Atul Gawande. Being Mortal. New York: Thorndike Press, 2014. As reviewed by Ted Odenwald Dr. Gawande’s study is both a challenge to the medical profession and an alert to patients and their families. He states that advances in medications and technology have “…turned the process of aging and dying into […]
Fredrick Backman. A Man Called Ove. Henning Koch (Trans.). New York: Large Print Press, 2014. As reviewed by Ted Odenwald To most observers, Ove, the protagonist in Fredrick Backman’s novel, was a sarcastic, bullying, loud-mouthed boor—the community curmudgeon. He was grumpy because “people never gave him reason to see it […]
Noah Isenberg. We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life. Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2017. As reviewed by Ted Odenwald I might have passed over this book had it not been for the enthusiastic reaction to the movie by a college sophomore, […]
Louise Penny. A Great Reckoning. New York: Minotaur Books, 2016. As reviewed by Ted Odenwald In Louise Penny’s most recent mystery novel, Armand Gamache had embraced retirement in the idyllic village of Three Pines, hoping to heal his wounded body and spirit. Betrayed and nearly killed by his superiors and […]
Heather Ann Thompson. Blood in the Water. New York: Pantheon Books, 2016 As reviewed by Ted Odenwald Forty-five years after the bloody retaking of Attica prison by New York State Police and correctional officers, new facts are emerging, though it is clear that many questions are still unanswered. Heather Ann […]
Ron Chernow. Alexander Hamilton. New York: Penguin Books, 2004. As Reviewed by Ted Odenwald Thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash hit, “Hamilton,” the biography which inspired that play has resurfaced as a must-read (or re-read) work. Ron Chernow’s methodical research and incisive analysis has produced a vivid portrait of the life […]
