California Books

I remember the day that Kambiz received his book in the mail, "hot from the press," so to speak. We were studying in Middlebury, Vermont, and I had the honor to be a classmate of Kambiz. I flipped through the book, and though i didn't read it, it was obvious from the accuracy of his data on MSA-UCLA that he had done a considerable amount of fieldwork.

adambenwang@hotmail.com

I am a moslem and I think there are more things that any researcher about Islam must tell the people and I think this book is very useful for all the people in all contries. I like to thanks Kambiz Gh. for this book. I wish to have more books from him about Islam.

By reading this book one can get a clear, well researched, and 'real life' picture about Islam/muslims in the United States. Where there are so many unfortunate misleading information about Islam and Muslims in our community, Mr. GhaneaBassiri puts forth a true and dignified perspective about the religion and muslims' experience. This is a well written and thorough book.

This book is excellent for at least two reasons. Unlike other books on Islam in America, it considers all Muslims: immigrants, converts, black Muslims, and NOI. Second, Ghaneabassiri shows a human side to his subject, one which is lacking in other books. It is a shame the book is not in paperback.

GhaneaBassiri, an Iranian 174 doctoral student at Harvard, read widely, sent out a questionnaire, and talked to American Muslims. The result is perhaps the most sophisticated study to date of Muslim attitudes in the United States. He reaches two main conclusions.

First, immigrant and convert Muslims alike share a deeply ambivalent attitude toward American culture. They find immorality rampant in the country ("culturally retarded" is one interviewee's colorful term) 44 but see it as an exciting place of opportunity-not just for economic gain, but as a place "to live Islam." 44 This ambivalence, GhaneaBassiri finds, has direct political implications: "a significant number of Muslims, particularly immigrant Muslims, do not have close ties or loyalty to the United States." 47 Indeed, his questionnaire shows that 12 out of 15 immigrants and even 5 out of 15 converts feel more allegiance to a foreign country than to the United States. 45 Second, GhaneaBassiri finds that Muslims in the United States "are undecided about what Islam is and requires." 50 Taking advantage of America's unique religious freedom, they insist on exploring their Islamic identity and are bouyantly self-confident about their potential to lead the Muslim world. 57 This attitude, when coupled with the enormous ethnic and sectarian diversity of American Islam, translates into a disunity that has prevented American Muslims from influencing American politics. 101

Middle East Quarterly, Islam in the United States December 1998

Having spent my teenage years in Mozambique during the 1950s, I've always felt a strong affinity for Mozambique and its people. I read Finnegan's book with a heavy heart, finally piecing together the puzzle of what has become of the, "Terra de boa gente", the land of the good people. Finnegan's book is amazingly sensitive and intelligent. This is a book built on a foundation of deep insight, patience and great scholarship. Through Finnegan's incisive reporting, I was transported back to this "harrowed" land down to the smell of the wood fires. Not having been in Mozambique since 1968, Finnegan re-kindled my interest and wish to re-visit this challenged land and to see it again for myself.

This is a great introductory book to understanding the war in Mozambique from independence until 1992. This would be the first book that I would recommend anyone wanting to know about the history behind current events not only in Mozambique, but in Southern Africa in general. Finnegan divided the war into sections based on the provinces of Mozambique, and then told the unique story relative to each region and how the war was influenced by Mozambicans and its neighbors. If anyone is interested in further reading on Mozambique and/or Southern Africa, the bibliography in the back of this book is exceptional. Most highly recommended!

I bought this book before a trip to Mozambique in the summer of 2000. I found it very hard to find books about the country. I found this to be the most complete book as far as giving me a big picture of what the people had been through in recent years. The book has many anecdotes to show the typical western reader just how different life is in Mozambique. I found that the sense of poverty as well as generosity and warmth that the author communicated was verified by my own experience. It is the stories of the everyday person in the book that are so wonderful. Stories of the joy of children upon recieving a gift of a pen or the desire of young man for a pair of shoes.

The Mozambicans are amazing people. I apprciated them even more because I had read this this book. I was filled with wonder at the total complete wonderful humanity I encountered given the populations truly horrible experience of war.

I bought this book before a trip to Mozambique in the summer of 2000. It was very hard to find books about the country. I ended up coming to Amazon and jsut doing a search. This was one of the books I bought sight unseen. It turned out to be the best. It was the most complete book as far as giving me a big picture of what the people had been through in recent years. The book has many anecdotes to show the typical western reader just how different life is in Mozambique. I found that the sense of poverty as well as generosity and warmth that the author communicated was verified by my own experience. It is the stories of the everyday person in the book that are so wonderful. Stories of the joy of children upon recieving a gift of a pen or the desire of young man for a pair of shoes.

