Elizabeth Perkins Books

This is a great book for the whole family. Good to read anytime but especially before Thanksgiving.

We read this book as a part of our homeschool History curriculum this year. It was very informative and entertaining. My children (ages 6 and 8) absolutely loved it. We have the older version, and my kids didn't even mind the lack of color and the sparse illustrations. They begged me ,"One more chapter...please, Mom?!"

I would say the only thing I did not care for in this book was the way they portray the Indians. Other than Squanto, Samoset and Massasoit, all of the other Indians are viewed as 'savages' (and not very intelligent ones, at that.) In the last few chapters, they are even used as 'comic relief.' She also has them speaking the word 'Ugh' a lot...such as "Ugh! White squaw bring me cider!"
I thought that was a little unrealistic, and insulting as well.

The information on the Pilgrims is wonderful, and she really brought their journey alive.

If you can overlook the Indian parts, I would highly recommend this book.

I borrowed this book to read it to my daughter when she was in second grade. She loved it. She's now in 6th grade and still remembers many details of the book because they had that much of an impression on her. You can imagine yourself being with these Pilgrims, waiting in the dark on the beach for the boat to arrive. Now that my son is 4, I wanted to make sure I had a copy of my own to read to him. This is definitely one to add to your personal library.

My children and I loved reading about the Pilgrims. I was not educated about their lives like my children are. Thisbook is very informative and right on their levels. We read this when they were 5 and 9.

great book! the bakers do a great job sorting a lot of information into this small book. they offer scientific studies, a personal recovery story, and lots of great recipies. all the recipies i have tried have been good but some are a food combining charts nightmare. some ingredients are harder to come by but most can be improvised with what you have on hand. anyone interested in raw foods should have this book on their recipie shelf.

I found this book at the library and now I'm here to buy it. I refuse to return it until I have a copy of my own! The recipes are delicious, and mostly simple. There are a lot of basic recipes with variations, like breads and nut/seed milks. There are also some how-to sections like sprouting and what foods should and shouldn't be consumed together. I love this book even more than the BIG book I got from my church's Hallelujah Diet course. If you are having trouble deciding if you want to go RAW, this book will make the transition easy! All the basics and a LOT of extras! Enjoy the road to good health with the help of Elizabeth Baker's FABULOUS UNcook book!

No, this is certainly not the first raw food book, but it first came out when raw foodism was not nearly as well known as it is today. I bought a previous edition in 1981 or so, and it's still one of my favorites. The recipes are creative, and the narrative section of the book contains all sorts of little gems of information (such as why there's really no such thing as "cold-pressed" oil). I haven't seen this new edition, but I have every confidence that it's as good as - or better than - the old one.

I bought this book because I understood that a few of my ancestors were quoted in it; as a genealogist, I look for every mention of my ancestors possible! But this book brought home the staggering (to me, I never said I was smart) fact that not all conflict between settlers and Native Americans took place on the plains. Many, many conflicts took place right here in the midwest, in Ohio, Michigan, etc. And this book provides an excellent description of the people and events of this period of settlement. It adds a dimension to my research, and is an fascinating study.

Nothing spectacular to write home about. When I bought this book, I was hoping for the old radio dramas that I used to listen to when I was a kid on Sunday nights. I will say that there were some very good stories. But a few left you rather wanting.

This book is written by eight women with famous or influential Christian husbands. These women show how they have learned to lean on Jesus Christ in the worst of situations: Suicide attempts, childlessness, egotistical husbands, poverty, etc.

This is a very easy to read book. I was happy to see menu plans and receipes included.

It's so refreshing to read a book that doesn't preach "diet". It's a vicious cycle. What we eat affects our mood and our mood affects what we want to eat!!

The book (at the beginning) goes into some detail about the chemistry of the body and brain and the purpose is to show you HOW your body uses the fuel it gets. It is an easy read and very easy to incorporate the changes into your life.

The book has really been my "Bible" and I have told hundreds of people about it. It's about eating the right foods for your body and your mind, it's NOT a diet, it's a lifestyle change. The reason so many women can't lose weight and keep it off is that they are focused so much on "diet" and losing weight. It's really about being healthy overall. And what we eat directly affects our moods and THAT is a mental thing, which eventually turns physical if our moods are depressed and we continue to eat things that hurt us.

Another great thing about it is that it covers all the different types of moods and changes women go through and how what they eat either makes the mood better or worse. It also has lists of foods in the back that are good for your lifestyle. I never realized there were SO MANY fruits and veggies and other foods out there that are good for you, that I could eat. And knowing which foods to stay away from or eat during certain moods is so helpful.

For instance, late in the day when you are at work and feeling tired, eat a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread. It does NOT put you to sleep, it's in small amounts, it actually does the reverse and perks you up. Try it!!

At least go to the library and check the book out first, I guarantee you will love it and want to buy it so you can use it for reference. I am so glad I found it, this book has changed my life!!!

This book is an overview of nutritional and dietary practices, and how they can affect your health, particularly your mental well-being. It is organized into two main sections: The Food-Mood Link, and Nutrition Know-How. In the first section, there are separate chapters about such topics as blood chemistry, carbohydrates, fats and chocolate, and dietary affects on energy levels, PMS and SAD, depression, stress, thinking and memory, as well as chapters on food allergies and intolerances, and eating disorders. The second section presents advice on healthy eating habits for positive mental well-being, with chapters on shopping and supplements. At the end of the book are a glossary, a short section of recipes, a list of organizations devoted to specific diet and health concerns, references organized by chapter, and an index.

