Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichl

Ruth Reichl reminds us how tied our lives are to food and to prove this she is an expert at serving up wonderful anecdotes about her life and food complete with recipes.  Even if you can't or won't cook there is a delightful story that you can identify with at every turn.  My favorite was how she became mesmerized by an early edition of GOURMET magazine and savored the beautiful illustrations and articles.
I remember as a child doing the same thing as my mom subscribed to the magazine for years and I don't remember her making a single recipe but we would read and stare at the glorious illustrations until the issue became tattered.  At the time Ms. Reichl had no idea that someday she would be asked to take over the dying magazine and make it come to life again.  It was this very magazine that started her love of good food and led her to a successful career as a food critic and yet most women (and some men) can totally relate to how terrified she was of failure and her lack of confidence at becoming  (gasp!) a boss.  Thanks to a very supportive family she thrived at her new challenge.  If you thought you were in awe of Ruth Reichl food critic and lover of all things edible, wait till you get a load of her as Editor in Chief.  A perfect dessert at the end of a great meal - Bon appetite!