Customer Rating: 
Summary: Truth is stranger than fiction
Comment: This is a great book to read if you have interest in the Mondavi wine business. My interest was
piqued after a recent trip to the Napa/Sonoma wine region and visiting the Opus Winery, amongst
others. Mondavi is a legend in the California wine business and after reading Robert Mondavi's book
entitled Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business I was further drawn to learn more
about the family story. In Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business Robert Mondavi
tells his side of the story but in this meticulously researched book the big picture is further
explained and goes deep into the demise of the wine empire. The ins and outs of the busines,
complete with sordid stories, success and faillures, makes this book an epic tale of a family in
turmoil. The conflicts between the elder brothers, the Robert Mondavi heir brothers, Michael and
Timothy is given an impartial reporting that is refreshing. The book does focus primarily on the
fall of the Mondavi empire but it is done in such a way that the background information on the rise
of the empire puts everything into perspective. The contributions to the wine industry cannot be
denied and the author acknowledges the innovations and techniques the Mondavi family brought to
making wine, as well as making Caifornia wine world renowned and mass consumed. The expansion of the
business to other parts of the world is quite interesting. It is a tragic story in the end as big
business takes over the Mondavi name but not before many years of drama, which Julia Flynn Siler so
eloquently describes. If you are interested in the Mondavi story this book is without question the
one to read. The book has two sets of pictures that put faces on the characters in this real life
soap opera. It is a very satisfying read that leaves you thirsting for more every time you stop
reading it. Check it out, highly recommended, especially if you are a wine enthusiast or a person
involved in business.
Customer Rating: Summary: Where was the editor?
Comment: This book was disappointing, if only because with decent editing it would have been much more
enjoyable to read. The author appeared to write this as a series of stories, rather than a single
work of non-fiction, as evidenced by her insistence on re-identifying many major players and events
throughout the story. And like many authors these days, tightening up the book by 75 pages or so
would have trimmed the fat yet left the full flavor of a compelling saga.
Customer Rating: Summary: Interesting tale, but poorly written
Comment: Only a writer with cloth ears would start a sentence with "As well, ..." Ms. Siler does so at least
50 times in this book. I cringed every time.
As well, she devotes far too much space
to irrelevant minutiae. See what I mean?
