ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER
Burnaby Public Library
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's Completed Shelf
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Agent JosephineAgent Josephine, BookAmerican Beauty, French Hero, British Spy
by Lewis, DamienBook - 2022Book, 2022
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Dec 13, 2022
Invisible ChildInvisible Child, BookPoverty, Survival, and Hope in An American City
by Elliott, AndreaBook - 2021Book, 2021
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Oct 28, 2022
Comment:
This is a spectacular book! All the characters are fascinating and relatable. At first, I was concerned that it might be "poverty porn", but these worries were allayed by Elliott's obvious empathy and admiration for her subjects. What a feat of immersive reporting this is! It's both compelling and heartbreaking. There's no mystery about why Elliott won the Pulitzer. Dasani, her parents and her siblings are survivors of a broken system that's left them irrevocably damaged. It's beyond miraculous they survived at all. Invisible Child is a powerful indictment of social services in New York (including the ironically and horrifically misnamed "Child Protection Agency"). And, clearly, there are similar stories right here in our own backyard.This is a spectacular book! All the characters are fascinating and relatable. At first, I was concerned that it might be "poverty porn", but these worries were allayed by Elliott's obvious empathy and admiration for her subjects. What a feat of…
In MontmartreIn Montmartre, BookPicasso, Matisse, and Modernism in Paris 1900-1910
by Roe, SueBook - 2015Book, 2015
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Jun 28, 2022
Comment:
I enjoyed In Montmartre, with some reservations. Roe's research is admirable, and the characters are (predictably) fascinating. However, her book is needlessly confusing at times. For instance, there appear to be (or maybe not?) two Alices. Since one (or perhaps both (Each seems to have a different surname.) is Alice B. Toklas, lover and biographer of Gertrude Stein, this is especially unfortunate. The writing is, for the most part, lucid and atmospheric, but I couldn't help wondering about the author's credentials. Her previous books on artists treat the Impressionists and the painter, Gwen John. As a scholar of art history and cultural studies, the reason I'm curious is that Roe doesn't explain (Does she know?) why Picasso's 1907 work, Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon, was so revolutionary. According to her biography, she has a doctorate in Creative Writing. Expertise certainly isn't everything, but sometimes it helps.I enjoyed In Montmartre, with some reservations. Roe's research is admirable, and the characters are (predictably) fascinating. However, her book is needlessly confusing at times. For instance, there appear to be (or maybe not?) two Alices. Since…
The World According to ColourThe World According to Colour, BookA Cultural History
by Fox, JamesBook - 2021Book, 2021
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Apr 07, 2022
Comment:
The author is an art history professor at Cambridge (not well-known for this subject area). However, I wasn't expecting such an uncritical approach. For instance, Fox tells us that Titian, as a youth, created a vibrant painting with colors squeezed from a bouquet of flowers (!). This apocryphal tale derives from the notoriously unreliable Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari, but it's related here as factual. Similarly, he provides a step-by-step account of Kandinsky's process when creating one of his most famous works with NO documentation. Did he just make it up? Such a serious lack of rigor surprised and shocked me. And my suspicions were compounded with the chapter on the so-called "agricultural revolution", a concept which has been aggressively challenged and largely discredited over the last several decades. Fox seems blithely unaware of such developments. For instance, he makes the point that early farmers must have been intrigued by the pigments in the plants they grew. Yet, hunter-gathers foraged for far more (having a much greater diversity in their diets) and likely extracted them for use as dyes. At any rate, there IS interesting information here (not really enhanced by Fox's often florid prose), but the volume should be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism.The author is an art history professor at Cambridge (not well-known for this subject area). However, I wasn't expecting such an uncritical approach. For instance, Fox tells us that Titian, as a youth, created a vibrant painting with colors squeezed…
Added Jun 05, 2021
Comment:
I like Moses's writing style, but she's clearly NOT a scholar. She makes several ridiculous errors, especially in her chapter re: Rembrandt's The Polish Rider. She contends, for instance, that dendrochronological tests confirming the age of the wooden panels in question means they were "painted during Rembrandt's time" (p. 56). Anyone with even limited knowledge of this topic should know that forgers routinely use old surfaces to confound such investigations. On the following page, she maintains that Rembrandt stopped painting in 1659, even tough his (very famous) final self-portrait was completed in 1669 (the year of his death). Even more egregious, is her statement on p. 51: "he [Rembrandt] printed many of his own etchings and lithographs", given that lithography is a process which wasn't invented until more than a century later (1796). A casual remark in the book (p. 75): "X-rays and chemical analyses...enable...Egyptian archaeologists to diagnose the disease that killed King Tut" is also less than accurate since most scholars believe the young Pharaoh died of an infection from a fractured leg. Unfortunately, this carelessness has the effect of making me skeptical about the rest of her research.I like Moses's writing style, but she's clearly NOT a scholar. She makes several ridiculous errors, especially in her chapter re: Rembrandt's The Polish Rider. She contends, for instance, that dendrochronological tests confirming the age of the…
