New York Books

This book is a wonderfully engaging, well-written autobiography; it also brings vividly to life a crucially-important part of recent US social history. Charles Halpern worked at the heart of an era of progressive change in law and society that started in the 1960s, and he stayed creatively active even throughout the subsequent period of reaction--which arguably has lasted down to the present day.

But Halpern's autobiography goes further even than providing a vivid, personal chronicle of our recent past. It also gives readers a present-day model of and incitement to progressive change-making. It models change-making as an intensely creative and imaginative activity, as it charts Halpern's succession of activities as an architect and leader of Center for Law and Social Policy, the nation's first public interest law firm; then as the designer and first dean of the CUNY Law School, an educationally and socially innovative institution that focused on public interest law; and ultimately as head of the progressive Nathan Cummings foundation. The scope and sheer variety of Halpern's constant, ongoing innovation and institutional invention is fascinating and even breathtaking.

At the same time, Halpern writes of what informs and grounds this unusual creativity. His book is also an account of intellectual and spiritual growth, as Halpern experiments with and incorporates contemplative practice in his life--drawing on it to sustain and empower him in his public career. Halpern then feeds back personal discovery back into institutional creativity, as he sets up a series of programs devoted to transforming intellectual and professional practice in a wide variety of fields--in law schools, colleges, universities, and social movements.

Making Waves and Riding the Currents takes a life well-lived and transforms it into a book that will interest, involve, inform and inspire generations of readers.

I highly recommend this engaging memoir, which is an inspiration and fast read. Charles Halpern graduated from Harvard and Yale, and parlayed a legal career into the first public interest law firm and law school. Upon discovering meditation, Mr. Halpern, incorporated his practice into his life's work. As a result of Halpern's efforts, oil pipelines were put in Alaskan soil sustainably, DDT was banned, public interest lawyers found their needed education, and graduates started influential environmental groups such as EarthJustice. The ripple of Halpern's positive wave continues, and you can catch it by reading Making Waves and Riding the Currents.

No matter what your political persuasion or your profession, this book is a great source of wisdom and insight. Beyond a fascinating history of the birth of public interest law, Charlie Halpern provides a deeply personal and affirming account of how to pursue one's ideals in a way that is nurturing of our deeper selves and respectful of others. A key lesson of this book is that it is not just what you stand or fight for, but who you are and how you act as you do it. By cultivating an awareness that allows a deeper wisdom to emerge, Charlie points to ways we all can contribute to the world in a way that contributes to far greater tolerance and balance, without compromising our effectiveness. And in the process, we also become healthier and more loving and also create a world that reflects this.

Making Waves and Riding Currents is a book that everyone should read. No soft tale here but a journey not unlike rafting white waters. Charles sees the real and the ideal, the what "could be and is not yet", takes time to grasp the whole, sees the way and then takes it. He combines courage, a genuine interest in life and a willingness to "live and learn" both on a professional and personal level. This is a story of major entrepreneurial ventures that impact our own lives, created and co-created, experienced and shared in ways allowing every one involved to learn, use their experience, as well as to question and relinquish old patterns, recognize blocks and crack open into wider realms of understanding and living that center on Wisdom. This book documents changes in thinking that have make our society more humane and just. This is not your usual "lawyer" story. This is speaks to everyone's potential to develop wisdom, played out large, and saying: Come on, you can do it! I can't stop thinking about what one life can do.

From the beginning of this tale of Charles Halpern's remarkable accomplishments, it was obvious that he was an intelligent, effective individual with many skills. But competent doesn't necessarily mean wise. Fortunately for us readers, interwoven with the story of his doing is the story of his psychological/spiritual development -- the story of his growth in wisdom and the integration of that wisdom into his many activities.

Halpern had the courage to place himself in a wide variety of challenging, often uncomfortable, growth-fostering situations. Too many to recount here, they included a winter camping adventure in the Adirondacks, a week-long vision quest based on Native American traditions that included many hours in a sweat lodge, and a five-day mindfulness meditation retreat led by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. This last was a watershed event, about which Halpern wrote: "The experience of extended meditation practice...awakened my interest in exploring the connection between meditation and wisdom. Could I undertake to practice wisdom, living the wise life that would generate wise actions and decisions? Could this be a new way to approach activism, to start from the place of wisdom and compassion rather than the place of anger and insistence on legal rights?"

Meditation became a central focus in his life, and numerous retreats followed. To some extent facilitated by the Nathan Cummings Foundation of which he was now President, he met and got to know many of America and the world's foremost spiritual teachers. "Longtime meditators and respected teachers," he wrote, "gave me a new model for a way to be in the world--committed to serving others, cultivating wisdom, being open to changing themselves, and exposing their own vulnerability." Currently, Charles Halpern is Chair of The Center for Contemplative Mind and Society.

MAKING WAVES AND RIDING THE CURRENTS is a truly inspiring and uplifting book. It is the tale of a life marked by great accomplishment and developing wisdom, told with an engaging frankness about his own vulnerabilities by the man who has lived it.

