ezloan

The mystery of Swiss wines uncovered at last

By way of introduction to this book review I will start out with some brief comments about how I came across "The Surprising Wines of Switzerland", the background for preparing the review, and some observations about the author John Sloan.

Like John, my interest in Swiss wines developed after being transferred to Geneva as part of the international expatriate community. Unlike John, I stayed. In pursuit of my passion for fine wine, and to further develop my knowledge of Swiss wines in particular, I became a member of the Swiss wine association, the "Jeunesse Viti-vinicole de La Côte". La Côte is a Swiss wine region in the Canton of Vaud that extends some 45 km along the shores of lake Geneva (actually lac léman to give it's true name), from the border of Geneva towards Lausanne.

Being the only computer professional in this group of wine professionals, I assumed responsibility for establishing and maintaining the Internet web site for the wine association. The web site now includes a section devoted to books, magazines and other publications dealing with the subject of Swiss wine. In researching the available titles and sources of information to be included in the web site I came across this book by John Sloan. John is a Canadian diplomat who served 4 years at the Canadian Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva and is now based in Tokyo. His book, "The Surprising Wines of Switzerland", first published in 1995, is the only authoritative book on Swiss wine currently available in the English language.

Before giving my own comments on the book, let me provide some comments made by leading wine critics and journalists :

"Switzerland is producing a far wider range of wines than the casual visitor to the ski slopes might imagine.... The problem for outsiders is finding more information.... Canadian Diplomat John C. Sloan has written and published an admirably thorough ... guide, The Surprising Wines of Switzerland.... Jancis Robinson THE FINANCIAL TIMES

"The book is in no way a compliant tourist brochure. In 280 pages, he addresses the various facets of Swiss wines, from their history to their vinification processes via a description of the vineyards, the grape varieties, a selection of the best producers.... He should, by default, become an ambassador to the English speaking world." Cristian Bernet JOURNAL DE GENÈVE

"John C. Sloan describes Swiss wines in their broadest context; their history and the landscape, the science of wine making, folklore, little-known facts and tasting notes are all reported as thoroughly as those who make our wine could do. Criticism, where appropriate, is not missing. I can recommend this book with confidence." Hanns U. Christen (-sten) BASEL ZEITUNG from the German

To the above "expert" reviews I would now like to add my own personal comments. To start with I will refer back to the title of this review - "The mystery of Swiss wines uncovered at last". Why the title? Because, when reviewing other available wine books such as Sotheby's Encyclopaedia of Wine, any reference to Swiss wines is usually limited to a few lines that state something to the effect that the majority of Swiss wines are usually comprised of Chasselas, a white neutral wine, lacking in distinctive taste, rarely exported, and designed to accommodate local Swiss taste as an aperitif or to enjoy with Swiss cheese fondu. This does not exactly stimulate the informed wine connoisseur to seriously pursue the exploration of Swiss wine. However, John Sloan, through his extensive research, interviews, and visits with wine makers throughout Switzerland, has prepared the first comprehensive and authoritative work on this subject which is reflected both in the title of the book, and the accompanying sub-title "A practical guide to Switzerland's best kept secret".

What are the secrets? There are so many that only reading the book will reveal all. But just to give some insight, few people know that Switzerland is host to the highest commercial vineyards in Europe located at Vispertermin in the Canton of Valais. Here you will find wines made from the Heida and the Rèze grapes. Heida has been grown since the middle ages and there are references to this wine dating back to 1586. The Rèze is another one of the oldest and increasingly rare speciality wines of Valais. It is used as a foundation for the sherry-like "Vin des Glaciers". Then there are the wines made from the Petit Arvine, the Amigne, and the Findling grape which is a Müller-Thurgau clone found in Geneva. The wide diversity of grapes provides the reader with an abundance of opportunities to explore and enjoy some of the unique wines of this remarkable wine producing country. Even the much maligned Chasselas, which in France is enjoyed as a table grape, provides wines that are as distinctive as the wine regions that produce them. The neutrality of the grape enables the wine maker the opportunity to express the "terroir" (soil and climate) of the region, and even the vineyard, that it is grown.

