This is a guest post by Paul Levine, author of the new national bestseller Bum Rap and eighteen other legal thrillers.
You’re watching True Detective on HBO, and suddenly you need a drink… or a shrink. Or both, after all that boozing and all those self-loathing detectives, self-doubting gangsters, and double-dealing politicians.
My advice? Head to your favorite saloon and huddle up with these books and booze (publishers’ descriptions also included below).
Bourbon Empire by Reid Mitenbuler
Unraveling the many myths and misconceptions surrounding America’s most iconic spirit, Bourbon Empire traces a history that spans frontier rebellion, Gilded Age corruption, and the magic of Madison Avenue. Whiskey has profoundly influenced America’s political, economic, and cultural destiny, just as those same factors have inspired the evolution and unique flavor of the whiskey itself.
Taking readers behind the curtain of an enchanting — and sometimes exasperating — industry, the work of writer Reid Mitenbuler crackles with attitude and commentary about taste, choice, and history. Few products better embody the United States, or American business, than bourbon.
A tale of innovation, success, downfall, and resurrection, Bourbon Empire is an exploration of the spirit in all its unique forms, creating an indelible portrait of both bourbon and the people who make it.
Why it works with True Detective: With prose as smooth as Kentucky’s golden whiskey, the author weaves entertaining tales of the liquor industry against the backdrop of American history. He also dispels the myth about bourbon being “America’s Native Spirit.”
In one of my early Jake Lassiter novels, my hero innocently referred to Jack Daniel’s as bourbon. That drew several angry emails, informing me that Jack was “Tennessee whiskey.” Author Mitenbuler writes that Jack Daniels is filtered through charred sugar maple, giving it a smokier, sweeter taste than bourbon. Okay, I stand corrected.
The Ultimate Happiness Prescription by Deepak Chopra
Happiness is something everyone desires. Yet how to find happiness — or even if we deserve to — remains a mystery. Still more mysterious is the secret to a lasting happiness that cannot be taken away. In The Ultimate Happiness Prescription, bestselling author Deepak Chopra shows us seven keys to uncover the true secrets of joy in the most difficult times.
The goal of life is the expansion of happiness, he contends. But in today’s demanding world, that goal seems elusive, if not impossibly out of reach. Society reinforces the belief that fulfillment comes from achieving success, wealth, and good relationships. Yet Chopra tells us that the opposite is true: all success in life is the by-product of happiness, not the cause.
So what is the cause? The Ultimate Happiness Prescription shares spiritual principles for a life based on a sense of your “true self” lying beyond the ebb and flow of daily living. Simple daily exercises lead to eliminating the root causes of unhappiness and letting a deeper level of bliss unfold.
Why it works with True Detective: The characters on True Detective all seem to have damaged childhoods and angst-ridden adulthoods. One cop is suicidal, another has serious “Daddy issues.” Everyone seems to be dispirited, corrupt, or enraged.
How about some self-help? So much from which to choose! The Ultimate Happiness Prescription by Deepak Chopra is a good place to start.
What’s the first key to happiness? SPOILER ALERT: Awareness.
“The first key to happiness tells us that by being aware of your body, you are connecting to the underlying field of infinite possibilities,” Chopra writes. “Why do mind, body, and spirit feel separate when they are not? Because of lack of awareness.”
I’m Your Man by Sylvie Simmons
Singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen is one of the most important and influential musical artists of the past fifty years — and one of the most elusive. In I’m Your Man, journalist Sylvie Simmons, one of the foremost chroniclers of the world of rock ’n’ roll and popular music, explores the extraordinary life and creative genius of Leonard Cohen.
I’m Your Man is an intimate and insightful appreciation of the man responsible for “Suzanne,” “Bird on a Wire,” “Hallelujah,” and so many other unforgettable, oft-covered ballads and songs. Based on Simmons’s unparalleled access to Cohen — and written with her hallmark blend of intelligence, integrity, and style — I’m Your Man is the definitive biography of a major musical artist widely considered in a league with the great Bob Dylan.
