Gribbin, a glib expositor of things astronomical, dons his speculative robes to predict some cold turns for the earth and the sun in the coming decades. Half the text is an up-to-date summary of solar and earth history. Here are familiar accounts of distance/mass/temperature relationships which support life on earth but hardly elsewhere in the solar system. The sun's position as a medium-sized star, and its fate compared with larger or smaller sisters, is also developed along conventional lines. What's new and different is the second half of the text. Here Gribbin counters orthodoxy with assertions that constancy and regularity are not characteristic of our sun—or anybody else's for that matter. For reasons known or unknown, the sun is perturbed, and may be generating 10% less heat at its core. The evidence is somewhat arcane. Gribbin relates it to the absence of certain species of neutrinos detectable in deep caves and to the varied complexities and rhythms of sunspot activity and solar flares. To make matters worse, the sun's "off-colorness" seems to render it more vulnerable to further disturbances—for example, by gravitational pulls exerted by the larger planets in certain alignments, All this can lead to sunquakes and maybe earthquakes and glacial chills. Gribbin is quick to acknowledge the taint of astrology when one introduces planetary alignments into astronomical arguments, and he is certainly opposed to horoscopes as such. What he does defend is his right to challenge conventional wisdom which—for no reason—has for long supported reason and order in the sun. And, he asks, might there not also be a slight disorder in the galaxy as a whole? Lively and discussable—by pros as well as armchair astronomers.
Pub Date: March 3, 1980
ISBN: 0440518547
Page Count: 195
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1980
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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