I heartily recommend this book. The reader will not only discover Swiss wines, but will also learn a great deal about the Swiss wine regions, the grape varieties, wine making styles, future trends for Swiss wines and not forgetting the "Fête des Vignerons" which seems to be the world's largest and oldest wine festival. The "Fête" held every 25 years in Vevey near Montreux, has continued without break since the 1700's. The wine festival is celebrated in music, dance and parades, plus wine tastings of course, involving up to 40'000 participants seen by some 500'000 visitors over several days.

In closing I can do no better than echo the words of John Sloan from his introduction to this book. Swiss wines are generally not well known beyond the borders of Switzerland. They certainly deserve a wider, international appreciation. Wine lovers, in their never-ending search for fine wines which are novel, uncommon or singular can profitably investigate the varied offerings from Switzerland's alpine vineyards. "The Surprising Wines of Switzerland" is a welcome addition to the library of all wine enthusiasts.

philipweights@yahoo.com Geneva April 3, 2000

When I first opened the book, I did not understand all the trials and tribulations a Black man had to go through during that time period. After reading all of the detailed pages, I didn't only understand the book, I became a part of it. In this book, he not only speaks of the troubles he went through, but he speaks for thousands of other Black men and women who endured racial societal discrimination. I rate this book a "Must Read."

Children just seem to love music. They love to be silly. This book and cassette combines both! You and your child will learn, laugh, and love together. Who could ask for more? Try one of these...I bet you'll get the others!

I LOVE TO READ THIS BOOK AND COLOR THE GREAT PICTURES INSIDE. I CAN LEARN ABOUT ALL THE KINDS OF HORSES WHILE COLORING WITH MY FAVORITE COLORS. IF YOU WERE TO BUY ANY BOOK FOR YOUR CHILD THAT LOVES HORSES YOU SHOULD BY THIS BOOK AND YOU SHOULD TRY MORE OF TROUBADOR PRESS BOOKS BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL GREAT.

Susan R. Sloan has written a gripping psychological suspense thriller with "Guilt By Association." Once I began this novel, I found it almost impossible to put it down. Her journalistic writing and realistic characters give the illusion, at times, that this is a nonfiction account of a terrible crime and the aftermath.

Karen Kern, a lovely coed with a bright future, attends a friend's holiday party one evening in December, 1962. Later that evening another party guest offers to walk her home. Unable to get a taxi, she accepts the offer. Bob, a wealthy Harvard student from a good family, was properly introduced to her and her friends knew him. She felt comfortable accepting his company on the long walk across Central Park. Bob brutally rapes and beats Karen in the park, abandoning her in the frigid winter air where she is found unconscious the following morning. Karen almost died that night. Since there are no witnesses to the crime, the police convince her family that they could never win the case if they press charges. The young man's family is influential. He is a good student at a top school and has no prior history of violence. Karen's parent's are too ashamed to pursue justice and tell their friends that Karen was the victim of a hit and run accident. It takes her over a year, and many surgeries, to recover - although she is left with a limp, no spleen, a badly damaged psyche and no self confidence. She will never have the children she has always longed for. Her life is ruined. She does not return to school. Her fiance, whom she finally tells the truth to, is unable to deal with the horrific situation and leaves her. Karen is brutalized once again by social and legal biases.

Ms. Sloan writes two parallel storylines. She develops the lives and careers of Karen Kern, who has been forever altered by the attack, and Robert (Bob) Willmont, Karen's assailant, who is not effected by his actions at all. Sloan creates credible lives and fascinating characters for both of them. Tension and suspense build to a peak until the inevitable happens. The two, victim and assailant, meet thirty years later. What happens makes for some of the most riveting reading imaginable - and gives new meaning to the concept of "revenge."

This book is more than a thriller, however. Ms. Sloan has written a chronicle of the changing attitudes towards women over a period of thirty years. I lived through those times and can testify to the accuracy of her writing. Karen is a courageous figure who tries, for over 3 decades, to come to terms with her ordeal. Sloan gives a sometimes shocking and very valid testimony here of a woman seeking justice and triumphing over the terrible pain and scars of rape.
JANA

The Most Unforgettable Book!!!