This is my VERY VERY VERY VERY favorite book! Mandie and Celia go to Jonathan's house and Mandie is DYING to find a mystery. One night Jonathan and the girls find a white dog in the back yard. Jonathan keeps it for the night. The next night a girl comes to their house and claims that the dog is hers. Then Mandie overhears a conversation going on between a stange man and Jens, the butler, that sounds like someone is up to no good. Later they find Jens tied up in the kitchen and see the strange man with the girl who demanded the dog. Running after them, they chase the man across elevated train tracks to a old, run-down tenement. They chase him around a little, then go to look on the roof to see if he went there. They rushed out the roof-door, only to find it has locked behind them. Mandie, who already had a bad cold, gets worse and worse as the hours slowly drag by and nobody comes. Jonathan is left to care for her the best he can. When the door finally opens, Mandie steps inside only to faint. She is finally brought home where they dicover who the mysterious man and girl is. I like this book because Mandie bahaves herself and Jonathan acts like such a gentleman. He treats her like his little sister.

This book is really great. Read it!

Mandie's in for exitement when she goes to New York with Celia and her mother to vist Jonathan. When they get to New York,Jonathan's father invites them to his house where Mandie, Celia and Jonathan find a dog. But why does the strange girl come and try to take the dog from Jonathan? And why do they find the butler all tied up? There's even more exitement when Mandie, and Jonathan follow the strange man and get locked up on the roof of a building. Mandie has such a bad cold she faints!!!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a real page turner, but what mandie book isn't?
Mandie is very happy to hear her mother say that she is allowed to go with her best friend, Ceila, and her mother to New York. When they arrive in New York, Jonathan Guyer and his father invite them to stay at their house. Mandie and Ceila are very excited to see Jonathan again, but when a lost dog shows up mysteries start to unravel. Who does the dog belong to? Who is the girl that keeps coming to house claiming the dog is hers. Who is the man that the butler is caught giving money to? Is all of these mysteries tied together? Read to find out!

I really liked this book because of the relationship between Mandie and Jonathan. I thought it so sweet when Mandie saw that Jonathan had kept the hankercheif she had dropped in Europe. And the way Jonathan comforted her on the roof. I give Mrs. Leppard two thumbs up for this book!

Mandie is visiting Jonathan in New York, and the 'mansion' that he lives in awes her. But there is never a dull moment. Jonathan finds a dog, and then a strange girl comes looking for it. And when they find the butler tied up, Mandie is sure something sinister is in the air.
While chasing the person they believe to have tied up the butler, Mandie and Jonathan get stuck on a rooftop with no way of getting down.
But when they finally do get down, they made a surprising discovery.

I really liked this book. The part about Jonathan and Mandie stuck on the roof of an apartment is really page turning.
Angelina sounds like someone's little sister. She sounds sooooo cute! If you've read this book and want to hear more about all the characters in New York again, read 'Mandie and the New York Secret.' Everyone is back in it, and it is a really good book.

Lasting success can come from as little as seven intentional decisions - and the author has spent several decades studying some of the success stories that have revolved around these decisions. Andy Andrews' Mastering the Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success blends profiles of very successful people with exercises designed to help readers translate these successes into action plans. Chapters give plenty of examples of responsible thinking, gratitude, and more in this outstanding survey of life improvements.

A short while back, my boss lent me a copy of The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews. It was one of the best self-improvement books I've ever read, and the seven decisions that were woven into the story were incredibly powerful. Andrews has a follow-up to that book called Mastering the Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success: An Owner's Manual to The Traveler's Gift. If you were taken by the power of The Traveler's Gift, Mastering is a must-read book that fleshes out the concepts and helps you to apply them in your own life.

Contents:
Introduction; The Responsible Decision; The Guided Decision; The Active Decision; The Certain Decision; The Joyful Decision; The Compassionate Decision; The Persistent Decision; Conclusions; Bibliography; About the Authors

Each chapter corresponds to one of the seven decisions from the original book. After a restatement of the key decision, Andrews goes into more explanation and detail about how that particular trait, that decision you need to make, plays out in your life. Interspersed throughout the chapter are activities to help you determine where you are at and what may need to change in order to get to where the decision can take you. Much of the activities at the start involve some level of journaling as you spend time thinking about your values and goals. Perhaps you've never even *thought* about your values and goals before! Being forced to put these things down on paper is a powerful way to start sorting through your life. As you progress through the decisions, many of these insights you discover become actions you take to incorporate these seven traits into your everyday life. I also enjoyed the end of each chapter, where Andrews shares a letter from some well-known person that illustrates how that particular decision has helped them get to where they are today.

What I most appreciate about The Traveler's Gift and Mastering the Seven Decisions is that the concepts are based on solid choices that are completely within your reach. There's no metaphysical mystery to it all. If you incorporate and personalize these things, such as taking responsibility, taking action, seeking wisdom, and choosing to be happy, you will separate yourself from the mass of people who live life feeling as if they have no input or direction. Granted, you have to work at it, but the results are worth it. Mastering the Seven Decisions should be the absolute next book you read after The Traveler's Gift. And if you're going to buy one, buy them both. The changes that lie in store will be dramatic.

I read almost 100 books a year. This is at the top of my list. Andy's exercises are so practical & thought provoking you'll want to dig right in & grow. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it an 11.

