Rating: 
Summary: WIT AND WISDOM ON EVERY PAGE
Review: Life is good. Precious Ramotswe is back. Of traditional build and generous heart she's the indefatigable, irresistible proprietress of Botswana's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Fifth in the highly acclaimed series by Alexander McCall Smith "The Full Cupboard Of Life" finds Mma Ramotswe disconcerted by her long engagement to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, a true gentleman and the best mechanic in Botswana. She wonders if she will forever be an engaged lady, "a status somewhere between spinsterhood and marriage." Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni is also distracted.. His two apprentices are disappointments, apparently unable or unwilling to comprehend the high standards required of them in such trustworthy positions. He fears that their lackadaisical work will cause "great sadness among the cars of Botswana." He also faces a frightening parachute jump, the brainchild of Mma Potokwani. Orphan farm matron Mma Potokwani is formidable. She, too, is of generous proportions, a state that only hinders when she attempts to bend over - a minor inconvenience since she is aware that "Men wanted women whose shape reminded them of good things on the table." So, blessed with self-esteem and grit that matches her girth she presses on. Using a sweet cake wreathed with raisins as enticement she coaxes Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni into agreeing to jump from a plane as a fund-raiser for the orphans. Thus, the honest, gentle mechanic is reminded again that women are more clever than men. He yearns to disabuse her of this dangerous plan. Yet he fully realizes the difficulty in standing up to women - "it appeared to make little difference." Mma Potokwani also tackles Botswana's's longest engagement, urging Mma Ramotswe to set a wedding date. When Mma Ramotswe demurs, explaining that Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni likes to consider things for long periods of time, Mma Potokwani counters with, "That is a weakness......there are some men who need to be organized by women." Mma Ramotswe agrees with this logic much to the distress of her assistant, Mma Makutsi, who views the orphan home matron as the kind of forceful woman who would exploit a man's gentle nature. Of course, Mma Makutsi would never have the temerity to voice disapproval, even though she is the successful head of a school (engagingly chronicled in "The Kalahari Typing School For Men,"). In addition, her thoughts are occupied by the purchase of a home. No longer must she perform her daily ablutions at an outdoor tap. Her mind also turns to the Agency's latest client who has a problem she envies - four suitors. Mma Holonga is a wealthy woman who made a fortune through hair styling salons and a mixture called Special Girl Hair Braiding Preparation. While Mma Holonga may be adept at hair braiding she knows little about men. She asks Mma Ramotswe to investigate and discover which men are interested in her money and which are interested in her. A challenge, indeed. Botswana is a place where all worries wash away with a steaming cup of bush tea, where it's a pleasure to sit in the sun and talk. "The Full Cupboard of Life" offers wit and wisdom on every page. Read it and you will find yourself very much like Botswanans on happy occasions - ululating with pleasure. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: WIT AND WISDOM ON EVERY PAGE
Review: Life is good. Precious Ramotswe is back. Of traditional build and generous heart she's the indefatigable, irresistible proprietress of Botswana's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Fifth in the highly acclaimed series by Alexander McCall Smith "The Full Cupboard Of Life" finds Mma Ramotswe disconcerted by her long engagement to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, a true gentleman and the best mechanic in Botswana. She wonders if she will forever be an engaged lady, "a status somewhere between spinsterhood and marriage." Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni is also distracted.. His two apprentices are disappointments, apparently unable or unwilling to comprehend the high standards required of them in such trustworthy positions. He fears that their lackadaisical work will cause "great sadness among the cars of Botswana." He also faces a frightening parachute jump, the brainchild of Mma Potokwani. Orphan farm matron Mma Potokwani is formidable. She, too, is of generous proportions, a state that only hinders when she attempts to bend over - a minor inconvenience since she is aware that "Men wanted women whose shape reminded them of good things on the table." So, blessed with self-esteem and grit that matches her girth she presses on. Using a sweet cake wreathed with raisins as enticement she coaxes Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni into agreeing to jump from a plane as a fund-raiser for the orphans. Thus, the honest, gentle mechanic is reminded again that women are more clever than men. He yearns to disabuse her of this dangerous plan. Yet he fully realizes the difficulty in standing up to women - "it appeared to make little difference." Mma Potokwani also tackles Botswana's's longest engagement, urging Mma Ramotswe to set a wedding date. When Mma Ramotswe demurs, explaining that Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni likes to consider things for long periods of time, Mma Potokwani counters with, "That is a weakness......there are some men who need to be organized by women." Mma Ramotswe agrees with this logic much to the distress of her assistant, Mma Makutsi, who views the orphan home matron as the kind of forceful woman who would exploit a man's gentle nature. Of course, Mma Makutsi would never have the temerity to voice disapproval, even though she is the successful head of a school (engagingly chronicled in "The Kalahari Typing School For Men,"). In addition, her thoughts are occupied by the purchase of a home. No longer must she perform her daily ablutions at an outdoor tap. Her mind also turns to the Agency's latest client who has a problem she envies - four suitors. Mma Holonga is a wealthy woman who made a fortune through hair styling salons and a mixture called Special Girl Hair Braiding Preparation. While Mma Holonga may be adept at hair braiding she knows little about men. She asks Mma Ramotswe to investigate and discover which men are interested in her money and which are interested in her. A challenge, indeed. Botswana is a place where all worries wash away with a steaming cup of bush tea, where it's a pleasure to sit in the sun and talk. "The Full Cupboard of Life" offers wit and wisdom on every page. Read it and you will find yourself very much like Botswanans on happy occasions - ululating with pleasure. - Gail Cooke
Rating: 
Summary: A Fifth of Ramotswe - The Trials of Matekoni
Review: Meanwhile, back at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.....
