Are you looking for a
biography to read? Then consider Ray
& Joan by Lisa Napoli. The
subtitle is a great description: “the man who made the McDonald’s fortune and
the woman who gave it all away.” Joan, Ray’s third wife, was a pianist and both
were married when they met. Author Napoli has clearly conducted extensive
research on their relationship, the history of McDonald’s corporation
and Joan’s bequests to a number of charities particularly the treatment of alcoholism.
Honestly, I found myself
re-reading some sections and therefore did not find this life story to be that well-written, but the Krocs are a fascinating duo, especially given
the local Oak Brook connection. Ray
& Joan by Lisa Napoli received starred reviews from Booklist
and Kirkus.
For other popular biographies
from 2016, check out the Goodreads Rankings. I will be posting several more "Best of 2016" lists soon.