And the DVD goes right along with everything Andy says.

Ed Cerny

This book takes the seven principles taught in Andy Andrew's best selling parable "The Traveler's Gift" The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success and devotes a chapter to helping you think more deeply about each principle. He provides a short introduction about how these principles were revealed to him through his own difficulties in life; difficulties most of us share at one time or another. Andrews wants you to read these chapters actively and slowly rather than dashing through the book. He suggests that you re-read them and focus on those that resonate most with where you are in your life now.

The chapters are organized so that you get a little excerpt from "The Traveler's Gift" so you can connect it to the principle being discussed in that chapter. The principles are discussed by providing several short stories or essays rather than a philosophical or theological discussion of abstractions.

These seven principles are about: 1) taking responsibility for your life, 2) being willing to learn wisdom from others, 3) being active in living your life, 4) being confident and purposeful in your course in life, 5) being joyful in each day regardless of circumstances, 6) forgiving others and yourself and being compassionate in outlook, 7) live your life with tenacity, persistence, and faith.

This is a book that is unashamedly Christian and religious in outlook, which I personally find refreshing. However, I thought you should know in case you are allergic to faith.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

I've always been an avid reader with varied interests. Each year, I've always tried to read at least a half dozen or so self improvement books, so over the last 30 years or so, I've taken in quite a bit of information from a variety of sources. About six months ago, however, I found (on the bargain shelf of a local store) something that looked quite interesting called The Traveler's Gift. It appeared to be some sort of self-improvement book told in fictional story form. A unique concept that intrigued me. I'm going to make a very conservative estimate that in the course of my life I've read well over 100 self-improvement books. Not one of them has affected my life the way The Traveler's Gift has.

I'm not going to say Andy Andrews is a much better writer than Napoleon Hill was, or any of the other contemporary writers in this genre, although he does write very well. Perhaps it was just the right message at the right time in my life, but whatever the reason, the book truly resonated with me and touched me in ways other books failed to do. It has led to a complete transformation of where my life is going.

After reading the book, I typed out the seven decisions and taped them on my bathroom mirror, where I have reflected upon them each morning since and they have served as a catalyst to set the day in motion. Reading this book, MASTERING THE SEVEN DECISIONS, was a no-brainer. I ordered a copy as soon as I found out it was available.

All I can say about this is, it is an extraordinary companion to doing exactly what the title suggests, mastering the seven decisions. Here, Andrews takes the reader to the next level and what we have is somewhat of an amalgamation. It is mostly Traveler's Gift, with a few parts The Lost Choice, a healthy dose of Andrew's DVD, "The Seven Decisions", even a few letters from Andrews' early Storms of Perfection books, and a mixture of new material that will enhance even further, the understanding and application of the 7 decisions.

Self-improvement books are just that; they help us to become better businessmen and women, better husbands and wives, better leaders, better people. Few of them go beyond that and actually have what it takes to be life altering. This book does. Though it is not completely necessary, I highly recommend you read The Traveler's Gift first. It will greatly enhance what this book will do for you.

The authorship of this book was clearly a monumental task. In reporting on the young people who form the core of the work, Ms. Lewnes was faced with the task of first gaining the trust of her subjects, then retaining that trust as she interacted with the parents, social workers and other authority figures who were at least nominally in charge of the subjects' care.

The book has three biographical segments. Each part deals with one or two misplaced children, who Ms. Lewnes follows through the streets, the social services system and often the courts. In each case both the circumstances and the subjects' reactions to them are different, which helps the reader understand the broad scope of the problem at hand. On the surface, the issue occasionally appears to be little more than a severe case of disaffected youth, but it becomes apparent that this can be a defense mechanism employeed by an otherwise intelligent but immature and frustrated child wandering aimlessly in (and out) of a system too complicated for someone so young to navigate.

Misplaced is far more than just a narrative. The book is filled with information about the services available and their benefits and limitations. In this manner, it serves as a reference guide for designing programs and procedures to streamline the care and guidance of children who have fallen through the cracks of the existing system. I would highly recommend that anyone involved in policymaking in youth social services read this book.

A warning to the faint of stomach: this book does not sugarcoat life on the streets. The subjects are at times thieves, drug addicts or dealers, and, when necessary, prostitutes. They are abused and beaten and suffer drug overdoses. The reality of their day-to-day lives can and should disturb the reader.

Alexia Lewnes is a writer for the United Nations Children's Fund, and in Misplaced: New York City's Street Kids she follows five street children from their homes to their street corners and the harsh realities of their world: drug addiction, lack of shelter, the underlying threat of violence, and worse. Especially recommended reading for child welfare advocates and governmental policy makers, Misplaced is a highly personal and revealing testimony of a very real social problem rampant in every major America city today.

As a transplanted New Yorker, I read this book about the troubled lives of kids living in the streets and was completly shocked about the things that were going on right in front of me. In day to day life we find ourselves closing ourselves off to those fending for themselves on the streets. If anything, we avoid them as much as possible. This book gives an penetrating look at what these kids "fringes of society" are truly having to deal with to survive. There seems to be no limit to what one will do to get through a day. This author appears to have spent several years living in their world and has given a raw look at what drives these kids into the streets and how society has dealt with it. If anyone would like a eye opening look at these kids lives in the streets read this book! You will embrace these kids as you see what hurdles are placed in front of them and how they struggle to get over them. I know that I will never look at a street kid the same way again. This book will open your eyes!

