R Books

This is a ok book its kinda for younger kids.Its about a shipwreck and alot of kids get stranded on a island Andrew Lian Ned they look to see if anyone else was on the island they were on. But when they were looking they encountered dinosaurs and they get scared and hide. So now they must over come that great fear. Also during the middle of the book they see them starting to fight and they try to kill the dinosaurs and it has a really suprising ending.

Even though this book is short, it is filled with action for a person of any age to read. In the story it also gives the story of the sea monster, the Kraken. I like the creativity of Scott Ciencin's books on Dinotopia, as well as the Dinoverse series. At first you thik that the Unrivaled are going to invade, but later you find out that they are the most peaceful race on Dinotopia. Congatulations, Ciencin, you've done it again.

Even though this book is short, it is filled with action for a person of any age to read. In the story it also gives the story of the sea monster, the Kraken. I like the creativity of Scott Ciencin's books on Dinotopia, as well as the Dinoverse series. At first you thik that the Unrivaled are going to invade, but later you find out that they are the most peaceful race on Dinotopia. Congatulations, Ciencin, you've done it again.

I own this book and a few other Dinotopia titles and I really recommend this to any Dinotopia fan or just about anybody who likes to read really good books. Once I started reading it I could'nt put it down, it is one of the best books Ive read in a very long time. I also recommend the Dinotopia book Windchaser for another good read

or anyone else, for that matter! I own this book and have reread it a few times. Three friends journey into the Lost City of Halycon, and what they find is not what they expect. They meet new friends and face new challenges. But will it be enough to stop the power-hungry Lord Lucius? You'll have to read it to find out! This book has adventure and excitement, and some humor mixed in also. Over all, an excellent book.

Definitely an amazing story. A man told he will never walk again, not only does he walk, but goes on to become a Green Beret afterwards. The story is amazing for what he overcame in life, don't expect a tell all combat memoir though, it's more about his life.

I first read this book in the span of two days in 1998; it was amazing. While the writing wasn't necessarily anything impressive, the story was inspiring. At times throughout Roy's life, I laughed, cringed, and smiled.

It was when he joined the Army, however, that the book took my breath away. The pace of the book during his military career absolutely flies by, chapters are gone in an instant. When the actual battle timeline and facts start rolling in, well, all I can say is: goosebumps and a dropped jaw. Amazing.

To think that a man can define the word hero as perfectly as Roy did and NOT be a household name speaks poorly of how much our country knows about the men and women in the military.

As a former soldier, I immediately put Tango Mike Mike near the top of my "personal heroes" list.

If you pick this book up, you will not be disappointed.

My father told Roy's heroism as a bedtime story when I was a very young - before Roy even receive the Medal of Honor from President Reagan and before this book was written. You see, my family is the 1st generation from Vietnam. While he was in the army, my father had the honor and privilege meeting Roy. Needless to say, my father revive Roy's story numerous times to me. I never imagine it was all real...I am so overwhelm while reading this book that it is all true. A definitely must read.

My USA retired husband saw Roy Benavidez 3 days before he passed in Nov '98. Visitors were restricted but Roy beckoned for him to come into his hospital room (he always made time for everyone). He was in great pain and had his shirt off. His scars showed. A few words were spoken between 2 battlefield brothers. It must have been a comfort to the family to see the hundreds who went to the funeral. Mrs. Benevidez resides in El Campo TX, drop her a line to tell her you still remember Roy. Maybe one day a movie will be made about THIS FINE CHRISTIAN MAN.

I truly enjoyed the book! I met MSG Roy P. Benavidez in 1990 while stationed in the Air Force at Dyess AFB in Abilene, Texas. The book is a must to read. It's an inspiration to all mankind. Unfortunately, on 11-30-98, he passed away. I attended his funeral services along with hundreds to pay our respects to a man whom I met in my lifetime and will never forget. The book has been written. Now, the movie must be made...

This is a small board book. Perfect to fit in Christmas stockings and little toddlers' hands. It's quite silly and really fun.

At first I was disappointed that this book was a small board book, but my kids liked it so much I got over that quickly. It was in my almost 2 yr old daughters stocking Christmas morning and she kept opening it and laughing, even slapping the floor! Teaches emotions and expressions too.

