Baker Books

I bought this book to do as a Bible study. It is great! Judy is real in her examples that she has struggled with and gives you hope to be able to overcome any struggles you may have. This is a great book about relationships. I highly recommend it.

I have done quite a few bible studies, and this one by far is one of my favorites. It is so good and really helps you to Let go and Let God...
I liked the balance of looking up scriptures on your own and reading the authors experiences. What insight on the subject of grace.
I can't tell you how many times I read somethng and said ouch. Although there was much conviction, it was equally balanced with encouragement for change.
Thank you to the author! Are there any more???

The Bible Study workbook is not only very well-written, it is clearly a message from God that can be applied by anyone in their relationships - with spouses, with friends and family, with co-workers and with God. The message is easily to understand, humorous (at times), poignant (at times), but always insightful.

I have had the opportunity to hear Judy Baker speak and she delivers the message in person with even more "kick" than the book provides. For those without the opportunity to hear her teach this Bible Study, the Video Teaching Series is an awesome substitute!

Embracing Grace is an excellent bible study and was written by an excellent author. This is a must read for anyone.

I used Hagner's book to teach biblical studies on Hebrews at our church. I bought several other commentaries (NIV Life Application, R. Kent Hughes, etc) as well but ended up only using this book. It really brought the book of Hebrews to life in a new way and is very well arranged with interesting sidebars, yet surprisingly concise; especially considering the complexity of Hebrews. This book has made me want to get all of the Encountering Biblical Studies books. It makes a great textbook, commentary or devotional tool for Hebrews.

As you can tell, I really got a lot out of this book.

Donald Hagner is to be commended for this very well written, very insightful, marvelous introduction to the book of Hebrews. The writing was clear, the theology orthodox, the attention to detail fantastic and the exposition insightful. I cannot imagine a better book to introduce this little known letter.

Donald Hagner's work here is an excellent introduction to studying one of the most complex books of Scripture. With a gift for being able to communicate and a willingness to let Scripture say what it says without contorting its plain meaning to make it fit some theological form, Hagner succeeds at opening the book of Hebrews marvelously.

Like the other books in the Encountering Biblical Studies series by Baker Book this one is actually intended as a textbook for undergrad studies. Yet to avoid it out of fear that as a textbook it must be dry or overly technical is to make a mistake and miss out on a grand learning opportunity. This book would be wonderful for personal or small group Bible study for those with at least a fair understanding of the NT (if you're not there yet check out Encountering the New Testament in this series) and a hunger to go deeper. Study and be blessed.

Hagner does a decent job of digging deeper into the book of Hebrews. This book is a great way to step into the vast array of literature on the book of Hebrews that is out there. The major issues in Hebrew's are covered from a fairly conservative angle. Hagner does not hide what he believes, but does point out what many sides to the different issues in Hebrews are.

The side conversation windows are helpful in going farther on certain points such as perfection and others. This book is going to get you a lot farther in your study of Hebrews than a bible dictionary or some crackpot online commentary. Well worth your time, if you are interested. JVD

Elwell's Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (EDOT) was a required text for one of my seminary master's courses. I had not used the book before and am very glad to have been directed to use it.

Elwell collects writings from many noted, contemporary theologians for this work. He covers pretty much every topic that I cared to look up. He covers theological terms that most are not familiar with, controversial issues, different groups throughout history through today and prominent theologians throughout history with a baseline description of their major ideas. If you are unsure of what "sensus plenior" is, or unsure of what Aquinas said about angels, or who the pelagians were- this is the book to find the answers. It also discusses well known issues such as predestination, salvation, attributes of God etc. This book will help the layperson through the budding theologian.

The only critique that I have is that some of the authors forget to explain the basic idea of some of the items. For instance, when discussing the "biblical theology" movement, they miss describing exactly how biblical theology differs from systematic theology and do not define it.

Other than this one minor flaw, I think this book is a great addition to a Christian's library. EDOT is a superb work worthy of any studious Christian's library.