When I rented this book from the library I expected nothing of it.But boy was I wrong.This is one of the most amazing books Ive ever read and is definitely my all time favourite book. I had to purchase it for my collection. Susan R Sloan deals with the topic of rape with such sensitivity .Also the book is not written in your typical best seller style.Being from India you can totally identify with the kind of society potrayed in the 60s cos that's how the society in India is now.The way Karen s family blames her and ostracizes her for bringing shame to the family is how a lot of people would react.
Anyway the book is not only about her suffering but its also one of the best revenge thrillers .The ending is really gonna shock you.This is one book which all my college pals and even our mothers swear by it.Once you ve purchased this book you ll keep on passing it on cos you want to the whole world to read itI also recommend An Isolated Incident by the same author.The best thing about Susan R Sloan books are that you can read them again and again and they get better each time.

Karen Kern learned a lesson the hard way........The strangershe met at a party asked to walk her home, late at night.....on the way, he brutally beat and raped her in Central Park.......This was Dec., 22, 1962.....a time when families liked to "sweep under the rug" incidents such as this.....no one would even let Karen talk about it....she was told to just "forget it ever happened".....she was also thought to be the one to provoke such behavior! It took Karen 30 years to exact revenge, and Oh, how sweet it is! ... You must read this book for yourself........I guarantee you will stand up and cheer at the end..........and whatever you do, do NOT read the last page first! This story was an emotional roller-coaster, a "stay-up-all-night till it's done" reading!

This book was very favorably reviewed on our local (Chicago) NPR station which is what prompted me to read it. I liked it a great deal, it's beautifully written, the characters come alive, the mystery is definitely mysterious and all the bits and pieces of pottery and postcards and vases and embroidered tea towels that make up Jane's life are wonderfully detailed. I learned a lot from this book, in particular, how to figure out which garage and estate sales to avoid and which ones might have "killer stuff," as well as how to organize my searching.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending, however. I don't want to give away anything but I found the some of the motives for the various crimes to be rather implausible. They are woven together well and there is a delightful twist at the end of the book, but it just didn't seem realistic. I also think we aren't told enough about Jane's character -- we get all kinds of tantalizing hints into her psyche but having finished the book, I still don't understand why she rejected her husband (or, alternatively, why she was unable to balance her family with her "picking").

That said, I sure hope this is the start of a series of books featuring Jane Wheel, although I'd be more than happy to buy any books Sharon Fiffer writes.

"Killer Stuff" by Sharon Fiffer was a fun read for me!

I think most people that take the time to read this book will feel the same way.

The characters are fun and easy to identify with. The dialogue fresh and easy to understand. And the plot entertaining and fun. A very pleasant combination.

John Savoy
C.E.O. & Financial Advisor
Savoy International
Motion Pictures INC.

'Killer Stuff : A Mystery', written by Sharon Fiffer, is a wonderful addition to the genre. The central character, Jane Wheel, having lost both her PR job and her academic husband, is the chief suspect in a murder, and the story twists like a pretzel as the mystery unfolds. To the very last page, the book will hold you like a fat aunt at a family reunion. Particularly impressive as a character is Homicide Detective Bruce Oh, revealed largely through dialogue. The following excerpt from page 94 illustrates the author's style and success.

'"Did the Wheel woman confess?" Oh asked as he dunked his doughnut.
His partner, Detective Dee Tective, not long out of the Academy, smiled coquettishly and said, "No. I was about to give her the third degree when she said she wanted to take the Fifth."
"The fifth what?"
"Beats me. She said she had a perfect right."
"A perfect right what? Foot? Hand? Eye?"
"Beats me. I'm just a cop in a tight skirt, not a physician."

"Oh," said Oh.
"Is this roll call?" Dee asked.
"I wasn't saying my name, you klutz. It was a frustrated utterance."
"Oh," Dee said.
"Yes? What is it?"
In non-alphabetical order, Dee was bemused then amused.
By now, Oh's doughnut was a small sponge at the bottom of his cup. Outside, the sky was eye-blue and clear. A flock of pigeons settled on the window ledge.
"Will someone please let those damned birds out!" Oh shouted above the flapping.'

Sharon Fiffer has made an enduring name for herself. It is well deserved.

I searched for ages for a cookbook that had quick, tasty recipes that wasn't a how-to-cook tome or chock full of dishes made with expensive ingredients, and The Working Stiff Cookbook was the answer to my prayers!

