6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Somehow Gelb manages to combine his lifelong love of wine with poetry., May 19, 2010
This review is from: Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices (Hardcover)
I must confess that I'm not a big wine drinker . . . nor is poetry
necessarily "my thing" . . . however after reading Michael Gelb's
WINE DRINKING FOR INSPIRED THINKING (see also Section 11), I
might want to revisit both topics.
Gelb, author of the bestselling HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO
DA VINCI, is a self-employed creativity consultant . . . as he
sometimes describes himself, he's also a professor at M.S.U,
which isn't Michigan State University, but rather he replies,
I "Make Stuff Up."
Somehow, he managed to do just that by combining his lifelong love of wine
with poetry:
* Why poetry? I was inspired to inspire others toward a more poetic,
right-brained approach to wine because, as I attended a variety
of wine-related events--tastings, dinners, seminars--it was apparent that
many folks took the proceedings, and themselves, much too seriously.
Just like many seminars on classical music or art appreciation, participants
often seemed to indulge in one-upmanship and snobbery. Pretension was
rife, and many people seemed to be driven by the fear of making mistakes.
Although the best educators, like Kevin Zraly, always included a hearty
dose of humor, this was more the exception than the rule. The majority of wine
education events were just plain boring, suffering from an overly analytical
"left-brain" approach. Moreover, I sensed that a more experimental approach
to appreciating wine might be helpful in encouraging people to think
outside the box.
The author also concluded that there were and are better ways to
bring people together, especially at the corporate level . . . and
especially since some of the existing methods just weren't very
effective:
* The article described an event held in Florida featuring an exercise
that required participants to walk on hot coals. The result, according
to the Times: "About a dozen . . . marketing department workers burned
their feet last week when they walked over white-hot coals at a meeting
intended to promote bonding. One woman spent a day in a hospital . . . a
doctor (was called) to treat others whose feet were blistered. Some workers
used wheelchairs when they went to the airport to leave for another
company retreat."
Believe it or not, they were all employees of a national hamburger chain
known for their "flame-broiled" product.
Gelb proceeds to give a brief but enlightening history of wine, as well
as information on what you need to set up your own event--be it for
business purposes or just a pleasant evening with friends . . . along
the way, he includes a helpful jargon guide and several poems
that just about anybody will find enjoyable.
What I especially liked about INSIPIRED THINKING was that
it didn't belittle anybody with little knowledge of wine and/or poetry . . . rather,
it did its best to put a smile on any reader by sharing such stories
as the following:
* Craig Williams shares this true story of a quirky cork assessment:
"One of my friends went to a family get-together at a prestigious restaurant
in the Monterey are of California. They select a wine, the sommelier opens it
and presents the cork on a small silver plate, which he places next to my
friend's mother-in-law. She picks it up, gives it a quizzical once-over, and
proceeds to take a bite out of the cork!"
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