This Dictionary contains all of the necessary entries that it should and even goes beyond what most others do. It is very scholarly but yet very readable. While it is the best that I have come across yet and would reccomend it to anyone that is even considering it, I am still hopeful for THE DICTIONARY and hence in that hope give Elwell a 4 star rating. If you know of THE DICTIONARY, then by all means please contact me. willi775@pilot.msu.edu

I bought this book along with Elwell's other reference book "Topical Anaylsis of the Bible" and keep both of them handy on my desk for quick and easy to find biblical references for various doctrines or topics.

The best part about this book is the ability to locate important doctrines, key texts, and subjects quickly and easily. This book will save you hours of serching in systematic theology books to find the balanced teachings on the doctrine. Elwell is sound in his theology and evangelical in his covering of various teachings.

Buy this book, you will use it often!

This book was a gift from my pastor when I left for seminary. I must say that it has been great. I have compared it to others and there really is no comparison. This book is detailed, yet easy to read. It also encompasses various points of view and theological positions.

This is a great book. Not a lot of the author's idea's or opinions, making this book pure and clean in it's simplicity. Composed of tremendous testimonies that leave you shaken to your core. The author of the book did a good job, but the Author of the testimonies did better.

This book is a series of true stories from Christians persecuted in Communist China - amazing picture of the persecuted church.

Kaahanui introduces each of her stories in EVERY GOOD GIFT with a short reflection-"The Gift of Forgiveness" through to "The Gift of Presence," ten in all. Each has a story-some very short and some longer, that illustrate the premise of each, although she assures us that the "real gift in (each) story is God himself."

For me the most poignant aspect of these stories is how they illustrate the horrors of intolerance, whether we call it persecution, discrimination or worse. There really is no word fatal enough, vile enough to describe the corrosive nature of what these attitudes-allowed to run rampant through a society-can do. Nevertheless, these real-life experiences, recounted by people who lived through them, begin to illustrate the unimaginable awfulness inherent in a lack of acceptance.

One reason Kaahanui is able achieve so much with this book is that she avoids sentimentality. Her matter-of-fact approach to story telling rings true and allows her to capture a depth of human emotion that would otherwise be impossible.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards.Her newly released Harkening, a collection of stories, has won three.Her practical and detailed how-to book on promotion, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER:HOW TO DO WHAT YOU'RE PUBLISHER WON'T, will be released in August of 2004.

This book is full of awesome testimonies of the Lords faithfulness to a very courageous group of poeple. The true life accounts in this book give testimony to the sufficiency of God to meet every one of our needs in times of trials and suffering! To praise HIM in the midst of trials and persecution...To know his peace that is not contingent on where we eat or what we sleep on or what we are made to do....This is a book about people still alive today who have risked everything and won the greatest gift, to be in the Presence of God! I recommend this book to new Christians and people who have been walking with God all of there lives. You will never be the same again! Oh Lord if we could just throw off the comforts of the world that so easily hinder us from receiving every good gift that HE has for us. This book was stunning and powrful the first time around and it remains one of my favorite devotionals that refreshes my spirit and reminds me in just a couple of pages of what really matters in my Christian walk with Jesus..

I host a small group and have for about a year, coincedentially I called it Finding God in The Movies. I had a hard time coming up with questions for the small group and this book has great questions right inside. Eventually more people started showing up and everyone has amazing insights! I couldn't have asked for more!

The book really helped me with me class that I used it for. Even though we weren't required to read it.

Can we find God in the movies? Yes! In this outstanding cultural book, Johnston leads us to find God in the popculture. He mentions the movie as a story teller in which people communicate their values and worldviews. He, also, teaches us what the christian movies are and how christians can watch the films; the christian movies are what deal with the real human stories and what show the reality afresh. And, when we watch the movies, we, as chrsitians, have to see the christian values such as humanity, friendship, forgiveness, reconciliation, etc. In addition to these strengths, the most wonderful character of this book is the excellent complete film study guide. I enthusiastically recommend this book for all people who are interested in popculture and its application to their real lives.

Catherine Barsotti and Robert Johnston --- husband and wife --- give thoughtful Christians a book full of tools to help them view select movies (33 in all; the oldest released in 1982) through a theological or philosophical lens.