This book is probably best for someone who:
a) likes to cook and already knows the basics, but is lazy (*ahem*) or busy or both!
b) has a hodgepodge of kitchen gadgets bought on a whim that never get used (all the chopping in this book has reacquainted me with the finer points of using a mandoline)
c) wants to prepare tasty, elegant meals with the minimum of effort.

I will admit that the lack of pictures didn't even occur to me until I started reading these reviews. The dishes are so simple and easy to visualize, I didn't need or miss them.

The real winner has to be the Deluxe Chicken recipe. I have a feeling this one's gonna save me from stressing too much over last-minute dinner parties. The One Pot dishes are all divine for someone living in a small apartment with limited counter space.

This book was given to me by a girlfriend who saw me as a potential husband. One of my flaws, according to her, was that I did not know how to cook so she gave me the Working Stiff Cookbook as a birthday gift. We were never joined in matrimony but at least now I know how to cook, and what a joy it is!

Since then I've purchased quite a few cookbooks but time and time again I'll pull out this one. The salmon recipes are killer, especially the pan-fried salmon. You'll love the quick chicken recipes as well. So buy the book already! You'll thank me and your stomach will thank you.

I bought this book for my brother who doesn't cook, is a total working stiff, and is sick and tired of take-out. However, when I leafed through it I knew I had to keep it for myself. I'm married and we have two small children and the quick but scrumptious-sounding recipes really appealed to me. So I kept it and gave my brother something else for Christmas last year. On New Year's Eve I prepared a meal from this book for our family: Jumbo Shrimp, Chicken Breasts with Artichokes & Mushrooms, Herb-Roasted Potatoes, a green salad, and Chocolate Pecan Pie for dessert. What a meal!! Since then, I've cooked from this book many times especially when I'm in need of something quick. The recipes are classy and just plain wonderful. I love this cookbook and yes, I did get one for my brother too. Guess what? He's actually begun to cook! Thank-you Bob Sloan for such a wonderful little cookbook!

$aturday's Child is Sara Livingston's story. Sara's middle name is DRAMA. For example, she is married to a man she has not seen in three years. She is struggling, daily, to support her and her daughter, Bethany. Her relationship with her father is shaky. Her girlfriend has a man with a temper. On the top of her drama list: Sara is fed up with love and relationships. She is done with men; however, when her best friend introduces her to two men in ONE day, Sara finds her self mixed up in a deadly obsession AND what could be the love of a lifetime. Before all is said and done, Sara must first reclaim and move beyond her past so she can let true love enter her life.

Gayle Jackson Sloan's $ATURDAY'S CHILD is a good read. In over 290 pages, Sloan introduces us to a very opinionated, emotional, yet strong main character who is ensconced in dark subjects such as physical abuse, drug abuse, murder, and rape in an interesting and tension-filled manner. Sara Livingston is a character that will make you laugh, cry, get angry, and cheer. Despite my enjoyment of $ATURDAY'S CHILD, I did have some glitches in my reading. One, I noticed a few instances where characters either sounded the same or used similar dialogue or sayings. This made it hard to decipher between characters, or to find some uniqueness to individual characters. My second, and probably biggest glitch in my reading, came in the last 80 pages of the story. The action picks up TREMENDOUSLY in the last third of the story, and I was on the edge of my seat, reading to see how the story would turn out. However, things happened excessively fast for me. People who were not heard from for several chapters returned for major events in the story, and this jarred me and made me have to try to remember who they were. It disconcerted me, but overall, the story was a satisfying read.

I'm interested to see what Sloan comes up with for her next novel, and I recommend that for those of you who HAVEN'T read $aturday's Child, pick it up and give it a try.

Shon Bacon

'What's love got to do with it? Not a damn thing as far as I
can see', is how $aturday's Child begins. And Sara Livingston
is hell bent on proving that this statement is true. She has
no more time for love, maybe because she always loved more
than she has been loved. Or maybe because her family has never
given her the love she so desperately wants.

Sara has been the victim of countless hit and run relationships,
and one bad marriage. Tired of having to pick up the pieces of
her life, she is through with relationships. But her best
friend, Brenda, will not take 'no' for an answer. Brenda
introduces her to two completely different men. And this hard
working Saturday born woman, who can do it all for herself and
her daughter, has her life impacted by both men in a surprising
and tragic way that changes her life. The supporting
characters play major roles in the development of this story.

