Two different articles caught my eye this morning as I perused the Journal. The first was a review by Eric Felton of a new book called Euphemania by Ralph Keyes (here). Anyone who knows me or reads this blog even semi-regularly will know that I love the Wall Street Journal each morning primarily for the book review article in the Op-Ed pages. I love Saturdays because the Weekend Journal section is all about books. I've yet to find a daily publication that provides as much information and reviews of books as the Journal. Today's review of Euphemania is probably the most scathing review I've yet read.
In Ratatouille, the restaurant critic Anton Ego, voiced by Peter O'Toole, has an epiphany regarding food that he relates to his readers by discussing how fun it is to write scathing reviews. The review of Euphemania does not come across as having been fun to write. It isn't even all that fun to read. It's a decimation of the book by Felton, and based on his arguments it seems that it was well deserved. I came away thinking that Mr. Felton had put more time, study and research into his review than Mr. Keyes put into his book. Well worth a quick read. Quite memorable.
The second article is a bit cringe worthy. Room Service for Running Shoes by Kevin Helliker (here) discusses how higher end hotels are now offering running togs to include socks and shoes to guests who don't wish to tote around workout gear when they travel. I don't know about you, but when I traveled I didn't mind taking my own running gear and would not quickly give that up to wear anything the hotel might give me. At one point in the article Mr. Helliker states the hotel's case:
"Westin's program is part of a larger move by the hotel industry to beef up fitness offerings and cater to the frequent business travelers who tend to use hotel gyms the most. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts recently introduced a gear-lending program with an MP3 player and Adidas shoes and apparel. It, however, is only available to Fairmont's most-loyal guests and, in most cases, requires a small fee. Hotel companies have also recently put more resources into their gyms, transforming many of them from cramped, windowless spaces jammed with old treadmills into spacious centers stocked with high-end equipment, flat-screen televisions and free yoga classes."
It's this second half of the quote that should be most telling. I hate going to those small fitness rooms. Usually if there is even just one other person the place is too crowded. If hotels want to attract more people to their fitness areas and to return stays just increase the size of their fitness rooms, don't give out used gear.
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