The Mozambicans are amazing people. I apprciated them even more because I had read this this book. I was filled with wonder at the total complete wonderful humanity I encountered given the populations truly horrible experience of war.

This is a lively and well written book which deals with the period of civil war in Mozambique. It was completed and published just before the conclusion of a successful peace process and so provides a particularly clear and powerful view of recent history.It is based on the author's travels within country during the war period and includes extensive interviews. The people he talked and worked with emerge as very vivid and lively characters. The support of the rebels by Rhodesia and South Africa, and the reasons for that support, are well described. A must read for anyone going to work in Mz, strongly recommended for the serious traveler as well.

"Rowe provides a rich picture not only of a particular group of homeless people, but also of the complicated interactions between the marginalized and those who try to help them." -MDSQ Book News

The preceding reviews and comments were presented to the author with permission from: 1. Deirdre Oakley, Psychiatric Services and 2. Cynthia Karlton, Journal of Addiction and Mental Health.

Crossing the Border makes a noteworthy contribution to the field [of qualitative studies of outreach work.] It should be considered an essential read for everyone- from administrators to those on the front line- working with the most marginalized among the homeless.

"Rowe provides a rich picture not only of a particular group of homeless people, but also of the complicated interactions between the marginalized and those who try to help them." -MDSQ Book News

Having been an outreach worker for roughly six years, I found this book to be surprisingly well written. Too often, books tackling this subject present mere caracatures of the people it talks about, vieweing the subjects more as data or political process than real human beings.

This book presents many different points of views and differing types of outreach workers and the people they seek to help. The homeless are not condescended to nor are the outreach workers glamorized. It is quite factual and quite objective.

I saw myself in some of the types and picked up excellent little reminders about the whole homeless issue and those whose lives it affects. If you are looking for a bit more of the 'human' connection of those who are on the front lines (as opposed to the theorists, the politicians, the directors and others removed from the field), this is a great book toward that end.

Well written biography. Moves along with a smooth pace. Has the feel of an exciting novel rather than a history. Will be of interest to southern Californians and particularly Angelenos. Those who have seen the movie, "There Will Be Blood" will find this story worthwhile.

The book was very interesting and historical. The writer was excellent and easy to read and understand.

Margaret Leslie Davis has done it again with another fine biography. Ms. Davis shows us the inner man of Edward L. Doheny, one of the richest and greatest Californians in history, virtually the John D. Rockefeller, Sr. of the West. Doheny was flat broke at the ripe age of 40 and yet within a few years he became one of the richest men in the country through his wild-cat oil discoveries in Los Angeles and Mexico. The break-up of Rockefeller's Standard Oil by the U.S. Supreme Court left Doheny an opening which he exploited adroitly. Most impressive is Ms. Davis's keen legal understanding and her scrupulous attention to noting her sources. In fact, the "notes" at the end of the book are arranged so that the top of the page refers the reader to the page number of the text thereby making it very easy to flip back and check the source. A small detail, perhaps, but much appreciated. Ms. Davis is a true scholar; her legal training shows itself especially when discussing the Tea Pot Dome scandal that ultimately tarnished Doheny's reputation. In short, Ms. Davis is becoming our finest historian on the West and particularly California.

Good read, except for the fact that the author deliberately omitted the fact that Ned Doheny & Hugh Plunkett were gay. Ned Doheny probably was bisexual and he spent a lot of time with his buddy Hugh Plunkett. Certainly the Doheny family asked the author to downplay this issue in exchange for their co-operation with the book. Hugh was more than a "private secretary". I assume the author is straight; so she would not understand Ned's sexuality; Ned was spoiled rotten, an only child, and was given everything money could buy. It is a wonder Hollywood never made a film of this story; perhaps the Doheny family have something to do with this? In 1929, it was assumed that Ned and Hugh were lovers. Ms Davis has tried to change history? For a price? The public is not that stupid. Especially now with the scandals coming out of that seminary in Camarillo for pediphile priests that Estelle Doheny donated so many millions to. It is a wonder the Doheny family did not provide more photos as there are more at the USC library than Ms Davis was able to come up with in this book. The Beverly Hills Historical Society has a better collection of photos of Greystone; fully furnished in its heyday than you see in this book. Behind every great fortune there is a great crime. I expected to read something I had not heard before; but she is afraid to go there. Did Lucy Battson die with her secret? It was scandalous to be gay in those days, but not now. Maybe a gay author could have done the story justice. Her details about the oil fields are great; it is the social history that is lacking. We all know that the greatest export from Ireland is its people.......

