the book itself isn’t deeply personal, the experience of hearing his words in his voice made it so, not to mention his sultry, charming intonation and the way he rolls through words like “cuel-inary”.
🍷 Pairing:
I recommend a cigarette, or twenty, and a bottle of beer.
The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science & Spirituality by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Reviewed by Jackie R.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
I delightfully devoured this nonfiction treatise by Nobel Peace Prize winner His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (which I will refer to as HH for short). I’m docking one star because this book was published in 2005, so the science feels outdated at times. I enjoyed it not for its immediate timeliness or relevance, but for its honest probing of the nebulous intersection of scientific theory, religion, and philosophy. HH offers a side-by-side comparison of ancient Buddhist wisdom and modern breakthroughs, explicitly saying: "If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims." He only did so once or twice, which is to humbly say, that shit holds up.
Born to a peasant farming family in 1935, HH never encountered basic modern technology like electricity until he toured China in 1954. Enthroned at the age of 6, he only ever formally received a monastic education. After fleeing to India in exile, he has since sought decades of individual training with some of history’s greatest researchers, incorporated science into the Tibetan national curriculum, and launched the Mind & Life Institute, a nonprofit conference dedicated to international spiritual and scientific inquiry.
The book runs the gamut of scientific disciplines. Chapters progress through quantum physics and particle nature, the Big Bang and cosmology, and genetics & evolution, culminating in multiple chapters on consciousness. Interestingly, he raises important demands about integrating firsthand subjective experience, such as that offered through meditation, with the clinical third-person objectivity of the scientific method. HH gracefully calls out the limitations of Western modes of thinking and proposes a bold, interfaith vision for a new era of human enlightenment.
The first few chapters are dry, but stick around for this book if you’re into neuroscience, metaphysics, or have a STEM background and active meditation practice. But most importantly, read this to reaffirm your faith in humanity, and to remember that there still exist world leaders motivated by compassion, humility, and the pursuit of absolute truth. God knows we all need that.
🍷 Pairing:
Effervescence in any form! ✨
Because the Dalai Lama does not drink alcohol in accordance with Buddhist precepts, I’m inclined to recommend a floral NA elixir like BKE’s Pear & Chrysanthemum Kombucha. If you insist on wine (which I heartily condone) your best bet would be a zippy, effervescent light orange. Either option will invoke the buzzing energy of subatomic particles and the boundless potential of primordial soup.
I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally
Reviewed by me
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Keith McNally is often referred to as the restaurateur who invented downtown New York. If you’re like me, you might not have known him by name – but instead through his iconic restaurants that have peppered Manhattan for the last several decades: Balthazar, The Odeon, Pastis, Cafe Luxembourg, to name a few.
I picked up this book for one reason, if I’m honest, and it’s that I love the title. Yes, I love memoirs, especially those set in the New York of the ’70s and ’80s. But mostly, I think it’s an excellent title. And while Keith regrets almost everything, I absolutely do not regret purchasing this book. (And I’m fairly certain he would hate that line, based on how thoroughly he described his repugnance for clichés.)
This memoir reads like something of an apology written a little too late – written only after Keith had taken the time to reflect on his life: the type of person he was, the experiences and places that shaped him, and what he feels he could have done differently. Unfortunately, the catalyst for this level of reflection was a life-altering stroke followed by a suicide attempt at his home in Martha’s Vineyard. Perhaps, for many of us, it takes events of that magnitude to face the truest version of ourselves.
This book is honest. You won’t always like what Keith has to say. You may find his words contradictory. But you might, like me, find something admirable in his willingness to voice unpopular opinions in an age that doesn’t welcome them. Or in his ability to confront and own his shortcomings. Or in the courage it takes to share such an intriguing life and flawed self in a no-holds-barred manner.
I could not put this one down.
🍷 Pairing:
A flute of champagne - as is served on the house for all solo diners at McNally’s establishments to make them feel welcome. A class act and a summary of the man’s character.
Have you read any of these? Will you? Let us know in comments and bring your pens + opinions to our next event — this fall!