Reds Books

This cookbook does a great job of presenting Northern Mexican cooking -- until I came across this book, I'd found the choice was between cookbooks that concentrated on the more exotic South (e.g. Oaxaca, Veracruz, and the Yucatan), the Mexican American experience (e.g. Cocina de la Familia), or Tex Mex ... not a whole lot on Sonora, Chihuahua and Coahuila.
The book is attractively laid out, with well written recipes that make me want to fire up the grill and get cooking each time I leaf through it. Also, the book starts with a very handy no nonsense introduction to chiles and other essential ingredients which should appeal to folks who've had no luck securing a steady supply of epazote or huitlacoche.
This book now sits on my kitchen bookshelf alongside books by Diana Kennedy and Zarela Martinez ... unlike a few others by better know writers, that have gone the way of garage sales ;-)

If you want one beautiful book about Mexican food and how to prepare it authentically, get El Norte. TEXAS BOOKS IN REVIEW

The book is a work of art. Drawings, photos in black-and-white of chefs and their kitchens enhance the recipes. Most attractive are twelve color plates of foods one could die for, made from recipes in the book. If you want one beautiful book about Mexican food and how to prepare it authentically, get El Norte. TEXAS BOOKS IN REVIE

This is an extraordinary book. A book of poetry that reads like a novel. It grabs you from the beginning and never lets you go. I experienced this book: you smell it, hear it, taste it, see it and feel it. I could keep on going but suffice to say: read it! You'll be better for it.

Terry Wolverton has broken the mold! This novel is written in a series of poems from the different perspectives of various characters. Emotionally riveting, with magnificent use of language, you won't be able to put it down. And you don't have to be a lover of poetry to love this book; it is easily accessible to any reader. I highly recommend Embers, it's not just a book, and it's an experience.

I tend to be a prose reader and am intimidated by poetry. Nonetheless, I found myself unable to put down Wolverton's book. In "Embers," Wolverton tells through poems the autobiographically-based story of three generations of family from multiple points of view. With language that is gorgeously poetic yet highly accessible, "Embers" makes the connection between social injustice and personal suffering. In so doing, it tells about the family bonds that stretch beyond bloodlines and timeline, and ultimately, the power of language to rectify and heal.

More than any other known source, this series of essays (including the other two companion volumes) have probably done the most to put Zen 'on the map' - in the Western world. In some quarters - at least, it has become fashionable to regard D.T. Suzuki as 'passe' - a bridge builder, whose work has now reached its 'sell-by' date. While I can see why some people might feel that way - if training with a Roshi, or tired of 'reading too much' - Suzuki's 'essays' continue to have relevance for people making their first dip into the world of Zen.

In one sense, you could say that Suzuki wants to say too much, and the 'purists' may fault him for it. But he was good at his job - and knew exactly how to write about such things for a Western audience, saying enough to entice them and whet their appetite, then drop them in at the deep end! His way of doing this was lively and engaging. Suzuki was a good communicator (he had an American wife, which certainly helped. Beatrice Lane Suzuki was an accomplished student of Buddhism in her own right) - and, in some respects, Suzuki was more successful than some of the roshis teaching in the West. He wasn't trying to sell you an institution, but pointing to the 'treasure house' we must all find, for ourselves.

One thing is worth noting about Suzuki's 'essays.' For the most part, the anecdotes he has presented were taken from the T'ang masters in the Dentoroku (Chuan Teng Lu). You get a pretty fair spread of teaching-examples, and they are not all from masters in the Rinzai (Lin-chi) lineage. In the T'ang, there was no such sharp division between the Zen schools and in that sense, Suzuki's account has a freshness about it.

Suzuki will not bog you down with laboured academic digressions. He was rather slap-dash about footnotes - and as such, you get the very 'marrow' of Zen teaching. Suzuki had his foibles - but, he remains the 'grand old man of Zen' who whetted our appetite. These essays have life in them yet! Digest Suzuki. You wont regret it!

Suzuki's works offer a clear insight look at the often misunderstood world of zen. Suzuki gives the reader the ability to understand zen, rather than dictating what zen is. This work would be of benefit to any one wishing to see if zen is 'right' for them

Ok I don't know what en is but I love this book! You can't talk about Zen without talking about Suzuki. The man was responsible for bringing East to West. In all my many spins I have never been able to find someone who can describe an undescribable thing like Zen better than Suzuki. In terms of quality this book is definatly three pounds of flax.

I love my ESV! It's really nice because it's close enough to the NIV that is typical in my church, but it's a bit more poetic, which I like. I decided to get one this summer because I worked at a Christian camp, and all the girls I worked with seemed to have a pretty little ESV. Before this I had two Bibles, neither of which really met my needs. I was kind of worried about a thinline because I had heard that the pages can be too seethrough, but that hasn't been an issue with this one. I like to read lying in bed, and this Bible is perfect for that!

This Bible is just georgeous! The print is very easy to read as well. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a good Bible that will last a long time.

Ok, I know convenience and style are not the point, but they are nice bonuses in a bible. I just lightened my load without sacrificing the Word! And it's pretty, too. I love my new bible!

I find this printing of the ESV to be very easy to read. The font is not bold, but still crisp and highly legible. The text printed on the other side of the page only faintly shows through the paper and doesn't interfere with reading. A sample of the text is available on the publisher's website.

(ESV Pew and Worship Bible, Large Print, Black Hardcover, ISBN 9781581349047)

This is a very nice bible and although the printing is some what larger it
isn't as large as it could be or as large as I expected.

We got this Bible to have the same translation as our children's bibles and so that we could read it after dinner without having to hunt up glasses for our 40 something eyes. We like this translation for family reading because it is readable and precise without resorting to crude or simplistic language like some translations for children do in their effort to be clear. We've ended up taking it to church too because it is so much easier than using reading glasses. Nice quality for regular use too.