This book is a fascinating look at the life and times of one Edward Doheny the onetime founder of Mexican Oil Company prior to the nationalization of reserves by the revolutionary PRI party in the early days of their power. The narrative follows the career of Mr. Doheny from his modest prospector days in the Wild West to the heights of his infamy during the Teapot Dome scandal.

This is perhaps a timely book as well given the questions being raised at the time of this writing about corporate malfeasance and corruption in the U.S. (Enron). Teapot Dome was one of the biggest political scandals in the first half of the 20th century and involved the leasing of government/public lands in preserve areas for energy development. More than one person went to prison and wrongdoing was proven against multiple individuals in the matter.

The book makes the case that Doheny was more or less guilty of poor judgment and being in the wrong place at the wrong time more or less. It is true of course that Doheny was found innocent on the charges and it is also true that despite this Teapot Dome is the matter for which he is best known (despite for instance being a contemporary and rival of John D. Rockefeller in the oil business). If in fact he was innocent of the charges then he paid a heavy price in terms of his health and the somewhat mysterious death of his son, which was either suicide or murder depending on who you ask and how you look at it.

For those with an interest in the biographies of the early titans of U.S. industry this is a worthy read in that it does detail Mr. Doheny's rise to power as well as his fall from grace. He came from a modest background and did not make his fortune until after the age of 40 in a time before life expectations averaged 70+. He suffered through personal loses and setbacks and managed at the time of his death, despite the misfortunes, to bequeath a sizeable fortune to his heirs. This book may also be of particular interest in the study of Los Angelos in particular and California in general in that the Doheny's were prominent citizens who built some noteworthy structures in the city including religious and educational facilities.

The author acknowledges that she had the cooperation and blessings of the descendants of Mr. Doheny and that a good body of original documentation was available for review and research. This provides an intimate look at the lives of the people in question but it also may cause the thesis to lean towards their views. The book does tend to exonerate Doheny in Teapot Dome and it does make a good argument that his involvement was not profitable and that the Navy Dept in fact sought him out because of rising fears of the Japanese Navy in the years leading up to WWII. It was a condition of Mr. Doheny's development of the area under lease to him that he build an extensive oil storage and supply facility for the Navy in the Hawaiian Isles out of his own pocket. This he did and subsequently was not reimbursed when the lease was negated despite having spent many millions in pre-WWII monies. It is also I believe true to state that it was Henry Sinclair who was the actual lease holder on the Teapot Dome acreage and that Doheny was leased an entirely separate parcel of public land. Sinclair along with Interior Secretary Albert Fall went to prison in the affair but Doheny was also tarred and feathered by the affair.
Whether the delivery of $100,000 in cash by Doheny's son to Sec. Fall was in fact a personal loan much as one might expect between old prospecting buddies (which they were) is really a matter of conjecture. At any rate there was clearly the appearance of impropriety in the matter and both Doheny's son and the man accompanying him that night were involved in a murder/suicide after indictment but before trial. With the principle witness gone and little other corobative evidence Mr. Doheny's celebrity legal representation did get him acquitted although he was convicted in the court of public opinion.

Personally I am inclined to believe a man of his stature might loan a friend the sum in question but I also would not be surprised if a quid pro quo were expected in return. You see there was any number of companies competing in secret for the government contracts and it is interesting that both men who won had either the appearance of impropriety or were outright convicted of bribery. Part of the reason Doheny was spared prison was in fact due to the death of his son and his earnest and teary eyed appearance on the witness stand where he looked the part of a grieving grandfatherly figure who had lost something money could not replace.
It is an intriguing story and well written book, not terribly long or archaic for the casual reader. While it is a history book it is in fact also the story of an interesting chapter in American business and personality history.

This book is extraordinary for the innovative takes on old favorites (e.g., greek pastries). I was drawn to this book because of its particular konafa (aka kataifi) recipe which I had been searching for many years, and it was delicious. I also attempted her baklava (not to my taste only b/c I didn't like the orange flower water). I am giving it 4 stars however, because the author does stretch the concept of "mediterranean" a bit. This doesn't detract from the tastiness of the recipes she offers, however.

