The Cracker Barrel

Fun read

This is the second time I've read this to my children as a reminder of a different, non-electronic, era. I so appreciate Mr. Sloane's wit, humor, and vast knowledge...not to mention his extraordinary artistic talent. This is my favorite of the several books of his that I own.

All his books are fascinating reading and this one is no exception. These are a series of short (1-2 page) essays providing insight into the days of yesteryear. The topics are usually offbeat, but very interesting making you think about something you had probably been taking for granted.(For example, the piece on neckties.) It's just a slim paperback, but would make an excellent coffee table pickup.

A great collection of the American past delivered in a story telling manner. It is very enjoyable and provides a sincere glimpse into a forgotten part of American history.

Unlike other Eric Sloane books, this book is a collection of columns he wrote for the newspaper. While his other books give one an appreciation for the tools and traditions of yesterday, this book offers a bit more criticism of the present day, and Sloane comes across as crotchety at times. Also, the writing style is more hokey, in the style of a folksy newspaper column. I recommend any other Sloane book instead, such as American Yesterday or Our Vanishing Landscape. If you've read all the others, then this book offers a few more interesting tidbits that make it worthwhile.

"The Cracker Barrel" was a book I loved as a child. I had been wanting to read it again for a long time. Eric Sloane had a lot of fans in the sixties and seventies, but he quickly became forgotten after his death in 1985. A decade or two later, his books were published in new paperback editions. I have no idea how well these new editions are selling. All I know is that I've bought three Sloane paperbacks, including this one.Sloane had a lot of careers and a lot of interests: he was a painter, a writer, a pilot, and a meteorologist (he claimed to be the FIRST meteorologist in history, which is certainly not true). As an artist, I'm especially interested in his books on clouds--how to draw them, how to paint them. "The Cracker Barrel" includes some fascinating trivia, such as how marzipan got its name (it's an Italian adaptation of the American "Marchpane" meaning "March bread," eaten on New Year's Day, which used to be in March), and old tools, like an adjustable wrench with no moving parts and a saw with the serrations on both sides.Sloane's writing sometimes gets a bit folksy,and he gives us a little more information about himself than we want to know, like his dealings with his publisher. But I found "The Cracker Barrel" fascinating 45 years ago, and I still read it today.

This is the perfect coffee table book!

Like always, Eric Sloane did not let me down. Like his writing, so much history and thoughts.

Excellent