This book is suitable for a 1-2 year old. My little boy is 3 but is a big Sesame Street fan so he still enjoyed it. It's very colourful with thick laminated pages which makes it easy to clean. I would recommend this to other parents.

My one-year old daughter loves this book so much that she has completely worn it out. It is quite durable but she carries it everywhere. It is her favorite. She enjoys making 'monster voices' to go with the monster faces. She has taken to reading it to herself at times. We love this book and are buying it for a friend's newborn - along with another copy for my daughter!

This is my 16-month old son's second favorite book (the first is Ten Little Ladybugs). He loves the book, can hold it himself, and often sits and "reads" it alone, too. However, in reading alone, has grabbed the pages from the binding side and easily tore the book in half. I glued it back, and it seems to hold for now.

Mr. Lansdale is by far and away my favorite horror writter. I am a devout follower of his work and srongly suggest this book to anyone who has yet to meet his aquantance.

This is Lansdale's first, and finest, work -- unfortunately, it's long been out of print and collectible prices are astronomical. Apparently now that Joe has gone onto bigger and "better" things (like his bestselling series about a gay Black southern civilian detective-hobbyist), he'd prefer to forget about his past. Woe be unto any fan of his mainstream novels who stumbles upon this nasty little secret by "that nice Mister Lansdale."

I'd never heard of this book before -- nor had a friend, who is a huge Lansdale fan. Looking up "splatterpunk" on Wikipedia I was surprised to see mention of the same Joe Lansdale I'm familiar with -- and the amazon reviews convinced me that this was going to be page after page of gratuitous and highly explicit violence, so I just had to add it to my Inter Library Loan queue.

If you're familiar with the splatterpunk sub-genre, or "extreme horror" as it's nowadays called, you'll probably find the violence somewhat tame. Yes, it is violent, but Lansdale is a skilled writer who doesn't need to linger unnecessarily on the description of said violence for the titillation of freaks attracted to such. Not a mainstream book by any stretch of the imagination . . . but it really should be.

Like King, Lansdale knows that it is not spooks and monsters that terrify us, but the atrocities of which humankind is oh so capable. The casual violence of the sociopath -- which degrades into rape and slow torture when he realizes that, hey, he's got a few hours to kill and ain't no-one gonna interrupt. This is what the goblins lurking outside our civilized society like to do. They are sadistic, they are vile, and they are REAL. Like the boogyman, wussified liberal dingbats want to deny their existance -- until, like the protagonists -- they come face to face with their worst nightmare . . . and Officer Friendly ain't there to save the day (or he's rapidly cooling on the front lawn with a bullet in his head -- several cop-killings in this story).

One thing that surprised me was the startlingly accurate depiction of demonic possession portrayed within. I've studied Comparative Demonology for years (accounts and legends from all cultures throughout recorded history), and folks, it ain't anything like "The Exorcist". The typical possession involves a malevolent entity taking near total control of a human host almost like slipping into a skin suit. They appear to be "normal", but the perceptive can see the malice in their eyes, hear it in their voice, and note it in their actions. Most sadistic sociopaths seem to have much in common with the demonically possessed. "The God of the Razor" takes possession of a youth gang leader -- and when he dies, transfers the leader's mind to his lieutenant in a form of dual possession. The astral/oneric interaction with "The God of the Razor" seemed quite authentic to me.

This novel was very well written, sensitive to the delicate subject matter (without going into lurid detail), and an utterly absorbing read. The motivation of the sociopathic gang members is consistant with that of goblins I've met in the past (Clyde sodomizes a former teacher because, "She was nice to me once, and I've been thinking about that *** ever since"). This book should be more widely read: there are genuinely evil creatures walking amongst us, and that fact is ignored at your peril.

