California Books

As I write this I'm looking at the front cover of Golden Country . That lone cypress puts me in mind of a quote by Paul Klee, who marvelled at the tenacity of trees, and put it thus: "To stand despite all possibilities to fall." I guess that applies to the state of California too, which is just waiting to fall into a gap between tectonic plates. Neider's book, like California, is full of marvels, though I do have a favourite photograph; that tiny bird track preserved in the baked earth of the Mojave. It's like some biblical metaphor for existence and eternity. My God, I wish I were in California right now (outside is like a English summer's day cliche - gray skies, pouring rain, cold winds, not to mention thunder and lightning). I shall seek further salvation in Susan M Neider's lovely book. And recommend it as perfect therapy for anyone with a yen for soul-enhancing travel.

Susan Neider is as gifted a photographer of the Point Reyes Peninsula as that enchanted place has ever had. Her work is tack sharp, wonderfully composed, and perfectly catches California light. A superb collection of photographs.

Jim Cohee
Senior Editor
Sierra Club Books
San Francisco, California

The Ideal Blend
For anyone looking for the ideal blend of landscape photography and information to express the essence of a place, Golden Country: Touring Scenic California does it perfectly. Susan Neider has proven once again that this is her great talent, and has made another valuable and unique contribution to the guidebook offerings. In my opinion, the portfolio of 120+ photographs is her best yet; even the most complex landscapes are captured in gorgeous, rich color with superior skill and honesty. It would not be an overstatement to say that her photographic eye is one of the best at work today. The accompanying text adds for the reader the explanations needed to understand further California's complicated and diverse geology. Her descriptive narrative is excellent -- always clean, direct, and easy to follow. As usual, Neider is able to control the flow of information masterfully so as not to exhaust the reader. Simply put, it is a pleasure to read. Maps are plentiful in Golden Country, and
these are maps that can easily be used when traveling. They are beautiful, thorough and particularly helpful as they contain little camera icons that show exactly where Neider has found her photographs. It's a wonderful touch and a great idea to guide the reader who also carries a camera in hand. For a superb overview of California that also contains the necessary detail and organization to make a terrific guidebook, Golden Country is the ideal blend.

"Golden Country" is, quite simply, an extraordinary book by an extraordinarily talented individual. I am in awe of the sheer quality of the work product created here.

Other reviewers have already praised the book's photographs. They are indeed gorgeous and sumptuous: flawlessly composed, tack sharp, bathed in perfect natural light, and offering a wide variety of interesting content (ranging from soaring panoramas to tight close-ups of individual trees, foliage, rocks, and animals). Some images are simple "matter-of-fact" recordings of beautiful landscapes, while others show off clever interpretations of unusual but naturally-occurring effects (like discreet angled beams of sunlight shining crisply through the green canopy of a section of woodlands, or low-hanging gray clouds appearing to kiss the twin peaks of the Golden Gate bridge, or mountain ridges seamlessly mirrored in salt water pools lying below). But every picture is powerful and emotive, setting its own emotional tone and a distinct mood. All of them are compelling and emotional.

But this is hardly just a pretty picture book for the coffee table (though it would do just fine there and anyone should be proud to display it there or fascinated to peruse it there). This book is also a highly effective travel guide. Unlike other travel guides that bombard the reader with boring historical information and poorly presented details, this book's information is accessible, well organized, and cleanly laid out on the page in a way that anyone can use. Only the essence of what you need to know to visit, observe, and photograph the destinations is provided: no fat, just what you need to know, presented in a highly efficient manner with journalistic-like precision and accompanied by clean, usable maps of the destination areas.