The Home That Was Our CountryThe Home That Was Our Country, BookA Memoir of Syria
by Malek, AliaBook - 2017Book, 2017
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Sep 07, 2017
Slick WaterSlick Water, BookFracking and One Insider's Stand Against the World's Most Powerful Industry
by Nikiforuk, AndrewBook - 2015Book, 2015
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Oct 13, 2015
Comment:
Everyone should read this book, but especially those who are naive enough to think industry and government are on our side. This is Nikiforuk's best to date. Tar Sands was also very good, but what makes this effort stand out is its focus on the incredible, indomitable Jessica Ernst. It also says a lot about media concentration that I'd never heard of this amazing woman. She's better known internationally than she is here in Canada.Everyone should read this book, but especially those who are naive enough to think industry and government are on our side. This is Nikiforuk's best to date. Tar Sands was also very good, but what makes this effort stand out is its focus on the…
Eastern Europe!Eastern Europe!, BookEverything You Need to Know About the History (and More!) of A Region That Shaped Our World and Still Does
by Jankowski, TomekBook - 2013Book, 2013
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added May 20, 2015
Comment:
Eastern European history is something about which I know little, and I'm anxious to remedy that. However, this tome was a bit of a slog. The author is a Polish-American market analyst rather than a historian or a writer. While each chapter is enlivened with boxes entitled "Useless Trivia", Jankowski's lack of expertise and writing skill are a problem for most of the book. While I wouldn't say it's a waste of time, it didn't come alive for me until we reached the twentieth century.Eastern European history is something about which I know little, and I'm anxious to remedy that. However, this tome was a bit of a slog. The author is a Polish-American market analyst rather than a historian or a writer. While each chapter is…
149 Paintings You Really Need to See in Europe149 Paintings You Really Need to See in Europe, Book(so You Can Ignore the Others)
by Porter, JulianBook - 2013Book, 2013
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Jan 09, 2014
Comment:
Don't know why I'm a sucker for these lists (They've never been trendier, so, clearly, they attract others as well). Should have known from the parenthetical part of Porter's title I'd have problems with his book. Most people simply seem to laud the canonical works without identifying preferences or expressing opinions. So the fact that Porter chose to do this intrigued me. On the plus side, his volume contains useful information on museums and galleries, both renowned and obscure. Tips on how to avoid lines, arrange private viewings, etc. may be the best thing about it. There's also a fair amount of interesting trivia. However, much of his commentary is simply rehash of very conservative art historians like Sir Kenneth Clark. 149 Paintings is marred, too, by surprisingly ignorant observations and incompetence with written English. (He seems to think "enervate" is synonymous with "energize", for instance when it means the opposite!)Don't know why I'm a sucker for these lists (They've never been trendier, so, clearly, they attract others as well). Should have known from the parenthetical part of Porter's title I'd have problems with his book. Most people simply seem to laud the…
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Oct 03, 2013
Comment:
Abbate and Parker's history contains lots of interesting information. The problem, for me, was, although I'm an opera fan, I don't read music. Given the amount of technical discussion in the book, they appear to assume that their readers do. Luckily, my partner was a professional singer for over thirty years, and he's now a professor of voice. So when he was sitting beside me on the couch, I had a resource to explain both the concepts and the jargon. When I was on my own, it was more difficult. Glad I persevered, however. One refreshing thing is that the authors aren't afraid to take a position (unusual in this kind of writing). While I'm not sure I agree with their conclusions, I applaud their boldness.Abbate and Parker's history contains lots of interesting information. The problem, for me, was, although I'm an opera fan, I don't read music. Given the amount of technical discussion in the book, they appear to assume that their readers do.…
The Violinist's ThumbThe Violinist's Thumb, BookAnd Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code
by Kean, SamBook - 2012Book, 2012
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Oct 03, 2013
Comment:
-a fun read. Kean is witty and irreverent. There are some great yarns in The Violinist's Thumb. He's also remarkably adept at elucidating complex scientific concepts for non-scientists.
