Senses Books

Kylie Kwong was born into one of Australia's oldest Chinese families. She is a 29th generation Kwong, and a 4th generation Australian-Chinese. Kylie is known to many Australians through her wonderful television series, as the proprietor of the Billy Kwong restaurant in Sydney and through her magnificent books.

`My China' is the fourth of Kylie's books, and invites the reader to travel with her as she rediscovers her Chinese heritage and explores the history, culture and cuisine of China and Tibet. This book contains magnificent photographs of places, people and food. The book is also a travelogue containing recipes specific to particular regions. There is a map, as well, so the reader can see where these places are.

The recipes themselves are easy to follow, clearly explained and are accompanied by delicious photographs. Ms Kwong provides serving numbers based of shared meals (ie a recipe will serve 4 to 6 as part of a shared meal) thus enabling someone to plan how many dishes they might wish to prepare based on the number of guests and type of gathering. I particularly like her section on ingredients, and found the paragraph on the relative uses of different soy sauces especially helpful.

In summary, `My China' is a delightful addition to the home library for anyone who enjoys Chinese cuisine. Those interested in Chinese culture and history will also enjoy this book. The photographs are simply stunning.

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I have all of Kylie Kwong's books and they are all great but this is her best so far. The stories add to the book but the real stars are the recipes. I've only tried a few so far, but there are so many already on my do list. There is a fabulous rare beef with Ginger sauce which got rave reviews from the family. Last night we tried the Hot and Smoky chicken with Ginger and Chilli - YUM. We do have an industrial strength wok burner which probably helped with the smokiness, but it was very good on all levels. I am a bit of a cookbook collector (500 or thereabouts)and I have a shortlist of books I think are really excellent. This one has already made it to that list - I knew from the moment I opened it!

Having lived in southern China for nearly 3 years, our family had nearly given up on finding authentic Chinese cuisine here in upstate NY. Thankfully, there is this wonderful book. Our daughter made us a holiday feast (including dumplings, yum!) from a few familiar recipes found here and we were almost back in Xiamen! Outstanding photos, stories, and great recipes. If you've ever lived in China, this is for you. If you've ever wanted to visit or live in China, this is for you, too! Try some of these meals and you will understand what real Chinese food is about.

The provocative questions in this book have the potential to hit where it hurts, but be a big girl or a big guy and take some time to answer the questions truthfully....and they have the potential to heal. Read this book through one time, then read it again highlighting the questions that make you go "Grrrrr." Answering those questions will no doubt change your perspective. A little book, yes...but looks can be deceiving. It will leave a big impression.

With chapters like "Finger Painting or Finger Pointing: They're Both Messy" "The 'F Word' Isn't What You Think It Is" "Take Off the Cape: Being Super Isn't So Super" and my particular favorite "Get Naked but Be Well Protected" there is something in this wonderful book for everyone. With humor and a sense of fun, Judith provides valuable insights, truly "grounded" observations (many are based on her experiences in her garden) and questions for pondering the topics of the chapters that will yield you a bumper crop of great days in the future. Don't be fooled by the size of this book if you take this wisdom to heart it could change your life.

This book came to me in my Christmas Stocking and I couldn't put it down.
I have struggled with alot of 'stuff' and the answers were found in this short but so helpful book. The other day the plumbing let go under the sink as I did dishes with my feet in water. I turned and saw her book on the counter and chuckled to myself... as opposed to how I could have stressed out over such a seemingly disaster. My favorite chapter was on MSU (ie. Making Stuff Up) OOH I am so good at that and never realized it until Christmas morning. Buy it, Read it, Read it again; then give the gift to someone else!
Steve Abbe

This is just what I was looking for. Beautifully illustrated and sweet old fashioned thoughts to share with children. Be careful not to share the sexist ideas in some of them, with the children. We don't want to loose any ground that we have made since the Victorian times. For the most part, just good messages. It's not a book about today....but a look back in time.

If you love Victorian illustration you will be in heaven with this terrific book. It is a treasury of over 100 Victorian era verses set up in sections about Childhood Years, Sprites and Goblins, Rules for Growing Up, Absurdities, and the World of Nature. The illustrations are full color and just as charming as you could possibly wish. The quality of the paper, printing, cover, and dustjacket are all top-notch. There are interesting margin notations that give the history and background of the verses and pictures. Here's a parting thought from the book. "Ride, ride the carousel, Reach for the golden ring, Never to finish, But begin again. Life is a circular thing."

