Review of ‘Bir Türk Ailesinin Öykusu’ by İrfan Orga Translated by Dr. Arın Bayraktaroğlu Everest 2009 I was a little confused when I bought this book. I thought as it was written by a Turk, that it had been first published in Turkish. I was wrong. It was first published in 1950 in the UK under the name “Portrait of a Turkish Family”. It was published in Turkish 44 years later. It tells the story of İrfan Orga from his Click for more
Tag: non-fiction
Trust
I recently read Proust Was a Neuroscientistand I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author takes a look at various writers, thinkers, painters and gourmets and cleverly explains how they predicted things that neuroscience later proved to be true. For instance Auguste Escoffier cleverly forsaw the fifth taste, umami. He published a recipe book in 1903 that includes sauces that seem to be based solely on satisfying our desire for umami. Umami is better known because MSG, that ubiquitous additive, gives us Click for more
Being a perfectionist
Being the procrastinator that I am, I also like to think of myself as a perfectionist. The logic is simple – I expect to do a terrific job, spend a tremendous amount to time waiting for the optimum moment when the stars collide and inspiration hits with a physical force. That never quite happens. Instead I wait and collect and gather and wait some more and generally at the very limit of my deadline I get the words out. This Click for more
Subordinate passion
I’ve been taking a creative break lately. Unlike Rose’s holiday break this has been a business one. Yet I have to admit I have been more productive in the last month than in a long time. I’ve set up this blog, set up Skaian Gates English and overseen changes to house and garden too. I’ve entered a new phase in my hybrid life as my business will lead me back to my scientific roots. And combined with the increase in Click for more