Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman
by Alice Steinbach
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 249)
Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
Laura, Liz & travelers everwhere
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
travelers
Like in her first book, Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman, Steinbach does a fabulous job of capturing the specifics of a solo traveler’s life on the move. In this book, though, she sets her journeys up in more of a pro-active approach…she’s not just a wanderer…but a student or a lecturer or someone who wants to learn in more detail than most tourists. Her travels revolve mostly around Europe, with jaunts to Japan and Cuba as well. But, in each place, she has a goa...more
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Read in February, 2008
Interesting read. The premise: Alice Steinbach is a traveler who enjoys getting the feel for a place; therefore she goes to great efforts to get behind the scenes of a city and see it (more or less) like a resident. And learn something at the same time. She searches out intensive and immersive learning experiences in such places as Havana, Florence, Kyoto, Paris, the English countryside, Scotland. She takes the cooking class at the Ritz Escoffier, a series of encounters with Japanese women expla...more
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Read in July, 2007
This second book of the authors took me longer to read. I so very much enjoyed her first book about her travels much better because I was more intrigued by the places that she visited. In this book she traveled to some places that sounded so awesome and those chapters flew by!
I still enjoyed the way she described her surroundings and the way she chooses to learn about the areas she travels to. This is the way that I like to see new places..by looking at the people that live there and wh...more
I still enjoyed the way she described her surroundings and the way she chooses to learn about the areas she travels to. This is the way that I like to see new places..by looking at the people that live there and wh...more
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Read in July, 2008
Alice Steinbach has a really readable writing style that I enjoy. However I didn't enjoy this book as much as her previous one. While this book was very interesting to read (especially the chapters about her adventures in a french cooking school and studying art in Venice),they didn't have the same kind of personal authenticity as her previous book. It was less personal journey and more research trip. Steinbach has introduced a new genre of books to me - the travelogue - and so far, her offe...more
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Read in May, 2007
I picked up this book because the back cover lead me to believe it was a tale of the experiences of an interesting woman, who had seen many different sides of life. By about page three I was sick of it. Short newspaper journalist sentences, cliched points of view of people in different countries (French people are all snooty, Scottish people wear kilts all the time etc etc.) I don't really have any desire to read it any further.
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Read in June, 2008
Some parts were good, enjoyed the way she pays attention to details, does a lot of research on places before her trips, and also plans concentrated experiences - cooking in Paris, traditional Japanese arts in Kyoto, etc. But I got bored near the end and don't have the motivation to continue, there's nothing that's hooking me in the story.
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
people who travel to learn
A bit slow. But the book does inspire readers to travel with the intent to learn and understand. Travel doesn't need to be about crowded tourist sites and covering as much ground as possible. Travel can be about living in a single city to explore a region's gardens, literature, art, or food.
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Read in January, 2007
What I liked about this book is how she not only traveled around the world by herself, but actually took classes while she did it! Let me just say-I WANT TO DO THAT! I so admire Alice's spunk and her kindness towards everyone she meets. There is much more to this novel than meets the eye.
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Read in February, 2008
Alice Steinbach has a knack for description which made learning tidbits about her travels and people she encountered very fun. Although the best part of the book, I think, was the side story of her relationship with Naohiro. I only wish there were more resolution...
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
No One
I have a thing about needing to finish ever book that I start...this book made it really really really difficult. I have nothing good to say about it. I found her narrative to be forced and her commentary totally weak. Don't ever read this book.
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Sigh - my first book club book. I wanted so to like it, but never could. I found Alice privileged and mostly unaware of it. The writing was flowery and generally not to my liking. I'm not looking forward to discussing this with the club.
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Read in January, 2008
Ok, very similar to eat, pray, love, only I'm having a difficult time empathizing with this woman. I hate to put a book down without reading it, however I findt this book boring. She writes well, but it's plain not interesting.
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Read in December, 2006
recommends it for:
women who love Europe
Some of the best nonfiction that I've read recently! I loved following Alice across Europe and Japan, learning to cook, dance, write, garden, and herd sheep. Much fun, and her writing style is excellent.
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Read in March, 2007
I kept thinking of friends as I read this: the Jane-ites who would have loved to have been at the Austen societ conference; the friends fascinated with geisha, and especially during her trip to Havana.
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Read in January, 2006
recommended to Cathy by:
Jamie
My friend Jamie sent this to me after getting it from my friend Jackie in a book chain. Good read about lots of things that I've always wanted to do so kind of gets them out of my system.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in October, 2006
recommends it for:
travel/ culture
i bought this book because it recommended by dymocks as one of best seller. i find it too boring and old style people writing, not as interested as i thought.
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Read in January, 2007
Interesting perspective on immersing oneself in various cross cultural occupations without the nagging voice of perfection souring the experience.
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This book is a bit slow-paced, but enoyable nonetheless. I'm jealous of Ms Steinbach's amazing experiences and adventures!
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
fans of M.F.K. Fisher
I love travel books and this one did not dissappoint. It reminded me of M.F.K. Fisher -- which in my opinion was a good thing!
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