Why it works with True Detective: The opening credits of True Detective are dark, gritty and spooky as befits modern noir. The credits are accompanied by Leonard Cohen growling “Nevermind” from his 2014 album, “Popular Problems.” At 80, Cohen’s voice is as gravelly as an unpaved road, his words bleak and brooding.
I was not caught
Though many tried
I live among you
Well disguised
I had to leave
My life behind
I dug some graves
You’ll never find
Vivid lyrics and a mood as gloomy as a graveyard. Perfect for True Detective? Or perhaps too on-the-nose, too obvious, leaving no room for subtext? You decide, preferably after a bourbon.
I’ve twice seen Cohen in concert in recent years, once in Los Angeles and once in Miami. Both were memorable. So I’m picking up a copy of I’m Your Man by Sylvie Simmons. It’s the definitive work on the Canadian poet-songwriter-singer. Afterward, I might cry out, “Hallelujah,” one of Cohen’s most famous songs.
Los Angeles by Jim Heimann and Kevin Starr
From the first known photograph taken in Los Angeles to its most recent sweeping vistas, this photographic tribute to the City of Angels provides a fascinating journey through the city’s cultural, political, industrial, and sociological history. It traces the city’s development from the 1880s’ real estate boom, through the early days of Hollywood and the urban sprawl of the late 20th century, right up to the present day. With over 500 images, L.A. is shown emerging from a desert wasteland to become a vast palm-studded urban metropolis.
Events that made world news — including two Olympics, Bobby Kennedy’s assassination, and the Rodney King riots — reveal a city of many dimensions. The entertainment capital of the world, Hollywood, and its celebrities are showcased along with many other notable residents, personalities, architects, artists, and musicians. The city’s pop cultural movements, its music, surfing, health food fads, gangs, and hot rods are included, as are its notorious crimes and criminals. This book depicts Los Angeles in all its glory and grit, via hundreds of freshly discovered images including those of Julius Shulman, Garry Winogrand, William Claxton and many other superb photographers, culled from major historical archives, museums, private collectors, and universities. These are given context and resonance through essays by renowned California historian Kevin Starr and Los Angeles literature expert David L. Ulin.
Why it works with True Detective: Have you noticed all the aerial shots of Southern California in True Detective? Freeway corridors as intricate as jigsaw puzzles, industrial plants oozing toxic scum, the coastline, so ominous at night. Every time the location changes, the director fires up the helicopter.
Feast your eyes on Los Angeles by Jim Heimann and Kevin Starr. It’s one of those gorgeous, oversize Taschen books, filled with striking photos. There are earthquakes and fires and gangland shootings. And iconic personalities. There’s famed music producer Phil Spector — now imprisoned for murder — in a 1965 photo by Dennis Hopper. Speaking of prisoners, there’s O.J. Simpson jogging with the Olympic Torch on the P.C.H.
The book traces the history of the City of Angels. Or is it, the City of Angles…as the fictional town of Vinci seems to be in True Detective?
Are you adding any of these to your to-read list? Tell us in the comments!
In Paul Levine’s newest book, Bum Rap, NFL linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter has had it with shifty clients, dirty prosecutors, and a legal system out of whack.
It’s enough to make a man want to leave Miami and never look back — until he gets a call from Victoria Lord, the better half of hot local legal team Solomon & Lord. Her partner in life and law has been arrested for murder. What’s worse: the only person who can clear him has fled the city.
Now it’s up to Jake and Victoria to track down the witness — a stunning “bar girl” — before she’s roped in by the feds… or eliminated by the Russian mob.
Jake knows that if he doesn’t get to the witness first, his client’s case is lost. Luckily, he’s got some good advice from his college football coach: “Buckle your chin strap and hit somebody.” And sometimes, the only way to win a tough case is to do just that.
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