The Bonobo and the AtheistThe Bonobo and the Atheist, BookIn Search of Humanism Among the Primates
by Waal, F. B. M. deBook - 2013Book, 2013
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Sep 17, 2013
Comment:
This is at least the fourth book I've read by de Waal. In my opinion, his classic remains The Ape and the Sushi Master (2001). That said, The Bonobo and the Atheist is a delightful addition to his body of work. It contains many insights into our primate cousins and useful ruminations on the origins of cooperative behavior and morality. de Waal's device of using the Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch as a touchstone for these ruminations is intriguing and effective. Topical, engaging and thought-provoking, the volume strikes me as a much-needed antidote to Stephen Pinker's blinkered panegyric to reason in The Better Angels of Our Nature (which I enjoyed, despite that near-obsessive singlemindedness).This is at least the fourth book I've read by de Waal. In my opinion, his classic remains The Ape and the Sushi Master (2001). That said, The Bonobo and the Atheist is a delightful addition to his body of work. It contains many insights into our…
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Sep 17, 2013
Comment:
Abbott has written an absorbing and touching memoir of her life with her late father. He was a remarkable man in a very unusual situation: a single gay parent raising a daughter in 1970s San Francisco. This is also an unflinching tale of a fraught, but very close, relationship, and she doesn't let herself off the hook. A tenderly realized portrait of Haight Ashbury and the people who lived there that rings true (I visited the city in the late 60s and mid 70s.). Nostalgic and poignant, but, at the same time, intense and soul-searching, I finished Fairyland in two sittings. A terrific read!Abbott has written an absorbing and touching memoir of her life with her late father. He was a remarkable man in a very unusual situation: a single gay parent raising a daughter in 1970s San Francisco. This is also an unflinching tale of a fraught,…
The Assumptions Economists MakeThe Assumptions Economists Make, Book
by Schlefer, JonathanBook - 2012Book, 2012
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Sep 17, 2013
Comment:
I'm an eclectic reader, but I've read only a few books on economics. It has always struck me as a pseudo science, similar to astrology. Surely, the star economists, relied on heavily by governments are the court astrologers of today. Schlefer appears to agree, and, as a political scientist, writing a history of the field for the layman, he has both a jaundiced eye and a dry wit. Concepts are very clearly explained, and the dependence on models that are truly absurd laid bare. It's obvious these things are impractical and have no predictive value because not a single one of these experts predicted either the Great Depression of 1929 or the Great Recession of 2008 (though plenty of other people did). With a track record like theirs, why does anyone take them seriously. That's the question!I'm an eclectic reader, but I've read only a few books on economics. It has always struck me as a pseudo science, similar to astrology. Surely, the star economists, relied on heavily by governments are the court astrologers of today. Schlefer…
The Loves of the ArtistsThe Loves of the Artists, BookArt and Passion in the Renaissance
by Jones, JonathanBookBook
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Aug 30, 2013
Comment:
Jonathan Jones is art critic for the Guardian, and I've enjoyed some of his columns. I wouldn't waste my time on another of his books, however. Its publication attests to the public appetite for gossipy narratives on the private lives of artists. While some juicy tales are related here, it's a scattered, ill-conceived and unsatisfying effort. Despite a lengthy annotated bibliography that tries very hard to appear authoritative, it's painfully evident that Jones is NOT a scholar. His thesis is shaky; his research unreliable; and his approach broad and unfocused. Jones clearly (and problematically) relishes each image he describes. Yet, his reductive interpretations of paintings and statues, rendered in florid, flamboyant prose, only serve to diminish them (and him). Seemingly unaware of important developments in art history/visual studies over the past half-century, Jones possesses neither the skills to critically evaluate his sources nor the knowledge and experience to shape them into a useful and effective exploration/discussion.Jonathan Jones is art critic for the Guardian, and I've enjoyed some of his columns. I wouldn't waste my time on another of his books, however. Its publication attests to the public appetite for gossipy narratives on the private lives of artists.…