FINDING GOD IN THE MOVIES starts with an informative introduction that discusses the film genre and theological approaches to film. What makes a good film? "Head, gut, and heart. The best movies will engage the whole person." How does a viewer find God in the movies? "Unpack the story.... What is more primary in the way the story is shaped? (1) Is it the plot...? (2) Is it the characters...? (3) Is it the point of view, where a story is given value by the perspective of the narrator(s)...? Or (4) is it the atmosphere...?...Concentrate your critical attention on where the filmmakers have centered their attention. By doing this, you will prove a more receptive viewer of the story and perhaps the Story."

Each of the 33 movie-chapters starts with a two- or three-page "synopsis and theological reflection" --- a review. This is followed by "dialogue texts" (relevant biblical passages), "discussion questions," "clip conversations" (more discussion questions but about specific scenes), and several pages of "bonus material," which includes interesting behind-the-scenes information about the making and makers of the film. Movies also are clearly linked to two helpful appendices: one listing (Genesis to Revelation) relevant biblical references; one listing (A to Z) topics covered in or themes of the movies (for example, Abuse; Affirming the Human Spirit; Anger; Arguing with God; Balance in Life).

The movie-chapters are presented in 13 categories, the more blatantly religious ("Living Our Faith"; "Images of the Savior"; "Renewing the Church") placed toward the end of the book. You might want to start your exploration in these later categories or simply bounce around. The second of the 13 categories, "Beauty, Imagination, and Creativity," discusses two Pacific Rim movies, Spirited Away and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that celebrate imagination and creativity but may be hard for the neophyte to discuss theologically.

This is a book for Christians who have an understanding of common grace, "the wider work of God's Spirit throughout and within all creatures and creation," and for those who are open to dialogue with the secular world. What are some of the films discussed? Life Is Beautiful. Ulee's Gold. The Hurricane. Simon Birch. Chocolat. We Were Soldiers.

By using this guide you might get the hang of facilitating a movie-discussion group and then move on to films you wish the authors had included. We'd all have our own list. Mine? The Trip to Bountiful. Cinema Paradiso. Babette's Feast. The Quarrel. Smoke. Maybe I should check out Johnston's earlier book REEL SPIRITUALITY: Theology and Film in Dialogue (Baker, 2000).

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

This romance is not an average romance. It's a somewhat reality type contemporary gritty romance with some uncomfortable situations. I think it will appeal to a young modern or open minded audience. But I say this because it is an emotion read or at least it was for me. It was a contemporary yet actually a benign look at street life. I'm sure the reality of child prostitution is much much worse.

Having said that, I think this is one of the most touching and lovely stories I've ever read. It's not the fantasy romance we are used to and I loved it. I hope and pray there are real life people out there with difficult lives and falling in love with happy ever after stories.

This is the second book I've read from Bonnie Dee (Bone Deep is also a GREAT read) and the first from Lauren Baker. I will look into reading some of her books.

This book was great and worth my time.

This is a heartwarming, well written story from two authors whose individual work I am familiar with - they have far outdone themselves by joining forces.

The story is gripping, the characters fleshed out nicely, and it offers the reader some lovely erotic images. Finding Home is worthy of reading and rereading.

(Review written for Romance Reviews Today)

Megan works as a proofreader at a small weekly newspaper, but she hungers for juicier work. When Megan first meets Mouth, a homeless teenage hustler, on the streets of L.A., he's the perfect subject for the expose she hopes will help her break into journalism. She doesn't expect to be drawn into his life or to become his friend; she doesn't mean to care about the kids she's writing about, but as her article proceeds and she spends her nights down on Santa Monica Boulevard, the lines blur between subject and researcher.

FINDING HOME offers a raw, gritty look at the underbelly of modern life. Dark and vividly drawn, we experience this world through Megan's eyes. At the beginning, she's a little lost; out of college, but oddly unsure of herself and her skills. Megan has led a fairly sheltered life, devoid of drama or darkness. In contrast, Mouth possesses a scarred and wary world-weariness; he's too old for his age and oh-so-young at the same time, tender beneath his external cynicism. These two characters stand among the most compelling I've ever read, and their rendered contrast achieves artistic perfection, a study in light and shadow.