But it is not just a travel guide. It is actually a beautiful piece of literature because of the remarkable quality of the author's writing. The opening preface captures, in a single page, California's majesty, massive expanse, and remarkable physical complexity and contrasts. Later text explains the origins of the landscape -- the geological processes that actually caused the topography to develop the way it did: why things look the way they do, why the weather patterns act the way they do, why the mountains are positioned the way they are, how they came to be that way. It is pure fascination, but communicated in an easy and accessible way, scientifically accurate but not at all overwhelming for the lay reader. The prose is so beautiful, the words so well chosen, the sentences so well crafted and rhythmic, that the text is simply a joy to read -- packed full of information but yet flowing and engaging. I am struck by how Ms. Neider's descriptive writing often manages to combine a soaring, lyrical quality with a crisp, scientific precision, all at the same time. It is very rare to find these qualities combined so artfully.

Before she began her career as a photographer, Ms. Neider was a scientist and a teacher. In Golden Country, she has accomplished the truly remarkable feat of combining together in one book the technical observations of a keen scientist, the engaging education of an inspiring teacher, the graphic design of a fine artist, the talented eye of a world-class photographer, and the emotional intensity and honesty of a great writer. Rarely, if ever, has a photography book or a travel guide managed to provide such a unique combination in a single article.

I consider this extraordinary book to be one of the four or five most impressive creative works I have ever owned, and I highly recommend it to others. You will not be disappointed.

These pictures are beautiful and render the California landscape in a way rarely seen by casual travelers. It is a must for anyone who likes landscape beauty of our glorious west.

I like this book. It's very affordable for the quality of the book itself--I purchased it to have as a handy reference. As a reference, it is quite good, though topical. I have had several compendiums on fighter aircraft, but this one contains strange/one-off fighters I have never seen before (Caudron-Renault C714 Cyclone anyone?). The data for each aircraft is not too detailed, but it's worth having in your aviation library.

I finally found a William Green opus my father hadn't seen. The book is classic Green: no-nonsense, just the facts, with beautiful graphics and detailed histories of every (and I mean e-v-e-r-y) fighter aircraft ever flown. A great surprise for the airplane-oholic on your gift list.

It has every fighter that I know and a lot of that I have never heard in my like. Excellent work.

This book is without a doubt THE classic compendium of all fighters ever dsigned or manufactured. It is exhaustive in detail and catalogues many planes you would never find in any other book.

There is however, no analysis of the planes in their overall historical contribution to airpower or technological development. As a result the book is replete with a lot of facts on the aircraft, but there is no critical or lauditory comment on any. Therefore we do not know that the Hurricane was an excellent gun-platform, and the Buffalo possibly the worst fighter in history. Neither do we know which series of the Me109 was "better" against the allies, nor do we know that Japanese "Betty" bombers were called the "one-shot-lighter" because of there tendency to explode easily.

All in all there is too much colour missing from this collection for it to really enthrall as much as it could have. As a result my bathroom reading is that much less intense and enhanced...

I shall await other, newer editions to rectify this weekness.

PS: This book weights about 10Kgs. Hefty in the bathroom... bring a reading stand.

The name sounds like something for 6-year-old kids but this is a serious work. The coverage is exceptional and unlike so many other books in this category this one does not play favorites. The major US, British, and WW2 Luftwaffe aircraft are covered well, but so are all the obscure types. Depth and amount of text accompanying some of the more obscure Soviet fighters is particularly impressive, as are the cutaways of more rare and unusual aircraft (e.g. Dewoitine D.510) as well as some deserving but forgotten types (CAC Boomerang, Ouragan, Su-17). All eras, from WW1 to modern, are given fair treatment.

Each aircraft is given a history of development, notable service, and variants (in most cases, significant variants have separate entries), followed by the specs. In addition to 80+ cutaways there are 470 color profiles, and there is a plethora of well-reproduced photos many of which I've not seen before. The book claims to cover over 1,700 aircraft and there was nothing I could throw at it that it didn't cover, including obscure French, Italian and Soviet designs.