Ms. Sloan's debut novel held me captive as I shared their lives,
I loved the conversational writing style she used. At one point
I felt I was watching a play and the characters were talking to
me, I hope Ms. Sloan will not lose this wonderful voice. I
anxiously await the tale she'll weave for her sophomore novel,
'Wednesday's Woes'.

Reviewed by aNN

This book was great! I was hooked from the first page! I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to read this book! I mean it seemed so real. It made me laugh, cry, sad and happy! I wish this book was in hardcover....because I would buy 10 of them and send them to various people!!! Just excellent!!! I can't wait for the next book by Sloan

At 2:00 PM on a chilly, overcast afternoon, the first Tuesday in February, The Seattle Family Services Center shuddered on its foundation and exploded with a sound that shook the city. An extremist's bomb had killed almost 200 men, women and children. For more than half a century the Seattle clinic had provided full family services to the community, including multilevel family counseling, obstetric and gynecological services, and comprehensive day care facilities. The media had dubbed the Center an abortion clinic, and it had become the focus for pro-choice and pro-life extremists as a rallying point to further their causes. The local citizenry, the entire nation, are horrified and tremendous pressure is put on the police and FBI to capture, try, and execute the perpetrator.

A young, clean-cut Naval officer is finally arrested for the crime, and high powered defense attorney Dana McAuliffe, a partner at the prestigious Seattle firm of Cotter Boland and Grace is persuaded to take the case. Dana is brilliant, confident, successful, and has made her way in a primarily man's world. As she becomes more acquainted with her client and the facts of the case, she begins to seriously doubt his guilt. Organizations on both side of the abortion issue have a political hay-day over the trial. It is a presidential election year and the leading candidate has promised to do everything in his power to repeal Rowe vs. Wade. A friend of Cotter Boland and Grace's senior partner, who wishes to remain anonymous, is paying for the defense. Confidential details of Dana's private life begin to appear in the tabloids as the trial commences, and evidence of possible jury tampering surfaces - from a very surprising source. Nothing is what it appears to be, and the twists and turns keep on coming, as the trial reaches a climax. The aftermath will knock your socks off!!

This is a fast-paced, light read that you won't be able to put down. Susan Sloan's plot is tight and filled with suspense, her characters are believable. Ms. Sloan doesn't take sides in the debate over abortion rights, but she does suggest, rather strongly, that the political wars over this issue are very deadly.
JANA

Susan Sloan has written another book that had me reading the last two pages over and over again to be sure that I had read it correctly. She is the master of surprise twists, that is for sure. "Guilt by Association" remains my favorite of hers, the ultimate suspenseful thriller.

From the very first page, I was pulled into this story and the intensity never let up. I hated to put the book down to attend to the necessary chores of daily living! And when I finished, I was sorry that I no longer had this book to look forward to.

No need here to go into another synopsis, because other reviewers have ably done so before me.

Sloan's characters are fully fleshed out, as is her plot. She never got preachy about the abortion issue but presented a balanced view. At times I found the politics/policies a little confusing as each "side" tries to present its case in the best light.

If you get this book, be sure to put aside a good chunk of time to read it, because you will not be able to put it down!

Susan Sloan, in her latest novel, "Act of God," courageously tackles some enormously painful, sensitive and controversial issues. She deals with the bombing of a clinic where abortions are performed, and she graphically portrays the devastating consequences of this horrendous act. She also touches upon how the issue of abortion is cynically manipulated by both pro-life and pro-choice groups as a way to gain both publicity and political power. However, "Act of God" is not merely a polemic in the guise of a novel. It is one of the most exciting, suspenseful and "edge-of-your-seat" legal thrillers that I have read in years.

Dana McAuliffe is a partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm, and she is given the task of defending Corey Dean Latham, a young naval officer who has been arrested for the bombing of the Seattle Family Services Center. Although Dana worries that the pressure and the controversy surrounding this high-profile trial will adversely affect her both personally and professionally, she takes the case. Little does she know that the Latham trial will test her legal expertise tremendously and it will also have devastating consequences for her and her family.