I had read more recent Lansdale books (A Fine Dark Line, The Bottoms, etc.), so when I read this book I was little behind the times. Nightrunners is a show of the extreme dark side of human nature and what happens when light and dark begin to mix unwittingly. Lansdale is a master with the articulation of how good must fight the murky veil of evil without falling into the same mindset or abyss of an incredibly chaotic and insane situation that he draws so well in his story. The story compels one to reevalute the weakness of a person that when confronted with nightmarish horrors, as presented in this book, that person will not only rise to the ocassion, but can find a hidden strengh that may well take the breath away. Some books have to be read between the lines, not just as horror stories; i.e. The Drive-In: A Double Feature Omnibus, but as studies of human nature. When you read Nightrunners and are immediately plunged into the depth and degradation of the human spirit, you are also reading about the characters who are regular people who battle their own, albeit well-hidden, dark side. But when really examined, both are chasing their own demons and their own side of weaknesses and strengths. The big question is, which side will win out. Like the movies, we all want a happy ending. Just dont't go to the triple feature at the Orbit Drive-In.
I purchased a hardbound copy in excellent condition and it is on its way to Lansdale right now to be signed.

Here's a book that should NOT be read in the young adult circle. "The Nightrunners" is my stock answer to the question, "What's the most extreme horror novel you've ever read?" In the hands of most other writers, it would be dismissable as sick, even pornographic, with its hyper-violent storyline, sex-driven villains, and the whole "riding the razor" thing ... However, this was written by Joe Lansdale, and he's both talented and empathetic. His characters don't just force stories along. They resonate.

I will say, I read this book when I was much younger, and I still recall how disturbing, upsetting, and riveting the book was. It had a lasting hold and influence on me. That reason, more than any other, is why I include the caviat FOR ADULTS ONLY, that to date I have not put on any other book I've reviewed. Great stuff, but not for everyone.

(This review posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire book "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy.")

I got into Joe Landsdale through his comic book work and I thank G-d that he took those jobs because it lead me to this twisted nasty little edge of Hell. A nice liberal couple comes face to face with hell when the wife is raped and the husband must confront his notions about human goodness head-on and ponder whether or not he is a coward instead of a pacifist. Meanwhile the rapist, hanging in his cell, isn't completely dead as his compatriots are alive and well and one of them is possessed. The car is racing towards them ready for more death. This book brings you face to face with pure evil.

There are rough portions. The teenagers are just nasty and evil, while you can see the husband's transformation from weakling to ravenous fighter coming a mile away. But this is an amazing book on its own merits and shouldn't be read if you are expecting a deep philosophical treatise on human nature. It's just fast, evil and damn good.

Written long after *Journey to the End of Night* and *Death on the Installment Plan* made him famous, and his alleged activities during World War II turned him into something of a pariah, *North* is a lesser known and less widely read novel, but, to my mind, in many respects, a vastly superior work to both *Journey* and *Death.* What makes it so? Precisely Celine's recounting of the questionable wartime `activities' that have turned him into one of the true black sheep of 20th century literature. What Celine has to say about the inferno of WW2 wasn't politically correct long before that term was invented to describe a particular form of lying. Is it possible that the seeds of political correctness were sown in the ashes of postwar Europe? Maybe. In any event, Celine stands firmly opposed to any form of lying or hypocrisy and he found plenty of both to rage against in the chaos of war. The problem is that Celine finds the hypocrisy, the lying, the betrayal and rot on *both* sides, in human nature itself, and this is an unacceptable position to take in the last--if not only--war that is still considered to have had a clear Good Guy and an indisputable Bad Guy.

*North* chronicles a stage in Celine's flight `north' during the last days of an imploding Third Reich. As Berlin is bombed into pebbles, and then re-bombed into dust, Celine, his wife Lili, a temperamental actor friend, and his cat, take refuge in a village along with other refugees--prisoners, traitors, SS officers, gypsies, German nobility, and assorted riff-raff on the move--and all of them scheming and jockeying for the best position to ensure their own survival. Hunger and fear bring out the worst in all of them, except, perhaps, the cat.