I do have a few complaints. The book could have used another round of proofreading -- there are no factual errors I could find but I came across some misspellings and misplaced photos (many concentrated in the F-4 Phantom II article for some reason). Being a book on military aircraft, it's strange to find armament information tucked into the text and not delineated in the specifications. The same goes for engine specs. And the cutaways, while very nice and detailed (200+ items labeled in the key is typical for modern aircraft) span two pages which means information is lost in the crease.

Overall, this book is a superb value and in many ways a superior alternative to Jane's.

The delivery was perfect and on time..it was a gift for someone but the only mistake you made is that the billing information was sent together to that address and not to the address that was requested...so my gift arrived good but the person knew how much it costed. It would have been perfect if the billing info would have arrived to my address..I am not angry..just letting you know.

ME GUSTARIA SABER COMO CONSEGUIR LOS LIBROS DE METAFISICA LOS LEO DESDE PUERTO RICO Y EN CHICAGO NO ENCUENTRO SITIO DONDE LOS VENDAN O COMO PUEDO HACER PARA COMPRAR POR INTERNET

Por casualidad entré en una librería de saldos y compré El Devocionario de su Angel de la Guarda, de las mismas autoras (al igual que Erasmo, tengo debilidad por comprar libros aunque no los lea de inmediato, como quien compra ropa u otros objetos). Y al comenzar a leer me dí cuenta que el que tenía en mis manos era la segunda parte, entonces decidí buscar éste. Pero de pronto se me ocurrió que por internet podría encontrarlo más barato. Y así fue, entonces compré seis, pensando en regalarlos. Fué una magnífica compra.
En los últimos dos años de mi vida se me ha despertado un interés inusitado por la espiritualidad. No soy una persona religiosa, y el tema de las religiones organizadas me produce urticaria (quizás por que mi padre solía decir con frecuencia que el no se fiaba de los hombres con faldas; y no, no hablaba de los escoceses). Así que mi búsqueda de identidad espiritual necesitaba otros tipos de respuestas. He buscado mucho y he explorado otro tanto en las corrientes del pensamiento. Por ésta razón, éste librito me tomó por sorpresa, es asombrosamente sencillo (al igual que el otro)y sin embargo está tan lleno de respuestas, que ponen a prueba hasta el más dogmático. Su efectividad te devuelve la fé y te cambia la perspectiva de la vida, si decides elevar tu estado de conciencia. Es un regalo de amor.

me gusto mucho lo que lei.......ahunque es la primera vez que leo acerca de Angeles...me interesa mucho el tema......porque en ocaciones que he pasado por realmente malos momentos en mi vida...he sentido la presencia de alguien muy cerca de mi..lo he sentido en mi hombro, cerca de mi oido,.......y siempre habia pensado que era Dios... pero no sabia que Dios nos a designado un Angel especial para cada persona....yo no voy a ninguna iglesia....pero siempre he sentido a Dios muy cerca de mi....y ahora se que es el Angel que el me envio para cuidarme...quisiera saber como comunicarme con el y verlo........siempre me he sentido diferente a las demas mujeres..no se si sea mi imaginacion..pero hay muchas preguntas que quisiera que alguien me contestara...si ustedes me pueden ayudar.....se los agradeceria toda mi vida.......Gracias.

Las autoras ofrecen un método simple y directo para que cualquier lector pueda contactar a su Angel de la Guarda. El libro es muy fácil de leer y es uno de esos libros que uno quiere tener en su biblioteca personal y usar como un libro de referencia.

Aconsejo practicar bastante, los resultados no se obtienen al primer o segundo intento generalmente. Su Angel de la Guarda está ahí, junto a usted, amándolem protegiendole en todo momento, transmitiendole su inspiración y deseando que usted le hable.

Recomiendo ampliamente este libro.

I have been using The Heart of Change book in my consulting practice. Dan Cohen's Field Guide adds a new dimension to the useability of the model. In this book Cohen has brought his extensive experience with Deloitte Consulting's Large Scale Change Practice to bear in delivering tacit knowledge of how successful change initiatives using the Heart of Change model really happen. There are ample insights, tips and tools. In addition he very successfully integrates the the theory behind the model with key challenges, diagnostic tools, stories to remember and other helpful resources.

