CAPSULE COMMENTS

February 7, 2008

New Books

Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs from The Herb Society of America; edited by Katherine K. Schlosser

The herb experts have produced a highly informative and helpful work for anyone who has envisioned small or large pots of herbs growing on the back porch, easily within snipping distance and ready to rev up a Sunday dinner. Divided into three parts, the first discusses the growing and using of herbs from A to Z, including edible flowers. The second offers recipes for a variety of dishes from appetizers to desserts, concluding with "Simple Ideas", a section on sauces, blends, and extras.

The final section is on America’s National Herb Garden located in Washington, D.C. A gift to the people of the United States from The Herb Society of America, it was constructed and dedicated in 1980. Laid out in the shape of an old-fashioned skeleton key, it is the largest designed herb garden in the nation, comprised of annual, perennial, and woody herbal plants. Open year-round, the National Herb Garden is beautiful and fascinating in all seasons.

Gotcha Capitalism: How Hidden Fees Rip You Off Every Day— and What You can Do About It, by Bob Sullivan

Sullivan shines a bright light on the way businesses financially abuse consumers through gimmicks and trickery. He points out that tourists in unfamiliar places are always treated differently than the locals – they pay more and get less. America’s big corporations also noticed this and set about making all of us tourists in their world. Phone companies, cable and satellite TV companies, credit card companies and banks, brokerage firms and mutual funds, the travel and grocery industries all have staff or committees working hard to think up new schemes.

But, according to the author, consumers don’t have to be tourists in their world, because it is a place that actually does have rules and social conventions. When customers demonstrate knowledge of them, they can get results and save money. By breaking apart thirteen industries, Sullivan shows readers how to size up companies and learn the terminology and methods they use to fool the public. Included among those who levy sneaky fees are the industries mentioned above, along with gift card providers, student loan originators, rebaters, websites, health clubs, and insurance companies.

He also includes a "tool kit". It consists of sample letters to use that work with cable companies, banks, cell phone providers, hotels, and companies that give rebates. The texts can likely be adapted for use in other circumstances, too. There are also sample phone scripts for getting a manager on the line, negotiating a lower interest rate, and receiving refunds, not to mention satisfaction. He even discusses legal options, if the situation comes to that. Finally, he includes a helpful glossary, a sample troubleshooting worksheet, and a list of consumer advocacy groups.

THE BIG BOOK OF IRONY, by Jon Winokur

Brewing heir Adolph Coors III was allergic to beer. The "Marlboro Man" died of lung cancer. Ironic, isn’t it? This book takes a comic look at irony in contrast to terms most often confused with it. Unknown to some, there are several forms of irony. These include situational, auto, romantic and dramatic irony among others. Further into the 160+ page book are the annals of irony, a timeline of uses of irony from 423 B.C. up to current times. There is also a section labeled bastions of irony. These include such things as adolescence, television and war. Who are the masters of irony, you might ask? Jane Austen, Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Greenspan and Jonathan Swift make the list. Think you’re ironic? Take the quiz to find out! This is a must-read for the ironic and sincere alike.