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Aug 25, 2013
Comment:
Forged is entertaining to read for characters like Tom Keating. It's satisfying when the elitism and pomposity of the art establishment are justifiably exposed to ridicule. If Keats had been content to do that, this would be a much better book. Ironically, both his thesis and his attempts support it are just as pretentious as the connoisseurs and art historians he lampoons. He provides footnotes for nearly everything except specialized terms which is annoyingly snobbish. And, beyond that, if you're trying to pillory the experts, you need to get your own facts right. Misspelling Urbino (one of the most famous and prolific of Renaissance courts) as Urbano in the title of Titian's Venus of Urbino TWICE doesn't help Keats' credibility. Nor does failing to mention that scholars Lisa del Giocondo isn't the only candidate for the subject of the Mona Lisa. We're usefully reminded that concern about authenticity on the part of collectors and institutions is a fairly recent phenomenon, but the text becomes very muddled towards the end. Ruminations on appropriation art, culture jamming, etc. are tangentially and tenuously related to Keat's dubious premise and ultimately lead nowhere.Forged is entertaining to read for characters like Tom Keating. It's satisfying when the elitism and pomposity of the art establishment are justifiably exposed to ridicule. If Keats had been content to do that, this would be a much better book.…
Far From the TreeFar From the Tree, BookParents, Children and the Search for Identity
by Solomon, AndrewBook - 2012Book, 2012
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Apr 12, 2013
Comment:
It's extremely rare for me to give a book (or anything else, for that matter) a five star rating. Nothing is perfect, after all. However, Far from the Tree treats such an important topic (the necessity of, not just acknowledging and accepting difference, but learning to love it), I have no choice. As I write this, I'm reminded of the cliched promises on old movie posters: "You'll laugh! You'll Cry!". Reading this volume, I did both—often. At times, I found myself at the kitchen table in the wee hours of the morning, chuckling, guffawing, sniffling and/or sobbing. The emotional impact of Far from the Tree is stunning.It's extremely rare for me to give a book (or anything else, for that matter) a five star rating. Nothing is perfect, after all. However, Far from the Tree treats such an important topic (the necessity of, not just acknowledging and accepting…
The Big DisconnectThe Big Disconnect, BookThe Story of Technology and Loneliness
by Slade, GilesBook - 2012Book, 2012
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Feb 19, 2013
Comment:
For some reason, I found the details of this book difficult to retain and recall. (It may be Slade's writing style.) That said, the work melds the history of so-called "personal technologies" with the sociology of urbanization. Food for thought here on the ways we use devices to prevent interaction and the consequences of that disengagement.For some reason, I found the details of this book difficult to retain and recall. (It may be Slade's writing style.) That said, the work melds the history of so-called "personal technologies" with the sociology of urbanization. Food for thought here…
The Curiosity of SchoolThe Curiosity of School, BookEducation and the Dark Side of Enlightenment
by Sherman, ZanderBook - 2012Book, 2012
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Feb 14, 2013
Comment:
This book is full of fascinating, if disheartening, information about the history of testing and schooling. As someone who has taught for many years and studied education, I knew some of it, but I also learned a lot. The author is very young, and he was home schooled. For both reasons, I think, the ride was bit uneven. To wit, he insists on his objectivity, but the text is often polemical. All the same, it's a very worthwhile read.This book is full of fascinating, if disheartening, information about the history of testing and schooling. As someone who has taught for many years and studied education, I knew some of it, but I also learned a lot. The author is very young, and he…
The Hare With Amber EyesThe Hare With Amber Eyes, BookA Hidden Inheritance
by De Waal, EdmundBook - 2010Book, 2010
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Jan 09, 2013
Comment:
De Waal's prose is carefully crafted as his pots (He's a brilliant ceramicist). This is an absorbing and atmospheric memoir. Intensely visual, it would make a great movie.