This is a strong practical guide to organizational change. It's foundational with tools well integrated and clearly defined. Brilliant. Thanks for this practical guide.

Dan S. Cohen's The Heart Of Change Field Guide: Tools And Tactics For Leading Change In Your Organization is a follow-up to the 1996 John Kotter best-sellers Leading Change, which outlined an eight-step program for organizational change which was applauded and followed by businesses around the world. Here leaders and managers receive tools and frameworks for bringing these changes to life within their own companies, teaching how to implement each step in the process and packing in checklists, commentary, tips, and practical application methods throughout. From communicating for buy-in to creating, shaping and imparting a vision for change, The Heart Of Change Field Guide takes idea and applies it to real-life situations.

The Heart of Change (2002), co-authored by Kotter and Cohen, hit a chord in the marketplace because it told stories that leaders could relate to (based on the eight steps of change) about project successes and failures. Cohen's Field Guide (2005) takes those winning principles and translates them into practical tools to help monitor and measure success along each step.

As a consultant, I use these principles and tools on a regular basis to help my clients achieve lasting change. The diagnostic tools for each step are a great way to identify barriers and risks so you can bust through those barriers and mitigate risks.

If your organization is undergoing significant change, this is a book that you MUST have not only in your library but on your desk for regular use.

I was initially skeptical when this book was recommended by a coworker. But wow! The two most outstanding points are:
1.The change management insights to be gained from the real-life case studies. It's reassuring to know you're not alone in facing these challenges.
2. The dignostic tools are very helpful in identifying similar issues to be resolved in my company. Great not to be "insulted" by cookie-cutter solutions.
This is information and guidance that I can put to work immediately. Would recommend to any executive currently facing change management issues.

I can admit it now, but for a long period of my life, it was quite painful: I'm an Angels fan. Have been since the days of Bo Belinski. That's why I was delighted to see Bucky Fox's addition to the history, lore and trivia of my beloved Angels -- be they of Anaheim or Los Angeles. His book is crammed with stuff I didn't know or, in many cases, had forgotten. Like "Adam Kennedy's Reggie Moment," when Kennedy hit three dingers in Game 5 of the ALC championship series to beat the Twins. Or the key role played by the relatively unknown pitcher John Lackey in a number of major Angel wins (Game 7 of 2002 World Series, Game 4 of 2002 ALC championship, Game 2 of 2005 AL Division series). Bucky's book is filled with this stuff.

For a demented Angel fan, it's all pure gold.

Bucky Fox has done a terrific job of highlighting the top players, moments and memories of the Angels' storied past. This book is written in a short, punchy style that makes it a quick, easy read. It brings back memories for any Angels fan of the great moments in franchise history, and it reminds you that the Angels have a lot more high points in their history than you might think.

I'm not an Angels fan. I'm a Yankees fan and what I want to know is why MY team doesn't have a kickass book like this. With his fast-paced, tightly-written countdown to victory, Fox does the seemingly impossible. He makes the Angels look like the Yankees. And for that, I tip my pro cap to him.

Great introduction for new fans to the history of the Angels and a great rememberance for long time Angel Fans. It was a fun read because you could just tell that the Author is an Angels fan.

As an Angel fan I think this book makes a delightful quick read and scores consistently with interesting tidbits of Angel player triva. Should be in any Angel fan's collection.

I think this was a great book because it captured the life of a teen girl. Some thing she did reminded me of my friend who is exatly like Bron. I would recomend this book to everyone. I think adults should also read this book so they can get and understanding of a teens life. Some parents dont understand Teens. Eveyone but this book its worth reading.

