The Foreign Service Journal, November 2007

Desert Island Wine Miles Lambert-Gócs, Ambeli Press, 2007, $14.95, paperback, 190 pages. Here is a witty look at the world of wine. “A delightful book, well-written and highly entertaining. Wine geeks will love it, but it’s a fun read even if you can’t tell a Cabernet from a Merlot!” says Larry Walker, associate editor of Wines & Vines magazine. A varied collection of pieces about wine apprecia- tion, Desert Island Wine is an unusual book. The last chapter, “Wine Bore Bonus (No Funny Business),” is an entirely serious presentation of the author’s discovery of the Greek grape that is the ancestor of the Cabernet Sauvignon. This meticulously researched report can be expected to cause a stir among enophiles. Miles Lambert-Gócs, a former Foreign Agri- cultural Service officer, is also the author of Greek Salad: A Dionysian Travelogue (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2004) and The Wines of Greece (Faber & Faber, 1990). The later is considered the definitive work on the history of Greek wine. He lives in Virginia. Basics of Clause and Sentence Structure: A Handbook for New and Experienced Writers James R. Wachob, Vantage Press, 2007, $8.95, paperback, 50 pages. In the mold of Strunk and White’s classic “little book,” The Elements of Style , this 50-page handbook on the basics of clause and sentence structure is a pithy primer for the dilettante and a refresher for the sea- soned wordsmith. The different categories of English clauses and conditions that must be met when they are combined are presented in a step-by-step way. James R. Wachob, a retired Senior Foreign Service officer, received State Department Superior Honor awards during the course of his 37-year diplomatic career for performance in activities with significant writing components. In retirement, he was an instruc- tor for grammar and writing skills in English-as-a-sec- ond-language schools for nearly two decades before becoming a public high school tutor. Wachob now lives in Somerset, Md., with his wife. 40 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 7