عاشق زبان فرانسوی: چگونه یک زبان مرا جادو کرد، فریفت و نزدیک بود قلبم را بشکند

Bill Alexander had no idea that his simple dream of having a vegetable garden and small orchard in his backyard would lead him into life-and-death battles with groundhogs, webworms, weeds, and weather; midnight expeditions in the dead of winter to dig up fresh thyme; and skirmishes with neighbors who feed the vermin (i.e., deer). Not to mention the vacations that had to be planned around the harvest, the near electrocution of the tree man, the limitations of his own middle-aged body, and the pity of his wife and kids. When Alexander runs (just for fun!) a costbenefit analysis, adding up everything from the live animal trap to the Velcro tomato wraps and then amortizing it over the life of his garden, it comes as quite a shock to learn that it cost him a staggering $64 to grow each one of his beloved Brandywine tomatoes. But as any gardener will tell you, you can't put a price on the unparalleled pleasures of providing fresh food for your family. The Washington Post - Tim Richardson Indeed, the book is one long horticultural midlife crisis, or else Genesis: The Sequel -- what would have happened had God decided to employ Adam as a gardener and transmuted Eve's lust into a predilection for bottling fruit. At one point Alexander wonders, "Am I becoming my garden, or is my garden becoming me?" It is a question that will resonate with many gardeners. ?A delightful and courageous tale and a romping good read. Voila!? {u2014}Mark Greenside, author of I{u2019}ll Never Be French (No Matter What I Do) William Alexander is more than a Francophile. He wants to be French. There{u2019}s one small obstacle though: he doesn{u2019}t speak la langue française. In Flirting with French, Alexander sets out to conquer the language he loves. But will it love him back? Alexander eats, breathes, and sleeps French (even conjugating in his dreams). He travels to France, where mistranslations send him bicycling off in all sorts of wrong directions, and he nearly drowns in an immersion class in Provence, where, faced with the riddle of masculine breasts, feminine beards, and a turkey cutlet of uncertain gender, he starts to wonder whether he should{u2019}ve taken up golf instead of French. While playing hooky from grammar lessons and memory techniques, Alexander reports on the riotous workings of the Académie française, the four-hundred-year-old institution charged with keeping the language pure; explores the science of human communication, learning why it{u2019}s harder for fifty-year-olds to learn a second language than it is for five-year-olds; and, frustrated with his progress, explores an IBM research lab, where he trades barbs with a futuristic hand-held translator. Does he succeed in becoming fluent? Readers will be as surprised as Alexander is to discover that, in a fascinating twist, studying French may have had a far greater impact on his life than actually learning to speak it ever would. ?A blend of passion and neuroscience, this literary love affair offers surprise insights into the human brain and the benefits of learning a second language. Reading William Alexander{u2019}s book is akin to having an MRI of the soul.? {u2014}Laura Shaine Cunningham, author of Sleeping Arrangements ?Alexander proves that learning a new language is an adventure of its own--with all the unexpected obstacles, surprising breakthroughs and moments of sublime pleasure traveling brings.? {u2014}Julie Barlow, author of Sixty Million Frenchmen Can{u2019}t Be Wrong "A delightful and courageous tale and a romping good read. Voila!' 'Mark Greenside, author of I'll Never Be French (No Matter What I Do)William Alexander is more than a Francophile. He wants to be French. To sip absinthe at the window of a dark cafE, a long scarf wrapped around his neck, a copy of Le Monde at hand. Among the things that have stood in his way of becoming French, though, is the fact that he can't actually speak the language. So Alexander sets out to conquer the language he loves. Readers will find out if it loves him back. Alexander eats, sleeps, and dreams French. (He even conjugates in his dreams.) And while he's playing hooky from grammar lessons and memory techniques, he travels to France, delves into the colorful history of the French language and the science of linguistics, and even goes to Google to find out what's taking them so long to perfect translation software. Finally, he contemplates how it can be that in French, breasts are masculine and beards are feminine, and tries to make sense of idioms like c'est la fin des haricots (it's the end of the beans)'which means, appropriately enough, 'it's hopeless.' But ca ne fait rien! (No matter!) What Bill Alexander learns while not learning French is its own reward.'A blend of passion and neuroscience, this literary love affair offers surprise insights into the human brain and the benefits of learning a second language. Reading William Alexander's book is akin to having an MRI of the soul.' 