I've gone through several dessert cookbooks and this is by far the best one. I consistently get "wow"s from the recipes. You will not find these recipes in any other cookbook. I hesitated on some of the recipes because they sounded too "weird", but when I ended up making them, they produced wonderful flavors. I've even seen some of the recipes show up in upscale New York City restaurants. A woman at work told me "That's the best baklava I've ever had and I'm from Greece!" All the instructions are easy to follow and the desserts don't take forever to prepare like a lot of other cookbooks. Cindy Mushet - please do another cookbook!

I first purchased this book because of the great title. At the time I bought this book, I was a student studying baking and pastry for the first time at a college in Sonoma County. I wanted a tasty impactful recipe to present at my backshop management class and decided to try Mushet's "Marbleized Chocolate Velvet Tart" pg 104. It came out perfectly! I have since tried the pistaccio ice-cream recipe that has become my favorite ice-cream. Other recipes that I tested came out equally well. Her recipes are easy to understand and do not have much extra information. I obviously like the book and her style. By the way this is the first book review that I have felt compelled to write.

Cindy Mushet has a great book...easy to read, with clear instructions and good hints in the sidebars.

If you want to make beautiful and tasty desserts with a Mediterranean flair, buy this. It delivers what it offers, pure and simple. If you want "exact" Mediterranean recipes, look elsewhere, both for another book and also for the hard to get items such as proper blood oranges, specific types of flour, vanilla beans instead of vanilla extract, etc to go with such "authentic" precision. I don't need such for my cooking.

I'm happy with 5 different baklava as follow:

...Antibes with almonds, hazlenuts, cinnamon and cloves...Pistachio and apricot with orange cardamon syrup.....quince and walnut.....sour cherry and almond.....hazelnut and chocolate. Not bad, eh, and you can create your own variations.

Try Konafa with tangerine lime syrup, tiropetes with chocolate and apricot filling, various biscotti variations as well.

For cakes, try strawberry mascarpone layer cake, fregolatta with almonds and jam...grilled coconut cake with double-lime ice cream, almond brown butter cakes with raspberries, pomegranate dacquoise (a beautiful and tasty variation on the classic French dessert)...the variety is more than enough, and the instructions are doable for advanced beginner to intermediate cooks.

As this is published in 2000, there's not an abundance of pictures. That's not a problem, as Cindy gives serving and even storage suggestions to make you look like a pro!

This is better quality than "storebought", and you can taste the difference. Start with the cover..the Roasted pears with spiced sabayon...and learn about sabayon preparation, and how to buy a proper pear corer, too!

Cindy Mushet has accomplished a difficult task - that of creating a dessert cookbook chock-full of truly original flavor combinations, warm prose and explicit instructions. Several recipes grabbed me off the bat: a pistachio cake with a nougat cream enhanced with the flavors of honey, Amaretto and orange; one of several baklavas with pistachios and apricot with an orange cardamom syrup and a filo pastry with figs, almond paste and lemon. For chocolate fanatics there's a marbleized chocolate velvet tart and a chocolate souffle roll with rum and mascarpone. This book will complement any already in your library and I will certainly refer to it often. Buy it; you will love it!

I come from a long line of fantastic cooks. I read and reread cookbooks all the time. This is my favorite cookbook. I have tried many recipes from here and even though I am usually a try-something-new-cook some of these have become staples. Also the recipes lend well to improvisation. Really I can't say enough about this cookbook, my family covets it.

I couldn't wait to dive into the Junior League of Pasadena's Dining by Design cookbook. In addition to delicious and easy sounding recipes, it is full of all kinds of interesting nuggets of information. Things that you've always wanted to know but could never put your finger on in other cookbooks. It is also a lovely looking book, almost too pretty to be a cookbook. Try it, I think you'll really, really like it!

I couldn't wait to dive into the Junior League of Pasadena's Dining by Design cookbook. In addition to delicious and easy sounding recipes, it is full of all kinds of interesting nuggets of information. Things that you've always wanted to know but could never put your finger on in other cookbooks. It is also a lovely looking book, almost too pretty to be a cookbook. Try it, I think you'll really, really like it!

i recommend this book to absolutely everyone. i have yet to have a bad experience with any one of the recipes found in this beautiful book. Not only does the book contain tasty recipes but it contains valuable tips for cooking, decorating, entertaining and the like. this is a must buy for family and friends as well as for yourself. i sure hope the junior league of Pasadena, inc. will publish another:)

As expected, I was not disappointed by the Junior League of Pasadena's newest edition in their series of cookbooks. I didn't think anything could top their last, "California Sizzles", but "Dining by Design" is even better! I have dozens of cookbooks that remain dusty on the shelves, but both my Junior League of Pasadena cookbooks are very well worn from all of the recipes I use. Way to go! I recommend these delicious, easy to understand, easy to prepare recipes to everyone!