Although "Act of God" is over five hundred pages long, Sloan's pacing is impeccable and the story moves along quickly. She quickly and deftly sets up her large cast of characters, including the bombing victims, the lawyers, the judge, and the members of the jury. Sloan gives the reader glimpses into the minds and the hearts of the various players in the case and this gives the book great human interest. Her courtroom scenes are exciting and authentic. As you wait for the jury verdict, I guarantee that you will find it difficult to put down this book, and I also promise you an ending that will cause your heart to skip a few beats. "Act of God" is a sharply written, timely and riveting tour de force, and I highly recommend it.

The true horror about this book was learning how The National Enquirer, Star, etc. are now not only not competitors, but all housed in the same building. Then it gets even grimmer when you read how The National Enquirer is trying to go legit...It's all so shocking and sickening. Who wants to read about death as a result of idiot guidance and ownership? Just turned my stomach and, quite frankly, made me sad. Honestly, I'd noticed for quite some time that the Star was losing its edge and this book explained why. It's a case of "fixing something that ain't broke." The owner and his team are trying to change what the rest of the media is trying to copy. Shadow-boxing with what?

"Enquiring Minds" who want the true inside scoop on the supermarket tabloids and the strange people who publish them can find it all in Bill Sloan's "I Watched A Wild Hog Eat My Baby".

There have been perhaps a half dozen books and any number of articles claiming to reveal the inner workings of the tabs. All, however, have been written by writers from the outside looking in, writers with little actual experience at the tabs trying to cash in for a quick buck, or writers with axes to grind - in most instances, all three.

Sloan, however, has prowled the inner sanctums of all the tabs. He has been the editor of the Globe and the National Tattler, top writer with the National Enquirer and close friends of editors, writers and reporters at the Star, Weekly World News, the National Examiner and the Sun. His connection with the tabloids goes back more than 30 years.

What's more, Sloan himself is a writer of national reputation, with dozens of mainstream books and articles, both fiction and non-fiction. As a professional journalist, he was a Pulitzer Prize nominee while an investigative reporter with the Dallas Times Herald.

Despite its rather bizarre title, Sloan's book is the definitive history of the supermarket tabloids over the last 30 years. He does not concentrate on the weird stories the tabs are famous for, but on the people who produced what is, arguably, a major phenomena of American journalism.

The book is briming with anecdotes, first person quotes and insights into the thinking of the sometimes eccentric Gene Pope, the godfather of the supermarket tabs, Mike Rosenblum, his most successful imitator, and Ian Calder, who largely responsible for the tabs' shift to celebrity-hounding after 1975.

If there is any criticism of Sloan's coverage of the early history of the Enquirer and supermarket tabloids, it's his failure to give more ateention to Dino Gallo, Nat Chrzan, Mel Snyder, Ted Mutch and Carl Grothmann, who all played major roles in Pope's shift from carnage to an almost respectable, near conventional format between 1969 to 1975. Curiously, this was the era during which the Enquirer enjoyed a soaring circulation, going from less than a million to five million.

In the final chapter, Sloan speculates on the future of the tabloids, beleaguered by falling circulation, televisions shows, some of which have gone where even tabs fear to go, and the new Barons of Baloney, the bean counters who would be Pope.

Unequivocally YES! And that is why you MUST read this book!! After all, who knew that the National Enquirer was originally owned by a Pope? And financed by a Mafia kingpin? Hey, Bill Sloan knows and YOU will too, after reading this book.

If research were gold, this book would be Ft. Knox! There is more research here than you can shake a stick at--but who'd want to? You'll be too busy reading! After all, you simply must know what happened when 95 million tons of oatmeal exploded in Omaha. (It was NOT a pretty site!) Or when a wild hog actually did eat a....but that's going TOO far.

"Well written" is putting it mildly. "Couldn't put it down" is an understatement. "The best bathroom book since Peyton Place" doesn't give it enough credit. "Juicy" is only slightly correct. So what do you do if you own the biggest collection of supermarket tabloids on the planet? BILL SLOAN KNEW!!

If you love those "I SLEPT WITH A SPACE ALIEN AND GOT RICH TELLING ABOUT IT" or "BIGFOOT WAS MY NANNY" kinds of articles, you'll love this book. Heck, you'll love it even if you DON'T like 'em because it's so full of interesting stories and characters!!

If you read only one book this year...you'll have a very slow year. But why not make it "I WATCHED A WILD HOG EAT MY BABY"?