Leonard Willoughby's Every Day Tao blends personal observation and tested exercises to reveal tao as a Western seeker. His own struggles are the foundation for his exploration of how Western minds can perceive Tao.

This beautiful book is the best book on Tao I have ever come across. Mr. Willoughby has had experiences with many paths and is able to explain Tao in relation to those paths. He takes us to the Core teachings at the heart of these paths. The story of what led him to Taoism is interesting and informative. I have not found Taoism accessible to my Western mind until I found this treasure of a book. Reading this book is like taking a course in Tao but it opens your heart as well as enlightening your mind. This book is a rare gift Mr. Willoughby has given to the world. It cleared up much confusion about Reality and the Divine for me. It made me feel our connection to the Divine Source is possible, even inevitable. It is a book I will study for a lifetime. Deep and clear and beautiful.

I always run thru the book stores in serarch of interesting readings of the Tao. I ran across this one while looking thru the used and special priced books at Barnes and Noble (I mention them as they published it...).

I found the book to be most interesting. I like the work on the various aspects of Tao, the explanation of Yin and Yang, the Pa Qua, the I Ching, Tai Chi Chuan, Chi Gong and more.

Everyone will find something of interest for them regardless and those sections that don't may be of interest sometime in the future.

The writing is excellant and easy to understand. You can see the relationships with other self_help mantra's as you read the book and most important the relationship to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.

Well worth the modest price new and more as a used book in excellant condition.

If you want hardcover you may have to go to barnes and noble but if softcover is ok then make sure you go Amazon (I ain't bein paid for this plug but I have purchased a few thousand dollars worth of books thru Amazon and have had nothing but pleasant experiences).

So.......

Sit like a turtle..
Walk like a Pidgeon...
Sleep like a dog....
Develop "Inner Quiet" for longevity!

Each year, I purchase new Christmas books for our home collection, my now adult children and the children of friends. By far, the all time family favorite Christmas book is Leon Garfield's Fair is Fair. It is the one most frequently chosen for reading aloud on Christmas Eve. This year, I was delighted to find additional copies of the book which I had first purchased in 1986. Now each of children have their own copies in their own homes.

I remember reading this book to my much younger brother, he absolutely loved it and would check it out of the library at every opportunity. It is truly a wonderful children's book, and I am amazed that it is out of print. If you get the opportunity to read it, do so! Your children will love it, and so will you.

I can't believe this book is out-of-print! It has all the right ingredients for a really lovely Christmas story: orphans, a dog, and a wonderful ending. I had to make a decided effort to obtain this book, but my search was well-rewarded. However, my desire to purchase it as a special Christmas gift for three children who love Leon Garfield's other work will not be satisfied...'tis unluckily out-of-print! Very un-fair!

An interesting book, even for adults. Set in Russian-occupied Hungary, the novel depicts the repression of the citizenry under Communist rule and the hope of a people yearning for freedom. It is told from the viewpoint of a young teenage boy with whom American kids can identify. The skillfully drawn charaters touch the reader emotionally. A definite must buy for parents wanting to help their children, born in a post Berlin-wall era, understand how Communism can tighten its grip over a society.

An excellent portrayal of a story so familiar to Hungarian refugees who left during and after the '56 revolution. It's truly a book for all ages. A book that draws you in, paints a picture and teaches lessons of life.

The Fall of The Red Star is an incredibly captivating book that is applicable today to convey to children of all ages what people go through and the changes seen during a war. This book was read to my daughter's fourth grade class. They were amazed at what this normal kid went through, watching his 'normal' daily activities change from school, homework, parties, and chores into the horror of fighting and killing to protect his family and fighting for his country. It is a story all adolescents should read and a horror I wish no one should ever experience. Read this book. Then read it with your kids.

This is one of the best works that I have ever read. Honest, with clear direction on what steps to take to improve the state of your life. Highly recommend!

I first read this book when the subtitle was "What you don't know can hurt you." Bradshaw and others have finally done research to prove his thesis that generations repeat patterns, events, behaviors--not just personality types and genetic diseases. Reluctantly I had to agree because my observations, although unscientific, confirm what he explains.

Understanding Bradshaw's book altered my life and the abbreviated life of my brother, as indicated in the book "Gossip Kills (The 9th/8th? Commandment). The story therein is a case study of what Bradshaw posits in Family Secrets. A "must read" for anyone who understands or suspects that we're only as sick as our secrets.

Family Secrets provides powerful tools for understanding the dynamics of families, and understanding how you may have become unknowingly enmeshed in patterns that can persist for generations.

The most valuable parts of the book are the techniques for uncovering family secrets, and the method for bringing all the information together in such a way that it makes sense. These techniques are practical and really work. I made several major discoveries about families I am involved with as a result of this book.

Bradshaw includes many new insights about how families work throughout the book.

Overall, highly recommended.

The Fast Red Road is the kind of novel that makes you want to write, and drive, and read more of Jones' work. The prose is clear and uninhibited, and never takes itself too seriously. A syllabus in Jones' class at Texas Tech is more entertaining than most books on the bestseller list; his fiction is remarkable.

The Fast Red Road is a wild ride that moves beyond postmodernism into something totally new. This is a fun, fast, read that sticks with you after you are finished. Young authors like Jones give us a reason to be excited about the future of literature.

This is probably the best novel I have ever read. Jones' style in this book is very much akin to Pynchon's in The Crying of Lot 49, except more sonically tasty. The plot jumps out at you in complex imagery that mirrors this linguistic free-for-all (I read this book with more than one dictionary at hand). It's very tough to get a hold of mentally, but, in the end, well worth it. Anyone interested in contemporary fiction does themselves a disservice by not reading this book.