Thanks for your product - it's too much good!
It's satisfy my better expectatives...


Have a good day...

What more can I say for this book than has already been said? The first book of it's kind (that I know of), The Dinosauria is the perfect introduction into SERIOUS paleontology. If you want to know more about dinosaurs than you learn from Jurassic Park, this is the place to start. Be warned though, a basic knowledge of the science of paleontology is needed as the book does go deeper into the realm of true science than in other popular books. The Dinosauria layed the foundation for works that would follow, and again this is the perfect introduction for someone who wants to get more serious about the real science of the Dinosauria.

This work was a bit tedious, as any book of this magnitude can be, especially to someone without a PHD, like me. If, however you are aspiring for that PHD, or are a very serious amateur paleontologist, this book is great. It is the most in-depth book I have ever found on the subject. Most books are significantly watered down, as their intended audience is often teenage or younger. This book supplies enormous quantities of information in a fairly usable format. I just wished that there had been more illustrations, perhaps some pictures of different excavation sites and more actual fossil examples, instead of mere drawings. Perhaps this was done for cost effectiveness, as this book is very expensive for someone on a budget. The bone anatomy is very well shown though, and can be studied with the help of this book. I would recommend it for anyone who is serious about paleontology, but please, if you are not, check out another book, as this one may be a dissapointment with a! big price tag.

"The Dinosauria" edited by David B. Weihampel, Peter Dodson, and Halszka Osmolska is for the serious dinophile and for those with some science and paleontology backgrounds. This book should NOT be tackled by the casual reader as it can be very serious when reading this volume on comparitive anatomy of dinosaur bones.

I found "The Dinosauria" to be very well-written and very informative and it gives the reader a clue to the nature of dinosaurs through their bone structure. The first section covers a broad area of interest, mainly the evolutionary relationships of dinosaurs within the wider context of archosaurian descent. The behaviorial attributes are next and what did they possess. Also, how does one analyze them from the paleontological and modern biological perspectives? In this first section, the question is posed, as to how the dinosaurs became extinct as a group.

In the second section each group of animals receives a detailed treatment, beginning with its anatomy. This is a comprehesive review of the taxonomy and systematic relationships at the level of genus and species. Here the dicussion focuses on the aspects of the fossil record, preservation, paleogeography, paleoecology, and life habits of that particular group.

I found "The Dinosauria" to be a solid five star book that is as close to being current as can be expected. Written by experts in their respected fields this book is well-edited and progresses in a very logical manor. "The Dinosauria" is a benchmark reference book. For those interested in vertebrate paleontology, students, serious amateurs, and those in need of serious authoritive information this is the book for you. "The Dinosauria" is NOT a childrens book nor is it intended to be.

"The Dinosauria" belongs on the bookshelves of all serious dinophiles and of those wanting a near complete reference book. The bibiography, alone, contains more than 2,500 enteries and is well appointed with references making your search for authoritive information an easier task.

This is a technical book on dinosaurs, covering their systematics, anatomy, diversity, ecology, distribution, physiology, and many other topics, written by leading experts in the field of dinosaur research. It has been completely updated and largely rewritten from the first edition, and the editors did a great job in keeping a common structure especially to the first chapters despite the high number of authors involved.
In the first part of this book, each group of dinosaurs is introduced, with a detailed description of the anatomy, systematics, and ecology of the animals included. The second section starts with an extremely helpful overview of dinosaur localities known from around the globe and then illuminates topics such as dinosaur biogeography, physiology, and extinction. The book is complemented with an extensive list of technical references of dinosaurs, which will be invaluable for any student of these amazing creatures.
Though not necessarily aimed at the general reader, it is certainly a must have for anybody interested in natural history, dinosaurs, or palaeontology in general. This is, arguably, the best, but certainly the most informative book on dinosaurs yet published!

Judith takes the reader into a world where few go willingly and fewer still would expect to find love. Her journey in story form reveals a great deal about herself and how the men she taught retained their dignity and self respect by sharing their thoughts of home, life, and love through poetry. I am not a poet and quite frankly find it difficult to understand many peots, but such is not the case with the works Judith brings forth from a handful of men most of us have written off as losers. Judith proves that love is present in everyone's heart, even those in prison.