Bronwyn Lewis is a sixteen-year-old girl who has just been forced to move to Ojala, California with her family. The year is 1960. Bron is a good student, and has always lived life by the rules. It doesn't take long for her to realize if she doesn't change herself, she will not fit in with the carefree, easygoing teens in town. A popular interest of these individuals is drag racing, something that Bron wrongly thought she would never experience herself. Soon she meets J.C., an extremely attractive racer, and Will, a down-to-earth, old-fashioned country guy. She gets caught between them, and some interesting things occur with both men. I guess you could say she has a lot of things on her mind, including her reckless friend Lanie, the legendary horrific fires of Ojala, the profits of her family business, and her life's turn for romance and adventure. Hobbs really brings Bron's story to life through her dense plot and rising action. There is an overwhelming mood this book gives you through Bron's interactions with other characters. I really started to enjoy the book as the number of friendships and relationships Bron aquires increased. The ending really left me thinking because there is a distinct mystery to it. The genre is a combination of coming-of-age, adventure, and romance; no single genre would be fit by itself in my opinion. I really felt like I knew the characters personally as the plot thickened. I would definatly recommend this book to anyone. If an adult were to read it, he or she would have a good idea of the aspects of American teenagers' lives.

this is a really good book! it gives good insight on a teen girl's point of view on things. not only that, but it is fast paced! i got in bed to read at nine and stayed up until two to finish it! belive me, you will like this book!

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It made me laugh and cry and fall in love with every bit of it. The author was so great and I hope that I can get to read more of her books, soon. I just loved it, if you haven't read it then you need to. You have no idea what you're missing.

As an adult I was very moved by the story, especially the insight into the thoughts of a young woman. There was a "true story" feeling in the Bron's experiences. A must read for parents of young people...lots of insight into the need to "belong". Hobbs has done a superb writing job!

"How to Write a Screenplay" is a superb guide to the craft of cinematic storytelling and the process of rendering that story into the standard screenplay format. The book also includes detailed guidance on the pitch and development stages of the screenwriting process. Schwartz effectively delivers his lessons because "How to Write a Screenplay" seamlessly marries form and function. The book itself is in the form of a screenplay, and therefore serves as an ongoing example of the points it presents. This is an extremely effective pedagogical approach because the reader's attention is not divided between separate narrative text and examples, but fully engaged at any moment in an interesting story that illustrates its points in concrete terms.

In the introduction to his book, Schwartz states he has seen the quality of his screenwriting students' work dramatically improve after utilizing this approach; I have no doubt that this has been true for him, and will also apply to those who read his excellent book.

This is by far and away the best book I've read on screenwriting. It's really insightful, informative, and entertaining. I found myself laughing while learning! As others have noted, this clever little gem is a fast and fun read, a how-to book that is actually written in the form of a character and story-driven screenplay. Like a good movie, I kept turning the pages, wanting to "see" what would happen next. Before you get to the feature length screenplay (titled Screenwriting for the Hell of It!),it has a funny short script about pitching, and takes you by example through the steps of development. I can see why a great director like Wes Craven recommends it. Very cool!

The latest edition of HOW TO WRITE: A SCREENPLAY appears in its revised, expanded edition to add a chapter on 'The Pitch' and features a screenplay-like format which sets it apart from others on the market. Danny, the hero in this story, is hopelessly in love with a star who won't date him until he proves he can write an outstanding screenplay for her. Learn the basics of writing and marketing a screenplay through a format that lends to lively insights: perfect for any public library or school collection catering to aspiring screenwriters.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The addition of a section on "pitching" in Mr. Schwartz' Second Edition is the icing on the cake of his excellent guide to screenwriting. Having worked inside the studio system for several decades as a story analyst, development executive, and producer, I've seen many cases where a screenwriter had a good story and/or script but failed to sell it because he/she blew the "pitch." As he did with screenwriting in the First Edition, Mr. Schwartz provides the keys to successful "pitching" in his user-friendly format: keep it simple, clear and entertaining. I will continue to recommend Mr. Schwartz' book to writers, producers and development execs as a very useful tool in developing, and NOW in selling screenplays.