Anyone who is raising children should read this book. It is a reminder of how critical it is to love our children and provide them with the support they need to grow as individuals. No one believes that their child will run away, but Ms. Lewnes reminds us that all our children could be at risk.

Misplaced is a remarkable account of the lives of children who are living on the streets of New York. These homeless kids are invisible to most of society. They come from all economic backgrounds, but they all suffer from low self-esteem. And, these kids have all been abandoned in someway by the people who they loved and relied upon.

While this book is a wake-up call for all parents, it is also a testament to the extraordinary resilience of those kids who are already on the streets. These kids survive daily acts of violence and humiliation as they struggle to maintain their dignity and hold onto their dream of making something of their lives. While some fail, others triumph in the end.

Misplaced covers difficult issues yet leaves the reader inspired.

Misplaced is the most informative book I have read since David McCullough's biography of John Adams.

This book should be read by anyone who wants to know what is really going on in today's world with homeless children.

definitely worth the price tag. Book is packed with period medical photographs, which while grotesque are also very artistically framed. All of the pictures are together, a page per picture so you can flip though the images without text interrupting the artistic presentation. The back of the book is devoted to thorough captions for each photo. Some of the photos look staged but this too fits the period represented.

This collection of photographs and plates are some of the most concise findings on the medical world I have ever seen. It has opened my eyes to these people and has given me something new and interesting to learn about. I really enjoy seeing how far we have come in the field of medicine but also the advancement has diminished the frequency of medical oddities that are found in this book. I really recomend this to anyone who has an interest in the medical field and all of its mishaps.

This book of stunning, yet disturbing, photographs of medical anomalies spanning 100 years from the mid-19th c., may not be for everyone. It is a comprehensive visual essay into things that we find fascinating, yet repulsive. Unlike a carnival sideshow, however, the purpose of this wonderful book is not to cynically trivialize the individuals illustrated. Like the Mütter Museum, (Mütter Museum: Philadelphia College of Physicians, 19 South 22nd Street, between Chestnut and Market Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 12-4pm), Stanley Burns' book is a window into the 19th century propensity to gather esoteric information of all types, organize it and, ultimately, to exhibit it as the means to greater knowledge.

Stanley Burns is a physician and a collector of medical history photographs. You may remember his previous book of mortuary photographs entitled "Sleeping Beauty" which is long out of print and fetches incredible sums among used book dealers. (Fortunately, a sequel - "Sleeping Beauty II" is more readily available.) "A Morning's Work" is a collection of 127 vintage medical photographs from 1843 to 1939 along with a helpful narrative explanation of the photographs and their cultural significance. Although some of the pictures are more historically significant than interesting, the bulk of the images are of medical curiosities - and some of them are absolutely head-scratchingly bizarre. Among the images featured are mortuary photographs, images of amputations, surgical procedures, disfigurement, and a wide assortment of congenital and acquired diseases. The title "A Morning's Work" is taken from an image of a pile of amputated limbs taken during the Civil War, when the horrific wounds inflicted by the large leadshots used at the time resulted in amputations for even the most minor of injuries. Many of the photographs take us back to the Dark Days of medicine, before antiseptic procedures were implemented, and when a small wound could result in a deadly infection in a matter of days.

The narrative explanations of the photographs add a special poignance to them. For example, a photograph of a dead man would not be nearly so interesting were it not for Burns' explanation that the man was Dr. James Howe who contracted Cholera while treating patients during the St. Louis epidemic of 1849 and was fatally afflicted. That one sombre portrait seems to symbolize the bravery and sacrifice of physicians the world over during times of pestilence, and if there's anything that you come away with after viewing this book, it's a newfound appreciation for modern medicine. All told, "A Morning's Work" is a fascinating book - and a must for enthusiasts of the bizarre and medical historians alike.

This book is very harsh, unpleasant, but impressive. Not at all for anybody because you need to have the guts to keep your glance at the pictures mirroring the abnormal, the illnesses, the horror of nature, the facts of the old times of surgery. As Bacon's paintings these pictures have a very sui-generis aesthetics, based upon the ugly and the deformity.

Desiree Shapiro, a Manhattan PI who loves food, throws her niece Ellen a bridal shower with Allison Lynton, mother of the groom, at Silver Oaks Country Club. Unfortunately Bobbie Jean, Allison's sister-in-law, takes a few bites of her green salad and keels over.

Desiree believes this to be a homicide and begins investigating. She discovers many people didn't get along well with Bobbie Jean. Bobbie Jean had stolen many fiances and husbands over the years. The suspect list keeps growing and changing.

Allison's husband Wes, Bobbie Jean's brother, has a tough time accepting her death. This adds to the tension in the family.

A new love interest starts calling Desiree. This makes it quite difficult, at times, for her to concentrate on the investigation.