I found this book a little different from other children's books of verse. It is a book of victorian verses that teach children of good manners, and others that are just plain amusing. Some of the verses are cumulative, which means a new line is added with each verse, such as "the little old lady who swallowed a fly" which are good for helping children understand the progression of the story, as well as helping them to learn to read because the words are repetitive. I also found interesting the notes on the side of the page that gives a little history behind the verse. The pictures in this book are beautiful and look as if they come straight from a victorian scrapbook. I think this is an excellent book!

An outstanding history of the Sixties by an outstanding public servant. Harris Wofford makes the era come alive on the page with his first-person experiences with Martin Luther King, President Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. A must read for anyone interested in the decade, the Kennedys, or Martin Luther King. Fantastic!

Harris Wofford brings the reader to some of the key moments in one of the nation's most tumultuous decades. His stories are genuine because he was there -- a key advisor to John and Robert Kennedy and to Martin Luther King.

I think this book is a amazing read! I picked up because of an interest in the era (the 60s), and once I started reading I felt as if I was actually living the events Wofford describes in this book. I particularly like his style of writing, and also how he comes across as different to most writers on the Kennedys. Usually it's clear the writer adores the Kennedys (and can see no wrong with them), or hates them (and can see no good in them). Wofford is not like this. He honestly paints the full picture of the two Kennedy men, and Luther King as well.
A thoroughly fascinating read - one I recommend to everyone!

I love Ellen Goodman's columns so this book is an extra special treat for me. It's so nice to have them all in one place other than cut out of the newspaper and stuck to the refrigerator door.
A must read! Debbie Farmer, parenting columnist and author of 'Don't put Lipstick on the Cat!'

Goodman's brilliant insights are as fresh and needed now as the day they were written. This collection of her columns provides a captivating review of the major events of the past years that makes it hard to put down before reading just one more column. The topics chosen recognize that events have changed us in the past decade, yet many fundamental questions concerning our country, our families and our lives remain "unanswered." These questions require the kind of careful, humourful reflection that Goodman offers.

I loved this book.
Ellen Goodman is smart, funny, wise, centered and totally in this world -- which makes her the perfect person to help us through the maze of modern life. If you already know and adore her column, this new collection will once again make you laugh and cry and nod your head in agreement. She understands us, and our world, and makes it all make sense.
If you don't know her columns, this is a perfect introduction to her very sensible take on everything from babies to bombs, from political candidates to sexual stimulants. I bet you'll feel exactly the way I did: that someone very close was sitting in my living room and talking just to me.
A must-read for everyone -- especially women.

This book has helped my toddler learn the proper way to treat our dog. The simple words and touch-and-feel pictures make it enjoyable for him to listen to.

This book is a great way to help teach your children how to get along with dogs and cats. I can't wait until mine is old enough to enjoy it.

I think this book is great. It shows how young children should interact with animals so that they will enjoy them the rest of their lifes.The idea of having the reader pet them gently in the various pages of the book is very creative.

"Aside from gleaning many useful facts and energy working exercises myself (many of which I had fun practicing with my husband), even as one who has studied metaphysics, energy work in general, etc. for a long time now, I was struck by how valuable this book must be for those just starting out as well. In fact, I see it as an invaluable book for those who've been raised in backgrounds which didn't acknowledge anything much besides the five senses, yet these probably quite confused people have already begun to experience the awakening of their subtle senses and don't know what to make of it all. If you're raised in a family that ridicules the existence of spirits, empathy, telepathy, etc., then you could very well feel like you're going crazy when you first start to feel things outside of the five senses. Ms. Belanger goes into great and practical depth about differentiating between what's delusional and what's probably a valid psychic experience. So, you have a touchstone, through her carefully chosen words, to measure your sanity or insanity in a sense. In addition, she includes quite a few questions that you can ask yourself that aid in tracking your results. At the same time, she brings subject matter, that's still not that common, to you in a surprisingly commonsense way to easily aid you on your journey."