Past precedent seems to suggest Megan has a history of screwing things up, so she's determined to take her career as a journalist seriously, even when she's utterly, some might even say self-destructively, drawn to the street kid, Mouth. The chemistry between them sparks, sizzling with need and trepidation. He's everything she shouldn't want, and since he's just seventeen, he could literally ruin her life. Yet for reasons she cannot articulate, Mouth is everything she does want. Desperately. But she fights the attraction, knowing he's been victimized by adults who always want something from him. Always. He's heartbreaking in his simplicity and in the verity of his shattered expectations. Mouth expects to pay for a night on her couch with sex, saying simply, "With you, well--it wouldn't be a chore, you know?" With those words, he illuminates what his life has been like -- a constant barter of innocence too precious to lose.

FINDING HOME is the most beautiful book I've read this year. It possesses a haunting, visceral power, and this writing team produces seamless, utterly lyrical prose. It is rich and textured, gritty and real as life itself is real. From the beginning, even the exposition felt like foreplay, fleshing out a passionate, poignant, and utterly forbidden relationship with delicacy and simmering subtlety. Each glance possessed the heat of a dying sun; each kiss left me breathless. Much like Megan, I was in love with Mouth from the first moment I saw him leaning against the brick wall, smoking a cigarette with sensual grace.

I loved this story. Words fail me as to how much. If you read just one e-book this year, let it be FINDING HOME. And just ache with the pure, agonizing beauty of it.

--Ann Aguirre
author of Grimspace

Megan is a 23 years old copy editor who wants to be a reporter. So she thinks to make an article about hustlers, street boys who sold sex to live. She meets Mouth, a 17 years old guy without family and homeless, who help her to write her article. Mouth is different from other boys, he is much stronger and has a focus in his mind: to save enough money to change his life and go to the college. Mouth is obvously a nickname, cause he is good to do blowjobs, but, even if his customers are only guy, he is not gay. And he likes Megan. And Megan too.

So, when Sean, his real name, is beaten and robbed by some thugs, Megan decides to take him home with her: but can they work a way to stay together, even if everything and everyone are against them?

Good romance, but I feel like the authors are held in way to simple the matters of the hustlers: after one year of that life, Sean is so secure and strong... I don't know if it is possible in the real life.

This book was an easy read and very applicable to every day life. From someone searching for their place in this world to the seasoned believer, there is something for everyone. There are many real life examples throughout the book that keep it interesting and relatable.

One of the most important things a Christian should do in today's hectic, schedule-oriented world is somehow etch time out of their busy day to get some quality moments alone with God. The world is like a battering ram that never lets up, and it's far too easy for a Christian to miss their time with God, missing out on the benefits of daily spiritual renewal.

It's also not shameful to admit that when you do sit down in front of your Bible, you're sometimes flustered about where to turn, where to start. It happens to all of us; I can't count how many times I've finished a study in either Galatians or Corinthians, but then spent the next several days stymied because I wasn't sure where to go from there. Then suddenly, in the rush of getting to school, grading papers and doing lesson plans, picking up my daughter from the baby sitter, writing my paper for grad school and working on my manuscript - a week or two has gone by, and no devotions in the morning.
Devotionals can be an important tool in building a relationship with God, but there are so many to choose from, hundreds of translations of the Bible, and sometimes trying to pick the right one for you is enough to make you throw up your hands in frustration and walk out of the book store in a funk, no better off than when you entered in the first place.

And then another week slips by, and OOPS! No devotions again.
Finding Your Way: A Guide to Discovering God's Best For Your Life, by Gary LaFerla, is a practical, relevant book focused on helping us find our place in God's Will - in both His sovereign will, and His will for each of our individual lives. It gives very Biblically - based advice about searching primarily for God's Will through studying His word, spending time in prayer, and living a life that is holy and pleasing to Him, so that we can live to the fullest potential that he would have us live.