What Celine has the effrontery to point out is that human evil is pervasive--the rottenness is at the core, and extends from the bottom up. The guys at the top are only the biggest stinkers, the Chief Thugs, different only in their capacity to commit atrocities of all sorts, but, otherwise, identical to the rest of us in the latent human potential for unbounded cruelty. Celine take on WW2 is one where principled stands were virtually without exception conditional on one's place in the raging chaos. Can the Nazis keep me fed, alive, relatively safe? Okay, then, "Heil Hitler!" Can the Russians? "Welcome Comrade!" Maybe the English? Then "God Save the Queen!" Celine fought with the "Good Guys" during WW1 and so the edge of his ultra-cynicism was somewhat blunted, his political amorality obscured, his misanthropy still a bit of a joke, fogged over and softened by the fact that, after all, he fought on the `right' side. But his essential attitude is there even in *Journey to the End of Night.* Celine doesn't believe in *anything*--nothing, at least, larger than the survival of himself and his immediate friends. His is an ant's-eye view of the world and like all the rest of us little guys, he's just trying to keep from getting stamped on by the big boots from above. And if you think of the war itself as the shadow cast by a great big boot coming down, you can understand better the mindless, unprincipled scramble for survival that Celine dares to record in the pages of *North.* Are there no atheists in a foxhole? Well, Celine argues, there are no idealists there, either. When the bombs are screaming down, there's just a lot of desperate and terrified people looking for a rock to hide under. Justification comes later; survival is first. After all, there's nothing without survival. And wherever the Wheel of Fortune stops, that's where you stand, Nazi or Allied, collaborative or Resistance. You place your best bet: to survive is to win. Well, you might say, that Celine agrees wholeheartedly with Ecclesiastes: "A living dog is better than a dead lion."

It's this kind of radical moral complexity that I think makes *North* richer and ultimately superior to Celine's earlier work--it also fuels an even more virulent disgust with "humanity," so called, and amps up his characteristic misanthropy to the max. Everyone gets it in the neck. The black comedy is here, the antic absurdity, this is Celine after all, cracking jokes even up to his eyeballs in blood and worms. That he can turn the experiences recounted in *North* into a picaresque romp through the Apocalypse is amazing in itself--in many another author's hand, the events of *North* would be the material for a gloomy tragedy of the epic sort well-known by now among chroniclers of the WW2 horror. That Celine is able to turn this uncompromising tale of war, famine, and exile into a loony brimstone romp is a backhand tribute to the human spirit. Well, a tribute to Celine's spirit, in any event--a spirit more fully and honestly "human" than most.

Louis Ferdinand Celine was an anti-Semite and thoroughly unpleasant character (unless you were counted among his small, close circle of friends). He also happens to be one of the 20th Century's greatest writers, someone admired by the likes of Samuel Beckett (not a man known to offer unworthy praise). JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT, DEATH ON THE INSTALLMENT PLAN and NORTH are ample evidence of Celine's enormous talent. Unflinching, vicious and literate, his prose depicts individuals living on the margins--he also is a writer of great wit and there are passages which will provoke peals of laughter from readers with the intelligence to appreciate his dry, bitter,caustic humour. Highly recommended...though not for the faint of heart and small of brain.

This is possibly Celine's most abstract and difficult novel, but well worth the effort. If you persist, you will be rewarded with a tragic story that rivals the bards of ancient greece in its beauty and chaotic symmetry.

Celine never really bothers to make grand pronouncements about the future, about civilization, about humanity, about the future. If he makes them, they are predicated on madness and miscommunication, and often meant merely as a foil for his real ideas. Yet I'm convinced that behind the rants, raves, and scattered events in this novel is a grand metaphor for the fall of the Enlightenment ideas that defined the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century. Gone is any real perception of right or wrong, of good or bad, of the necessary past and the rational future...all we have left is the self and the other, struggling through a bombed-out landscape as Western Continental Europe finally crashes headlong into the ground. Humanity has returned to its irrational origins, and not even an 80 year old Prussian Junker in his underpants can get on his horse, draw his saber, and make everything all right again...

A vital description of the effects of World War II on the ideas, formulations, and traditions of Western European society, and a fantastic read to boot.

This one will stay with us for a long time.

In this partly autobiographical novel, we find Celine on the run through Baden Baden, a bombed out Berlin, and finally a small village at the outskirts of the remains of the Third Reich capital, on his way to what he hesitantly calls a refuge, during the chaos and total insanity of the final stages of the second world war.

