Underrated Reads

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 embarked on a journey to reclaim their rightful place in the narrative of ballet. They…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction | Tagged ballet, black history, dancers, racism | Comments Off

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 as those on perseverance, and self-improvement and control. These notes are at the beginning of…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction | Tagged jazz, music | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited -All Who Wander – Joe Clifford

Posted on April 18, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I’ve spent years in therapy pushing dark memories into a black corner where, without light, I though the wild things could not grow. I was wrong. Left alone and ignored, I’ve provided ideal conditions for them to flourish.” And allow others to manipulate us with their “truth”. In All Who Wander, we…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged crime fiction, family dysfunction, psychological drama | Comments Off

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 an insider's perspective on the rise and evolution of this Italian clothing company. Della Barba…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction | Tagged Britain, Business, fashion, Italy, memoirs | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: January – Sara Gallardo (translated by Frances Riddle)

Posted on April 12, 2024 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) January (Enero) first published in Spanish in 1958, follows the daily life and thoughts of sixteen-year-old Nefer, who finds she is pregnant after a rape. Nefer works on the family farm, and lives in the shadow of her sister and the other girls in the Argentine village. There seems to be…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged abortion, Argentina, class, culture, Latin American Lit, rape | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited- Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD – Jason Kander

Posted on April 8, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) One would think that Jason Kander had it all. He completed his law degree from Georgetown University and was married to Diana, a girl he met when they were both seventeen. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives while still in his 20s. He was then elected to the office…

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Afghanistan, memoirs, mental illness, politics, PTSD, veterans | Comments Off

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 logistics to help demonstrate the difference between bossing people around versus effectively developing and managing…

Posted in How do I do that?, Non-fiction | Tagged leadership, Non-fiction | Comments Off

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 seemingly random musings about famous people he met along the way. Stock is a self-effacing…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs | Tagged journalism, memoirs | Comments Off

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?” There was more to it though. Novelist and screenwriter Jerry Stahl felt his life was…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Reviewers' Top Picks | Tagged addiction, Auschwitz, Holocaust, Nazism, tourism | Comments Off