Finding Your Way is extremely forthright and straightforward, and while it uses compassionate language, it doesn't compromise on the Godly truths found in the Bible. It gives very practical advice to applying biblical truth to our day to day lives, especially in testing the opportunities that are presented to us: are these open doors really God's will for our lives, or do we need to be patient and stay a longer course?

Finding Your Way gives the following advice, which pretty much sums up its message: "You can choose to give your life over to Him (God), or you can plan it yourself and go it alone....Only when we invite the Giver of Life to lead us, does life become what it was meant to be, so place your life in the hands of Christ today and allow him to carry you through many awesome adventures".


Check with your local Christian bookstore to see if they have Finding Your Way, or visit [...]

This is a great book for anyone trying to find out just what God has for them. Biblically sound, fresh and too the point, easy to understand too. It gave me a clearer understanding of how to do that thing everyone wants to know how to do... Find God's Will For Their Life!

I was amazed at the depth of information in these few chapters. Gary wasted no time explaining what we need to know to "walk" with God and to seek His will. Each chapter seemed to overflow with wisdom directly from God's Word and left me with a desire to change my attitude and surrender my life to Him.

This book was pretty good. There were definitely some good ideas in it for enhancing family life and starting traditions. A few of her stories did bring a tear to the eye. Not the best, but worth the read!

Wow!!! This is a ton of great information from a 'been there, done that' Mom and Grandma.

The author shares wisdom, humor and stories all wrapped in grace...
(I loved that I could read it and be inspired to be better, encouraged for the great things I AM doing, but not feel guilty about all the stuff I'm NOT doing.)

This is a celebration of the family. I think I might make it my new standard baby shower gift!!!

Carol Kuykendall --- author, speaker, and strategic projects director for MOPS International (Mothers of Preschoolers) --- has compiled what she considers the five-star winning components of a successful family. According to this mom of three grown children, the five key elements of a great family begin with love -- expressions that inspire and comfort; fun -- activities that recharge a family's batteries; loyalty -- lessons on sticking with family through it all; growth -- embracing new challenges and seeing the value of stretching; and faith -- holding close a relationship with Christ that shines vividly and practically into the lives of others. With many personal anecdotes, fanciful stories, and good common sense advice, Kuykendall does a marvelous job presenting a handbook for parents that is easy on both the eyes and the heart.

The author's two-part text deals with family matters that focus on the beginnings of new family life when a young couple first discovers they're pregnant. Some of the practical points offered in this section include deciding who to invite to the actual delivery, naming the baby by taking into account potential teasing/taunting as a result of this all-important choice, hashing out basic parenting decisions regarding naps/nursing/discipline, dealing with those unmet expectations that crop up almost immediately after giving birth, and learning to fit into the extended family with the newest member without stepping on other siblings' toes or feelings.

Kuykendall then delves into dreaming for a bit. Just what kind of family does the new couple want to be? The author discusses the value of looking back in order to glean the best of past childhoods while wisely leaving not-so healthy patterns behind where they belong. She also details the importance of taking a realistic look at where a family is today, accepting where people are, because this is the point from which everyone can move ahead. Finally, a brief segment on looking ahead with hopeful, faith-inspired enthusiasm closes out this foundational topic.

To complete part one, Kuykendall does a lovely job presenting the "gifts" children bring to a family. Clearly, children are gifts from God, but with them come powerful life lessons on perspective. Consider the gift of "do-overs," in which parents can relive the innocence and wonder of childhood discovery through their children's eyes. This important truth reminds parents that God is the giver of second chances. Kuykendall also cites the gifts of humility as children "reveal us to ourselves" as imperfect parents. Children also model sincerity of a simple, uncomplicated faith.

Once this solid foundation is set, Kuykendall spends a generous amount of space re-defining her five-star qualities, each with its own separate chapter (Love, Fun, Loyalty, Growth, Faith). Every chapter opens with a lengthy discussion that includes biblical principles and selected bible verses, personal insights from the author's own family life, specific action points, and quippy yet powerful quotations for increased take-away reminders. One of the most telling quotations included in this timely text appears near the end, and it typifies Kuykendall's entire message beautifully. "Family is...A soft place to land."


