Berkeley author and historian Tom Turner examines David Brower’s diaries, papers, and books and interviews a slew of friends and enemies in his new biography about the environmental iconoclast.
David Brower: The Making of the Environmental Movement by Tom Turner, Foreword by Bill McKibben (2015, University of California Press, $29.95, 312 pp.)
Preservationist Tom Turner of Berkeley has written a thorough biography of David Brower, the latter-day John Muir largely credited as the father of modern environmentalism. Turner, who worked alongside Brower and was a longtime friend, seems well cast to be the writer to examine the life, achievements, and controversies of the iconic Brower, the Berkeley mountaineer, activist, and first executive director of the Sierra Club and founder of Friends of the Earth. Turner pieced together the tale through accessing Brower’s diaries, notebooks, articles, and interviews and talked to many of the conservationist’s friends and enemies.
Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Memoir, Recipes, and More by Dianne Jacob (DaCappo Lifelong Books, 2015, $16.99, 353 pp.)
Oakland foodie author Dianne Jacob has a newly released third edition of her popular book on food writing that could be required reading for wannabe cookbook authors, recipe developers, and bloggers. She originally published Will Write for Food in 2005 and then updated it in 2010. This latest edition professes to help readers make a career out of food-related writing and hits photography, social media skills, and self-promotion as necessary components for success. The primary supplemental advice is Chapter 12, “Bringing Home the Bacon,” which is dedicated to helping foodies, particularly bloggers, make money with some tested and novel ideas.
The Way to Make Wine: How to Craft Superb Table Wines at Home by Sheridan Warrick (University of California Press, 2015, $24.95, 278 pp.)
Want to make red or white wine at home? Not crap, but the good stuff? Author Sheridan Warrick, a Bay Area winemaker and former magazine editor, says it’s easy and uncorks the mysteries of at-home winemaking, from harvest to bottling, in this updated second edition of his 2006 book, The Way to Make Wine. Published by UC Press, this volume adds how-to illustrations, advice from pros, information on natural fermentation, and additional tips of improving at-home varietals. “There’s nothing magical about top-quality winemaking, never mind what the world’s experts would have you believe,” he writes in the intro. How will yours turn out? Sheridan practically guarantees readers a winning varietal.
