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UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Category Archives: Non-fiction
Pancakes in Paris: Living the American Dream in France – Craig Carlson
(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) “I spoke of my favorite city and how beautiful it was…How all it needed was an American breakfast joint, and then it would be perfect!” Former Hollywood screenwriter, Craig Carlson, wanted to live his dream and … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Food & Cooking, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged LGBTQ, memoirs, Paris, travel
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The Bible in Spain: Or, The journeys, adventures, and imprisonments of an Englishman, in an attempt to circulate the Scriptures in the peninsula. – George Henry Borrow
(Reviewed by arwen1968) In 1842, a nobody called George Borrow wrote a detailed, 550-pages-long account of his day job. Sounds boring? Well, it isn’t: Borrow’s day job was to sell bibles in war-torn, Catholic Spain. Anybody familiar with Catholicism knows … Continue reading
Posted in History, Lost and almost forgotten
Tagged classics, history, Religion
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Super Nuke!: A Memoir About Life as a Nuclear Submariner and the Contributions of a “Super Nuke” – the USS RAY (SSN653) Toward Winning the Cold War – Charles Cranston Jett
(Reviewed by Ishita RC) “We thought about the young men on that submarine, officers and enlisted men, who were fellow submariners like us. They were doing their job for their own country and were using the same sort of training … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged military, U. S. History
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Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, The Flesh, and L.A. – Eve Babitz (Author), Matthew Specktor (Introduction)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Los Angeles isn’t a city. It’s a gigantic, sprawling, ongoing studio. Everything is off the record. People don’t have time to apologize for its not being a city when their civilized friends suspect them of losing … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Lost and almost forgotten
Tagged baby-boomers, biography, drugs, Los Angeles, memoirs, San Francisco
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Two Legged Snakes: Understanding and Handling Manipulative People – Dr. Ed Slack
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Like many Americans, I’ve been disenchanted with U.S. politics and all three branches of government. This reminds me of a book I read and reviewed in 2010. Unfortunately, nothing has changed. We’re constantly bombarded by people … Continue reading
Posted in Non-fiction
Tagged book reviews, deception, Non-fiction
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The Devil’s Defender: My Odyssey Through American Criminal Justice from Ted Bundy to the Kandahar Massacre – John Henry Browne
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Does helping the devil make you a devil too? That is, while defending Ted Bundy did I somehow absorb evil?” Many question the motives of attorneys like John Henry Browne as to why they agree to … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs
Tagged book rev, evil, serial killers, Ted Bundy
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Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser and Curiouser – Philosophy – Richard Brian Davis and William Irwin (Editors)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Is Alice in Wonderland simply a fantastic children’s tale? Is it a result of author Lewis Carroll’s madness or opium addiction? No, according to some academics, there’s a lot more. In fact, philosophy professors Richard Brian … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophical reads
Tagged Alice in Wonderland, book reviews
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Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating- Moira Weigel
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…dating itself often feels like the worst, most precarious form of contemporary labor: an unpaid internship. You cannot be sure where things are heading, but you try to gain experience. If you look sharp, you might … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction
Tagged book reviews, dating, love, Romance
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Round Seventeen & 1/2: The Names Have Been Changed to Protect the Inefficient – Rich Siegel
(Reviewed by Don Jung) We’ve evolved from the mad men of the 1960’s and 70’s to the internet and social media of the twenty-first century. However, one thing hasn’t changed. The advertising industry still tries to get you to buy … Continue reading
Posted in More non-fiction
Tagged Advertising, book reviews
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A Field Guide to the F Word – Ben Parker
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “In the post [WWII] years, The [F] Word began to creep into the mainstream, used for some supposed shock value. But then the dam burst. The incessant use of The [F] Word today has reduced its … Continue reading