--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

When it comes to raising a great family, it helps to find a mentor who's walked in your shoes. In her newest book, Five-Star Families, Carol Kuykendall offers you a blueprint for bringing up kids in a culture bent on tearing families apart. She shares how parents' positive influence can create a generation that will twinkle like stars in the universe.

What is a five-star family? Kuykendall lives out her theory that what matters most are five qualities: love, fun, loyalty, growth, and faith. She invites readers to explore each topic with her, using personal examples from her own family and a host of others. As the mom of three adult children and a new grandmom, Kuykendall has seen the process of family-making come full circle.

Her easy-to-read style fits right into the hectic pace of busy parents. She writes, "The process of becoming a five-star family happens in the midst of maneuvering our way through the bumps in our lives." She shows how investing in relationships and taking deliberate steps to create memories will build a resilient family that will bond through thick and thin.

The book is perfect for small groups. Each chapter ends with questions that serve as creative springboards for discussion. As a director and mentor mom for MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers), Kuykendall is in a unique position to impact thousands of homes. Her book is pure delight to read, always pointing to God as the true creator and builder of families that shine. - Heather Lynn Ivester, Christian Book Previews.com

My favorite things are food, information, vivid writing. This book has all three. The recipes are quick, easy, healthful, good-looking and tasty. The tips for preparing dishes and for selecting, serving and cooking with wines are very helpful. The writer's ability to evoke the colors, flavors, odors and textures of her materials...well, just reading the book makes my mouth water.

We bought this cookbook at the winery because my husband picked it up and couldn't put it down. He loves to cook and grill and doesn't usually read recipes, but he liked the new ideas in this cookbook, and the chapter on grilling was funny and also right on. Its kind of sparked his interest in looking through our other cookbooks too, so now he picks out recipes and writes his grocery list (for me of course) during football halftimes. O yes, we liked the wine too and the people at the winery were really friendly. They refered us to other small wineries that we also enjoyed and we had a good time in Paso Robles!

Unlike other winery cookbooks I've collected, all of which I've enjoyed reading, this one is much more personable. Baker talks about the long days and demands of the harvest season, and shares recipes that she can easily prepare from whatever is available in her pantry and garden. The recipes are simple, ingredients are fairly common, and the dishes have a California flair--lots of use of peppers, garlic and herbs. I tried the Grilled Chile and Cheese Sandwiches with the Bouillabaisse with Saffron and Leeks, and the combination was delicious. The only criticism I would make is that the wine sections are fairly simple and focused on California wine.

mary's recipes are approachable, creative and delicious! this book runs the gamut of great recipes from high brow dinner parties to Monday night football suggestions. Her advice is practical, helpful and will having you saying things like, "Of course I should never use cheap cooking wine to cook! I should never buy cheap wine at all! What was i thinking?!?!" Its a perfect gift and for someone who likes mustard as much as i do, i loved the Viogner Mustard recipe!

Now in a special twentieth anniversary edition, Gail Sher's From A Baker's Kitchen is a classic essential "how to" reference and recipe collection for home bakers interested in learning to make professional-quality bread. Individual chapters address all of the basic methods and principles involved in bread making (including molding, slitting, glazing, baking, and storage), steps for the Sponge Method, recipes for breads of various grains, "quick breads" such as corn breads, biscuits, gingerbreads, and muffins, and more. Careful attention to instructional detail distinguishes this time-tested, "must-have" instructional cookbook for breadmakers of all skill and experience levels.

I wanted to know an easy way of making bread at home, and this book delivers very well. If you are only looking for recipes this isn't the book. There is a lot of information on the details of equipment, flours and methods. The recipes are a little confusing because the numbers correspond to the each step for the sponge method, which are not written down in each recipe, so it helps to memorize the method steps. Practicing does help a lot!

`From a Baker's Kitchen' by poet, teacher, and writer Gail Sher is easily one of the very best books on bread baking I have seen, out of the dozen or so I have reviewed in the last year. This is not to say that the many volumes by Peter Reinhart, Joe Ortiz, Nancy Silverton, Bernard Clayton, and Rose Levy Beranbaum are not some of the very best cookery books I have seen overall. It is just that in this classic tutorial on breadbaking, Ms. Sher has presented this material in a way which is more accessible to more home bakers than the more technical works of Reinhart and company.