Celine does not really complain the misery of his fate. In his cynical manner, he merely records his incredible encounters with seemingly all the renegades and twised characters of a scorched Europe and willing or not he witnesses the atrophies and deformities of human mind. Ironically, the author somehow manages to turn his characters into hillarious and amiable, even entertaining figures.

Celine writes like no other writer you have read. His truncated sentences, in bits and pieces all over the place, remind of a rather maniac mind spinning thoughts at the speed of light in an incohomprensive, bordering to delirious babble. That's Celine all right throughout North. In poignant remarks, making fun, laughing at himself, expressing same anxiety, bitternes, and cynical observations as in his other writings, Celine moves on, weary but undefeated. Life goes on.

I love all of Louis-Ferdinand Celine's novels, from "Journey to the End of the Night" to "Rigadoon", but I have to say that "North" is my favorite. It's hard to say why exactly, because his novels are mostly simlar in tone and style, except for "Journey", his first, which is his most accessible, ellipses-free novel...Bukowski (who turned me on to Celine in the first place) said that Celine went insane after his first book and didn't write much of consequence after that.
I would have to respectfully disagree. "North" certainly does read like an ultra-cynical, off-the-cuff, unruly beast, the rantings of a madman...Celine opens complaining about society, his publisher, the reading public, and his fellow authors, and seems to careen between his present-tense problems and his flight from both the Allies and the Nazis during World War 2, twenty years before, with no rhyme or reason...but I think there IS a reason: the experience. Probably a multiple-degreed Literature Professor (if he read Celine at all) could point out all sorts of latent themes and ironic stylistic touches, but I don't go in for all that...I just love running along behind Celine, trying to keep up. "North" is a whirlwind, a blast of vituperation and self-pity, the missing link between Surrealism and Punk Rock, and possibly the highest expression of what it means to be French and why so many people hate the French: if YOU were a little country crowded on all sides by beasts and fops, and everyone loved your wines and cheeses but squawked with hatred whenever you gave your opinion on something, how do you think YOU'D behave?

I just finished the 'Offworlder' recently, along with 'Blue Planet' a couple weeks ago. I loved reading 'Blue Planet' book 1 of the Gentile Trilogy, so much that I could not put it down. I don't like sci fi, so when I started offworlder it started out a bit slow for me as it was in the off world with a cadre of aliens. but it grew on me very quickly, as the characters created by John Gentile were so intriguing and lovable, i got totally captivated by them. Even before finishing book 3, Siren's Song, I am hoping to see this trilogy become the next Indiana Jones box office blockbuster hit-- I think it would be great on film. Ridley is the next Dirk Pitt in my book, and even better. It's so unrealistic, but seems not so when you read it. The characters are great, the writing keeps you turning the pages and the story is wonderful. I can't wait to finish Siren's Song! Way to go John. Keep Ridley,Mara jul,and Azernoth-zin alive. Wow-- what a read.

Loved this book- couldn't put it down- I had to find out how Ridley gets out of the next mess he gets himself into- you have to root for the underdog and Ridley is clearly the underdog in a hostile outerspace environment.
Jerry M

I found this book extremely engauging. The main characters, even the bad guys, had a likeable side. Unlike a lot of scifi, this book was about the characters and their journey first, and the technology second. This book certainly had the technology as well. There were descriptions of ships and weapons that I have never seen before and I found very innovative. Over all a very well done book that I couldn't put down. It is probably the best edited book I've seen from a small publisher.

I loved the story. It was engaging and fun. Most sci-fi stories get too confusing with sudo-science but Gentile keeps it character driven and moving. I will eagerly await the next installment.

My only criticism is that I finished the book so fast that I wanted to read more but now have to wait.

Great story, terrific cast of aliens and, just as in Blue Planet (Book I), Offworlder also packs a wollop at the end. John is equally at home writing space battles as well as vividly drawing the reader through the landscapes of the minds of his believably drawn characters. There's love, intrigue, fine flashes of humor, betrayal and nothing less than the survival of earth hanging in the balance. This series has it all, including, as the best science fiction does, the ability to resonate, but never in a heavy-handed way, with events happening in the world today, right up to the minute.
Like the rest of the reviewers I also eagerly await Book III!