Unfortunately Chief Porchow has set his sights on one suspect, and Desiree has to speed up her investigation before they arrest an innocent woman. She also finds Chief Porchow is not very receptive to her help and information. But, narrowing down the suspect list is not an easy task.

Desiree is the type of PI I'd want to hire if I ever needed one. She is very down-to-earth and loves food. We get to know her strengths and weaknesses in this series. She is a three-dimensional character. She also has a great relationship with Ellen -- who is a character in her own right.

The society ladies that Desiree investigates are very realistic. It is easily believed that they could be hiding something and adds to the overall mystery.

At the end of this book is a tasty new recipe for Desiree's Wild Mushroom Croustades. Food is a big focus in this series.

This cozy is one of my favorite series. I highly recommend this book. When you read one book, you'll want to read the whole series.

Plus-size Manhattan private eye, Desiree Shapiro, may be scrimping on luxury items for herself, but when she learns about her absolute favorite - and only - niece, Ellen's upcoming wedding, Desiree does the unthinkable...she breaks the bank and gets together with the mother of the groom-to-be, Mike, to throw a fabulous bridal shower to ring in the special occasion. Making arrangements at Connecticut's extravagant Silver Oaks Country Club, Desiree keeps things under wraps in an attempt to surprise Ellen. And surprised she is. For amongst the lavishly laden table full of scrumptious treats lies a killer salad that literally does Ellen's aunt-to-be, Bobbie Jean, in. Having known the woman for an extremely brief time, Desiree is clueless as to why someone would want to do Bobbie Jean harm. However, when Mike hires her to investigate the woman's death, Desiree can't say no. After all, they're practically family, and she doesn't want to rock the boat before he and Ellen have said "I do." Contrary to popular belief, Desiree instantly learns that Bobbie Jean was not the saint that Mike and his father may have believed her to be. Quite the opposite in fact. Upon digging up the dirt, Desiree actually learns that Bobbie Jean was an extremely manipulative woman who was hated by many for various scandalous reasons - namely the fact that she was an adulterer and a home-wrecker who left many women without spouses and in tears. The police, however, are not as convinced as Desiree that Bobbie Jean's death was a homicide, and refuse to treat it as such until they get their lab reports back. But Desiree refuses to wait. Dragging her dimpled behind through the streets of Manhattan, and all the way out to Connecticut various times, the pudgy PI begins interrogating her four prime suspects - Carla and Robin Fremont, Lorraine Corwin, and, worst of all, Mike's own mother, Allison Lynton. The process is slow-going, considering each woman appeared to hold a very strong grudge against the deceased, but Desiree is determined to solve the crime no matter how long it takes. After all, aside from some canceled dates with the irresistibly nerdy, Nick Grainger, who just happens to occupy an apartment in Desiree's building, as well as hold a place in her heart, Desiree doesn't have much to do on a Saturday night. And, if she plans on reviving her love life, she'll have to first muddle through her awaiting case before making dates that will undoubtedly leave her mind somewhere else. But as Desiree navigates through the world of love and death, she begins to find clues leading to a suspect she hoped would escape without a mark on her record. Now, however, Desiree must gather as much evidence as possible to convict her for the crime, otherwise a seemingly innocent women will be thrown in jail by the hare-brained police who refuse to look deeper into the mystery at hand.

As a die-hard fan of the portly Desiree Shapiro, as well as an avid Food Network watcher, I instantly knew that MURDER CAN RAIN ON YOUR SHOWER would be scrumptious - and it was just that. As always, Desiree's signature self-deprecating humor is at an all-time high; while her adventures out of city limits through bad weather, bad food, and bad company are not only humorous, but original, and laugh-out-loud funny, as well. While Ellen is quite often featured within the pages of the Shapiro novels, Selma Eichler made her a much more prevalent character in this particular installment, most likely because it's her bridal shower where the murder takes place, which was extremely enjoyable. Ellen is such a fun character, whose freak-out sessions really illustrate a vulnerability in her character, making her even more appealing; while her penchant for shoveling tons of food into her tiny frame makes you green with envy. The supporting characters in this particular installment are also quite enchanting - in a semi-evil way. Eichler has created four society ladies whom you absolutely love to hate. Each one is privy to her own quirks and feelings regarding Bobbie Jean's death, which makes it impossible for the reader to solve the mystery on their own; while their ability to remain so passive over the woman's death is not only surprising, but extremely convincing to the reader, as we attempt to navigate through this sordid world of money, scandals, cheating, false accusations, and so much more. Eichler has certainly outdone herself with this Shapiro novel, not only crafting a delightful, hard-to-solve mystery, but inserting a gem of a recipe - Desiree's Wild Mushroom Croustades - as well. A mouthwatering addition!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Selma Eichler continues to write good mysteries involving this plus-size detective who is comfortable with herself and her love of food.

In this one, Desiree is helping her niece Ellen plan her wedding at a posh country club. When one of the guests keels over dead, Desiree is asked by Ellen's fiancee to look into the matter.

Despite the snobbery of the society ladies and bogus clues galore, Desiree manages to solve the crime.

If you like a cozy mystery with a little meat on its bones, be sure to check out this Desiree Shapiro mystery. You'll be sure to read the rest.

