Bonk!

Mary Roach has dissected the world of Cadavers and haunted the world of the afterlife. Now she explores the scientists, who study sex.

Bonk is not a sex manual, but an exploration of what science has thought of sex over time and how we evaluate issues relating to sex. The book is always interesting and sometime very funny.

A glass of wine and a beautiful sunset

Following up on his first memoir, Hills of Tuscany, Ferenc Mate has chronicled his catching the wine making bug. A Vineyard in Tuscany tells of the hunt for land to plant a vineyard and then some how making an overgrown hillside fullfill your dreams.

I enjoyed the first book, but the second is even better. Mate really had me smiling as I read about his trials and tribulations whether it was trying to run a tricky tractor or battle with his old neighbor. (the manure was a nice touch. LOL)

The coup de grace is that his wine dream has produced some very highly recieved vintages. Now I just want a bottle to sip while rereading the book!

Rolling like a Stone

Ronnie Wood is long time member of the Rolling Stones. I saw him talking about his biography , Ronnie, on Top Gear and decided to give it a try.

Raised in council flats near London's Heathrow airport, Wood grew up in a working class family, who knew how to have a good time. The family also had a very strong musical and artistic bent. Wood learned the guitar and played in a series of increasingly well known bands and finally left the Faces to join the Stones.

Wood is a good writer or his ghost writer knew how to capture his voice. I also enjoyed seeing his art through out the book. His journey is an interesting one.

However I found the drug use in the book to be overwhelming. Long before he was ready to shape up, I was wondering why on earth someone wasn't stepping in to help him. At one point he mentions that his first wife kept their son away from him. I was not suprised. He didn't give up the drinking until 2002 or 3.

So give it a whirl. He's led an interesting life and has a genuine interest in the roots of his music and the older musicians. His art is a nice side of his story too.