This book was introduced to me by Judith herself ( I was looking for material for a research paper ) ...Since I am a "starving" student, my mom bought me the book for x-mas, it sat for a few months since I was burnt out on prisons after my major report was done. But two days ago I picked up the book again, and I could no put it down. I have fallen in love with Spoon, Elmo and Judith's words many times over. I am in awe of her writing and her experience. I would hope that someday I could inspire others as she has inspired me. I have written a poem, I will share it with you all in hopes that you will buy this book...

"I feel as though I am reading a novel...

Everyonce in a while I stop and

remind myself the words I have read

are real."

Molly R>

This book takes readers inside a world most of us have never entered: a maximum security prison. But instead of showing the aspects of this world that we're familiar with from movies and TV, we see something different. By telling her own story -- the story of a poet sharing poetry with a particular group of prisoners -- Tannenbaum allows readers to look at our own assumptions about prison, prisoners and what it is to be human.

This is a very important, and very moving, book.

This is an exceptional account, movingly honest and beautifully written. As someone who has also taught in prison, I can attest to the fact that the author has gotten it "right" - the cultural logic by which inmates understand and navigate their world; the ways in which relationships are built and tested; the circulating currency of ideas in prison. And she is one of the very few who have gone inside, empowering inmates to acquire the powerful tools to express their truths. It is a political act of the most genuine, humanistic kind. Bravo!

In "Disguised as a Poem," Judith Tannenbaum narrates her experience teaching poetry for four years in the maximum-security prison, San Quentin. The prisoners she taught are fiercely human, use poetry as a shout: "I am here!" Tannenbaum comes to San Quentin with California 60s-radical ideas of universal brotherhood, and is forced to confront not only the prisoners' ambiguous past, but also the humanity of the police guards she has always associated with authority and oppression.

Needless to say, the experience changed more than a few lives.

Most of the men found themselves in San Quentin for their involvement in violent crime. During "lockup," in their cells, the men must restrain their emotions, their dreams, their expression of humanity for fear of exposing weakness in the violent environment in which they live. Poetry offers the men a chance to reach out beyond the walls of San Quentin. Through Tannenbaum and the other arts' teachers, the men meet Nobel Prize winners, perform "Waiting for Godot" under the auspices of Beckett himself, and publish their poems for children at risk.

Tannenbaum must struggle with the men's past actions while reveling in providing an outlet for the men using an art form she adores. She also finds herself in some moments allying herself with the prison administration, with authority, against the prisoners who are dependant on her for emotional release and artistic expression.

The book shines when relating the poetry of the men, when we witness the blossoming of a caged man on paper. It is then that we connect to these men from our own ambiguous cages-no doubt less confining than iron and steel-and take heart from their actions that we, too, can still soar free.

This is by far my favorite vegetarian cookbook. I've owned the book for almost 6 years now and given it as a gift to friends atleast 3 times :) Nothing at all needs to be done to these scrumptous recipes to "doctor" them up. My wife and I are vegetarians, but really require a lot of flavor in our dishes, and in our experience many recipes in the vegetarian cookbooks lack the flavor...we are often times needing to add a little of our own spices or salt to make them taste they way we would like them. These recipes are good as they are and oh so tasty!!!! My favorite recipe is the Indian Garbanzo Bean Curry (it's not the actual name given the recipe in the book) but it is oh so good. I have made it atleast a dozen times and have never had left overs. My favorite story is, I once made this recipe for a friend in order to deliver some as a gift, and by accident got my gift sack containing my tupperware of curry mixed up with an East Indian family's Indian dish that they were bringing for their Indian friend :) To make a long story short, their friend got my dish by mistake...or... divine providence, and loved every spoonful and thought it had been cooked by an Indian, which I am not. Two THUMBS UP!!! It's really a nice collection of Recipes.

I was excited to happen across this book and was hoping the recipes would offer simplicity and they do. Not only that, but most every ingredient can be found in your local grocery mart. No need to shop exclusively at organic / natural food stores for many of the ingredients contained within. The recipes are simple and short.

I spent a few days at The Expanding Light a number of years ago and recall my hesitancy over the menu. Not being a vegetarian at that time and not totally understanding what I was going to be eating left me a little wary. I have to say that I walked away from the retreat with a new found love.

If you're looking for good, wholesome and simple, this book is one of the best. Furthermore, if you're a new vegetarian, making this book part of your kitchen will get you off to an excellent start.