One of the many neat features of studying at Cornell University is that, even if you're not enrolled in its famous School of Hotel Administration, you can attend one of the cooking and wine tasting classes organized especially for non-Hotel School students, and get at least a flavor of the five star culinary instruction provided by the chefs teaching at that school. (That is, you can do so if you're willing to get up an extra hour or two early on the morning of non-Hotel School student enrollment, and if you're lucky enough to beat the crowds or at least slip in as a substitute participant.) In addition to numerous recipes and pieces of valuable advice, information and memories -- particularly of the last night, on which we had to put together a four-course meal, fine dining style, complete with menu, garnishments and perfectly laid table -- Cornell's "cooking class" has enriched my kitchen by two items I have since found it very hard to do without: A professional grade chef's knife, and Sarah Labensky's and Alan Hause's "On Cooking," which we used as our textbook.

Much more than that, however, "On Cooking" is in fact a near-complete reference on everything related to the culinary arts, from the history of cooking to new foods developed in the 20th century, from sanitation and safety to nutritional values, from recipe writing to menu composition, from knifes and other pieces of equipment to edible kitchen staples, from the principles of cooking to various techniques and food presentation -- and of course, on every conceivable kind of food, from coffee, tea, spices and condiments to dairy products, stocks, sauces, soups, red and white meats, charcuterie, fish and shellfish, eggs, vegetables, potatoes, grains, pasta, salads, fruits, sandwiches, hors d'oeuvres, canapes, breads, pies, pastries, cookies, cakes, custards, creams and frozen desserts. Along the way, numerous tables, diagrams and pictures illustrate and exemplify the given information, making it easy to digest and memorize. The book concludes with an extensive bibliography and recommendations for further reading, and a detailed glossary of essential culinary terms.

Recipes are chosen to match individual chapters, and provide both a practical application and a more profound understanding of the respective chapters' subject matter. They include everything from American and international classics (assorted muffins, scrambled eggs and eggs benedict, focaccia, club, Reuben and other sandwiches, minestrone, French onion soup, gazpacho, New England clam chowder, Cesar, Roquefort, Thousand Islands and other dressings, various mayonnaises, coleslaw, cobb salad, Asian chicken salad, salade Nicoise, potato salad, Thai noodle salad, spanakopitta, grilled portabella mushrooms, carpaccio, lemon curd, hummus, various salsas, guacamole, pesto, hollandaise, bolognese, barbecue, bordelaise, bearnaise, Madeira, mornay, tartar, bechamel and other sauces, various stocks, broths and consommes, polenta, various kebabs, pilafs and risottos, paella, falafel, quiche lorraine, pizza, cannoli alla siciliana, macaroni and cheese, fettuccine Alfredo, clams casino, gravlax, oysters Rockefeller, fillet of sole bonne femme, matzo balls, duck confit, chorizo, chicken cacciatore, coq au vin, chicken curry, pico de gallo, chicken and veal fricassees, osso buco, chili con carne, Swedish meatballs, assorted burgers, meatloaf, T-bone, pepper and other steaks, cassoulet, chateaubriand, tournedos Rossini, beef Stroganoff, entrecote bordelaise, boeuf bourguignon, Hungarian goulash, ratatouille, baked beans, spaetzle, gnocchi, hush puppies, roesti potatoes, gratin dauphinois, baked potatoes, crepes, applesauce, New York cheesecake, sabayon, frangipane, assorted pies, tarts and tortes, various meringues and sorbets, creme brulee, chocolate mousse, chocolate angel food cake, sponge cake, brownies, ladyfingers, Madeleines, toll house cookies, gingerbread cookies, buche de noel, and spiced cider) to more unusual dishes such as:

Chilled cherry soup
Perfumed shrimp consomme
Beet vinaigrette
Shallot curry oil
Walnut pesto
Nopal cactus salsa
Pink peppercorn beurre blanc
Crayfish butter
Zucchini bread
Potato cheddar cheese bread
Salmon and sea bass terrine with spinach and basil
Salmon croquettes
Grilled red snapper burger with mango ketchup
Tex-Mex turkey sausage
Sauted pork medallions with red pepper and citrus
Marinated loin of venison roasted with mustard
Roast pheasant with cognac and apples
Stuffed wontons with apricot sauce
Wild rice and cranberry stuffing
Goat cheese ravioli in herbed cream sauce
Spicy sweet potato and chestnut gratin
Grits and cheddar souffle
Potato-ginger puree
Cilantro puree
Grilled seckel pear with sherry bacon vinaigrette
Balsamic raspberries
Figs with berries and honey mousse
Kirsch mousse
Pistachio citrus cheesecake
Chocolate flourless cake
English muffin loaves
Oatmeal stout ice cream
Quince jam

At 1100+ pages a veritable brick, despite its size "On Cooking" has become as much a key part of my kitchen as my chef's knife, my tea infusers, and various other pieces of equipment. I don't harbor any intentions of becoming a professional chef (nor any aspirations to even remotely that level of culinary skills), but I love to cook, and this is one of the cookbooks I'd be least likely to part with -- ever.

"Cookery is become an art, a noble science; cooks are gentlemen." -- Robert Burton, British author (1621).

This was my first textbook at culinary school and it is by far the most comprehensive collection of culinary information I have ever come across.

It references everything from Nutrition to proper knife care, from meat cuts to the proper way for handling an array of ingredients. If you are serious about cooking, you will find the answers to all of your questions within this book, not to mention a great collection of recipes from restaurants around the US.

This is the Basic Skills text book at the Culinary Institute of Las Vegas, and it is GREAT! It breaks down the basics of cooking by food item (poultry, starches, breakfast, etc.), but then each chapter is subdivided into cooking methods (braising, roasting, etc). There are handy tables for cooking times, properties and suggested cooking methods as well. The recipes are tried and true, but they also work extremely well as the foundation for anything you want to create! The beginning of the book gives good information on the history of chefs that have molded modern cuisine as well as kitchen equipment, knives, basic knife skills and seasonings.

Highly reccomended by this die-hard culinry student!I often refer back to this book when looking for alternate recipes in my current classes as this is, by far, the most outstanding book I've purchased for school.

While this is essentially a textbook for culinary students, On Cooking is still very accessible. I would reccommend this book to any amateur wanting to learn more about the concepts behind cooking, rather than just reading and following a recipe.

No doubt, any food lover will continue to reference this book time and time again. Worth its weight in gold!

This book is a huge help for anyone seeking more knowledge in the culinary arts area. It provides you with many tips on how to cook in high quanity. It also has many wonderful recipes!

I collect Oriental rugs and Oriental rug books. This book is not for the beginner, but is meant for in-depth study of the subject of Oriental rugs. As you read you are directed to other pages for study and comparison. This is a time consuming but valuable process. If one wants to really study Oriental rugs this book can elevate you from beginner to a person who is comfortable with the subject and able to talk with experts. I used this book as a self teaching text book and loved it.

This book has the best information I've found on distinguing one type of rug from another. Many books give information about the major types of rugs...they're a dime a dozen. Ford breaks everything down into what specific tribes and villages weave, and tells us what the weavers use for warps and wefts, distinguishing colors, area motifs and designs, and more.

This book is definitely academic in nature, but this is exactly the kind of fact-filled information I've been searching for. I had thought I would find it in Peter Stone's works, but even Stone's 2004 book on motifs does not come close to what Ford did twenty years ago. I currently own about 50 books on oriental rugs, and Ford's book offers the most comprehensive, detailed information of any of them.

If you want to move from being a novice to becoming a more knowledgeable buyer and rug lover, you will want this book.