Mma Ramotswe has been pondering her never-ending engagement to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, the kindest and most gracious of men, and the best mechanic in Botswana. Now recovered from his bout of depression, present events threaten to upset his delicate balance, and his fiancée must use all her experience and tact to correct the balance without causing him embarrassment.
First of all, a powerful and persuasive woman has decided he's going to jump out of an airplane for her.
Secondly, he's come across proof that a competing repair shop has been cheating customers, and he has the mutated machine to prove it.
Thirdly, he's had a disturbing dream, in which his late father asks him a probing question.
On top of all this, Mma Ramotswe has a wealthy female client who's got her braids in a twist trying to choose a suitable and worthy husband, out of four likely candidates. Mma Ramotswe has the task of separating the gold from the gold-diggers, but will her client be happy with her choice?
Not forgetting Mma Makutsi, who, thanks to the success of her typing school, is now moving on up to a low-cost housing area with interior plumbing.
McCall Smith takes the time to recap the essential details of the four previous books to ensure continuity, but like a five-course meal, it's better not to start with dessert.
Sweet, but better if you've already enjoyed the first four courses.
Amanda Richards, November 28, 2004
Rating:
Summary: Another fun romp with the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Review: Mma Ramotswe is back in fine form, still engaged and still unwed, in Alexander McCall Smith's fifth book in the "Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. Her business is on solid financial footing and her engagement is hanging fire. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is still devoted and still reluctant to set a date. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe has business to attend to. A lady who owns a profitable network of hair braiding salons has four admirers, and wonders if they're after her affections or her money. Mma Ramotswe is hired to find out. As for her assistant detective, Mma Makutsi, the Kalahari Typing School for Men is thriving, and Mma Makutsi is in the middle of moving into her own home with -- of all things -- running water. Things are definitely looking up. "The Full Cupboard of Life" is a delightful addition to the series, but plotwise, it's the weakest of the five so far. The one case Mma Ramotswe is involved in, checking out the four suitors of her client, seems to be almost an afterthought to the plot. In this case, Mma Ramotswe seems less like a detective than an advisor to the lovelorn; and she realizes after solving the case to something less than her client's satisfaction, that even though people may ask your advice, they are going to do just what they intended to do anyway. Despite the anemic plot, "The Full Cupboard of Life" is a delightful read, another paean to the continent bursting with life and color that Smith loves so much. Nkosi sikelele Afrika!
Rating:
Summary: Charming fairy tale
Review: Mma. Precious Ramotswe gets a new case for the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency--a woman made wealthy by her hair braiding salons has decided to take a husband and has four suitors. Mma. Ramotswe is hired to determine which is most suitable and which might only be after her money. Author Alexander McCall Smith uses this boyfriend investigation as a jumping off point to consider relationships between men and women. As always, the focus is on Botswanna (a country in southern Africa) with a rich interplay between the traditional culture of this nation and changing society. Intriguing characters, especially Mma. Ramotswe and her secretary/assistant detective, Mma. Makutsi add depth to the story. The lessons aren't especially surprising--men need women to tell them what to do and can't really be trusted to know their own minds--but are told in such a charming way that they seem filled with wisdom. Africa has become the forgotten continent. It seems that we hear about it only in the context of the terrible AIDS epidemic (which is not ignored but ony briefly touched on in this story) or genocide and civil war. McCall Smith takes a different and refreshing tack. Without excessively idealizing the continent, the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series suggests that Africa is filled with people much like ourselves--but different enough that we can learn about them, and about ourselves, by watching and listening as they go about their daily lives. McCall Smith uses a simple writing style, almost as if creating a fairy tale, that simultaneously highlights the differences between his Botswanna and U.S./U.K. society and also reminds us of humanity's universality.