This book by Blanche McCord has the most fantastic, easy to follow recipes. Everyone absolutely loves the food I make when I cook from this cook book. Example: While camping last weekend one of our friends sampled a little of the red pesto pasta salad. The next day before we left he asked if I had any left. I said yes, that he should help himself to it. Later when I returned to our RV I spotted the empty container that had held the salad. He couldn't help himself. He finished it. Aside from the food being out of this world, you get insight as to why the food that comes out of Ananda is so outstanding.

We've been vegetarians for many years and have all the popular vegetarian cookbooks--but this is something different. The recipes are healthy and yet very tasty. I would say these recipes satisfy. I especially liked the menu ideas in the back of the book, which offer very creative and thoughtful combinations. It's also very interesting to learn how this yoga retreat makes their food "better"--I found the tips very helpful and inspiring.

I recently stayed at the Expanding Light Yoga Retreat and was awe-struck at the wonderful, flavorful foods created by Blanche. Eating was truly a spiritual experience that left everyone with satisfied bellies, calm minds, and smiling faces. As a vegetarian who loves to cook, there was no question that I would leave this place without this book. I have been nothing but delighted to read and create beautiful meals that are easy to make, maximizing the yield of flavors from just a few ingredients which I almost always have in my kitchen already, and well explained. The interview with the author at the beginning of the book, having spent time with her at the retreat, truly exemplifies the spirit in which she approaches her meal-planning and cooking-creating healthy food with a loving heart warms the spirits of all who share in eating it. The meal plan suggestions are truly thoughtful and outlined according to the season of the year. I cannot say enough good things about this book, and I have given it as a gift to a vegan already (almost all the recipes are vegan!). I highly recommend it to anyone.

Two years ago, then San Jose Sentinel reporter Linda Maldonado worked with private investigator Allen Choice on a case (see UNDERKILL). They became lovers, but eventually she ended their romance without explanation. Saddened he moved on professionally and personally.

Linda comes to Oakland where Allen is a partner in Baxter & Choice, a private investigation firm because her niece has been abducted by her nasty abusive father. She wants to hire Allen to rescue nine-year-old Nora from Frank Staunton, who snatched the child because he loathes his former wife and will do anything to hurt her. Allen's current girlfriend Serena Yew would prefer he not accept the case because of his previous affair with the client that he may not have gotten over. Allen himself knows how dangerous the rescue would be as the target is mean and cruel, but a pussy cat next to the guy's killing machine brother. Though facing Hobson's choice, Allen accepts the challenge in which law enforcement at all levels have failed.

FADE TO CLEAR is a terrific private investigative urban noir story starring a delightful protagonist, who is a hodgepodge of conflicting emotions that make him endearing to the audience (don't tell Choice what I called him). The story line is action-packed yet at times quite humorous as the bewildered Allen often leads with his chin in spots that could prove deadly when the case turns out even more dangerous than dealing with the lunatic Staunton siblings.

Harriet Klausner

Fade To Clear, $23.95 US, was penned by Leonard Chang. Thomas Dunne Books published this title in 2004. This novel is the third entry in the Allen Choice Series. The two books preceding it are Over The Shoulder and Underkill. Allen Choice is a thirtysomething private investigator living in San Francisco, just trying to succeed in the world.

As we enter this new installment, we find Allen Choice is now a full partner in Baxter & Choice Investigations. The story launches in an Oakland warehouse chock full of stolen computers and peripherals, where Allen and his partner Larry Baxter are being held at gunpoint by a fast-talking Jamaican gangster. Maybe breaking in here wasn't such a bright idea?

Despite being surprised by the thug, Allen and Larry outsmart him long enough to get away before even more armed criminals arrive. B&C bring the police in on the multimillion-dollar fencing operation after fleeing the warehouse. However, Allen isn't enjoying this work very much. His employment seems tenuous at best; he's also unsure where he stands with his girlfriend Serena.

Enterprising though he may be, Allen is actually overly introspective compared to protagonist in other series fiction I've read. He's fixated on the works of Kierkegaard and other philosophers -- when he isn't working as a P.I. -- and he's also obsessed with long-distance running. Oh, did I mention? He's Korean-American, but speaks no Korean, and feels guilty about this.

These identity paradoxes intrigue me and I find Chang's writing fascinating. Allen's father died while he was young, so he was raised outside Korea by Aunt Insook. He's Korean but he doesn't feel Korean. He feels American. It bothers him when people bring up ethnicity. Serena is Korean. Ex-girlfriend Linda wasn't. He seems conflicted about his race -- fitting in.