In summary, like a good movie, this is highly entertaining and educational!
There, now that that is out of the way, let me say I was initially skeptical about this book and its overwhelmingly good reviews. The reason is a character flaw (I think): I don't trust positivity.

However, it wasn't too expensive and Amazon would ship it to me in record time so I thought, what the heck and ordered it. It's a small book, and I was expecting it to be. After all, it's in the format of a screenplay and those shouldn't be more than 120 pages or so, right?

On starting to read, straightaway, I was hooked. The story used is a bit corny, but--I couldn't believe it!--I wanted to know more: what did Virgil want? Who was the stranger in Bebe's apartment? Does Danny finish the screenplay? And right along with all that, I was actually learning about structure, character, theme, dialog and exposition; all in a way I never would have thought possible.

And at a speed I never thought possible either! I was learning how to write a screenplay and how to make it interesting and watchable, without the impediment of translating jargon and quasi-indecipherable jibber jabber. I blew through it in less than two hours and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. One of my highest recommendations and kudos to the author for finding a pleasant, funny, and incredibly insightful way of transferring knowledge.

From my own Irish heritage, and the wonderful way Colleen Rice uses words for imagery and to convey emotion, I truly felt like I was thrown smack dab into "the midst of darkness" that was Ireland almost 200 years ago. It puts current day Ireland, and her continuing struggles in a richer light for me. Colleen Rice's character's voices were so real, and their emotions so raw. I felt like I knew them and I shed tears of anguish when they were pained, and shared their happiness and tears of joy during their moments of happiness. This book was exciting from the moment I opened it and read of the horrific slaughter of Donald and Seamus's father until the climatic arrival of French forces on Ireland's coast. It was also most informative from a historical vantage point. The imagery was magnificent, the dialogue very real, the character's struggles and victories, beautifully manifested on each page. I loved this book. I was unable to put it down once I picked it up. Like the backcover suggests...grab yourself a cup of coffee or tea, (I had hot chocolate) put a blanket over your knees, get comfortable in front of a roaring fire and begin your adventure on page one. Make sure you turn the phone off because I guarantee that you will not want to be interrupted! It really left me wanting more....now I want to follow their children's lives! This book needs to be put onto the screen so that it will reach an even larger audience.

A very entertaining history book.
The author certainly did her research, I had no idea the Irish were forced to exsist under the conditions that were outlined in the book.
An excellent read I will recommened it to everyone I know, be they Irish or not.

Reading "In the Midst of Darkness" was like taking a private tour of Ireland's past. Colleen Rice presented a fascinating story about real people facing real problems. From the first page to the last, I was engaged in the mystery, intrigue, and romance experienced by the characters. Their personas came alive in my psyche, allowing me to feel their feelings and see what they saw, and imagining what I would do if faced with their challenges. The Irish countryside that I have enjoyed in my travels now takes on a deeper meaning and significance, as I know they hold the stories of people like those in the book. Many thanks to the author for such an easy and powerful read! Days after finishing the book, I still wonder what became of Reanna and the others. The memory of the stories linger still.

I really loved reading Colleen Rice's, "In the Midst of Darkness." The characters came alive for me. She brought out the struggle to live under such difficult circumstances, but still be able to enjoy loved ones. I expect to keep it on my bookshelf and read it more than once.

I'm usually not a big fan of historical novels, but I received this book as a gift and was completely swept into the drama of these four compelling characters. Even though I have no Irish blood, the story of Reanna, Seamus, Siobhan and Donald had a transcendent quality: It was about ordinary women and men--a teacher, a hatmaker, etc.--caught up in a historical moment that they could not have foreseen or controlled. It makes me think of all those stories we've read about people working at the World Trade Center bombing on Sept. 11--that precious intersection of daily life with epic history. Even 200 years after the Irish Revolution, this book feels so immediate in Rice's able hands. She is a talented storyteller who created characters I cared about, and the historical backdrop just made it richer for me.

