Jean Burke-Spraker

My best nonfiction read of 2024

Revisado: 12-20-24

This book was one of my most anticipated nonfiction reads of 2024, and it did not disappoint.
This book builds on conversations they have had on their blog, AI snake oil, which discusses the hype around AI and cuts through the bullshit. I highly recommend that you subscribe to their newsletter and definitely get this book.
I also highly recommend the audiobook because it contains a conversation between Arvind Narayanan and Sayesh Kapoor.

I appreciated the sensitivity with which they handled the audiobook narration conversation, especially given that I listened to this on Amazon, which has been trying to replace human narrators with AI generated content.

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It’s sweet and fun

Revisado: 12-18-24

I really appreciated the eye disability rep. The story had depth too. Definitely recommend for middle grade

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Campbell is full of crap

Revisado: 04-19-24

This audio of the famed interview with Bill Moyers is just overblown intellectual navel gazing.

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Loved this rich, thoughtful cultural history of spoken word

Revisado: 12-12-23

As someone who works for a storytelling nonprofit in Philly, I truly appreciated Joshua Bennett’s scholarly and yet deeply personal approach to the slam poetry scene.
Story Slams and Poetry Slams have connected roots and practices. The challenges both art forms face today are similar. This book left me inspired and hopeful for the future of an evolving genre.

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Fantastic discussion about violence in media

Revisado: 05-19-23

It’s great listening to Jamelle Bouie talk about literally anything. Always insightful. But the students are the real state of this series with probing and thoughtful questions.

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Whatever you think this book is about, you’re wrong

Revisado: 02-26-23

Yes, it’s a book making the Case FOR Cancel Culture. But it’s so much more than that. This book is a nuanced study of the history and future of cancel culture.
Whatever preconceived notions you have about the book, you should put aside. And listen.
Because, ultimately, that’s what this book is about. Listening to the voices of marginalized people when they call out hatred and bigotry.
In a far-ranging study, Owens takes us from the Boston Tea Party to Gandhi’s Salt March to the Montgomery bus boycott to Black Lives Matter, the #MeToo movement, and beyond.
There is hope and humor along the way that will energize you to believe in democracy again.

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Loved every story except one

Revisado: 09-28-22

Kidnapping Roo was immoral and unethical. And Rabbit is an asshole. I was really horrified to read that story and wonder what Milne’s intention was.

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Predictable story, great narration

Revisado: 09-21-22

The ending was obvious from
the beginning. Since it’s from 2015, I will give him credit for anticipating this concern, but it doesn’t hold up well in 2022. Narration was great and held me.

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Such a beautiful personal story

Revisado: 04-27-22

One of the best audiobooks I’ve read. So often authors don’t read their own books, but I am so glad Quiara read hers.
I don’t really have the language to explain how deeply touching this book is. Her experience is not mine, and yet where our life experience intersects, I can appreciate her struggles and triumphs.
It’s obvious why the Free Library chose this book. It’s a love letter to its sanctuary.

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Seven fantastic stories about immigrant women who taught Americans to cook

Revisado: 04-10-22

I loved every story in this essay collection about seven immigrant women who revolutionized the way Americans eat.

My favorites were Chao Yang Buwei and Julie Sahni.

Many themes recur throughout the book.

Translation plays a crucial role in Sen’s narrative. Often, these women had their recipes translated by their husbands.

That did not always go well.

In truth, cooking itself is an act of translation. The women often found that they had to adapt ingredients and preparations to American kitchens and American tastes.

And then when publishing, they found an additional act of translation impeded their vision so that their books would sell.

White cookbook editors simply did not understand these women.

And if I am being honest, the tendency of immigrant food writers today to push beyond recipes and tell deeper cultural stories as Sen does here doesn’t just feel like a capitulation to SEO.

It feels like a revolutionary act that rejects the way these women’s stories too often were butchered so that their books would sell.

I hope Sen writes another book. His Afterword is a call to action for how to make the food industry more equitable.

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