[.uk] The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, ... (ISBN 0670018228)

Visit Le Cordon Bleu Paris without leaving the US:
Enchanting yet realistic account of what happens when we corporate types explore our creative side. Easy read with well-defined chapter breaks making it easy to pick up after a few days w/o having to re-read the previous few pgs. This book proved to me that my local french chef's cooking classes are authentic expression of the Le Cordon Bleu training he received 30 years ago. I found it interesting that dozens of the basic elements mentioned are decades-old constants still taught at LCB. Meez Fleen'z depictations of the french accent & attitude is quite accurate as well adding to the entertainment value. Recipes, thanks for including recipes with tips! I plan to purchase a few copies for friends who've heard me rave about this book - I'm not parting with mine that's for sure.

Cooking fans read this:
What a fun read. I stumbled on this book and had a thoroughly enjoyable time reading it. How ironic that the cover carries a recommendation from the author of Eat, Pray, Love. Flinn does not make the errors that Gilbert does in reaching too many early conclusions or being that self-righteous. For one, she recognizes how lucky she is to have such an opportunity. Also, she does not play the part of the single woman learning how to live life alone only to wind up in love at the end. While I would never venture to Le Cordon Bleu, as I love to cook but am a pescatarian, I loved hearing the tales of the school. Sure enough, I was inspired to make a nice soup stock over the weekend as well as some holiday baking! And yes, my knives are good and sharp. We've seen enough travel books now that a Parisian visit needs a twist like this. Flinn succeeds in presenting the culinary highlights of a year in Paris. Certainly recommended for fans of France and cooking.

enjoyable read:
I'd love to be able to spend time at a cooking school. Since I can't, this was the closest I could get to the experience. Loved it. Am looking forward to trying out some of the recipes.

Great expectations, dashed hopes:
Reading the description of The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry, gave me high expectations about memoirs of a woman who was willing to follow her heart and fulfill a longtime soulful desire. The testimonial from Elizabeth Gilbert only served to heighten my expectation (espcially since which Ms. Flinn's book has been compared to Eat, Pray, Love), as did my love for the French. However, I found the book lacking in soul. Ms. Flinn does a wonderful job of illustrating her daily experiences in an intellectual manner, but after reading the book twice, I never felt a real connection with what she experienced (except for the honest emotion she shared while being berated by "Grey Chef"). While the story is well constructed, it lacks passion and the raw, genuine spirit I was hoping for when I purchased the book. I did find it, quite interesting, that Ms. Flinn spent some of her childhood in the same town I grew up in--Davison, MI--and that we are almost the same age. Despite my diappointment in the book, I applaud Ms. Flinn's courage to live and write about, what is near and dear to her heart.

Good Read:
If you dabble in cooking in the kitchen and wonder what it would be like to learn from masters this book is for you. Not only do you get a picture like watching cooking shows on PBS but you also get the recipes. The author has a spirited style in writing and and by the end of the book you really would like to meet her.