Rating:
Summary: charming, as usual
Review: My heart was taken when I read:
"A cake of this size, and emitting such a strong smell of raisins, would mean a major mechanical problem."
Who can resist a book with that sentence in it? It still makes me smile, months later. For that alone, bringing pleasure months after reading it, I'd recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Several friends had recommended this series to me so I sat down to read "Cupboard" with high expectations. They were not fulfilled. The book , while occasionally clever, never really held my interest and was not compelling. Maybe the earlier ones are better, but reading this one did not inspire me to find out.
Rating:
Summary: On the Psychology of Men
Review: The Full Cupboard of Life is the fifth book in the series that features Mma Precious Ramotswe as the owner of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana. The story features Precious, Mr J.L.B. Maketoni (her fiancé), Mma Makutsi (her assistant and the assistant manager of Mr Maketoni's garage), and Mma Potokwame (the matron of the orphan farm where Mr Maketoni helps out). If you have not read any books in the series, I suggest that you look instead to begin with the first one (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) and work your way through them in the order of their publication (Tears of the Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, and The Kalahari Typing School for Men). All of those books are better than this one, and provide helpful context for The Full Cupboard of Life. The Full Cupboard for Life has one detective case in it. Mma Holonga is a successful entrepreneur who has developed a number of beauty parlors for braiding hair in interesting ways and also has created a special formula for treating the hair for braiding. At 40, she realizes that she lacks a husband and child . . . and decides to at least find a husband. But she doesn't want one who is after her money! So she hires Precious to check out her four suitors, beginning with the one she likes best. The case is delicate because Precious is well known in Botswana as a detective, and must avoid having the suitors realize that she is checking them out for Mma Holonga. Most of the book, however, focuses on the personal lives of the others. Precious finally asks her fiancé when they will marry, and he answers that it will be a year or two before he can save the money for a large wedding. When she offers to sell some cattle to hasten the happy day, he declines her offer. When will they ever marry? As usual, Mma Potokwame has plans for Mr J.L.B. Maketoni that will help the orphans. Precious is kept busy helping Mr J.L.B. Maketoni deflect and deal with those plans. In the process, Precious employs some of the classic methods of psychology to influence men to do what she wants them to do. This book moves further away from the roots of the series. Except for one brief encounter with a snake, wild Africa plays no role in the story. The detective agency is almost an after-thought in the story's development. The one assignment is given as limited a space as is possible. But Mr. Smith has created some delightful characters, and those who care about the characters will enjoy seeing them move on with their lives. I hope that in future books Mr. Smith will once again put several detective cases in the story . . . and let wild Africa appear again as a character.
Rating:
Summary: Women organizing men
Review: The No. 1 Detective Agency has a picture of the late President, Sir Seretse Khama, on its walls. He was both an hereditary ruler and an elected official. Mma Ramotswe had no outstanding matters to investigate as the book begins. She wants her house and business and that of her fiance to remain typical of old Botswana, exceedingly friendly. Her fiance, Mr. Maketoni, says they will get married next year or maybe the year after that.
If the matron of the orphan farm wrote a book, she would call it How to Run an Orphan Farm. Mr. Maketoni heads the matron's list of supporters. He is credited with chasing a snake away into the bush. The matron wants Mr. Maketoni to parachute from an airplane as a fundraising stunt. In the old Botswana people were still willing to do things without prospect of reward. Mr. Maketoni offers to fix the butcher's Rover car. He discovers a rival garage has been guilty of fraud when purporting to repair the Rover. The parachute jump is announced in the newspaper.
The characters of the stories are like an ensemble. It is determined that Charles, one of the apprentices, will do the jump in place of Mr. Maketoni. Mma Ramatoswe's assistant tells her that Mr. Maketoni is miserable. It seems that he is perplexed about what to do about the butcher's Rover car. Mr. Maketoni does not like conflict. The matron knows the man, the mechanic responsible for the problems with the butcher's car. She confronts him. He is a living illustration of the saying that all bullies are cowards at heart. The matron solves Mr. Maketoni's dilemma.
The matron feels that Mr. Maketoni is a man who needs to be organized by a woman. It is decided that his wedding will be held at the Orphan Farm. Mma Ramotswe is willing to push things along because she has gotten to the end of waiting.
Rating: 
Summary: The Full Cupboard of Life: More from the No. 1 Ladies' Detec
Review: The subtitle should be "More of the Same." Same (admirable) characters, same tea, same tiny white van, same predicaments. Not enough fresh here to warrant one's time.
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