Ok, so it isn't exactly a *love affair* but I adore Selma Eichler's books. I'm currently reading my way through all her books and with my busy schedule I only have time to read before bed each night. Thank you Ms. Eichler for giving me that *something to look forward to* each day.

Desiree Shapiro, a Manhattan PI who loves food, throws her niece Ellen a bridal shower with Allison Lynton, mother of the groom, at Silver Oaks Country Club. Unfortunately Bobbie Jean, Allison's sister-in-law, takes a few bites of her green salad and keels over.

Desiree believes this to be a homicide and begins investigating. She discovers many people didn't get along well with Bobbie Jean. Bobbie Jean had stolen many fiances and husbands over the years. The suspect list keeps growing and changing.

Allison's husband Wes, Bobbie Jean's brother, has a tough time accepting her death. This adds to the tension in the family.

A new love interest starts calling Desiree. This makes it quite difficult, at times, for her to concentrate on the investigation.

Unfortunately Chief Porchow has set his sights on one suspect, and Desiree has to speed up her investigation before they arrest an innocent woman. She also finds Chief Porchow is not very receptive to her help and information. But, narrowing down the suspect list is not an easy task.

Desiree is the type of PI I'd want to hire if I ever needed one. She is very down-to-earth and loves food. We get to know her strengths and weaknesses in this series. She is a three-dimensional character. She also has a great relationship with Ellen -- who is a character in her own right.

The society ladies that Desiree investigates are very realistic. It is easily believed that they could be hiding something and adds to the overall mystery.

At the end of this book is a tasty new recipe for Desiree's Wild Mushroom Croustades. Food is a big focus in this series.

This cozy is one of my favorite series. I highly recommend this book. When you read one book, you'll want to read the whole series.

It's a fun story, especially if you live in the NYC area. It's about a young boy who is always compared to his cousin's accomplishments. This makes him feel angry and depressed until his uncle comes along and teaches him to play an instrument that, with hitting the right notes, has a magical power. Highly recommended!

We borrowed this book from our local library, and now I have to own it because my 3-year-old son absolutely loves it. The story and illustrations are quite imaginative. It is a real treat.

I just bought this book for a friend's child, but I fell in love with it first. It is a delightful story, with absolutely wonderful illustrations. I think I'll have to get a copy for myself now!

This is a wonderful story with beautiful illustrations. A great book for children!

This is one of my five year old son's favorite books. We read every night before going to bed. So, we read lots of books. This one always stays at the top of the stack. The illustrations are magical and make the story come alive.

This is another in Geary's "Treasury of Victorian Murder" series of graphic documentaries, this time set in New York in 1841 and spilling over onto the rustic shore around Weehawken, New Jersey. Mary Rogers was a "cigar girl" whose mother kept a boardinghouse, and who was either a wide-eyed innocent . . . or a bit of a slut who got herself knocked up by one of her boyfriends. In any case, she turned up floating in the Hudson, apparently murdered -- or maybe the victim of a botched abortion. Virtually everyone she knew came under suspicion, and several she probably didn't know, but the investigation (what there was of it) was dilatory and pretty haphazard. Geary lays out the facts in his usual competent narrative manner, together with some of the prevalent theories. The crime itself was never really solved, but Edgar Allan Poe (who may have met the girl) built one of his Auguste Dupin mystery stories around it. Perhaps the fact that this murder isn't as well known today as the Lincoln assassination or the Jack the Ripper murders, Geary feels more free to wander wherever the story takes him -- but it works.

I'm addicted to Geary's true-crime series, "A Treasury of Victorian Murder" and this volume is probably one of the best I've read thus far. The story is that of the well-chronicled but mysterious death of a popular New York cigar seller, Mary Rogers. The circumstances of her death, the people involved and the evidence gathered all make for a seriously bizarre but fascinating true-crime tale. Rick Geary's meticulous black-and-white illustrations are tidy and convey the story wonderfully. An unusual use of the "graphic novel" medium, but an effective one. Highly recommended!

Rick Geary brings the 1840s back to life in this study of an unsolved murder. Mary Rogers was pretty and well known in New York City back then. Her brutal murder splashed across the tabloid pages until interest gradually waned. It never waned completely, though, because Edgar Allan Poe immortalized it in an analysis thinly veiled as fiction.

Geary illustrates this classic mystery in his unique style: black and white pen drawings with no shades of gray, and, static, isolated panels like loosely-related snapshots. It's enjoyable, but more for the afficiando of mysteries or unusual comic styles than for the fan of mainstream comics.

//wiredweird

With The Mystery of Mary Rogers, Writer/Illustrator Rick Geary continues his "Treasury of Victorian Murder" Graphic Novel series, this time exploring the facts in the death of Mary Rogers, a well-known "Segar (Cigar) Girl" (She worked in a large Manhattan Tobacco Shop).

Geary's books are laid out incredibly well; most "Mainstream" non-fiction writers could learn a thing or two from him. He presents THE FACTS in the case, and since the murder was nevr really solved (At least officially...), he avoids any supposition; At the end of the book, he gives the reader a few scenarios that MAY have happened, never presenting any one of them as the actual solution. Geary's writing style is very informative, and his illustrations have a depth and resonance that belie their "Cartoony" look.