G.L. Giles (author, reviewer and interviewer)

This book is excellent for beginners just wanting to look into, and understand psychic abilities and phenomena, as well as those interested in developing such. Michelle takes you rationally and easily through a variety of beliefs, theories and exercises to expose you to a wide section of psychic abilities.

While this book is excellent for beginners, it is a great resource for people who are more developed/experienced, as it will introduce them to more concepts and theories, as well as showing you were commonly believed ideas (e.g. rainbow chakras) came from.

Very well written.

This book, along with the earlier work " The Psychic Vampire Codex" by Michelle are excellent lesson books for those who wish to learn how to work with energy.
For those of us who work with energy on a regular basis, this book is a great help in developing a strategy for doing just that. There are many comprehensive and detailed subjects in each chapter. Owing to an obbvious long term study of psychology( a MUST for anyone interested in either occult OR basic energy work), Michelle also devotes an entire chapter to personality types that are problems.
The only complaint I have is that I wish this work was around 20 years ago when I was beginning my foray into the world of unseen energy. (Smirk).
Needless to say this book is a must have for anyone who is serious about energy work and it is written to be of help for anyone along this path.

The reading of "Re-authoring Teaching" by Peggy Sax is, no doubt, a refreshing inspiration to anyone that works both with teaching and therapy. The book takes the reader beyond the frontiers of the dominant linear thought and puts into practice the principles of post-structuralism in the realms of the education. In fact to put such principles to work in the educational field seems a greater challenge than to do the same in the therapy field.
Particularly interesting to someone who, like me, has been teaching for the last twenty five years, is the discussion about evaluation, power and learning that Peggy brings about on the chapter called "reckoning with power".
Although the book describes an experience in which the actors were seeing each other every week, it magnifies ideas and possibilities to design courses where the actors will see each other with less frequency. In fact the book wins a space as setting premises and examples of new possibilities. That expands the opportunity for psychologist and teachers that live in the country side or in places with difficult access to complete an up-grading program of education and clinical practices in psychology.

Teachers and clinicians that want to improve their practice in the direction of the future will take great value of this reading.

As a practicing pediatrician, I found Peggy Sax's new book RE-AUTHORING TEACHING: CREATING A COLLABORATORY, spellbinding, in a very specific way. Consider Chapters 8 and 9. Here are two of the most personal, poignant and profound expressions of what deep depression feels like to Kate (Chap. 8) and Nicole's perplexing world of self-harming behavior and eating disorders (Chap. 9). I will be giving copies of these chapters to my partners and to medical students and residents with whom I work. No textbook can capture the essence of these painful disorders as powerfully as Ms. Sax's presentation. If you deal with mental health issues, from any perspective, please read at least, these chapters.
Jack Mayer, MD, MPH
Rainbow Pediatrics
Middlebury, Vermont 05753

Peggy Sax invites you into a house of learning in this book. She provides a warm welcome and walks you through the house, introducing you to many other guests, who are engaged in rich and invigorating conversation about postmodern, and particularly narrative, therapeutic practice. The atmosphere in the house, called a "collaboratory," envelopes you and draws you in.

This book is a substantial piece of scholarship that adds considerably to existing literature on teaching postmodern and particularly narrative therapy. Most of the material in this domain so far has been published in article and book chapter form and I know of no other book devoted specifically to the teaching of narrative therapy.

Another aspect of this manuscript is that it approaches the teaching task from the perspective of the systematic and rigorous learning that takes place usually (but not exclusively) in a university context. Many of those who practice in a narrative way have learned their craft more in workshops and through reading. This is changing as narrative practice becomes more established and this book is nicely timed to fit into the next context of development. In my judgment there is a need for narrative practitioners to learn these practices systematically and this book maps out a process for this to happen.

The book is both a report on the author's and her students' experiences of learning in an online learning format and a guide for those who might pursue such learning in future. The author is clearly experienced in teaching through an online platform and the teaching and learning ideas are based on sophisticated use of current technology. I mean sophisticated in the sense of how learning possibilities relate to the medium rather than in relation to the technology itself. I found myself thinking, as I read, of online teaching I am myself engaged in and was stimulated to rethink various practices and to develop a stronger rationale for others. The liberal inclusion of students' voices was well handled and added a strong dialogical quality to the text. It felt like listening into a conversation and being shown how the conversation worked, rather than being told about it in an abstract way. In this way the author handled the communication of a practice in an inviting and engaging way that leads a reader into an experience of what the learning she reports on must be like.