'Laura Shaine Cunningham, author of Sleeping Arrangements ''Alexander proves that learning a new language is an adventure of its own--with all the unexpected obstacles, surprising breakthroughs and moments of sublime pleasure traveling brings.' 'Julie Barlow, author of Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong " “a Clever Weekend Baker Learns Some Life Lessons, Loaf By Loaf . . . His Bright Writing Highlights A Pleasing Variety Of Comical Misadventures” (kirkus Reviews). William Alexander Is Determined To Bake The Perfect Loaf Of Bread. He Tasted It Long Ago, In A Restaurant, And Has Been Trying To Reproduce It Ever Since. Without Success. Now, On The Theory That Practice Makes Perfect, He Sets Out To Bake Peasant Bread Every Week Until He Gets It Right. He Bakes His Loaf From Scratch. And Because Alexander Is Nothing If Not Thorough, He Really Means From Scratch: Growing, Harvesting, Winnowing, Threshing, And Milling His Own Wheat. An Original Take On The Six-thousand-year-old Staple Of Life, 52 Loaves Explores The Nature Of Obsession, The Meditative Quality Of Ritual, The Futility Of Trying To Re-create Something Perfect, Our Deep Connection To The Earth, And The Mysterious Instinct That Makes All Of Us Respond To The Aroma Of Baking Bread. “serious, Irreverent, Funny, And Informative At The Same Time, 52 Loaves Reflects Precisely The Frustrating And Infuriating—if Not Impossible—process Of Creating The Perfect Bread.” —jacques Pépin “nitpicking Obsessiveness Was Never So Appetizing.” —entertainment Weekly “alexander’s Breathless, Witty Memoir Is A Joy To Read. It’s Equal Parts Facts And Fun. . . . Alexander Is Wildly Entertaining On The Page, Dropping Clever One-liners In The Form Of Footnotes And Parenthetical Afterthoughts Throughout.” —the Boston Globe “a Warm, Laugh-out-loud [memoir] . . . Alexander Writes About The Ups (few), The Downs (numerous) And A Lively History Of Bread Itself, All Recounted In A Self-effacing But Often Irreverent Voice.” —the Oregonian In This “charming Memoir,” A Determined Francophile Pursues Fluency In The Language He Loves—and We Read Along To Find Out If It Will Ever Love Him Back (kirkus Reviews). William Alexander Is More Than A Francophile. He Wants To Be French. If Only He Could Speak The Language. In Flirting With French, Alexander Eats, Breathes, And Sleeps Au Français. He Travels To France, Where Mistranslations Send Him Bicycling Off In All Sorts Of Wrong Directions. At An Immersion Class In Provence Where He Faces The Riddle Of Masculine Breasts, Feminine Beards, And A Turkey Cutlet Of Uncertain Gender, He Wonders If He Should’ve Taken Up Golf Instead. While Playing Hooky From Grammar Lessons And Memory Techniques, Alexander Reports On The Riotous Workings Of The Académie Française, The Centuries-old Institution Charged With Keeping The Language Pure; Explores The Science Of Human Communication, Learning Why It’s Harder For Fifty-year-olds To Learn A Second Language Than It Is For Five-year-olds. Never Giving Up His Quest For Fluency, Alexander Discovers That Studying French May Have Had A Far Greater Impact On His Life Than Actually Learning To Speak It Ever Would. “alexander Proves That Learning A New Language Is An Adventure Of Its Own—with All The Unexpected Obstacles, Surprising Breakthroughs And Moments Of Sublime Pleasure Traveling Brings.” —julie Barlow, Author Of The Bonjour Effect This “wildly entertaining” memoir recounts the joys—and horrors—of trying to grow your own food (The Boston Globe). Bill Alexander had no idea his simple dream of having a vegetable garden and small orchard in his backyard would lead him into life-and-death battles with groundhogs, webworms, weeds, and weather; midnight expeditions in the dead of winter to dig up fresh thyme; and skirmishes with neighbors who feed the deer and other vermin. Not to mention the vacations that had to be planned around the harvest, the near electrocution of the tree man, the limitations of his own middle-aged body, and the pity of his wife and kids. When Alexander runs a cost-benefit analysis, adding up everything from the live animal trap to the Velcro tomato wraps, and then amortizing it over the life of his garden, it comes as quite a shock to learn that it cost a staggering $64 to grow each one of his beloved Brandywine tomatoes. But as any gardener will tell you, you can’t put a price on the unparalleled pleasures of providing fresh food for your family. “Engaging, funny, and down-to-earth.” —Entertainment Weekly “A hilarious horticultural memoir.