Excellent mystery,don't want to put the book down, and with God in the center of it all - outstanding!

I could not lay this book down. Great suspense and action. Colleen Coble is my new favorite author.

Colleen presents her story world in a way that makes me want to be there, then makes me believe I am there. The characters are real and likeable, including her beloved search-and-rescue dog, Samson. When he turned up missing, I wanted to search for and rescue him. When someone got in trouble underwater, I found myself helping by holding my breath. I was thoroughly involved in this warm, taut suspense with happy ending.

One of the most pleasurable thing in these books is the vivid atmosphere, and the depth of all the characters. It seems they are all friends or acquaintance of yours.
From the dogs to the sherif and Bree and her friend they all are very attractive.
But please, stop inserting God all over the pages. All the readers are not that religious!

I was up until midnight finishing this book. The setting is so vivid I thought I could walk outside my door and find myself in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the characters felt like real people. The main character's search for a murderer is complicated when her beloved dog Samson is snatched by a dog-fighting ring, and I agonized along with her every step of the way. I loved the scuba diving scenes, too! A great mystery suspense story. I can't wait for Coble's next, which her website says will be based in Hawaii. I've always wanted to visit Hawaii, and I know this talented author will take me there as surely as if I've been there in person.

Excellent book on a California Asian Fusion style of food preparation. Great graphic photos of food preparation with easy to follow instruction to make the various foods. This book prompted a visit to three of the restaurants now in operation in California. Planning to visit the other two in Oregon soon.In particular the Cantina in Pacific Beach, California. Awesome interior design highlighted by a bar from Indonesia and a 1200 pound statue of Budah. Friday, saturday & sundays are heavy customer attendance. The food presentation is very unique. I've recommended this experience to my friends. The Cantina is open for breakfast(awesome), lunch (awesome), and dinner(equally awesome experience).

After eating at the Cantina for years, it was wonderful to finally be able to experience the food at home. Excellent recipes, photos and presentation. I highly recommend this book.

My husband and I ate in Isabel's restaurant in San Diego weekly when we lived in San Diego for four years. We just moved to Chicago and I can't explain my joy when I found out she not only had a cookbook, but one with many of my favorite dishes from the restaurant in it! It is one of the things I miss most about San Diego--luckily, I can still enjoy this great food when I make it in my own home!

Ate at her restaurant and had to get the book as the food was wonderful. The photos and the recipes are
great. We tried them at home and they are unique and great tasting.

The only reason I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that if you were not a cook, it would be hard to follow the recipes, as they leave out things that you'd know as a cook to do, but wouldn't if you were a novice. Nonetheless, this is a great book with great photos.

I first encountered Isabel's cooking at her Dragonfly restaurant in Ashland Oregon a couple of years ago. As director of the Center of Excellence in Nutritional Genomics it is important for me to look the part so I ordered the grilled chicken lettuce wrap thinking that it would be low-cal, healthy but tasteless. Boy was I surprised and my family and I have been regulars every since. I was delighted find that many of Isabel's great dishes are now available in "Isabel's Cantina: Bold Latin Flavors." I purchased her book recently and I wasn't disappointed. Isabel has managed to capture in this well written and beautifully illustrated book, the very best of the "fusion" cuisine. Drawing on her multicultural experiences in the LA area, Isabel blends international flavors and ingredients into dishes that are both delicious and fun, not to mention healthy. Her recipes are certainly at the forefront of current food trends that place greater emphasis on flavor and a healthier balance between protein and vegetable. Is Isabel's Cantina: Bold Latin Flavors the new cuisine for the global village? Is Ms. Cruz the new female "Bobby Flay" of the West Coast? I don't know but her style and recipes have put the excitement back into fusion cooking.