Title: A Missed Opportunity!
Review: This book is a missed opportunity to really explain and show why James Beard was such an influential figure. The writing is tiresome, both oddly distant and overly cozy (for instance, calling the subject "James" instead of the usual journalistic "Beard"). It's a laborious gathering of facts rather than a compelling biography. You can tell there's good material here, but it never fully comes to life.
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