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A delightful guide to achieving gardening bliss.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune This "wildly entertaining" memoir recounts the joys?and horrors?of trying to grow your own food ( The Boston Globe ). Bill Alexander had no idea that his simple dream of having a vegetable garden and small orchard in his backyard would lead him into life-and-death battles with groundhogs, webworms, weeds, and weather; midnight expeditions in the dead of winter to dig up fresh thyme; and skirmishes with neighbors who feed the deer and other vermin. Not to mention the vacations that had to be planned around the harvest, the near electrocution of the tree man, the limitations of his own middle-aged body, and the pity of his wife and kids. When Alexander runs a cost-benefit analysis, adding up everything from the live animal trap to the Velcro tomato wraps, and then amortizing it over the life of his garden, it comes as quite a shock to learn that it cost a staggering $64 to grow each one of his beloved Brandywine tomatoes. But as any gardener will tell you, you can't put a price on the unparalleled pleasures of providing fresh food for your family. "Engaging, funny, and down-to-earth." ? Entertainment Weekly "A hilarious horticultural memoir." ? Publishers Weekly , starred review "A delightful guide to achieving gardening bliss." ? Minneapolis Star-Tribune William Alexander is determined to bake the perfect loaf of bread. He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. Now, on the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to bake peasant bread every week until he gets it right. He bakes his loaf from scratch. And because Alexander is nothing if not thorough, he really means from scratch: growing, harvesting, winnowing, threshing, and milling his own wheat.

An original take on the six-thousand-year-old staple of life, 52 Loaves explores the nature of obsession, the meditative quality of ritual, the futility of trying to re-create something perfect, our deep connection to the earth, and the mysterious instinct that makes all of us respond to the aroma of baking bread.

William Alexander is determined to bake the perfect loaf of bread. He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. Now, on the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to bake peasant bread every week until he gets it right. He bakes his loaf from scratch. And because Alexander is nothing if not thorough, he really means from scratch: growing, harvesting, winnowing, threshing and milling his own wheat. An original take on the 6,000-year-old staple of life, 52 Loaves explores the nature of obsession, the meditative quality of ritual, the futility of trying to re-create something perfect, our deep connection to the earth and the mysterious instinct that makes all of us respond to the aroma of baking bread A gardener with a philosophical bent, Alexander gives excellent advice about everything from peaches and apples to zucchini and leeks, while asking probing questions: What do our gardens tell us about ourselves? Do we get the gardens we deserve? And why does the groundhog have to take one bite from a half a dozen tomatoes when any gardener would gladly grant him six bites of just one? "The author embarks on a gastronomic odyssey--spanning three continents, a backyard wheat field, two exploding ovens, one herniated vertebra, a crisis of faith, and a thirteen-hundred-year-old monastery--in his quest to produce a perfect loaf of bread."--Cover Bill Alexander recounts the challenges he faced while trying to cultivate his own vegetable garden and offers a cost-benefit analysis of his efforts, determining that it cost him $64 to grow each of his beloved tomatoes Charts the author's attempts to bake the perfect loaf of bread, including growing, harvesting, and milling his own wheat