Of course, I can't recall any other character in series fiction that's been assimilated into another culture. Can you? Broadcast and newspaper coverage about immigration seems abundant in 2006. Present-day immigrants (legal or otherwise) typically don't assimilate; they reside in `language enclaves' and resist learning any English. Allen Choice represents the antithesis of these trends; ergo Chang's novel feels sophisticated.

Complications arise for Allen when Linda Maldonado reappears in his life. Needless to say, Serena doesn't like it when Allen agrees to take on a case regarding ex-girlfriend Linda's abducted niece Nora. Allen's ambivalence about the case is tempered by the urgent need to locate Nora; she's merely a little girl caught in the crossfire of a bitter divorce battle.

Looking into Nora's abduction requires Allen to scrutinize Linda's former brother-in-law Frank. This guy was rich -- he was going to lose a fortune in any divorce -- so when Linda's sister Julie started playing hardball in the custody case, Frank decided to liquefy his assets, grab Nora, and flee to Mammoth Lakes with the help of his family and business associates.

Eventually Allen realizes Frank Staunton is a bad seed. He's involved in drug smuggling and money laundering through shell corporations. Frank's got a nasty brother (named Rick) that's running interference for him when Allen sniffs around and his sister (Deirdre) and parents in Seattle (Doug and Marilyn) aren't much help to B&C either. Allen ultimately locates Nora by investigating Staunton family contacts.

As you might know, excellent writers like Chang assign characters at least one major problem they must solve before the end of the book. Chang wisely hinders Allen Choice with two major obstacles. The first involves an arson fire that destroys his office (foreshadowing) during the abduction investigation; the second involves the unexpected death of a beloved friend. I won't divulge whom.

Readers will find that Leonard Chang pens dark crime novels that defy the conventional. If you're studious, you'll realize this nuanced novel has mass-market appeal. My one recommendation to Leonard would be that he may want to double or triple his chapter count, and concentrate on writing shorter chapters. More `action' and `less literary' would signify the ideal way forward.


______________________________________________________________________


The Book:
Fade To Clear,
Thomas Dunne Books

ISBN:
0312308450 or
9780312308452

Pages:
322 Pages

Rating:
5 Stars

Chapters:
29 Numbered Chapters

If You Like Fade To Clear, you might enjoy:
Choke Point
Country of Origin
Little Girl Lost
The Interpreter
The Wake-Up

Recommended:
Yes

All of Chang's books are worth reading. This one, the third in the Allen Choice series, is no exception. The plot is well crafted, the characters well-rounded and believable, and the suspense written perfectly. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a better contemporary crime novel. To top all of this off, Chang's use of voice, and the change of point of view in this novel (third person here, first in the previous two), make for an interesting literary read as well as for a page-turning crime yarn.

The sad part? The rumors are that this is the last in the series for a while. Maybe the publisher deserves some emails?

The third Allen Choice mystery is the best yet. I'm so glad I discovered these books and gave them a try. If you haven't read these yet, you've got some pleasant reading waiting for you.

Choice is a great character, easy to identify with. You want the best for him, even when it looks like things can't possibly work out. He knows he should be paying more attention to his current girlfriend, Serena, but can't help himself when former girlfriend, Linda, featured in the previous two novels, comes looking for his help in finding her niece, kidnapped by her estranged father during a custody dispute. Linda seems to have some sort of hold over him, yet the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes how much he loves Serena and that he wants to be with her.

Allen is an introspective, lonely guy who is quietly becoming something of a success in his chosen profession of private detective. Yet he still finds it hard to fathom other people and he hasn't quite figured out why Serena keeps getting so mad at him during his investigation. There's a philosophical undercurrent running through things, too, as Allen keeps coming back to the Kierkegaard he's been reading and trying to fit it into his everyday life.

There are some dangerous bad guys at work, and bad things happen to the people he cares about, but Allen is ultimately able to solve the mystery and make a real step forward in his relationship with Serena. Here's hoping this series lasts a long and satisfying time. Highly recommended!

What is really interesting about this novel and the others by Leonard Chang is how they are not just about solving a crime. These novels are about a lonely man trying to figure out his relationships and his place in the world. He just happens to be a PI now. It's not as hardboiled as I usually like my crime novels, but it's deeper and more thoughtful than pretty much any other crime series out there. Smilla's Sense of Snow is similar. Henning Mankell's series are close. I also like these novels are about a Korean-American guy, but not overdoing the race issue. He's Everyman.