Overall, this book is a pleasure to read! The hardcover is a very attractive package at a low price, the text is informative and illuminating, and the artwork is superb. In a perfect world, Geary would be a fixture on the best-seller lists.

It is very unusual for antebellum New York to get any sort of treatment in popular culture, which is a shame, because the whole space between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War features dramatic changes in the city's popular landscape. Institutions for maintaining public order and safety that we take for granted today were less organized and often appropriated by the underworld for its own purposes.

Scorsese's upcoming movie, GANGS OF NEW YORK, looks like it will offer an interesting look into this time. Readers looking for a little less bombast can take in Rick Geary's tight little graphic exploration of THE MYSTERY OF MARY ROGERS. Geary tells the true tale of a corpse that captured the public imagination in a manner similar to any of today's celebrity victims. He renders useful maps and recreates the known facts of the case with haunting sillhouettes and faces that are remarkably expressive in their cartoonishness. Geary also tosses in a tidy little chunk of social history -- so that we understand the context -- and chronicles the sensationalism that followed this case. As a final service, he puts forth the prominent theories about the case, noting its inspiration of Poe's mystery.

Graphic (as in illustrated) non-fiction is somewhat of an oddity, often represented by simpering auto-bio. True crime stories tend to show up in the BIG BOOK OF ... series. This, however, is a neat and stylistic volume that would put Anne Rule to shame.

This is an easy read text, organized well for quick reference and very helpful in counseling.

Excellent book, those written more recently have different agenda, but this book was excellent in terms of creating a way to understand issues specific to Native people and counseling.

This book gives a brilliant insight into the issues that Native Americans are facing as a colonialized people. I don't believe America as a whole has come to the realization of just what it did to the indigenous people and the traumatizing effect the American Dream has had on the original inhabitants. To make matters worse, these people are normally treated by individuals that only come from the Newtonian-Descartian worldview of present day mainstream psychology. When treating people from another cultural background, you need to take into account WHERE they are coming from, and what their worldview are. To not do so, is just to continue the cultural genocide that has been going on for far too long. A highly recommendable book.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I see it as basic material for any counselor or therapist. While the focus is on Native Americans, it is relevant for work with clients of all cultures. The discussion of intergenerational trauma and the soul wound is particularly well done. Highly readable and it can change the way you practice. Profound!

It's been many years since the first time I read this book, it was, and remains, a very powerful and very relevant analysis of anger turned inward in the Native American community. It is, nevertheless, a work that confronts a very sensitive issue in the United States of America - the impact on current generations of genocidal colonization practices against long-established Native American communities by European colonizers. Do not read this book if you believe the Americas were pristine, unpopulated lands waiting to be "discovered" by Columbus, or Erikson, or any other European. Do read this book if you want to understand why other colonized cultures have turned to violence and dogma to seek revenge for the foreign imposition of arbitrary and intentionally destructive rulerships.

I became introduced, and subsequently hooked on the Wolfe books through watching the A & E series a few years ago. While I own all of them I have thus far only managed to get through half of them. As I began reading the books I thought to myself if ever a series begged for a cookbook it was this one, and, much to my delight, there was one.

I recieved the cookbook as a present and have thouroughly enjoyed cooking meals from it. I have yet to make some of the more adventurous dishes such as the Starlings, Grouse (raised on fresh huckleberries), and turttle soup; due both to lack of fund$ and lack of supply. However, I have enjoyed making both the melon and crab salads. As well, I highly recomend Wolfe's Onion soup [especially if you have a cold], Cornbread Griddlecakes, Spareribs and Cassoulet all are delicous and finger-licking good. I warn you now the Nero Wolfe Cookbook is not for those who are on a diet Atkins or otherwise, the character of Wolfe is not known for his sveltness and, besides his relatively sedentary lifestyle, his epicurean nature is a clear indication as to why.

Inserted througout the cookbook are but a minutia of the plethora of food references found throughout Stout's, arguably most successful, series. These mouth watering recipes and qoutes make the cook/reader want to go and read more of the books to see what else Wolfe ate which in turn makes you want to go make more of the food because the books are so detailed about what is served. My only reget in reading this book is that Stout did not publish a second volume of Wolfe's dishes since readers of the series are left wanting more of the recipes to Wolfe's great feasts

If you are a fan of Nero Wolfe, then this is the book for you. REAL recipes used in the stories, the recipes that Fritz Brenner and Nero Wolfe cook with and sometimes fight over, while Archie Goodwin just sits down and enjoys it all. With a forward by Fritz, the book has everything from how to make the pie crust (for the many pies)to griddle cakes (which Archie loves). It even has Nero Wolfe's salad dressing!
ENJOY!

"I beg you not to entrust these dishes to your cook unless he is an artist. Cook them yourself, and only for an occasion that is worthy of them. They are items for an epicure, but are neither finicky nor pretentious; you and your guests will find them as satisfying to the appetite as they are pleasing to the palate. None is beyond your abilities if you have the necessary respect for the art of fine cooking -
and are willing to spend the time and care which an excellent dish deserves and must have. Good appetite!"