The author's tone was deceptively simple and descriptive and yet conveyed a rich and passionate enthusiasm that was palpable and powerful. It was also personal and established a relationally authentic voice and stimulated an ongoing dialogue inside the reader's head (mine at least). The use of the neologism "collaboratory" is clever and convincingly carried off. It is fleshed out strongly in the practice outlined.

I see value in this book for those engaged in the process of learning, both from the position of teacher and from the position of learner. It could serve as an excellent introductory text for an online learning program or course, particularly one that is focused on narrative therapy.

I found myself imagining assigning the text to be read by students entering an online class and also using it later in the class. Early on, reading this text might enrich the reflections that happen in many classes because students get to read models of what can be achieved. In my own online teaching I have experienced some situations where students have taken a while to get the hang of what is possible in an online learning community. This book could help make the development of a learning community happen much more quickly. It also contains much material that is worth revisiting later in the same kind of class. So it is also a worthwhile supplement to learning narrative practice in an online course. These combined values make it suitable as a class text. I would add too that there are an increasing number of courses converting to at least partial online learning platforms. This book will I expect encourage others to develop effective learning opportunities in this context.

I really liked several particular aspects of the book. The exercise on professional identity development is an excellent one. The discussion about power relations and therapy was a strength too. It engaged in these issues in detailed and practical ways and raised dilemmas that readers will no doubt find useful to think about. The chapter on letter-writing was also strong as an exemplary teaching tool as well. One could actually learn to write narrative letters just from reading this chapter.

Reading this text was a different experience from reading some of the other introductory texts that are around. And it was an additive experience. This book overtly serves a different purpose but can also complement such introductory texts very nicely, especially for those engaged in a systematic learning program.

This is an excellent book! It is a fun way for children to learn about science with activities involving the sense of smell.

My child was never interested in science until I bought him this book. Now I can't get him to stop doing experiments! This brilliant book by the Rybolts has been educational and sparked a new love for learning in my son. Its also been fun for me to learn along with him. This book is one of a kind!

I am a 6th grade teacher and I read an experiment from this book to my class one day to give them an idea with their science fair projects. The class was fascinated! They beg me to read from the book 20 minutes a day, and they are always telling me about the experiments they do at home after hearing about the experiments in class. They are always talking about experiments of odors in and out of the classroom. Parents call and tell me how much fun they have learning from their children about the science of odors and the sense of smell. I would recommend this book to anyone, even if they were not doing a science fair project!

Amazing story. This book is a highly recommended read for anyone hoping to cure himself of any disease or condition, be it imperfect sight or anything else. Whatever ails you, you will be convinced that you can overcome it. Meir Schneider views disease as an opportunity for self-growth rather than as an evil enemy to be killed off. Healthy people don't get sick. "Once the body is relaxed, the breathing correct, and all the joints completely flexible, it is difficult for any disease to take hold."

His holistic method makes too much sense to disregard. However, our society is not ready to step into an age of holistic health care.

This is a wonderful, inspiring book. I have read it many times. It is full of wisdom, but very practical. I can't recommend it too highly. It is not just about healing bad eyes but many other physical problems. Meir Schneider is a humble genius.

I have been working in the field of education and various forms of therapy for over 35 years having been the director of a large program for the developmentally disabled and working in rehabilitation of adults as well for many years. I have never found a more inspiring book in all that time. Recently, a friend in his middle 50s who had been through all of the "right" therapies available in the major teaching institutions in New York City following a massive stroke was becoming quite discouraged. He had made nowhere near the progress that he had hoped for despite really working at whatever he was given to do. After reading Meir's book, he became totally motivated again and made an appointment to see Meir when he came to New York and is now on the road to real progress working at 2 things in his life full time: Teaching his mathmematics students in College, and going at it rehabilitating himself and inspiring those around him to stretch out in life and not s! imply to accept the limitations that they have always supposed were barriers to fuller participation in life. I can not reccommend any book more highly in this field.