I bought this book after going to the library and checking out a number of carpet books - I was looking for a reference that would teach me some of the history of rug making and the people who make these incredible pieces of art as well as the practical side such as what to look for in a rug. This book is great at teaching about the different types of rugs. There are color pictures on every page, there are drawings of specific patterns so you can see specifically what make a rug one type rather than another, there are uncommon examples of types of rugs shown, etc. Its quite a good book (which is why I bought it after returning the library copy). This book is ok at teaching about the history/people or about how to tell a good quality rug - the intro goes into some good detail about things like knot types, weaves, use of synthetic dyes, chinese rugs etc but it's a fanatsic guide to decoding the different traditional motifs and patterns. I'm giving it 4 stars rather than 5 only because the text is so dry and they don't really give the stories - they give more dry facts such as this type of rug was woven in this manufacturing/village setting in x,y,z town. It would have been niceto have more details about the people and about the symbolism of the motifs. But, like I said, I knew all that before I bought the book since I had checked t out at the library. I use this book to augment others that I ended up buying that do tell more of the stories.

The book is a very well written vol d'oiseau over modern oriental rugs and carpets with excellent pictures and timely historical notes. Certainly one of the best works available in the field both to beginners and connoisseurs.

This is an excellent book to find all the information one needs on Persian and Oriental carpets. Very informative, and beautiful colour plates.

Many books make you feel good, but Barbara Metzler's Passionaries is one of the few books that made me want to get up and do something to make the world a better place while I was still reading it! Not only are the stories inspirational but they really illustrate the HUGE difference just one person can make, no matter the person's circumstances. A MUST READ for anyone suffering from complacency and apathy.

This is a wonderful book - every chapter makes me teary-eyed with happiness, and inevitably inspires me to do some wonderful deed. It truly brings the joy of charity work to life, and will make a real difference in this world, by prompting others to follow the examples they see in its pages!

Many books give you a 'good' feeling and then that feeling passes. This book makes you think about the good that many are doing to make this world a better place and they are doing it against many difficult odds and for truly humanitarian reasons. If you are 'feeling down' about how the world is going, pick up this book and feel 'inspired'. You just may want to act on an inspiration so watch out.

Plenty of books advocate compassionate action, but few are as specific on how to go about translating ideals into action as PASSIONARIES, which offers up profiles of visionaries that made changes. These profiles document the transition from ideal to action, including special circumstances that spurred action and how they got started and overcame obstacles. General-interest public library collections with readers interested in social issues will find PASSIONARIES inspirational.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Barbara Metzler has two passions in life: one, to bring to light the positive influences ordinary people make on the world every single day, and two, to encourage all of us who read this book to join them and become "passionaries" ourselves. The stories are not just stories. They come complete with contact information and evidences of the "ripples" that form when committed people act on behalf of others. If you're even beginning to think about how you can change something, start with this book!

I really enjoyed the book. It was a nice blend of science and reflection. What I found to be unique was that the author provided a step-by-step guide to help resolve emotional hijackings. I have recommended this book to several of my friends who also found it valuable. One of these friends has complained to that therapists have told her what to do but not how to do it. She loved the practical steps outlined in this book. She tells me that she refers to the book often.

Paths are Made by Walking provides a loving, clear and compelling gateway to the truth of this moment. This book goes to the heart of what is really important-Jacobs-Stewart not only understands the essence of a variety of spiritual practices, she presents them with clarity, power, and authenticity.

Dosho Port-sensei, Guiding Teacher, Clouds in Water Zen Center

This is a great guide for people who want to manage stress and enjoy life more. It's an easy read with a nice mix of stories and practical exercises. Reading the book helped me relax even if I wasn't doing the exercises.

I've also lent this book out a few times to family and friends. So many people I know are stressed out these days (work pressure, family issues, midlife crisis, world politics, quitting smoking, etc.) and looking for ways to cope or be happier. This has to be about the healthiest and most constructive way to deal with these kinds of things. It's basically a do-it-yourself approach that lets you (quickly) try a lot of new ways to relax and "get a grip" without having to go to a monastery or a lot of seminars. It's really a nice book to have around.

This is one of the most significant books to come along for practical steps in achieving emotional intelligence. It is to the Spirit as The Artist's Way is to creativity. A wonderful book.

"Paths Are Made By Walking" can show us how to map our journey or it can offer us an instant emergency reference, and its message of confidence and empowerment serves up equanimity and compassion in equal measure. The personal and global implications of doing what Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart so eloquently recommends are simply stunning."