The above quote from the account one of Nero Wolfe's first investigations ("Too Many Cooks," 1937) serves as one of several introductory notes to this compilation of recipes from Rex Stout's famous mystery series involving the New York epicurean, orchid lover and heavy-weight detective whose exploits have long become as indelible a part of literary history as those of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Lord Peter Wimsey. And the quote not only sums up to perfection Wolfe's view of the meals served in his house; it also - consequently - provides a taste of the approach one should adopt in using this cookbook. For unlike many other literature-related recipe collections, "The Nero Wolfe Cookbook" need not rely on a great many third-party sources to determine what the great detective might have consumed; a key part of the mysteries themselves are the descriptions of Wolfe's meals, and Wolfe's (as well as his Swiss chef Fritz Brenner's) attitude towards food in general.

All of the recipes presented here were initially developed by chef Michael S. Romano and tested personally by Rex Stout and "New Yorker" food critic Sheila Hibben. And it's all there, from Eggs au Beurre Noir, griddle cakes, and apricot omelet to Fritz Brenner's various duck, duckling, and pork dishes, Wolfe's "relapses," and even the complete menu served by Fritz on the occasion of the annual Ten for Aristology dinner in "Poison a la Carte:" Blinis with Sour Cream (of course without the fatal dose of arsenic someone had added, to Fritz's eternal horror and shame, to one of the guests' plates!), Green-Turtle Soup, Flounder Poached in White Wine, Mussel and Mushroom Sauce, Roast Pheasant, Suckling Pig, Chestnut Croquettes, Salad with Devil's Rain Dressing and Cheese. As you would expect with cuisine as refined as this (and given that we're talking, after all, about the culinary arts of the early and mid-20th century), not all ingredients are easy to track down or even still available; turtles being the obvious example - and frankly, I don't quite share Wolfe's predilection for such things as starlings and marrow dumplings, either. But even foregoing those recipes, there are plenty of others to try your hand at, and to get a flavor of the culinary delights that fueled Wolfe's and his "legman" and chronicler Archie Goodwin's investigations.

In addition to the recipes, the book is lavishly garnished with quotes and excerpts from Rex Stout's - err, excuse me, Archie Goodwin's - narrations, providing the context in which individual dishes were served, as well as an array of photographs by renowned photo artists such as Norman and Lionel Wurts, Roy Perry, Samuel Gottscho, Andreas Feininger, John Muller, and Bernice Abbot; displaying the New York of the 1930s through the 1950s (by many considered the city's golden years, and the heyday of Wolfe's and Archie Goodwin's career), with brownstones like Wolfe's on West 35th Street and other fashionable residences (seen both from outside and inside), 5th Avenue, the Financial District and Times Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park and other green spots, Madison Square Garden, Fulton and other markets, the Staten Island Ferry, Grand Central and Penn Stations, and New York restaurants of various degrees of elegance and refinement. Thus, this is much more than "just" a cookbook - in fact, it's an introduction to Wolfe's entire world and style of life; tastefully uniting the essence of Archie Goodwin's manifold accounts in a single volume.

"I have not a great hope that many people will eat superior meals because they buy this book and use it," cautions Fritz Brenner in his own foreword. "The facts about food and cooking can be learned and understood by anyone with good sense, but if the feeling of the art of cooking is not in your blood and bones the most you can expect is that what you put on your table will be mangeable. ... But I do not think this book will make your food any the worse. At least it should help with some of the facts." And that, after all, is plenty already, I think. So savor, enjoy, and, in Wolfe's words - good appetite!

Also recommended:
The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant Complete Seafood Cookbook
The Union Square Cafe Cookbook: 160 Favorite Recipes from New York's Acclaimed Restaurant
Around the World Cookbook
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery)
Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (4th Edition) Textbook only
Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006

A wonderful companion to the Nero Wolfe experience, but the recipes are not for the inexperienced cook. We started with the baked scallops and were delighted, but there are several steps and you can screw up easily if you lack the right equipment or skills.

The excerpts are sly and the pictures are endearing. We wouldn't have minded a few images of the entrees, but the photos of period New York gently blur the line between fiction and reality, as does the whole book itself.

Buy this one if you are Wolfe obsessive, or (much better) if you can cook. But beware! Wolfe's tastes reflect a complete disregard for his health, so butter, eggs, and cream are in every second dish. A few call for ingredients you can't get (turtle meat, for example), but most rely on a short litany of spices and vegetables on top of easily found meats and fishes.

You will never really be able to have Fritz come visit your kitchen, but it's fun to imagine him watching over your shoulder, or peeking into your dining room, as you savor what might have been his own cooking (if you're chef enough, that is).

(Oh, our copy lacked the last page of the index, and it appears to be a printing, rather than binding error. Annoying, but we've given it 5 stars anyway.)

Yes, like the previous two reviews stated, this is a MUST for Rex Stout aficionados, but also for those interested the period. There are very nice photographs showing New York and the various locales mentioned in the books. I particularly enjoyed the pics of the brownstones like the one owned by Nero Wolfe and inhabited by Archie Goodwin, Theodore Horstman, Fritz Brenner and Nero Wolfe.