Category Archives: Non-fiction

Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres – Charles Jensen

Posted on May 3, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres is structured in essays, each representing a “splice” of writer and cinephile Charles Jensen’s life. Each story is interwoven with a particular film that he studies in … Continue reading →

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The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History – Karen Valby

Posted on April 30, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) At the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, five original dancers from the Dance Theater of Harlem formed the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council. Lydia Abarca, Gayle Mc-Kinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton … Continue reading →

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The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins -Sonny Rollins, Sam V.H. Reese (Editor, Introduction)

Posted on April 22, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) In 1959, twenty-eight-year-old tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins disappeared for two years with the purpose of practicing and improving his craft. He wrote down his thoughts on technical aspects of the saxophone, “rethinking musical concepts”, as well … Continue reading →

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Benetton: A true story – Francesco della Barba

Posted on April 15, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Benetton: A True Story offers a fascinating journey through the history of one of the most iconic fashion brands of the 1980s. Written by Francesco della Barba, the Executive Vice-President of Benetton USA, this memoir provides … Continue reading →

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Leader, Not a Boss: Start Leading Today: A No-Nonsense Guide for New Managers – Benjamin Babic

Posted on April 1, 2024 by J D Jung

(reviewed by John Heilman) Leader, Not a Boss is great for new managers. Although the book doesn’t break new ground, it is a well-organized primer on effective management practices. The author uses his own experience managing teams in sales and … Continue reading →

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Me and The Times: My wild ride from elevator operator to New York Times editor, columnist, and change agent (1967-97) -Robert W. Stock

Posted on March 28, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jay Gendron)     Me and the Times is the story of Robert Stock’s journey from humble beginnings to the position of NYTimes editor and columnist. It is chronological, for the most part, but takes many detours into … Continue reading →

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Nein, Nein, Nein!: One Man’s Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment, and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust – Jerry Stahl

Posted on March 22, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Why stay in this country, listening to mere Proud Boy-esque neo-Nazis, when you could go to the source, to Poland and Germany, and experience the birthplace of actual Nazi-Nazis? How better to soak up fascist antibodies?” … Continue reading →

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The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America – Jeffrey Rosen

Posted on February 28, 2024 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. But what did the “pursuit of Happiness” mean to the founding fathers? American legal scholar, Jeffrey Rosen uncovers … Continue reading →

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Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family – Mark Daley

Posted on February 18, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jay Gendron) Mark Daley takes us through a courageous, heartbreaking journey in Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family. This book serves as an indictment of the foster care system in … Continue reading →

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How Not to Kill Your Plant – Magda Gargulakova and Lenka Chytilova, Hannah Abbo (Illustrator)

Posted on January 19, 2024 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) For those of you who have thought about maintaining an indoor plant but don’t know where to start, How Not to Kill Your Plant is the book for you. This guide is comprehensive and will provide … Continue reading →

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