Product Review Monday

This week’s book review is a volume by Bill Bryson entitled “One Summer: America, 1927.”

Essentially the book is just what the title indicates: A synopsis of the events that took place in the summer of 1927. Sounds kinda boring, right? It especially sounds kinda boring because it focuses (along with much else) on the stories that riveted the age: Trans-Atlantic flight, sports (notably boxing and baseball), and sensational crimes … none of which, to be honest, I have much interest in.

And yet, because it’s Bill Bryson, it’s a fabulous book. He is one of those rare writers able to make the ordinary extraordinary. Many of the names still familiar today (Jack Dempsey, Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh) and their accomplishments are discussed at length, along with political figures and national events. He explains just why the events of that year were, and remain, so extraordinary and groundbreaking.

“One Summer: America, 1927.” Highly recommended. Hardback version is here, paperback version is here.

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This week’s product review features something I, personally, haven’t bothered to use. That’s because it belongs to Older Daughter, and she uses it constantly. I speak of her air fryer.

Older Daughter had wanted an air fryer for, well, forever. She finally bit the bullet about two years ago and got a Ninja DZ201 two-basket model, a medium-priced unit with high reviews. It’s no exaggeration to say she uses it almost daily.

I asked her what she likes and doesn’t like about the air fryer.

Pros:

• It gets things much crispier than a toaster oven.

• It reheats pizza beautifully.

• It’s good for small portions of things that can lay flat, or for larger portions of things that can be in a jumble (veggies, potatoes, etc.).

• It cooks things with a lot less oil to get the same amount of crispiness as, say, pan frying.

• Because it’s a two-drawer unit, she can cook two things at different temperatures/settings simultaneously.

Cons: 

• It doesn’t let you broil both sides at once. If you want something really crispy, you have to do one side at a time.

Older Daughter has several meal staples she now makes using this gizmo. She absolutely loves it and can recommend it without hesitation.

(Obligatory disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, if you purchase through those links, we earn a small commission.)

(Don’t forget: A complete list of all our book and product recommendations are linked here and at the upper-right column of the blog.)

Source: http://www.rural-revolution.com/2025/08/product-review-monday.html