Florence and BaghdadFlorence and Baghdad, BookRenaissance Art and Arab Science
by Belting, HansBook - 2011Book, 2011
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Jan 09, 2013
Comment:
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Might be a slog for a non-specialized reader, but it contains very useful insights into key differences between the the visual cultures of the European and Arab worlds.
Death at SeaWorldDeath at SeaWorld, BookShamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity
by Kirby, DavidBook - 2012Book, 2012
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Nov 07, 2012
Comment:
-a phenomenal book. I highly recommend it. David Kirby is a terrific writer. It’s easy to see why he’s an award-winning journalist and why he hasn’t written more books. His research is impeccable, but the level of detail only serves to enrich an absorbing and haunting narrative. I experienced a range of emotions while reading: from fascination with—and admiration for—these incredible creatures to disgust over the conditions they’re forced to live in and fury at those who profit from their misery. Republican billionaire, Stephen Schwarzman, chair of the Blackstone Group which owns Sea-World, was counting on Obama’s defeat to quell the mounting opposition to his theme parks’ ruthless exploitation of these complex and highly intelligent animals. Let’s hope the President’s re-election leads to the “ultimate showdown” raised as a possibility in Kirby’s Epilogue and the exploitation and torture of captive orcas and their notorious “breeding [actually, inbreeding] program" are ended once and for all!-a phenomenal book. I highly recommend it. David Kirby is a terrific writer. It’s easy to see why he’s an award-winning journalist and why he hasn’t written more books. His research is impeccable, but the level of detail only serves to enrich an…
From the Ruins of EmpireFrom the Ruins of Empire, BookThe Revolt Against the West and the Remaking of Asia
by Mishra, PankajBook - 2012Book, 2012
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Nov 07, 2012
Comment:
This is an important effort, but I found Mishra's prose style choppy and the level of detail cumbersome. Since it's meant to function as an introduction to the topic, these are serious deficiencies. I felt hampered by my lack of background in the subject and frustrated by an extremely poor index that made it almost impossible to revisit the author's earlier descriptions of items when they were mentioned again. I'm glad I finished the book, but it was a slog.This is an important effort, but I found Mishra's prose style choppy and the level of detail cumbersome. Since it's meant to function as an introduction to the topic, these are serious deficiencies. I felt hampered by my lack of background in the…
A History of the World in 100 ObjectsA History of the World in 100 Objects, Book
by MacGregor, NeilBook - 2010Book, 2010
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Oct 22, 2012
Comment:
-a wholly enjoyable book. MacGregor makes material culture come alive through brilliant story-telling.
I Am Spartacus!I Am Spartacus!, BookMaking A Film, Breaking the Blacklist
by Douglas, KirkBook - 2012Book, 2012
ALLAN JOHN FLETCHER's rating:
Added Oct 10, 2012
Comment:
Found this to be a compelling and highly readable account of the climate of fear in place during the making of Spartacus. Impressed by the author's skill as a story-teller. Had no idea Douglas was such a seasoned and accomplished writer. As someone interested in movies, social history and political culture, I couldn't put it down.Found this to be a compelling and highly readable account of the climate of fear in place during the making of Spartacus. Impressed by the author's skill as a story-teller. Had no idea Douglas was such a seasoned and accomplished writer. As someone…
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