Reading this book is a bit like consulting with a nutritionist. Near the beginning of most chapters is a short self-scoring quiz about your current dietary habits or mental condition. After taking the quiz, you add up the points to see if you are eating well in this particular area, or should consider adjusting your habits. The remaining text in the chapter explains some of the problems or symptoms of the topic under discussion and various dietary factors that may play a role, or how dietary changes can help ameliorate symptoms. The suggestions Somer makes are all grounded on published scientific research, as cited in the references found at the back of the book.

While I found the nutritional information worthwhile, I found the quizzes a bit simplistic at times. Quiz 1.1 "What do you eat and how do you feel?" was particularly questionable in format. It asks you to rate your mood on a scale of 0-5 for about 25 characteristics such as "calm" or "lethargic" before lunch and then again after lunch. If any of these values change during this time, you are presumably to blame it on what you had for lunch. Such a format constitutes a classic example of how to create unfounded cause-effect relationships. Mood changes could just as easily come from hormone cycling, food you ate at an earlier meal, or something you heard on the news during lunch. On the other hand, the quizzes provide a limited means of interactivity, to make up for Somer not being able to conduct a personal interview about specific needs before giving dietary advice. Overall, I found the book informative and interesting, though the quizzes need some more polish.

This is a fantastic book and highly recommended. Somer does an excellent job in breaking down the science on eating and succintly conveys these points to the reader. Not only will your body feel the benefits of Somer's advice, but you will also learn a lot about how the scientific relationship between food and mood.

I felt that the best thing about this book is that Somer does not say that you must eat any specific diet. Rather than advocating for a strict and boring diet, the author recommends eating habits that mean that eating can still be a great experience.

I bought this book before I bought the South Beach diet book.
At the time, I did not comprehend what White bread and insulin levels were doing to my body. After I went on the South beach diet, I went back to reread some of Food and mood. I realised that what had been written in SBD, had been covered in much more depth in Food and Mood.
There is so much information in this book. Each food does something to your body. Too much sugar, and 20 minutes later you are tired and cranky. Same could be said for white bread, white rice, white pasta.
The bibliography at the end is priceless. For once, the author of a diet book has backed up her claims with countless studies from reputable sources.
In conclusion, get this book.

Having a book to categorize guys seems to be a perennial favorite. I remember when I was a teenager, I had some sort of a "guide to love" that figured out which guys and girls would match up best based on their signs. It's funny how these books always seem to be written FOR women, and ABOUT guys. I imagine guys just go for whoever seems sexiest to them - while girls are hoping for something a little more meaningful.

To her credit, Elizabeth Perkins warns you up front that no person is ever going to be 100% like their Sun Sign. Astrology - assuming you believe in it of course - is a complex science. It's not just where the sun is - it's where the moon is and all the other planets. That is why two people who are both "Capricorns" can be wildly different. The exact location, date and time down to the second all affect how the sign behaves.

Still, you can get a general idea of how a given guy will act - and how well it will match up with your own personality. If you believe in astrology, you can say it's because of the planets. Even if you don't believe in astrology though, it's worth noting that if someone is told from the moment they're born that "Oh, you're an Aquarius - you're creative" - it reinforces that trait in the person. So in a way, the fact that a large number of people believe in astrology and are promoting it, it means that children growing up actually start to be the way they're told they "should" be.

That all being said, I have a few issues with this book. The first section of the book is a basic overview of what guys are like based on their sun sign. Capricorn - "Coffee, chocolate, Capricorn men ... some things are just better rich." I realize this is in jest, but are we really back in the days that women only cared about a 'rich man'? I know several miserable women who have wealth but cry themselves to sleep.

Also, some of the definitions seem VERY narrow. I know the standard definitions for a taurus. My dad is one, my boyfriend is one. My stepmom was an astrologer. Comfort, home, tradition. But here they say he ONLY eats meat and potatoes. I don't think so. They always finish projects immediately? Hah!

The second section is on women - i.e. "to know yourself" - with little quick reviews on how that woman relates to the various signs. I think any woman could spin to any sign at random and identify with it. The descriptions are all rather vague. I realize that's part of astrology - it has to fit 1/12th of the entire human population - but still, with the guy section being laser-focussed, it's the opposite to have the women's section be so general.

It's also a little tough that pretty much every pairing is described as being a challenge :) None of them are recommended as 'easier' - they are all going to be difficult, just for different reasons. It's of course healthy to realize that any relationship requires work and daily effort to succeed - but does it have to be so rough in life?

A great deal of fun, as long as you take it as a way to explore your own needs and the needs of your partner without tying down either of you to the set, printed description.

A clever and insightful book to keep on your bedside table, the Star Guide to Guys is amusing and well-written. Whether its observations are actually accurate or not, it provokes reflective thought and is certainly good for a few laughs. And admit it... astrology is kind of a fun fascination! While one might suspect that this is the type of book you read once- my friends and I have found ourselves using it as sort of a reference book whenever we meet anyone new. Easy to read, it is broken up into two parts- one that deals with men by star-sign and another lengthier section that deals with women by star-sign and then discusses their compatability with each other signs.

This comprehensive guide to the quilts in the collection of the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City offers readers an excellent study of quiltmaking in American history. Color photos of 141 quilts, collected from across the country, represent traditional and contemporary styles. The accompanying text provides extensive information about the quilts and the people who made them.

This book is satiracal about so many 18th cent. issues including women's education, christianity, and british foriegn policy. It is a hard book to follow with a bunch of characters that are only in the book briefly. It is very funny and the country mouse in the city effect is very well done. Hamilton took this character and really breathed life into him. The only draw back would be the number of characters that appear briefly for very little effect throughout the novel.