One of the most liberating statements early in this book is Ms. Sher's claim that the home bread baker is actually in a better position to bake quality bread than the commercial baker, who is constantly encumbered by pressures to produce a correct number to match sales, use materials and labor economically, and make a backbreaking schedule while maintaining a reasonable quality in their product. Within reason, the home baker should not have any time pressure and the cost of a small quantity of good ingredients should be of no concern. The home cook does need to be aware of things that are no problem for the professional. These typically are using fresh ingredients and sensing baking endpoints simply by sight. The professional baker gets fresh ingredients in daily or weekly and does the same thing daily, so these come naturally.

One of the first things, which convinced me that this is a really great introduction to baking, is when the author gives an overview of all leavening methods, giving each one equal attention. When I started baking, I was fully aware of the importance of yeast and only aware of chemical leaveners in passing. It was almost two years of baking and reading before I realized the importance of aerating leaveners, epitomized by foams of egg whites in, for example, angel food cake, but also accomplished with other ingredients such as butter layers in puff pastry.

The first section of the book deals with `bread ingredients'. While Ms. Sher does not go into as much detail on the chemistry of gluten formation and the biology of the wheat berry as, for example, Rose Beranbaum, this book covers the whole range of flours, including such odd bodkins as triticale, potato flour, and millet. The triticale flour has a combination of properties of wheat and rye, with a light sweetness from the contribution of rye genes.

The second section deals with the `methods and principles of bread baking'. The motto for this book is the first paragraph in the chapter on dough where it says:

`The Point cannot be stressed enough that bread baking is an art replete with choices. You can slow it down or hurry it up, overbake for a crunchy crust or overrise for a chewy loaf with big holes. The correct thing is what you want. You are in control and, if you understand what bread is about, you can tailor any dough to suit your exact specifications.'

What a liberating notion. This whole book, of course, is dedicated to telling you what bread is about.

There are many small things about this book that I love, but the one big thing that will make this book eminently useful to the amateur as an introduction to yeast breads is the fourth section of the book on `the sponge method'. For those of you who are familiar with artisinal bread baking, I should point out that this book simply does not cover this topic. It's strength is in a broad survey of bread baking techniques suitable for the home plus an in depth tutorial on the steps involved in the sponge method using commercially packaged yeast. The main advantages of using a sponge are that it gives the yeast free rein to grow in the absence of inhibitors such as salt and fats. Once the sponge has got a good head start at developing the gluten, other ingredients can be added much more easily than with a conventional dough where the yeast is simply bloomed and added to all the flour and water, followed by salt and fat(s).

Building all the following yeast bread recipes on this one method enhances the careful exposition of the sponge method. This means that the making of each recipe builds on a single skill whereby you become more familiar with all the choices you can make to branch off from one common technique.

Following the exposition of the sponge method and its recipes, the book deals with many different recipes for non-yeast quickbreads such as corn breads, spoonbreads, biscuits, teacakes, batter breads, gingerbreads and muffins. For its size, my favorite section by far is the selection of recipes for leftover bread. You can find dozens of these techniques spread across hundreds of cookbooks on French and Italian cuisine, but here we have all the best ones in one place.

While the book does not go into as much detail as some more recent titles, there is still a lot here I did not know. For example, while many writers have touted instant dried yeast over `active dry yeast', the author points out a few drawbacks of this product. The author also gives an excellent overview of the many different ways bread can be rolled and laid in baking pans and the many different ways in which bread can be scored. I have seen most of these techniques in other places, but this is the only book that pulls all of these things together in one place.

Ms. Sher gives much credit for her inspiration to Elizabeth David's book on English baking. As I am a big fan of Elizabeth David's writings, I am looking forward to reading the fountainhead of Ms. Sher's excellent book.

Superb introduction to home bread baking. Highly Recommended!

I found this a readable, useful guide as I begin to re-enter the world of baking (after 20+ years away). Interesting recipes - some challenging, others not, but all delicious, It stays on our counter, as we're baking every weekend now.